2012 Superbike World Championship

[Travis]

Firstly, Congratulations to Tom Sykes and Kawasaki who have deserved to win a race after sensational qualifying efforts thus far. It's now hard to believe Kawasaki weren't going to retain Tom after the 2011 season.

The rest of the weekend was terrible - nothing more boring that waiting for a motorcycle race to get underway whilst organisers and riders argue about weather conditions. If it's been raining all through qualifying and race day is damp, declare the race wet FFS!

 

[Jay Adgie]

Smrz ends first qualifying on top

By Liam Marsden - MCN

Team Effenbert Liberty Ducati rider Jakub Smrz has taken provisional pole after setting the fastest lap during the weekend's opening qualifying session. The rain flags came out for a short while at the beginning of the session, but conditions quickly improved.
Honda rider Jonathan Rea posted the second fastest time ahead of current champion Carlos Checa in third. Local boy Leon Haslam posted the fourth fastest time.
Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes, who posted the fastest time in this morning's free practice, was sixth fastest behind Leon Camier.

1. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R 1'29.336
2. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1'29.394
3. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1'29.507
4. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1'29.604
5. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'29.614
6. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'29.719
7. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1'29.918
8. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'29.973
9. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1'29.977
10. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1'29.986
11. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1'30.225
12. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1'30.245
13. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'30.392
14. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1'30.522
15. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1'30.539
16. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'30.577
17. Peter Hickman (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'30.904
18. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 1'31.035
19. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 1'31.199
20. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'31.625
21. Mark Aitchison (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 1'32.003
22. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'32.806
23. Gary Mason (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'34.084

 

[Rupe Wilson]

Come on Tom...

 

[Jay Adgie]

Sykes takes home pole

Don't know what Kawasaki have done this year but its looking like a title winning bike, keep it up Tom

By MCN
Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes will start from pole position at Donington Park tomorrow for the fourth time this season.
Sykes set a fastest time of 1'27.716, beating the previous track best by 0.3 seconds.
Fellow Brit Leon Haslam set the second fastest time onboard the BMW Motorrad S1000RR. Italians Marco Melandri and Max Biaggi complete the front row in third and fourth.
Effenbert Liberty Ducati rider Sylvain Guintoli heads the front row, with team-mate Jakub Smrz at the back of the second row in eighth. Jonathan Rea and Leon Camier will start from sixth and seventh.
Eugene Laverty will start from 12th on the grid after struggling to tame the powerful Aprilia RSV4 round the Leicestershire circuit.

1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'27.716
2. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1'27.864
3. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1'28.177
4. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'28.340
5. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1'28.420
6. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1'28.546
7. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'28.551
8. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R 1'28.785
9. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1'28.497
10. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1'28.614
11. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1'28.683
12. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'29.032
13. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1'29.236
14. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 1'29.319
15. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1'29.371
16. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'29.493
17. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1'30.008
18. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'30.237
19. Peter Hickman (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'30.296
20. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 1'30.402
21. Mark Aitchison (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 1'31.102
22. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'31.540
23. Gary Mason (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'33.103

 

[Rupe Wilson]

I Cant wait....... COME ON TOM........
Oh how the Kawasaki has changed since i first saw Scott Russel on his green brick ( but i was hooked from then on..green Kawasaki...mmmmmmmmmm)

 

[Rokas Charlapavicius]

Nice job by BMW. From an almost certain 1-2 they got only 1 point in race two. One of the most dramatic finishes i seen in recent times.

 

[Jay Adgie]

Melandri takes race one win

By Liam Marsden - MCN

Italian Marco Melandri has won race one at Donington Park and taken BMW's first WSB victory.
It was a one-two for BMW as Brit Leon Haslam claimed second place ahead of pole sitter Tom Sykes.
Haslam took the lead from the start, with a brave move round the outside of Sykes and Melandri.
Haslam ran wide at the end of lap four, letting Sykes take the lead, but Haslam quickly retook the lead.
Haslam then ran on to the gravel at the Foggy Esses with only a handful of laps remaining, handing team-mate Melandri a comfrotable lead at the front.
Despite a heroic last lap charge from Haslam, he was unable to retake the lead.
Max Biaggi still leads the championship by one point ahead of Sykes after finishing fifth. The Italian was unable to halt the strong late charge from Honda rider Jonathan Rea, who finished fourth. Reigning champion Carlos Checa finished sixth.
Brits Leon Camier and Chaz Davies finished ninth and 12th respectively.
Despite a strong start, Aprilia rider Eugene Laverty was unable to improve on his poor qualifying position, the Irishman finishing 15th.

1. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 34'26.736
2. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 34'27.464
3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34'28.345
4. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 34'28.555
5. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34'28.838
6. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 34'31.556
7. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 34'34.256
8. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 34'34.663
9. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 34'41.880
10. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 34'42.801
11. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 34'46.541
12. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34'46.906
13. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 34'48.010
14. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R 34'48.253
15. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34'53.656
16. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 35'01.761
17. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 35'05.929
18. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 35'09.070
19. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 35'10.290
NC. Mark Aitchison (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 35'50.353
NC. Peter Hickman (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 35'17.985
RT. Gary Mason (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 22'08.892
RT. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 

 

[Jay Adgie]

Rea takes controversial race win

What a race, you just new something was going to happen on the last lap...


By Liam Marsden - MCN
World Superbikes

Honda rider Jonathan Rea has won an eventful second race at Donington Park in a race which saw plenty of aggresive overtaking from all the front runners.
Rea was fourth at the start of the final lap, with Leon Haslam at the front. Marco Melandri attempted to pass Haslam going into the Melbourne Loop, but ran wide, while Rea passed Max Biaggi to move up to third.
Going into the final corner, it looked as if Haslam would take a comfortable victory, but Melandri attempted to pass his team-mate from a long way back, running wide and pushing Haslam slightly wide.
Rea saw a gap and went for it, but Haslam tightened his line and collided with Rea. Haslam then collided with Melandri as they both crashed out. Haslam pushed his BMW S1000RR over the line to claim one point in 15th.
The collision meant Max Biaggi finished second, while Yorkshireman Tom Sykes finished third after leading the majority of the race.
The race saw several passes each lap between the top five, with Rea touching Melandri at the Melbourne loop on lap three, before running on to the grass at the final corner on lap 17.
Fixi Crescent Suzuki rider Leon Camier finished fourth, with Chaz Davies in seventh.
Carlos Checa crashed out at the first corner when he hit the rear wheel of Eugene Laverty, also taking out Jakub Smrz.
Aprilia rider Eugene Laverty crashed at the top of Craner Curves on lap 12.

1. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 34'31.847
2. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34'32.355
3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34'33.876
4. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 34'36.092
5. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 34'38.442
6. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 34'49.316
7. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34'49.635
8. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34'52.940
9. Peter Hickman (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 34'53.713
10. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 34'54.467
11. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 34'58.611
12. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 34'58.890
13. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 35'00.237
14. Mark Aitchison (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 35'28.465
15. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 35'52.043
RT. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 33'01.692
RT. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 32'32.764
RT. Gary Mason (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 22'13.920
RT. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 19'16.663
RT. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 21'55.720
RT. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 15'05.980
RT. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 
RT. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R

 

[Travis]

Great racing in all classes, interesting final lap in race two that is for sure!

 

[Rob Venn]

First part of the highlights here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01j25bq/North_West_200_2012_Highlights_1_2/
Second
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01j26lx/North_West_200_2012_Highlights_2_2/

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only, but all BBC iPlayer Radio programmes are available to you.Why?
If you are in the UK and see this message please read this advice.
Go to the BBC iPlayer Radio homepage

^^

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

And don't be surprised, just start a thread yourself like you did

 

[Rupe Wilson]

Then what you need is this...http://www.expatshield.com/ ..
i use this all the time to watch British tv channels
i player. itv player ... catch up tv.... and i can even watch my parents sky online
and if you have online Eurosport you can log in just the same but get all the English Eurospot channels... more bikes and cars to watch...

 

[Jay Adgie]

Smrz backs up qualifying pace with impressive Superpole win

By Michael Guy - MCN

Liberty Racing Effenbert Ducati rider Jakub Smrz secured a brilliant Superpole win with an impressive lap in the final seconds of the session. The Czech rider has been on stunning form all weekend having topped the two qualifying sessions in both wet and dry conditions.
Last year Smrz secured second position in the opening race at Miller and will be looking to capitalise on his pole position this year and fight for the race win tomorrow.
He said: “I’m happy, We’ve been doing a great job throughout all the sessions this weekend and my bike has been perfectly prepared. I had a small crash in Free Practice but was able to be ready in time and be fast in Superpole. I think we are ready for the races, I have good pace so I hope to be at the front again tomorrow.

Carlos Checa was unable to secure pole position at a track where he has dominated in the past. The Spanish rider claimed an emphatic double win in 2011 and will start as the pre-race favourite.
Checa said: “I’m quite satisfied with second position and I think we did a good job. With a few minutes to go I expected to get pole position but Jakub was very fast so congratulations to him. It’s important we are on the front row and I feel comfortable at this track for the two races tomorrow.”
Tom Sykes was unable to match his run of pole positions which has seen him secure four Superpole win from the opening five races. The British rider will start from the front row of the grid after securing third position.
"We’ve been struggling this weekend at Miller so I’m surprised to be on the front row. We made a last minute change for Superpole to try and make something happen and fair play to my crew because it worked. It’s nice to keep up my strong qualifying but the real bonus is the fact that I’m starting from the front row here which is crucial."
David Giugliano made the most of being Carlos Checa team-mate and benefitted from a brilliant tow in the final session to claim the third fastest time.

Fifth place went to Honda Superbike rider Jonathan Rea who is enjoying a far more successful weekend at the American track. Sylvan Guintoli made it four Ducati’s in the top six finishing ahead of Italian Max Biaggi.
After being fast all weekend, Eugene Laverty was unable to show what he was capable of in Superpole 3 after suffering a technical problem on his factory Aprilia on his out-lap session. He starts from 8th pace and on the second row of the grid – his best qualifying position of 2012.
After their dominance at Donington Park two weeks ago it was a tough day for BMW men Marco Melandri and Leon Haslam. Melandri made it through Superpole one but lost out in Superpole 2 ending the session in ninth place and the third row of the grid.
Haslam lost valuable time during the opening minutes of Superpole 1 after sustaining a rear puncture. With limited time available he managed to complete just 2 flying laps and finished the session in 13th after being dropped down the order in the final seconds of the session. Haslam will start the two races in 13th and on the fourth row of the grid.
Chaz Davies showed good pace in Superpole, but having comfortably made it through the opening session he was unable to progress any further in Superpole 2 and ended the session in 11th place.
Leon Camier was left bitterly disappointed after dropping to 20th in second qualifying. The Fixi Crescent Suzuki rider is expected to perform much better in the races having shown top six pace earlier in the weekend.
Miller - FIM Superbike World Championship - Superpole 3

1. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R 1'47.626
2. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1'47.810
3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'48.062
4. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1'48.220
5. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1'48.563
6. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1'48.568
7. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'48.794
8. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'48.354
9. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1'48.422
10. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1'48.566
11. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'48.669
12. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 1'49.929
13. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1'49.552
14. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1'49.750
15. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 1'49.818
16. John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'49.966
17. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'50.424
18. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1'50.427
19. David Salom (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'50.504
20. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'50.520
21. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1'50.963
22. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'51.843
23. Jake Holden (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 1'52.108
24. Shane Turpin (Boulder Motor Sports) Ducati 1098R 1'54.399

 

[Jay Adgie]

Checa takes convincing win ahead of determined Melandri

By Michael Guy - MCN

Carlos Checa continued his unprecedented run of form at the Miller Motorsports Park round with a brilliant race one win. The 39 year old Spaniard had to fight hard at the beginning of the race with Tom Sykes, Jonathan Rea and Marco Melandri but after hitting the front on lap eight he was never headed and won by 2.313 seconds after responding to a late charge by Melandri.

Checa said: “It’s a great result of a great race and a great moment for me. I always feel very comfortable at this track and it’s been important after the last few rounds not being on the podium to get the victory here. I had to push hard because Marco was very fast in the end so there was no time to relax.”

While Checa was expected to be fast the surprise of the race was BMW man Marco Melandri. The 28 year old Italian rode brilliantly to overcame a difficult weekend where he was plagued with tyre issue to go from ninth on the grid to second. His result is significant following his win and DNF at Donington park and he consolidates fifth in the championship standings.

He said: “It was an amazing race for me. Even after the qualifying I knew I could make a good race. My team made a perfect job with the setting and the tyres were working well at the end of the race. I started to catch Carlos very slowly and when he made a mistake I got pretty close. But when I tried to push more I made a mistake so I decided on the last lap to take the second place and be on the podium.”

Max Biaggi was another man that delivered the goods on race day. Having qualified seventh, the Aprilia man had to fight hard with Honda Superbike rider Jonathan Rea and eventually secured third place to extend his lead in the standings to 13 points.

Biaggi said: “I started from seventh position so to be on the podium is not too bad. I had to fight hard with many riders especially at the beginning of the race. In the end I was able to push, we lost grip from the tyres as the race went on but I guess it was the same for everyone.”

Despite losing out on the podium it was still an impressive result for Rea and his fourth place marks an impressive turnaround in fortune at the American track. Eugene Laverty rode a strong race to claim fifth spot after a tough battle with pole man Jakub Smrz.

Reigning WSS champion Chaz Davies secured his best result of his Superbike career with an impressive seventh place finish. The 25 year old finished just 19 seconds off winner Checa at the chequered flag.

It was a disappointing race for Kawasaki man Tom Sykes after leading early on he was thrown out of his rhythm after a hard pass by Checa and soon dropped down the order, finishing eighth.

Leon Haslam endured another tough Miller race onboard his BMW, unlike his team-mate Melandri, Haslam was unable to overcome the problems and lack of track time during qualifying and finished the race in tenth spot.

Miller - FIM Superbike World Championship - Race 1
1. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 38'21.283
2. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 38'23.596
3. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 38'26.621
4. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 38'26.800
5. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 38'33.484
6. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R 38'34.545
7. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 38'40.945
8. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 38'42.575
9. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 38'42.733
10. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 38'44.716
11. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 38'44.979
12. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 38'46.035
13. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 38'50.683
14. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 38'52.505
15. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 38'54.249
16. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 38'56.692
17. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 39'13.436
18. Shane Turpin (Boulder Motor Sports) Ducati 1098R 38'49.456
19. Jake Holden (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 39'00.843
RT. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 24'24.308
RT. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 20'25.943
RT. John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 13'04.252
RT. David Salom (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 13'54.828
RT. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 11'16.614

 

[Jay Adgie]

Melandri wins after epic battle with Rea, Davies fourth

By Michael Guy - MCN

Despite being delayed for over an hour, the second race at Miller was well worth the wait. After a brilliant race long battle, Italian Marco Melandri claimed a hard fought victory ahead of Jonathan Rea after making a decisive move into turn one on the final lap of the race.

His win marked BMW’s second ever WSB victory and escalates the 28 year old to joint second in the overall standings with Tom Sykes, 18 points behind championship leader Max Biaggi.
He said: “For sure we had a little bit of luck with Carlos crashing out but it’s amazing to take the win. It was a great race, I tried to attack at the beginning but when Johnny came past me I lost a bit of concentration. When the fuel dropped down I felt so much better on the bike and fortunately I was able to pass him on the straight because my engine is so strong.”

Jonathan Rea exceeded all expectations with a brilliant performance that saw him lead the race and become embroiled in a classic battle with Melandri. Clearly down on top speed compared to Melandri’s BMW, Rea was forced to push to the absolute limit especially through the ultra fast turns at the circuit. Despite his best efforts, Rea was unable to stop Melandri powering past along the straight at the start of the final lap.
“To come away with a fourth and a second at this track is a great result for us. I hit a false neutral with three laps to go and I think that gave Marco the motivation to come back at me. It’s clear that we’re lacking a bit of speed but the bike is working faultlessly elsewhere and it’s great to ride.”

Max Biaggi was forced to fight hard with WSB rookie Chaz Davies, ultimately securing third position. The result sees him extend his championship lead to 18 points.
Chaz Davies secured far and away his best result with an accomplished performance that saw him finish in fourth place just 4.2s off the win. The ParkinGO Aprilia rider made a great start and looked like he belonged at the front of WSB with a faultless race long performance. He ended up in a tough battle for the podium with five time world champion Max Biaggi.
Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty had an intense battle finishing fifth and sixth respectively with Leon Haslam eight and Leon Camier in 11th.

Miller - FIM Superbike World Championship - Race 2
1. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 32'56.257
2. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 32'56.452
3. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 32'58.394
4. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 33'00.502
5. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 33'05.791
6. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 33'06.055
7. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 33'08.148
8. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 33'08.972
9. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R 33'09.274
10. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 33'09.960
11. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 33'11.944
12. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 33'18.180
13. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 33'20.197
14. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 33'20.308
15. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 33'30.154
16. John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 33'34.949
17. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 33'43.960
18. Jake Holden (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 34'03.480
19. Shane Turpin (Boulder Motor Sports) Ducati 1098R 34'37.971
RT. David Salom (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 24'27.789
RT. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 24'56.264
RT. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 17'05.034
RT. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 9'18.970
NS. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR

 

[Jay Adgie]

McGuinness sets the pace with 128mph practice lap

By Phil Wain

A dry, sunny evening met the competitors for Monday evening’s practice session with conditions described as good all around the course.
Riders were again warned of wet tar at Guthrie’s whilst the setting sun would again cause a problem as the evening wore on.
The session was the first for the full 600cc and 1000cc machines as well as the majority of the leading front runners and it was John McGuinness who was comfortably quickest at 128.267mph.
After problems on his opening lap, the Honda TT Legends rider got into the groove late on in the session and, despite the sun causing major headaches, a lap of 126mph+ was followed by his 128mph effort which left him 2mph up on second quickest Cameron Donald.
“I wasn’t happy with the back end of the big bike so I pulled in at the end of the first lap and the boys changed the shock absorber so I was able to get back out for two laps,” said McGuinness.
“There was a bit more traffic but the bike felt a lot better so I managed to get two decent laps in. The biggest problem was the sun especially through the likes of Appledene and Greeba, you had to be really cautious.”
The 17-times TT winner topped the Superbike class from fellow Honda rider Cameron Donald who took his Wilson Craig Racing bike at 126.397mph whilst late laps during the session also came from Bruce Anstey and Simon Andrews at 125.306mph and 124.772mph respectively.
The latter, team-mate to McGuinness, is only in his second TT but after just one session has already got to within 0.4mph of his fastest lap in 2011.
James Hillier was also on the pace at 124.407mph with the likes of Guy Martin, Michael Dunlop, Ryan Farquhar and Gary Johnson all lapping in excess of 123mph.
Meanwhile, Ian Hutchinson, making his return to the Mountain Course after missing the entire 2011 season, lapped at 123.025mph.
“It’s great to get back out onto the course,” said Hutchinson. “It felt really good and with it being the first time on the bike here I was expecting the settings to be way off and although we’ve got a lot of work to do, it’s not as much as I thought and we’ve definitely got a good base setting.”
The Swan Yamaha, like most, managed four laps in the session with his biggest problem coming when he hit a seagull along the start and finish straight!
Cameron Donald and William Dunlop were two riders to switch to their 600cc bikes and the Wilson Craig Racing team-mates were immediately on the pace, the duo lapping at 121.442 and 122.904 respectively, the latter comfortably the quickest in the class, whilst late laps from Michael Dunlop and Dan Kneen saw them go third and fourth quickest in the class.
The newcomers were also getting dialled in with Jamie Hamilton, under the wing of Ryan Farquhar and the KMR Kawasaki team quickest at 112.66mph. Michael Niblett was next up at 111.17mph whilst Lee Johnston, Karl Harris and Jimmy Storrar were just shy of the 110mph mark.
At 8.10pm it was the turn of the sidecars and it was Dave Molyneux who was quickest at 111.856mph followed by Tim Reeves on 110.32, no mean feat given that it was his first lap of the Mountain course with Sayle.
Molyneux was slightly slower on his second lap whilst Reeves was slightly quicker with Harrison also breaking the 110mph barrier.
Glyn Jones/Richard Murphy, (108.028), Dougie Wright/Martin Hull (106.292) and Tony Baker/Fiona Baker-Millgan (105.030) completed the leaderboard.
However, Jones/Murphy were reported to be involved in an incident at Kepple Gate although both were described as conscious when taken by air-med to Nobles Hospital.
The Birchall Brothers – Ben and Tom – were involved in an incident at Brandywell and were reported okay although they were also taken to Nobles Hospital.
Tuesday's session is scheduled to start at 18.20 with a Superbike/Superstock/Supersport session, followed by a Supersport and Lightweight session at 19.05 and Sidecars scheduled to get away at 20.00.

 

[Jay Adgie]

McGuinness and Donald up the ante

By Phil Wain

Competitors were met with yet another dry, sunny evening for the third practice session of the 2012 Isle of Man TT Races with conditions described as dry and clear all the way around the course, although the lack of adhesion flags were on display at Cronk y Voddy, the 23rd Milestone and Guthrie’s.
After setting the quickest lap the previous night, all eyes were on John McGuinness and the 17-times TT winner didn’t disappoint. Quickest on his opening lap with a speed of 127.385mph, he then upped his pace with 129.411mph, but Australian Cameron Donald wasn’t far behind and he ended up second quickest with a lap of 129.023mph.
“Everything’s as good as gold at the moment,” said the Wilson Craig Racing rider.
“It’s a nice night again and conditions are perfect so I’m really enjoying myself. The bikes are working really well and I’m enjoying every session at the moment.”
Next quickest was Guy Martin, the Tyco Suzuki upping his pace from the previous night to 127.54mph followed by Michael Rutter on 126.83mph and Michael Dunlop on 126.602 whilst Bruce Anstey, Gary Johnson, William Dunlop and Daniel Kneen were all working their way up the leaderboard.
The session was also significant as it saw the first appearance of the Norton with Ian Mackman taking it round at a more than respectable 112.36mph.
“It was just a gentle lap really, more of a shakedown than anything else but I enjoyed it. We’ve got some work to do but the straight line stability was as good as my ZX-10 Kawasaki and it wasn’t bad at all over the bumps.
"I just wanted to get a good, troublefree lap in and now we’ve done that we can start to make a few changes.”
Meanwhile, the progress of the newcomers could clearly be seen with Jamie Hamilton lapping at a very impressive 116.56mph. Jimmy Storrar and Karl Harris were also going well at 114.01 and 113.72 respectively.
The 1000cc machines only had a 35-minute session before being flagged off and it was then the turn of the Supersport and Lightweight machines, the latter having their second outing of the week.
Kneen was first back at 120.006mph with Michael Dunlop, having his first outing on a new R6 Yamaha at 117.784mph but it was brother William who was the quickest at 122.505mph.
However, Michael’s second lap was 124.65mph to send him to the top of the leaderboard but only briefly as William posted 124.77mph. Anstey was only slightly further back on 123.68mph.
The potential of the Lightweight Supertwins could clearly be seen with race favourite Ryan Farquhar taking his KMR Kawasaki round at an impressive 115.398mph.
However, it won’t be a foregone conclusion with James Hillier, Michael Rutter and Cameron Donald not too far behind lapping at 113.190, 113.149 and 112.860mph. In total, 10 riders broke the 110mph barrier.
In the Formula Two sidecars, Tim Reeves/Dan Sayle were quickest, on the night and for the week, at 112.808mph followed by Dave Molyneux/Patrick Farrance (109.958), Conrad Harrison/Mike Aylott (109.520) and John Holden/Andy Winkle who completed their first lap of the week at 108.281.

 

[Jay Adgie]

McGuinness Victorious

By Phil Wain - MCN

John McGuinness won his 18th TT today when he took victory in the Dainese Superbike race. The Honda TT Legends rider overcame an early challenge from Cameron Donald and, in his usual manner, once in front he was able to gradually pull away. Aided by two incredibly slick pit stops, a lead of six seconds at half race distance became 18 seconds and he was able to ease off slightly on the final lap to take the chequered flag by 14 seconds. Donald put in his first 130mph+ laps to take a good second and it was Bruce Anstey who came home third after Guy Martin faded in the second half of the race with rear tyre problems.
“This feels pretty special,” said McGuinness, immediately after the race. “I’ve won a few around here in the past and, to be honest, I never know what to say and going off at number one again, it was just me, the track and the stopwatch. There were a lot of leaves on the track first thing and I was a bit tentative on the first lap, just feeling my way into the race. After that though, conditions were good and I felt strong everywhere, so I just read my boards once I’d got the lead.”
“Cameron was really on it to begin with it so, after two fantastic pit stops, I had a real good go on laps three and five, hitting all my apexes and concentrating really hard. There was a big crowd out there and I got a bit emotional when I went through the Creg on the last lap as it reminded me of how I used to wave at Joey all those years ago!”
The morning started in cool, cloudy conditions and a 15-minute delay was required before the race could get underway at 11.15am and when it did, it was clear that there wasn’t going to be much between the leading trio at the end of the first lap and, sure enough, with all three posting 130mph+ laps, only 0.98s split Donald, McGuinness and Martin, the Australian leading by just 0.2s. Johnson, Anstey and Hillier completed the top six but Michael Rutter was out with gearbox trouble. McGuinness’ team-mate Simon Andrews was also out having crashed at the Graham Memorial suffering a number of fractures.
McGuinness was slowly getting into his stride and, with the fastest lap of the race, 130.382mph, McGuinness had regained the lead on the second lap and as he came into the pits for his first stop, the lead was 2.16s. Martin was a further three seconds back and after a superb pit stop, McGuinness’ lead shot up to 6 seconds. Bruce Anstey had regained fourth from Johnson and it was now William Dunlop who was holding onto sixth.
Donald wasn’t going to roll over though and reduced the gap back to 3.8s at Glen Helen but throughout the third lap, McGuinness maintained his lead over Donald. Martin was dropping back though and at the end of the third lap, McGuinness led Donald by a now ominous looking 6.2s, Martin’s challenge seemingly over as he was now 21 seconds behind Donald.
Anstey, Johnson and Dunlop completed the top six with Hillier, Ian Hutchinson, a flying Dean Harrison and Michael Dunlop completing the top ten. Farquhar called it a day as three of the newcomers – Jimmy Storrar, Karl Harris and Jamie Hamilton all posted their first ever 120mph laps.
By two thirds race distance, McGuinness was back in familiar territory, controlling affairs from the front, and with his lead extending at each timing point, he came into the pits at the end of lap ten seconds clear. With yet another superb pit stop, the lead was increased further still to 13 seconds but Martin was now in danger of losing third to Anstey. A rear spindle problem meant the Tyco Suzuki team couldn’t change the rear tyre and so he had to ride four laps on the same tyre. Stewart was again penalised 30s and that dropped him down the order to 12th.
There were no such problems for McGuinness though and with a lead of almost 17 seconds at Ramsey on the final lap, he was able to ride to his signals and come for his 18th TT win, 14.86s clear of Donald, the same 1-2 as twelve months ago. Anstey took over third on the fifth lap to make it a Honda 1-2-3 as Martin ended up 20s behind in fourth. Johnson and Dunlop were secure in fifth and sixth to make it 5 Hondas in the top 6.
“It was a shame I couldn’t push John to the end,” said Donald, “but I’m very proud to have finished second. It was close early on but once he’d got a bit of a buffer on me, I rode smart and safe and I’m very happy with how the bike went. I’ve learnt plenty and ridden a lot this season and it’s paying off. The crew did a great job in the pits and, after a really enjoyable practice week, it’s great to get a podium.”
Hillier held onto seventh with the returning Ian Hutchinson in eighth but, without doubt, one of the rides of the race was by Dean Harrison. In just his second TT, the 23-year lapped at over 126mph to take a brilliant ninth, with Michael Dunlop completing the top ten on his Kawasaki Superstock machine.

 

[Jay Adgie]

Bruce Anstey won one of the most thrilling races in Isle of Man TT history

By Phil Wain - MCN

Bruce Anstey won one of the most thrilling races in Isle of Man TT history when he took the first Supersport race on Monday afternoon from fellow Antipodean Cameron Donald by just 0.77s. Once long time leader Michael Dunlop retired on the third lap, there was never more than a couple of seconds between Anstey, Donald and Gary Johnson with an amazing 0.62 separating the trio at Ramsey Hairpin on the final lap. However, Johnson ran out of fuel on the final drop down the Mountain and Anstey’s final lap of 126.634mph was enough for him to come home for his 9th TT win, ten years after his first back in 2002.
“That’s my 9th win but it’s probably the hardest one,” said Anstey. “I saw ‘P6’ on my board early on and thought ‘oh no, not again’ after my slow start on Saturday. I wasn’t going fast enough and was a bit angry with myself so got my head down and really went for it. I ran wide once, can’t remember where, but really went for it on the last lap. I was trying really hard but my board was still saying either ‘+1’ or ‘-1’ although I’d worked out it was Cameron who I must have been dicing with. I got a glimpse of him a few times so used him as a gauge and I just managed to squeeze home.”
After a two hour delay, conditions were perfect all around the Mountain Course perfect and through Glen Helen on the opening lap it was Michael Dunlop that led albeit by just 0.25s and, in typical Supersport fashion, it was close all the way down the top ten. Johnson was in third, 1.5s adrift, and he was followed by Donald, Anstey, Ryan Farquhar and John McGuinness with just a further 1.5s splitting 3rd to 7th.
An opening lap of 126.258mph gave Michael Dunlop a 10.07s lead over new second place rider Donald with William just 0.35s back in third. Johnson, Anstey and local hope Dan Kneen completed the top six but it was still close with only six seconds separating second to eighth. One man not in the mix though was Guy Martin, the Tyco Suzuki rider pulling in at the end of the first lap and with Conor Cummins having again withdrawn from the day’s racing, it wasn’t a good day for the Irish team.
Irish eyes were smiling on Michael Dunlop though at the head of the field and with the fastest lap of the race, 126.948mph, his lead increased to almost 22 seconds at half race distance. It was Johnson who had taken over the runner-up spot when they came into the pits to refuel and William was still in third with Anstey now up to fourth ahead of Donald. Kneen, McGuinness and Farquhar were still in contention and despite 75 miles having been completed, there was still only 11 seconds separating the seven riders in 2nd to 8th.
However, things changed on the third lap as Michael Dunlop stopped at Ballig Bridge and Dan Kneen crashed on the exit of Governor’s Bridge when lying in fifth. He escaped with minor back injuries.
Going into the final lap, it was clear we were going to have a grandstand finish as there was just two seconds between Johnson, Anstey and Donald. As the leaders tore around the final 37.73 miles, positions were changing at almost every timing point and although the order remained the same at Ramsey, the gap between the trio was now a staggering 0.62s. The race was anyone’s but at the Bungalow, Anstey had taken over the lead as Johnson dropped back but as Donald crossed the line first, the result was still in doubt. Anstey flashed over the line to grab the win from Donald by 0.77s, the second closest finish after Mark Baldwin’s 0.6s victory over the late Mick Lofthouse in 1995.
Donald was magnanimous in defeat saying, “what an incredible race. If I’d have held my breath somewhere I might have nicked it but if I couldn’t have finished second to a nicer bloke. Bruce and I have been mates for a while so I’m proud to be sitting here in second and next to him. I gave it everything I could on that last lap and knew it was going to be a nailbiting finish but we came up just that little bit short. It’s another podium and a brilliant start to the week though.”
Johnson was in trouble though and as he ran out of fuel on the drop down the Mountain, he pushed in to eventually finish in 28th place and so it was William Dunlop who took the final podium spot, his first top three finish around the Mountain Course. Farquhar had overtaken McGuinness as he circulated with Donald but the Irishman also ran out of fuel on the final lap at Creg ny Baa and so it was McGuinness who took fourth ahead of James Hillier, who took his best ever TT finish, and the consistent Ian Lougher.