Golden weekend for the BMW S 1000 RR: double victories for Reiterberger in the IDM and Tyco BMW in the BSB, Lussiana wins in Brazil.
Success in the major national championships in Europe and South America: Markus Reiterberger dominates the first round of the IDM, Tommy Bridewell and Alastair Seeley are victorious in the BSB, and Matthieu Lussiana wins at the season opener of the Brazilian championship.
Munich, 6th May 2015. The private BMW Motorrad riders made a great impression last weekend: four racing events were held, with victories for the BMW S 1000 RR on all four occasions. At the season opener of the International German Championship SUPERBIKE*IDM (IDM), Markus Reiterberger (DE) celebrated a dominant double on his Van-Zon Remeha BMW RR. In the British Superbike Championship (BSB), Tommy Bridewell (GB) secured the first victory for Tyco BMW, while team-mate Alastair Seeley (GB) won the Superstock race. Reigning champion Matthieu Lussiana (FR / BMW Motorrad Petronas Racing) triumphed in the GP 1000 category (MT1GP) at the curtain raiser of the Brazilian championship. In doing so, Lussiana took the lead in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy (see full ranking below). His team-mate Sebastian Porto (AR) also climbed onto the podium, finishing third. On top of that, road racer William Dunlop (GB) celebrated his first win on the Tyco BMW S 1000 RR at the Tandragee 100 (GB).
International German Championship SUPERBIKE*IDM at the Lausitzring, Germany.
Markus Reiterberger (DE) enjoyed the perfect weekend at the opening round of the International German Championship SUPERBIKE*IDM (IDM) at the Lausitzring (DE). The Van-Zon Remeha BMW rider celebrated a dominant double victory and set a new lap record on his 2015 BMW S 1000 RR. Overall, Reiterberger was six tenths of a second faster per lap on his new bike compared to last year. He reported that the reasons for this include the RR’s optimised braking stability and the HP Race Support electronics provided by the experts at BMW Motorrad Motorsport. Reiterberger was already by far the fastest man on track during the free practice sessions. Although he had to settle for second on the grid in Saturday’s Superpole qualifying, the 2013 IDM champion was unbeatable in the two races held on Sunday.
The morning’s first race saw Reiterberger lead from the start, and the German wasted no time in pulling clear of the field. His time of 1:37.696 minutes on lap two was not only the fastest lap of the race, but also a new track record. By the time he crossed the finish line, he had opened an impressive lead of almost seven seconds over his closest rivals. He once again took an early lead in the afternoon race, but was initially unable to shake off rival Max Neukirchner (DE) this time. However, Reiterberger was able to pull clear again from midway through the race and clinched his second win of the day with a comfortable 2.8-second advantage. He also set the fastest lap again.
The second-best BMW rider at the Lausitzring was Matej Smrz (CZ), who came home sixth in both races (fifth and sixth in the IDM SBK Superbike class) on the Wilbers BMW Racing team’s BMW S 1000 RR. In the Superstock class (IDM STK), four BMW Motorrad privateers finished in the top ten in both races: in race one, Dominik Vincon (DE / BMW Stilgenbauer) crossed the line in sixth place, ahead of Pepijn Bijsterbosch (NL / Van-Zon Remeha BMW) in seventh and Lucy Glöckner (DE / Wilbers BMW Racing Team) in eighth. Michal Filla (CZ) completed the top ten in tenth place. In race two, Filla finished fifth, Glöckner was sixth and Vincon seventh. Tenth place went to Mark Albrecht on the Comedy Central Racing team’s RR.
British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park, Great Britain.
The third race weekend in the British Superbike Championship (BSB) at Oulton Park (GB) saw Tyco BMW claim its first wins in the Superbike and Superstock categories. The races were held on Monday, a public holiday in Great Britain, and the fans were treated to real action-packed thrillers. In the Superbikes (BSB SBK), Tommy Bridewell (GB) won the first of the two races. Starting from second on the grid, Bridewell moved straight into the lead and, despite being constantly under attack from his pursuers, managed to hang on to the lead. He crossed the line on his BMW S 1000 RR with a 0.160-second lead to earn a maiden BSB victory for Tyco BMW. Ryuichi Kiyonari (JP / Buildbase BMW Motorrad) was fifth, while Bridewell’s team-mate Michael Laverty (GB) came home eighth. Billy McConnell (AU / Smiths Racing BMW) and Lee Jackson (GB / Buildbase BMW Motorrad) also finished in the points, in 14th and 15th.
A dramatic second race initially looked like producing another BMW victory. A furious battle for the lead played out at the front of the field, with Bridewell and Kiyonari the main protagonists. The Japanese rider led at first, but Bridewell moved to the front on lap three. However, one lap later Bridewell crashed, dashing his hopes of a double. That put Kiyonari back in the lead. Despite coming under immense pressure, the Japanese held on to first place until lap 15 when he was eventually passed by Shane Byrne (GB). Kiyonari hit trouble whilst trying to find a way back into the lead. He hit Byrne’s rear wheel and sent both riders crashing out. The best-placed BMW rider was Laverty in fourth. McConnell was eighth, Jackson tenth, and Martin Jessopp (GB / Riders Motorcycles BMW) also picked up points in 14th place.
Alastair Seeley (GB) won in the Superstock 1000 class to ensure Tyco BMW was able to celebrate a double at Oulton Park. This race also witnessed a thrilling three-way battle at the head of the field, and it was Seeley who eventually claimed his first win of the season, crossing the line with a 0.208-second lead. Hudson Kennaugh (ZA / TrikMoto BMW) joined him on the podium in third place. In total, four BMW riders finished in the top five: Luke Quigley (GB / Formwise Washrooms / Bathams) was fourth, followed closely by David Johnson (GB / Smiths Racing) in fifth.
Moto 1000 GP in Curitiba, Brazil.
Defending champion Matthieu Lussiana (FR) made a perfect start to the season in Curitiba (BR). Racing in the top GP 1000 class (MT1GP), the BMW Motorrad Petronas Racing rider scored maximum points on his BMW S 1000 RR: he first secured pole position before converting this into a win in a hard-fought race. Lussiana also set the fastest lap. This was enough to put Lussiana back to the top of the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy standings. His team-mate Sebastian Porto (AR) came home third, 0.459 seconds behind the Frenchman, to clinch the last spot on the podium. The remaining two BMW Motorrad privateers in the field also picked up their first points of the season: Victor Moura (BR / M2B Racing) was eleventh, while André Paiato (BR / Motonil Motors-PDV Brasil) came home 14th. In the race in the GP Light class, Mauricio Paludete (BR / Sport Plus Racing) was the best-placed BMW rider in ninth.
Road Racing: Tandragee 100 in Northern Ireland.
One week before the start of the first major international road-racing event of the season – the North West 200 – the Tyco BMW team contested its final warm-up races. The team, with rider William Dunlop (GB), travelled to the Tandragee 100 in Northern Ireland. Dunlop claimed his first victory on the BMW S 1000 RR. He won the main race in the Superbike class, having previously finished runner-up in the Open race. Dunlop also clocked the fastest lap time in both Superbike races.
2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy – Current Standings.
So far, 62 privateer BMW Motorrad riders from 42 different teams and 19 nations have registered their participation. In 2015, the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy comprises a total of 19 international and national championships. Registration is possible until 30th June 2015. Participants in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy can once again compete in multiple championships in 2015. However, the points scored in the different championships are not added together, but are calculated separately for each individual race series. The current standings only include points from the race series in which the participant has scored the most Race Trophy points. You can find all the information on the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy, including the regulations and registration form, online at the BMW Motorrad Motorsport website:
www.bmw-motorrad-motorsport.com
Status: 6th May 2015
Pos. Name (Nat.) Series / Class Points
1 Michel Amalric (FR) FR EU 99,69
2 Emeric Jonchiere (FR) FSBK STK 96,00
3 Matthieu Lussiana (FR) MT1GP GP 88,89
4 Florian Brunet-Lugardon (FR) FR EU 86,15
5 Lance Isaacs (ZA) RSA SBK GP 78,00
6 Cyril Brunet-Lugardon (FR) FR EU 73,85
7 Pekka Päivärinta / Kirsi Kainulainen (FI) SWC 61,33
8 Madjid Idres (FR) FR EU 55,38
9 Eeki Kuparinen (FI) CEV AM 52,80
10 Roberto Tamburini (IT) STK1000 50,00
11 Florian Drouin (FR) FR EU 49,23
12 Hayato Takada (JP) EWC STK 48,00
13 Iván Silva (ES) CEV PR 41,60
14 Laurent Aymonin (FR) FR EU 39,38
15 Alastair Seeley (GB) BSB STK 39,27
16. Markus Reiterberger (DE/IDM SBK/45,24), 17. Iván Silva (ES/CEV PR/41,60), 18. Tommy Bridewell (GB/BSB SBK/40,38), 19. Laurent Aymonin (FR/FR EU/39,38), 20. Nicholas Kershaw (ZA/RSA SBK GP/36,19), 21. Gareth Jones (AU/EWC SBK/36,00), 21. Pedro Vallcaneras (ES/EWC SBK/36,00), 23. Mike Roscher/Anna Burkard (DE/SWC/32,13), 24. Michael Laverty (GB/BSB SBK/31,24), 25. Ryuichi Kiyonari (JP/BSB SBK/29,71), 26. Sebastian Porto (AR/MT1GP STK GP/28,44), 27. Luca Oppedisano (IT/CIV/27,20), 28. Léon Benichou (FR/FR EU/24,62), 29. Marcel Irnie (CA/AMA STK/24,62), 30. Gary Mason (GB/EWC STK/24,00), 30. Stefan Capella (GB/EWC STK/24,00), 32. Emilien Jaillet (FR/FSBK STK/22,15), 33. Dominik Vincon (DE/IDM STK/21,71), 34. Uwe Gürck/Manfred Wechselberger (DE/AT/SWC/20,80), 35. Peter Hickman (GB/BSB SBK/19,81), 36. Camille Hedelin (FR/FSBK STK/19,69), 37. Nicolas Pouhair (FR/FSBK STK/12,31), 38. Daisaku Sakai (JP/MFJ/12,00), 39. Lee Jackson (GB/BSB SBK/11,43), 40. Pepin Bijsterbosch (NL/IDM STK/10,29), 41. Jean Foray (FR/FR EU/9,85), 42. Koji Teramoto (JP/MFJ/6,00), 43. Marc Neumann (DE/IDM STK/4,57), 44. Yuuta Kodama (JP/MFJ/4,00), 44. Fabio Marchionni (IT/STK1000/4,00), 46. Michael Truchot (FR/FR EU/3,69), 47. Chris Schmid (DE/IDM SBK/3,43), 48. Thomas Hainthaler (DE/IDM SBK/2,29), 49. Noriyuki Tsujimoto (JP/MFJ/2,00), 49. Shinya Takeishi (JP/MFJ/2,00), 51. Janez Prosenik (SI/AARR SBK/0,00), 51. Martin Choy (BG/AARR SBK/0,00), 51. Michal Fojtik (CZ/AARR SBK/0,00), 51. Milos Cihak (CZ/AARR SBK/0,00), 51. Pawel Gorka (PL/AARR SBK/0,00), 51. Sabine Holbrook (DE/AARR SBK/0,00), 51. Jeremy Cook (US/AMA STK/0,00), 51. Mika Höglund (FI/CEV AM/0,00), 51. Jordan Szoke (CA/CSBK PR/0,00), 51. Eric Vionnet (CH/STK1000/0,00), 51. Federico D’Annunzio (IT/STK1000/0,00), 51. Lee Johnston (GB/BMW RRC/0,00)
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha-Racing.com:
Yamaha Kicks Off IDM Challenge with Two Podiums at the Lausitzring
Team Yamaha MGM’s Max Neukirchner showcased the great potential of the all-new YZF-R1M right from the start of the Superbike*IDM International German Championship, by securing two second places during the opening round yesterday. Teammate Damian Cudlin also showed a strong pace in the changeable but dry conditions at Lausitzring and took fourth place in the second race after suffering a crash in the first outing.
Neukirchner had been a key protagonist throughout the weekend, and lived up to his reputation come race day. Starting from pole, he got off the line well in the first race, but dropped to third behind Markus Reiterberger and his teammate after making a mistake on the brakes going into turn one. He quickly recovered and made the most of the fast and agile Yamaha character to regain his lost position. Once he got passed his teammate he hunted for the leader, but was unable to catch him and finished in second place, 6.899s from the front.
In race two the German again had a good start and held the lead on the early stages of the race, with Reiterberger on his tail. They swapped positions and though the Team Yamaha MGM rider was able match the pace of his rival, he had to think the better of it. His strong and clever riding secured him another second place, 2.866s behind Reiterberger.
Teammate Cudlin also had a strong race pace this weekend. After a good start in race one Cudlin was riding closely behind Reiterberger and Neukirchner and in contention for a top result. He gradually closed the gap to his teammate by setting his fastest lap of the weekend, but unfortunately it wasn’t to last. The 31-year old suffered an unfortunate crash on lap five and was forced to retire from the race early.
The Australian made up for the lost racing action in race two by engaging in a hard battle for third place. He fought tooth and nail with Xavi Fores to the finish line, only to miss out by just 0.198 seconds.
The results of the opening round saw Neukirchner take second place in the overall standings with 40 championship points, with Cudlin in seventh with 13 points.
The second round of Superbike*IDM 2015 takes place at Circuit Zolder in Belgium in two weeks time.
Max Neukirchner
Race 1 – P2, Race 2 – P2
“In the first race I had a good start, but missed the braking point into the first corner, so I had to go wide and Reiterberger and Damian passed me. I needed three to four laps to pass Damian again. When I finally got him, Reiterberger was already away and it was difficult for me to do anything about it. I tried, but finally decided to take the safe way and bring home the second place. The second race was better. We found something on the bike and I felt more comfortable straight away. Again I came off the line well and was able to lead the race in the early stages. I knew that Reiterberger would pass me, but at least I could stay with him for a while. Of course these are ‘just’ two second places and no win, but we need to be satisfied with it. My team did a fantastic job this weekend. We were able to improve the bike between races. To get two times 20 points in the championship is really good, I’m happy.”
Damian Cudlin
Race 1 – DNF, Race 2 – P4
“I think the first and the second races were similar, but the outcome was a little bit different. In the first race I chose a front tyre that I have never used this weekend. It was a little bit of a risk, but I think it was the right choice. I started slowly, but I built up my speed. Then I started to catch Max and did the fastest lap I’ve made all weekend. The bike felt good and then suddenly the crash happened with no warning. For the second race I decided to go a little bit safer and took the softer option front tyre, the one that we used in qualifying. I had the same start and speed and could follow Max and Reiterberger for the first two or three laps, but when the tyre started to slide I started to lose a lot of grip, they were going away. I tried to hang on, but I almost had another big crash. Fores was like a road block, he was so late on the brake and I couldn’t pass him. I passed him three times in the last three laps, but he managed to overtake me every time again. A podium was impossible today. I am disappointed, because I think without the crash in the first race, we would have two podiums today, so it’s not a great start to the championship for me. The positive is, I have the speed of the other guys, I have to remember this and take this positive thing to Zolder.”
Race 1 – 16 laps
1. Markus Reiterberger, BMW S 1000 RR, 26:23.623
2. Max Neukirchner, Yamaha YZF-R1M, +6.899
3. Xavi Forés, Ducati 1199 Panigale R, +14.954
4. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 1199 Panigale R, +27.556
5. Lukas Trautmann, Yamaha YZF-R1M, +32.730
6. Matej Smrz, BMW S 1000 RR, +33.276
7. Mathieu Gines, Yamaha YZF-R1M, +36.649
8. Marvin Fritz, Yamaha YZF-R1M, +39.914
9. Roman Stamm, Kawasaki ZX-10R, +44.871
10. Danny de Boer, Yamaha YZF-R1M, +47.793
DNF Damian Cudlin, Yamaha YZF-R1M, -12 lap
Race 2 – 16 laps
1. Markus Reiterberger, BMW S 1000 RR, 26:23.623
2. Max Neukirchner, Yamaha YZF-R1M, +2.866
3. Xavi Forés, Ducati 1199 Panigale R, +10.004
4. Damian Cudlin, Yamaha YZF-R1M, +10.212
5. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 1199 Panigale R, +23.321
6. Matej Smrz, BMW S 1000 RR, +34.683
7. Roman Stamm, Kawasaki ZX-10R, +34.926
8. Mathieu Gines, Yamaha YZF-R1M, +35.163
9. Danny de Boer, Yamaha YZF-R1M, +43.027
10. Jan Halbich, Honda CBR 1000 RR SP, +44.237
Championship Standings
1. Markus Reiterberger, Van Zon-Remeha-BMW, 50
2. Max Neukirchner, Team Yamaha MGM, 40
3. Xavi Forés, 3C-Racing Team, 32
4. Lorenzo Lanzi, 3C-Racing Team, 24
5. Matej Smrz, Wilbers-BMW-Racing Team, 21
6. Jan Halbich, Holzhauer Racing Promotion, 19
7. Damian Cudlin, Team Yamaha MGM, 13
8. Erwan Nigon, HPC-Power Suzuki Racing, 8
More, from a press release issued by Gearlink Kawasaki:
Oulton Park – Round 3
www.facebook.com/GearlinkRacing
The Gearlink Kawasaki team had a disappointing weekend at round three of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Oulton Park. Northern Irishman Glenn Irwin secured a second and fourth place respectively; Ben Wilson was unfortunate to get caught up in a crash on lap six of the sprint race on Sunday and sixth on Monday. This weekend Gearlink were re-joined by former stock 600 Champion Luke Hedger, Luke was sixth in race one and had a technical problem race two.
Motorpoint British Supersport
The Gearlink Kawasaki team took on a big task this weekend running three riders in the Motorpoint British Supersport series with Glenn Irwin, Ben Wilson and Luke Hedger. The three riders were riding well all weekend and despite Luke not getting any testing before the weekend he was making progress in every session.
Glenn was looking strong all weekend; he started steady in the practice session and missed all of session two after he crashed out early on. Despite this he was able to put in a good time during qualifying and put himself on the front row in third. He held his position after lap one and soon moved up to second past Jake Dixon, Glenn was looking confident and was pushing leader Luke Stapleford all the way. The race was cut short with a red-flag after it looked like Glenn was poised to make a pass; however, he was happy to gain second. In race two Glenn started from second place on the grid. Once again he was locked in a battle with the leaders and led for several laps of the race, swapping places with Luke Stapleford, Kyle Ryde and Andy Reid throughout the 15-lap race. The safety car was sent out on lap nine and the race became a four lap dash to the line, Glenn had to take evasive action to miss Andy Reid, who was fired out his seat narrowly missing a crash, this loss of time dropped Glenn to fourth.
Ben Wilson was fired up for a good weekend at one of his favourite circuits, he worked hard with the team to find a good set up on the Gearlink Kawasaki, qualifying in eighth place he was keen for a strong finish. One of his great starts saw him through to sixth after lap one and he was soon locked in a battle for the final podium place. However, on lap six, James Rispoli crashed on the exit to Shell with Jake Dixon hitting him and Ben had no-where to go and crashed out. In race two he started from seventh place on the grid, the lights got stuck on the line and at this point Ben burnt his clutch out so he had to nurse the Gearlink Kawasaki for the entire race, still able to gain a strong sixth position.
Luke Hedger has not ridden a race this season at BSB level and he could not wait to get back out on the Gearlink Kawasaki, the bike he rode in 2014. The team helped him out by putting a third bike out on track and Luke used his time as best he could, trying to get as many laps in as possible. Luke improved throughout the weekend and started the first race from 11th place on the grid. He held his position after lap one and steadily made progress through the field taking a very good sixth position. For race two he was placed in ninth on the grid but was forced to retire to the pit lane after the second warm up lap with a technical problem.
Glenn Irwin – “Luck just wasn’t on my side this weekend at Oulton Park, I think I was on for at least one race win but it just wasn’t to be. It is so frustrating as I feel that made some big steps forward here, the Gearlink Kawasaki team worked really hard to get things set up for me and working well.
In race one I felt like I had the pace and there were places I was looking to make a pass on Luke (Stapleford) and I thought it was possible to try before the end of the race but the race was cut short by a red flag, so I had to settle for second. In race two the luck of the Irish just wasn’t on my side, once again we were running well and I felt really good and up for a podium but I had to totally shut off the throttle so I didn’t hit Andy (Reid), this lost me time and cost me places but it’s racing and I’m feeling more positive for Snetterton in June.”
Ben Wilson – “It was a frustrating weekend for me here at Oulton Park as I really felt like I’d clicked with the bike again and was ready for some good results. I was running well in race one and when Jake (Dixon) and James (Rispoli) crashed in front of me out of Shell I just had no-where to go and crashed out. I was ready for race two but for some reason the lights failed at the start and we had to do another start, I burnt my clutch out. I was struggled the whole race but managed to bring her home in sixth place. I want to be back fighting near the top at Snetterton.”
Luke Hedger – “The weekend went pretty well and I’m really glad to be back and my first race was amazing and a good solid sixth place. It was annoying with the second race but I thank the Gearlink Kawasaki team for putting all their efforts into me and trying to fix my bike for race two. I would like to thank all my sponsors, family and everyone who has helped get me back on track this weekend, it means a lot.”
MCE British Superbike
Michael Rutter was riding the Gearlink Kawasaki ZX-10R again this weekend in the MCE British Superbike class. Michael was eager to help develop the bike for the team and they made huge steps forward throughout the weekend, the highlight being Michael sitting in fourth place in the wet practice session.
Michael started from 25th place on the grid for the 18-lap race one on Monday; he got a good start and worked hard. He consistently improved his times throughout the weekend and finished in 22nd place, he was placed in 28th place for race two but he was forced out of the race with an electrical problem in the early stages.
Michael Rutter – “Once again I feel like we made a lot of progress with the Gearlink Kawasaki this weekend at Oulton Park. Although the results don’t show it we have certainly made big improvements and it is beginning to feel more like my bike now and the times improved all weekend. It is good to work with Michael and he is eager to listen to all my suggestion and work on them.”
Team Manager Michael de Bidaph – “It was a disappointing weekend in general, it started so well and we just did not get the results that I felt like we deserved. All three Supersport riders were showing promise over the weekend and I really thought Glenn might be able to take a win here and we came so close but just a few incidents that stopped that.
Ben was unlucky to be involved in the first race crash but there was no way he could avoid it and he was looking like the old Ben once again. In the second race he burnt the clutch with the two race starts so to finish in sixth was really good considering.
We welcomed Luke back to the team this weekend and he started off with us how he left it last year, I’m really pleased with his first race position considering he has not ridden since Brands Hatch in 2014. We had a problem with the bike just after the first race and thought we had it fixed but it reoccurred in race two and he had to retire.
Michael Rutter was once again a great asset and we are learning so much working with him, the results are not showing it but his times certainly are. We are continuing to move forward with the ZX-10R and make positive progress.
We are heading to the NorthWest200 in a couple of weeks’ time with the riders and hope it will be a good result there for us.”
2015 GEARLINK TEAM SPONSORS
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More, from a press release issued by Team Traction Control:
Double podium finish for Team Traction Control at Oulton Park
Team Traction Control celebrated a double podium finish at the third round of the season at Oulton Park last weekend as Andy Reid scored a debut top three finish in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship and Joe Francis claimed another third place finish in the Pirelli National Superstock 600 race.
In the Supersport class it was a tough weekend for American contender James Rispoli who had shown strong pace ahead of the opening race of the weekend. Rispoli had been in the mix at the front of the pack when he suffered a huge high-side at Shell Oils corner, leaving him battered and bruised ahead of the Feature race. A problem in the second contest saw Rispoli forced to retire, but confident that their pace will put them in a stronger position ahead of Snetterton next month.
Reid had also been battling through the pain barrier after a heavy crash at the official test a week earlier, but he had two strong performances to be fighting for the victory in both races. In the Sprint race, he was forced to settle for fourth place but keen to make amends he was embroiled in a huge fight for the win in the Feature race. Reid was leading the pack but a mistake on the exit of Cascades saw him thrown from the seat, but spectacularly he saved it to hold on to claim third place.
Francis meanwhile claimed his second podium finish of the season in third place, despite being forced to run off track after a collision with another rider. The Chester-based rider fought his way back up the order to claim third place and hold third in the overall standings ahead of the next championship round at Donington Park.
Reid said: “The crash at the official test really put us on the back foot as I was pretty sore and it gave the team more work, but the weekend started pretty good. We were fastest in FP1 but then I had a slip off in the wet and landed on my shoulder which added to the problem. We were steady away in qualifying and I had to bite the screen at the end after a problem.
“The Sprint race I didn’t get as stuck in as I could have early on as I didn’t want to get caught up in anything and although it was unlucky for James, I was kind of gifted fourth. It was unfortunate there was a red flag as I definitely felt we had the pace to get on the podium, but we took what we learnt into the second race.
“I felt confident and I was sitting in fourth place and waiting for them to make a mistake or give me an opportunity. It then turned into an absolute dogfight when the safety car went back in and I felt we had the pace to win. I made a mistake and I don’t really know how I held onto it really. I tried to have a go at Lodge but it wasn’t enough. I have to say though that it felt like one of my best races. It is good to be on the podium before the break and I can’t wait for Snetterton now.”
Rispoli said: “Oulton Park was a disaster really for me and the worst thing about it was that it isn’t a pace issue. Free practice was terrible as we had some kind of issue, but the team worked hard and we overcame this to make a huge improvement for qualifying, but we just ran out of time.
“In race one we had made a small improvement and it turned out to be great and we were running where we need to be. I did feel a bit of the edge at Shell, but on that lap it was a small mistake that had a big consequence and unfortunately I crashed.”
“After the crashes in the weekend I felt pretty beaten up for the Feature race and the bike wasn’t right after the crash in warm up so it just didn’t seem to go our way at all. All we can do is regroup and be ready for Snetterton.”
Francis said: “I took my time at the start of the weekend to get a feel for how my arm felt after my operation, but we worked hard and made improvements. As we went into the first qualifying session it was wet and to be honest I think that helped me a bit in that respect. I got in a lap that put me fourth on the grid and I was happy with that, especially as some of the other teams had been testing the week before that I missed.
“In the race I got off to a good start but where the race was really busy I just couldn’t get into a rhythm. I then started chipping away and then Tarran [Mackenzie] and he clipped me. I had to run on and it dropped me down the order. I was a bit gutted but we were still on the podium and we are still working with the Yamaha and improving so I feel there is more to come.”
More, from a press release issued by K-Tech Suspension:
It was a hectic weekend once again for the K-Tech Suspension team at round three of the MCE British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park. The MCE British Superbike class saw two new winners of the season both using K-Tech suspension, in race one Tommy Bridewell riding the Tyco BMW S1000RR took his and the teams debut win of the season and the second race saw Stuart Easton take his first win of the season on his PBM Kawasaki ZX10-R. The second race was action packed when race leader Shakey Byrne was taken out by Ryuichi Kiyonari in the battle for the lead, shaking up what is once again set to be a fantastic Championship, this left third place rider Stuart Easton to take the win by 0.1 sec’s from James Ellison.
The Motorpoint British Supersport class once again produced some of the best racing of the weekend with the top K-Tech rider being young up and coming star Kyle Ryde riding the Pacedayz Yamaha R6, he secured a strong third and second place and now sits second in the Championship standings by one point. After a crash on Sunday when he came together with James Rispoli, Smiths Racing Triumph rider Jake Dixon took a fantastic victory in the main race on Monday.
The Superstock 1000 class saw the Tyco BMW team on the podium again when Alastair Seeley finally got his debut win of the year after some bad luck in the first two races. Josh Elliot riding the Morello Kawasaki ZX10-R took a strong second place in the race to keep his lead in the championship.
In total over all the classes the K-Tech riders took an impressive 14 podiums, including four wins.
More, from a press release issued by The Design Engine/Faubs Racing Team:
The Design Engine / Faubs Racing Team Wins 9 Races to Kick Off 2015 Midwest CCS Season at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, IL
For the first time in 10 years, the Championship Cup Series hosted a race weekend at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, IL It was serious business for the Design Engine race team looking to show dominance at the new track. There is a target on the back of Bart Brejcha, who had earned the #1 plate for the 2015 Midwest Region. After taking a tumble in practice on Friday, Bart and the bike came away with only cosmetic damage. The team experienced clutch slippage at high RPM and after tracking down a new clutch and roughing up the steel plates the team was ready to get some holeshots and race wins. ! It turned out to be a successful race weekend!
Saturday, May 2, 2015
•Middleweight SuperBike 1st Place
•Middleweight GP 1st Place
•Heavyweight SuperBike 1st Place
•Middleweight SuperSport 1st Place
•Heavyweight SuperSport 1st Place
Sunday, May 3, 2015
•GTU 25 min race 2nd Place
•Heavyweight SuperSport 1st Place
•Middleweight SuperSport 1st Place
•Heavyweight SuperBike 1st Place
•Middleweight GP 1st Place
•Middleweight SuperBike 2st Place
When the Design Engine team joined with FAUBS Racing and named Brian Kolosa as Race Team Director prior to the 2014 season, Bart was able to focus on riding and not the bike. That is when all the pieces started to fall into place. Bart no longer had to focus on wheel changes, bleeding brakes nor suspension tuning instead just leaving it all up to Brain and Max. The Design Engine race bike, a Suzuki GSXR 600, has always been slightly under powered compared to the faster Yamaha’s, as well as, the larger displacement Kawasaki’s.
Due to slower machine, Bart has had to focus on the one element he can control: the rider. He researches and visualizes the track to go through the bumps, turns, and brake markers ahead of time. To shave time off lap times Bart is looking to get on the gas sooner, brake later, take more speed in the turns and stay mentally and physically strong. . “You have to be physically strong as well as mentally strong in racing” Bart says. Bart is put through a rigorous exercise routine of weight and cardio training and core strengthening combined with plenty of yoga to stay fit and sharp for a full day on track. Bart’s favorite quote “ racing sportbikes is like yoga on wheels’. His technique seems to be working as the team has a good start for defending the #1 plate for 2015.
Design engine racing blog: http://design-engine.com/category/racing/
Design engine the school http://www.designengine.com
Motorcycle shop http://www.faubs.com
More, from a press release issued by Tuned Racing:
3 Podiums for Prince at AFM
Tuned Racing rider Bryce Prince had a successful weekend at the AFM round at Sonoma. AFM always has top notch competition and big grids, so the weekend was a good tune-up for the next MotoAmerica round coming up at VIR on May 15-17. Bryce’s first race, 600 Superbike had him gridded on the 4th row for the start. With an excellent start, Bryce quickly sliced his way through the first few rows. By the time he crossed the start line completing the first lap, he had moved into 5th place. Bryce moved into 4th place on the 2nd lap but the first 3 riders had broken away by several seconds. Putting his head down and going for it, Bryce closed the gap, and took 3rd place on the penultimate lap. On the final lap, Bryce was able to move into 2nd place at the finish.
The Formula Pacific race had the best battle of the weekend. Starting further back, Bryce moved up the 5th place by the end of the first lap. By the 2nd lap, Bryce moved into 4th place and started stalking 3rd place. An interesting battle began with Bryce’s 600cc Yamaha R6, and the 1000cc bike of the rider ahead of him. Bryce tried several passing moves, but the more powerful bike was able to counter every attempt. On the last lap, it came down to the final few turns. Bryce got a great drive coming out of the chicane and closed the gap. With an inside move under hard braking, Bryce pulled even and the riders bumped several times in the final corner. Bryce got great drive and just held off the hard charge of the bigger bike on the sprint to the finish line for 3rd Place.
Bryce’s final race, 600 Production, again had him gridded on the 4th row. Bryce moved into 4th place on the 1st lap and 3rd by the 3rd lap. Moving into 2nd place by the 4th lap, Bryce put on a charge to close the gap to first place. Bryce was closing the gap, but could not get close enough to battle for the win, taking 2nd place.
Tuned Racing thanks all of its sponsors: Tuned Industries, Dunlop Motorcycle Road Racing Tires USA, EFSigns.com, PSR-USA, SBKPaint.com, Galfer Brakes, Arai, Dynojet, Big Gun Exhaust, SuperLite Sprockets, EK 3D Chains, SpeedAngle, FT ECU, Shorai Batteries, Torco Advanced Lubricants, Optimal Racing Bodywork, Fly Street, OFD Racing, Scott’s Plumbing, Lets Ride Trackdays, Motoyard.com, ACT Racing, and Solarmax Technology.