Spanish Catalunya Grand Prix Moto2 class MORIWAKI MD600 race result LUTHI IS ON PODIUM AGAIN AND MORIWAKI STAYS ON THE TOP OF CONSTRUCTOR’S CHAMPIONSHIP This round started superbly for MD600, having Toni Elias the fastest and Thomas Luthi on second at the free practice 1 on Friday. Thomas Luthi had dislocated his left collarbone at his off-track training and broke it during the free practice 2 at the last round in Assen when he tried to avoid a slide. But he rode strongly in Assen and took 3rd in podium. He had an operation on that fractured collar bone right after the race finished and came to Catalunya without fully recovered and yet he showcased the great ride. At the qualifying practice, Thomas Luthi marked 1’47″973 at lap 4, it was then the fastest. He was passed by two riders later in the session and finished in 3rd, followed by local Toni Elias on 4th. 2 MD600s got the front row start at the hot and dry qualifying practice. The race started on Sunday under the clear sky, atmosphere was 32C and track temp was 46C. Both 2 front row MD600s started the race good and Luthi took the hole shot and Elias was second to go through the turn 1. There were a crash at the turn 1 behind them and quite number of riders were out. Fortunately all MD600 riders avoided the crash and Luthi and Elias completed the lap 1 in 1st and 2nd. A few riders passed them as the race progresses. Luthi was in a battle for 2nd and Elias was for 5th. A ride-through penalty was given to the leader and the rider dropped off at lap 7. Luthi and Elias battled all the way through and Luthi finished in 2nd, consecutive podium finish. Elias finished in 5th, kept his championship lead, and now Luthi came to the 2nd position on the ranking. As a constructor, MORIWAKI is keeping the top position in the championship, too. More, from a press release issued by KTM: Unlucky race day for KTM Superbikers at home race on the Salzburgring After very promising results from the KTM Superbike Team Germany in Saturday’s training on the well known high speed circuit at Salzburg, there was to be no top results for the KTM RC8R riders in Sunday races. Martin Bauer, who started his home races from the second row and in front of 15,000 motorcycle fans, finished his day with an eleventh and fourth place. Team-mate Stefan Nebel finished sixth in race one but crashed going into the first corner in the second race of the day. But this did not dampen the spirits of around 700 KTM employees, guests and fans from the company’s nearby plant at Mattighofen. The obvious passion of the Superbikers, the infernal sound of their KTM racing machines and not the least, the very exciting races in the 125 cc class, where the four KTM youngsters finished 2-3-4-5, transformed the company’s IDM home race into a success and a memorable weekend. Superbike Race 1: Both KTM riders were able to hold their own in the first of the 18-lap races as they fought their way together at speeds up to 300 km/h through the four-cylinder armada. Then it appeared as though the setups chosen for this very special circuit were not as good as they would have hoped. Martin Bauer and Stefan Nebel slipped back through the pack and ended the race in seventh and twelfth respectively. Finnish KTM privateer Vesa Kallio crashed in training on his debut ride on the Salzburgring on Saturday and was banned to 21st place on the sixth row for Saturday’s start. Kallio picked up one championship point for his 15th place. Superbike Race 2: The KTM twins got away well in race two and Bauer hung onto fourth place for the first five laps with Nebel in sixth in the leading pack. The .championship leader Muggeridge crashed out of second place and the race was stopped. Martin Bauer won the new start and hit the gas in round one of the second half to take the lead. The race was again halted after four more laps after Hungary’s Gabor Rizmayer crashed and his bike went up in flames. Bauer finished a thankless fourth in both parts of the race. Stefan Nebel didn’t experience the second half. Hard on the brakes as usual, the three times Superbike champion crashed in the first corner and was luckily not injured. In the overall standing Bauer and Nebel are on third and fifth place and both are within reach of the leader, the Australian Karl Muggeridge. Martin Bauer (12./4.): “I would have liked to have been able to give the team and all the KTM visitors a top result but the reality was something different. Nothing went the way I wanted it to in race one, we gambled in matters of the setup and we lost. Race two went much better with the chassis setup but unfortunately a win, like in the Sachsenring, was a long way off.” Stefan Nebel (6./DNF): “Today is one I just want to write off. I was very optimistic after training and I was up with the front runners today. The second race could have delivered a consolation result but I didn’t make it through the first chicane.” IDM 125 – Super result for all the KTM youngsters With his pole position in training Daniel Kartheininger from Team Freudenberg already proved that the Orange two-stroke rockets are to be reckoned with on the Salzburgring. The races were really something the fans enjoyed with all of the KTM riders being in contention at some point even though in the end Luca Gruenwald was not to be beaten. Toni Finsterbusch was second, Daniel Kartheininger third. Damien Raemy was a good fourth and the youngest rider, the 14-year-old Philipp Oettl finished fifth trailing by just 0.7 seconds. Results: Race 1: 1. Werner Daemen (BEL), BMW 2. Karl Muggeridge (AUS), Honda 3. Dario Giuseppetti (GER), Ducati 6.Stefan Nebel (GER), KTM 11. Martin Bauer, (AT), KTM 15. Vesa Kallio (FIN), KTM Race 2: 1. Werner Daemen (BEL), BMW 2. Dario Giuseppetti (GER), Ducati 3. Barry Veneman (NL), BMW 4. Martin Bauer, (AT), KTM DNF: Stefan Nebel (GER), KTM 15. Vesa Kallio (FIN), KTM Championship standings IDM Superbike after 10 of 16 races: 1. Karl Muggeridge, Australia, 168 2. Werner Daemen, Belgium, 159 3. Martin Bauer, Austria KTM, 130 4. Barry Veneman, Netherlands, 117 5. Stefan Nebel, Germany, KTM 110 15. Vesa Kallio, (FIN), KTM, 30 Points Championship Standings IDM 125 1. Luca Gruenwald, (GER), Seel, 172 Points 2. Toni Finsterbusch (GER), KTM, 114 Points 3. Matthew Scholtz (RSA), Aprilia, 111 Points 4. Damien Raemy, (SUI), KTM, 55 Points 5. Daniel Kartheininger (GER), KTM, 89 Points 6. Philipp Oettl (GER), KTM, 80 Points More, from a press release issued by Keith Amor’s publicist: Amor back in the saddle and back to winning ways Keith Amor made a successful return to racing on Saturday when he took victory in the Supersport 600cc race at the Skerries 100cc road races near Dublin. The Falkirk rider had had a three-week break since the Isle of Man TT races but it didn’t take long for him to resume his rivalry with Ryan Farquhar. The duo had a race-long dice in the 600cc race where Keith ultimately come out on top and he also took second place in the Open race. It was the Open race that kickstarted the day for Keith and although he managed to hold off Farquhar initially, he was struggling slightly with the handling of the KBMG Racing BMW and had to give second best to the Ulsterman. With a bit of arm pump also creeping in, Keith focused his attentions on keeping Michael Dunlop at bay which he duly did for a solid runner’s up spot. He then switched to the Kojak Racing Honda for the Supersport 600cc race where he was involved in a terrific dice with Farquhar, Dunlop and William Dunlop. The lead changed hands in the early laps but Keith fought his way to the front of the group and opened up a slight gap before backmarkers in the closing stages allowed the foursome to close right back up again. However, aided by a new lap record of 107.263mph, Keith got the verdict and crossed the line at the end of the 8 laps 0.349s ahead of Farquhar. He then led the opening lap of the Grand Final before the race was stopped due to a serious accident that claimed the life of a rider and injured a spectator, a sad end to the day for all concerned. Speaking afterwards, a pleased Keith said: “It’s great to be back out on a bike again and although it took me a few laps to get dialled back in, by the second race I felt comfortable and enjoyed myself out there. In the Open race, I was still struggling with the handling of the BMW and we need to do a bit more testing to get it totally dialled in for the roads. I held Ryan off for as long as I could but once he got by there was no holding on to him and I had to settle for the second. I knew we’d be competitive for the 600cc race and it was a really close race but I felt confident that if I could get to the front of the group I’d be able to hold it all the way to the chequered flag and that’s how it panned out.” “We made a few changes with the big bike for the Grand Final and they definitely helped so I was able to lead again until the race was stopped. I really enjoyed being back out on the bikes today and it’s a real shame that the day ended in the manner it did so sincere condolencies to all concerned.” Keith now has a two-week break before his next, the Kells Road Races taking place on July 17-18. More, from a press release issued by Ryan Farquhar’s publicist: Excellent weekend of racing for Farquhar Ryan Farquhar enjoyed another excellent, if not busy, weekend of racing as he took six wins from the ten races he started over the course of the two days. The KMR Kawasaki rider took two wins at the Skerries 100 meeting on Saturday before making the overnight dash to Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough where he added another four wins to his 2010 tally. At the Skerries meeting on the outskirts of Dublin, Ryan opened his account with a comfortable victory in the Super Twins race on his ER6 Kawasaki and he followed this up with another first place, this time in the 1000cc Open race where he also set a new outright lap record of 109.335mph as he got the better of Keith Amor by over three seconds. The Scotsman then got the better of Ryan in the 600cc race, albeit by just 0.349s, after another close run affair and it was also second place in the 125/400 race where Ryan was out once more on his 450cc Kawasaki. The Grand Final was then stopped after one lap due to an accident. Ryan then made the overnight trip to Scarborough for the Barry Sheene Classic Festival which had races for both classic and modern machinery and the day started with well with victory in both the 350cc Classic and the 400cc race where he was out on his Super Twin machine. First was also the order of the day in the Open race and then again in the Denis Parkinson 500cc Classic event on the 500cc Paton. The weekend then began to catch up with Ryan and after finishing 2nd in the second 400cc race and 3rd in the Geoff Barry Classic Superbike race, he decided to withdraw from the rest of the days racing as fatigue crept in. Speaking later Ryan said: “I was really pleased with my results at Skerries and after qualifying quickest on the Super Twin and 1000cc and second on the 600 and 450, the day went pretty much as expected. Keith got a good start in the Open race and I followed him for a few laps before sussing out where I was quickest and once I’d got through I was able to open up a slight gap. The 450 race went better than I thought as Skerries is a pretty fast circuit so to lead for as long as I did and finish so close to William Dunlop on his 125 Honda was very pleasing. The Grand Final was shaping up to be another close race before the unfortunate accident.” “I then got the overnight ferry to the mainland before driving to Scarborough, which, maybe, wasn’t such a good idea as we didn’t get to the circuit until 6am! I got a wee bit of sleep and felt ok in the first few races but as the day wore on, the lack of sleep started to creep up on me and I was that shattered I couldn’t really concentrate properly out on the circuit and it was getting close to becoming dangerous. I spoke to Roger Winfield, who’s bikes I was riding at the meeting, and we decided to sit the rest of the day out. Overall, it’s been a good two days of racing although a little bit more hectic than I would have liked but I’ll look forward to a week off now before getting back out at Scarborough for the Cock o’ the North.” Ryan will be back at Oliver’s Mount next weekend, July 10-11, for the annual Cock ‘ the North races. More, from a press release issued by Marty Nutt’s publicist: Solid finish but frustration for Nutt at Knockhill Marty Nutt took his second successive 13th place finish in round 6 of the British Supersport 600cc Championship at Knockhill on Sunday but the Nuttravel.com/Dawn/T&G Racing rider was left frustrated having run inside the top 8 for the majority of the weekend. The Ulsterman had been in 9th place in the early stages of the race but got pushed wide on to the slippery rumble strips on two occasions dropping him down the order so he left the Scottish venue wondering what might have been. Free practice and qualifying went excellently for Marty and throughout the four sessions, not only did he reduce his lap times he also edged closer to the front. Eleventh in the first free practice session was followed by eighth in the second and he improved further still in Saturday’s first qualifying session, a time of 50.348s placing him in seventh. He went quicker still in the second and final session although he did slip back one spot to eighth. However, his time of 50.131s meant he was only 0.545s adrift of pole position and he lined up on the second row of the grid for the 25-lap race. Sunday’s race was held in vastly different conditions though, heavy wind and rain making it treacherous for the 31-strong field although Marty was again riding strongly, placing 8th in the morning warm-up. A solid start in the race saw him end the first lap in 9th place and here he remained until the fifth lap when the safety car came out due to an incident on the track. When it pulled in at the end of 7th lap, Marty was well placed to move in to the top six but on two occasions he got bumped into by another rider and it dropped him all the way back to 14th. He managed to get back up to 13th and was still hopeful of climbing back in to the top ten but another crash caused the race to be stopped 2 laps early and he had to settle for the position. Speaking later, it was a frustrated Marty that said: “I’d had a really good weekend up until the race and had felt strong in both the wet and dry conditions so I’m frustrated to have only finished in 13th as I felt I had the pace to finish in the top six. My mechanic Andy and I had worked hard all weekend on the set-up of the bike and had got it working really well and the times were coming quite comfortably so I was confident of going even better in the race. I got a decent start and was right with the front runners but the slight problem with the Yamaha is that it lacks a bit of grunt out of the corners and on a couple of occasions, I got pushed wide by a couple of riders and with it being so wet, I just had to wait until I was back on the tarmac before getting on the power again.” “It dropped me way back but I managed to get by a couple of the boys and was still hopeful of getting back into the top ten only for the race to be stopped early and deny me that opportunity. It’s a real shame as, like I say, I felt really confident of getting in to the top six today but it wasn’t meant to be. There are a lot of positives to take from the weekend though and I was riding really well so we’ll all look forward to Snetterton now and look at carrying the form over to there.” The next round of the British Supersport Championship takes place at Snetterton, Norfolk over the weekend of July 16-18. More, from a press release issued by sorrymate.com/SMT Honda: Iddon back in the points at Knockhill Christian Iddon got back into the points at round 6 of the British Superbike Championship at Knockhill on Sunday when he finished 14th in what turned out to be the only race held at the Scottish venue. The sorrymate.com/SMT Honda rider moved through from 16th on the grid to claim two hard earned championship points and, after a number of close calls in recent rounds, he finally got his first points since the opening round at Brands Hatch in April. Free practice and qualifying were held in dry conditions around the 1.27-mile venue and after placing 19th quickest on Friday with a lap of 50.372s, Christian moved higher up the field on Saturday. The final free practice session saw him dip into the 49s bracket at 49.711s and he went quicker still in qualifying, a lap of 49.652s good enough for 16th on the grid and a fourth row start. Sunday dawned wet and windy and the first two attempts at running the opening Superbike race were thwarted by rain and dirt on the circuit respectively but, eventually, the race got underway properly although it was reduced to just 15 laps. At the end of the first lap, Christian slotted in to 20th position, moving up a place a lap later and doing the same on lap three. Over the next few laps he moved steadily forward, overtaking riders including Andrew Pitt and Adam Jenkinson, and by half race distance was up into the points in 14th. On lap 9 he overhauled the Swan Honda’s of James Ellison and Stuart Easton to move into 12th and although he was pushed back two places in the closing laps, he held on to 14th at the chequered flag. Despite the excellent result, Christian found himself in 22nd on the grid for the 2nd race due to his fastest lap in the first race being slower than a number of riders who finished behind him so there was even more work to be done. However, the race was stopped after a multiple pile-up at the first corner and was then abandoned after strong gusting winds in excess of 50mph meant it was too dangerous for racing to continue. Speaking afterwards team owner Robin Croft said: “It’s been a tough day for everyone with all the stopping and starting but the team are pretty happy to come away with some points again. Christian did pretty well during qualifying to get 16th although race day was a lot different with the dramatic change in conditions and when it’s like that, you’re racing against the elements as much as the opposition. It was all a bit unsettling but Christian rode well to pick up some points for 14th, our first since Brands back in April, so it’s obviously good for the team. He took some scalps along the way so it’s good for his confidence and overall, there has been a lot of hard work effort from everyone this weekend so we’ll move forward to Snetterton now.” The next round of the British Superbike Championship will be held at Snetterton, Norfolk over the weekend of July 16-18.