motorcycles

7th June 2021

TT 2013 Revisited – Racing Gets Underway

By now you may well have read the previous articles revisiting blogs I wrote during TT2013 when my best friends brother competed at the TT for the first time with his sidecar outfit. As practice week played out, there were incidents (racing and non racing) and bad weather to contend with, meaning that competitors had not had anywhere near enough of the anticipated practice time. As a result, the decision was taken to run Saturday as expended practice and run the Sidecar race, and carry the Superbike race over to Sunday as the forecast was being much kinder. This was the first time there had been racing on the Sunday since 2005. Here’s what I wrote…

IOM TT – Picture courtesy of Keith Quirk

Saturday, with all the drama during the week, the decision was taken to postpone the Superbike race until Sunday, so Saturday would comprise of the first sidecar race and some additional practice for the solos. Once again I headed up to Kirk Michael before the roads closed, to be greeted by a bacon sandwich and a brew. This probably explains why I get a bit lazy about going out to watch the racing – I mean why get stuck on a mountain when there are facilities like this at my disposal?!

Bestie had one of her brothers and his wife over – his first visit to a TT since the early 80’s, and her first ever. We did what we always do with first timers to the house and stood her in the gateway so that when the bikes appeared they look almost like they are coming straight at you. It is possibly a bit mean, but it makes us laugh a lot to see their reactions…!! I watched the practice session, and seeing the speed and determination meant my appetite for racing was well and truly whetted. Josh Brookes is doing so well for a newcomer, and I really like the look of the Milwaukee Yamahas. It’s hard to know who will be on the podium – it is not just about the pace, but the reliability of the machines. The Superbikes have 6 laps to survive, and the other solos must get round four. So many times we’ve seen leaders retire with mechanical issues, so it really could be anybody’s race.

However, I was a little distracted as at 12.30 Sidecar race one was due to start, and that would mean our boys would be out there for their first ever 3 lap race on the Mountain Course. After last night’s bizarre happenings, the outfit got recovered (when they pulled up at the Mitre, there was water leaking) and the team had worked long into the night to fit a new radiator. The first piece of good news was that the bike had gone through scrutineering with no problem at all (more of those sighs of relief!). The time came, and we listened to them starting off.

Dave Molyneux, with his passenger Patrick Farrance, had to be a favourite as he has taken his place on the top step 16 times. Tim Reeves and Dan Sayle were also looking for the win that has so far eluded the World Champion, and then were others in the mix in the form of the Birchall brothers and Holden & Winkle (and I still snigger when I hear their name after an unfortunate radio presenter once announced ‘the driver’s Holden the passenger’s Winkle…!!) to name but a couple. The battle played out, and although we were aware of the race going on at the front as Tim Reeves edged out in front, we were more interested in what was going on further back in the field. We had radio tuning issues, so there was lots of running inside to check the live timings on the computer, and then back out again to watch them through. The race played out not quite as expected, with the Birchalls leading at Glen Helen on the first lap, Reeves/Sayle in second, Harrison/Aylott third and surprisingly Moly/Farrance were fifth, behind Holden and Winkle. As happens on this course, things do not always work out as planned.

The Birchalls were forced out of the race with a puncture sustained in an overtaking manoeuvre as they tried to pass Reeves/Sayle on the road, pulling up at Creg Ny Baa. Eventually, it was Reeves and Sayle who got the win, making Reeves the first World Champion to do so since Jock Taylor in 1981. It also made Sayle the joint most successful passenger in history by matching the 8 wins of Rick Long. Conrad Harrison and Mike Aylott came home in second place and Dave Molyneux and Patrick Farrance completed the top three. Our boys completed their 3 laps in one hour and 14 minutes and made us all very proud. Although they were physically worn out after the race, they were both absolutely delighted. They are now amongst those special people who can say they have been to the Isle of Man and completed a TT race. They are now looking forward to Wednesday when they get to do it all over again, and I predict that this will be another real battle at the top too…

Following the race there was more practice for solos, rounded off with the TT Zero. Not everyone is a fan – they are kind of the marmite of the racing world. It is interesting to see how things have improved since their first appearance at the TT though, when it was a major achievement to finish a lap. Now they are competing to break the 110mph lap.

Sunday Sunday was all about the Superbikes. It would be hard to split the Dunlops, McGuinness, Martin, Anstey, Donald, Cummins, Johnson et al. Eyes were also on Josh Brookes, as he set out in his first actual race on the Island. The racing was delayed, eventually setting off at 3pm. It was to be a 6 lap battle, and to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Joey Dunlop’s first win on a Honda, McGuinness donned replica leathers based on those worn by Joey at his final TT in 2000, and the Fireblade carried the red and black Joey Dunlop/Honda Britain livery.

We had a houseful, and a fab spread of food (which is almost as important as the bikes!) so there were a few ‘newbies’ to entertain us with their reactions as the bikes flew past us. After all these years it is still heart stopping at times. There were a few ‘moments’ for us this year – a couple of foot off pegs, and a couple of major wobbles when the line wasn’t quite right. There is a stone wall with a covering of greenery just up the road, and the racing line sees the guys who know it well practically brush it with their shoulder. There were many times during Sunday’s race where we had sharp intake of breath moments as they looked like they were right in it, and it’s those sorts of things that you only get when you experience it in person.

Eventually the race was won by Michael Dunlop. Fitting, given he was also on a Honda and it’s the anniversary of Joeys win too. The young man is looking fit and well, and seems to have matured, so it will be interesting to see how the rest of the week plays out for him….

4th June 2021

TT 2013: Revisited – End of Practice Week

My previous article described just how badly things could go wrong. In this piece, I described some of the things we experienced with various ‘incidents’ that took place over two consecutive practices. Some fairly typical events, albeit circumstances will vary by incident. Others are slightly less common. It’s fair to say those two nights were eventful! These events were the Thursday and Friday evenings in practice week…

Well thankfully the weather was a bit kinder than previous days, and that meant that at last we would get a proper practice, and finally the big beasts would get out and stretch their legs. It was also the second clear run for the sidecars, but more about that later.

Again, I made my way to Kirk Michael, and got myself settled in at my friends house. She has guests arriving Saturday, so had stuff to do, so I got my brew and took my spot outside. I had my instructions to look out for various people and let them know how they looked, so I had my eyes peeled. It was so great to see the bikes finally flying past – no wet, no controlled laps, just a proper full on practice session. It was just a shame we had to wait until so late in the week. In the Superbikes, the usual suspects were all at the top of the table – John McGuinness at the head of the list with a lap time of 17:30.299 with Anstey, Rutter, Guy Martin and Michael Dunlop hot on his heels. He really is a joy to watch round here, smooth as you like, and seems to hit the same line without fail. Superstocks, Supersport & Lightweights were also out, and then Sidecars were out.

If you’ve read my previous blogs you’ll know this year my best mates brother is racing his outfit for the first time, so as they started to come through, she left the housework behind and joined me outside to watch them through. We mentally ticked the numbers off waiting for him to appear and saw him through on his first lap. As usual we had various media set up (the app, the website, Manx RadioTT and Twitter) to keep an eye on their progress. We clocked them back through the Grandstand, and before too long they were passing us again. As they were towards the back of the pack, we headed inside to get a fresh brew and a warm (it gets very chilly as the sun goes down!) and saw them through the Ramsey on the live timings. Then we heard the words we dread at the TT….. session red flagged.

At first, the reports said due to an incident at Ramsey, so our initial feeling was relief as we knew they had gone through there. However, information then came through that the incident had been by Graham’s and the relief turned to a sick fear….the boys were likely to be near there, and all we could do was wait. We put word out on Twitter for any sightings of the boys, and sent numerous texts and messages to anyone we could think of that may have seen anything. Whereas on Monday we were cursing the use of social media to speculate on the sad events of Monday evening, on Thursday it was most definitely our friend. Finally word came through that the incident involved outfit #57 and that the team of David Saunders & Anne Garnish were conscious and talking to medics at the scene. I can’t describe the feeling of utter relief once we found out our boys were okay (suffice to say there were almost tears!)

Later, we realised that what had felt like hours was just 22 minutes. They were easily the longest 22 minutes of my entire life, and it’s not an experience I wished to repeat in a hurry…. We would later discover that the incident had happened just in front of our lads, and they did what they could to help at the scene. There but for the grace of god (or whatever else you believe in)…. We wish David and Anne a speedy and full recovery.

Move the clock on 24 hours and after a day that started out with the Island bathed in glorious sunshine, which turned to cloud & drizzle, and then back to the sun again, Friday evening practice gets underway. We have tickets to see Foggy and Whit at the Gaiety Theatre at 9pm, so given the logistics of closed roads and child care we decide we will venture up to the Grandstand and base camp, and then head to the Theatre from there. Due to a slight delay on my part (I fell asleep!) we don’t leave Peel until gone 6pm.

As the sidecars are out first, we tune the car radio to Manx RadioTT and I bring up the live timings on my phone. We see that the team are making decent time, and complete a lap, and go straight through for a second. As we make our way through Douglas we hear those dreaded words again….red flag sectors 1-6…..we know they are out there somewhere. Oh my god, 2 nights in a row…why does this keep happening?! The next announcement is a surprise – the reason for the red flag is a house fire in Kirk Michael. Bestie makes a joke about leaving the gas on, and as she’s driving I’m scrolling through Twitter. I’m seeing tweets indicating that the fire is in the vicinity of her house, so seeing as she’s driving I lie that there is no more information….

After parking at the Grandstand and arranging the handover of a batch of Krispy Kreme doughnuts that my dear friends Bruce and Keri have brought over for me (we can’t get them here!!!) Bestie is looking a bit worried. She’s got her phone in her hand, and tells me she’s looking at a picture of a fire engine….OUTSIDE HER HOUSE!!!! It turns out that it is actually her next door neighbours house that has had a fire. Honestly, you couldn’t make this stuff up. Thankfully the family who live there have got out okay, but there is damage to the house.

My Twitter friends who know I’ve started blogging about TT are asking me if I have enough to write about, will there be a sitcom, and will it all become a book. Some of my friends are texting me asking if I’ve had quite enough drama now….believe me, I have! As all this is going on, we’re wondering where the lads had got to, when another Twitter friend asks us what number our boys are. I tell her, and in return get a picture of them parked outside the pub she’s watching at (not far before the house, and handy for them to be there as the flags were waved)! At least we know they’re safe! With that in mind, Bestie and I head off to the theatre, we’ve had quite enough for one night. Foggy and Whit were very funny, and the G&T in the interval was most welcome, I can tell you.

So for now, I’m off to bed. It’s first race day tomorrow, but due to lack of track time, the decision has been made to put an additional practice session for the solos in tomorrow morning, and run the first sidecar race at 12.30. There will then be more track time for solo classes, and the first Superbike will be run on Sunday. It must be noted that the job of Clerk of Course this year so far has not been easy, and I don’t think many would disagree he’s doing his utmost to ensure we get good, safe racing. He’s had some tough calls to make, and I for one don’t envy him.

Here’s hoping the weekend runs smoothly, and we can get back on track for the rest of race week.

3rd June 2021

Adventures around the Isle of Man

You’ve been going to the Isle of Man for the TT races for many years, you’ve been there, watched it, bought the T-shirt. You know the island like the back of your hand, you’ve got all your favourite locations to visit. But maybe you’re on the lookout for something a bit different to do, a bit of exploring or somewhere new to visit.

I’ve been going to the TT and Manx Grand Prix for over 15 years, and I’ve also lived there for a couple of years, and I still haven’t been everywhere I want to visit on the island. Here are a few of my suggestions, most of which I’ve done, but some are still high on my to-do list!

A great way to get a different perspective on roads you’ve travelled many times is by public transport. You can make a day of it, with a rover ticket that covers all forms of public transport. My mate and I like to spend one day of the holiday working our way around the island, covering trams, buses and steam trains. Or if it’s a spectacular day we’ll jump on the tram up Snaefell for cake in the café at the top, and hopefully a glimpse of all seven kingdoms (the Isle of Man, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the sea and the sky).

If history is your thing, read up in advance about the history of the Island away from the racing. For example, the island was used as an internment camp during World War 2, and some of the locations are still in evidence.

And talking of history, there are plenty of museums to visit, some focusing on the Island, including the Manx Museum in Douglas and the House of Manannan in Peel, some based around motoring, such as the Isle of Man Motor Museum in Jurby, and Murray’s Motorcycle Museum in Santon. On the road to the Calf of Man, the village of Cregneash is a living museum, and Castle Rushen in Castletown is the perfect destination for a rainy day.

The TT course hasn’t always included the Mountain Road – on a day off from the racing, seek out the original race circuits – the St John’s Course, a 15 mile route used for the 1907 TT, and the 10 mile Clypse Course which was used between 1954 and 1959.

And keep an eye out for other racing taking place around the same time – the Billown Course near Castletown hosts the Pre- and Post-TT Classics, which many of the TT riders take part in. There is usually beach racing taking place in Peel and Douglas, plus stock car racing at Onchan Raceway. And don’t forget the World Famous Purple Helmets!

For race days, find spectating spots which are different to your usual haunts. Maybe watch the commentary team in action at Glen Helen or Ramsey Hairpin, or gradually work your way round the course spectating from a different pub each time. Or if you’re feeling brave, attempt a TT circuit pub crawl on a non-race day!

One of my favourite spectating spots which people tend to overlook is the entry to Governor’s Dip under the trees – there is always plenty of room on the grass, and you get a close-up view of the machines as they tip into the hairpin, around the famous white-painted stone post. If you walk up the hill slightly, you can sit on the high bank – one of the few places left on the course where the bikes still go under your feet.

I also recommend having a bit of a walk around Ramsey – not too far from Parliament Square you can nip down the side streets and escape the crowds, or cross at the footbridge and watch from the inside of the course.

An emergency cake stop at St Ninian’s Church

And I can’t end this article without mentioning cake! I am always on the lookout for new and interesting places to have cake, and am currently most excited about going back to the little café in the steam train station at Port Erin, for lemon drizzle and a trip back in time.

The Isle of Man really is full of surprises, even when you’ve visited so often you think you’ve seen everything. I haven’t even scratched the surface here, but hopefully I’ve given you some ideas for some new adventures!

2nd June 2021

TT 2013: Revisited – The Ultimate Price

Following on from the last piece, this is the second of my ‘TT 2013: revisited’ articles. In this collection, instead of writing about all things TT happening this year (there are none!) I have been back to a series of blogs I wrote during the TT in 2013, the first year I spent in the paddock with friends racing, and probably the most involved I’d been up to that point.

I decided to write these blogs back then as there were already dozens of people reporting on the racing, the top 10, the big names and so on, but I wanted to remind people that the TT is so much more than that. It means so much to so many for a plethora of reasons. With thousands of visitors each year, from all corners of the globe it is quite unlike anything else. Racing on public roads, closed only hours before racing starts and reopened to the population and visitors soon after racing is completed for the day. Bikes reaching speeds of 200mph plus with no run off, no kitty litter, lots of trees and stone walls, wild life and umpteen other things that make it hair raising exciting, also means that sometimes, things do go badly and sadly wrong.

The blog I’m sharing today was one I wrote following the sad death of Yoshi Matsushita on 27th May 2013. He was a popular figure around the paddock, albeit not a ‘headline’ name he was well known and liked…

It’s been a strange day today, the sort that none of us like to see. The weather on the Island cast a shadow over whether or not the practice session would go ahead. I was so sure it wouldn’t that at 3.30pm I was still making the most of a soggy Bank Holiday Monday by lounging on the couch in my pyjamas catching up on my Sky+! However, as is often the way here, almost in the blink of an eye the sun had come out & the roads were drying. Visibility was improving on the mountain and the decision was made that practice would go ahead, but untimed and only for Superstock, Supersport & then the Sidecars. A quick phone call with best buddy and I was showered, dried, dressed and in the car heading up to Kirk Michael before the roads closed.

As is usually the way, we had Manx Radio TT, the website, the app & the usual social networks going to see what was happening. The webcams showed it clearing up top, and apart from a delay in the start (due in part to a broken down coach on the Mountain) it looked like everything was to go ahead ok. As the start time approached, we added the layers of clothes and made a cuppa and once we knew the first bikes were through Glen Helen we headed outside. As we were up at the Grandstand on Saturday, this was our first experience of TT2013 bikes at close quarters, and the thrill as they flew past, just feet from us, was as powerful as ever. No words will ever truly describe what it is to see it, and if you are a racing fan who has never been to watch a road race, there are quite simply two words – do it. The bikes continued past, and I shot a couple of short videos on my phone to share with all my Twitter pals. We watched through a couple of our racing friends and felt that relieved feeling to see them circulating on good lines & looking well.

As best buddy pops in to check the info, in prep for the sideys outing, the marshals up and down the road are waving the yellow flags… Then, we hear that the red flag is out at the Grandstand and the session has been stopped. My heart sinks & my stomach knots. This is not usually a good sign. An announcement comes through about an incident at Ballacrye and the feeling of impending sadness worsens.

Three or 4 years ago, that would have been that until news came to us through the website or on the radio. However, with the event of social media its very different today. Of course we all want to know everyone we have an interest in is safe, be it our favourite rider, a friend or a relative. What we don’t want is the ghoulish curiosity & people trying to fill in the gaps about who it is, and how severe the incident could be, and all the misinformation that comes with that. If you’ve been around the event before there are certain things you recognise as bad signs – no further information, bikes escorted back around the course by the TM’s and the like don’t bode well. The tweets start flying round – some of genuine concern by people wanting reassurance about friends – as well as those where people are guessing who it could be, or what could have happened. And then the worst possible news comes through the official lines. TT2013 has suffered it’s first fatality. In the main, everybody is respectful and there is a feeling of sadness that our sport has again lost one of its own.

The harsh reality hits home. One of the main reasons we love this sport is the thrill, the challenge, and the seemingly superhuman strength shown by our riders. But this has a cost, and tonight Yoshinari Matsushita has paid the ultimate price. There is no doubt he died doing something that he loved. There is no doubt that he knew the risks. Every rider who signs up to race the Mountain Course is acutely aware of the worst that could happen. Of course, most of them don’t go out thinking ‘I could be about to die’ but they know the risk is there. Their families & friends know. It’s not something that we dwell on though. If we did, then I doubt there would be any racing. It’s part of the package, but it’s the part that we don’t really talk about, which is why when it happens we all feel the same shock and sadness.

As fans, we are generally a respectful bunch, we all have our thoughts of condolence for the fallen riders, family & friends, and in all honesty a fleeting thanks to the racing gods that our own are safe. But in these sad times we also then hear the voice of the ‘anti’ who seem to be on the sidelines, waiting for something like this to happen in order to start with their cries of ‘See? We knew this would happen! It’s dangerous! Ban it!’ It’s easy to get drawn into discussion (argument) as we’re a passionate lot, but we must always remember we also know when to show respect and be dignified.

Of course we feel frustration that this is perpetuated by the main stream news media – this evenings sad loss has already been reported by the main news channels. But will they mention the TT when records are being broken? I doubt it. If McGuinness makes it 20? Or more? Unlikely. Because that’s not in the common interest. There’s only a small percentage of the population who care. But there’s the thing you see. We do care. The biking community are a caring & respectful bunch – I was proud to see multiple Rides of Respect in honour of the fallen soldier Lee Rigby (RIP), as I am when I see Egg Runs at Easter, Toy Runs at Christmas, the RBLR events and so many other examples of charity & community support. This is why we shouldn’t engage in arguments with those who don’t understand it, we should continue to stand together, support each other during the sad times and celebrate during the good times. Remember those no longer with us and celebrate their achievements. Respect where it is due.

RIP Yoshinari Matsushita and all the other riders who have fallen before him.

30th May 2021

Emotional Victory for Foggia at Mugello

The scenes in the picturesque valleys of Tuscany brought more than anyone could have anticipated this weekend at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley 2021.

It’s no denying that although Mugello encapsulates all that is wonderful about racing, with all riders on the grid always so excited to have this coming up on the calendar, this weekend meant far more than just racing to all those involved.

It is with great sadness as the calendar moves on from Mugello, we parabolically speaking are leaving one of our own behind as the world of motorsport mourns the loss of 19-year-old Swiss Jason Dupasquier. Although the news came to us at around 11 am UK time, just before Moto2 kicked off – the following race was performed by all with Jason and his family at the very forefront of their minds.

Before the race kicked off, Xavi Artigas was given a Double Long Lap Penalty for riding slowly between Turn 12 and Turn 13 during Q1.

It was a fantastic hole shot for championship leader Pedro Acosta who, although launched into a fantastic early lead, fell victim to the start/straight slipstream by the end of lap 1. Particularly onboard the Moto3 machines, their size and weight means it’s the class that falls victim to a lot of the fast corners Mugello has to offer. This was shown throughout and turn 1 claimed some first lap victims.

Fernandez found himself in quite the ordeal with wildcard Surra in the first corner, Deniz Oncu taking himself out of contention shortly after. Almost immediately at the same corner, Kofler swept the man on home soil that is Migno alongside Tatay who was unable to avoid the collision. Kofler was taken to the medical centre for further checks, though declared ok.

It was an eventful race as ever, less than 2 seconds covering the top 15 in the early stages of the race. One man who was absolutely not letting this race get away from him was Leopard Racing Team’s Dennis Foggia – who was never far from the fight for first throughout the race. He’s been hungry for a win, so alongside fellow Italian and former VR46 Academy rider Romano Fenati, it was a fight for the tricolor trophy throughout.

Dennis was able to maintain a stunning lead throughout the end part of the race, followed closely behind by Jaume Masia who has been carrying an injury picked up at Le Mans, Gabriel Rodrigo taking a well-deserved third position. One person it is worth mentioning following Saturday’s devastating and fatal qualifying collision, Ayumu Sasaki despite being involved in this event was able to put his determination into today and finished a stunning stint in 4th place. Bravo!

Overall it was a fantastic victory for the Italian, however all on track, in the paddock and all of us viewers were happy to see all riders finish the race safely. As we look ahead to Catalunya, Pedro Acosta leads the World Championship followed by Jaume Masia.

We’ll certainly never forget this weekends’ racing.

GRAN PREMIO D’ITALIA OAKLEY TOP 15

1 – Dennis Foggia

2 – Jaume Masia

3 – Gabriel Rodrigo

4 – Ayumu Sasaki

5 – Darryn Binder

6 – Romano Fenati

7 – John Mcphee

8 – Pedro Acosta

9 – Sergio Garcia

10 – Tatsuki Suzuki

11 – Filip Salac

12 – Kaito Toba

13 – Niccolò Antonelli

14 – Stefano Nepa

15 – Jeremy Alcoba

30th May 2021

Superb Racing from Estoril with Round 2 of WorldSBK

CrewOnTwo and ThePitCrewOnline wish to send our condolences following the passing of Moto3 rider Jason Dupasquier following Saturday’s incident during the qualifying 2 session at Mugello after he sadly succumbed to his injuries. Our thoughts are with his family and his teammates.

Victory in Race 1 of Round 2 of the WorldSBK championship at Estoril went to Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) when he claimed his second win of the season with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) coming in second and reigning World Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) completing the top three with just one second separating the trio.

Picture courtesy of BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team

Even though Rea got a good start off the line, it was Redding who got the jump on Rea on the opening lap quickly followed by Raz with Redding and Raz then breaking away by the end of lap 1. Rinaldi passed Rea on lap 2 with Rea taking the place back on the following lap, it was then a thrilling three way race between the trio until the end of the race.

A good start was had by Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) moving from 7^th to 5^th on the grid but unfortunately he then moved down the grid eventually finishing in a respectable 13^th place.

Having fought his way through the field, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished 4^th after a battle with Rinaldi who came in 5^th ahead of Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) in sixth.

The new BMR M 1000R of Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) showed strong pace throughout the race fighting his way to claim 7^th place ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) after having his Superpole race time deleted and starting 18^th on the grid.

The youngest rider on the grid, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), who had his superpole time deleted too, came home 11^th place, his best WorldSBK race result so far five seconds clear of Leon Haslam (Team HRC).

The top six following WorldSBK Race 1:

Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) +0.877s
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.915s
Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +9.518s
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +13.636s
Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) +17.177s

Day 2 at Estoril saw the Superpole race take place with reigning World Champion Rea taking pole with an all time lap record, his second pole position in two races and his 29^th career pole with Redding coming in 2^nd followed by Raz completing the front row of the grid.

A great result from Gerloff who starts 4^th on the grid after a great session with Sykes 5^th and then Rinaldi completing the second row of the grid.

The lights go out for Race 2 and Rea fights back and claims his 103^rd WorldSBK victory with Redding crashing out from 2^nd place having got off to a great start and taking the lead into turn 1. Rea was forced to go wide at turn 4 by Rinaldi who went up into 2^nd place behind his teammate with Gerloff up into 3^rd. Unfortunately, on the second lap Gerloff lost control of his bike and made contact with Rinaldi forcing both riders to retire.

On lap 14 Rea briefly got ahead at turn 1 of Redding with Redding passing at turn 2 but turn 3 sees Redding run wide allowing Rea to get ahead. Redding lost the front of bike at turn 4 and we saw him slipping down the field where we eventually see him finish in 14^th. The British rider was then given a six-second penalty for a jump start in Race 2 meaning he was classified 16th place.

Michael van der Mark Picture courtesy of BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team

Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) closed up on Rea in the closing stages of the race but Rea was able to hold onto his lead and claim his second victory of the season. Raz, having recovered rather well from his double long lap penalty for a jump start at the start of the race, came in 3^rd, his third podium of the weekend. A great weekend for Raz and the Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK team.

Lowes strong start to the season continued when he came home in 4^th place finishing just 1.6 seconds ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) in fifth, his best result of his debut season so far with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) coming in 6^th.

Bautista battled his way from starting 18^th on the grid to finish an impressive 7^th ahead of Sykes with Laverty coming in 9^th with the Moto2 World Champion Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) finishing the top ten.

The top six following WorldSBK Race 2:

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven)
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK)
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK)
Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)

A brilliant weekend of WorldSBK racing and luckily we haven’t got long to wait until Round 3 which is the weekend of the 12^th / 13^th June at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, Riviera Di Rimini, Italy.