ACERBIS Czech Round
Motul FIM Superbike World Championship
Automotodrom Brno
Brno, Czech Republic
June 10, 2018
Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires):
1. Alex Lowes, UK (Yam YZF-R1), 18 laps, Total Race Time 36:23.516, Best Lap Time 2:00.320
2. Michael Van Der Mark, Netherlands (Yam YZF-R1), -2.167 seconds, 2:00.589
3. Chaz Davies, UK (Duc Panigale R), -7.649, 2:00.713
4. Eugene Laverty, Ireland (Apr RSV4 RF), -9.422, 2:01.170
5. Lorenzo Savadori, Italy (Apr RSV4 RF), -9.716, 2:00.668
6. Michael Rinaldi, Italy (Duc Panigale R), -12.967, 2:00.949
7. Leon Camier, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -17.341, 2:01.647
8. Xavi Fores, Spain (Duc Panigale R), -20.293, 2:01.664
9. Toprak Razgatlioglu, Turkey (Kaw ZX-10RR), -23.613, 2:01.814
10. Roman Ramos, Spain (Kaw ZX-10RR), -24.670, 2:01.656
11. Loris Baz, France (BMW S1000RR), -25.106, 2:01.487
12. Jake Gagne, USA (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -25.212, 2:01.920
13. PJ Jacobsen, USA (Honda CBR1000RR SP2), -28.172, 2:01.963
14. Yonny Hernandez, Colombia (Kaw ZX-10RR), -31.659, 2:01.828
15. Marco Melandri, Italy (Duc Panigale R), -32.407, ran off track, 2:00.176
16. Tom Sykes, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -36.305, crash, 2:00.733
17. Leandro Mercado, Argentina (Kaw ZX-10RR), -39.367, 2:02.210
18. Ondrej Jezek, Czech Republic (Yam YZF-R1), -44.976, 2:02.959
19. Jordi Torres, Spain (MV Agusta F4 RC), -13 laps, DNF, retired, 2:02.487
20. Jonathan Rea, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -16 laps, DNF, crash, 2:00.784
World Championship Point Standings (after 14 of 26 races):
1. Rea, 270 points
2. Davies, 205
3. Van Der Mark, 196
4. Sykes, 179
5. Melandri, 157
6. Lowes, 154
7. Fores, 134
8. Razgatlioglu, 91
9. Savadori, 73
10. TIE, Camier/Baz, 72
12. Torres, 64
13. Laverty, 60
14. Rinaldi, 54
15. Mercado, 42
16. Ramos, 41
17. Gagne, 24
18. Jacobsen, 21
19. Hernandez, 18
20. Leon Haslam, 14
More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing Team:
WorldSBK: Forés eighth in race 2 at Brno
Brno (CZ), 10th June 2018. The Barni Racing Team weekend at the Brno circuit, in the Czech Republic, ended with a positive eighth place in race 2. The rider of the team from Bergamo Xavi Forés, started from the 13th place even in race 2, managed to keep a pace faster than yesterday, but not enough to follow the group fighting above of the podium. The Spaniard choose a different type of tire than race 1 and the path was undoubtedly the right one. Due to some crashes in front of him ( Rea, Sykes and Melandri went down) Xavi gained also positions improving the eleventh placement conquered with a good start.
In this way a complicated weekend for the team led by Marco Barnabò build it up to a crescendo. After the 14th place of race 1 eight points in race 2 was a good result for the championship. In the overall standings Forés is now seventh with 134 points, 20 far from Lowes, but still first among the independent rider, 43 points ahead of Razgatlioglu.
Marco Barnabò, Principal Manager
«For sure it was not a positive weekend, but not all had to be thrown away. When we arrived here we had the same problem we had in Donington, but we came out. Working methodically and consistently we managed to do a fair race on Sunday. The Championship it’s a long and difficult journey some track could be hard even for the bike or the rider. The most important thing is trying to get the most out from every kind of situation and here we did it».
Xavi Forés, #12
«Even if I continue to struggle with the setup today we were more competitive than yesterday. In race 2 I pushed a lot till the end trying to collect as much information as possible to improve the bike and especially to get points in the Championship. I want to thank the team that supported me all weekend letting me to ride better than on Saturday. A big step forward is still necessary to get back to our level, but I think already at Laguna Seca we can be in the fight at the front».
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team:
Camier seventh, Gagne twelfth in roasting Race 2 at Brno
Czech Round
Automotodrom Brno, Czech Republic
The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team concluded their Czech WorldSBK adventure with a double point-scoring finish as Leon Camier crossed the finish line in seventh place and a resurgent Jake Gagne took twelfth in hot conditions at Brno.
Camier started Race 2 in P6 on the grid but needed a couple of laps to find his feet, settling into P9 in the opening laps. As other riders struggled in the warm conditions, Camier adapted and was able to improve his pace to work his way ahead of his competitors and climbed to seventh place with five laps remaining, the position he held until the chequered flag.
Further back, Gagne got a good start from the seventh row of the grid and quickened his pace as the race went on, setting his quickest lap of the race on lap 9. A last lap push nearly brought the American his first top-ten finish in WorldSBK, but ultimately he just missed out although he still equalled his best result of the year with P12.
The Race 2 result sees Camier move up one place in the championship standings to tenth on 72 points, while Gagne stays in seventeenth overall but increases his points tally to 24.
The United States hosts the next WorldSBK round at Gagne’s home circuit of Laguna Seca from June 22-24.
Leon Camier 2
The start of the race was a bit of a struggle until I found my rhythm, we made a couple of setting changes during Warm Up which worked well but the start was tricky with the hot conditions. As the race progressed I managed to adapt and find a good pace, even when the tyres dropped off I managed to hold my pace. This weekend we weren’t fast enough to challenge for the top five but if we keep this momentum going and work on the areas on the bike where we need to, I really think some better results will be on their way soon.
Jake Gagne 45
It was a good race today, we made some changes to the Fireblade this morning in Warm Up which helped give me the feeling I was looking for all weekend. The biggest challenge was being so far back on the grid and it took a couple of laps to get my rhythm, but in the middle of the race I was quite strong. I’ve been working on my riding and the team on the bike throughout the weekend so today it all came together. It was a positive end to the weekend and next up is Laguna Seca which will be awesome.
Kervin Bos
Team Manager
Our objective coming into this weekend was to continue building momentum with both riders and today’s race helped us achieve that with Leon finishing in P7 and Jake equalling his best result of the season with twelfth place. Leon’s pace in the race was quite good, especially in the latter stages and Jake also managed to improve throughout the race. It’s the second round back having both our riders fit so to score some good points and get a lot of track time puts us in good shape looking ahead to Laguna Seca. With Leon being close to being fully fit and it being Jake’s home race, we will be aiming to be more competitive at the upcoming rounds.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Lowes Sets the Level with Stunning Maiden WSBK Victory in Brno
Pata Yamaha Official WSBK Team’s Alex Lowes wrapped up a challenging MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship round in Brno today by winning style! The young Brit dominated the second Superbike race from pole to chequered flag to score his maiden WSBK race win and his first for the Pata Yamaha team. Teammate Michael van der Mark added the finishing touches to the perfect race day, bringing his YZF-R1 home in 2nd position to make it a Yamaha 1-2 – the first 1-2 finish for the team and for the new generation R1.
A fifth place in yesterday’s first Superbike race of the weekend with very low grip conditions and a hotter than expected track, put the hard working Pata Yamaha rider Lowes on pole position for today’s second race. Taking all the experience and data from yesterday, the team were able to step up a level and deliver a race bike that proved unbeatable in the right hands. Lowes took the holeshot into turn one at the front of the pack, and only briefly allowed teammate van der Mark past for a few corners as he settled into his rhythm. As the second lap unfolded he was immediately back in front, and working hard towards keeping his YZF-R1 ahead. Marco Melandri briefly took the lead with 14 laps to go, but quickly made an error, running off and leaving Lowes to strike ahead.
Back in second, van der Mark was able to keep him close but the race was the British rider’s to lose. A faultless race pace followed, Lowes maintaining and finally growing the gap to van der Mark behind to just over two seconds at the finish line. The perfect performance delivers Lowes his maiden WSBK victory, and Yamaha’s third victory in the last four races.
Teammate van der Mark had also picked up his pace from yesterday’s challenging conditions and looked comfortable taking off from second on the grid today. The young Dutchman was unfazed by the greasy surface, calmly moving back into second after Melandri ran off the track ahead of him and race leader Lowes. Clearly benefiting from the race winning confidence of the last round, van der Mark was able to keep within 2s of his teammate to the finish line, leaving the pack behind to secure a memorable Yamaha 1-2 on the podium.
The race results bring van der Mark up to third in the championship standings on 196 points, 17 ahead of Tom Sykes in fourth and just nine behind Chaz Davies in second. Lowes’ race win brings him up to 154 points and places him in sixth in the standings, just three points behind Melandri in fifth.
Alex Lowes
“The first thing I need to say is a massive thanks to Yamaha, to the team and especially Paul who believed in me and brought me here from BSB. All the guys worked so hard to give me what I wanted on the bike. For me to win and Michael to come second for a Yamaha 1-2 is fantastic. On a personal level I’m so happy, Donington was hard to take, not to take anything away from Michael but it was tough for me to accept as I wanted to be the one to get the first win for the team as I felt like I’ve put so much into the project. The bike worked really well for me today, I really enjoyed the race, which is not easy when it’s so hot and slippery! I focused on being as smooth and consistent as I could be and now I’m over the moon. A massive thank you to Yamaha, I feel honoured to be part of this project and now we need to keep trying to win more races!”
Michael van der Mark
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team
“This morning in warm up we tried to change something on the bike to get a better feeling with the front and in the end it didn’t feel as good so we went back to yesterday’s setting. We only changed the front tyre and at the beginning of the race I struggled to get a good feeling with it. Alex passed me, Marco passed me; then he made a mistake. I was following Alex, he had such a good pace and we managed to pull away from third place so I was happy about that. I tried to close in on him and fight to win, I made it but in the last few laps he was stronger. I’m really happy with this podium and really happy for Alex for his first win. I think it’s a great end for the whole Pata Yamaha Superbike Team.”
Paul Denning
“What a day for everybody involved in the Pata Yamaha World Superbike project and of course in particular for Alex. To see Michael win at Alex’s home event two weeks ago and be so gracious and supportive of the team’s effort was appreciated by us all, but to come here to Brno have a relatively difficult first race and react as strongly as he did today to withstand all of Michael’s pressure and pull away towards the end was simply outstanding. Congratulations to Alex, to his crew and all the engineers involved. Of course a huge “well done” also to Michael for another super-strong performance and the maturity and intelligence to understand that 20 points was a better result than a potential crash on such a low grip surface.. Another weekend of firsts for the team, Alex’s first win, the team’s first 1-2 and a good step forward in the standings for both riders.”
More, from a press release issued by Gulf Althea BMW:
First Stock1000 podium of the season for Gulf Althea BMW at Brno
Brno (Czech Republic), Sunday 10 June 2018
The Gulf Althea BMW Racing Team and rider Loris Baz rounded out the Brno race weekend with an eleventh-place finish in the second Superbike race. In the Superstock 1000 category on the other hand, a courageous Alessandro Delbianco achieved his first podium of the 2018 season, crossing the line in second position with his BMW.
Superbike – Race 2 – tenth on the grid today (after a crash in race 1 yesterday), Baz was lying twelfth at the end of lap one. Making up three places during the early stages, the Frenchman was up to ninth by mid-race. Struggling as a result of a lack of rear grip, similar to yesterday in fact, the rider did his best to remain focused and bring his BMW home in final eleventh place.
STK1000 – Race – Despite the wet conditions, Delbianco was keen to get away well from eighth on the grid today. He did just that and was lying fifth through the first corners. Quickly making up one place, the Italian then pushed to reach Reiterberger, immediately ahead of him, managing to pass him on lap seven. From third position, Alessandro maintained a very fast pace, setting the best lap of the race before moving into second position in the final moments to score his first podium of the season as well as 20 very important championship points!
Having now completed seven WorldSBK rounds, Baz lies eleventh in the general standings with 72 points. Delbianco now positions seventh in the Stock1000 championship with 35 points scored thus far
“The same problem as yesterday really; the lack of rear grip means that we wear the tyre more quickly than some of the other guys. I did what I could to stick with Camier and Forés earlier on, but once I lost grip at the rear, I found I was also struggling to control the front. I gave 100% as ever and really hoped to reach the top ten but it wasn’t to be. We’ll continue working to improve, trying to remain positive.”
Loris Baz:
“The race went really well. We’d have completed a solid race in dry conditions too I think, but the wet definitely helped us today. I’m really pleased with the result and thank the team for all their great work this weekend. I’m very happy and hope we can continue on like this.”
Alessandro Delbianco
“I’m really pleased with Alessandro’s performance. It’s the first time he’s reached the podium and he did a really good job. The wet conditions surely facilitated things for him, seeing as he was having a little more difficult in the dry but we’re very happy. As for Superbike, Loris ran a decent race; unfortunately, we are still struggling with the same electronics issues and are therefore unable to exploit our rider’s talent. It’s a pity, but we hope to be able to improve already in the next rounds.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Second Day Bad Luck For KRT Duo
Two moments of misfortune prevented either KRT rider from scoring points in the second WorldSBK race at Brno, with Jonathan Rea out on lap three and Tom Sykes falling on lap six. Sykes restarted, finished 16th and missed a championship point by one place. Rea still enjoys a handsome lead in the standings after round seven, with Sykes in fourth position overall.
On the hottest day of the WorldSBK weekend in Brno the 18-lap second race offered up several surprise results. These included a rare DNF for triple World Champion Jonathan Rea, after an accidental clash with his team-mate Tom Sykes on lap three, at turn 12.
As the official Kawasaki riders vied for track position they arrived on the same line at the corner exit and after they touched Rea crashed. After his emphatic race one win on Saturday, and recording the greatest ever number of race wins in WorldSBK history as a result, Rea still left Brno with a new record of 60 race wins and an extended 65 point championship lead.
With Sykes and Rea starting off the third row, after they each scored podiums on the opening day of racing, they were running in sixth and seventh position respectively early in race two. Sykes survived the early scare at Turn 12, but fell on lap six, in the middle of turn 10.
Despite his low-side crash Tom’s bike could be ridden again and he completed the race, just missing out on a championship point.
In the overall standings Rea leads still with 270 points, Chaz Davies is second with 205, Michael van der Mark has 196 and Sykes 179.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was top Kawasaki rider in race two, in ninth position. Roman Ramos (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) placed tenth and Yonny Hernandez (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) got two championship points for 14th place. Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki was 17th today.
The United States round, at Laguna Seca, will be next up for the WorldSBK riders, with race weekend being held between the 22nd and 24th of June.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It has been a great weekend for so many reasons but unfortunately today we did not get to finish it off in the way we wanted. We have to understand that we extended our lead in the championship and that is the positive I can hang onto today. I felt very comfortable in the early laps. I had asked the mechanics to write ‘smooth’ on the dashboard. It was an 18-lap race and my pace all weekend has been a step ahead of everyone, so I was in no urgency to get to the front and start making ground in the race. At the start everyone was in a rhythm, in the low to mid two minutes lap times, and that pace I could manage, no problem. But what happened put paid to my race. A very short race for me, so not much to say.”
Tom Sykes, stated: “It was disappointing to not score in race two but in general this weekend I am not overly disappointed because I thought we would have the pace. Today, I think we made some improvements after race one and we got a good start. I certainly felt we could have started to push on and close in on Eugene and Chaz. We had the pace to run at the front. I am not saying what the outcome would have been but we had the bike and the package to run at the front in these conditions. I fell when I was trying to line a pass up. I had good corner speed and was about to pick the bike up, to get a good run into T11 and go inside. As I picked up the throttle I lost the front. To lose the front when you touch the throttle is not the usual way you crash, and it just caught me out.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
#CzechWorldSBK Day 3 – Phenomenal Lowes leads Yamaha one two at Brno
Maiden WorldSBK win for the British rider in unpredictable Czech Race 2
Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) took his first ever MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race win at the Acerbis Czech Round, in an astonishing Race two which saw championship leader Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) crash out early on. The thousands of Czech fans present at the Automotodrom Brno witnessed a wild, unpredictable affair, ending in a Yamaha one two and a sixth race winner in 2018.
The front row all kept their positions at the start, with van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) holding off his teammate through the first corners. Lowes would make his move into the race lead the following lap however, gaining the inside line through the first corner. Meanwhile, Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) climbed all the way from eighth on the grid to third by lap two, and past van der Mark a few corners later.
The next couple of laps saw three dramatic, almost unbelievable twists. First, championship leader Jonathan Rea went down at turn 12, apparently after coming in contact with teammate Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). The Northern Irish rider couldn’t make it back on track, retiring for the first time this season. If yesterday his lead seemed almost unsurmountable, after Sunday there was more than a glimmer of hope.
Next, Marco Melandri, having just passed Lowes for the race lead, lost control of his Ducati and rode through the gravel, immediately dropping the Italian to the back of the field and denying Melandri a return to the top of the rostrum when he was the fastest man on track. And then Sykes slipped in lap 6, leaving all of yesterday’s podium men off the rostrum in Race two. In four seasons together, never had both British KRT riders left a race empty-handed. Melandri was able to salvage a point, putting him in 15th.
With a dozen laps left, the stage was thus set for a Yamaha battle to the end, as Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), in third, was unable to match the pair’s pace. But this time, unlike when he led at Donington, Lowes’ YZF-R1 did not drop off in the final third: a smart, consistent and overall flawless ride by the Brit kept him ahead of his Dutch teammate all the way to the checkered flag with two seconds to spare. The man from Lincolnshire made his debut at Brno in 2011 – seven years on, he can finally call himself a WorldSBK winner.
With van der Mark claiming another podium finish in second, the Dutchman moves into third in the championship standings, above Sykes; while for Davies, who took an excellent third at Brno considering the issues that have plagued his weekend on the Panigale, cut Rea’s lead to 65 points.
Behind the rostrum riders, Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) took fourth, his best result of the season, with his teammate Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) also a season-best in fifth. Brno welcomed more good results for the Italian manufacturer, adding their bikes to the long list of podium contenders this season.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team) had a career-best of sixth at Brno, rising from eleventh on the grid in just his tenth WorldSBK race. He finishes above Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team), in seventh. Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) returned to the top-ten in eighth, with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in ninth, and Roman Ramos (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) tenth.
WorldSBK is back in two weeks from Laguna Seca, a special circuit with some of the best sections of the championship. Join us there on Saturday 23rd of June.
P1 – Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
“It’s amazing, I don’t want to talk too much because I’ll get upset. But honestly, its fantastic, thank you to the team and hopefully we can get a few more now!”
P2 – Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
“I’m really happy with this result, I changed the front tyre compared to yesterday and Alex was so fast. I knew he had a really good pace so I tried to catch him and stay calm but in the end he was stronger, but anyway I am really happy with this podium, Alex’s first win is something he deserves and its a really great day for the Yamaha team.”
P3 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“Its been such a tough weekend, probably one of the most difficult weekends that I’ve endured as a Ducati rider in recent memory, after some harsh words last night we regrouped and came back with a bike that was able to fight for the podium. I think we got a little bit lucky today but we made a step forward and that was important and it’s fantastic. Thanks to everybody involved because it’s been a really tough weekend.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Davies third in Race 2 at Brno with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, Melandri finishes in 15th position
After Marco Melandri’s second place in Race 1, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team took another the podium in Race 2 at Brno (Czech Republic) with Chaz Davies, who finished third. The Welshman made a clear step forward since yesterday getting off to a strong start from second row, and quickly pulled away from the second group to defend his position until the checkered flag.
Melandri, on the other hand, suffered an unlucky fate after a blistering start from third row that quickly saw him take the lead with a series of spectacular passes before being forced to go wide due to a rear-brake-lever issue. Once he rejoined the race, the Italian climbed back to 15th position, also taking the fastest lap with a 2:00.176.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi, on track with the Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team, took home his best WorldSBK result so far in sixth position. After seven rounds, Davies (205 points) and Melandri (157 points) are respectively second and fifth in the championship, while Rinaldi (54 points) is 14th. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team will return to the track at Laguna Seca (United States) for the eighth round of the WorldSBK Championship, scheduled for June 22-24, while the Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team will resume action the following round at Misano (Italy).
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 3rd
“We finally made a step forward after a difficult couple of days, where we struggled with the setup and low grip levels. Despite still not having the best feeling, it was enough to put me in a position to hold my own and not drop off in the end of the race. We want to do better, but I’m really happy to be back on the podium. It’s important for the morale of the team, and we’ll keep plugging away without giving up. This is my ‘thank you’ to my crew, who worked so hard. We recovered some points on our rivals but the priority is to get the feeling back 100 percent and hopefully we’ll take it to the next level soon.”
Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #33) – 15th
“Looking at our pace today, it would have been enough to get the win, so to finish in 15th position is disappointing. We had a lot of bad luck, because I was feeling good and once I was in the lead I was trying to push harder to pull away, but the rear-brake foot lever broke and I was forced to go wide at turn 3. Still, I wanted to finish the race to collect important information ahead of Laguna Seca. Looking at the bright side, we regained our confidence after improving the bike’s stability so I’m looking forward to the next round, where we can surely fight for good results.”
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team #21) – 6th
“This is a great way to finish what’s been a tough weekend, with my best result of the year so far. Yesterday we were fast but I crashed, and today in WUP we’ve made another step forward. The race was fun, but in the final laps I was struggling with the tires because it was hotter than yesterday, and after the crash I thought P6 was OK. Now we will skip Laguna Seca, but I’ll cheer for Ducati and I can’t wait to go to Misano for my home race.”
Marco Zambenedetti, Technical Coordinator on track for Ducati Corse
“Today’s race leaves us only halfway happy. Chaz managed to improve his feeling with the bike compared with yesterday and rode a solid race to step back on the podium, while Marco missed a probable win due to bad luck. We’ll do our best to allow both of them to show their full potential at Laguna Seca.”
More, from a press release issued by Triple M Racing Honda Superbike Team:
Triple M Honda World Superbike Team in the points again at Brno
Czech Round
Automotodrom Brno, Czech Republic
In the seventh round of the championship first year WorldSBK entrants the Triple M Honda World Superbike Team scored points in race two at Brno, with a weekend best of 13th for American PJ Jacobsen and his CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2.
After a test at the same Czech circuit after the Assen round of the championship a few weeks ago, the rookie 2018 Triple M Honda team had useful data to work with on the first day of free practice. Unfortunately they found three different sets of weather or track conditions on that opening day, from fully wet to warm and sunny.
Having been 20th going into Superpole 1 at the end of play on Friday, Jacobsen qualified 17th on the grid for race one on Saturday.
PJ was in a points scoring position for some of race one, but he finished 16th, and just a fraction of a second from the rider in front. Race one was eventually run over 16-laps, not the planned 18, after a red flag incident and then a false start, due to a fault with the startline lighting system.
Race two at Brno went the scheduled 18 laps, and was held in warmer air and track conditions than race one. PJ moved up to 13th place by lap 14 and stayed there until he took the chequered flag. This was his eighth points scoring finish of his and his team’s maiden season in WorldSBK.
Jacobsen remains 18th in the championship table thanks to the three points he scored today in the Czech Republic. A special race is coming up for PJ, as he returns to home soil in America for the Laguna Seca round of the championship, on 23 and 24 June.
PJ Jacobsen 99
We got some points today and it was an OK race, but 13th is still not where I want to be. We had some quite different temperatures here at Brno from when we tested, and the race today was extremely hot. It seemed nobody had much grip. We just have to keep improving everything, and each time we go out we find something. We will just keep improving. It is my home race next. I have not been to Laguna Seca in a long time, since 2011 I think. I will try my hardest there try to and get a good set-up with the bike.
Manuel Cappelletti
Team Manager
On Friday things were not consistent because the condition of the track was completely different to the test we did here one month ago. We scored three points today and until the middle of the race the three Hondas set the same rhythm. Our target, honestly, is a top ten and PJ did a good job. His lap times were consistent and we found something good for him in the bike in qualifying. Today we made another step. For us, it is our first season and we still have to learn. PJ was happy about the behaviour of the bike and we look forward in a positive way to Laguna Seca. It is his home race and he is going to give 200% to be near the front.