Wsbk 2013 Updates Thread

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Sam Lowes wants to keep momentumSam Lowes.

"I'm excited for the next round at Portimao" "It's a great circuit and normally brings great racing! I know we can be strong there so I can't wait to get there. I really want another strong result to carry on the momentum we have now. I'm very happy with how things are going and really enjoying my new team and bike, I'm working harder than ever always trying to improve myself. I know Kenan and other riders will be fast there so I'm looking forward to the battle."

Source: Sam Lowes wants to keep momentum

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Weather hampers BMW test at AragonMarco Melandri:

"The weather made testing pretty difficult. Yesterday we had rain showers and today it was very windy, so we mainly worked on trying new ideas regarding the set-up of the RR. We found some improvements and I think that we now have a better understanding in which direction we need to go with the 17-inch tyre. But for sure we still have more work to do in order to further improve and to find the perfect set-up."

Chaz Davies:

"Yesterday, we tried some basic things. Today we were hoping to do a little bit more but it was incredibly windy. We tried to test as best as we could with the high winds and in fact we found a couple of ideas which seem to help a little bit. We learnt a few things about the bike and about the new parts we had to evaluate. They appear to be promising. We also improved a little bit on the electronics for wheelie control. So overall it was a positive test, but I just wish that the weather had been a bit better."

Source: Weather hampers BMW test at Aragon

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Camier and Cluzel aiming to turn potential into solid results

FIXI Crescent Suzuki is heading for the south of Portugal as the eni FIM Superbike World Championship makes the next stop on its tour at Portimao for round six of the series.

Leon Camier is travelling to the Portuguese circuit looking to put the disappointment he suffered last time out at Donington firmly behind him. The Englishman is now fully fit and is aiming at getting back to basics at a circuit that saw him missing 3rd place in Race 2 due to a technical problem on the penultimate lap. With the thought of what might have been still firmly in his mind and the desire to make amends for his crashes at Donington, Camier is clearly focused on the job ahead.

Jules Cluzel is returning to a circuit that saw him take third on the grid last season in the Supersport class, but he bettered that on race-day by taking victory in the 600cc category - his penultimate win of the season. The Frenchman has been producing solid performances on his Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R in his first season in the Superbike class and will be looking to find more speed in Portugal.

Leon Camier:

"I can't wait to get back on the bike and hopefully make amends for what happened at Donington last weekend. I have been training hard and that's all been going good, so I know my fitness is up there, now we need to bounce back and put the last race behind us. We'll be looking to build the weekend up as it goes along and aim to get the FIXI Crescent Suzuki in to a strong position for race-day, we need to get back to our strengths and start pushing for some good results. I really like the Portimao track and my race-pace has always been pretty good there - we now need to get the bike feeling right, make sure I stay consistent and see what we can produce."

Jules Cluzel:

"We will try and work in the same way that we did at Donington, but this time we really hope we can have some nice weather on Friday. This will help us to work on the bike and the set-up and get a good base for qualifying. It would be really nice to get a full weekend on the bike, because the more time I spend on the Suzuki GSX-R the better it is for me. I went very well at Portimao last year, it was my first time at the track and I was able to win the race, but this year it will be much tougher and it's a very physical circuit so I will have to concentrate a lot. I am really excited about going there though and wish that it was Friday already!"

Source: Camier and Cluzel aiming to turn potential into solid results

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Sykes eager to keep up his winning momentum at Portimao

Recent Donington double winner Tom Sykes (Kawsaki Racing Team) takes his official Ninja ZX-10Rs to Portimao for round six of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship this weekend in confident mood. The Brit is eager to keep up his winning momentum, having won half of the last six individual races, including a brilliant double at his home venue of Donington last time out.

Having now visited a variety of circuits on his KRT Ninja ZX-10R Sykes has proved competitive at all of them, which gives rider and team a boost in their desire to continue the form that has put Sykes only four points behind the championship leader with a third of the racing season completed.

Last year at Portimao Sykes won the first race of the day on his official KRT machine, having started from pole position. In 2013 Sykes and his entire Kawasaki crew aim to build towards ultimate race day performance from the very first free practice session on Friday morning.

Tom Sykes:

"I think it is safe to say that we have kept our feet on the ground after our first double win at Donington. Race weekends do not get any better than that and we took the maximum in all ways. The bad news is that we can only equal it again now! But the good news is that if we can do it again we will be in a really good situation. Both the Ninja ZX-10R and I have been fast in Portugal recently so I'm honestly really looking forward to it. Expectations will be high of course but I feel we have a good package to keep working forward with. I think Portimao is even more intense than Donington, very physical for the arms. I am sure we can get the Kawasaki working strongly and we need to keep the momentum going there. Racing is a massive team effort nowadays."

Source: Sykes eager to keep up his winning momentum at Portimao




Portimao – The Pre-round statistics

WorldSBK.com provides you with some interesting statistics ahead of the Portuguese Round of eni FIM Superbike World Championhip.

Two podium out of eight races for Sylvain Guintoli in Portimao: second in race one in 2011, overtook by Checa three laps to the end, and third last year in race one, again overtook by Checa, who stole second from him on the twelfth lap. Sylvain debuted in WSBK here in 2009.

Tom Sykes won from pole race one last year, while in race two his engine failed when he was running third. These are the only races where Tom hit the headlights in Portimao so far.

Eugene Laverty climbed on the podium last year and two years ago in Portimao: he was second in race two in 2011, overtook by Melandri, his team mate at the time, three laps to the end and won last year in race two. In both race weekends run here Eugene started from third in grid.

Marco Melandri was able to win here in 2011 in race two, overtaking his team-mate Laverty three laps to the end. A weekend to forget last year: he fell in race one and had to withdraw from race two due to the injuries sustained.

An extremely disappointing weekend for Chaz Davies in Algarve last year: in race one he was unable to avoid Melandri's bike, right in front of him, while in race two he fell while he was second. In 2011 he won the Supersport race from Salom and Ellison, leading from lights to flag.

Six podiums out of ten races run here for Jonathan Rea in Algarve: third and second in 2009, third in race two in 2010 and in both races in 2011 and again second in race two last year. He is the rider with most podiums in this track, followed by Biaggi (Rea debuted in the Championship here in 2008, qualifying third and finishing fourth in race one).

Michel Fabrizio won race two in 2009 and was second in race two in 2008.

Davide Giugliano debuted in the World Superbike championship here two years ago, scoring his maiden points in race two with a twelfth.

Jules Cluzel was last year's winner in the Supersport class: he was able to beat by a small margin the two Kawasakis of Kenan Sofuoglu and Fabien Foret.

The best results for Leon Camier in Portimao came in 2010 when he was twice fifth, but his best race performance came last year, when he fought all the way with Biaggi for third up to the last lap of race two, when he suffered a mechanical failure.

Carlos Checa won here in 2011 and was second in race one in 2008, fighting with Corser and Haga, and in race one last year, when he surrendered only to Tom Sykes. Apart from a retirement (2009 Race 2) he never finished lower than seventh. In the last three years, with Ducati, he has always started from the front row here.

Three podiums out of ten races run for Leon Haslam: third in race two in 2008, he was second in both races in 2010 behind future world champion Max Biaggi.

Source: Portimao

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A weekend to watch for WSS Round 6 at Portimao

There is no better place than Portimao for Kenan Sofuoglu (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki), currently ranked 2nd in the points, to try and stop Sam Lowes' impressive momentum. The Reigning Champion was victorious in three of the four races he's tackled on the Portuguese track, even in 2008 when he marked his return to the series by taking Jonathan Rea's place for the Season Finale.

It won't be an easy task for the three-time Supersport Champion, as Lowes has won the last three races and now leads the Riders Standings with a 30 points margin. The Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha rider put up an outstanding performance last time out at Donington Park dominating the whole weekend in flawless fashion.

Mahi Racing Team India's Fabien Foret aims to bounce back following some difficult results in the last two rounds. The French veteran scored his only rostrum finish at Portimao last year, third at the chequered flag behind race winner Jules Cluzel and 2013 team mate Sofuoglu.

After injuring himself during a motocross training session before his home race at Aragon and missing four rounds, Spaniard David Salom (Intermoto Ponyexpres Kawasaki) will make his comeback at Portimao to join team mate Luca Scassa.

Miguel Praia will be lining up for Team Honda Lorini, to take the seat left empty by the return of Alex Baldolini to Team Suriano, for a one-off on his home track. The former Supersport regular rider, who is racing full-time in Brazil, hopes to quickly get to grips with the 600cc Honda of the Italian squad.

Source: A weekend to watch for WSS Round 6 at Portimao

Giugliano ready to take care of business at Portimao

After Davide Giugliano's convincing performance in the European Round at Donington Park, just two weeks ago, team Althea Racing is confident about the next event, that will take place the upcoming weekend at Portimao, and plans to confirm the progress made this season so far. On the Portuguese track, that suits well the characteristics of the Aprilia RSV4, Genesio Bevilacqua' squad will work hard to achieve the best possible results, while Giugliano hopes to gain valuable points with which to improve his position in the Championship standings.

Davide Giugliano,

"The Portuguese Round is one of my favourites", "because I really like the track and it's always nice to spend a few days in the Algarve. I hope we will encounter favourable conditions and some hot weather at last. After the two Donington races we are even more convinced about our capabilities and possibilities. I hope to be in the leading group at Portimao, making the most of my RSV4's great potential. I'm not setting a specific objective, other than to give it my all and achieve good results, for myself and the team."

Source: Giugliano ready to take care of business at Portimao

SBK Race 2 - Portimao 2012 - YouTube

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New Rules for 2014 in WSBK. The framework for the rules has finally been agreed upon -

New 2014 WSBK Rules Agreed Upon: World Superbikes Enters Price-Capped Era | MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

Lowes, Sofuoglu and Kennedy go fastest in Qualifying Practice 1 on Friday -



Rea, Laverty and Sykes head up the provision front row in QP1 -



WSBK and WSS Friday Roundup -

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A double bonanza in Portimao for Mahi Racing Team, both riders finished at the Podium

Foret finishes second, Sofuoglu third in Portimao, Portugal



Mahi Racing Team India riders Fabien Foret and Kenan Sofuoglu stayed on course for a shot at the overall championship while they sealed at the podium with a second and third place finish in the sixth leg of the World Supersport championship in Portimao, Portugal on Sunday.

Foret, who began the race in fourth place, leapfrogged two riders to finish with a timing of 35'33.262 with Sofuoglu completing the podium party with a timing of 35'33.384 had started the race in the second place.

Both the riders are now tied on second spot in the overall standings with 81 points and trail leader Sam Lowes of Yakhnich Motorsport by 39 points.

Lowes took his fourth successive chequered flag on Sunday but Foret isn't really worried.

"It is still early in the season and we can easily bridge this gap. He (Lowes) has hit a purple patch but we are not far behind,"

said the confident Mahi racing Team Rider, Foret said Kenan at the end of the race.

Foret, meanwhile, kept a steady pace and made a charge in the last two lap to finish second, he missed the first position with a .380 second of timing behind Sam Lowes.

Team Mahi, saw lot of cheering from the local crowd and as the riders believe this too had a crucial role in their success here in Portimao.

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SBK Race 1 - Melandri took the win in the first race after a tough battle Guintoli, who crossed the finish line just 0.007 seconds behind the Italian. Sykes couldn't keep the pace of the leaders and took the final podium position. Leon Camier on the Suzuki was the best of the rest. As Jonathan Rea and Eugene Laverty retired due to technical problems.



WSS Race - Sam Lowes took the win ahead of the the Mahi Racing motorcycles of Foret and Sofuoglu. Rookie Michael Van Der Mark fought hard for the podium, but managed fourth only.



SBK Race 2 - Eugene Laverty made for the DNF in Race 1 to take the win in Race 2. Guintoli finished off the weekend with another second place to comfortably retain the championship lead. Rea had to settle for third as his Honda just didn't allow him to challenge the very fast Aprilia's down the main straight. Loris Baz gave Kawasaki a 4th, as teammate Sykes crashed on the sighting lap and finished the race 7 laps down on the leaders. Race 1 winner Melandri rode with a dud Pirelli and dropped steadily down the order to finish 12th.



Portimao Round Up -

[Makky]

A straight and an honest thought - It 'd be best if, this thread is moved back to Motorsports section. Thanks.

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Wsbk 2013 Updates Thread


Carlos Checa and the Ducati Panigale tangled up in knots


A good showing for the teammates at Aprilia


Leon Camier says Marquez is not the only one who can get his elbow down! Good results for Suzuki with Camier on board


A broken knee got banged into the kerb. Painful for the smiling Mr. Haslam


Smile and act friendly together, until the lights go out!


Lowes triumphant again!


The little Italian and standing tall on his BMW win


Race 2 start had a certain green Ninja of Sykes missing in the first turn


French, British and Turkish flags of the riders. The Indian Flag on the racing leathers of Mahi Racing Team India, as the team takes a double podium

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WSBK 2013 Round6 Portugal Race1

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Positive race for Michael van der Mark in Portugal

Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport) rode a great WSS race at the 4.592km Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, getting his season back on track following two difficult races.

Starting from sixth place on the grid, the 20-year-old Dutch World Supersport rookie consolidated his starting position in the early laps but, with consistent lap times, he began to reduce the gap to the eventual winner, Sam Lowes and rivals Fabien Foret and Kenan Sofuoglu. Just four weeks after breaking his foot at Monza in Italy, van der Mark caught the leading trio in the closing stages of the 20-lap race, at one point holding second place, before eventually having to settle for fourth, just half a second off the podium.

Michael van der Mark -

"I think we have to be really happy with Sunday's result" . "The start wasn't that great and I lost a few places early on. I finally passed some guys and managed to settle into a really consistent pace. I couldn't go any faster so just tried to do the same lap times all through the race. I could see the group in front and I knew that at some point they would start to fight for first position. I was hoping that, when that started, they would lose some time and they did. I kept doing the same lap times and made it up to the group. I passed them a few times but one time I went a little bit wide and Kenan (Sofuoglu) missed a gear and the others passed me again. I kept pushing but in the last lap I lost the front a bit, but after two disappointments at Monza and Donington, we are really happy with the weekend."

Source: Positive race for Michael van der Mark in Portugal




Camier fights his way back to 4th place

FIXI Crescent Suzuki's Leon Camier fought his way to a fourth place during Sunday's first race at the eni FIM Superbike World Championship event at Portimao in Portugal. Camier's result was his and FIXI Crescent Suzuki's best result of the season so far and shows the race potential of the Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R.

"I got an ok start in the first race and made a bit of progress" said Camier "but as I went past Haslam on the inside - and was well past him - he let the brake off in the turn and punted into me. I lost some time and dropped back some places and had the job of trying to catch-up and get through the field, so from 15th to 4th is a pretty good result. The bike felt good, I felt like I could pass really well and the speed of the FIXI Crescent Suzuki has definitely improved. This showed on the straight because I could exit on the last turn and keep the momentum going so I could pass at the end of the straight, which I haven't been able to do before, so I was really happy about that."

Unfortunately for Camier he didn't fare as well in race two, when a simple mechanical issue on lap-12 caused the Englishman to retire from the race as he was making progress through the field and was closing on the fight for sixth place.

"At the start of the second race I had a problem with the electronics" he added "and the bike didn't pull away as it should. I made a few places up, but didn't feel quite as strong as I did in the first race, but I kept pushing and I was getting in a good rhythm when a problem with the bike didn't allow me to continue. I was hoping that I could have made up some more places, because I could see the group in front coming back to me, so I think that fourth or fifth was achievable, but we will never know now!"

FIXI Crescent Suzuki is back to the UK before it prepares to travel to the next round of the series, which is scheduled for Imola in Italy on Sunday 30th June.

Source: Camier fights his way back to 4th place

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WSBK 2013 Round6 Portugal Race2

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Sofuoglu and Foret joined forces at Portimao to defeat Lowes

Cooperation between team mates is usually a key factor for bike development in testing and in finding the right set-up for the race. Once Sunday comes, the "every man for himself" situation becomes the rule, as every rider aims for the best result at the chequered flag.

This didn't apply last time out at Portimao for the Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki, as Kenan Sofuoglu and Fabien Foret had worked out a plan to make sure they could both stay in contention with pole man Sam Lowes (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha). It worked well for a time, with each applying pressure, taking the lead and then controlling the pace, but in the very final stages the Brit was able to regain the lead and to cross the finish line as the winner, while Foret and Sofuoglu completed the podium in second and third respectively.

Fabien Foret -

"I got a podium and after two difficult rounds I will take it with pleasure" . "To be honest we had a plan together with Kenan and during the race I could see that it may work out OK as we were all together. I think van der Mark came along quite late in the race and disturbed our plan quite a bit and I was also surprised to see him there. When you are suddenly four guys together you have more things to think about. I am quite upset with the little mistake I made in the last lap, as I could have had the race win but maybe next time in Imola I will."

Kenan Sofuoglu -

"I think today Sam (Lowes) deserved to win the race, he was the fastest all weekend but also in the race. We were all fighting hard and anyone of four of us could have won the race. We will keep working as we are, Kawasaki is fully behind me to improve the bike even more and hopefully in Imola we will be better."

Source: Sofuoglu and Foret joined forces at Portimao to defeat Lowes



Q&A with Roberto Rolfo on his MV Agusta

Roberto Rolfo (ParkinGO MV Agusta Corse) is targeting a strong result for the next round on the calendar, scheduled for June 28-30 at Imola's Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Following the difficult weekend at Portimao, the Italian is looking forward to being back at the level he showed in the fifth round of the season - at Donington Park - when he achieved the first podium finish for MV in a World Championship race after 37 years.

It was not an easy weekend for you at Portimao...

"I was unlucky at Portimao, as I had to retire with 4 laps to go due to a technical problem that started hampering my performance few laps before and made me lose a lot of ground. It's a shame because I started off well from the 13th place on the grid and at Turn 1 I was with the pack that battling for 6th. I think an 8th place was in my range."

What about the next round at Imola?

"I really like the track, it's a very technical one with a lot of elevation changes. I have to say it's not one of the tracks I know best, as I raced there only in 2011. I'm happy to be racing in front of my home crowd and I'm sure Imola will suit the F3 well. I want to stay with the front runners as much as I did at Donington."

What's your opinion about your rivals?

"The competition is very high this year, we're all very close. The only one who's able to make the difference right now, especially on race pace, is Sam Lowes."

Are you happy with the bike? And how's working with MV?

"The bike is beautiful and has a huge potential, I'm really happy to be part of such an ambitious project and about the responsibility that comes with it. MV is giving us a lot of support, it's great to ride for such an iconic brand. I like the direct approach and the 'family business' approach."

Source: Q&A with Roberto Rolfo

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Sofuoglu sees only one option for the rest of 2013

Sofuoglu sees only one option for the rest of 2013

Third place finish is usually considered as a good race result, but that's not the case of Kenan Sofuoglu (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki). The three-time and current defending World Supersport Champion hasn't been on the top step of the podium since Phillip Island and, with two DNFs on the way, he lies now 2nd in the standings with a 39-point gap from Championship leader Sam Lowes.

Sofuoglu -

"I can't say I was happy after the race at Portimao" "I felt I could win the race but I wanted my team mate to be in the battle up front too. The agreed tactic worked the wrong way for us. Now it's time to focus on the next round at Imola, it's my favourite track despite I never had good luck there so far, last year I even injured my knee. I hope this time out everything will go smooth as I need to win, there is no room for just podium finishes anymore."

The last time Sofuoglu had five rounds with no race wins dates back to 2009, in his opinion the toughest season he's ever contested. No surprise that the strong-willed Turkish rider is aiming for full points starting from the next round, scheduled for 30 June at Imola.

"This is not the hardest competition I've ever faced" not as in 2009 with Crutchlow and Laverty. I know I'm 39 points behind now but I've had two DNFs, so without bad luck I would have probably been leading by now. I've never won a race at Imola before but I'm looking forward to get my maiden victory there, I must be on top of the podium as much as possible until the end of the season. From now on the real fight starts for me, I have all the support from Kawasaki and even though we're still not able to take the full potential out the ZX-6R, I know we have the best 600 cc bike."

Source: Sofuoglu sees only one option for the rest of 2013