WSBK : Melandri conserve l'avantage sous le soleil de l'Algarve / Melandri holds on to top spot in the sun

Sykes a progressé mais n'a pas pu rattraper l'Italien en FP2.

Les conditions extrêmement chaudes de vendredi après-midi à l'Autodromo Internacional do Algarve ont posé quelques soucis aux pilotes du Championnat du Monde eni FIM Superbike, qui ont été bien peu nombreux à progresser sur leurs chronos au cours de la seconde séance d'essais de la manche portugaise.

Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) n'a signé que le cinquième temps mais conservait la première position sur le classement combiné, avec 0.047s et 0.059s d'avance sur le Champion en titre Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) et Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team), les deux pilotes les plus rapides cet après-midi.

Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team), Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team), deuxième le matin, et Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) complétaient le Top 7 de cette première journée à Portimao, en s'étant tous classés à moins d'une demi-seconde de Melandri.

Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) a pour sa part fini huitième, devant Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) et Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team), qui a réussi à trouver une place dans le Top 10 pour être provisoirement qualifié en Superpole 2 après avoir rencontré de nombreux problèmes techniques le matin.

Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia) se retrouvait ainsi à la onzième place mais demeurait le premier pilote de la catégorie EVO et terminait avec une demi-seconde d'avance sur Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma Aprilia), Sheridan Morais (Iron Brain Grillini Kawasaki) et Claudio Corti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse). Fabien Foret (Mahi Racing Team India) et Jérémy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) ont quant à eux fini dix-neuvième et vingtième.

Présent en piste le matin, Luca Scassa (Team Pedercini) a été forcé à déclarer forfait, n'ayant pas encore suffisamment récupéré de sa chute du mois de mai. L'Italien a été remplacé cet après-midi par son compatriote Riccardo Russo, habituellement engagé en Superstock 1000. 

La journée a été particulièrement compliquée pour les pilotes du Team Hero EBR, Aaron Yates et Geoff May, qui ont conclu au-dessus du temps maximal de qualification.

Sykes improves but is unable to displace Marco after FP2.
 The hot weather and blisteringly hot temperatures for FP2 saw only a handful of riders improve leaving Aprilia Racing Team rider Marco Melandri at the top of the combined standings a fraction ahead of the improving Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) who elevated himself to 2nd despite running off track in the final few moments of the session.

Behind the top two Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team), Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team), and Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) were 3rd to 6th respectively.

Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) got the better of Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) with Davide Giugliano moving up several places in the final ten minutes to claim 10th and the final automatic Superpole 2 place as it stands.

Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia) was once again the best classified EVO rider in 11th overall ahead of Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma Aprilia), Sheridan Morais (Iron Brain Grillini Kawasaki) and the much improved MV Agusta Reparto Corse machine of Italian Claudio Corti who was 14th.

Luca Scassa (Team Pedercini) who rode in FP1 withdrew from the event, the Italian still not fully fit from his early season crash. He was replaced and FP2 by Riccardo Russo who made a midday switch from the Superstock 1000cc category that he was originally supposed to ride this weekend.

At the back of the field both Team Hero EBR riders had a torrid opening day with both Aaron Yates and Geoff May currently outside of the qualification maxima.

Roasting Tires, Toasting Freedom

Roasting Tires, Toasting Freedom from ICON 1000 on Vimeo.

Le Mans Classic : premiers essais, premiers chronos, photos

par Claude Foubert (Endurance-Info.com)

Les essais qualificatifs de Le Mans Classic avaient lieu ce vendredi de 15h à 22h, les essais de nuit ayant lieu de 22h40 à 2h40.

Les qualifications des Plateaux 1, 2 et 3 ont été une affaire de spécialistes, avec le meilleur chrono pour Christian Traber et la Talbot Lago ex monoplace décalée n°2 de 1939, une vedette habituelle de Le Mans Classic dans ce plateau 1. Christian Traber a devancé la Talbot 105 1931 n°12 de Birch/Burnett et l’Alfa Romeo n°138.

Dans le plateau 2, c’est un autre spécialiste de l’historique, même s’il court également avec assiduité au volant de GT contemporaines, qui s’est imposé. Le britannique Alex Buncombe et sa Jaguar C n°29 de 1952 ont damé le pion aux plus récentes Jaguar D. Buncombe a tourné en 4’57’’162 et a devancé d’autres spécialistes, Gavin Pickering (Jaguar D n°4) et Carlos Monteverde/Gary Pearson ( Jaguar D n°12)

Dans le plateau 3, les Jaguar D ont pris leur revanche, avec le meilleur chrono pour la Jaguar n°16 de Gary Pearson en 4’53’’925, loin devant la plus proche concurrente, l’Aston Martin DB4 GT 1960 n°27 de Alexander/Willmott et la Lotus 15 n°63 de Malone/Hall.

Dans ce plateau,un équipage attirait les regards, celui de la Jaguar D n°33 formé de deux noms bien connus des amateurs de l’endurance, Alain De Cadenet, dont les protos avaient la faveur du public manceau dans les années 1970, et Brian Redman, 77 ans, –trois victoires à Daytona et deux à Sebring- étant associés sur cette Jaguar.  Les deux britanniques ont encore de beaux restes puisqu’ils ont signé le 12^ème chrono sur les 73 voitures chronométrées.

Autre équipage dont les noms ont une résonance particulière, celui formé de Pierre Fillon, Président de l’Automobile Club de l’Ouest, et de son frère François, l’ancien Premier Ministre dont on sait    est un grand amateur d’automobile. Les deux frères pilotent une Alfa Romeo Giuletta SZT de 1962 et ont réalisé le 43^èmechrono, chrono fait par François Fillon.    

 Les photos sont ici

Les chronos sont là

HONDA CB 350 AHRMA RACER

The term ‘café racer’ is bandied about so much these days, it’s virtually lost all meaning. But this sleek Honda CB 350 is one of the few modern customs that live up to the moniker. Even better, it’s fresh out of the workshop and ready to race in the AHRMA Production Class race series—if you can bear the thought of putting a scratch on that immaculate bodywork.

It’s the personal project of Jason Paul Michaels, co-founder of Dime City Cycles and a man who knows a thing or two about building bikes. Michaels is not too vain to call in extra help though, and in this case, he approached Scott Turner, the multiple Daytona-winning AHRMA Sportsman 350 national champion. How’s that for a pedigree?

For Michaels, building the bike was a release from the pressure of running one of the most successful aftermarket parts companies in the USA: “A way to blow off some steam, and take a break from the daily rigors at Dime City,” he says. “Scott shared quart after quart of knowledge on perfecting the CB 350. To use his words, we wanted it to be ‘thefunnest bike there is to race!”

It’s a ground-up rebuild, torn down 100% and reassembled from scratch. Scott’s input extended to the tiniest details: Little things like back-cutting the transmission gears, installing solid chain rollers, and taking a notch out of the points case. (And adding a few extra washers here and there, “Because they just need to be there.”)

Building a race bike involves a learning curve. “When working with a seasoned builder and racer, there are things they figure out—due to necessity on the race track—that street builders like myself would never uncover,” says Michaels.

The mid-controls are a case in point. AHRMA Production Class rules dictate that a bike must be as close to stock as possible—including the fenders, seat, carburetors, a period-appropriate exhaust and so on.

So the mid controls on this Honda CB 350 were custom fabricated to push the limits of what AHRMA rules allow with back and upward placement, along with several other little tweaks. “To hit the track, we only need to use the quick disconnects built into the harness to remove the headlight, then swap in the number plate and fasten the belly-pan to the bottom,” says Michaels.

The mechanical spec is high end, with an engine completely rebuilt using .50 over pistons, Mikuni VM29 carbs, custom headers and Norton peashooter mufflers. It’s a bike designed to go fast.

Unfortunately, it will not be Michaels riding it. He’s a man with very little spare time, and honest enough to voice fears that he’d lay it down if he rode it in a race. “Scott hasn’t backed off, and I’m sure he’ll get me on the track sooner rather than later—but it’ll be on a different bike.”

So Michaels has decided to put the CB 350 up for sale. “The bike isn’t ‘brand new,’ it’s as-new. It has approximately 600 miles after the complete rebuild and got full adjustments to valves and other items at the 500-mile break-in mark. It’s a turnkey bike read for anyone to ride. Just a couple of kicks, and you’re on your way to the ton.”

Tempted? Contact Jason Paul Michaels via the Dime City Cycles website.

Specification

Complete Engine Rebuild w/ Powder Coated Covers & Cases
.50 Over Pistons
Back-cut Transmission Gears
Tensioner Wheels Replaced w/ Solid Delrin CAM Chain Sliders
Polished Fins
Custom Headers w/ Norton Peashooters Mufflers
Mikuni VM29 Carburetors w/ Emgo Throttle & Aluminum Velocity Stacks
Vintage Finned Valve Tappet Covers
All Stainless Steel Fasteners
New Chain & Sprockets

Gloss Black & Silver Flake Paint-job by Kevin Bates
Vintage Red hand pinstripes by Liza Hopkins
Stock CB 350 Tank w/ New Gas Cap & Petcock
Stock CB 350 Rear Fender
Stock CB 350 Front Fender
DCC Original Headlight & Ears
Lossa Engineering Handlebars
DCC Original Cafe Racer Seat w/ Flip-up Hinge
DCC Original Classic Retro Round Taillight
Hand-made Aluminum Number Plates
All Stainless Steel Fasteners
Stock CB 350 Seat pan with DCC Original Cafe inspired seat covering

Front Avon Race Compound Tires w/ Stock Wheels Powder-coated Black w/ Stainless Steel Spokes & Nipples
Rear Avon Race Compound Tires w/ Stock Wheel Powder-coated Black w/ Stainless Steel Spokes & Nipples

New Custom Harness
Dyna Coils w/ Points Ignition
Anti-Gravity Battery
Ricks Electric Hot-shot Regulator / Rectifier Combo

Stock CB 350 Frame Powder-coated Gloss Black
Progressive 412 Rear Shocks
Progressive Front Springs w/ Fork Gaiters
CB 400F Top Triple Tree Powder-coated Black w/ Tapered Bearings
CB 350 Lower Triple Tree w/ Tapered Bearings
DCC Original Steering Damper Kit

Stock CB 350 Front Drum (EBC Shoes w/ Turned Hub) *All Hardware Re-chromed, Motion Pro Cable
Stock CB 350 Rear Drum (EBS Shoes w/ Turned Hub)

via BIKEexif