Castrol Honda team aims to maintain momentum in Magny-Cours Just a few days after an emotional and unexpected victory at Imola in Italy last Sunday, the Castrol Honda team heads to Magny-Cours in France for this weekend’s (1-2 October) twelfth round of the 2011 World Superbike championship. Jonathan Rea took victory in race one at Imola, marking not only his return to fitness after a three-month mid-season injury layoff, but also a step forward in the development of the Castrol Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade on which the team is testing a new electronics package, including ride-by-wire technology. Concentrating the development predominantly on corner entry, Rea’s team-mate Ruben Xaus also made progress with the new package and was able to battle on competitive lap times in race two at Imola. However, lying around 300km south of the French capital, the 4.411km Magny-Cours circuit presents the Castrol Honda team and its two riders with a new set of issues this weekend. Jonathan Rea has tasted podium champagne at Magny-Cours in the past, finishing third in race two in his debut SBK season of 2009, but the 24-year-old from Northern Ireland was forced to miss last year’s races through a wrist injury sustained at Imola. Xaus, meanwhile, enjoyed two visits to the Magny-Cours podium, including the top step, in 2003. Jonathan Rea I’m really looking forward to getting back on the bike again at Magny-Cours this weekend as I’m still buzzing from the win in Imola last Sunday. It’ll be good to continue the progress that we made in Italy but we’re under no illusions about it being easy. The Magny-Cours circuit has different characteristics, surface and grip levels to Imola, so we’ll be starting from scratch again. But it would certainly be nice to get back on the podium to make up for the disappointment we had in race two last weekend. The win in Imola just underlined every thing I love about riding the bike especially winning on it. Ruben Xaus Imola was quite a difficult weekend because apart from anything, it was my first race on the bike since the crash at Brno in July. On top of that we had a new electronics package to develop and we made some progress there. We made some changes for the second race and it really made a difference to the way I could ride. I want to continue this progress this weekend at Magny-Cours but it won’t be easy because the track is different. But I will work as hard as I can with the team to get some good results. Ronald ten Kate team manager Last weekend’s results were a little unexpected but very welcome even so. This week we have to keep up the momentum but also keep a realistic view of things because it will be very hard to dial in the CBR and the new electronics package into Magny-Cours. However, the shakedown of the new system in Imola has given us all a renewed confidence and motivation and we’ll do whatever we have to in order to be competitive this weekend at Magny-Cours, where we have enjoyed some quite good results in the past. 2011 World Superbike Championship, round 12, Magny-Cours, France schedule (local times): Friday 30 September 11.30 Free practice (60 min) 15.30 Qualifying practice (60 min) Saturday 1 October 10.45 Qualifying practice (45 min) 13.45 Free practice (45 min) 15.00 Superpole 1 (14 min) 15.21 Superpole 2 (12 min) 15.40 Superpole 3 (10 min) Sunday 2 October 09.20 Warm-up (15 min) 12.00 Race 1 (23 laps 101.453km) 15.30 Race 2 (23 laps 101.453km) More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: The twelfth round of the Superbike World Championship and the ninth round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup will take place at the “Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours” over the weekend of September 30 – October 1/2. Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers. Usually dubbed Magny-Cours, it was built in 1960. In the 1980s the track fell into disrepair and wasn’t used for international motor racing until it was purchased by the Regional Conseil de la Nièvre. In the 1990s the Ligier Formula One team was based at the circuit and did much of its testing at Magny-Cours. The track nowadays is a modern, smooth circuit with good facilities for the spectators. Most corners are named after other racing circuits. It is a flat circuit, with negligible change in elevation. Circuit main characteristics : Length : m.4.411 Pole Position : right Left turns : 9 Right turns : 11 Superbike lap record : Noriyuki Haga 2009 1’38″619 Superbike best lap : Cal Crutchlow 2010 1’37″699 Superstock 1000 lap record : Maxime Berger – 2009 1’41″650 Superstock 1000 best lap : Maxime Berger – 2009 1’41″650 Team Pedercini Superbike riders interviews Roberto Rolfo: “The Magny Cours track is very famous as Formula 1 races here and this brings more attention to the SBK round too. I raced here in the past, from 2006 to 2008, and the positive thing is that the track has good grip and you can lean right over. The track is a mixture of smooth, fast sections which I like and other slower, less fluid sections, where the width of the track offers you more than one line depending on your riding style. We’re hoping for good weather as in this area of France it generally seems to be cold in October. I can’t wait to get on track because after the disappointment of Imola, I want to score some good results this time.” Mark Aitchison: “After tough races in Imola, I am really motivated to go to Magny Cours and work hard with my team, to put some more strong performances together. The Pedercini squad and I have been working to make our bike more consistent over the course of the race and it looks like we are starting to make some progress. The Magny Cours circuit is quite different to the race track of Imola, so I am expecting that we will need to change the bike a little to suit its more flowing nature. In the past I have always enjoyed riding at Magny Cours, so I’m looking forward to getting started and just hope the weather will be good for the fans.” More, from a press release issued by Infront Motor Sports: Checa on the verge of Magny-Cours title celebrations Magny-Cours (France), Wednesday 28 September 2011 : Spain’s Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) will need to pick up just three points in this weekend’s penultimate round at Magny-Cours to become the first Spanish rider to take the World Superbike title in the championship’s 24-year history. Once again therefore the circuit on the outskirts of Nevers in central France becomes the venue for the deciding round, even though the outcome is bordering on certainty for Checa. With Max Biaggi abdicating his 2010 title at Imola, the only rider now left with a mathematical chance of eclipsing Checa is Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team), but the Italian was in difficulty last weekend and is coming to a circuit that he has never ever seen before. For his part Biaggi will again miss a race, his second in just one week, due to the as yet unhealed bone fracture in his left foot. The Ducati machines traditionally go well at Magny-Cours and Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert Liberty Racing) will be doing his best to bring home a maiden WSB win in front of his home crowd. The Frenchman was just beaten for the podium by Michel Fabrizio last year on his Suzuki. All eyes will again be on Imola race 1 winner Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) after the young Northern Irishman showed last week that he has fully recovered from his Misano crash injury and that his Honda CBR machine is still a winning performer, especially with the new ride-by-wire system. Another British rider in great form is Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike), who won at the Nurburgring and then set pole at Imola, while Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport), following an encouraging fifth place last week, is now looking to finish off the remaining four races with the best possible results. In Biaggi’s absence, Melandri’s team-mate Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) now has every chance of fighting for the overall third place slot. But the competition for the top positions will be tough this weekend, starting with Noriyuki Haga (PATA Racing Team Aprilia) who has now re-emerged as a race win contender on a superbly prepared Aprilia machine in this final part of the season. Two second places at Imola were an excellent example of Haga’s fighting spirit and the Japanese rider is a wily veteran of the Magny-Cours track. Points (after 11 of 13 rounds): 1. Checa 417; 2. Melandri 320; 3. Biaggi 281; 4. Laverty 256; 5. Haslam 187; 6. Camier 171; 7: Guintoli 158; 8. Haga 155; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 441; 2. Aprilia 376; 3. Yamaha 375; 4. BMW 232; 5. Kawasaki 192; 6. Honda 162; 7. Suzuki 158. World Supersport After Chaz Davies’ WSS title hopes went up in a plume of smoke, Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) took his first win of the season at Imola, a result that takes him into his home round with an outside chance of battling for the crown with the Welshman. 35 points is the current difference. Davies has no need to win to be on the safe side but he will be aiming for his sixth victory of the year at a circuit where he was on the podium just twelve months ago. Team-mate Luca Scassa looked to be back to his early season form at Imola and will surely provide vital support. Over in Parkalgar Honda Sam Lowes added another podium to his rookie season one week ago with a fighting performance, while a pole by Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com) at Imola was no guarantee of success for the combative Australian. Points (after 10 of 12 rounds): 1. Davies 171; 2. Foret 136; 3. Salom 123; 4. Parkes 120; 5. Lowes 109; 6. Scassa 96; 7. Ellison 72; 8. Marino 71; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Yamaha 201; 2. Honda 194; 3. Kawasaki 161; 4. Triumph 30. Superstock 1000 Settling for the runner-up slot at Imola in the battle for the win with Petrucci was a wise move for Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati), whose advantage is now 41 points, with just two rounds of the FIM Cup remaining. Barni Racing’s Danilo Petrucci won his second race of the year to move into the second slot and whatever the outcome this weekend, both young Italians have done more than enough to impress this year. With the score four to two in Giugliano’s favour, the other contenders for victory will again include Lorenzo Zanetti (BWM Motorrad Italia STK) and Niccolò Canepa (Lazio Motorsports Ducati), while an outside chance also goes to the promising young Frenchman Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia STK), already a winner this year, in front of his home public. Points (after 8 of 10 rounds): 1. Giugliano 160; 2. Petrucci 119; 3. Zanetti 117; 4. Barrier 96; 5. Canepa 96; 6. Baroni 70; 7. Reiterberger 62; 8. Antonelli 58; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 190; 2. BMW 153; 3. Kawasaki 75; 4. Honda 66; 5. Yamaha 16. Superstock 600 Following another nail-biting race at Imola, the Superstock 600 title battle is now really a matter between three riders. Australian Jed Metcher (MTM-RT Motorsports Yamaha) leads the way, despite having won just one race this year, and he is closely followed by the man most in form at the moment, American Joshua Day (Revolution Racedays Kawasaki), winner of two of the last three rounds. Third-placed Frenchman Romain Lanusse (MRS Yamaha Racing France) was an early pacesetter in the championship but has slipped away recently. But anything can happen, and usually does, in this hard-fought series, with even fourth and fifth-placed men, Michael van der Mark (Ten Kate Junior Team Honda) and Dino Lombardi (Martini Corse Yamaha) still in with an outside chance. Points (after 8 of 10 rounds): 1. Metcher 117; 2. Day 102; 3. Lanusse 101; 4. Vd Mark 87; 5. Lombardi 86; 6. Russo 83; 7. Duwelz 67; 8. Egea 39; etc. The race day programme will be completed with the deciding round of the European Junior Cup. Heading into the final race Australian Matt Davies leads Germany’s Tom Busch by 10 points, with New Zealand’s Daniel Mettam, Californian Brandon Kyee and Spaniard Ruben Fenoll all battling for third position in the championship. More, from a press release issued by Honda: FIM SUPERBIKE / SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 12 SUNDAY OCTOBER 2 MAGNY COURS, FRANCE PREVIEW REA ON THE FRONT FOOT AS PENULTIMATE ROUND COMES ALONG Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) will enter the second-to-last round of the 2011Superbike World Championship with the confidence that winning a race brings, having taken his second victory of the season last weekend at Imola. Rea was on such sparkling form in both qualifying and race trim that he was on course for a second Imola win until a small technical issue put him out. Rea has had many challenges to overcome in 2011 because of injury, but having re-signed with Honda for 2012 his confidence is already back to full strength. Jonathan won at Imola using a ride-by-wire throttle for the very first time on his CBR1000RR machine. With a new model of Fireblade set for use in WSBK racing next year, unveiled by Rea in roadbike form at Imola on race day eve, he and his team have already shown that the existing model is still fully competitive at the top level of production-derived racing. Rea’s team-mate Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda) is looking to Magny Cours as a place to get his 2011 season back on track, having also had to deal with injury in recent times. His comeback weekend at Imola was difficult in some regards, but an improved performance in race two saw him score points, which he wants many more of this coming weekend. Magny Cours is a regular venue for this class, with the 4.411km circuit providing every possible kind of corner, from extreme hard braking zones into the dead-stop hairpin at Adelaide corner, to the fast left of the Grande Courbe and the similarly high-pace Estoril right hander. FORET BACK IN THE HUNT AND POISED FOR FINAL ROUNDS The 2011FIM Supersport World Championship fight was re-ignited on two fronts at the previous Imola round last weekend, when Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) won his first race of the season in cavalier style and championship leader Chaz Davies (Yamaha) no-scored, when he was only a few laps from being crowned champion. With Fabien’s home race of Magny Cours next up this weekend, and the gap from leader Davies to Foret in second down to 35 points, the fact that there are 50 points remaining for any rider who wins the last two races means that the championship battle is very much back on. A fifth podium, in ten rounds completed so far, came along for Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) at the recent Imola weekend, promoting him to fifth place overall and within 11 points of going to fourth if things work out his way in France. Lowes is yet to win his first race in this category, and has two more good chances to join the winners’ club. He is now more focused on having a strong finish to the season than chasing a win at all costs in what is his full season rookie year in WSS. Behind the top two CBR600RR riders in the championship, the previous Imola round brought a variety of fortunes to the other Honda riders. A solid sixth in Italy for James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda) kept him seventh in the overall rankings, but with both Florian Marino (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Gino Rea (Step Racing Honda) just a few points behind him. Marino, who will race in his home round this weekend like his team-mate Foret, had his best result of fourth last time out, whereas Rea crashed out of a potential podium spot before restarting and finishing in 11th place. Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Honda) will be hoping for a simple, but dramatic change of luck at Magny Cours. Top true privateer and top Honda rider for much of the early season, he has been unable to score at all in the past four races, due to elements outside his control. Despite this he is still more than capable of improving on his current 12th place in the championship, being only 13 points from Ellison, who is seventh. One spot behind Harms, popular Portuguese rider Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda) had a strong ride to eighth in Italy and he is still 13th in the rankings. He knows he needs to improve his qualifying performances to improve on this finish, but his recent race pace has been strong. Balazs Nemeth (Team Hungary Toth Honda) is the final Honda rider in the current top 15, with more than half of that number of competitors choosing CBR600RR machines. Nemeth has a season best of seventh so far, scored at the Silverstone race. Alexander Lundh (Cresto Guide Honda) was showing very well at the previous Imola round until he fell, and in 17th position overall he is tailed in the points table by Imre Toth (Team Hungary Toth Honda) and Vladimir Ivanov (Step Racing Team Honda). Pawel Szkopek (Bogdanka PTR Honda) put in a solid 12th place finish in the previous round to move up one place to 21st overall. HONDA RIDER COMMENTS: Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) “Imola was so positive for the most part, for myself and the team, and we won the first race. I was a bit tired on Sunday night, but not in pain from my old injuries. It was just disappointing not to win both races, but a lot of things moved in our favour last weekend. I know what is possible in France, but we have the same target as Imola – to develop and take the bike to the next level. There is still work to do. Magny Cours has a different character and surface from Imola. I am not thinking about any championship positions I just want to concentrate on the bike.” Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda) “We are doing a lot with electronics at the moment and we made a big step between race one to race two in Imola. I was riding much closer to the leaders, even without perfect set-up conditions. I always try my best, I will be professional and finish my season as well as I can. I will also try to help develop the electronics as much as possible.” Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) “We go to Magny Cours now and that is my home circuit, the only one in France for us. If the championship is still on, then that is great. Now, after winning at Imola, I would like to try and do the same in France, of course. Riding at your home round is always special, and I am looking forward to it.” Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) “I was really happy to get second at Imola and can’t wait to get to Magny Cours this weekend. We learned so much in the race last weekend, particularly following Fabien at the end. I think having races on consecutive weekends helps me as you go straight back into it. I know Magny Cours and I will try to take all I have learned this year into that round. It would be great to get four podiums in a row to end the season and that is a possibility for us after Germany and Italy. Now I want to so stop worrying about a race win, because I have not had one yet, and just see where we are at the end. I raced at Magny-Cours before and I really enjoyed it. Eugene won there last year so we should have good data for the bike.” James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda) “I’m looking forward to Magny Cours as it’s a track I like and know very well. I’m hoping it will be a bit cooler than Imola as the tyre I like to use works better in cooler conditions and maybe we can get back the kind of feel I had in Germany. I was not completely comfortable on the set-up all weekend in Italy. Our finishing position was ok, but we were a long way back. We have already proved we can do better than sixth. We just need to get things right with the feel and of the front. I don’t mind if the rear is sliding or spinning, but I need the front to be accurate so when I am looking for an apex, I can hit it every time.” Florian Marino (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) “A home race next at Magny Cours so I am ready and I hope to be as fast as I was at Imola. I really want to finish in the top there, so let’s see what happens. It is special to be racing at a home race and the timing may be good because we got some speed back at Imola.” Gino Rea (Step Racing Team Honda) “It was disappointing to fall off on the final lap in Italy, so we will carry on trying to get the best results we can in France. We had another tough weekend last time out but we came back well from where we were on Friday. I am taking that recovery as a positive going to the race in France.” Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Honda) “It was another hard weekend last time and I hope we have a better result in Magny Cours this weekend. In Italy I had a crash on Saturday and we had to use the spare engine after that, which developed a clutch problem on race day. It should be ok for Magny Cours and that should work out for us for the rest of the year. We just have to race with what we have now and go for the best results possible.”