Gladwin: Everyday is a School Day

On Friday afternoon, I caught up with Sheffield’s finest Brent Gladwin, the owner of GR Motorsport Team WD40 in the British Superbike paddock. We discuss the team, their choice of rider in 2017 and also their future.

Regarding the Superbike class, you’ve been quite unlucky. Why is that and can it change in 2017?

With the Superbike, it’s just a big learning curve. Every day is a school day. We’ve tried hard in the past to develop young riders and that hasn’t worked. We’ve taken riders from other classes and that hasn’t worked. So, we decided for 2017 we would add Moto3 and Superstock 1000 to Superbike trying to bring riders on that way. In Moto3 we have started a new project with Reynolds Engineering of Milton Keynes to manufacture a chassis for that class which is quite exciting and have 16-year-old Liam Delves riding that. In the National Superstock 1000, we have Mason Law on the all new Kawasaki ZX10RR. In Superbike, as everyone knows, we’ve gone for Tommy Bridewell because for the last five years, he has been in the top 10 in the championship and three times in the showdown. We know we have a great crew and we know we have a great bike we needed to add the right rider and then sometimes, you just need a little bit of luck on your side.

How have you found the adaptation to the new Kawasaki easy or more difficult?

I think that any new motorcycle is a learning curve but the ZX10-RR is just an evolution of the one before. It’s got some fantastic new systems to it that we must learn, like the flyby wire. People have been playing with this system everywhere on all the new bikes and it’s not easy with the MOTEC we all have to use in BSB. The guys we have on electronics help, but it is still learning and it’s also about rider feel. Tommy hasn’t used flyby wire before so he’s having to understand the difference between cable and electronics. Leon (Haslam) had the same issue last year, and Rea and Sykes had the same problems. It’s our first round and we can only do what we can do on a day-by-day basis.

How has as reducing the team down to one rider affected you?

Everything is about sponsorship. As a team, we deliver fantastic advertising value and reach out across social media. However, things affect you – such as Brexit. What we’ve decided to do is focus, and with Tommy, we’ve found something that is a good way of focussing. We decided to go for three classes. I think that focussing on one is not a bad thing, as we focussed on Tarran last season and won the British Supersport championship; we focussed on Joe Francis and won the title in the past and on Karl Harris in the European Stock 1000 series where we also won the championship. So, with Tommy, we like what we have and we like the team and hopefully, by the end of a long season, we will be in the showdown and see what we can do.

How come you have pulled out of the British Supersport category after Tarran won it for the team last season?

It’s a purely commercial decision really for us and the rest of the world. The 600cc is finishing, they don’t sell road bikes anymore, for example if you want a brand new ZX6R then there are non-available. We won the title for Kawasaki for the first time in 26 years so our decision was to come out of that class early and go back to the 1000s. Also, with the manufacturers in the 1000s bringing out new models, the class becomes a win on Sunday, sell on Monday class again, making it more important for the manufacturers.

Do you think Tommy’s experience will see you nearer the top of the time sheets?

I think that Tommy is absolutely not a one trick pony. Some riders are, because for example, if it’s not a Yamaha, then they can’t win. With Tommy, he’s rode five bikes in five seasons, with the Honda, BMW, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha and now he’s back to Kawasaki and each time he’s been successful. For me, if you have a rider with an open-minded approach like his, then you can try something different. I believe that last year, having spoken to his team, Tommy doesn’t give up. He didn’t give up on the Suzuki when other riders wouldn’t ride it. Far too many other riders want to cry in the caravan about all sorts of things. That’s not Tommy he wants to do his best always.

Do you see yourself going into Road Racing?

I personally have a great history of road racing. For me, going racing on the roads is a personal challenge for the rider. It’s your choice. I like the organisers of the Isle of Man TT and the NW200 but right now it isn’t for us. We want to concentrate on this side of things. Adding the Roads to BSB makes for an incredibly busy season and there’s enough of a work load on for us right now. After three rounds, we will evaluate where we are and whether we can go and watch the boys at the TT – which is a great holiday – or if we need to work through that period in preparation for round four. It has benefitted us in the past.

Does Assen cost you more and is it an inconvenience financially?

Not really, but the issue is the cost of travel and the time needed with a couple of days extra each side of the meeting. For a lot of the guys in the paddock, who take time off work, it’s the added time off-work that puts the pressure on the teams. The ferry is good and a lot of fun goes on but it’s a round trip of 1000 miles so it is longer than Knockhill, I sometimes question these things but after a think about it, with races at Knockhill, Thruxton which have rubbish facilities etc., we may as well go to Assen. Having said that, there are some great positives: – The British sports fans and BSB aficionados are some of the best in the world and those guys will get on their bikes or in their cars or take a plane and come and watch us at Assen! MSV have bought a circuit in France. Are we going to be going to Europe more often in the BSB series, difficult to call – we’ve had Brexit. Do we need to add costs to go to these tracks? No, we don’t however, a bit of spice never hurts anyone.

Would you like to see a return to BSB of some of the older circuits, e.g. Croft or Mallory Park?

I like those circuits. The trouble is they don’t have the infrastructure or safety any more. They can’t cope with the size of BSB Paddock and most importantly, if a rider falls and is seriously hurt, are you going to be happy? The thrills of motorcycle sport are very important – When a rider crashes we all want to see them get back up and not with an ambulance parked next to him. I know Mallory are doing a good job, trying to bring it into the 21st century but it still won’t be able to cater for the whole BSB paddock. It is a huge paddock. I don’t know how it would work at all. You can’t just take one or two classes. If you get rid of the support classes for a round, who is going to turn up and just watch a couple of races?

Will you be in the showdown with Tommy this year?

I really hope so! Getting in the showdown would be great for our sponsors, however big or small; they will all get fantastic value from his successes. Nobody is shy of success and I am expecting to pay Tommy quite a lot in bonusses and one of them is for him to get in the showdown.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Mir Heads the Pack as Moto3 Hits Argentina

All eyes are on Leopard Racing’s Joan Mir, as the Moto3 World Championship heads to Argentina, following his victory last time out at in Qatar.

The Mallorcan rider arrives at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit this weekend leading the championship, and knows he is now the marked man of the field. This round should suit both the bike and his riding style, as the layout of the track encourages the last of the late breakers and rewards bikes with top straight line speed. Mir has only competed once before at the Argentinian venue, securing fifth position during last year’s race. Following his success from the opening round, he can be expected to feature in the fight for top honours on Sunday.

Behind him, British Talent Team’s John McPhee will be determined to go one better than his second place finish, a fortnight ago. Nobody then was expecting great things from the new team, even those who had helped bankroll the outfit were talking about success only coming later in the season. That has now all changed, and the 22-year old will now have to deal with the expectation of consistently challenging for victory. The young Scot is undoubtedly a serious talent in the making and, with such a competitive machine underneath him, has the tools to take the fight to the front on a regular basis.

However, dare to write off the rest of the Moto3 field at your peril. The more experienced Moto3 contenders such as Enea Bastianini (Estrella-Galicia Honda), Nicolo Bulega (TeamSky-VR46 KTM) and Romano Fenati (Marinelli-Honda) will all be gunning to reclaim the top step of the podium what all three believe is rightfully theirs. The latter of these will be most desperate to return to winning ways, having not claimed the chequered flag since last season’s Grand Prix of America. With ‘race rustiness’ of the first race of the season now behind them, expect this Roman triumvirate to put on a strong showing this weekend.

Finally, we must not forget Gabriel Rodrigo who is the sole Argentinian to line up on the grid – provided he is passed fit to race. The 20-year old broke his collarbone during FP1 a fortnight ago at the Losail International circuit. It has been a difficult introduction to the ‘cadet class’ for Rodrigo, having only been able to amass a lowly 31 points from last season’s championship. Still, there’s nothing like a race in front of a home crowd to inspire one onto greater things.

The Moto3 Grand-Prix of Argentina is on Sunday 9th April, 1300 local time (1700 UK time)

Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

Double Delight for Pocket Rocket Haslam at Donington

Photo Credit to Gareth Davies, of Full Factory Media. You can find him here

British Superbikes

April 5, 2017

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Leon Haslam stormed to a double win on Sunday at Donington Park, giving the JG Speedfit Bournemouth Kawasaki Team their first ever wins as he strolled into the lead of the championship by 19 points over Luke Mossey, his teammate.

Haslam dominated the first race, wasting no time at all in muscling his way past early race leader James Ellison, who rides the McAms Yamaha in 2017. Luke Mossey also closed in after an aggressive move on the first lap to get ahead of returning champion Josh Brookes, with the front three running very close together. Further back in the pack it was Christian Iddon on the Tyco BMW who was leading Peter Hickman, Michael Laverty, Josh Brookes – who dropped back after Mossey’s aggressive pass – and the sole remaining PBM Ducati of Glenn Irwin, after Shane Byrne crashed heavily at Craner Curves in warm up and was unable to race due to concussion.

After Haslam had negotiated his way passed James Ellison, Cambridgeshire rider Luke Mossey quickly followed suit, easing through and although initially staying with Leon, Mossey faded and finished and a distant 2nd. For third, the battle was on between Iddon and Hickman, with Christian putting an aggressive move on Hicky to take the 3rd place – starting the season just as he started 2016. Hickman was 4th but annoyed with Iddon’s move. James Ellison completed the top five with Glenn Irwin finishing ahead of Brookes, Laverty, Dixon and Jason O’Halloran completing the top 10.

Notable non-finishers in race one included Sylvain Guintoli and Taylor Mackenzie; the Suzuki pairing crashing out early on. John Hopkins and Billy McConnell both crashed too, with Aaron Zanotti, Martin Jessopp and Bradley Ray also failing to finish (or in Ray’s case, failing to start).

Race two was slightly different, with Josh Brookes coming off pole position and leading the race from the start. Haslam hurried through into 2nd with James Ellison 3rd. Glenn Irwin made a poor start and was as low as 10th early on in the race, with work to do.

Taylor Mackenzie crashed again in his comeback season to BSB but was in good company, as Billy McConnell again went down at Goddard’s. Michael Laverty’s McAms Yamaha broke down and he retired at the Foggy Esses after a strong showing in the top five.

Brookes was leading Haslam but with Haslam opting for a harder front tyre, the gap was being reduced. Mossey however was not replicating his first race showing, as he was enthralled in a battle for the podium positions with Iddon, Ellison, Hickman and Irwin.

Haslam hit the lead with five to go and despite Brookes trying to remain near him, Haslam pulled the pin and used the harder tyre compound to his advantage, as Josh struggled for grip, particularly out of the Esses. Meanwhile, Irwin was now in third place, a heroic Valentino Rossi-style comeback for the Ulsterman gave Paul Bird something to cheer about after a bad start to the day.

Haslam was victorious as he cruised to his first double at Donington Park since 2007 on the Airwaves Ducati – the home of doubles lived up to its name. Josh Brookes took his first podium since 2015 and gave the Anvil Hire Tag Racing Team their first ever podium with Yamaha equipment, proving that any team can do well in BSB if they have the right riders. Glenn Irwin took 3rd place ahead of Christian Iddon and Luke Mossey, who completed the top five. James Ellison ended up 6th ahead of Guintoli, Hickman, newcomer Giugliano and Jason O’Halloran who finished 10th.

A double victory got the crowd on their feet for local rider Leon Haslam, as he leads the championship by a distant 19 points over teammate Luke Mossey and Derbyshire’s Christian Iddon in 3rd. Josh Brookes is straight in with 4th in the series, ahead of Glenn Irwin and Peter Hickman.

The racing resumes on the 16th and 17th of April, which is Bank Holiday Monday. Brands Hatch Indy is the circuit and you can be guaranteed of some fierce action around one of the shortest and scrappiest tracks on the calendar. Expect fireworks from Shane Byrne as he looks to kick-start his championship in two weeks’ time. Whatever the weather, there will be an enormous crowd so prepare for one of the best rounds of the season and make your bank holiday weekend count.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Brookes: Expect What You Know I’m Capable Of

Photo credit to Gareth Davies of Full Factory Media. Find his other images hereJosh Brookes returns to the BSB paddock this season and has took the time to do a short interview, where we talk about WSBK, his BSB return, whether or not he will be as competitive as before amongst other things. Be sure to keep an eye on Brookes as he showcases his talents and flexes his muscles once more, this time with the Anvil Hire Yamaha team, alongside Shaun Winfield.


What can we expect from you in 2017?

You can expect what you know I’m capable of. When the bike is right and it’s all working well then, I can win a championship; as you saw in WSBK, when things aren’t organised or prepared well then I can only get mediocre results in comparison to what you’ve experienced before.

How is this team compared to the SMR Team?

I was with the Milwaukee team for three seasons so I know them very well, with how they operate and they have a very professional presence in the paddock, whereas the Tag Racing team are a more family based team, with a very family atmosphere. We are only at the first round so I can’t predict how they will be as the weeks and months go on but so far, they’re doing everything they can to give me a bike in the most professional way possible. So far it is all good.


At what point did you know that you were going for BSB and not staying in WSBK?

I was sort of holding off in the off season. I didn’t sign until very late because I didn’t want to sign to something I wasn’t happy or comfortable with. I didn’t want to come back to BSB just for the sake of coming back – I wanted to come back and win again. I wanted to hold off and see if I could pick up a ride as a replacement to someone who got injured and roll the dice. I was looking to do other things; I’d already done the British before and I hadn’t secured a ride with the world scene but I didn’t want to commit to something. Now I’m with Anvil Yamaha, I have committed. It wouldn’t matter if Valentino Rossi’s ride became available, I can’t take it. I was open to the idea of not signing up and just doing round by round, getting enough money together to get me by, However, when this deal came along it was stupid not to take it. It’s a good bike in a good team with a good salary so it is all that I needed to be able to come back and best strong.

Do you think you will be as dominant as 2015 with the line-up this year?

I think it will hard to be as dominant as I was at the end 2015. I hope to still be able to win races and fight for the championship for sure, but absolutely I agree that the championship looks to be a thicker field now and that makes it harder to win races. In 2015, I came from the back of the grid and finished 4th, whereas now when you’ve got so many competitive riders, you’ll never be able to achieve such a comeback. The battle for 7th to 9th are just as hard to win as the battle for the win itself. It makes dominating an event or series a lot harder than before with such competition.


With big names coming into BSB, do you feel that you’re occupying a seat that could be for someone who’s trying to come through the paddock?

I think when I was a young kid coming through in Australia, the grid was full of the best superbike riders in the Australian period. They were the guys that I aspired to and had to beat if I wanted to become champion. You should look to try and beat the best that’s there and not in a year when there’s less quality there. Look at MotoGP. Rookies coming up and beating the MotoGP regulars. I think it is a better example of the rider and how they will be in the future to come and beat the best riders on the grid. That’s what they need to be focused on instead of thinking they’re being missed out. I think also with the British series is that it’s a good platform for any rider. For example, me coming over to the Tag Team. A lot of people were sceptical of me doing well because of previous seasons and their results. If you have the calibre of rider then any team can do well. They stand a chance because the rules are so fair and equal, it gives the family run teams a chance to compete against the more factory teams.

If you won the championship this year, would it be better than the first?

I have to agree with you that because it is so stacked, it is going to be more difficult to win. I certainly thought the 2015 series was difficult with the new machine – I was on the podium every round but it took me a long time to win. Once we got a bike in a range that was suitable for my style and riding and the team were comfortable with working at the bike, we were able to dominate. I think it will be more difficult to dominate this time round, so to answer your question I’d be more thrilled this time than the first time.

Can you win the title?

I believe so. We are only at round one so it’s very difficult to predict what will happen. I’ve been good so far so I think we can definitely be in the hunt and up for the fight.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

 

MotoGP Argentina Preview: Land of the GOAT

 

South America. Argentina. Termas De Rio Hondo. MotoGP. It’s time for the Argentine Grand Prix and after one round, Maverick Vinales sits pretty on top of the world championship standings ahead of Andrea Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi. The Argentine Grand Prix made a welcome return to the series in 2014, although at a different venue to previous years gone by. Ever since returning to the country, the premier class has enjoyed some fantastic racing, with Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez doing battle. Will it be the same in 2017?

Maverick Vinales topped every pre-season test and to prove that he was fast in the race too, he went and won, in Qatar two weeks ago. He comes to Argentina full of confidence but has admitted that he is under a bit of pressure coming into the meeting. The former Moto3 champion has reason to be worried coming into Argentina, as he has never had more than a top 10 at the circuit. A retirement in 2014, a 10th in 2015 and a crash whilst in the running for the podium last year means Maverick has work to do but his seamless adaptation to the Yamaha could throw all previous form out the window. Vinales will be out for nothing less than a win.

Andrea Dovizioso was 2nd in Qatar for the 3rd consecutive season and comes into Argentina with confidence that he, for now at least, is still top Ducati. Dovi’s form around the Termas De Rio Hondo circuit is slightly mixed, with a best result of 2nd in 2015 – although that could’ve been matched had teammate Andrea Iannone not wiped him out at the final corner. Andrea has shown that the Ducati has pace in 2017 and will be settling for nothing less than a podium come race day. The massive back straight at the track will certainly favour the Ducati and Dovi, so keep an eye on the #4 as it works its way through the traffic.

Valentino Rossi has accumulated more points in Argentina over the last three seasons than anyone else in the paddock. The Doctor’s recent form around the Termas track suggests he could have an ace or two up his sleeve. The track suits styles which are natural in direction changes as well as riders who like to get the bike sideways – possibly why Rossi and Marquez do battle. Rossi’s victory in 2015 eradicated any thoughts that the 9-time champion couldn’t adapt to new circuits like the younger blood in the field. Valentino Rossi has actually been around so long that he will be able to remember winning the 1998 250cc GP race in Argentina, although at a different venue. The Doctor has said the problems of pre-season testing and Qatar are fixed and that he has found a breakthrough, so is a win in Argentina possible? After all, it is the land of the goat.

Marc Marquez has more wins in the premier class than anyone in Argentina, with two. In 2014, he came from behind to beat Jorge Lorenzo and in last season, a pit stop in the middle of the race aided him, after a battle with Valentino Rossi on track. Some may say that 2015 also showed Marc’s speed around the track but a tangle with Rossi resulted in him being on the floor with just one and a half laps to go. His 4th place in Qatar won’t be too much of a concern for the reigning champion, having started his season with 3rd last year. The Spaniard may be more concerned with how close he was to being sixth, having nearly been caught by Dani Pedrosa and Aleix Espargaro. Will he make it three in Argentina and remind the likes of Maverick Vinales that he is not going to allow an ill-handling Honda to slow him down?

Talking of ill-handling Hondas, Dani Pedrosa finished 5th at Losail, his best result since winning the San Marinese Grand Prix last season. The 31-year-old has two podiums at the Termas circuit from two attempts, having missed the 2015 race through injury. His 2014 2nd place was a reminder that Dani Pedrosa could be a lethal weapon on race day, hunting down Jorge Lorenzo before snatching it away from his compatriot. In 2016, luck was on his and Valentino Rossi’s side, after the two factory Ducatis tangled on the penultimate corner. Pedrosa is still a top-six rider but whether a podium can be made may be left to be desired. Don’t rule him out just yet though.

Aleix Espargaro put in a splendid effort in Qatar to finish 6th on the Now TV Gresini Aprilia. The Spaniard took the Noale manufacturer to the best result they’ve ever had in MotoGP and will be looking to capitalise on a circuit he has a best result of 7th at, back in 2015. The start of the season marks his best since 2014 but this time, he may feel like he has a package to cause a few more upsets. The Termas circuit is one that over the last few seasons, has seen numerous accidents. Last season, Eugene Laverty finished 4th after qualifying 17th, so anything is possible. Aleix might be a good bet for a podium should conditions be mixed too.

Other mentions obviously include Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Iannone. Both riders have reasonably good form at Termas, although Jorge crashed last year along with Andrea. Jorge’s podium in 2014 is his only to date at the track, whereas Iannone is still out for his first points on the Suzuki.

Johann Zarco and Alvaro Bautista will be looking to make amends after both crashed out of great positions in Qatar. Zarco has won twice around the track so, like in Qatar, could be a front runner, just this time until the chequered flag. Bautista on the other hand has only had one point scoring ride at the track, which came last season with 10th. Will the Aspar Ducati man improve on that in 2017?

What we can be sure of is the Argentine Grand Prix is going to be incredible, like it has been since it’s addition to the calendar. Wet weather looms large on Friday and Saturday but Sunday looks to be OK so far. Will we see another rain-affected weekend in MotoGP and could that mean another upside-down grid? Could it see surprises in Moto2 and Moto3 with wet weather specialists such as Pawi and McPhee? So many questions with an array of answers, it all depends which one is chosen come Sunday.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

WSBK Aragon: What We Learned

The spectacular Motorland circuit, in the heart of the Aragon desert, provided the backdrop to the opening round of the European leg of the 2017 World Superbike championship. The first round back on the continent is often remarked as the ‘second start’ to the season, as teams traditionally bring a host of upgrades and revisions to their machines.

Ducati Bring The Fight To Kawasaki

Aruba.it-Ducati’s Chaz Davies finally managed to open his account in this year’s championship by claiming victory in the second Superbike race, on Sunday. It so nearly could have been a brace and a full 50-points for the Welshman, had he not suffered the cruelest of blows on the penultimate lap of Saturday’s race and high-sided off the track. Nevertheless, a stunning ride the following day ensured that Jonathan Rea’s (KRT) incredible early season run of victories was ended. The championship standings may still firmly be in the favour of the triple world champion, but Davies has now marked himself as his chief rival in the duel for the highest honour in production bike circuit racing.

Resurgence At Yamaha

Whilst the green and red machines currently have a stranglehold on the race victories, Pata-Yamaha have emerged from this weekend as undoubtedly ‘best of the rest’. The Japanese manufacturer have made no secret that they are concentrating more resources into their World Superbike challenger. The team now work in close proximity to the Yamaha-M1 MotoGP factory outfit in Italy. Whilst limited in what upgrades they can produce for the R1, the team have vowed to make the championship a three-way shootout at the top. With Suzuka 8-hour winner Alex Lowes leading their on-track efforts, the Aragon round proved to be a real step forward for them with a consistently strong showing across the weekend. Indeed, Lowes was keeping pace with the front runners during Sunday’s race before out-braking himself into the T13/14 chicane and dropping back. Nevertheless, the promises of improvement have clear substance, and it surely will not be long before the team find themselves on the podium.

Not All About The Factories

Aragon was not all about the factory powered teams. There was a strong showing from the smaller, privateer teams. Jordi Torres, spearheading the efforts of the Althea-BMW outfit, was one of the standouts of the weekend. The Spaniard provided more than just pride and consolation for the home crowd by securing finishes inside the top ten for both races. It should come as little surprise that it is Torres who is effectively leading a resurgence in among the privateers – he is the former Spanish Moto2 champion, and has a CV loaded with victories across a multitude of categories. During the run up to the 2017 season, there had been open concerns amongst teams and supporters alike that the factory dominance of Kawasaki and Ducati in recent years had rendered the privateers uncompetitive. There is still an undeniable gap in outright performance of the machines, but riders like Torres are keeping the likes of Yamaha and Honda more than honest.

Honda On The Long Road Back

The first round on European soil also produced some good news for the Red-Bull Honda team. With two former world champions and MotoGP contenders piloting the new ‘Fireblade’, Aragon showcased the progress the troubled factory outfit. With a raft of upgrades including a new engine map and stiffer suspension, both Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl made it into the second Superpole qualifying session. Whilst the races still proved difficult and only minor points were all that the team could secure, there is potential in the bike. The riders have the quality to deliver the results. They just need the team to provide the upgrades.

Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

Davies Leaves It Late to Take Pole

Superpole 1

Having failed to make it through automatically to the Superpole 2, both Red-Bull Honda’s of Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl put on a commanding display in the opening session. The former MotoGP riders were imperious, with the next best contender (BMW’s Markus Reiterberger) over half a second slower.

It has been a difficult week so far for the Grillini-Racing Team, who have had to endure a very uncompetitive meeting so far, as both Ondrej Jezek and Ayrton Badovini could not qualify beyond the last two spots on the grid, more than two seconds off the pace of the Hondas.

Superpole 2

There was drama almost as soon as the second qualifying session began as Pata-Yamaha’s Alex Lowes ran off the circuit on entry to the final corner. The 2016 Suzuka 8-hours winner was left unable to set a time, and will have to start from P12 on the fourth row for Race 1. The off-track excursions continued throughout the session – most notably was Stefan Bradl who’s Honda machine caught fire at the end of his first run, and had to be content with P11.

With Lowes out of contention, the battle for pole position was left exclusively between the works Kawasaki and Ducati outfits. Reigning champion Jonathan Rea set the early pace, and looked his usual metronomic self throughout the session. However, a stunning effort from Aruba.It-Ducati’s Chaz Davies in the dying moments, was enough to steal the top spot with a time of 1’49.319, pipping the Kawasaki man by 0.043 seconds. Tom Sykes (KRT) and Marco Melandri (Aruba.it-Ducati) completed the top four.

Davies was quick to play down his chances for Race One, saying “The bike still isn’t quite there” having lost an entire practice session yesterday due to a technical fault.

Front Three Rows:

Pole: Davies (AI-Ducati) P2: Rea (KRT) P3: Sykes (KRT)

P4: Melandri (AI-Ducati) P5: Forres (BARNI-Ducati) P6: Torres (BMW)

P7: Van-der-Mark (Yamaha) P8: Mercado (IODA-Aprilia) P9: Laverty (Milwaukee-Aprilia)

Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

Five-in-a-Row for Jonathan Rea

Venue: Motorland-Aragon, Spain

Weather: Dry, Sunny, Windy.

Front-Row: Pole – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it-Ducati), P2 – Jonathan Rea (KRT), P3 – Tom Sykes (KRT)

All riders got away well off the line, but it was Jonathan Rea (KRT), forcing his way past Chaz Davies (Aruba.it-Ducati). The two began to pull away from the chasing pack, and engage in a ferocious race-long duel for top honours – tussling back and forth, swapping places at the front almost as regularly as the lap counter kept ticking down. However, April fools day had the cruellest of stings, as on the the penultimate lap, Davies was launched off his bike in a vicious highside at the final corner. Everyone was relieved to see him pick himself off the deck, as he had been trapped under the Ducati as the bike slid across the run-off area.

With Davies down, the battle for second was led by his teammate, Marco Melandri. Such is the difference in performance between the factory works outfits and the privateers, the battle for the remainder of the podium was between Marco Melandri (Aruba.it-Ducati) and Tom Sykes (KRT). The duo spent the first half of the race in a similar manner to their team-mates, before the Italian was finally able to open up a significant gap and hold it.

Pata-Yamaha’s Alex Lowes produced a solid recovery ride, having had to start in P12 following an engine failure during the morning’s Qualifying session. The 2016 Suzuka 8-hours winner carved his way through the field up to fifth place, taking considerable satisfaction from mugging his team-mate, Michael Van der Mark, in the closing laps.

Further down the field, the Red-Bull Honda duo of Stefan Bradl and Nicky Hayden confirmed the improvements made to the bike, by both finishing inside the top ten. They finished just behind The Milwaukee-Aprilia machine of Eugene Laverty in P8.

There were a number of fallers who failed to see the chequered flag. Aside from Davies, the most disappointed of these will be Xavi Forres. The Spaniard, had been having such a good weekend so far on the privateer BARNI-Ducati, but crashed on the sixth lap of the race, having been in fifth position at the time and bearing down on KRT’s Tom Sykes. Although he remounted, he spent the remainder of the race circulating at the back until his bike caught fire on the final lap. The others to tumble were GoEleven-Kawasaki’s Roman Ramos (Lap 4) and Ayrton Badovini (Grillini-Kawasaki) on the opening lap.

The result means that Jonathan Rea continues his astonishing form going, having taken victory in all five of the season’s races so far, and claimed 125 points. With team-mate Tom Sykes in second place but 47 points adrift, it is now hard to look beyond Rea for the Championship.

Race Result:

1: Jonathan Rea (KRT) 33’24.302 2: Marco Melandri (Aruba.it-Ducati) 3: Tom Sykes (KRT)

Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

Bridewell: There’s a lot of Primadonnas

British Superbikes

April 1, 2017

Image courtesy of Pete Boocock at Full Throttle Images

 

After FP2 at Donington Park, I caught up with British Superbike star Tommy Bridewell as he moves to the GR Motorsport Team WD40 outfit for the 2017 season. We discussed electrical glitches, his adaptation to the new Kawasaki and other riders and rivalries. Tommy hopes to be in the fight for a top six position come the end of the season and who’d bet against the Wiltshireman doing it, as he is one of the most flexible and versatile riders in the paddock.

How is the initial feeling with the Kawasaki, having been riding other bikes for the past few seasons?

The feeling with the bike is OK. We’ve just unfortunately come across a little electrical glitch, which has held us back massively today. We still have work to do; it’s all about understanding the way the electronics work on the bike. I have no issues with the chassis, it’s just trying to get our heads on top of the electronics and then we’ll be alright.

Do you find it difficult to adapt to new teams?

I’m quite a flexible person. I’ve rode for quite a lot of teams, it doesn’t really bother me. As long as the bike is built to the standard I expect then I know I can do well on it. It’s about learning how the team work and going from there.

How has it been fitting into the team?

It’s been very good. They’re very welcoming and very friendly. Everyone has the same target and the same end goal so we are all driven in working towards that point.

Can you match or beat the two podiums last year on the Suzuki?

Christ yes. If I finish the season with only having two podiums then I should be very disappointed for definite. We have a few glitches to get on top of but once they’re sorted then we should be able to progress to the next level and be stronger.

Has not making the showdown last season motivated you to come back stronger in 2017?

Yes, definitely. That is the goal as always. It is disappointing when you don’t make it but like you say, you focus on this season coming and fight harder than ever. I feel we got the best out of the Suzuki last season. We excelled on lap times and in results, going better than it had gone for a long time. I was happy with the way it went but with a new challenge and a new bike, we hit the reset button and move on.

Where do you see yourself at the end of the year?

I 100% see myself in the top six but as I sit here now, we have got work to do to find our feet to understand the electronics and understand the bike a bit better. Once we have got on top of that then we will be day-and-night different. It won’t be the same bike. It’s about understanding the finer details to get the best out of the whole package. We have an issue that we would have easily ironed out in testing but that was a washout here. It’s just been a lack of testing which has made it hard for us.

Will you perform well in the races even with these issues?

As the bike is now, then no. I’m riding at a level where I’m about to crash and I’m not fast so once we fix the problem that we have then I can see myself being a totally different rider tomorrow. Get on top of it overnight, start again Saturday.

Are there any riders you particularly dislike or have issues with, having seen in the past you’ve had fallouts with riders?

If I’m honest, I don’t have time of day for any other riders in the paddock. There’s not many I’m really fond of; I’m just here to do a job, not to gel my hair or try and look pretty and talk the usual bollocks like the others, so we will keep our head down and do our own thing and be there come race day.

Will you win a race in 2017?

Without a shadow of a doubt – 100%.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

 

Bridewell Optimistic of Good Weekend Despite Electronics Glitch

Tommy Bridewell has said that he is struggling at Donington Park with the new Kawasaki, having encountered an electrical glitch that could have been “ironed out” in testing, had it not been wet. The former Halsall Bennetts Suzuki man was 20th at the end of FP2 yesterday, over a second and a half off top rider and fellow Kawasaki man, Leon Haslam. Tommy does however remain optimistic that he can be at the sharp end come race day.

“The feeling with the bike is OK. We’ve just unfortunately come across a little electrical glitch, which has held us back massively today”, said the 28-year-old Wiltshireman, looking to return to the showdown this season.

Tommy continued, saying, “It’s all about understanding the way the electronics work on the bike. I have no issues with the chassis, it’s just trying to get our heads on top of the electronics and then we’ll be alright”.

He is one of a few riders to have ridden five makes of machinery on the grid, making him one of the most versatile riders on the grid and with this talent, he remains hopeful of a decent result on Sunday, should they get the electrical issue sorted.

I’m riding at a level where I’m about to crash and I’m not fast so once we fix the problem that we have then I can see myself being a totally different rider tomorrow. Get on top of it overnight, start again Saturday. We will keep our head down and do our own thing and be there come race day”.

Team WD40 will be looking to Tommy to bring them their first ever British Superbike podium, having dominated British Supersport last season with Tarran Mackenzie.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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