WSBK : Tom Sykes does the double at Donington

from Twowheelsblog 

Just like in race 1 at Donington Park, Tom Sykes set an untouchable rhythm for the rest of the field as he raced to another lights-to-flag victory and moved to a second place in the standings just four points behind standings leader Sylvain Guintoli.

The Kawasaki rider got the hole shot and with the higher track temperatures as he lowered the race lap record that Jonathan Rea had set in race 1 and won with more than an 8 second margin - he had a 3 second lead after five laps -on Sylvain Guintoli who raced to a lonely second place after getting rid of team mate Eugene Laverty on lap 5.

Aprilia’s Eugene Laverty completed the podium after he passed a struggling Marco Melandri at the end of the penultimate lap. Melandri struggled throughout the race having trouble stopping his BMW with his front tire giving him problems and while trying to return the attack on Laverty on the final lap ran wide at the Fogarty Esses, letting Davide Giugliano who had been hotly trailing the two riders, easily conquer the fourth position.

Melandri ended up in a disappointing fifth and ‘his season that starts now’ will have to be postponed for the next race at Portimao. Taking 6th was team mate Chaz Davies, who had a rather anonymous race after losing contact with Giugliano and Melandri.

Loris Baz rode to a lonely 7th and more than 11 seconds separated him from Davies and more than 27 seconds from his winning team mate. Wildcard Niccolò Canepa was the only Ducati Alstare rider who finished the race, after Checa’s pullout and Ayrton Badovini crashed out at turn 2 during the 18th lap. The Superstock rider brought home the Panigale in 8th ahead of Jules Cluzel, while Suzuki team mate Leon Camier crashed out at turn 12 and rejoined to finish in 13th.

Michel Fabrizio closed out the top ten, while Jonathan Rea battled with arm pump issues and running off track at the Esses trying to battle with Canepa and Cluzel didn’t help as the Pata Honda rider continued to fade and finish in a disappointing 11th place.

2013 WSBK Donington Race 2 Results:

1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34′06.921
2. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′14.956
3. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′17.659
4. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′19.178
5. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 34′22.897
6. Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 34′23.396
7. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34′34.445
8. Niccolò Canepa (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale R 34′37.107
9. Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 34′37.422
10. Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′37.806

WSBK : Tom Sykes takes impressive victory in race 1 at Donington

FRom TWOWHEELSBLOG

After dominating all the sessions this weekend at Donington Park, Tom Sykes put in his pocket his second win of the season, after Assen, with a lights-to-flag victory at the British circuit.

The Kawasaki rider played hare and greyhound in the first race, never really contested by the rest of the field even if Jonathan Rea pressured him for the first six laps - with the fastest lap of the race and breaking the record - with Sylvain Guintoli and team mate Eugene Laverty trailing the two front runners, but the Northern Irishman on lap 8 after Marco Melandri overtook him, ran off track at the Fogarty Esses dropping behind Chaz Davies and directly into a battling group made up Althea’s Davide Giugliano and Loris Baz.

As the laps began to count down, Jonathan Rea began to fade struggling with right arm issues and as began to loose touch Guintoli reached him and then overtook with nine laps to go and the same move was repeated by Marco Melandri on lap 15, and by lap 18 the BMW rider caught and passed the Frenchman at the Goddards and sped away.

Further down the field Eugene Laverty was struggling with the aggressive Baz and Giugliano who passed the Aprilia rider on lap 20 to continue their paint swapping and leaving Laverty to lick his wounds.

With three laps left the positions were more or less frozen with only Michel Fabrizio gaining the 10th spot denying a bevy of Ducati riders, that turned into a Ducati cup over thhe finish line with Ayrton Badovini who still is suffering with ankle issues, pipping team mate Carlo Checa with his shoulder issue, and wildcard entry Niccolò Canepa finishing ahead of MR Racing’s Max Neukirchner.

Sykes would cross under the chequered flag with a comfortable 2.3 second margin followed by Melandri and Guintoli who completed the podium.

Prodigy frontman Keith Flint was no doubt upset to see friend Leon Camier crash out on lap four, while Leon Haslam decided to withdraw - his team insisted - from the round unable to continue the weekend riding with his leg giving him problems on the left corners, will see him at Portimao.

2013 WSBK Donington Race 1 Results:

1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34′10.881
2. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 34′13.260
3. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′14.689
4. Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 34′17.641
5. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34′24.530
6. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′26.432
7. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′28.334
8. Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 34′30.019
9. Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 34′38.619
10. Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′41.698

WSBK; Eugene Laverty fastest in final free practice at Monza

from Twowheelsblog

The final free practice at Monza finally saw a completely dry track which allowed the riders to work on setup after all the previous sessions that were either wet or very damp.

With a dry track Eugene Laverty was the fastest rider with a best lap in 1.42.375 that he did half way through the 45 minute session, but he wasn’t able to improve in the finale.

Marco Melandri was second fastest and just a little less than two seconds adrift and followed by Tom Sykes, Sylvain Guintoli, who was literally the fastest with a top speed of 337 km/h, and Fixi Crescent Suzuki’s Leon Camier, in a very tight session, with the first five riders separated by a little more than three tenths of a second.

Sixth fastest was Kawasaki’s Loris Baz who was unable to break the 1.43 barrier and tailed by Davide Giugliano and Chaz Davies who posted the same identical lap time.

After being no lower than second in all three previous sessions Jonathan Rea dropped to ninth but the Honda rider did suffer a lowside at turn 1 when he hit the kerb just minutes after his team mate Kosuke Akiyoshi crashed out with a massive highside at turn 7 (Lesmo 2).

The Japanese rider apparently didn’t suffer any injuries, but did go to the medical center without recording a single lap.

Closing out the top ten was Michel Fabrizio who is sporting a one off helmet to support Sofia, a little girl who is suffering from leukodystrophy.

This afternoon’s Superpole could easily see Max Biaggi’s 2011 Superpole record (1′41”745) fall.

2013 WSBK Monza FP results:

1. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′42.375
2. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 1′42.537
3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1′42.628
4. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′42.682
5. Leon Camier (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′42.715
6. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1′43.188
7. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′43.322
8. Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 1′43.322
9. Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 1′43.410
10. Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′43.517