CAMIER SCORES OTHER 5 POINTS IN RACE 2 AT CHANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
Leon Camier got the 11th place in Race 2 at the Chang International Circuit, after a race made even more difficult by the intense heat of the Thai sky. Thanks to the great Camier’s comeback, MV Agusta Reparto Corse gain other 5 points in WorldSBK overall standing.
Despite his grid position, the British rider rode a race constantly on the edge in order to keep a very fast pace with his MV Agusta F4 RC and try to catch the top 10 of the race.
After having back that feeling with the bike that allowed him to be the fastest in FP1 on Friday, Camier started his comeback up to the score point zone, avoiding take dangerous risks. The result is a 11th finishing position placing Camier and MV Agusta Reparto Corse in the Top 10 of the WorldSBK overall standing.
MV Agusta Reparto Corse and Leon Camier will be back on track on April 1-3 for the very first european WorldSBK Round, in Aragon (Spain).
Leon Camier #2 – I am really happy with the bike, I think chassis was working really good and my riding was really good as well. Unfortunately we suffered some little problems during the qualifying and my position on grid wasn’t the best. Anyway, we did a great job here in Thailand and I am really happy because I feel like we are going in the right direction. Next race in Aragon will be the chance to improve our score.
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Motors Europe:
1-2 For KRT Again As Sykes Wins From Rea In Thailand
Another electrifying 20-lap race between KRT’s Superbike World Championship competitors Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea saw Sykes win his first race of the year on the all-new Ninja ZX-10R, with Rea just 0.190 seconds behind at the flag. Rea leaves Thailand with 95 points and the series lead while Sykes moved up to second overall today, with 66 points to his credit.
The weekend at the Chang International Circuit will go down as a double 1-2 event for Kawasaki with Rea winning race one on Saturday from Sykes, and that order being overturned after a combative contest around the 4.554km circuit in the heat of the afternoon on Sunday 13th March.
Rea set the fastest lap of the Sunday race, on lap five, as he chased early leader Sykes. Rea was to lead for a time, and then pass Sykes again at some points, only to be re-passed on the way out.
Sykes and Rea looked to have the race between them for most of the race distance but Chaz Davies arrived towards the end and made the battle for the podium places even more complicated.
There was more than one attempt from Jonathan to pass Tom at the end but Sykes defended his position and ended up winning the short run to the finish line from the final right hand corner, with a small advantage of 0.190 seconds to his credit. With Rea second Davies was third, by only 0.314 seconds from Tom, in another thrilling WorldSBK contest for the fans trackside and at home on TV to enjoy.
The second 1-2 in two days for Kawasaki’s official entrants also gives the KRT riders a 1-2 in the championship, with Rea in the lead by 29 points and Sykes a point clear of Michael van Der Mark after four races.
Kawasaki riders have won all of the 2016 season races so far, making a perfect total of 100 points in the Manufacturers’ Championship. Yesterday Jonathan Rea moved to a lone fifth in the all-time race winners’ tally, with 32 career wins. Today Tom drew himself seventh equal in the same ranking, with 27 career victories.
The KRT squad’s European home base in Spain is where the championship will relocate for the next round, at the magnificent Motorland Aragon circuit. Race weekend will be held between 1st and 3rd April.
Tom Sykes stated: “The first win of the year for me and I really had to fight for it. I am happy because Jonathan is at an incredible level in this circuit and we have much such a big step from last year – so I really have to thank all of the boys. They have worked really hard in the winter and even now we are still learning. It was a great race, a great battle. It makes it more satisfying because from about lap six I was struggling with understeer from the front so my corner speed was lower than I wanted. I saw on the big screens at one stage that there were some great riders behind, giving me great pressure, so I had to re-think how to manage the race. To hold on to the win after so-so long is such a great feeling.”
Jonathan Rea stated: “We made a small improvement today in the bike set-up and from ten laps to go I feel I had a much higher pace than Tom. I really wanted to win and I tried two or three times but to win a race against Tom when he is strong, and defending very well, you have to go really deep. Massive credit to him; he did a good job today and beat us flat out. It is good for Kawasaki to have a 1-2 although I would prefer to be the guy in front. Fair play to Tom because I was over my head to win the race yesterday but today I tried my best and got beat. I am sure it was a nice show to watch. We increased our championship lead from Phillip Island and it has been a good day, but I just wanted to win the race. To get beaten is really great for my motivation.”
Roman Ramos (GOELEVEN Kawasaki) placed himself 12th in today’s race and also in the championship points standings. Sylvain Barrier (Pedercini Kawasaki) was 17th in race two and Dominic Schmitter (Grillini Racing Team) 19th. Saeed Al Sulaiti (Pedercini Kawasaki) retired.
More, from a press release issued by Honda World Superbike Team:
Van der Mark and Hayden complete Thai round with top 5 finishes in race two
Round 2 – Thailand
Chang International Circuit, Thailand
The Honda WorldSBK Team concluded the second round of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand with Michael van der Mark and Nicky Hayden crossing the line at the end of race two in fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Pole-setter van der Mark got a much better start to race two aboard his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP and entered turn one in second place, before running slightly wide at the following corner and having a small collision with Chaz Davies. He tried to stay with the leading duo and kept third place up to the tenth lap, before being overtaken by his Welsh opponent. After a small moment on lap 13, the 23-year-old Dutchman decided to ride his own race to a fourth place finish.
Nicky Hayden had a decent launch from eighth on the grid and battled with the Yamaha duo of Guintoli and Lowes in the first half of the race. As soon as he elevated himself to fifth place and with clear track ahead, the 34-year-old American was able to ride at a far quicker pace, consolidating his position and ending the race on a high note.
The team will now return to its headquarters in The Netherlands to get ready for the first European round of the season, taking place at Spain’s MotorLand Aragón next April 1-3.
Michael van der Mark 60
4th
It was not an easy race but I have to be happy with the result. Pole position, third place in race one and now a fourth place definitely surpass the expectations we had before the round, given the difficulties encountered last year. I’m really happy about the bike and my own pace. We decided not to change the front tyre type for race two and, although we knew it was a bit of a gamble, it turned out not to be best choice. I did not have the same feeling as in the previous encounter, but it was a risk we had to take and after all, we have 13 more points to add to our tally.
Nicky Hayden 69
5th
I must say that the bike felt a lot better today. We made a lot of changes overnight and I simply just felt more comfortable, maybe not perfect but surely the improvement was there and was quite a good one. I was able to ride without making mistakes and the bike was perfectly smooth. I didn’t get the best of starts and was not fast enough in the first laps to be aggressive and make passes. As the laps went by I felt more and more comfortable; towards the end I started to set my fastest laps of the race and this is very positive. I would lie if I didn’t say that after the warm up I thought I could have put up a better fight, but nonetheless I learned a lot again and overall it was a good weekend.
Pieter Breddels
Technical Manager
Michael had a good first half of the race, then had a moment on lap 13 and the guys ahead were able to gap him a little bit. He had to settle for fourth, because our front tyre choice turned out not to be the best one given today’s hotter temperatures. We knew the risks and we can only be happy about how the weekend has gone for him. We made some adjustments to Nicky’s bike settings during the warm up and, given the good results, we decided to keep them for the race. He had a fairly good start and rode comfortably behind the Yamahas in the opening laps. When he got past them he was able to lap considerably faster, and towards the end of the race he was really strong. His fifth place has to be considered as a positive result, he is learning more and more about the bike and how to set it up.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Davies back on the podium with a 3rd place in Race Two in Buriram. Giugliano finishes 10th, hindered by technical problems
After an unexpectedly difficult Race One, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team bounced back in Buriram (Tailand), taking another podium with Chaz Davies, who finished third after mounting a strong comeback in a thrilling Race Two, which was won by Tom Sykes. Davide Giugliano, on the other hand, was penalized by bad luck, suffering a technical problem and finishing in tenth position.
The race initially unfolded similarly to the one on Saturday, with the factory Kawasakis dictating the pace. Both Davies and Giugliano got off a strong start, but the Italian progressively lost contact with the front as he was forced to lap around 1.5 seconds slower than his usual pace. Davies instead managed to mount a spectacular comeback and, at half-way, got himself in third position and progressively cut the gap. In the last five laps, the Welshman fought tenaciously, albeit without finding an opening, and closed in third place, only three tenths behind the winner.
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team will now head back to Europe for the third round of the WorldSBK championship, scheduled for Aragon (April 1-3).
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 3rd
“I’m happy with the progress we’ve made since yesterday. Thanks to the team, we solved a couple issues and I could fight at the top again, but we missed a little something to try to go for the win. We still need to improve on the engine side, but this track was probably the most difficult both for me and the Panigale R and still I leave it with a smile on my face. This podium gives me a lot of confidence ahead of the next races.”
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #34) – 10th
“This weekend, it’s been more difficult than we expected. Yesterday I was making a strong comeback and crashing out was really unfortunate, while today I suffered a technical problem, which still needs to be verified, that reduced significantly my speed on the straight. Anyway, Chaz’s third place represents a good indication of the competitiveness of the Panigale R, and I’m confident I can redeem myself as well in Aragon.”
Ernesto Marinelli, SBK Project Director
“Today has been more positive, at least to some extent. Both Chaz and Davide rode at their best, but with different outcomes. Davide faced a performance drop on the straight that prevented him from lapping as fast as usual, while with Chaz we managed to cut the gap almost entirely since yesterday. As in Australia, we barely missed the top of the podium here as well, and we’re confident we can make the last step once we’re back in Europe.”
More, from a press release issued by Pata Yamaha:
Encouraging Performance for Pata Yamaha in Thai WorldSBK
A strong second race at the Chang International Circuit saw Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team’s Sylvain Guintoli take a sixth place finish as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship completed its weekend in Thailand, while his teammate Alex Lowes experienced an unfortunate retirement.
The majority of the weekend’s healthy 81,346 attendance witnessed the hottest day felt so far at the Chang International Circuit as air temperatures of 36°C heated the asphalt to the mid-40’s as the final WorldSBK race began. Sixth off the lights, the initial laps saw Guintoli fighting for position with his teammate as they both pushed towards the front group, the 34-year-old advancing a place on the younger Yamaha rider on lap three. Maintaining his rhythm despite an attack from Nicky Hayden, the Frenchman’s pace kept his YZF-R1 in the fight for fifth – holding Torres behind while retaining his focus on Hayden in front. Keeping his cool, Guintoli concluded his second Thai WorldSBK race in sixth position, bringing his rider total to 40 points and retaining fifth in the standings.
Another great start saw Lowes jump two positions from his seventh place grid spot as Sunday’s contest got underway. His determination pushing him towards the front, he diced with Chaz Davies for fourth as they crossed the line for the second time, before the subsequent battle for fifth in the following lap lost him ground and position to his teammate. Continuing to race consistently in the hunt for the front group, lap 10 witnessed an early exit for the British rider, retiring his YZF-R1 at turn five with an untimely technical issue.
The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team now returns to Europe in preparation for the championship’s first race in Spain, at Motorland Aragon, on Saturday 2nd April.
Sylvain Guintoli
Race: 6th / +13.068 / 20 Laps. Championship: 5th / 40 points
“We’ve had some up’s and down’s this weekend. To be honest I said after Phillip Island that I thought we would struggle more here, and we did, but saying that we’ve shown some really good pace on pure lap time and pure performance, so that’s a good sign. We’ve also progressed a lot during the weekend and in between the races – with a lot of work and a very late night working on data with the guys, so thanks to them for that. I appreciate it, staying up late to try to make the right choices! We’ve improved the performance – we’ve gone from 25 seconds from the winner in the first race to 13 in race two! I was able to put up the fight at the second part of the race as we kept the tyre much better today, so the differences we applied worked. It’s another good learning weekend for us so now we have to carry on pushing hard, pushing to the maximum, so we can get the best feedback and help the developments to move forward in Aragon.”
Alex Lowes
Race: DNF / -11 Laps. Championship: 14th / 12 points
“I’m really disappointed with today as I felt great on the YZF-R1 and had a decent start to run fifth. Sylvain passed me on the third lap – we came together and ran off track – so I sat behind him, pacing myself for the next few laps – because I knew from yesterday’s race that I had good pace near the end and could aim at fifth position. I was probably riding the best I have done all year, so it’s even more disappointing that I couldn’t finish the race. I’m pretty devastated, but I felt like I was riding really well and starting to understand how to get the best from this bike, so I need to go back, regroup and come back strong in Aragon.”
Paul Denning ? Team Principal
“This fourth race day of the 2016 season has seen further positives for the new Pata Yamaha WorldSBK project, but also some unexpected and unfortunate challenges. Both riders made very aggressive starts and without question the team’s hard work last night to improve the performance of the YZF-R1 for the race today looked to be paying dividends, given the significant decrease in gap to the winner. Sylvain did another very solid job and fought hard for more good points, but we are extremely sorry for Alex that he was unable to finish the race – particularly as his understanding of the YZF-R1 and riding style has taken such big steps forward, and it looked like the top-five was on the cards. The team, and the Yamaha Racing group, will react to all the information we’ve gathered this weekend, and look to arrive ready to race in Aragon and take more steps forward.”
More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing BMW:
WSBK Thai: Reiterberger and Torres cross the line together, 7th and 8th, at “Chang”
Buri Ram (Thailand), Sunday 13 March 2016
When the sun came up on the Buri Ram track this morning, the grandstands were already filling up with the many enthusiastic fans who cheered on the riders with singing and drums throughout the day.
During the morning, fans were able to take part in the pit walk (the crowd included more than 200 BMW Thailand customers), flooding into the pitlane and lining up for photos and autographs with the Althea BMW Racing Team riders.
Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger were touched by the many smiles and dedications offered by the fans.
In Thailand Jordi is a real star, thanks to his great character and the positive results he achieved here last year, during only the second round of his first year in WorldSBK. Markus, who thanks to yesterday’s result is already contributing to the championship’s statistics (the first German rider to finish inside the top five since Max Neukirchner’s third place finish in Valencia in 2009), overcame his shyness to interact with the fans.
With the crowds as a backdrop, the day’s track events got underway. First the 15-minute morning warm-up, which served to refine the electronics of the BMW S 1000 RR bikes, followed by Race 2, an exciting race that once again kept spectators on the edge of their seats.
THE RACE (20 laps, 91.080 Km)
Markus Reiterberger and Jordi Torres started from ninth and tenth respectively on the grid, with a track temperature of 54°C when the race got underway at 4pm local time.
Reiterberger made a fairly good start, holding ninth position for one lap until his team mate Torres passed him. The Spaniard gave chase to those ahead and on lap six, he set his best lap on the BMW S 1000 RR (1’34.898); the German meanwhile continued to push but lost another two positions (12th). On lap ten Torres was laying seventh, a position that he held to the last lap, while “Reiti” got past the two Aprilias to give chase to his team mate – his best lap came on lap twelve (1’34.783).
On the last lap the Spaniard made a small mistake after one of the riders who was a lap down did not make way for him as required by the blue flag. At that point, Reiterberger made a move to get in front of Torres. The two Althea BMW riders raced to the line side by side, putting on a show within the show, but it was the German who crossed the line first, just 23 thousandths of a second ahead of the Spaniard.
A race that fully met the expectations of the team because, aside from the overall standings, the riders further closed the gap between themselves and the leaders.
In the general standings, Jordi Torres lies seventh with 33 points and Markus Reiterberger is ninth with 28 points.
The next World SBK round will take place from 1-3 April at Aragon in Spain.
Markus Reiterberger:
“I got off the line well and maintained my position through lap one. I felt comfortable on my BMW S 1000 RR even if I was unable to match the times of the fastest guys, despite the fact I was pushing hard. We made the right tyre choice and towards the end I was able to be faster and reach those ahead of me, and this is very positive, even though we need to find the way to be faster through the first three laps. Jordi passed me during the first three laps and I lost contact with him, then on the final lap when I was behind him he made a small mistake and I was able to profit from it.”
Jordi Torres:
“We completed the kind of race we expected to, with a good start and a strong race pace. I was able to fight with my rivals and I learned a lot. We’re pleased because we are gradually reaching the others. I made a mistake on lap one and then also on the last lap because I was distracted by the information on my pit board but also by a rider a lap down who didn’t move aside. “Reiti” was behind me and ready to take advantage. We’re still only at the start of the season and we’re on the right track. The next round at Aragon in Spain is my home race. I’m happy to race there because many of my fans come along and push me on to do well at a track I really enjoy.”