2014 Eni SBK World Superbike Championship, Motorland Aragon Spain Round 2 of 12 Kawasaki's Sykes and Baz complete Aragon Round in Domination A stunning performance from KRT Superbike riders Tom Sykes and Loris Baz gave the team a historic 1-2 finish in each 17-lap race at Motorland Aragon, with Sykes winning from Baz each time out. David Salom gritted his teeth to finish 13th in race one and 10th in race two on his Evo KRT machine. Tom and Loris now lead the championship outright, with Tom on 75 points and Loris on 71. Tom Sykes takes his first WSBK Tissot-Superpole of the season In a restarted Superpole 1 after Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) suffered a technical problem, Toni Elias (Red Devils Aprilia) and Leon Camier (BMW Motorrad Italia) were the fastest within the session and joined the already seeded riders for the final 15 minute shoot-out, in what was a fast and furious fight on track for top spot. At the end of the session it was Sykes that just clung to secure pole position ahead of Baz and Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) who completed the top 3. The final 15 minute shoot-out was a fast and furious fight on track for top spot and at the end of the session it was Sykes that just clung to secure pole position ahead of Baz and Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) who completed the top 3. In tomorrow’s races, row 2 will be headed by Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team), who will be joined by Jonathan Rea (PATA Honda World Superbike Team) and Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team). After making it through into Superpole 2, Leon Camier, substitute rider for Sylvain Barrier, was the leading EVO category rider, qualifying 11th overall in his first race with the BMW machine Leon Haslam and Chaz Davies also fell in the session, thankfully without injury. Tom Sykes: “I am happy because the target was a front row start but we got pole position. I think I could have beaten my own track record but it was not to be. The conditions were good, the bike was working well and unfortunately I was just riding too much with the front tyre. The Ninja ZX-10R is working well over long distance so we will see what tomorrow’s temperature gives us. It will be interesting to see where we go in terms of track temperature but I feel we have answers, whichever way it is." Superpole Results: 1. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'56.479 average 165.166 kph; 2. Baz (Kawasaki) 1'56.675; 3. Guintoli (Aprilia) 1'56.769; 4. Giugliano (Ducati) 1'56.825; 5. Rea (Honda) 1'56.972; 6. Davies (Ducati) 1'56.977; 7. Melandri (Aprilia) 1'57.063; 8. Laverty (Suzuki) 1'57.736; 9. Lowes (Suzuki) 1'57.975; 10. Elias(Aprilia) 1'58.180; 11. Camier (BMW) 1'59.326; 12. Haslam (Honda) 1'58.376.
Kawasaki's Sykes and Baz complete Aragon Round in Domination Tom Sykes took the double on the team’s home round, in front of the 24,255 spectators attending the event, whilst Loris Baz ended up twice second. The Kawasaki Racing Team pairing are now on top of the riders standings, with Sykes (75 points) leading and Baz just four points shy of his teammate. Aprilia Racing Team duo Sylvain Guintoli and Marco Melandri lie currently in third and fourth position respectively, with the Italian rider able to finish within the top 3 in the second and last race of the day. Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) stepped on the podium for the first time since the 2013 UK round at Silverstone, as the British rider was third in Race 1. Tom Sykes: “We scored two race wins today but after four or five laps of race two it felt far from perfect! Race one was very good and we had a good set-up that gave us a consistent pace on a cold track. I thought race two was going to be more straightforward in hot conditions so I went for the same SC0 as race one. The two guys behind me for sure had more grip than me but we were for sure able to put the Ninja ZX-10R on the pieces of tarmac those guys were looking for. I had a plan on the last lap to keep them behind me - and it worked.” Jonathan Rea: “It’s been a really positive weekend for us to go back on the podium this early in the season. I really enjoy riding the bike at this circuit and we’ve made a lot of improvements since Phillip Island. In race one I ran into some rear tyre problems, but in race two we went with the softer option, which most of the grid changed to. We deserved two solid top fives today and I feel we can now take some momentum to Assen where we know the bike is good and build on this at a circuit I really enjoy. Superbike Race 1 Starting from fourth on the grid, Giugliano made a fast start and was into third by the end of the opening lap, right behind the two Kawasakis of Sykes and Baz. Davide got past Baz on lap 3 but then continued to battle with the Frenchman over the subsequent laps. He held third position for the best part of the race right until the final lap when he was caught, and ultimately passed by Rea along the long straight. In his attempt to regain third position through the final corners, there was contact between Giugliano and the British rider and unfortunately it was the Italian who came off worse, crashing in the process. By immediately climbing back on his 1199 Panigale, the Ducati Superbike rider was able to cross the line, in final eighth position.
Twelfth place Leon Camier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike) was the winner in the EVO Category after a thrilling 17 lap race left the crowd enthralled in the Spanish sun, just ahead of local rider and other EVO entrant David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team). Guintoli still leads the standings, but he is now tied up in points with Baz, whilst reigning champion Sykes is just one point shy of the French duo.
SUPERBIKE RACE 1: (Laps 17 = 90,848 Km) Fastest Lap: 2° Tom Sykes 1'57.664 163,503 Km/h
Superbike Race 2 Considering the hotter track conditions for the 2nd Race, both Ducati riders, along with most of the other Superbike riders, changed tyre for the second race. Giugliano once again made a strong start and was in fourth place at the end of lap one. Davies, seventh through the first corners, overtook the two Aprilias to position himself fifth just behind his teammate. On lap two Chaz recorded the fastest lap of the race, earning his second Pirelli ‘best lap’ award of the season (1’57.982). Unfortunately only a couple of laps later he was the victim of a crash and was unable to continue the race. Giugliano was lying sixth by the mid-race point, with several seconds separating him from the riders immediately ahead of him. In the final phase of the race a drop in grip limited his ability to exit the corners and the Italian rider this closed in seventh position. In a spectacular final three laps the three riders exchanged places a number of times with the deciding move coming at the final hairpin at the Aprilia of Melandri went wide allowing Sykes and Baz to claim a 1-2 finish for the second time today. Melandri finished 3rd. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) was 4th, with race one podum finisher Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) completing the top 6. Race one EVO winner Leon Camier (BMW Motorrad Italia) was involved in a race long dual with Althea Racing Ducati’s Niccolo Canepa and local rider David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) with Salom taking the EVO honours after a last lap mistake from the BMW rider dropped him to 12th overall, handing the category victory to the local rider ahead of Canepa. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team), Claudio Corti (MV Agusta RC – Yakhnich Motorsport) and Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) all fell without injury.
Tom Sykes, Team Kawasaki, 1st / 1st - “It was very important to put in this kind of performance after the first weekend in Phillip Island. We scored two race wins today but after four or five laps of race two it felt far from perfect! Race one was very good and we had a good set-up that gave us a consistent pace on a cold track. I was expecting more of a drop off in that race but it was good to the end. I thought race two was going to be more straightforward in hot conditions so I went for the same SC0 as race one. There was a change in temperature in race two on the starting grid and I had to dig extra deep and try to make the best of the changing situation. The two guys behind me for sure had more grip than me but we were for sure able to put the Ninja ZX-10R on the pieces of tarmac those guys were looking for. I had a plan on the last lap to keep them behind me - and it worked. If someone had have made the pass and made it stick they would have deserved the win. Marco tried a pass and could not quite make the corner on the final lap. It was great racing and good for the spectators!” Jonathan Rea, Pata Honda, Race result: 3rd / 5th Championship position: 6th - “It’s been a really positive weekend for us to go back on the podium this early in the season. It hasn’t really been a trend for us recently so it’s given everyone a bit of a boost. We just really need to build on this. I really enjoy riding the bike at this circuit and we’ve made a lot of improvements since Phillip Island. In race one I ran into some rear tyre problems in the latter stages of the race, but in race two we went with the softer option, which most of the grid changed to. It was working OK but unfortunately we also used the softer front for the higher temperature. I had a few engine brake problems, which pushed me into the slower corners and, with the lack of feeling from the front, I felt a bit like a passenger. I had a warning or two around mid-race, so I was kind of nursing it a bit. But we deserved two solid top fives today and I feel we can now take some momentum to Assen where we know the bike is good and build on this at a circuit I really enjoy.” Chaz Davies, Ducati Superbike Team #7) – 4th, DNF - “Race 1 didn’t go as I’d hoped, despite my final position. I made a bad start and then was stuck behind the two Aprilias for a long while. I finally managed to get past them and got into something of a rhythm but then a drop in the tyre performance meant I couldn’t do more. We made some changes for the second race but the front of the bike seemed a little nervous right from the start. I was trying to save the tyre for the later stages of the race but then I lost grip at the front and crashed. For some reason the marshals wouldn’t let me continue even though my bike was still running. It’s been a disappointing day because I think Davide and I were capable of reaching the podium today. We’ve taken some important data anyway and now we move on to tracks that should be more favourable for the Ducati.”
SUPERBIKE RACE 2: (Laps 17 = 90,848 Km) Fastest Lap: 2° Chaz Davies 1'57.982 163,062 Km/h CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TILL DATE: Superstock 1000 Superstock 1000 Results: 1. Mercado (Ducati) 13 Laps/69.472 km in 26'37.837 average 156.524 kph; 2. Savadori (Kawasaki) 5.218; 3. Smith (Honda) 8.818; 4. Bergman (Kawasaki) 17.974; 5. D'Annunzio (BMW) 23.182; 6. Lussiana (Kawasaki) 23.714; 7. Grotzkyj G. (Kawasaki) 25.882; 8. McFadden (Kawasaki) 28.777; 9. Valk (Kawasaki) 30.259; 10. Lanusse (Kawasaki) 30.790; 11. Day (Honda) 35.064; 12. Castellarin (BMW) 37.456; 13. Pagaud (Kawasaki) 38.300; 14. Suchet (Kawasaki) 40.403; 15. Schacht (Ducati) 43.670; etc. Standings (Round 1 of 7): 1. Mercado 25; 2. Savadori 20; 3. Smith 16; 4. Bergman 13; 5. D'Annunzio 11; 6. Lussiana 10; 7. Grotzkyj G. 9; 8. McFadden 8; 9. Valk 7; 10. Lanusse 6; 11. Day 5; 12. Castellarin 4; 13. Pagaud 3; 14. Suchet 2; 15. Schacht 1. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 25; 2. Kawasaki 20; 3. Honda 16; 4. BMW 11. RESULTS SUPERSPORT 600cc RACE: (Laps 15 = 80,160 Km) Fastest Lap: 9° Jules Cluzel 2'01.708 158,070 Km/h CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TILL DATE:
The next round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship will take place at the Assen TT Circuit on April 27th.
Rules Updates for FIM Superbike & Supersport World Championships April 4th 2014 - The FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization wish to inform that the updated version of the FIM Superbike & Supersport World Championships, and FIM Superstock 1000 cc Cup Regulations is available HERE
2014 MotoGP World Championshi, Circuit of the Americas Round 2 of 18 Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, USA, April 11-13th 2014 - Magnificent Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) was in a class of his own at the Circuit of the Americas this afternoon, making the race all his own, as he did a year ago, when he won his first MotoGP race at this track. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) was the only man who got close to his young compatriot, but even he had to give up the chase and settle for a strong second place to put him second in the World Championship points chase behind his team-mate. Marquez on Pole for Second Race of the Year at US MotoGP Austin A solid effort from LCR Honda’s German rider Bradl put him at the back of row one as he got to within 0.423s of the rampant Marquez – making it an all Honda front three. It will be an all-Yamaha second row for Sunday’s race, with Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) placing his ‘Open’ Yamaha fourth, 0.467s off pole. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP pair Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi were fifth and sixth, Lorenzo registering a time just 0.003s off Espargaro’s, with Rossi 0.001s behind his teammate. Heading the third row is Ducati’s Cal Crutchlow (+1.007s), in front of compatriot Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Italian Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing). Smith and Iannone were both also just over a second behind Marquez. On row four, meanwhile are Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Alvaro Baustista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini). The fastest ‘Open’ Honda rider Scott Redding will start just behind his GO&FUN Honda Gresini teammate Bautista at the head of row five, having missed Q2 by just 0.074s.
Marquez Leads Honda Team-Mate Pedros in Domination at Circuit of the Americas Marquez would have led from start to finish, but for former World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) jumping the start and leading the way, only to ride into the pits at the end of lap one to pay his ride-through penalty. Marquez was ahead from then on, steadily opening a gap over Pedrosa until he had more than five seconds advantage. He crossed the line 4.1 seconds ahead after surviving a lurid front-end slide at the final corner, the result, he said, of a moment’s lack of concentration. Pedrosa nonetheless had a great weekend: second in the race, second in qualifying and riding the second fastest lap, but there was nothing he could do to match Marquez’s scintillating pace and he was man enough to admit as much after the race. For some laps he stayed close to the leader, learning many things that may help him in the future, but bit by bit the gap grew until he decided to focus on keeping second place, well ahead of a thrilling three-way scrap for the final podium place between Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) and Bradley Smith (Yamaha). As last year, Marquez was the only rider on the grid able to use the harder compound Bridgestone, which suits his aggressive riding style. The tactic worked perfectly, giving him his second consecutive pole/win/lap record at this challenging, undulating circuit. The 21-year-old has now won the first two races of 2014 and leads Pedrosa by 14 points with 16 races still to go.
Bradl did make it into third place during the final laps, but he didn’t quite have the front grip he needed to deal with Dovizioso, so he ended the race in fourth place, two seconds down on the Italian. Upset to miss the podium after such a determined fight, he was nevertheless happy to score his first points of the year, after he had crashed out of the lead of the season-opening Qatar GP. After a less than perfect start that saw him drop from sixth on the grid to ninth, Yamaha's Valentino Rossi re-grouped and started to work his way back through the pack. Displaying his trademark efficiency the nine-time world champion made short work of the opening laps, passing Andrea Dovizioso, Stefan Bradl and finally Cal Crutchlow for fourth in turn seven. Rossi then began to close down Andrea Iannone and looked confident of scoring a podium finish until a sudden loss of grip on the right side of the front tyre left him unable to keep his pace, dropping him to eighth which he held to the line. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo experienced his second Grand Prix weekend to forget today, making a jump start at the beginning of the race and receiving a ride-through penalty as a result. He pitted immediately at the end of the opening lap and re-joined at the back of the field in 23rd. The four-time world champion then showed his dedication and professionalism, working hard to move back through the pack to earn his first championship points of the season. As he crossed the finish line he did so in tenth position, less than four seconds from Rossi in eighth. The eighth place finish gains Rossi a further eight points to give a total of 28, dropping him to third on the overall standings. Lorenzo’s tenth place earns his first championship points of the season, putting him in 16th with six points. The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team riders today finished round 2 of the MotoGP World Championship in a highly determined manner, with both riders achieving their best ever results in the premier class. Bradley Smith finished in 5th position after narrowly missing out on a debut podium, with rookie Pol Espargaro crossing the line in 6th to claim his first MotoGP points and as the quickest rookie. Nicky Hayden (Drive 7 Aspar Honda RCV1000R) was the top finisher on Honda’s production racer in 11th, after a frustrating scrap with several rivals. The last man to come past him at the end of the race was Lorenzo, who spent his whole race fighting his way through from last position to finish tenth. Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda: race winner - “I'm very happy! I got a really good start, but when I saw Jorge overtake me off the line at first I was a little worried, but then I saw that he had jumped the start. It was a different race to previous ones because I led from start to finish; although it might seem easier that way, it is tough because you have to maintain concentration. It was a perfect weekend and gives us plenty of confidence, although we are aware that the coming races will be different. I know that the race was a little boring for the fans, but sometimes these types of races are good for a rider. Let's hope that the next one is more exciting!” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2nd - “It was a tough race as Marc was that little faster than me and although I tried to improve with every corner, it was too difficult to gain ground on him and the distance between us increased with every lap. In the end, he was too far away from me. I didn't have anyone behind me either, so I just kept up my pace as best I could. I learnt a few things in this race and we will try to apply them and make the maximum improvement possible, in order to be able to put up more of a fight next time” Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 3rd - “I am very pleased with the way I managed the race because in the early laps I didn’t have the right pace. But I kept calm and kept up a constant pace, and this paid off because I didn’t stress the tyres too much. My performance dropped off a bit towards the end but obviously less than the other riders I was fighting with and this allowed me to do the final stages in a good condition. Then I pulled out a small gap over Bradl and Smith, which allowed me to take the chequered flag with an advantage of almost two seconds. I am very pleased with this result for my team. We’ve been working hard for a year and suffering a lot, and we are still not as quick as we would like to be. Getting a result like this at this time of the season is very important, also for all the engineers and mechanics in the racing division back in Bologna, who are working very hard to improve the Desmosedici’s competitiveness.” Valentino Rossi, Fiat Yamaha 8th, +45.519 - “We destroyed the front tyre completely on the right side. I had the same problem during the weekend but less than this. This morning we made a good step and with a used tyre I could do all the warm up so we were quite positive. Unfortunately after seven or eight laps the front was gone and I had to go three seconds slower. It's a pity because we could do another podium which was the target here in Austin, unfortunately it wasn't to be.” Jorge Lorenzo, Fiat Yamaha 10th, +49.111 - “I wasn’t thinking and was distracted and I made a big mistake in the start. I just tried to push at the maximum afterwards to get the best result but the race was almost over for me. I want to say sorry to the team as I destroyed my race, but at least I didn't crash because it was a difficult situation with the tension and it was easy to make a mistake and get injured. The good thing is that I finished the race and got my first points in the championship but clearly it wasn’t our weekend.” RESULTS MOTOGP RACE: (21 laps = 115.773 Km) Pole Position: Marc MARQUEZ 2'02.773 161.6 Km/h CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TILL DATE:
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Pit Board 2014 RACES CALENDAR & EVENT REPORT INDEX 2014 World Superbike 2014 MotoGP 2014 AMA Superbike 2014 Yamaha USA Superbike Shootout 2013 World Superbike 2013 MotoGP 2013 AMA Superbike 2013 British Superbike May 26-Jun 2nd 2013 Isle of Man TT, UK
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The Making of the The Quail Motorcycle Cathering, Carmel, CA Be one of the first 100 guests to purchase a General Admission Ticket to receive a complimentary copy of the Why We Ride DVD* ($25 retail value)! This offer is valid per application, not per ticket and is on a first come, first serve basis. Click here to purchase tickets today! Share your Ducati Passion in the Ducati Grandstand during the 2014 FIM Superbike World Championship at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on July 11-23th! Tribuna Ducati Ticket Package At just $199 per person, this is an amazing opportunity you don't want to miss. Reserve your Ducati Ticket Package today and make sure to use promo code "DUCATI" to get these exclusive savings. Purchase these advance tickets on the DucatiUSA.com website http://www.ducatiusa.com Yamaha Is Presenting Sponsor For Three-Event GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout; Shootout Races Added To 2014 Yamaha Road Racing Contingency Program “All of us at Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., are proud that Yamaha is the presenting sponsor for this new race series,” Starr commented. “We’re excited that our loyal customers and race fans in the Western part of the U.S. will now have three events to attend that are close to their homes, and they’ll be able to see for themselves just how breathtaking professional motorcycle road racing at this level is!” Keith McCarty, Motorsports Racing Division Manager for Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., added, “I’m excited that Yamaha is now the presenting sponsor for the Shootout and that the fans will get the opportunity to see our Monster Energy Pro Superbike riders Josh Hayes and Cameron Beaubier, as well as our Y.E.S./Monster Energy Pro Sportbike riders Garrett Gerloff and JD Beach, compete in these three race weekends. We’re looking forward to seeing lots of fans come out to support the races and interact with our riders. Stay tuned for more information as the opening round of the Superbike Shootout draws near.” Yamaha Expands 2014 Road Racing Contingency Program Guerra said. “Our Contingency Program rewards aspiring Yamaha road racers, so we’re pleased to be able to extend the Program so that Yamaha R1 and R6 riders who compete in the races that are part of the three-event Superbike Shootout will be rewarded for their results.” For complete details on how to register, along with specific information on which racing classes are included, visit the Road Racing Contingency page of the Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., Website at: YamahaMotorsports.com
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Ayrton Badovini on the new Alstare Bimota BB3. 
Dovizioso and Crutchlow showed that' Duati's new development team was making progress. 
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