Wsbk 2013 Updates Thread

[NewsReaper]

Sykes fastest at Aragon test -

1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki)
2. Leon Camier (Suzuki)
3. Jules Cluzel (Suzuki)
4. Loris Baz (Kawasaki)
5. Leon Haslam (Honda)
6. Jonathan Rea (Honda)

Sykes remains quickest in Aragon test | WSBK News | Apr 2013 | Crash.Net

[NewsReaper]

Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea of Pata Honda talk about the recently concluded Aragon test -



Leon Haslam

Jonathan Rea

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Following a tremendous start of the season, Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma) has all eyes on him as the eni FIM Superbike World Championship Round 2 approaches. The 28 year old from Rome is looking forward to jumping back on his beloved Aprilia RSV4 and take on the 5344 m Alcaniz's MotorLand Aragon.

How do you feel about Round 2 after the positive start of the season?

"I'm charged up, It's been one and a half months with no riding now and I can't wait to get back on the bike. I'm focused and ready to do my best to deliver some good results at Aragon. Of course finishing in the top-3 is our highest goal, but first of all I need to show some consistency, this is what I lacked the most during the past few years."

You showed great focus and motivation in Australia, many people are now expecting to see you fighting again for top positions at Aragon.

"I don't want Phillip Island to be an isolated case, my aim is to get this kind of results on a continuing basis. I want to fight consistently for the top and the next two rounds will be the perfect proving ground to understand whether I improved or not. During the break I clammed up to better concentrate, I'm working a lot on this like I did before Australia. People who put their expectations on me have to start back believing in my abilities, I want to be a reference in WSBK and not being seen as the rider who has never been able to emerge."

It was love at first sight for you with the RSV4, what's the thing you like the most about the bike?

"The first time I sat on the bike brought back some good memories and feelings from 2000, when I was racing with Aprilia in the 125 SP class. As soon as I rode my very first lap I realised I had the chance to turn over a new leaf and to do it the best way. The RSV4 allows me to ride at my best without altering my riding style, everything comes easy compared to what I experienced with other bikes."

Source: Michel Fabrizio looking for a repeat performance

[NewsReaper]

http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/04/09/wsbk-round-2-aragon-preview/

WSBK Press Release:
Eni FIM Superbike World Championship lands in Europe for the second round of 2013 season, that will take place this weekend at Alcaniz’s Motorland Aragon. The spectacular and challenging track in northern Spain, favorite destination for testing of numerous WSBK teams, entered the calendar in 2011 and, after being halfway through the season for two years, it is now the first round to be held within the European borders.
Following the dominant performance of Phillip Island, Aprilia Racing Team is called for a repeat performance on a track that suits well both RSV4 1000 Factory and the current Championship leader Eugene Laverty: the Irishman has always finished within 2nd and 6th place and missed the win last year courtesy of Marco Melandri, who got the better of him at the last lap of Race 2.
Sylvain Guintoli, on the other hand, never managed to finish within the top-10 here. The Frenchman, though, has already shown an excellent feeling with the Italian vee-four machine, as he is currently tied up in points on top of the standings with his team mate.

The current king of Aragon is without a doubt Marco Melandri, who has won 2 races out of 4 and was 2nd when not on top of the podium. The only one able to match his performances was Max Biaggi but the current World Superbike Champion, now moved to the commentary box.
It won’t be an easy task for the Italian rider, since he is still recovering from a shoulder injury, that was aggravated by the unfortunate crash of Phillip Island Race 1. After a first test carried out only by Welshman Chaz Davies (who scored his maiden WSBK podium finish last year at Aragon) and primarily focused on evaluating the latest electronics installed on the factory BMW S 1000 RR, the team underwent a further two days on track at Jerez last week, this time with both riders.
Carlos Checa, whose braking error during the first Australian race lead to the collision with Melandri and resulted in an injury for both, will partake in his home race. With no points under his belt at the moment, the Spaniard is eager to make some ground in the standings. His team mate Ayrton Badovini will attempt to participate despite still recuperating from a fractured bone in his left foot.

High expectations for the Kawasaki Racing Team, who has done well over last week’s three-day test at Aragon – as they shared the track with numerous teams, including FIXI Crescent Suzuki and Pata Honda World Superbike. Tom Sykes set the fastest lap of the test and proved to be back near full fitness. Sykes and Baz are now ready to keep the flag flying high for the Barcelona-based team.
Leon Camier and Jules Cluzel will show up at Aragon boosted by new engine-spec on their FIXI Crescent Suzuki machines, already evaluated on the Spanish track on April 2-4 with some positive feedback. Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam’s hard work is not over yet, as the British duo did a further two-day test to check out the new electronics developed by Honda for their CBR1000RR at Alcarras.
2013 WSBK Phillip Island – Onboard Jonathan Rea:

Standings:
1. Laverty 45
2. Guintoli 45
3. Fabrizio 29
4. Sykes 22
5. Melandri 16
6. Rea 16
7. Haslam 15
8. Cluzel 14
9. Camier 14
10. Davies 13
11. Neukirchner 11
12. Giugliano 10
13. Baz 10
14. Allerton 6
15. Clementi 4

World Supersport:
The Supersport World Championship is back at Aragon and it will be once again a chase of the leader and defending Champion Kenan Sofuoglu, who won the Opening Race at Phillip Island. The controversial outcome of last year’s race is all water under the bridge as Sofuoglu and Fabien Foret are now team mates under Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki colors.
2012 race winner Sam Lowes is the number 1 candidate to challenge Sofuoglu’s leadership, but the young Brit landed badly on his left hand during a three-day test at Aragon last week and won’t be 100% for the upcoming round. Lowes and Vladimir Leonov (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha) were joined on track by Pata Honda World Supersport duo of Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti, Luca Scassa (Intermoto Ponyexpres Kawasaki), Kev Coghlan and Vladimir Ivanov (DMC Lorenzini Kawasaki) and Gabor Talmacsi (Prorace Honda).
PTR are looking for redemption after a nightmare Season Opener, that saw Sheridan Morais held back by technical issues on his CBR600RR. Last year’s STK600 runner-up Riccardo Russo will make his World Supersport debut this weekend with the San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki.

Standings:
1. Sofuoglu 25
2. Lowes 20
3. vd Mark 16
4. Foret 13
5. Salom 11
6. Scassa 10
7. Antonelli 9
8. Zanetti 8
9. Roccoli 7
10. Kennedy 6

[NewsReaper]

Kenen Sofuoglu of Mahi Racing Team India takes top spot with rookie Van Der Mark taking second in FP1 at Aragon -

2013 Aragon World Supersport FP1 Results: Sofuoglu and Van Der Mark fastest. | MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

BMWs dominate FP1 in Aragon with Melandri and Davies taking 1st and 2nd respectively. Sykes, Laverty, Camier and Rea made up the top six. The first Ducati was that of Checa in 10th.

2013 Aragon World Superbike FP1 Results: BMWs of Melandri and Davies quickest | MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

Races will be telecast on ESPN.

Race 1 on ESPN at 1500 hrs and Race 2 on ESPN at 1830 hrs.

WSS as always will not be telecast on Indian Television. Live timing is available on the Energy Zone section of the WSBK website.

[NewsReaper]

Qualifying Practice 1 - Sam Lowes takes provisional pole at Aragon on his Yamaha R6. Mahi Racing Team India bikes take 4th and 8th.

2013 Aragon World Supersport QP1 Results: Lowes breaks fastest lap record | MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

Eugene Laverty goes fastest to take provisional pole in QP 1 on his Aprilia ahead of Chaz on the BMW and Sykes on the Kawasaki -

2013 Aragon World Superbike QP1 Results: Laverty steals provisional pole from Davies | MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

Round up of the Friday at Aragon -

2013 Aragon World Superbike Friday Round Up: Fast Beats Agile | MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

[The Monk]

Kenan Sofuoglu, Turkish rider for Mahi Racing Team India, being presented a copy of the 'Road to WSBK' issue of the xBhp magazine by 'The Monk' @ Buddh International Circuit

[NewsReaper]

WSBK Race 1 was won by Chaz Davies on his BMW S1000RR. Sylvain Guintoli took second on his Aprilia and Marco Melandri rounded up the podium positions with his BMW. Rea, Baz, Cluzel and Checa took 4th to 7th on the Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Ducati respectively.

2013 Aragon World Superbike Race One Results: What A Difference A Few Laps Make | MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

Chaz Davies won the second race as well putting in strong paced laps, not allowing Guintoli to catch him Sylvain on the Aprilia was happy to take two second place finishes on a track that he hates! Sykes took third after suffering from technical problems in race 1. Giugliano, Melandri and Baz took the next three spots.

2013 Aragon World Superbike Race Two Results: Fractured Start Began An Unusual Race | MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

Round Up of the 2 WSBK and WSS races -

2013 Aragon World Superbike Sunday Roundup: Reliability In Question | MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

[NewsReaper]

[Dinesh.P]

Fantastic can anyone post Race 1 video

[NewsReaper]

Jonathan Rea hanging onto the coattails of the race leaders!


Fabien Foret battling his way to the win


Davies leaning towards a double victory


Checa troubled with the lack of power in the Panigale


First turn holeshot


Smoking the competition...maybe not!


Images Courtesy: Worldsbk.com

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Watch Fabien Foret taking victory for Mahi Racing Team India -

[NewsReaper]

Aragon Race 1

[NewsReaper]

Team SBK Ducati Alstare has today concluded an encouraging two-day test session at the Jerez circuit in Spain.

Having travelled directly from MotorLand Aragon after Round 2 of eni FIM Superbike World Championship last Sunday, the team's riders Carlos Checa and Ayrton Badovini worked hard with their technicians as they concentrated on refining the set-up of their 1199 Panigale bikes. In very warm conditions (32˚C approx), with track temperatures in the region of 55˚C, the team had time to test all of the solutions available in terms of bike set-up, focusing particularly on identifying settings and improving traction in preparation for upcoming races.

Carlos Checa: "These were two very important days that we used to better understand the bike's reactions. The weather helped us this time around too. We worked on different solutions for both the front and rear setting and in the end I'm happy with what we were able to get done. We've found a set-up that I like and this is important in order to have a good base from which to start at Assen."

Ayrton Badovini: "This test was key and allowed us to work on the bike and improve sensation. We've worked particularly on traction, to sharpen the bike on used tyres and maintain constant grip, which was my main problem at Aragon. We've tried different solutions and collected information that will be useful at Assen. I'm pleased with the work we've completed and look forward to next week's races."

Team SBK Ducati Alstare will be back on track next week at Assen (26-28 April) for the third round of the 2013 World Superbike Championship.

Source: Team Ducati Alstare completes a positive two-day test at Jerez

[NewsReaper]

Assen – The pre-round statistics

WorldSBK.com provides you with some curious facts and useful information about the upcoming round at Assen's TT Circuit.

The championship leader, Sylvain Guintoli, comes back to the track that last year gave him his maiden win (race one). In race two he was second, passed by the eventual winner Rea in the closing laps. Before last year he didn't manage to do better than tenth in four races run in Assen.

The double winner in Aragon, Chaz Davies comes to a circuit where last year he didn't enjoy much luck, retiring in both races for two falls: he was starting from the eleventh spot. In 2011, in the Supersport championship, he got it right, winning in front of Fabien Foret and Broc Parkes. In the same championship, he was fourth in 2010.

In all the four races run in Assen, Eugene Laverty always finished between third and seventh, posting a podium finish last year in race two, when he defended his third place from the challenges of Melandri and Haslam, on the last lap. He won twice here in Supersport in 2009 and 2010.

A cursed track for Marco Melandri: he never managed to climb on the podium, finishing fourth in two of the four races run here, the last time last year in race two. Last year in race one he was leading when he fell before the race was stopped. Marco raced seven MotoGP races in Assen, scoring two podium finishes in 2004 and 2005. In 2002 he won from pole the 250cc race before Toni Elias and Roberto Rolfo.

Jonathan Rea is at the third all-time spot for wins in Assen, behind Carl Fogarty, who won here twelve times and Troy Bayliss, who scored six wins. Jonathan won four times out of eight races run, scoring the double in 2010, winning race one in 2011 and race two last year. He also posted a pole here: in 2010, his maiden one.

The best result for Tom Sykes is still the one of his first weekend here, in 2009 with Yamaha, when he was fourth in race one and sixth in race two. Last year he started from pole, but he suffered a radiator failure while he was leading race one and in race two he experienced setup problems which left him in sixth at the flag.

Leon Camier scored his maiden Superbike podium in Assen in 2010, race one (third) and the following year his maiden fastest lap, finishing fourth in race two. In all his three weekends here, however, he retired in one of the races: a mechanical failure in 2011 in race two and two falls, in 2010, race two and last year in race one, when he high-sided during the sighting lap on a wet track.

Davide Giugliano scored here is maiden podium last year, finishing second in race one, despite starting a lowly nineteenth; he was ninth in race two. In 2011 he won the Superstock 1000 race from Danilo Petrucci. He counts also a third in 2010 behind Ayrton Badovini and Maxime Berger.

Michel Fabrizio was third in his first Superbike race in this track, in 2006, race one. After that, he never managed to climb on the podium anymore, but counts twelve points finishes out of fourteen races run here: he wasn't able to score only in 2008.

A win and four more podiums out of ten races run here for Carlos Checa. His best weekend was the 2011 one, when he won in race one and finished third in race two, starting from pole (the only time he started from the front row here). Last year he was third in race one, while in race two he made a mistake before the start, choosing the rain tyres on a track that was almost dry. A pit-stop on the opening lap cut him off a possible points finisher: he ended up seventeenth, one of the two times he didn't score points here, the other being a fall in race one in 2009.

Source: Assen

[NewsReaper]

Re: Wsbk 2013 Updates Thread

Supersport riders set for another epic battle at Assen -

The unpredictable outcome of the Aragon race has mixed up the cards on the table in the World Supersport Championship, putting even greater importance to this weekend's round at Assen. After the unfortunate faux pas of both Kenan Sofuoglu (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki) and Sam Lowes (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha), whose race came to an early end by technical issues, the current Championship Leader is now none other than Sofuoglu's team mate Fabien Foret, who rode to his 16th race win of the career after a gear shift problem forced an indomitable Sam Lowes to throw the towel in (the Brit was leading the race despite a painful hand and wrist injury).

The Championship Standings are tighter than ever on top, as 2002 World Supersport Champion leads with 38, just a 2-point advantage over 'rookie' Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport Team), who is counting down the days to his home round, and 12 on Luca Scassa (Intermoto Ponyexpres Kawasaki).

Last year's Assen round saw the historical podium of Vladimir Leonov (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha), the maiden rostrum finish for a Russian rider at world level in motorcycle road racing.

Source: Supersport riders set for another epic battle at AssenWSBK back to 'The Cathedral'

[NewsReaper]

Re: Wsbk 2013 Updates Thread

Melandri and Davies to target the front at Assen

Just over a week after the successful Sunday at MotorLand Aragon circuit in Spain, the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team now heads to the iconic 'TT Circuit Assen'. The Dutch track will host the third round of 2013 eni FIM Superbike World Championship this weekend. Factory riders Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies aim to confirm the potential of their BMW S 1000 RRs by racing at the very front again.

With his double win in Spain, Davies propelled himself to second in the Riders' Championship, having collected 63 points in total over the first two rounds of the season. Melandri, who has stood twice on the podium so far this year, improved one position in Spain and currently sits fourth with 43 points. In the Manufacturers' Championship, BMW is second with 79 points.

Chaz Davies:

"After my double win at Aragon I am really looking forward to Assen. Obviously it is a confidence booster every time you win, but doing it twice really sets you up for the next races. I am very comfortable now with the RR and how I am feeling on the bike. On top of that, Assen is a circuit I enjoy and one that has been good for me in the past. Back in 2011, I celebrated my first World Championship victory there by winning the Supersport race, last year it was the first time for me to go through to Superpole 3 and I had a pretty decent pace in the dry."

Marco Melandri:

"My shoulder was feeling ok in Aragon for most of the weekend. Only towards the end of race two did I start struggling. The shoulder was a bit inflamed so to compensate I stressed the other arm more and as a result I got some cramps. Anyhow, I am quite calm because I have enough time until the next race to cure the inflammation. In the meantime I am continuing with physiotherapy and training in order to be fit in Assen. It's a nice track and I feel really comfortable there, even if I prefer the old layout which was wider. What really concerns me is the weather. Last year we weren't lucky with it, so I hope this time it will be good and not too cold."

Source: Melandri and Davies to target the front at Assen

Aprilia aiming for another big weekend at Assen

The 'Cathedral' of motorcycle racing hosts World Superbike for the third round on the calendar. The first four races gave Aprilia the current leadership of both Rider's and Manufacturer's standings.

After the total domination at Phillip Island, Aragon provided entertainment and unexpected turn of events. Guintoli, who had never been fond of the Spanish track, left Alcaniz with two excellent second place finishes to consolidate his first place in the standings. On the other hand, hard luck hit Eugene Laverty's Sunday, who started off as a contender for the podium, but was forced to withdraw from both races.

Sylvain Guintoli, who has excellent memories of Assen, will take on the Dutch track in the best possible physical and psychological conditions. His acclimatisation with the new team and his RSV4 has by now been reinforced, so much that he was able to come out of a difficult weekend like Aragon with head held high.

"We come to Assen leading the championship and with growing confidence. In Aragon, I had to face my demons! Together with my team, we worked hard and manage to get 2 great results. Assen is a place with many great memories. I had my first world stage podium (with Aprilia!) in 250 back in 2003 and also my 1st WSBK victory last year. I am excited to race again on this fantastic track and to enjoy once again the RSV4."

Eugene Laverty has more of a steady judgement and he's looking for redemption here at Assen, on a track where in 2012 he rode to his first podium under Aprilia Racing colours.

"I've put Aragon behind me and I'm thinking only about the remainder of the season. There's no point in dwelling on it. Assen was the venue of my first podium finish on the Aprilia last year and so I have fond memories of riding the RSV4 around there. I really enjoy the flowing nature of the circuit and it usually makes for close racing. We know that the BMWs and Kawasaki of Tom Sykes will be strong but the Honda duo could be up there too."

Source: Aprilia aiming for another big weekend at Assen