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 Yamaha's Marco carded 1-2 finishes at Donington for the European round of thr World Superbike Championship.
SBK World Superbike Championship, Round 2 of 13, Donnington
Melandri and Checa share the biggest spoils at Donington
Donington Race Day, Sunday 27 March 2011 – The two riders who won races at Donington today, Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri, are the two who leave at the head of the championship chase, with Checa now on 91 points and Melandri on 72. Superpole winner Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) used his experience to change his rear tyre choice for race two and improve from a third place to be a clear winner, while Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) made two great recoveries from a third row start to post a win and a second place. Jakub Smrz (Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati) nearly won the first race, with the local fans having something to cheer about as Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) went third in race two, to make up for a hard first round in Australia that was badly affected by illness.
 Max Biaggi helps Donnington Park celebrate 80 years of motorcycle racing with the return of World Superbike this week.
Superbike riders celebrate 80 years of Donington
Donington,UK, Thursday 24th March 2011 – The traditional pre-event press conference for the second round of the 2011 FIM Superbike World Championship on Sunday at Donington Park was an opportunity to celebrate 80 years of motorbike racing at the British circuit.
In 1931 the first-ever motorcycle race took place on a track that, two years later, was to become a permanent park racing circuit, the first of its kind in the world. That first race was won by speedway rider Squib Burton on a Raleigh 350cc and that very same bike was brought out for the traditional group photograph on the starting-grid with the leading protagonists of this year’s Superbike World Championship.
In the presence of Kevin Wheatcroft (Donington Park Chairman) and Paolo Ciabatti (SBK Director), all the riders expressed their delight about the return of Donington Park to the World Superbike calendar.
Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia), Carlos Checa (Ducati Althea Racing) and Marco Melandri (Yamaha WSBK Team) joined British riders Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport), Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda), Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) and Eugene Laverty (Yamaha WSBK Team) in unanimously defining the historic track as one of the best in the championship.
It is worth mentioning that the first-ever Superbike World Championship race was also held at the Leicestershire circuit on April 3rd, 1988. For the record books, the two race wins went to Davide Tardozzi (Bimota) and Marco Lucchinelli (Ducati), while the overall victory – on aggregate because the current two-race results formula was only adopted at the next race – went to the former 500 cc Grand Prix World Champion, who as a result was the first race winner in the history of the production-derived Superbike racing series.
Biaggi on song for Friday Practice at classic Donington circuit
Donington, Friday 25 March 2011 - Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) scorched round the new-look Donington Park circuit in a blistering time of 1 minute 28.794 seconds to head off a challenge from Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike) as the Superbike riders concluded their first qualifying session. Biaggi's final advantage over Melandri was just a fraction (0.047 seconds) with the two Italians the only riders into the 1'28 bracket as they duelled in the spring sunshine.
"For once even on Friday people are talking about Biaggi and Aprilia! – exclaimed Max after the practice rounds – To be honest, we weren't looking for the best time. As usual we are working to adapt our bike to this track. By pushing in order to verify some solutions, I obtained a comforting result and I'm pleased about that. Today we changed a lot of configurations, especially in the back, which we will be thinking over now, in order to turn up the best way possible tomorrow. I have my eye on the temperature. Here it is an important element for tyre selection. You can really feel the difference even of just a few degrees, particularly in the long, fast turns."
Double Aussie race winner Carlos Checa was also on the pace, grabbing the lead in the middle of the session, but the Althea Racing man eventually ended up third, while Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike) completed the overnight front row in impressive style.
Jakub Smrz (Effenbert - Liberty Ducati) also boomed his big twin-cylinder machine around the curves of Donington in very pleasant weather conditions to go fifth overall.
Croc Fighter Troy Corser
The hard-fought session saw a series of surprises and changes of fortune as both Leon Haslam and Troy Corser were up amongst the frontrunners for a while on their BMW S1000RR machines, finishing sixth and seventh respectively. Ruben Xaus was top CBR rider on his Castrol Honda machine, while team-mate Jonathan Rea struggled somewhat to go 16th.
Rookie rider Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) was the top Kawasaki competitor, ninth, while local man Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) went tenth. Two fallers today were Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) and Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare). Chris Vermeulen returned to the WSBK fray today, going within 2.7 seconds of the leaders on his Kawasaki Racing Team ZX-10R, despite being not fully fit yet.
The modified track layout, with the Esses now widened at the exit, brought universal praise, although exactly how much of the improvement in overall lap times is due to the new sections is still a cause for discussion.
Superbike Times: 1. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'28.794; 2. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'28.841; 3. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'29.194; 4. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 1'29.379; 5. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'29.397; 6. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1'29.472; 7. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'29.476; 8. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'29.613; 9. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'29.637; 10. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'29.639; 11. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'29.814; 12. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'29.851; 13. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'29.860; 14. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'30.008; 15. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'30.169; 16. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'30.348; etc.
World Supersport
Following his win in the opening round of the season, Italian Luca Scassa (Yamaha ParkinGO) continued his excellent run of form by setting the provisional pole at the end of this afternoon's first Supersport qualifying session. His time of 1 minute 31.232 seconds was just a fraction quicker than Britain's Sam Lowes, in second place on the Parkalgar Honda machine.
The two Motocard.com Kawasaki ZX-6Rs were next up, with Australia's Broc Parkes ahead of Spain's David Salom. Local man Chaz Davies was fifth fastest on his Yamaha ParkinGO R6, and two more Brits were inside the top 10, with Gino Rea (Step Racing Honda) in sixth and James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda) two places behind. Impressive privateer Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Team) went seventh, the last rider within a second of Scassa’s new best lap.
Supersport Times: 1. Scassa L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'31.232; 2. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1'31.368; 3. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'31.823; 4. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'31.963; 5. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1'32.005; 6. Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1'32.080; 7. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 1'32.136; 8. Ellison J. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1'32.258; etc.
Checa wins Superpole again for Ducati! Haslem's BMW 2nd, Syke's Kawasaki 3rd!
Saturday March 26th - Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) took his second pole of the 2011 season by posting the fastest lap of the weekend in Superpole three, a 1’28.099. Local rider Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) will line up behind Checa at Leon’s home track, with another British rider, Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike) third. The last spot on the front row will be taken by Czech star Jakub Smrz (Effenbert – Liberty Racing Ducati).
Notice in this action photograph of Carlos on the Althea Ducati how compressed the bottom of the rear tire is to the race track, giving it a huge footprint and lots of traction. With it's 52mm intake restrictors the 1198 Ducati 1200cc V-Twins are the least powerful bikes in World Superbike putting out around 200hp, while the unrestricted 1000cc inline-four's are pumping out 220-240hp. What the Ducati's loose in top speed, they take back in torque accelerating out of the corners.
Carlos Checa: “What can I say? Everything is working so well here at Donington, we expected to go well and we did it. Our progress from yesterday to today was quite comfortable, basically today the tyres were working well with these conditions and this cold. With one lap to get going it was not easy to get confidence but I was able to get a good enough time to get the pole and that’s important for tomorrow.”
Local boy Haslem looks forward to Sunday's race on the Bimmer.
Leon Haslam: “Donington is my local circuit and me and Tom have had some great battles in the past in BSB, I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. We got a front row start which we wanted. I’ve definitely made some good progress from Australia to this event so hopefully it’ll be a dry day tomorrow and I can try and beat Carlos this time.”
Tom Sykes: “I’m really happy now with this good starting slot for tomorrow’s races. I think that’s the hardest part of the weekend because qualifying is always important. We had a little problem in SP2 and had to waste a qualifying tyre but for SP3 we went out on a race tyre. The second row was guaranteed but to squeeze onto the front row was something unexpected.”
Jakub Smrz: “Donington is one of my favourite races. I had a crash this morning at the very fast Craner Curves, where I have crashed before in the past but I was OK. I am satisfied with my front row position and I have a good set-up for the race, I would have liked to go a bit better in qualifying but the front row is good for me.”
Noriyuki Haga (Pata Racing Team Aprilia) and Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) completed the top six, while an Aprilia trio was finished off by Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) with Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) the final rider on the second row, making it four British riders in the top eight places.
The hot track action warmed up the enthusiastic local crowd as the temperatures dipped from the highs of Friday, with the track temperatures dropping to single figures for Superpole.
Leading contender Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) just missed out on the final Superpole session and will start Sunday’s races from ninth place and on row three. Haslam’s team-mate Troy Corser lapped his way to tenth, ahead of lone Suzuki force Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare). The Kawasaki Racing Team entry put its second rider into the top 12 when Joan Lascorz completed row three.
A huge crash in the first Superpole session for Melandri’s Yamaha team-mate Eugene Laverty kept him on row four, alongside Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert – Liberty Racing Ducati), Maxime Berger (Supersonic Ducati) and Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda).
Carlos goes over bike setup with
the team technician.
Superbike Superpole Times: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'28.099; 2. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR; 1'28.365; 3. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'28.556; 4. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'28.561; 5. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'28.673; 6. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'28.702; 7. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'28.737; 8. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'29.514; 9. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'28.803; 10. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'28.836; 11. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'29.135; 12. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'29.422; 13. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 1'29.312; 14. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'29.879; 15. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'30.002; 16.Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'30.076; etc.
World Supersport
Two Yamaha ParkinGO machines locked out the front two places on the starting-grid for tomorrow's World Supersport race, with Italian Luca Scassa on pole followed by his Welsh team-mate Chaz Davies. Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) was third but an early session crash hampered his efforts to go for pole and the WSS find of 2011 was unable to improve on his Q1 time.
Next up were the two Kawasaki ZX-6R machines of Broc Parkes and David Salom (Motocard.com), while Gino Rea (Step Racing Team), Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Team) and James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda) took the next three places for Honda. Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who again injured his hand in a crash yesterday, struggled on regardless to qualify 12th. Foret’s team-mate Florian Marino improved to go ninth overall, while Massimo Roccoli posted tenth on his Kawasaki Lorenzini by Leoni machine.
Two riders failed to qualify but a full grid of 28 riders will start Sunday’s 22-lap race in this category.
Supersport Qualifying Times: 1. Scassa L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'31.232; 2. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1'31.250; 3. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1'31.368; 4. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'31.645; 5. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'31.963; 6. Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1'32.080; 7. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 1'32.136; 8. Ellison J. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1'32.153; etc.
 Melandri (33) fights with Camier (2).
Melandri and Checa share the biggest spoils at Donington
Donington Race Day, Sunday 27 March 2011 – The two riders who won races at Donington today, Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri, are the two who leave at the head of the championship chase, with Checa now on 91 points and Melandri on 72. Superpole winner Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) used his experience to change his rear tyre choice for race two and improve from a third place to be a clear winner, while Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) made two great recoveries from a third row start to post a win and a second place. Jakub Smrz (Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati) nearly won the first race, with the local fans having something to cheer about as Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) went third in race two, to make up for a hard first round in Australia that was badly affected by illness.
2010 World Champion Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) had his drama-laden weekend turn into a mini-crisis as he finished only seventh in race one, and was excluded from race two after jump starting and failing to come in for a ride-through penalty. In the overall championship third place belongs to Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) on 53 points after two fourths today, while Biaggi has 49 points in fourth overall.
Sunday's two races would be all about tire choice. Official tire supplier Pirelli had 2 different tire choices available for the Superbike class, a Soft Compound and a Hard Compound. As it turned out the same tire type had different results on different bikes, different riding styles, different engine power bands, and varied according to track temperature throughout the day.
Marco Melandri on the 4-cylinder Yamaha found he had very consistent results throughout both races. While on the V-twin Ducati the performance of the tires was radically different. Carlos Checa used the Hard compound in the 1st race and saw his Pole position start disappear immediately as he struggled to find traction, dropping back almost to the rear of the pack. It would be half the race distance before the Hard compound rear tire came in for Carlos and he could start reeling back in on the field to finish 3rnd. Jacob Smrz on another Ducati started on the Soft Tire and immediately pulled out a 3 second lead which he held to lap 15, where it then started to go off from deterioration. Melandri would catch and pass Smrz on the last laps of the race to take away the win.
For Race Two, Checa changed to the Soft Rear, while Smrz changed to the Hard in the hopes Melandri couldn't run him down. The result for Smrz was the result Checa had in race One, Smrz left struggling at the rear of the pack with no traction. While Checa had the speed and plus his own skill to pull out a big enough lead that Melandri, running a Hard compound tire again, just came up short of running Checa down when Checa's rear tire did go away in the final laps. While other riders like Corser on the BMW never found a tire that would work for him, and Fabrizio on the Alstare Suzuki had to retire from race One when his Soft tire rear tire started chunking mid-race. The choice of 2 different Pirelli tires compounds made it one of the most exciting World Superbike races ever.
 Jacob Smrz on the grid at Miller WSBK last summer. His sponsor this year is the Czech beer Effenbert. He ran away with Race One this weekend at Donington on the Liberty Ducati 1198 unitl his Soft compopound rear tire went away in the closing laps, allowing Mealandi on a Hard compound rear to reel him in and pas on the last lap for the win.
Superbike Race 1 - Melandi Reels in race leader Smrz on Last lap
New rider to WSBK racing Melandri took only three races to record his first win, finally overhauling long time leader Smrz (Liberty Racing) to win by 2.455 seconds. The last podium place went to Checa after he passed local hero Haslam with two corners to go. Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) scored fifth and Noriyuki Haga (Pata Racing Aprilia) was sixth, one place up on the factory bike of Biaggi. A potentially great finish for Tom Sykes and his Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike machine ended in a crash at the redesigned Esses section, but the home crowd were to have a podium star to cheer for in race two.
 Tom Sykes had the new Kawasaki KX10 up as high as 3rd in the 10-way battle for the lead in Race One, only to loose the front end and crash out just past the mid-way point.
Local boy Leon Haslem on the factory BMW missed missed the podium by only 0.3 seconds. Starting second, he took the lead straight away and kept it until lap six. Later on he had some issues, but was still third starting the final lap. Just a few corners before the finish Leon dropped back to fourth. Troy made up some positions at the start, but struggled with low grip and finally finished ninth. At the start of race 2 Leon again stormed into the lead, and in the opening laps he had a thrilling fight at the front. But on lap eight he had a highsider and fell back. Right to the chequered flag Leon was fighting his way back through the field and made it to fourth. BMW team mate Troy finished another difficult race 13th.
Marco Melandri: “It has been an awesome race for me, very tough and at the start many guys were very aggressive. I kept my rhythm and when I got on my own I caught Camier and some others then it took some time to get to Haslam. After that it was only a few laps to go and Kuba was pretty far ahead. I just kept the best pace I could and in the end Smrz’s pace was gone and I passed him. We missed a little bit of top speed but the package was very balanced, we won and I had a lot of fun.”
Smrz on a pub run with Czech beer sponsor Effenbert, had Race One almost won until his Soft rear tire went off in the closing laps.
Jakub Smrz: “Of course I am disappointed to not win the race but it was really nice and I am back on the podium, which is important. The feeling all the race was very good and the bike was perfect, in the end my rear tyre was gone and I could not push any more. Marco passed me and I did not want to risk anything in the end.”
Carlos Checa: “I had some issues with the rear tyre grip at the beginning of the race, and I lost some positions, touched with other riders and it ended up as one of my most exciting races from the back to the front. Finally I arrived to Haslam after I had pushed to my maximum and I passed him when I had the opportunity. It was the last lap and I got third position.”
Superbike Race 2 Results: 1. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 34'33.189 (160,673 kph); 2. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 2.455; 3. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 5.839; 4. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 6.176; 5. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 9.039; 6. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 9.215; 7. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 9.960; 8. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 14.860; 9. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 14.877; 10. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 16.182; 11. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 25.820; 12. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 28.378; 13. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 31.869; 14. Rolfo R. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 40.015; 15. Aitchison M. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'00.128; etc.
Superbike Race 2 - Checa gambles on the Soft Tire and holds off Melandro
Checa controlled race two from the early laps and won by 3.397 seconds from race one victor Melandri. Camier was a contender for second for long periods, before Melandri upped the pace and left him behind. Another Leon, this time Haslam went fourth for the second time today, despite running off track at one point. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) was a great fifth on the new ZX-10R machine, despite not yet being at full fitness. With Rea sixth for Honda and race one retiree Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare) seventh in race two there were seven different manufacturers represented in the top seven places, proving how competitive the 2011 season is after only two rounds.
Carlos Checa: “It is a fantastic beginning to the season, especially this victory in Donington, which is something special. Basically we decided to put on a different tyre with better grip at the beginning, so now I was stable and had good grip. At the end the tyre dropped down a little but it was good enough. Everybody knows what happened here to me many years ago, when I lost something so now I’m quite satisfied to win at Donington!”
Marco Melandri: “It was a pretty good race for me. Leon was very fast, about 50% of the race I was coughing in my helmet and finding it hard to breathe so I lost my concentration. After that I recovered, I did my best and passed Leon again but Carlos was just too fast for me.”
Leon Camier: “I can’t believe it’s happened. I started the year with glandular fever, which got me down a bit after all the hard work over the winter and to come here and get a podium at my home race is absolutely awesome. In the first race we had a few problems with the settings, so we changed it for the second one and it seemed to work well. It was a good battle with Marco, he was very strong, but to get third place is great.”
Leon Haslam, Result Race 1: 4th, Result Race 2: 4th:
“It has again been a hard fought weekend for us, but we have definitely made clear improvements from Australia. In race 1 we had some issues, which were similar to those I experienced in Phillip Island, so we made some changes for the second race and it was a real improvement, especially in the second half. I made a mistake in the early laps of race 2, which dropped me back a number of places, but I was happy I was able to fight back and finish strong. We will now work hard to be ready for Assen.”
Superbike Race 2 Results: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 34'21.537 (161,581 kph); 2. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 3.397; 3. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 5.902; 4. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 13.842; 5. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 14.253; 6. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 19.413; 7. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 20.278; 8. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 21.160; 9. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 24.298; 10. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 24.907; 11. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 32.440; 12. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 32.679; 13. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 34.070; 14. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 36.418; 15. Rolfo R. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 44.037; 16. Aitchison M. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 52.412; etc.
Points (after 2 rounds of 13): 1. Checa 91; 2. Melandri 72; 3. Haslam 53; 4. Biaggi 49; 5. Smrz 42; 6. Rea 38; 7. Camier 37; 8. Fabrizio 27; 9. Haga 26; 10. Sykes 19; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 95; 2. Yamaha 74; 3. Aprilia 66; 4. BMW 53; 5. Honda 38; 6. Kawasaki 32; 7. Suzuki 27.
600cc World Supersport
Yamaha ParkinGO riders Luca Scassa and Chaz Davies contested the win in the 22-lap Supersport race, with Davies 0.270 seconds down at the flag. Behind, Gino Rea took the final podium place for his Step Racing Honda team, as Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Honda) went fourth and Kawasaki Motocard.com rider Broc Parkes secured fifth place. Broc’s team-mate David Salom went sixth and the leading Kawasaki interest in the championship extended to a trio when Massimo Roccoli (Lorenzini by Leoni) went seventh. Rookie Florian Mario (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was eighth, one place up on Roccoli’s team-mate Vittorio Iannuzzo. The top ten was rounded out by Swedish rider Alex Lundh (Cresto Guide Racing Team Honda).
Supersport Results: 1. Scassa L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 33'40.762 (157,674 kph); 2. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 0.270; 3. Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 20.374; 4. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 23.469; 5. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 24.872; 6. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 32.001; 7. Roccoli M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 42.128; 8. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 43.826; etc.
Points (after 2 rounds of 13): 1. Scassa 50; 2. Parkes 31; 3. Harms 24; 4. Salom 23; 5. Davies 20; 6. Marino 17; 7. Rea 16; 8. Lowes 16; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Yamaha 50; 2. Honda 32; 3. Kawasaki 31; 4. Triumph 7.
Norley Cafe Racer
Above: We came across another interesting naked streetfighter, this one based using a Harley-Davidson Sportster engine with what appear to be Ducati 1000 Classic Wheels, Brakes and Suspension components. Esthetically, it's a little rough with the beautiful alloy tank perched somewhat awkwardly on the top of the frame, the front downtube mounted rectifier, a lose front brake crossover line, and a square edged oil tank under the seat, and a brutal flat board for a seat. The Norton Featherbed style frame, aluminum gas tank and other assorted bits are available from NorleyCafeRacer.com Click to ENLARGE
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Japanese Motorcycle Manufacturers resume limited production after Distaster
Powersports Business
Friday March 25, 2011
Two weeks after an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, some of the Big Four’s factories have reopened with limited production.
Some of Yamaha Motor Corp.’s factories have begun producing partially assembled units again. As of Thursday, the Iwata factories that assemble motorcycle engines and finished products, the PWC engine-building factory in Kuramatsu and the ATV factory were all assembling partially complete units from stocked parts. Three factories that manufacture motorcycle parts were completing limited production for overseas parts, and the Fukuroi factory that packages overseas motorcycle parts was operating. Generators were undergoing limited production, and limited golf car production will run Monday through Wednesday. As of Tuesday, production will be suspended again at the Iwata factories and on ATV and PWC engine production. Generator production will continue through Thursday, and a decision is pending for April 1 and beyond.
Suzuki Motor Corp. reopened its Takatsuka plant, which assembles and machines motorcycle engines, Thursday for limited production after the Toyokawa motorcycle assembly plant opened earlier this week. Both are using stock components to complete bikes that are on the assembly line
Honda expects to reopen its motorcycle plant in Kumamoto, Japan, on Monday, though operations will not return to total normalcy as some Tier 1 and 2 suppliers were affected by the disaster, Bill Savino, American Honda’s motorcycle press manager, told Powersports Business. As of Wednesday, American Honda employees had donated $30,000, which Honda will match dollar for dollar. For dealers, suppliers, customers and the public, the company has set up a donation website at American.Redcross.Org
. All proceeds from both drives will be channeled through the American Red Cross.
Kawasaki has not released any updated information about its operations.
Other organizations in the industry are donating to recovery efforts. The Harley-Davidson Foundation has donated $250,000 to the American Red Cross, and the company’s Japan subsidiary has established a relief fund and has sent food, water and other necessities where needed. Harley also has posted to link to the Red Cross’s website on its sites.
The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) and Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA) boards are collectively donating $10,000 to the 2011 Japan Relief Fund. All three organizations are also encouraging their members to contribute by visiting their websites. Click on the “2011 Japan Relief Fund” tab, and you’ll be sent to the donation page on the Japan America Society of Southern California’s site.
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MotoGP now offering Races and Video on Demand on iTunes
MotoGP has been publishing content on iTunes since 2006 when it launched the free After the Flag programme and Official Podcasts. Dorna Sports has increased its offerings with new programmes now available at the iTunes video store, such as Race Highlights, Documentaries and MotoGP Classics.
This content can be accessed through any iTunes compatible device, such as the iPad, iPhone, iPod and any computer.
The MotoGP Classics section features a classic premier class race from each season starting in 1992 up to and including the 2008 Championship, reliving such epic moments as the famous Rainey v Doohan battle from Catalunya 1992, Rossi v Gibernau from Jerez 2005, or Rossi’s sensational victory on his Yamaha debut in Welkom 2004. All the races have been specially re-mastered for optimum quality.
Also on offer are Highlights from every race in 2010, with the ones for 2011 being made available after each race. The opening round of the season at Qatar is already on offer, following a thrilling first race which saw Casey Stoner hold off reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo and team-mate Dani Pedrosa for a winning start to the year. Each 52min programme will also be available in High Definition.
The Documentaries soon to be available through iTunes are “A-Z of MotoGP”, a programme looking at the riders and factories who have contributed to the glorious history of the championship, as well as the low-down on the latest rules, regulations and racing techniques and technology, “MotoGP Riding Secrets” and “Jorge” a journey with the 2010 World Champion to his greatest sporting moment. “Jorge” is also available in HD.
MotoGP Classics, the first of its new iTunes content, was launched on March 7th in five territories; UK, Australia, Germany, France and Canada. This was followed in the lead up to the 2011 season with MotoGP Documentaries and 2010 Highlights, prior to the availability of the 2011 Highlights in HD themselves.
The MotoGP classics, Documentaries and Race Highlights can be purchased from as little as £1.89/€2.49 for each programme.
New Yamaha Racing Websites:
• 50th Anniversay of MotoGP Racing Website
and
• Yamaha MotoGP Team Website
Rebirth of Yamaha Factory Racing's new media website.
The revolution of the Team's media portal sees it become a state of the art interactive media resource delivering an enhanced online user experience. YamahaMotoGP.com will continue to provide up to date news releases, Team information and images for all the racing Media needs along with exclusive interviews with Yamaha Factory Racing members.
The site is now embedded with Yamaha Factory Racing's social media activities (Facebook/Twitter/YouTube: 'yamahamotogp') and features live Twitter feeds enabling users to view the latest tweets from a number of sources including riders Jorge Lorenzo ('Lorenzo99') and Ben Spies ('Benspies11') and connect directly to the Official Yamaha MotoGP Facebook community.
An extensive archive provides background information and historic details of the Team's past racing activities.To mark the launch the site will feature new exclusive interviews with riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies and Yamaha MotoGP Group Leader Kouichi Tsuji.
The public will now be able to access the Team's media website for the first time. This new facility allows them to step inside the world of Yamaha Factory Racing, follow races and practice sessions and stay informed of their favourite rider activities both on track and away from racing as they travel the world as ambassadors for Yamaha.
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AMA Pro Racing Suspends and Fines Josh Herrin / Graves Yamaha for Finish Line Incident at Daytona 200
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 21, 2011) - AMA Pro Racing announced today that penalties and an accompanying fine have been assessed against Josh Herrin and Graves Motorsports, respectively, as the result of actions during the March 12 Daytona 200, specifically those related to the rider's last-lap approach to start/finish. As per the AMA Pro Road Racing 2011 Rule Book, rules A1.1, A2.1, A2.3.p, and A2.3.u, the details of the penalties and fine are as follows:
• Rider penalty: One-event suspension, to be applied at Infineon Raceway Round 2, May 13-15
• Rider penalty: Season-long probation, in effect through December 31, 2011, the violation of which shall result in further and more-serious penalties
• Team penalty: $7,500 fine, the entire proceeds of which will be applied to the purchase of additional Airfence
Both rider and team were notified of the above details in advance of this release, and the penalties do not prevent them from taking part in the May 2-3 official AMA Pro test at Miller Motorsports Park.
AMA Pro Racing thanks all involved parties for their patience. A copy of the 2011 AMA Pro Road Racing rulebook can be downloaded at http://amaproracing.com
Spectacular First Race Victory for Marco Melandri
WSBK, Donington Park, United Kingdom, 27 March 2011 -
Yamaha World Superbike rider Marco Melandri provided an extraordinary performance today in Donington Park delivering his first race victory and second podium of the 2011 season. Melandri got straight down to business in race one, working his way through the pack to secure a well-deserved first win of his WSBK career. With a less than perfect third row and ninth position start off the grid, he skillfully closed in on his adversaries, taking him into second position by lap 17. He overtook Jakob Smrz to take the lead with just two laps to go to the chequered flag. Melandri proved to be just as determined and consistent in race two, moving up to third just five laps into the race and proceeding to battle his way through for second on the podium.
Fellow Teammate Eugene Laverty was less fortunate in race one however and suffered a significant crash on turn eight of the fourth lap. Laverty was able to jump back on his bike in race two and complete the race in the points.
Marco Melandri heads to round three of the 2011 WSBK Championship in Assen second on the overall standings with 72 points, just 19 points behind Carlos Checa. Teammate Laverty holds 16 points and is in 12th position. Yamaha are currently second in the Manufacturers standings with a total of 74 points.
Marco Melandri, Yamaha World Superbike Team 1st, 2nd - “I had a great win in race one. I was just behind a very aggressive bunch of riders so I had to work hard to keep my rhythm and push through. I managed to close in on Smrz with five laps to go and take my first win. Race two was a little more difficult. I was suffering from a head cold and lost concentration a little mid way. I am very pleased to be on the podium again. We have been working very hard in preparation for today’s races and we did very well, I had a lot of fun and I think we proved that we have a very good package. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season. Thanks to Yamaha, my team and my sponsors.”
Eugene Laverty, Yamaha World Superbike Team
DNF, 14th - “Not a good day today. The race one crash was bizarre; I don’t really know what happened. I almost crashed in the corner before and lost a little bit of confidence afterwards. Race two started well but I had to push really hard. We still haven’t found the right settings for me; we need to fine tune to suit my riding style. I know I’ve got potential, so do the bike and the team, we just need to work hard to combine it all. “
Best Result Yet For New Ninja ZX-10R And Lascorz
Joan Lascorz and Tom Sykes each ran at a competitive pace at Donington Park this weekend, with Lascorz posting a fifth place in the second race to secure the best single result of the season so far.
Lascorz, starting from 12th place in each race, was unable to make a strong push in race one because of the mix of tyre choice and track temperature, plus arm pump in his right forearm. He still finished in a more than respectable tenth. His run to fifth in race two wowed the onlookers at the English circuit, after he had been able to make a better tyre choice in the slightly warmer track conditions.
The locals were highly vocal in their support of Tom Sykes, who has sent them into raptures on Saturday by qualifying third. He was sitting in a confident top four position in race one when he fell at the remodelled Esses section. In race two Tom was not able to use his favoured machine after his earlier crash and he was unable to match his best pace from race one. He finished 12th and is now tenth in the championship, one place ahead of his team-mate Lascorz.
Roby Rolfo and Mark Aithchison from Team Pedercini each scored points today, with Aitchison scoring his first of the year in race one.
The next round at Assen should see the return of the third official Kawasaki rider, Chris Vermeulen, who practiced at Donington but did not race.
Joan Lascorz: “Things were better in the second race than the first. I made a change for the second race and from the beginning the bike was very easy and the tyre did not want to spin so much. The team did a good job so I am very happy to take a fifth place. It was also easier for me to ride in the second race, despite my old shoulder injury, because my physical trainer worked on it, loosened it up and I had no arm pump in race two. There has obviously been a big improvement since Australia. Two races in the points and a top five, not a bad end to the weekend.”
Tom Sykes: “Not what I was expecting going into the day after a front row start. I was quietly confident of coming away with top three or top four results. Race one was going to plan but I had a bit of an issue and it was mainly my mistake that I had a crash at the Esses while lying fourth on lap 18. I was still looking forward to race two, but I had to use the spare bike, which wasn’t in the script. Things did not go to plan again but I got tipped into on lap one, and didn’t really have anywhere to go, lost some ground and I finished 12th. I look forward to Assen now and I think we have done good positive work this weekend in any case.”
Top six for Rea at Donington
Castrol Honda’s Jonathan Rea was not entirely satisfied with the fifth and sixth place finishes he achieved in today’s two second-round World Superbike championship races at Donington Park in the UK but believes they were the best he could achieve.
This afternoon’s two 23-lap races at the 4.023km (2.5 mile) Donington circuit were won by Marco Melandri and championship leader Carlos Checa, as Rea’s Castrol Honda team-mate, Ruben Xaus, took another top ten finish in race two.
Opting for the harder rear tyre in race one, Rea was involved in a number of battles but ran across the Esses on lap eleven, dropping back to ninth place before fighting his way back to fifth at the flag. His crew adjusted the engine mapping on his Honda CBR1000RR for the second outing to provide more punch out of Donington’s hairpin at turn 11, but it wasn’t enough to improve traction and Rea was forced to settle for sixth.
< br />Xaus, too, struggled in Donington’s stop-go Melbourne loop section, which contains two hairpins and, with the harder rear to guarantee race distance, the Spaniard could only manage 12th place in race one. He opted for the softer tyre option in the second outing and enjoyed battles for seventh and eighth places before dramatically losing grip towards the end.
Jonathan Rea – 5th and 6th
We got through the weekend OK but five and six is not what we came here for and, by my own standards, “OK” is not good enough. I’ve tried my best all weekend but I got duffed up a bit in race one and maybe could’ve finished a bit higher. In race two, I didn’t make any mistakes and rode as well as I could so it was frustrating when the other guys came past. They seemed to be able to ride away from me quite easily while I was on the maximum. We tried to use the softer tyre during the weekend but it tore u p after ten or 12 laps so I’m not sure if it would have made any difference. We’ve got some work to do, I think – especially on the electronics side of things to get driveability off slower corners. Luckily for us, Assen hasn’t got the stop-go slower section that we have here, so I’m looking forward to getting there for a bit of flow. At the end of the day we were sort of ‘on par’ here, but we need to be better than that, especially at this stage in the season. We don’t want the guys at the front to be opening this much of a gap, so we need to be on it from the next round.
Ruben Xaus – 12th and 10th
We went for the harder tyre in race one for safety reasons but I’m not a big lover of hard tyres and I don’t really have enough experience with the bike yet. It was also really cold and I was struggling for a good feeling with the front brake and the gas. We’ve come fro m Australia, where it was much warmer, I had a month off the bike, and then we come here where it’s been cold, so it’s not been easy. I just wanted to learn in race one and get some points. In race two I went with the A tyre, the one I like that allows me to play a bit more with the bike. I didn’t have such a good start and I think if I could have gone with Lascorz maybe seventh would be my position. I saw Jonathan with five laps to go and wanted to get behind him to have the two Castrol Hondas coming in together. But the tyre was by then destroyed and I got passed by three or four riders, so I had to just keep the tyre together to get home. At the end of this weekend I have had four races, four finishes with points and I’m getting closer to the top guys and my team-mate, so I will take that happily to Assen.
NB - a video summary from both Castrol Honda riders is available now, with embed code, at:
youtube.com
Alstare Suzuki's Michele Fabrizio struggles with tires
Team Suzuki Press Office - March 27.After being forced to DNF in the first race at Donington today, Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio rebounded superbly to take a gritty seventh in the second 23-lapper. If it had not have been for a third row grid position and a poor start, Michel would’ve been able to challenge for third spot, but the Italian at least was able to enjoy the race - unlike race one. In that, a slide going into Coppice corner forced Michel into the gravel, but fortunately he was able to keep the bike upright and not crash. He got the bike back to the pits, where the team changed the rear from a hard to a medium. His first lap on the new tyre was a good one and the second was not too bad, but by lap three there was no grip at all. Because he was having difficulty controlling the bike and also did not want to crash, he pulled out of the race.
The conditions today were almost as bad as yesterday, but the wind was less so it didn’t feel quite as cold. Marco Melandri (Yamaha) won the first race, with Jakub Smrz (Ducati) second and Carlos Checa (Ducati) third. Checa then comfortably won race two - to make it three wins out of four- with Melandri second and Leon Camier (Aprilia) third.
Michel - Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 7th- "Today was a bit mixed, but I was happy with my performance in race two and I really enjoyed all the fights I had in that one. It’s just a shame about the first race. I’m not exactly sure what happened. All I know was that suddenly I had no rear grip at all going into Coppice. I went into the gravel, but managed not to crash. I thought there was something wrong with the rear tyre, so I pitted and changed the rear to a medium.
My first lap was in the 1:30s, the second was pretty good also, but the third was way off the pace. From then, it got worse. I was dead last with no chance of catching anybody and, because I didn’t feel safe carrying on, I pulled into the pits. When we looked at the rear tyre, it was completely destroyed.
I didn’t make the best of starts in race two and when you are on the third row of the grid, good starts are needed. I was 14th at the end of the first lap and then I began to fight my way up. I improved my position lap by lap and had some great battles with Xaus, Biaggi, Corser and Smrz. At the end Rea was not far ahead of me and I thoughjt I could catch him, but I ran out of laps and finished seventh, which is not so bad from the third row of the grid. Who knows what might have happened if I had managed to get off the line better, but I was happy enough with my performance."
Haslem Just Misses the Podium for BMW, Corser Struggles
Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport had an exciting Sunday at the second round of the 2011 FIM Superbike World Championship in Donington (GBR). In the riders’ championship British works rider, Leon Haslam, improved to third (53 points) after notching up two fourth positions. Troy Corser (AUS) moved up to 13th (16 points). In the manufacturers’ standings BMW is fourth (53 points).
In race 1 Leon missed the podium by only 0.3 seconds. Starting second, he took the lead straight away and kept it until lap six. Later on he had some issues, but was still third starting the final lap. Just a few corners before the finish Leon dropped back to fourth. Troy made up some positions at the start, but struggled with low grip and finally finished ninth. At the start of race 2 Leon again stormed into the lead, and in the opening laps he had a thrilling fight at the front. But on lap eight he had a highsider and fell back. Right to the chequered flag Leon was fighting his way back through the field and made it to fourth. Troy finished another difficult race 13th.
Leon Haslam: Result Race 1: 4th, Result Race 2: 4th - It has again been a hard fought weekend for us, but we have definitely made clear improvements from Australia. In race 1 we had some issues, which were similar to those I experienced in Phillip Island, so we made some changes for the second race and it was a real improvement, especially in the second half. I made a mistake in the early laps of race 2, which dropped me back a number of places, but I was happy I was able to fight back and finish strong. We will now work hard to be ready for Assen.”
Troy Corser: Result Race 1: 9thResult Race 2: 13th - “We have improved the bike in some areas since Phillip Island, which is good, but we are still encountering some issues that we need to address. We are struggling with too much spin from the rear tyre, and it’s making it hard to set consistent times. The bike felt more settled and easier to ride with the changes we have made, but we are still having issues. We have a test coming up so hopefully we can make some good progress there and be ready for Assen.”
Bernhard Gobmeier (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director):
“It was very exciting. We were able to do good lap times in practice, qualifying, Superpole and the warm-up. In the races Leon had issues trying to push to the limit. He was not able to keep the line he wanted to, but he was able to fight his way back after his highsider. We are happy he has improved to third in the riders’ classification and know the areas where we have to improve. Troy suffered all weekend from a lack of grip, which was partly due to the cool temperatures. With these conditions we were not able to get the best out of his tyres. Now we are looking forward to Assen. We will use the experiences we gained in Donington to make another step forward.”
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