ROKiT Rookies launch to the podiums at Brands Hatch

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July 22, 2024

ROKit Rookies riders have had a successful outing at the British Superbikes Championship at Brands HatchGP this weekend.

Quattro Group Supersport Cup Rider Mikey Hardie dominated from the outset topping the timing sheets during Free Practice before finally putting himself and his machine, Kawasaki ZX6 on pole for Race 1 of the weekend and continued that dominance throughout the race as he took the win for his class with a clear 4 second lead to second place.

It was to be another Hardie masterclass in Race 2 on Sunday, as he led the Cup riders from the start and never came under any pressure at all as he powered to his second win of the weekend, crossing the line 16^th overall and picking up a point in the main Supersport Class.

Superteens Australia’s Gawith made it to the top step of the podium of Saturdays Race 1, following a dramatic last lap. Taking the lead at the start, Gawith led for much of the 10 lap race but came under a little pressure on the final lap. Gawith fought back and despite dropping to second, he forced his way back past and into the lead, taking the win by 0.084secs.

Kalvin Kelly was next Rookie home in fifth, with Chloe Jones sixth and Henry Snell seventh. Darragh O’Mahony was 14^th, with Charlotte Marcuzzo, Floris Schipper and Jay Yeldham 18^th, 19^th and 20^th respectively.

Race 2 and it was Kelly who got the best start from the front row and took the lead. But Gawith was on a charge and powered through from the third row to hit the front before the end of the first lap, as Kelly and Jones settled in behind.

In a hard-fought race where the top five stuck together all the way, Kelly eventually found himself in a tough scrap with another rider at the front, the lead swapping several times between them.

Soon Gawith was back in front but he wasn’t able to make it a double as he lost out in the last lap scrap. Eventually, it was rival James Cook who took the win, as Kelly finished second and just 0.055secs behind in second, with Jones third, just 0.262secs adrift.

Gawith ended up fifth in the last lap melee, as Snell crossed the line eighth, O’Mahony 15^th, Marcuzzo 18^th, Schipper 19^th and Yeldham 21^st.

The ROKiT Rookies Superteens excitement continued on Sunday for Race 3 and a case of leaving the best till last as Saturday’s winner Gawith and team-mate Kalvin Kelly flew off the line up to second and third and Gawith quickly found his way to the front.

What followed was a hard-fought battle between six riders, the lead changing several times every lap, with both Gawith and Kelly in the mix. Chloe Jones, meanwhile, recovered from a bad start to catch the leading pack and also got involved in the closing laps.

On the final lap, Gawith was running second and made a move for the lead, dicing with rival James Cook all the way round, as the pair continued to swap places. As they approached the line, the Australian pushed all the way but was denied the win by a mere 0.007secs.

Kelly ended up fifth, still less than half a second off the leader as Jones powered to a new lap record of 1min 36.389secs on her final lap to cross the line sixth. Henry Snell also banked a top 10 in eighth place, with Darragh O’Mahony 13^th and Charlotte Marcuzzo, Floris Schipper and Jay Yeldham coming home 18^th, 19^th and 20th respectively.

Today’s result means Kelly leaves Brands Hatch with a 13-point lead in the championship, with Gawith third. Content supplied by ROKit Rookies

For Press Coverage please email Kerrie McFadden: info@firstturnmedia.co.uk

Gajser & De Wolf Add to The History of Loket at The Mxgp of Czech Republic

By

Frank Duggan

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July 22, 2024

With temperatures nearly matching those at the previous two GPs in Indonesia, the daunting slopes of the Loketske Serpentiny circuit presented an even tougher challenge than usual for the riders, and with an incredible crowd on hand to add to the intensity, the MXGP of Czech Republic gave us a memorable weekend for round 13 of the MXGP World Championships!

With some overnight rain adding to the brilliant track preparation, the circuit overlooking the beautiful town of Loket, on the western fringes of the country, stood up to the ordeal it was put through with over 250 riders giving their all over the two GP classes and multiple EMX races.

MXGP World Championship leader Tim Gajser claimed his first ever overall Grand Prix win at the classic Czech circuit, bouncing back from third in race one to claim the second race and victory on the day for Team HRC.

MX2 saw another epic battle throughout the leading positions, and ultimately the red plate holder Kay De Wolfprevailed to take his fifth GP win of the year for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, and extend his points lead over his teammate, and first race winner, Lucas Coenen!

It was all green at the top of the morning Warm-Up time charts as the Kawasaki Racing Team saw Romain Febvre and Jeremy Seewer take the first two positions, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings in third, and yesterday’s RAM Qualifying Race winner Tim Gajser in a lowly ninth.

The green trend continued in the opening MXGP race, as Seewer fought off the challenge from Jorge Prado to claim his fourth Fox Holeshot Award of the year, with De Baets Yamaha man Benoit Paturel running in third early on! While the Frenchman was quickly pounced on by both Gajser and Herlings, Seewer led for several corners before the reigning Champ took control for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing with a forceful move at the bottom of the circuit! Behind them, Herlings passed Gajser to move into third halfway around the lap, then muscled his way past Seewer to claim second and give chase to Prado!

On the second lap, Gajser also made a move on Seewer, so the big three were out in command once more. As we have seen before this season, Prado is amazing at riding under pressure, not making a mistake to allow his rivals an easy overtake. Herlings was finding this as he tried time and again to pass the reigning World Champion.

Their efforts to better each other left Gajser a lonely third, and Seewer a similarly solitary fourth in a consistent ride. Paturel had to yield to Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider Calvin Vlaanderen and Febvre in the second half of the race, but still scored a fine 7th place finish, his best since October 2021!

As for the leaders, Herlings generated one of his piercing bursts of speed to fire alongside Prado and make the Spaniard back off into the next left-hander, after which “The Bullet” then powered away to win by over 8 seconds at the chequered flag. In his first visit to the track since 2018, he looked to be in dominant form.

The second race started disastrously for the Dutchman, however, as a poor jump from the gate left him having to avoid a first corner crash, then in turn two a domino effect of collisions saw him on the floor!

His main rivals were soon first and second, as Prado rediscovered his starting touch to claim his twelfth Fox Holeshot Award of the year, and Gajser soon moved past Vlaanderen to grab second! Febvre was a solid fourth ahead of Fantic Factory Racing’s Brian Bogers, back from his Indonesian shoulder dislocation, and Team Ship To Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz veteran Valentin Guillod.

All eyes were on Herlings, however, as he sliced through to twelfth on the second lap, before tripping over the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP machine of a sliding Andrea Bonacorsi, clipping the Italian’s back wheel and tipping over again!

Undaunted, the Dutchman was back with the same rider two laps later, and continued to advance this time! As Seewer recovered from his poor start, he clashed with Bogers, who fell from fifth as a result, and suddenly Herlings was up to sixth spot and getting a pit board of “17 seconds to the leader!” He passed Seewer on lap seven, then crossed the gap to Febvre by lap 14 and made an easy pass for fourth as the Frenchman struggled with a bike problem.

Meanwhile, Gajser had taken the lead, after out-foxing his rival with an inside pass on the cambered corner before the Pit Lane, then actually banging bars as they passed their pit boards! The Slovenian held the inside line and took the lead, to the roar of the many fans who had made the trip up from his homeland! Prado seemed to have no answer, and on a circuit where he had never had overall success before, “Tiga” won the race by three seconds to secure his 48th career Grand Prix victory!

Once more, Herlings stole the limelight as he attacked Vlaanderen on the final two laps, raising excitement with two near crashes as he closed to within striking distance! Ultimately, the Yamaha man held on for third in the race to give him fourth overall, and Herlings had to settle for third on the podium behind Prado and winner Gajser. It was a stunning Grand Prix all around that anyone present will remember for a long time to come.

They now head to the MXGP of Flanders, where Prado and Herlings will dispute that “King of Sand” title once again, but Gajser now has a 36-point lead over the Spaniard and is no slouch in the soft stuff himself! What will happen next in this titanic battle for the world title?!

Tim Gajser: “It’s a big one! Especially when you do it on a track where you always struggle you know. Since I’m coming here, I never enjoyed riding that track due to its characteristics. But this first win in many times trying is special. A big thank you to the team as we made many changes to the bike, and it was working great. I was feeling good. Again huge thank you to all my team and everyone around me and yeah it’s a special one!”

Jorge Prado: “I mean, I would say three P2s this weekend starting from Saturday so pretty consistent result-wise. I know I’ve been struggling here a lot with traction and stuff. I didn’t ride very comfortable but tried my best and give it all. I finished P2 and that’s the best I could manage with good points in the Championship. But of course I’m not super happy because w want to catch up on Tim (Gajser) and we lost some points again but it is what it is and the sand riding is coming up. I trained on the sand and grew up riding sand so I’m really looking forward to Lommel next weekend and make a good bounce back.”

Jeffrey Herlings: “The first lap for me was maximum chaos. I mean, Gudagnini crashed in the first turn and I went over him and was still in it in tenth or something and then on the second turn somebody braked and suddenly I hit his rear wheel and crashed. I was dead last and made up 15 places I think and then Bonacorsi got a high-sider line and I turn to go inside and hit his rear wheel again, went over the bar again. But I came back from last again but and nearly made it to third. I got this close. Third overall in the end today which is okay but next one is Lommel and look forward to it!” “

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:28.261; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:08.082; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:10.394; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:20.053; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:35.095; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:46.623; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:49.544; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:53.690; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:57.355; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, Fantic), +1:03.997

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:31.253; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:03.031; 3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:04.360; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:09.534; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:38.391; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:40.718; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:45.949; 8. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), +1:14.162; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +1:15.674; 10. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +1:16.965

MXGP Overall – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 45 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 44 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 43 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 33 p.; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 31 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 26 p.; 8. Brent Van doninck (BEL, HON), 23 p.; 9. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 22 p.; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, FAN), 20 p.

MXGP – World Championship – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 663 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 627 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 608 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 471 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 451 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 389 p.; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 363 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 283 p.; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 273 p

MXGP – Manufacturers Classification: 1. Honda, 680 points; 2. GASGAS, 627 p.; 3. KTM, 620 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 552 p.; 5. Yamaha, 509 p.; 6. Fantic, 415 p.; 7. Husqvarna, 205 p.; 8. Beta, 149 p

It looked like reigning Champion Andrea Adamo was going to get a confidence lift with the fastest time in Warm-Up, until RAM Qualifying Race winner Lucas Coenen dropped the hammer, and his lap time, on his very last run to claim the top time by 1.9 seconds. It was an ominous notification of what the teenage Belgian had in his locker heading into the afternoon’s races.

The first race began with Sacha Coenen taking yet another holeshot, in front of his two Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammates, Adamo and Liam Everts! Sadly though, at the start of the second lap, Bike It MTX Kawasaki rider Jack Chambers crashed in front of the Pit Lane and the race had to be stopped as he was treated for concussion. We all wish him the best for a speedy recovery.

On the restart, Sacha Coenen once more emerged in front to claim his twelfth Fox Holeshot Award of the season, this time with his brother Lucas, who had been buried in the pack before the restart, right in his wheel tracks in second. Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 star Rick Elzinga was up into third and looking good on a surface which is not his usual favourite.

On the third lap, Lucas Coenen moved past Sacha into the lead, then the KTM-mounted twin hit the floor to lose second place to Elzinga!

Simon Laengenfelder held third for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, urged on by his many fans who had made the short trip over the nearby German border! However, Everts battled past him after a couple of attempts, before making a particularly sweet pass on Elzinga! Sadly, the Belgian fell a lap later, and would have to settle for fifth at the flag. Elzinga slipped back to sixth as Sacha Coenen crashed out of the race on lap 12!

In the frantic battle, Mikkel Haarup had worked his way up to third for Monster Energy Triumph Racing, behind Laengenfelder, but a late charge from Kay de Wolf led to a last lap pass by the red plate holder. Nobody could stop Lucas Coenen, however, who won by nearly ten seconds at the flag.

Race two was like a representation of the whole MX2 series so far, with frantic action all through the pack! Passes and crashes were taking place almost every lap, but somehow the series leader prevailed to take the victory again!

The first strange occurrence was no holeshot for Sacha Coenen. Instead, it was Everts who claimed the Fox Holeshot Award this time, only his third of the series, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 new boy Karlis Reisulis held second early on, before being passed by Haarup on the first lap. Everts suddenly fell on the first corner of the second lap, but recovered quickly enough to re-pass Haarup on the big right-hander alongside the start straight!

That corner would be a problem for Haarup, as he was later passed there by both Laengenfelder and Lucas Coenen, on his way to a fifth-place finish. De Wolf had advanced steadily, past an impressive Reisulis on lap six, then Haarup a lap later. He had pressure from his teammate, who had started poorly, until Lucas collided with the bank coming out of turn two and crashed heavily!

Laengenfelder reeled in Everts, to take a loudly cheered leading position from lap eight, and he looked in control on his favoured hard-pack, but De Wolf suddenly lit the afterburners, battling back and forth with Everts for second place! Finally getting the pass to stick on lap 13, their battle had brought them to Laengenfelder’s rear wheel, and with a stunning move on lap 15 the Dutchman took a convincing win in brilliant style, depriving the German of his first GP victory of the year in the process!

With Everts third, Lucas took fourth from Haarup to finish third overall. With the deep sand track of Lommel on the horizon, the battle between the top two in the series, the battling Nestaan Husqvarna teammates, could prove to be sensational in what is the Belgian’s home GP! With 46 points between them the fight is still far from over!

The MXGP of Flanders is a mouth-watering prospect, and with the two Championship scraps finely poised, you do not want to miss a single wheel turning! Tune in, or better still join us in person, on the 27th & 28th of July!

Kay de Wolf: “It was amazing to get the victory. I was a bit emotional on that podium. From last year I was in so much pain standing on the podium and also in 2018 when I missed the EMX85 win and finished 2nd so I’m so happy to finally get the win here as this place is amazing. I couldn’t do it without this team. They do a great job! My mechanics yesterday had to do so much job to the bike as it was in bad shape after my crash so big shout out to them, I appreciate it a lot!”

Simon Laengenfelder: “It was a good one! Nice to bounce back with a good physical and fitness level. It’s a shame to miss on the win in the second race but Kay was just a little bit faster. We need to work a little bit more but we make small steps in the right direction ad hopefully we’ll be at the top soon”

Lucas Coenen: “For the first race nothing to say as it was good. In the second race, my stsart was good but got pushed wide from the inside found myself far but I came back well and was behind Kay (de Wolf) and wanted to pass him. It was a bit sketchy at some points but then I crashed and try to come back as fast as possible. Now we don’t quit and want to go to Lommel to win so see you next week! ”

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), 33:54.414; 2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:09.949; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:13.583; 4. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:14.509; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:18.042; 6. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:38.431; 7. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:54.060; 8. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:55.518; 9. Jens Walvoort (NED, KTM), +1:03.390; 10. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +1:07.250

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 33:54.288; 2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:01.958; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:07.745; 4. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:20.685; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:24.107; 6. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:33.127; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:41.648; 8. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:50.473; 9. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:59.328; 10. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +1:06.484

MX2 Overall – Top 10 Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 45 points; 2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 44 p.; 3. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 43 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 34 p.; 6. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 30 p.; 7. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 27 p.; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 25 p.; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 24 p.; 10. David Braceras (ESP, FAN), 20

MX2 – World Championship Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 626 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 580 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 560 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 515 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 457 p.; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 433 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 382 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 362 p.; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 236 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 229 p

MX2 – Manufacturers Classification: 1. Husqvarna, 704 points; 2. KTM, 638 p.; 3. GASGAS, 567 p.; 4. Triumph, 461 p.; 5. Yamaha, 443 p.; 6. Honda, 264 p.; 7. Kawasaki, 261 p.; 8. Fantic, 191 p.; 9. TM, 39 p

MXGP OF CZECH REPUBLIC QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1586m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 29°

Weather conditions: Sunny

Crowd Attendance: 37,000

For more news check out our dedicated MXGP/MX2 News page

Or visit the official MXGP website mxgp.com

©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of www.mxgp.com

OMG! Vickers Reigns Supreme as Monster Energy King of Brands

By

Matt Anthony

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July 21, 2024

Ryan Vickers capped off an extraordinary weekend at Brands Hatch by securing his third victory of the round, cementing his status as the Monster Energy King of Brands. The OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing rider’s flawless performance marked his first career triple win in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

From the start, Vickers demonstrated his dominance, launching into the lead and steadily building a gap to the chasing pack. His impeccable pace and consistency allowed him to cross the finish line 3.073 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, setting a new lap record of 1:25.224 in the process.

Behind Vickers, an intense battle raged for the remaining podium positions. Christian Iddon on the Oxford Products Racing Ducati fought his way through the field to claim an impressive second place. Iddon’s teammate, Kyle Ryde, completed the podium, making it a fantastic day for the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing team with two bikes in the top three.

Reigning champion Tommy Bridewell put in a strong performance to finish fourth, narrowly missing out on a podium spot. Andrew Irwin rounded out the top five after being involved in several thrilling battles throughout the race.

One of the standout performances came from Glenn Irwin, who showcased remarkable determination and skill. Starting from 23rd on the grid following a crash in race two, Irwin carved his way through the field to finish seventh, crucially maintaining his second place in the championship standings.

The race was marked by close battles and overtaking throughout the field. Jason O’Halloran, Charlie Nesbitt, and Leon Haslam completed the top ten, while Danny Kent and Danny Buchan showed resilience to finish 15th and 16th respectively after earlier setbacks.

Vickers’ triple victory not only cements his position as a top contender in the championship but also marks a significant milestone in his career. The performance of the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing team throughout the weekend highlights their strength and sets the stage for an exciting continuation of the season.

As the Bennetts British Superbike Championship moves forward, all eyes will be on whether Vickers can maintain this incredible form and how his rivals will respond to this dominant display at Brands Hatch.

Top 10 Results:

Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) – 28:36.586
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +3.073s
Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) +3.322s
Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +4.316s
Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing UK) +8.015s
Lee Jackson (MasterMac Honda) +9.997s
Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) +12.599s
Jason O’Halloran (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) +12.752s
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) +13.012s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) +13.970s

Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:

Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) 217
Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) 198
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 193
Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) 185
Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) 148
Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) 146
Jason O’Halloran (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) 128
Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) 122
Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing UK) 105
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) 98

Ten out of ten for Toprak Razgatlioglu

By

Frank Duggan

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July 21, 2024

Toprak Razgatlioglu enjoyed a perfect weekend at Autodrom Most. The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider now holds a 64 point championship advantage after his tenth consecutive victory.

Tissot Superpole Race Highlights
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) led the opening three laps of the Superpole Race. Once the Italian was overtaken by Razgatlioglu he settled into a battle with his teammate Alvaro Bautista. On the final lap Bautista crashed while attempting an overtake at the first corner. Bulega was forced to avoiding action and rode through the gravel trap. He returned to the track in second position and held that to the flag.

Bautista’s crash led to his first retirement of the season. The double WorldSBK champion endured a pointless day at Most and now falls 104 points behind Razgatlioglu in the championship standings.

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) climbed his seventh podium of the campaign. After crashing in Race 1 the Englishman bounced back to be rewarded with a podium and a front row start for Race 2.

A last lap one position penalty for Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) dropped the Dutchman to ninth position and the final points paying position.

Race 2 Highlights.
Razgatlioglu’s tenth victory in a row was as commanding as expected. Taking the lead from Bulega with a move on lap 4 he eventually opened a lead of three seconds as the chequered flag marked the end of a 22 lap race.

Bulega further cemented his position as second in the championship with his tenth runner-up finish of the season. The Italian ended the race over three seconds behind Razgatlioglu.

With a hard fought third place finish Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) finished on the podium for the first time since the opening round of the year in Australia. The Yamaha rider enjoyed a race long battle with Michael van der Mark and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team).

Gardner made it three top five finishes at the Czech Round with a fifth place finish in Race 2. It was the Australian’s best round since Assen.

A first corner crash saw Bautista and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) removed from the proceedings after they clashed with each other. The Italian rider is now four points behind Andrea Iannone in the battle for Independent honours with the Team GoEleven rider recovering from being forced wide by the crash at turn one. He dropped to 18th position but eventually finished in ninth position.

Key Points:
Pole position: Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
Race 1 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu
Race fastest lap: Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’32.100s

P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“I’m really happy. I want to thanks my team, we did an incredible job this weekend. In every session we improved and finally, we were really strong. In Race 2 I was not pushing hard because I needed to save the rear tyre. Finally, we won again. It’s another three wins this weekend and ten wins in total for us now! I am looking at the record for consecutive wins and I still need two more for this. Thanks to all fans and see you next year.”

P2 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“I did the maximum again today. I didn’t make any mistakes but it was difficult today, Toprak was again very fast. I started well and I tried to follow him and to open a gap to the riders behind. It’s another P2 and I’m happy.”

P3 | Andrea Locatelli | Pata Prometeon Yamaha
“We’re back on the podium. We’ve been working really hard. During this weekend, honestly, the confidence with the bike was not really quite high. It was difficult but the guys worked really hard yesterday and this morning, and they give me an incredible bike.”

DNF | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“In Race 2 I had a really good start. I was like a rocket because I arrived to first corner in third or fourth place. I saw Toprak and Nicolo in front of me and then when I went into the corner, I saw Gardner on the inside. I had just to keep the line to not touch him but at that moment someone hit me and I crashed. I reviewed the image on the TV. And, it’s clear that there is not too much space for Petrucci, but he was behind, so he has to take care about others in front of him, no? This kind of corner is very tricky because we arrive very fast from the start and then we brake too hard. I was a bit unlucky but fortunately physically I’m ok. We are not performing like last year. This weekend something changed and we improved the feeling a lot for the next races. We now at least have a base for starting the next races.”

WorldSBK Race 1 Results
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +3.239
3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +5.462s
4. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +6.569s
5. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +8.529s
6. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +12.577s

Championship Standings
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 303 points
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 239 points
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 199 points

WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race Results
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +3.812s
3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 4.251s

For more info checkout our dedicated World Superbike News page World Superbike News

Or visit the official World Superbike website WorldSBK.com

©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of WorldSBK.com

Huertas dominates the Czech weekend

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 21, 2024

Having started from third position on the grid Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) dominated proceedings at Most.

The Spaniard took the lead on lap five and took advantage of a three rider scrap behind to open a commanding lead. He now holds a 46 point advantage from Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team).

Montella finished on the podium after Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) was given a one place penalty for taking a short cut on the final lap.

Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) claimed a second podium of the weekend but improved on his Race 1 third place finish with a runner-up finish to Huertas. The Yamaha rider claimed his 30th career podium.

Key Points:
Pole position: Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
Race 2 winner: Adrian Huertas
Race fastest lap: Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 1’35.083s

P1 | Adrian Huertas | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team
“The race was incredible. We had amazing pace today. The temperatures were really high and even with this we managed to be there fighting at the front. We managed the tyre really well and I was able to push until the end. I had a constant pace until the end and I could keep pushing. It helps to keep the concentration by pushing hard. I’m really happy about how we are growing and how the team has worked this weekend. I want to continue like this.”

WorldSSP Race 2 Results
1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +2.821s
3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +7.721s
4. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +8.000s
5. Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +13.766s
6. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +16.924s

Championship Standings
1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 236 points
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 190 points
3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 183 points

For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/

Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com

©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of <WorldSBK.com/a>

Double victory for Veneman after last lap penalty for Iglesias

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 21, 2024

Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) made it two for two at Autodom Most after an action packed WorldSSP300 race.

The 12 lap race saw crashes from the lead group but the race turned following a last lap penalty for Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki).

Iglesias was given a penalty for irresponsible riding on the main straight on the final lap. With Veneman trying to chase down Iglesias on the final lap it came down to a slipstream battle for the win. Veneman was pushed towards the pit wall and the FIM Stewards adjudged it to be a dangerous move after the Kawasaki riders made contact with each other.

A tyre pressure infringement saw Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) start from the back of the grid. The Indonesian rode fantastically to move into the points in the early laps and then made progress into the top ten and eventually the podium. On the last lap Mahendra led a ten rider group across the line.

Iglesias continues to lead the championship. Mahendra is 19 points adrift with double Most winner Veneman a further four points back.

Key Points:
Pole position: Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki)
Race 2 winner: Loris Veneman
Race fastest lap: David Salvador (MS Racing) – 1’45.922s

P1 | Loris Veneman | MTM Kawasaki
“I couldn’t have imagined a better weekend. It was a hard battle because with four laps to go, there was a big crash in front of me. I had to slow down and avoid it and I lost 1.5 or 2 seconds to Inigo. With 2 laps to go I had caught up and in the end in the end I took the win. I’m really happy! Of course, the Championship is always the goal. And now I’m even closer in the standings than I was yesterday! I’ll try my best to do in Portimao.”

WorldSSP300 Race 2 Results
1. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki)
2. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.009s
3. Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) +2.479s
4. Bruno Ieraci (Team ProDina Kawasaki) +2.517s
5. David Salvador (MS Racing) +2.533s
6. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +2.555s

Championship Standings
1. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) 129 points
2. Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) 110 points
3. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) 106 points

For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport 300 News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport-300/

Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com

©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of WorldSBK.com/

Honda makes it 30 wins at sweltering Suzuka as Team HRC scores a home EWC hat-trick

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 21, 2024

Team HRC with Japan Post hit back from its Top 10 Trial defeat on Saturday to complete the 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race on Sunday with a third consecutive victory – the 30th for Honda – in Japan’s round of the FIM Endurance World Championship.

Starting in third position on the packed grid, lead rider Takumi Takahashi began to inch ahead halfway through his first stint before team-mates Teppei Nagoe and MotoGP star Johann Zarco combined to secure first place ahead of Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team and Suzuki-powered Yoshimura SERT Motul.

However, Team HRC’s winning margin was a slender 7.860s after a 40-second penalty was applied due to a pitstop infringement in what proved to be an anxious finish for the squad as darkness fell.

“I feel totally relieved and honestly very exhausted,” Takahashi said. “I’m very happy to have won my sixth Suzuka 8 Hours and for Honda their 30th win. I really need to thank my team-mates who are two fantastic riders, all of us together were able to accomplish our goal.”

For 34-year-old Japanese rider Takahashi, the result marked a record sixth victory in the Suzuka 8 Hours, the first coming back in 2010. Another record was set with both Team HRC and YART covering 220 laps to beat the previous benchmark of 219 set by Team Cabin Honda in 2002.

“Now I’ve done six wins the only way is up and I wish to continue,” Takahashi said. “I hope I get an offer next season and in which case I will be here. But I wasn’t focused on my sixth win, I just wanted to get a gap and keep a good average pace. In my last stint I was a bit too relaxed maybe, it was hard to focus towards the end in the dark and I was getting cramps. In the last lap, at the 130R corner, I rode over a yellow armband, which a rider must have dropped, I almost slipped and that was a bit scary.”

Following his EWC debut win on his first Suzuka appearance, Zarco said: “I feel good because when you fix this target and you have the victory it’s a big relief. I feel happy, proud and it gives big satisfaction. I’ve been very impressed by the pace of Takumi and his control of the race. I’m so happy with the progress Teppei made form the test to the race. The three riders were necessary for this victory because with the heat we all needed to control the energy.”

Having arrived in Japan one point behind Yoshimura SERT Motul in the 2024 championship standings, YART will return to its Austria base with an advantage of six points after it bagged five points for winning Saturday’s Top 10 Trial, plus 24 points for its first Suzuka podium courtesy of riders Niccolò Canepa, Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika.

Canepa had led after overtaking early pacesetter Markus Reiterberger (BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team) just before the completion of the opening lap but reckoned his “gamble” to fit a soft-compound front tyre counted against him as the opening stint unfolded amid track temperatures just short of 60 degrees centigrade.

“I realised we chose the wrong front tyre and I realised immediately I didn’t have a good feeling with the bike.” Canepa said. “I tried to stay in front as much as I can because I knew if they passed me, they would go away and I tried to pass back every time they passed me until Takahashi-san was too fast to pass him back. He did an amazing first stint and I regret that it was partly my mistake to choose this front tyre because I would like to have fought with him longer. I think we had the package to do it.”

Ducati Team Kagayama’s Ryo Mizuno also held top spot during a frenetic opening hour with first place switching between the #2 machine, Takahashi’s #30 entry and Canepa’s #1 bike.

In its first Suzuka 8 Hours with Ducati power, Team Kagayama lost vital ground when Hafizh Syahrin was delayed restarting the Panigale V4R at the first round of pitstops. Having slipped out of contention for second place, Ducati Team Kagayama then became embroiled in a thrilling battle for third with Yoshimura SERT Motul, which wasn’t decided until the final 30 minutes of racing.

Despite the latter losing ground after serving a ride-through penalty – handed out when it emerged the fuel tank cover cap hadn’t been replaced following a pitstop – Japan’s Cocoro Atsumi, who learned to ride at Suzuka Circuit in his youth, produced a spectacular final stint to take third place as the clock ticked down. He was joined on the podium by team-mates Dan Linfoot and Moto2 rider Albert Arenas, a Suzuka rookie prior to Friday morning’s Free Practice.

“I’m really happy to be here on the podium for the first time,” Atsumi said. “I’ve been with Yoshimura SERT Motul as a fourth rider and I’ve been checking and learning a lot. I was asked to join this race and I’m very pleased to have this opportunity. We’re fighting for the championship with YART and finishing in third position means the gap is small and we’ll be in a good position at the Bol d’Or to keep fighting for the championship.”

As he did in the 8 Hours of Spa Motos last month, Markus Reiterberger swept into an early lead. But the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team rider couldn’t keep the chasing Canepa at bay and was behind at the entry to the chicane before the opening lap was done. The Belgian squad, which qualified a Suzuka-best fourth finished a Suzuka-best fifth.

The F.C.C. TSR Honda France trio of Mike Di Meglio, Josh Hook and Alan Techer spent the race adapting to their 2024-specification bike, which they were using in competition for the first time. An electronics issue, falls for Hook and Di Meglio and a stop and go penalty, which was issued after work was carried out on the #5 machine during refuelling, left the 2022 EWC title-winning team a distant 34th to compound a frustrating season so far.

Tati Team Beringer Racing’s first Suzuka 8 Hours with Honda power netted 15th to strengthen its status as the EWC’s top independent team, while KM 99 achieved its target of a top 10 finish in 10th place. Motobox Kremer Racing failed to cover more than 15 laps of its 10th Suzuka 8 Hours.

It was a challenging Suzuka 8 Hours for Kawasaki Webike Trickstar. After Grégory Leblanc was ruled out of the race through injury following a crash in this morning’s Warm-Up, Christian Gamarino and Román Ramos were set to race as a pair until Ramos was taken ill, leading to a lengthy stop before the team eventually returned to the track.

Team Suzuki CN Challenge won the Experimental class in a fine eighth overall with a factory-supported GSX-R1000R CN SPEC, which used 40 per cent bio-sourced sustainable ELF Moto R40 FIM fuel, plus other eco-friendly products. They included a bio-sourced base oil from Motul, a catalytic converter developed by Yoshimura, low-dust brake pads from Sunstar Engineering, tyres from Bridgestone with an increased ratio of recycled materials, front and rear fenders made from a natural flax fibre supplied by Bcomp, plus bodywork provided by JHI and utilising recycled carbon materials.

TONE RT SYNCEDGE 4413 BMW TAKES SUPERSTOCK GLORY
Rookie Hannes Soomer helped TONE RT Syncedge 4413 BMW to victory in the Dunlop-equipped FIM Endurance World Cup, which included the Suzuka 8 Hours on its schedule for the first time. Partnered by Japanese riders Tomoya Hoshino and Ainosuke Yoshida, the Estonian was making his Suzuka debut and overcame a late gear issue to triumph ahead of Team Étoile, which beat Taira Promote Racing to second place on the final lap by 2.213s.

“I came here on Tuesday for the first time and now I’ve ended up winning.” Soomer said. “Every motorcycle racer wants to be on this podium and now I’m on the first step I’m very, very happy.”

Teramoto@J-Trip Racing’s bid to convert its Superstock pole position into victory unravelled when Takeru Murase inflicted substantial damage by crashing at Turn 8 after 30 minutes. National Motos Honda FMA finished fifth but a crash for Gino Rea exiting the second Degner Curve in the opening 20 minutes dropped Wójcik Racing Team out of contention.

WHAT’S NEXT? Circuit Paul Ricard hosts the season-deciding Bol d’Or from 12-15 September.

For more info check out our dedicated Endurance World Championship News page Endurance World Championship

or visit the official Endurance World Championship website fimewc.com

©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of Endurance World Championship

Mossey Dominates in Record-Breaking Superstock Victory at Brands Hatch

By

Matt Anthony

-

July 21, 2024

Luke Mossey put on a masterclass performance in the second Pirelli National Superstock race at Brands Hatch, securing a dominant win and setting multiple lap records in the process. The Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles Honda rider showcased blistering pace throughout the 14-lap contest, finishing 2.759 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.

Starting from third on the grid, Mossey made a strong start and quickly positioned himself among the frontrunners. As the race progressed, he seized the lead and began to pull away from the chasing pack. Lap after lap, Mossey continued to lower the circuit record, demonstrating the potent combination of his riding skill and the performance of his Honda machine.

Yesterday’s winner, Tom Ward, had to settle for second place on this occasion. The Armada Marine Cables Racing rider put in a solid performance but was unable to match Mossey’s relentless pace at the front.

Championship leader Davey Todd showed his consistency and race craft, securing the final podium position. Despite starting from fifth on the grid, Todd managed to work his way through the field to finish third, further extending his lead in the championship standings.

Joe Talbot brought his SAF INTRADISC Honda by JR Performance home in fourth place, while Jamie Perrin rounded out the top five on his Jamie Perrin/Team APS machine, both riders showcasing strong pace throughout the race.

The race was notable not only for Mossey’s dominance but also for the high level of competition throughout the field, with several intense battles further down the order keeping spectators on the edge of their seats.

Mossey’s victory and record-breaking performance will undoubtedly boost his confidence as the season progresses, while Todd’s podium finish demonstrates why he’s leading the championship. As the Pirelli National Superstock championship moves to its next round, the competition looks set to intensify further.

Top 5 Results:

Luke Mossey (Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles) – 20:21.183
Tom Ward (Armada Marine Cables Racing) – +2.759s
Davey Todd (Cheshire Mouldings BMW by TAS Racing) – +3.447s
Joe Talbot (SAF INTRADISC Honda by JR Performance) – +5.240s
Jamie Perrin (Jamie Perrin/Team APS) – +12.113s

With Mossey setting a new lap record of 1:26.555, the bar has been raised for future races at Brands Hatch. As the championship continues, all eyes will be on whether other riders can rise to this new benchmark and challenge for victory in the coming rounds.

Vickers Doubles Up in Dramatic Brands Hatch Sprint

By

Matt Anthony

-

July 21, 2024

Ryan Vickers continued his dominant form at Brands Hatch, securing his second victory of the weekend in a truncated and incident-filled Bennetts British Superbike Championship sprint race. The OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing rider showcased his prowess once again, holding off stiff competition to extend his winning streak.

The race began with high drama as a multi-rider incident unfolded at Paddock Hill Bend on the opening lap. Championship contenders Glenn Irwin, Danny Kent, and Danny Buchan were all caught up in the melee, forcing them out of the race and bringing out the BMW Safety Car. The situation escalated further when Luke Hedger crashed at Hawthorns, leading to a red flag and a race restart.

With the race distance reduced to just five laps, Vickers wasted no time in stamping his authority on the proceedings. He led from the start and managed to keep a charging Tommy Bridewell at bay. Bridewell, on the Honda Racing UK machine, pushed hard but had to settle for second place, crossing the line 1.188 seconds behind Vickers.

Kyle Ryde made it a fantastic day for OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing by securing the final podium position, just 0.049 seconds behind Bridewell. This result highlighted the strength of the Yamaha package around the challenging Brands Hatch GP circuit.

Andrew Irwin continued Honda Racing UK’s strong showing with a solid fourth-place finish, while Leon Haslam brought his ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad home in fifth, demonstrating the competitiveness across multiple manufacturers.

Christian Iddon was the highest-placed Ducati rider in sixth, with Lee Jackson, Josh Brookes, Franco Bourne, and Charlie Nesbitt rounding out the top ten.

The shortened race format added an extra layer of intensity to the proceedings, with riders having to balance aggression with caution in the limited laps available. Vickers’ ability to lead from the front and manage the race in these challenging conditions further cements his growing reputation in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

As the dust settles on this dramatic sprint race, attention now turns to the final race of the weekend, where Vickers will be aiming for a clean sweep and his rivals will be desperate to halt his momentum.

Top 5 Results:

Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) – 7:11.170
Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) – +1.188s
Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) – +1.237s
Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing UK) – +2.566s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) – +2.749s

With the championship battle intensifying and Vickers finding exceptional form, the final race of the Brands Hatch round promises to be a thrilling spectacle for British Superbike fans.

Ward Claims Maiden Victory in Dramatic Superstock Race at Brands Hatch

By

Matt Anthony

-

July 21, 2024

In a thrilling and unpredictable Pirelli National Superstock Championship race at Brands Hatch, Tom Ward secured his first-ever victory in the series, capitalizing on a dramatic turn of events that saw the early leaders taken out of contention.

The race began with championship leader Davey Todd asserting his dominance from pole position, quickly establishing a lead and looking set for another strong performance. However, the complexion of the race changed dramatically on lap five when Scott Swann, attempting to overtake Joe Talbot for second place, lost control of his bike. In a heart-stopping moment, Swann’s machine slid across the track, collecting the unsuspecting Todd and ending both riders’ races in an instant.

This unexpected incident threw the race wide open, with Tom Ward seizing the opportunity to take control at the front. Riding for Armada Marine Cables Racing, Ward demonstrated remarkable composure under pressure, fending off a determined challenge from Luke Mossey on the Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles Honda.

As the checkered flag fell after 14 intense laps, Ward crossed the line just 0.350 seconds ahead of Mossey, securing a hard-fought and emotional maiden victory in the Superstock class. Joe Talbot, who had been involved in the earlier incident with Swann, recovered well to round out the podium in third place, 1.812 seconds behind the winner.

Josh Owens brought his IN Competition/SENCAT Aprilia home in fourth position, showcasing strong pace throughout the race, while Matt Truelove completed the top five on his TAG Racing Honda.

The race result has significant implications for the championship standings, with Todd’s non-finish potentially opening up the title fight. However, with another race scheduled for today, Todd will have an immediate opportunity to bounce back and minimize the damage to his championship aspirations.

Ward’s victory marks a significant milestone in his career and adds another layer of excitement to an already thrilling Superstock season. As the riders prepare for today’s race, all eyes will be on how Todd responds to yesterday’s setback and whether Ward can build on his breakthrough win.

Top 5 Results:

Tom Ward (Armada Marine Cables Racing) – 20:31.892
Luke Mossey (Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles) – +0.350s
Joe Talbot (SAF INTRADISC Honda by JR Performance) – +1.812s
Josh Owens (IN Competition/SENCAT Aprilia) – +4.306s
Matt Truelove (TAG Racing Honda) – +6.530s

With such an unpredictable and action-packed race, fans are eagerly anticipating today’s contest, which promises to be another thrilling chapter in this year’s Pirelli National Superstock Championship.

RAM Qualifying Races at Loket See Victories for Gajser & L.Coenen in the MXGP of Czech Republic

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 21, 2024

The MXGP World Motocross Championships got back to tearing up European soil today as the RAM Qualifying Races took place at the Loketske Serpentiny circuit towards the western border of the Czech Republic. Bright sunshine raised the temperatures and the hard-pack circuit served up some brilliant racing for the already crowded venue as the fans really cranked up the atmosphere!

Many Slovenian supporters had made the trip to Loket to cheer on their hero Tim Gajser, and they were not disappointed as the Team HRC star snatched the lead on the opening lap and kept it until the end to extend his World Championship points gap! It also helps Tim to pull away in the race for the RAM Driving Experience in MXGP, as he has now won six times on Saturday this season!

Lucas Coenen took his third consecutive RAM Qualifying Race win for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing with a stunning performance that included multiple overtaking moves. With his teammate Kay de Wolf suffering a big crash in the early laps but recovering to sixth, the gap at the top of the table has narrowed further!

After Tim Gajser marginally took the fastest time in Free Practice ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha MXGP man Calvin Vlaanderen, the big three battled it out in Time Practice, with Jeffrey Herlings taking first gate pick for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing by only two tenths of a second. A late charge from “The Bullet” put him there ahead of Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado, as Gajser claimed third despite hitting a fence while avoiding another rider mid-way through the session.

The reigning World Champion, who has been unable to secure one of his trademark holeshots in recent weeks, delivered a timely one in the afternoon’s race to lead the way from the off! Gajser was right on his tail, however, and after passing both Vlaanderen and fast-starting Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Mattia Guadagnini, Herlings was also right in the mix as the pack powered past the pit lane on the opening lap!

This Championship battle could ultimately be decided by tiny mistakes, and right at the bottom of the circuit, near to where Gajser had a heart-stopping moment in Time Practice, it was Prado’s turn to make that mistake as he over-balanced, lost momentum, and was helpless to prevent the Honda man powering past him to take P1 away!

For several laps, the Spaniard did all he could to reverse the order, setting the fastest lap on the third circulation, but was unable to break the Slovenian’s resolve. The pair pulled away from Herlings, leaving the Dutchman to finish in a lonely third place, on his first visit to Loket since 2018. Behind them, the battle raged between Guadagnini, Vlaanderen, Seewer, and the returning Romain Febvre, who did well to claim sixth for the Kawasaki Racing Team with a pass on Guadagnini with three laps to go.

Seewer battled his way into an eventual fourth ahead of Vlaanderen, while Glenn Coldenhoff claimed eighth for Fantic Factory Racing behind Guadagnini. Valentin Guillod took ninth for Team Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz, and Italian Guiseppe Tropepe claimed his first ever RAM Qualifying Race point with tenth for Millionaire Racing Team ABF Italia.

Ultimately, Gajser was always able to keep Prado at bay, and won by 5.2 seconds to stretch his Championship advantage to 35 points, while the Spaniard now has 18 points between himself and third-placed Herlings.

With overnight rain hitting the circuit, it is anyone’s guess as to who will be triumphant in tomorrow’s thirteenth round of the MXGP World Championship!

Tim Gajser: “It was a good race, and I had a solid start placing second behind (Jorge) Prado. The track was sketchy but I made my pass at the beginning. Then we pull away with Jorge, which showed that we had a good pace. I felt my riding was good so I’m really happy and hopefully we can do the same tomorrow”

MXGP – RAM Qualifying Race – Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 24:03.130; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:05.204; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:13.449; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:25.855; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:30.460; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:33.823; 7. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:42.672; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:54.429; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +0:59.638; 10. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, Honda), +1:03.740

MXGP – World Championship Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 618 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 583 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 565 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 435 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 418 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 363 p.; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 332 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 p.; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 264 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 261 p

It looked good for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in Free Practice, with Sacha Coenen fastest ahead of Andrea Adamo, but in Time Practice it was that Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing duo once again out in front, with Lucas Coenen just 74 thousand of a second ahead of #74, the red plate holder Kay de Wolf!

As with MXGP, the MX2 class saw a familiar figure claim the holeshot in the RAM Qualifying Race, as Sacha Coenen tucked into the lead ahead of the Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing machine of Simon Laengenfelder, who was enjoying plenty of local support, just an hour away from his home over the German border!

The Husqvarna riders were on the fringe of the top ten from the gate drop, and had to battle through, as the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 teamsters Rick Elzinga and Karlis Reisulis were both in the early top five! Lucas made great early progress to end the first full lap in fifth place, while Liam Everts also battled at the sharp end for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

De Wolf had moved into sixth past Reisulis on lap two, but a lap later he was spat over the handlebars as he landed short on a tabletop and suffered a spectacular fall that he was extremely lucky to walk away from! Initially remounting in twelfth place, the Dutchman put on a stirring charge back to claim sixth at the chequered flag ahead of Reisulis, with Camden McLellan taking eighth for Monster Energy Triumph Racing. That was after his teammate Mikkel Haarup lost a points-scoring position with a crash two laps from home! Adamo also crashed to drop himself to ninth in the end, ahead of Ferruccio Zanchi, who took the final point for Team HRC in tenth.

Elzinga held on for fifth, his best finish in four GPs, but Laengenfelder could not make a pass on Sacha Coenen for the lead, and ultimately got caught by Sacha’s brother, with Everts then denying the German a top three finish with two laps to go!

This made it a Belgian 1-2-3, as Lucas passed Sacha on lap ten to take his third straight Saturday win by just over a second from his twin brother, with Everts chasing across the line less than a second down on his younger compatriots!

This closes the gap between the two Husqvarna flyers to 44 points, with De Wolf knowing that he has a real fight on his hands tomorrow with a packed field of challengers looking to strike in the hard pack before the return to sand next weekend!

Lucas Coenen: “It was a good race today. The start was not bad but my brother got ahead in the straight. During the race I made some good passes and I was a little bit aggressive so it was great and also on this track you need to be aggressive. So, good day and I’m looking forward to tomorrow!”

MX2 – RAM Qualifying Race – Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), 24:44.517; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:01.050; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:01.884; 4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:06.720; 5. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:25.056; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:32.161; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:35.942; 8. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:36.346; 9. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:46.141; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Honda), +0:48.204

MX2 – World Championship Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 581 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 537 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 516 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 479 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 457 p.; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 399 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 352 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 350 p.; 9. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KAW), 228 p.; 10. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 226 p.

MXGP OF CZECH REPUBLIC QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1586m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 28°

Weather conditions: Sunny/Cloudy

TIMETABLE

SUNDAY: 08:20 EMX2T Race 2, 09:55 EMX65 Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX85 Race 2, 12:40 MXE Race 1, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:25 MXE Race 2 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

For more news check out our dedicated MXGP/MX2 News page

Or visit the official MXGP website mxgp.com

©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of www.mxgp.com

Kennedy Edges Currie in Thrilling Supersport Sprint at Brands Hatch

By

Matt Anthony

-

July 21, 2024

In a nail-biting finish to the Quattro Group British Supersport Sprint Race at Brands Hatch, Jack Kennedy of Honda Racing UK clinched victory by the narrowest of margins, crossing the line just 0.043 seconds ahead of reigning champion Ben Currie.

The 10-lap sprint saw intense action from the start, with polesitter Currie on the Oxford Products Racing Ducati making a blistering getaway to lead into the first corner. Kennedy, starting from third, quickly dispatched Luke Stapleford at Druids to slot into second position, setting the stage for a race-long duel with Currie.

For much of the race, Kennedy shadowed Currie, never more than a few bike lengths behind. The decisive moves began on Lap 7 when Kennedy briefly took the lead, only for Currie to snatch it back the following lap. The battle continued to rage until the final lap, with the lead changing hands multiple times.

As they entered the last lap, Currie held a slim advantage, but Kennedy made a bold move at Paddock Hill Bend to regain the lead. Currie fought back, retaking first place, but a small error later in the lap gave Kennedy the opening he needed. The Honda rider seized the opportunity and managed to hold on for a thrilling victory.

Luke Stapleford brought his Macadam Triumph home in third place, completing a podium that showcased three different manufacturers. Alastair Seeley on the Binch Pro Yamaha and Richard Cooper rounding out the top five, further highlighting the competitive nature of the class.

In the Supersport Cup category, Mikey Hardie continued his impressive form at Brands Hatch, taking a convincing win. Cameron Hall and Adon Davie completed the Cup podium in second and third respectively.

The GP2 class saw Owen Jenner extend his dominant run, securing another victory ahead of Lucca Allen and Keo Walker.

This result sets up an intriguing scenario for tomorrow’s feature race, with Kennedy and Currie likely to resume their close battle. The narrow margin of victory today suggests that fans can expect another thrilling contest as the weekend concludes.

Top 5 Results:

Jack Kennedy (Honda Racing UK) – 14:48.493
Ben Currie (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) – +0.043s
Luke Stapleford (Macadam Triumph Racing) – +2.726s
Alastair Seeley (Binch Pro Yamaha) – +5.446s
Richard Cooper (Russell Racing) – +5.470s

With such close racing and multiple manufacturers in the mix, the Quattro Group British Supersport championship continues to deliver edge-of-the-seat action for fans and riders alike.

Eight wins in a row for dominant Razgatlioglu

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 20, 2024

Tissot Superpole Highlights
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) smashed the lap record during the 15 minute Superpole session. His time, 1’30.064, left him comfortably on pole position for the fourth time this season

A third front row of the season was Andrea Iannone’s reward for a superb effort in Superpole. The Team GoEleven rider matched his best qualifying performance of the season in second position

A three place grid penalty dropped Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to tenth position for Race 1. The double World Champion ended Superpole 0.953s slower than Razgatlioglu. His teammate, Nicolo Bulega, qualified off the front row of the grid for the first time in 2024

Race 1 Highlights
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) made it eight wins in a row after dominating the 22 lap race. With a winning margin of over five seconds it was a comfortable success for the Turkish star who now leads the championship by 56 points from Bulega

From the second row of the grid Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) came through to finish second. The Italian matched his career best performance in the Superbike class and claimed his second podium of the season

Having opted for the harder front tyre, Iannone rounded out the podium positions. The Italian dropped from second position to fourth position at one third distance but made his way back to the podium

Having started from the second row of the grid Bulega also opted for the harder front tyre. He had a difficult race and ended in sixth position but held on to second position in the championship standings

Having suffered a grid penalty, Bautista spent the majority of the race in sixth position before making progress in the final seven laps. He first picked off his teammate Bulega on Lap 14 and then Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) with four laps remaining

Key Points:
Pole position: Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
Race 1 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu
Race fastest lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu 1’31.540s

P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“I’m happy. We have won again and we had an amazing lap time in the Superpole session. I pushed a lot on the first lap and then I just found my rhythm. I had a very good pace in the race but during the the last five laps the front was closing, especially on the left corner. After last year, when I crashed at corner two, it’s an incredible win. I want to say thanks to my team because we did an incredible job today! We have two more races tomorrow, and that’s my focus now.”

P2 | Danilo Petrucci | Barni Spark Racing Team
“I’m really happy. I said that we could fight for the podium but when you are in the race you have to fight really hard to get that podium. At the beginning, I had a bit of trouble but then I saw that Nicolo and Andrea were a bit slower going into the corners and I tried to go ahead of them. Andrea gave me a hard time until the end. I know him very well and on the last lap it is always special with him! I tried to close the doors on that lap. I can’t believe I’m here after my motocross accident and now I’m again on the podium! I want to say thanks to everyone who helped me and we’ll try again tomorrow!”

P3 | Andrea Iannone | Team GoEleven
“I’m really happy about today because we recovered a lot from yesterday. After FP1, we were 15th in the classification. My team believed in me and I want to thank them for believing we can achieve a great result today. It was a really difficult race because the temperature was really high. With Danilo in front it made it difficult for my tyre temperature and it wasn’t easy in the braking points for corners. Danilo rode faster than me today, Toprak was unbelievable but I didn’t give up and I tried my best. We’ll try a little more tomorrow!”

WorldSBK Race 1 Results
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +5.740s
3. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +5.881s
4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +9.217s
5. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +11.622s
6. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +13.841s

Championship Standings
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 266 points
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 210 points
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 199 points

WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Results
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’30.064s
2. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +0.665s
3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.694s
4. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.793s
5. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.825s
6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.933s

For more info checkout our dedicated World Superbike News page World Superbike News

Or visit the official World Superbike website WorldSBK.com

©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of WorldSBK.com

Huertas extends championship leads with Race 1 win

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 20, 2024

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) led the opening lap before ceding the lead to Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) on lap 2 before Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) came through on lap 3 to lead until the end of the opening race of the weekend for WorldSSP.

Huertas continued his incredible form that has seen him win six of the last seven races in the class. The Ducati rider took advantage of the fight behind him to eventually lead by over three seconds. He’ll start tomorrow from the front row of the grid after setting the third fastest lap of the race.

Stefano Manzi will start Race 2 from pole position after the Yamaha man broke the lap record in Race 1. His podium, his seventh of the campaign, was hard fought after a race long battle with Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Montella.

Montella now drops 37 points adrift of Huertas in the championship standings having finished off the podium for the first time since Round 3 at the Dutch Round.

Key Points:
Pole position: Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team)
Race 1 winner: Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
Race fastest lap: Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 1’34.834s (New race lap record)

P1 | Adrian Huertas | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team
“It was a positive race for me because in the beginning I needed to battle. I was intelligent in the early laps and I knew the areas of the track where I had an advantage. It was really important to make a gap and then start to increase it step by step without making mistakes. Now we have important information for tomorrow and I think we can make more steps to improve the bike for Race 2. The most important is that we won today, and that we are first in the Championship standings.”

WorldSSP Race 1 Results
1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
2. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +3.758s
3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +3.892s
4. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +4.726s
5. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +16.411s
6. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +19.043s

Championship Standings
1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 211 points
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 174 points
3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 163 points

For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/

Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com

©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of <WorldSBK.com/a>

First win of the season for Veneman

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 20, 2024

Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) converted his position into a last lap victory at Autodrom Most.

The Dutchman went from third to first with just three corners remaining in the 12 lap race. With his rivals running wide Veneman maintained his momentum claimed the lead. The 17 year old then held his nerve to take his first win of the campaign.

Championship leader Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) led for five laps during the race but dropped to fifth position at the flag. He had been on course for the win until making a mistake while defending the lead on the final lap. It was a solid performance from the Kawasaki rider though and he extended his championship lead to 15 points from Aldi Mahendra. A double long lap penalty left the Team BrCorse rider with lots of work to do en route to an eventful eighth place finish.

The 2017 WorldSSP300 Champion Marc Garcia (KOVE Racing Team) took his first podium of the season in second position. It was a wily ride from the Spaniard as he stayed in the lead group throughout and waited until the final corner to make his move for second position.

Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) continued to impress the paddock with a superbly judged podium. The 16 year old Australian is making his World Championship debut this weekend and finished on the podium having led two laps but been a constant figure in the lead group. Thompson will start from position for Race 2 having set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap.

Key Points:
Pole position: Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki)
Race 1 winner: Loris Veneman
Race fastest lap: Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki)

P1 | Loris Veneman | MTM Kawasaki
“The race was really fast. It was difficult because it was so hot. From the beginning our group could ride really fast and have a good rhythm. The group at the front was much smaller than we usually have. On the last lap Inigo made a mistake and he almost crashed. Mirko also had to close the throttle and I could overtake them both. I got really lucky there. I’m really happy to take the victory.”

WorldSSP300 Race 1 Results
1. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki)
2. Marc Garcia (KOVE Racing Team) +0.075s
3. Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.150s
4. Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki) +0.214s
5. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.398s
6. Oliver Svendsen (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) +0.477s
Fastest lap: Carter Thompson (Kawasaki) – 1’45.666s – new lap record

Championship Standings
1. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) 109 points
2. Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) 94 points
3. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) 81 points

For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport 300 News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport-300/

Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com

©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of WorldSBK.com/

Vickers Dominates Day 2 at Brands Hatch BSB

By

Matt Anthony

-

July 20, 2024

Ryan Vickers emerged as the star of the show on day two of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch, showcasing blistering pace in both qualifying and the race.

The day began with a surprising twist in Q1, as Kyle Ryde topped the session with a 1:25.602, narrowly edging out Franco Bourne. However, it was Vickers who would have the last laugh when it mattered most.

As the lights went out for Race 1, Vickers, aboard his OMG GRILLA Yamaha, shot off the line from pole position and never looked back. The 24-year-old rider put in a masterclass performance, leading from start to finish and setting the fastest lap of the race with a blistering 1:25.167.

Vickers crossed the line 0.378 seconds ahead of Tommy Bridewell on the Honda Racing UK machine, with Andrew Irwin completing the podium, making it a fantastic day for Honda with two bikes in the top three.

The battle for the remaining podium spots was intense, with less than half a second covering the top five finishers. Glenn Irwin and Christian Iddon rounded out the top five, both on Ducatis, emphasizing the competitive nature of the field.

Notable performances came from Max Cook, who climbed from 19th on the grid to finish 13th, and Luke Hedger, who improved from 18th to 14th.

In the Pirelli National Superstock class, Lewis Rollo put in an impressive performance on his Aprilia, finishing as the highest-placed Superstock rider in 18th overall and setting the fastest lap for his class with a 1:26.538.

As the dust settles on an action-packed Race 1, all eyes now turn to tomorrow’s two races. With Vickers in such dominant form, his rivals will need to dig deep if they hope to challenge for victory on Sunday.

Top 5 Race 1 Results:

Ryan Vickers (Yamaha) – 28:38.129
Tommy Bridewell (Honda) – +0.378
Andrew Irwin (Honda) – +0.396
Glenn Irwin (Ducati) – +0.394
Christian Iddon (Ducati) – +0.390

With his commanding performance today, Vickers has thrown down the gauntlet to his competitors. Tomorrow’s races promise to be thrilling as the rest of the field looks to respond to today’s dominant display.

YART Yamaha wins Top 10 Trial to claim EWC Suzuka 8 Hours pole

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 20, 2024

Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team will start Sunday’s 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race from pole position after its dramatic victory in the Top 10 Trial, which sets the first 10 positions on the starting grid for Japan’s round of the FIM Endurance World Championship.

Marvin Fritz’s flying lap of 2m05.130s proved decisive after team-mate Karel Hanika crashed during his Top 10 Trial run. The German rider’s effort means YART, which also includes Niccolò Canepa in its line-up, can celebrate three pole positions out of three in this season’s EWC with the five points scored putting it ahead of Yoshimura SERT Motul in the race to win the 2024 EWC title.

It was also Yamaha’s first Top 10 Trial success since Yamaha Factory Team triumphed in 2017 and came after YART had finished ahead in the combined qualifying classification after Friday’s running.

Ducati Team Kagayama, consisting of Ryo Mizuno, Hafizh Syahrin and Josh Waters, completed the Top 10 Trial in second position followed by Honda-powered Team HRC with Japan Post, which is chasing a third consecutive victory in its home round of the EWC with riders Teppei Nagoe, Takumi Takahashi and MotoGP race winner Johann Zarco.

Having failed to progress to the Top 10 Trial in 2023, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team claimed a fine fourth as Suzuki-powered Yoshimura SERT Motul rounded out the top five.

With the Top 10 Trial reserved for the 10 fastest teams according to Friday’s combined qualifying classification, the Dunlop-supplied Superstock squads – led by pole-sitting Teramoto@J-Trip Racing – were able to spend Saturday afternoon completing their preparations for Sunday’s eight-hour race.

Although F.C.C. TSR Honda France reached the Top 10 Trial – one of four permanent EWC teams to do so – Kawasaki Webike Trickstar, KM 99, Motobox Kremer Racing and Tati Team Beringer Racing could instead reflect on encouraging performances during Friday’s running. KM 99 qualified 15th, Kawasaki Webike Trickstar 18th, Tati Team Beringer Racing 31st and Motobox Kremer Racing 43rd.

YAMAHA-POWERED FRITZ REFLECTS ON FLYING LAP
“It was an amazing lap,” 31-year-old Marvin Fritz said. “At Spa I got the lap record but normally here at Suzuka Karel and Niccolò are a bit faster. But since last year I’ve got a really good feeling, especially in the third sector where I always struggled but it’s my favourite now. The bike was perfect, we work together like we all are a big family, and this is why we are always fast, all three of us. We were celebrating before Karel crashed because we knew the pole was sure, but we were happy when we saw he was standing up and fine. The bike was damaged, but the race bike is ready and we feel comfortable and confident. The main focus in the race is to gain points in the championship. Of course a win would be nice but it’s important to have good points going to the Bol d’Or [season finale].”

Of his high-speed crash in the Top 10 Trial, Hanika said: “I just tried my maximum performance, my 100 per cent and it didn’t work out. Yamaha gave us a perfect machine for this kind of session where only one lap matters. I did my best ever first sector but to be able to go under 2m05s I had to keep going like this and I just carried too much corner speed into Turn 7. Unfortunately, I lost the front and I’m really sorry for this but the most important is Marvin could manage an amazing lap, super-smooth and super-clean, which gave us the five points for the championship.”

Ryo Mizuno, who was fastest in both Blue Rider qualifying sessions on Friday, said: “I was aiming for the pole position so I’m not so super-satisfied but with the second position we did really well. The team did a really good performance and I’m very pleased how we brought everything together. Tomorrow is the day and tonight we’ll have further meetings to plan everything for tomorrow.”

MOTOGP STAR ZARCO SAVOURS TOP 10 TRIAL
Johann Zarco will start his first Suzuka 8 Hours – and his first EWC race – in third position alongside Team HRC with Japan Post team-mates Teppei Nagoe and Takumi Takahashi. After joining Takahashi in the Top 10 Trial, the French MotoGP star said: “It was special and I like it. You feel a different stress in MotoGP but I’m pretty happy I did this experience and also I did an improvement compared to yesterday and that’s important.”

TERAMOTO@J-TRIP RACING STORMS TO SUPERSTOCK POLE
Japan-based Teramoto@J-Trip Racing was the talk of the Dunlop-supplied Superstock contingent by claiming pole position for round three of the FIM Endurance World Cup. The Suzuki-equipped outfit, featuring riders Takeshi Ishizuka, an EWC regular, Takeru Murase and Koji Teramoto, excelled during qualifying for the 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race to bank first place in class ahead of Team Étoile and Taira Promote Racing. NCXX Racing with Riders Club beat Kawasaki Plaza Racing Team to fourth position followed by TONE RT Syncedge 4413 BMW and Wójcik Racing Team, which includes Gino Rea in its line-up. Team Tatara Aprilia and points-leading National Motos Honda FMA were next with Edwin Gesundheit Racing rounding out the top 10.

The 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race is counting for the FIM Endurance World Cup for the first time, thereby giving European Superstock teams the chance to contest one of international motorcycle racing’s most iconic events. They’re benefiting from a tyre support package offered jointly by FIM Endurance World Championship promoter Warner Bros. Discovery Sports and Dunlop, the official tyre supplier to the Superstock category. Through the arrangement, 10 sets of tyres are being provided free of charge to each European Superstock team contesting the third event of the EWC season. National Motos Honda FMA, Team Étoile and Wójcik Racing Team are the beneficiaries of this incentive.

Colombi Scorches to the Top in Sportbike Practice at Brands Hatch

By

Matt Anthony

-

July 20, 2024

As the mercury soared to 30 degrees at Brands Hatch, the Pirelli National Sportbike with Moneybarn Vehicle Finance series saw intense action on track during Friday’s practice sessions. Championship leader Edoardo Colombi demonstrated his prowess by setting the fastest lap of the day, quickly adapting to the challenging Brands Hatch GP circuit.

The Italian rider, aboard his Gradara Corse Asd Aprilia RS660, clocked an impressive 1:33.289 in the afternoon session, a significant improvement from his morning time. This performance put him 0.355 seconds clear of his nearest rival, showcasing his potential for the weekend ahead.

Richard Cooper, piloting the PHR Performance Triumph Daytona 660, maintained his consistency throughout the day. After leading the morning session, Cooper ended the day second fastest, proving that he will be a force to be reckoned with as the weekend progresses.

Ash Barnes continued his strong form on the Raceways Yamaha YZF-R7, securing the third fastest time of the day and demonstrating the competitiveness of the Yamaha machinery in the series. His performance suggests he could be a potential podium contender in the upcoming races.

Aaron Silvester, riding for MIH Solutions / Macadam Racing on a Triumph Daytona 660, showed impressive pace to claim the fourth fastest time, while Zak Shelton rounded out the top five on his XMT Racing Aprilia RS660.

The sessions highlighted the competitive nature of the Sportbike class, with the top five riders separated by less than two seconds. This close competition, combined with the challenging nature of the Brands Hatch GP circuit and the scorching weather conditions, sets the stage for what promises to be an exciting qualifying session and race.

As teams and riders now focus on fine-tuning their setups, the battle for pole position is expected to be fierce, with Colombi looking to convert his practice pace into a strong grid position for the race.

Top 10 Combined Times:

Edoardo Colombi (Gradara Corse Asd Aprilia RS660) – 1:33.289
Richard Cooper (PHR Performance Triumph Daytona 660) – 1:33.644
Ash Barnes (Raceways Yamaha YZF-R7) – 1:34.383
Aaron Silvester (MIH Solutions / Macadam Racing Triumph Daytona 660) – 1:34.731
Zak Shelton (XMT Racing Aprilia RS660) – 1:34.927
Finn Smart-Weeden (Definnitive Racing Aprilia RS660) – 1:34.936
Rhys Stephenson (Rocket Racing Triumph Daytona 660) – 1:35.000
Thomas Strudwick (TS Racing Triumph Daytona 660) – 1:35.055
Caolan Irwin (Burrows Engineering / RK Racing Aprilia RS660) – 1:35.095
Harrison Dessoy (Rev2Race Yamaha YZF-R7) – 1:35.202

With such close times at the top, Saturday’s qualifying session is poised to be a thrilling spectacle as riders push their limits in pursuit of the best grid positions for the race.

Scorching Pace: Todd Leads the Way in Superstock at Brands Hatch

By

Matt Anthony

-

July 20, 2024

As temperatures soared to 30 degrees at Brands Hatch, the Pirelli National Superstock with Moneybarn Vehicle Finance riders battled not just each other but also the sweltering heat during Friday’s practice sessions. Championship leader Davey Todd emerged as the man to beat, showcasing his prowess on the Cheshire Mouldings BMW by TAS Racing machine.

The day kicked off with Luke Mossey setting the pace in FP1, piloting his Honda Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles to a 1:27.528. However, it was Todd who stole the show in the afternoon session, clocking an impressive 1:26.962 to secure the top spot in the combined times.

Tom Ward demonstrated strong form throughout the day on his Honda Armada Marine Cables Racing bike, finishing second overall with a time just 0.538 seconds behind Todd. Despite leading the morning session, Mossey couldn’t improve on his FP1 time in the afternoon heat, settling for third in the combined standings.

Matt Truelove showed consistency across both sessions, ending the day fourth quickest on his TAG Racing Honda. David Allingham rounded out the top five, showcasing the competitiveness of the BMW machinery alongside Todd.

The sessions saw close competition throughout the field, with less than a second covering the top eight riders. This sets the stage for what promises to be an intense qualifying session and race as the weekend progresses.

Scott Swann made significant improvements in FP2, jumping from seventh in the morning to sixth overall. Jamie Perrin, despite limited running in FP2, maintained a strong presence in the top ten.

As teams and riders now focus on fine-tuning their setups for qualifying, the combination of the challenging Brands Hatch GP circuit and the scorching weather conditions is sure to provide an exciting spectacle for fans.

Top 10 Combined Times:

Davey Todd (Cheshire Mouldings BMW by TAS Racing) – 1:26.962
Tom Ward (Armada Marine Cables Racing Honda) – 1:27.500
Luke Mossey (Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles Honda) – 1:27.528
Matt Truelove (TAG Racing Honda) – 1:27.830
David Allingham (SMS / Nicholls Oil Racing BMW) – 1:27.871
Scott Swann (Swann Racing Honda) – 1:27.890
Jamie Perrin (Jamie Perrin / Team APS Honda) – 1:27.906
Josh Owens (IN Competition / SENCAT Aprilia) – 1:27.946
Joe Talbot (SAF INTRADISC Honda by JR Performance) – 1:28.058
Simon Reid (Cumins by Team IWR Honda) – 1:28.075

With such tight margins at the top, Saturday’s qualifying session is poised to be a thrilling battle as riders push their limits in pursuit of pole position.

Currie Leads the Charge in Scorching Brands Hatch Practice

By

Matt Anthony

-

July 20, 2024

As temperatures soared to a sweltering 30 degrees at Brands Hatch, the Quattro Group British Supersport & GP2 / HEL Supersport Cup riders took to the track for their free practice sessions, setting the stage for an intense weekend of racing.

The day started with Honda Racing UK’s Jack Kennedy dominating the first session, clocking an impressive 1:28.614 to lead the pack. However, it was reigning champion Ben Currie who stole the show in the afternoon, piloting his Oxford Products Racing Ducati to a blistering 1:28.514 in FP2, securing the fastest time of the day.

Richard Cooper of Russell Racing demonstrated remarkable consistency, finishing fourth in FP1 and narrowly missing out on the top spot in FP2 by just 0.078 seconds. Kennedy, despite leading the morning session, had to settle for third overall after the combined times were tallied.

The Triumph contingent showed strong form, with Luke Stapleford of Macadam Triumph Racing maintaining a presence in the top five throughout the day. Eugene McManus on the ROKiT Haslam Racing Ducati made significant improvements in FP2, jumping from 13th to 5th in the combined standings.

In the GP2 class, the Kramer Racing duo of Owen Jenner and Jack Nixon traded top positions, with Jenner ultimately prevailing as the fastest GP2 rider of the day. Keo Walker on the RD Racing Triumph rounded out the GP2 top three.

The Cup class saw a consistent performance from ROKiT Rookie Mikey Hardie, who led both sessions and finished an impressive 15th overall in the combined times. Cameron Hall and Tom Tunstall completed the Cup class top three.

As the riders and teams battled not only each other but also the scorching heat, the stage is set for what promises to be an exhilarating qualifying session and race weekend at the iconic Brands Hatch circuit.

Top 10 Combined Times:

Benjamin Currie (Ducati) – 1:28.514
Richard Cooper (Yamaha) – 1:28.592
Jack Kennedy (Honda) – 1:28.614
Luke Stapleford (Triumph) – 1:29.034
Eugene McManus (Ducati) – 1:29.167
Alastair Seeley (Yamaha) – 1:29.396
Harry Truelove (Suzuki) – 1:29.410
Luke Jones (Ducati) – 1:29.464
TJ Toms (Yamaha) – 1:29.714
Rhys Irwin (Kawasaki) – 1:29.862

With such tight margins at the top, the qualifying session promises to be a thrilling spectacle as riders push their limits in pursuit of pole position.

Scorching Battle at Brands Hatch: Irwin Edges Out Competition in BSB Free Practice

By

Matt Anthony

-

July 19, 2024

As temperatures soared to 30 degrees at Brands Hatch, the competition on track was equally hot during Friday’s free practice sessions for the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. Glenn Irwin, aboard the Hager PBM Ducati, emerged as the man to beat, setting a blistering pace in the combined timesheets.

The day’s action saw an incredibly tight field, with mere fractions of a second separating the top contenders. In a dramatic final lap of the afternoon session, Irwin clinched the top spot with a time of 1:25.853, despite a heart-stopping moment when he touched the grass at Stirlings.

Tommy Bridewell, Irwin’s fierce rival from last year’s title showdown, kept the pressure on, finishing just 0.131 seconds behind on his Honda Racing UK machine. The stage is now set for another thrilling battle between these two as they prepare to face off on the Grand Prix circuit tomorrow.

Ryan Vickers, who had dominated the morning session on his OMG GRILLA Yamaha, maintained his strong form to round out the top three. The competitiveness of the field was further highlighted by the fact that five different manufacturers were represented in the top six positions.

Leon Haslam impressed on the ROKiT BMW Motorrad, securing fourth place, while Danny Kent completed the top five on his McAMS Racing Yamaha. Jason O’Halloran, adapting well to his new Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki, claimed sixth.

The day’s sessions also showcased the depth of talent in the field, with the top 17 riders separated by less than a second in the combined times. This close competition sets the stage for an intense qualifying session and opening race tomorrow.

Notable performances came from Andrew Irwin, who put a second Honda Racing UK bike in the top eight, and the veteran Josh Brookes, who secured a top-ten position for FHO Racing BMW Motorrad.

As the teams now turn their attention to fine-tuning their setups for tomorrow’s crucial qualifying session, the scorching weather and red-hot competition promise an exhilarating weekend of racing at the iconic Brands Hatch circuit.

Here’s the top 10:

Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) – 1:25.853
Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) – 1:25.984 (+0.131)
Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) – 1:25.997 (+0.144)
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) – 1:26.010 (+0.157)
Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) – 1:26.081 (+0.228)
Jason O’Halloran (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) – 1:26.189 (+0.336)
Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing UK) – 1:26.205 (+0.352)
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) – 1:26.216 (+0.363)
Lee Jackson (MasterMac Honda) – 1:26.219 (+0.366)
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) – 1:26.310 (+0.457)

Gino and his Suzuka8Hr comeback!

By

Kerrie McFadden

-

July 19, 2024

Gino And His 8hrsuzuka Comeback

Gino Rea has been having one of the greatest comeback stories of all time this year as he competes once again within the EWC FIM World Endurance Championship riding for the Wojcik Racing Team onboard a Honda Fireblade. Gino, whom faced a career threatening setback in 2022 when he was involved in a severe accident during a practice session at Suzuka which left him in a coma for 7 days along with other serious injuries. The determination and grit that has defined him throughout his career never wavered and after a long and arduous road to recovery now sees him headed back to Japan for this years Suzuka8hours.

Speaking earlier this month Gino says he has a score to settle with the track and feels that a huge weight will be lifted off his shoulder, enabling him to piece his life back together.

Gino And His 8hrsuzuka Comeback

With the support of his wife, family and fans Gino took to the Suzuka track on Wednesday for the first time since his accident and by all accounts it was a roaring success with not only the emotional unloading but also by being on the pace. P1 in the wet and a top 6 in the dry.

With practice and qualifying now out the way and the Wojcik Team qualifying 28 out 46 (7th in the stock class) Gino’s next phase of recovery starts on Sunday!

Gino And His 8hrsuzuka Comeback

It’s YART Yamaha that starts from Pole for the race with Ducati Team Kagayama and Team HRC rounding out the top 3.

Coverage will be available on Eurosport.

Kerrie McFadden | First Turn Media

Photos: D. Reygondeau via Gino

For Press features please email Kerrie McFadden info@firstturnmedia.co.uk

Toprak opens the Czech weekend in top form

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 19, 2024

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) completed 38 laps on Friday and led the way across both sessions.

The BMW rider’s time of 1’31.519 was over a tenth of a second faster than the rest of the field. An 18 lap stint at the start of Free Practice 2 will have left him well prepared for Race 1 tomorrow.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completed more laps than anyone else and ended the day pleased with his speed. Having been just one tenth of a second slower than Razgatlioglu the Ducati rider will be confident of challenging for his first win since Round 3 at Assen.

Having had his first podium as a Yamaha rider, Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) ended the day in third position. Rea was 0.514s slower than Razgatlioglu and completed 38 laps.

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) made it four different manufacturers inside the top four positions on Friday. The Englishman continues to build on his strong start to the season.

On his first visit to Autodrom Most Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) improved as the day went on. The Italian, second in the championship standings, ended the day fifth fastest. He’ll be hoping to maintain his impressive Superpole form tomorrow with a sixth consecutive front row start.

P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“My weekend started well on Friday. It looks like we are strong again. I’m very happy to be back at Most because it’s a very nice circuit. We are using the SC1 rear tyre but it;s a bit difficult because . it doesn’t have the same grip as the SC0. We made some adjustments to the bike and we’re very happy. We also tested the SC1 and SC2 front tyres and I did a race simulation. Our pace is very strong. In FP1, I tried the standard SC1 rear tyre and in FP2 I tried the new SC1 rear tyre. These two tyres are very similar, and I haven’t decided yet which is better for the race. But overall, I’m happy with today.”

P2 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“This season we are struggling a lot but today I’m really happy because we made some changes on the bike since last weekend at Donington Park and I have a good feeling with the bike again. We made some changes to the setup of the bike and it has allowed me to force the bike more. I have more feedback from the tyres and it has helped me to find the limit more. I have now started to ride the bike as I wanted to from the beginning of the season. I feel that I can do it now.”

P3 | Jonathan Rea | Pata Prometeon Yamaha
“We didn’t have any issues and I was able to go out this morning and find my feet with the Yamaha here at Most. I was impressed because the bike works quite well here, and we just had to tidy up the electronics to get the bike to stop the way I want it to. This a track where there are so many compromises you need to make. The bike needs to be agile and change direction fast. You also need it to stop really well in turn one and in the last sector. We worked well in the garage and we could use both rear tyres and understand them. We have a clear idea which one we like, but we haven’t done a lot of laps on one option but not the other. Today is a good start to the weekend and we just need to keep that ball rolling.”

WorldSBK Combined Results after FP2
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’31.519s
2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.103s
3. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.514s
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.533s
5. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.552s
6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.591s

For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/

Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com

Second pole of the season for Montella

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 19, 2024

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) claimed his second Supersport Superpole of the season with a new lap record at Most.

The Italian, also the pole sitter at Misano, has been in great form this year and will start tomorrow’s 19 lap race hoping to stop the run of four consecutive wins for Huertas.

Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was over one tenth of a second slower than Montella’s lap record pace.

Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) once again lead the Yamaha charge. For Manzi it will be his fifth consecutive front row start.

Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) registered his best qualifying performance of the season in sixth position. The MV Agusta rider is one of three riders from the Italian manufacturer inside the top ten.

P1 | Yari Montella | Barni Spark Racing Team
“It was a good day for sure. It was strange because in the morning I didn’t feel comfortable with the rear tyre. We were able to work hard during the sessions, and find a good solution to this problem. I believed we had the speed for pole position. We fought for the pole position with Huertas and tomorrow I expect it will be the same as in Donington and Misano against him. I have good pace and I feel good with the bike. We’ll try to do our best in Race 1.”

WorldSSP Tissot Superpole Results
1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’34.126s
2. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.155s
3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.383s
4. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.585s
5. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +1.019s
6. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.019s

For more info checkout our dedicated World Superbike News page World Superbike News

Or visit the official World Superbike website WorldSBK.com

First Superpole for Veneman

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 19, 2024

In a red flagged Superpole session Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) claimed his first pole position in WorldSSP300.

The Dutchman has scored points in every race so far this season but is aiming for a second career victory

The red flag came out with just over two minutes remaining in the session following a crash involving five riders. Of the crashers the highest qualifier was Marco Gaggi with the Team BrCorse rider qualifying third fastest. Race 1 will be the 20 year old Italian’s first front row start in the class

One event rider Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) stunned the field with his speed on Friday. The Australian was second fastest in Free Practice and qualified in second position too. It was an assured performance on his debut

Championship leader Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) ended the Superpole session sixth fastest

P1 | Loris Veneman | MTM Kawasaki
“The first session was really about trying to get a feel for the bike and to find my rhythm. In the Superpole, I went with Mirko [Gennai], and it worked out really well. We could ride pretty fast lap times together and I knew I had a good lap. I’m really happy with pole position and it’s also important important for me mentally. I’m much happier now. I’m ready for the race and I was able to set some fast laps on my own. I believe I can win the race.”

WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole Results
1. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) 1’46.137s
2. Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.186s
3. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +0.198s
4. Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki) +0.229s
5. Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) +0.376s
6. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.394s

For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport 300 News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport-300/

Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com

NEXX X-COM3 PRO Intercom

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 19, 2024

Tailored to fit seamlessly into NEXX adventure, touring and street helmets, the new NEXX X-COM3 PRO Bluetooth® Intercom is a game-changer for group rides and touring.

Co-developed with SENA, it features Harman Kardon Speakers, live intercom for up to 24 riders, and Advanced Noise Control™ for crystal clear comms on the road.

The X-COM3 PRO includes both Mesh Intercom™ and Bluetooth® technology. It can connect up to 24 riders within a radius up to 1.2 miles via Group Mesh, and as many as 10 riders via Bluetooth® 5.1.

Dual Device capability means the user can connect with a smartphone and GPS at the same time. Making and receiving calls, streaming music and hearing turn-by-turn directions can all be done simultaneously.

High quality Harmon Kardon Speakers and built-in built-in Advanced Noise Control™ ensure that favourite track, GPS instructions, and chat from fellow riders, are all crystal clear.

Talk times of 13 hours for Bluetooth and 8 hours for Mesh will cover a full day’s riding without having to worry about recharging, although the XCOM3 PRO can be charged on the move, so there’s no need to stop and wait.

Designed to be fully integrated into NEXX helmets, the unit clips into a recess behind a removable flap on the shell, where it sits flush, well out of harm’s way.

The battery is hidden in a compartment behind the neck roll, and the low profile earphones and wiring also sit in dedicated recesses and channels beneath the helmet lining, so there’s no awkward snagging, pulling or pressure points.

The NEXX X-COM3 PRO retails at £339.98 including VAT and is compatible with the X.WED3, X.WST3, Y.100R and Y100 helmets.

You can save 16.66% (£56.54) on the price of an X.COM3 PRO if you combine your order with a new NEXX helmet.

For full spec and colour options, visit nexx-helmet.co.uk

Who will get the most out of MOST ….Round 6 of WorldSBK

By

Kerrie McFadden

-

July 18, 2024

The World Superbike Championship moves to the Czech Republic for Round 6 of the FIM World Championship and its looking likely to be another record breaking weekend.

Alvaro Bautista is only one podium short of reaching 100, he would be the 7th rider in history at this milestone after Jonathan Rea (264 podiums), Troy Corser (130), Toprak Razgatlioglu (127), Noriyuki Haga (116), Tom Sykes (114), Carl Fogarty (109).

As the list above implies, with three podiums Razgatlioglu will equal Corser at the 2nd all-time spot and has his shot at reaching the milestone of 50 WorldSBK wins as he currently sits at 48. BMW in the hands of Toprak have won 9 races so far this year, another 4 wins and that equal’s to the total amount of wins they had in the seasons 2009-2013 combined!

Last year in Most, Alvaro Bautista set the new record of season wins with 18 and ending the Championship at 27. This year he has won twice.

Alex Lowes is just three podiums short of his best season, being 2019 where he had 9. He has however already scored more points this season than the entire 2023 season.

After celebrating his 200th career podium at Most in 2021, Jonathan Rea will be looking to build on the positive weekend results of Donington Park. Ducati leads Yamaha for podiums at Most, 10-9. Only one Yamaha podium didn’t come from Toprak; a third place from Andrea Locatelli in 2021.

Hoping to keep his momentum going at Most, Rea stated: “It helps coming off the back of our strongest weekend of the season at Donington. I was able to get a podium and fight at the front. It’s hard to understand if we’ve really made that big step or was it the Donington effect. It’ll be nice to see if we can carry on that momentum here at Most.

All the ingredients are there to have a good weekend. It came at a good time because now we have some races in quick succession. It’s important to try and build that momentum, like a snowball, try to build confidence. I don’t feel we’re reaching our full performance yet, so it’s quite motivating that we’ve still got a way to go with myself and the bike. Racing is built on confidence, so the quicker we can get there, the better.”

Another who’s WorldSBK future is in the air is Scott Redding, who also comes to Most on the back of a successful, if not slightly frustrating Donington. “I’m very happy with how Donington went. Obviously, I had the small mechanical, but the pace was there, and I was able to come back in the next two races which was good for me and my confidence, knowing I could consistently be in that area.

Now, we’re at another circuit which I tend to like and have good history here, a lot of consistent memories. The step we made with the bike was part of the puzzle and coming to some circuits I feel I can ride quite well, so I’m looking forward to this weekend. The field is super tight this year so even if you’re going well, you can still be down the order. I’m hoping we can make that step and feel that rhythm we had with the bike at Donington….

If we can be knocking on the door of the top five again, that’s where I feel is acceptable. If you’re anywhere in the top five, you can be battling for a podium. As far as I’m concerned, I want to stay with BMW. That’s where I feel I should be, and I have the contract as well. I feel happy where I am, I feel content and I’m happy with the work BMW’s been doing. It’s interesting, it’s tough but I’m happy where I am, and I want to stay there.”

Still searching for the feel-good factor that he had last year, Bautista said: “I have good memories from last year because I could win my 50th race in the category. This year is different. The feeling with the bike is not the same as last year and we’re struggling more. Our approach is just to find something that allows us to ride as I want. We’re not in a position to think about any result. It’s always nice to arrive to that milestone (100 podiums). When I retire, I’ll see what I achieved or not. It’s more important to get the good feeling back than to get a podium.

Kerrie McFadden | First Turn Media – World Superbikes
Photos: Jason Neale

NEW from Oxford: Leopard Super Stretch Jeans – in stock now

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 18, 2024

Lightweight, slim cut and ultra-flexible, the Original Approved Super Stretch jeans look and feel just like high street denim but with the reassurance of CE AA rated protection.

RRP – £129.99

Protection
• CE AA Certified (EN 17092-3:2020)
• CE Level 2 knee protectors (EN 1621-1:2012)
• CE Level 2 hip protectors (EN 1621-1:2012)
• Reinforced impact abrasion zones
• Internal overlock stitching reinforces all critical seams for improved seam strength

Climate Control
• Naturally breathable and moisture wicking outer fabric

Fabric & Construction
• Superstretch Monolayer Armourlite® construction
• Rivet reinforced side pockets
• Twin needle reinforced side seams
• Bar tack reinforced belt loops
• YKK fly zipper
• Jersey protector pockets for increased comfort
• Original Approved branding details

Adjustability & Fit
• Superstretch slim fit
• Armourlite® fabric features stretch characteristics for increased comfort

Storage
• 2 front pockets
• Front coin pocket
• 2 rear patch pockets

Details
• Oxford branding label at back waist and coin pocket
• Brushed metal, matt finish button and front pocket rivets
• Printed inside back yoke

For more Oxford Products news check out our new dedicated page

or head to the official Oxford Products website oxfordproducts.com/

JD Stunts Announces Date For Guinness World Record Attempt

By

Frank Duggan

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July 18, 2024

Kawasaki UK and Jonny Davies, AKA JD Stunts, have today confirmed the date for the Guinness World Record attempt to set a new fastest speed for being dragged behind a motorcycle.

The attempt will take place on Sunday, August 18th,as part of the Ultimate Supercar day at Elvington Airfield.

With 2024 marking 25 years since the initial record of 156mph was set by Gary Rothwell, County Durham’s Jonny Davies aims to increase that to 160mph or more this August. The two-time Guinness World Record holder will be using a modified Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX, which features a secondary throttle fitted to the rear of the bike to allow him to continue to accelerate while skiing behind.

Having held several practice runs already, Jonny will have a few more practices before attempting to break the record on Sunday, August 18th, at Elvington Airfield. The record attempt will be part of the lineup for the 2024 Ultimate Supercar event, which will see dozens of elite sports and supercars showcase their own top speeds.

Ross Burridge, Head of Marketing & Racing Department:
“It has been exciting watching Jonny’s progress with the Ninja H2 SX so far and to now have the record attempt date and location confirmed is fantastic. We are pleased that it’s taking place at such a well-attended event and look forward to our Supercharged machine being showcased in front of thousands of motorsport enthusiasts!”

Jonny Davies:
“I’m really excited to confirm the date and set my sights on securing a new Guinness World Record. I’ve already done several runs on the Ninja H2 SX, and while these have primarily been to start testing the throttle and other components, we have already been able to reach 120mph! I have a couple more practices before the 18^th, where I will be looking to build on that speed and ensure everything is in place for the big day!”

Indian Motorcycle Challenger RR and FTR750 entertain the crowds at Goodwood Festival of Speed

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 18, 2024

Indian Motorcycle Challenger Rr And Ftr750 Entertain The Crowds At Goodwood Festival Of Speed — Matt Alexander/PA Wire.

Indian Motorcycle came ready to entertain with the big-bore thrills of the Challenger RR and sideways flat track action of the FTR750 at the prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend as legendary racer Jeremy McWilliams piloted the King of the Baggers racer and Brandon Robinson brought his American Flat Track expertise over from the US.

Rubbing shoulders with the greatest riders, drivers and vehicles from all forms of motorsport, the Indian Challenger RR offered festival goers a unique chance to witness the thundering sounds of the King of the Baggers racer as Jeremy McWilliams smoked the Challenger RR rear tyre during full throttle rolling burnouts on the famous Goodwood hill. And it wasn’t just the crowds that were impressed as famous names from the history of motorcycle racing gathered around the Challenger RR at the start line to ask McWilliams what it was like to ride and race.

“There’s not many, if any, events like this anywhere in the world,” said McWilliams. “Seeing these baggers racing on YouTube is one thing, but seeing and hearing them up close is something else, so it was great to put on a show for the Goodwood crowds with the Challenger RR. I think we’ve really surprised a lot of people with the sound and performance of the bike.”

Offering collectors the chance to own a piece of history, just 29 Challenger RR customer bikes were created to celebrate the 2022 King of the Baggers crown. Built to the identical specification and setup as Tyler O’Hara’s #29 championship-winning bike, interested collectors should contact their Indian Motorcycle dealer as soon as possible to secure the last couple of bikes available to purchase.

Totally dominant in American Flat Track Racing, the Indian FTR750 hit the Goodwood hill in the capable hands of Brandon Robinson who has amassed nine wins and 23 podiums over the course of the last five seasons and is currently third in the 2024 SuperTwins standings aboard his Mission Foods Roof Systems FTR750.

Stepping in for Wrecking Crew rider and nine times American Flat Track SuperTwins champion, Jared Mees, who was unable to make the journey at the last minute, the chance for Robinson to be part of the famous UK celebration of motorsport culture that is the Goodwood Festival of Speed was a truly unique experience.

“Goodwood Festival, what’s not the love? This place is insane,” said Robinson. “I didn’t really know what to expect. I’ve always heard good things about it, but then to be here, experience it and ride up the hill with all the nostalgia, the famous riders, drivers, and all the different machines that have been so influential in motorsports is incredible. To be a small little part of that is truly a blessing and I’m stoked to be able to ride the Indian FTR750 here. It’s just my favourite race bike from the last five or six years, it’s got so many wins, and it means a lot to be able to showcase that for our sport in front of all the people here. This place is nuts. I’ve never seen so many people in one place for a motorsport event in my life.”

With seven consecutive American Flat Track SuperTwins Championships since Indian Motorcycle Racing returned to the series with the clean-sheet design, the FTR750 is the most sought-after ride in the flat track world due to its combination of a high-performance 750cc V-Twin engine and ultra-light steel frame that were developed in-house by Indian Motorcycle Racing.

For more information on Indian Motorcycle visit IndianMotorcycle.eu and follow along on Facebook and Instagram.

HEX ezCAN K1600 Accessory Manager Now Supports BMW F 900 GS, BMW F 900 GSA, and BMW F 800 GS

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 18, 2024

HEX Innovate (UK) Ltd, a leader in motorcycle accessory management solutions, is excited to announce the latest update to its innovative HEX ezCAN K1600 for BMW Accessory Manager. The popular device now extends its support to three of BMW’s most sought-after 2024 motorcycle models: the BMW F 900 GS, BMW F 900 GSA, and BMW F 800 GS. This expansion brings a new level of functionality, safety, and convenience to riders of these BMW models.

The HEX ezCAN K1600 Accessory Manager is renowned for its ability to seamlessly integrate and manage a wide range of accessories on BMW motorcycles. Riders can now effortlessly connect and control additional lighting, horn systems, brake lights, and other electrical accessories without compromising the integrity of their bike’s wiring system. The plug-and-play design ensures an easy installation process, making advanced customisation more accessible than ever.

Key Benefits of the HEX ezCAN K1600 for BMW Accessory Manager:

Enhanced Safety: Improved safety features with auxiliary light and horn configuration options, and advanced brake light integration. Making riders significantly more visible to other road users.
Customisable Controls: Easy configuration of accessories to suit individual preferences and riding conditions.
Effortless Installation: No need for cutting or splicing wires, maintaining the bike’s original wiring integrity, and avoiding risk to the owner’s motorcycle warranty.
User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive software interface for quick setup and adjustments.

“We are thrilled to bring the capabilities of the HEX ezCAN K1600 to the BMW F 900 GS, BMW F 900 GSA, and BMW F 800 GS,” said Neil LePine, Business Development Director at HEX Innovate (UK) Ltd. “Our goal has always been to enhance the riding experience by providing innovative solutions that are both reliable and easy to use. With this latest update, BMW F 900 GS/GSA, and BMW F 800 GS riders, can enjoy the safety and convenience that the HEX ezCAN offers.”

The BMW F 900 GS, F 900 GSA, and F 800 GS are celebrated for their versatility, performance, and adventure-ready design. Now, with the addition of the HEX ezCAN K1600 Accessory Manager, these models can further benefit from enhanced lighting options, improved safety features, and the ability to customise accessories to meet the demands of any journey.

The HEX ezCAN K1600 for BMW Accessory Manager is available now for purchase on the HEX Innovate (UK) Ltd web shop and through authorised HEX ezCAN distributors, and retails for £ 204.00 including VAT. For more information, visit HEX Innovate (UK) Ltd Website.

Back To Central Europe For MXGP of Czech Republic at Loket This Weekend

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 18, 2024

The MXGP Motocross World Championships make a return to Europe this weekend, for the first of five Grands Prix over a six-week span, as the classic Loketske Serpentiny circuit, commonly known as Loket, hosts the MXGP of Czech Republic. The 27th event at this circuit, the thirteenth round of the 2024 series will be lucky for some, as the world’s elite racers dig in for a crucial part of the season in the hunt for the World Championship titles!

Loket has been the circuit of choice in this country for an almost uninterrupted period since the first event here in 1995, which was in the 500cc class and won by Belgian legend Joel Smets with a double win on the way to his first world title. Since then, MXGP has returned to the circuit every year apart from 1996, 2001, and 2020. Smets shares the record for overall wins at the circuit with fellow multiple World Champions Stefan Everts and Antonio Cairoli, who have each won four at the picturesque hard-pack venue.

Three active riders have a chance to equal that record, as Jorge Prado, Jeffrey Herlings, and Romain Febvre have all taken three winner’s trophies away from Loket.

The MXGP class will see a continuation of the enthralling three-way title battle between Team HRC’s Tim Gajser, Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s reigning Champion Prado, and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing talisman Herlings, who is on form following a perfect weekend at the MXGP of Lombok.

MX2 will see the two Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates, Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen, resume their battle for the title, with the Belgian closing to within 49 points of the Dutchman after the pair won a Grand Prix each on the island of Lombok in Indonesia.

The event will also see the final for the EMX85 and EMX65 European Championships for youth riders, with many competitors making the journey straight from last weekend’s World Junior Championships, including top EMX85 Qualifiers Hayden Statt from the UK, Italy’s Andrea Uccellini and World Juniors second race winner Lucas Leok from that famous Estonian family!

Top EMX65 qualifiers Roko Ivandici from Croatia, and German Luca Nierychlo, will be among the leading contenders, as will race winning Brits Cohen Jagielski and Jett Gardiner, who will welcome the hard-pack of Loket after the sand of Heerde! The packed schedule is also joined by the EMX2t single-race Championship event, so the sweet smell of two-stroke pre-mix will waft around the beautiful Czech valley for much of the weekend!

The “big three” of MXGP in 2024 squeezed together like an accordion over the two GPs in the Indonesian islands, as Tim Gajser holds a 34-point lead over Prado, with Herlings closing in to be only a further 17 points further back.

It was Herlings who did the most damage in the heat, dropping only three points over the four GP races and the two RAM Qualifying Races at Lombok, cutting his deficit to the red plate holder by 20 points. He needs to continue this progress if he is to challenge for a sixth world crown. His main rivals will relish the more hard-pack conditions the field will encounter at the Czech venue. Although the Dutchman will know, with 6 individual race wins around Loket, that he has won here more than any other active rider, even if his last victory was back in 2018.

Tim Gajser has only won a single race at Loket, back in 2017, but never the overall, although he has stood on the podium five times in total. Prado took MX2 victories here in 2018 and ’19, plus the MXGP class victory in 2021, when he shared the race wins with then-teammate Cairoli.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider Calvin Vlaanderen sits in a solid fourth position in the Championship after two consecutive podium finishes, and returns to the site of his most recent race win, as he took the chequered flag in the second outing here last season. He also took an MX2 race win away from Prado back in 2018. Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jeremy Seewer has tasted champagne in Loket as well, with the Grand Prix victory in 2022.

Jeremy’s teammate Romain Febvre returns to action this weekend after a five-GP break to recover from a thumb injury, and still sits seventh in the Championship behind Fantic Factory Racing man Glenn Coldenhoff. Three times a GP winner at this circuit with five race wins, including the overall verdict last season plus double victories in both 2015 and ‘19, means that he has won more here than anywhere else, and the Frenchman could very much put himself among the main contenders as he goes all out for victory without any Championship pressure.

Two riders in MXGP achieved their most recent overall victory at Loket, both in the MX2 class. Valentin Guillod, who is tenth in the Championship for Ship to Cycle Honda Motoblouz SR, earned his in 2015, and current Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Mattia Guadagnini did the job in 2021.

The battle at the top is sure to be electric again, and any slip-up by the leading title contenders could be crucial as there are plenty of riders ready to jump onto the podium in their place!

MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 608 Points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 574 Points; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 557 Pts; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 429 Pts; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 411 Pts; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 360 Pts; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 327 Points; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 Pts; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 264 Pts; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 259 Pts.

MX2 Championship leader Kay de Wolf continues his hold over the red plate, which has been his since the end of the season opener in Argentina, but his teammate Lucas Coenen was in determined mood at the MXGP of Lombok and put in a perfect 60-point weekend to close to within 49 points of the lead. Can the young Belgian keep consistent on the hard-pack of Loket to roll his momentum forward?

He goes to the Czech Republic without looking over his shoulder for second, as Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing star Simon Laengenfelder, still without a GP win to his name this season, lies third in points but 18 back from Lucas. The hard-pack surface could give the German a perfect opportunity to win, especially with plenty of his home fans coming to support him, being less than 50km from the German border.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo Liam Everts and reigning Champion Andrea Adamo sit fourth and fifth in the standings, and Adamo is the only rider in MX2 this year who can lay claim to any past victory here, as the Italian took a stunning second race win last year. Coming off his best 2024 weekend yet in Lombok, will the reigning Champion be able to bridge the 16-point gap to his teammate on the table with further success at Loket? The third rider under their awning, Sacha Coenen, will also be keen to return to form following a torrid time in the heat of Lombok after his two GP wins before the overseas trip.

Monster Energy Triumph Racing star Mikkel Haarup will also be looking to continue his momentum from a career-best second at the MXGP of Lombok, and with the experience of three-time Loket winner Desalle in his corner, he could well be a threat for both his, and his team’s, first ever Grand Prix win. His teammate Camden McLellan is also likely to be strong at the site of his 2018 EMX85 Championship victory.

One thing’s for sure, the close nature of the MX2 class means it’s anybody’s guess as to who will take the podium spots at the end of the weekend!

MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 576 Points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 527 Pts; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 509 Points; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 471 Pts; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 455 Pts; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 399 Pts; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 346 Pts; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 341 Pts; 9. Quentin Prugnieres (FRA, KAW), 228 Pts; 10. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 226 Pts.

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY: 7:20 EMX2T Free practice, 7:50 EMX65 Free practice, 08:20 EMX85 Free practice, 8:50 MXE Time Practice, 09:10 EMX2T Qualifying Practice 09:50 EMX65 EMX2T Qualifying Practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP Free Practice, 11:50 EMX85 Qualifying Practice, 12:35 MXE Race 1, 13:05 EMX2T Race 1, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:15 EMX65 Race 1, 15:50 EMX85 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race. 18:05 MXE Race 2

SUNDAY: 08:20 EMX2T Race 2, 09:55 EMX65 Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX85 Race 2, 12:40 MXE Race 1, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:25 MXE Race 2 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

For more news check out our dedicated MXGP/MX2 News page

Or visit the official MXGP website mxgp.com

Pyramid Handguards for MT-09 & SP

By

Frank Duggan

-

July 18, 2024

British-made handguards provide welcome protection and enhanced looks.

Pyramid Handguards are a quick and easy way to boost the comfort of Yamaha’s popular MT-09, and SP hyper naked, blending seamlessly with its stripped-back street bike looks.

Designed and made in the UK – and simple to fit – they instantly shield hands from wind, rain, bugs and anything thrown up by other vehicles.

Each set is made from tough and durable ABS plastic in Pyramid’s UK factory, for consistency, a perfect fit and high quality of finish. They are shaped to complement the SP’s angular styling, so they look like an OE part.

Designed for DIY fit, each guard attaches to the bar end and the mirror mount – no modifications required – and the kits come with full instructions and all fixings.

The powder-coated, steel mounting brackets position the guards perfectly, so there’s no need for fiddly adjustment, and they won’t interfere with the controls.

Pyramid Yamaha MT-09 Handguards fit the 2024-on models, including the SP, and retail at £94.99 including VAT per pair.

Other practical Pyramid add-ons for the Yamaha MT-09 include the Extenda Fenda, designed to provide extra protection to the bike’s front end; the Spray Guard, which protects both bike and rider from water and mud sprayed by the rear tyre; and the Tail Tidy, a sleek solution to replace the bulky standard set up.

Find them at pyramidmoto.co.uk

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Toprak Razgatlioglu enjoyed a perfect weekend at Autodrom Most. The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider now holds a 64 point championship advantage after his tenth consecutive victory.

Having started from third position on the grid Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) dominated proceedings at Most.

Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) made it two for two at Autodom Most after an action packed WorldSSP300 race.

Team HRC with Japan Post hit back from its Top 10 Trial defeat on Saturday to complete the 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race on Sunday with a third consecutive victory – the 30th for Honda – in Japan’s round of the FIM Endurance World Championship.

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) led the opening lap before ceding the lead to Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) on lap 2 before Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) came through on lap 3 to lead until the end of the opening race of the weekend for WorldSSP.

Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) converted his position into a last lap victory at Autodrom Most.

Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team will start Sunday’s 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race from pole position after its dramatic victory in the Top 10 Trial, which sets the first 10 positions on the starting grid for Japan’s round of the FIM Endurance World Championship.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) completed 38 laps on Friday and led the way across both sessions.

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) claimed his second Supersport Superpole of the season with a new lap record at Most.

In a red flagged Superpole session Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) claimed his first pole position in WorldSSP300.