WTCC : Course 2 - Bennani emmène un doublé Honda ! / Race 2 – Bennani leads 1-2 for Honda!

« Je suis dans un rêve, réveillez-moi ! » Mehdi Bennani n’oubliera pas de sitôt cette journée…

Le pilote marocain a réalisé une performance fantastique en Course 2 à Shanghai en décrochant son tout premier succès en WTCC. Il offre par ailleurs à Honda son premier succès de la saison, mais également le tout premier du Proteam Racing de Valmiro Presenzini.

Le bel après-midi du constructeur japonais fut complété par la deuxième place de Tiago Monteiro qui assura le doublé à la Civic, tandis que Norbert Michelisz apparaît lui aussi dans le Top-5.

Cette manche fut plus compliquée pour Citroën, avec un contact provoqué par Sébastien Loeb sur Yvan Muller dans les premiers tours et quelques fautes de la part de Ma Qing Hua. José María López se hissa en troisième position mais ne put jamais prétendre s’imposer. Loeb et Ma terminèrent pour leur part respectivement 4^e et 6^e.

Coronel, Chilton, Valente et Borković engrangent les derniers points avec leurs Chevrolet, tandis que Engstler et De Souza reçoivent les honneurs en TC2T et en Asia Trophy.

Moments clés

Grille – Lok ne peut s’y placer et Chilton doit s’élancer depuis la pit lane
Départ – Bennani prend un excellent envol, plus prompt que Valente qui se fait déborder par Tarquini et Monteiro
Tour 1 – Borković et Huff se touchent, Bennani mène devant Tarquini, Monteiro, Valente, Muller et Loeb
Tour 2 – López passe Michelisz, il est 7^e, tandis que Ma talonne les Honda; à la fin du tour, Loeb percute Muller alors que les deux Citroën sont à l’intérieur de Valente qui défend sa 4^e place. La voiture de Muller est endommagée et l’Alsacien doit abandonner
Tour 3 – Trois Honda mènent la danse devant le peloton, Bennani devant Tarquini et Monteiro. Valente résiste en 4^e position et Ma passe López avant de virer large dans le virage n°15
Tour 5 – Huff sort dans le virage n°2 après un contact avec Morbidelli; Tarquini  ralentit à cause d’un problème technique et regagne son box ; López déloge Valente de sa 4^e position
Tour 6 – Bennani mène avec 4 secondes d’avance sur Monteiro, López suit à 8 seconds et Chilton est revenu au 10^e rang
Tour 7 – Loeb dépasse Valente pour le gain de la 4^e place ; Ma sort large une nouvelle fois dans le virage n°15
Tour 8 – Contact entre Michelisz et Valente, le Hongrois prenant la 5^eplace
Tour 9 – Ma passe à son tour Valente
Tour 10 – Chilton est 9^e après son dépassement sur Borković. Morbidelli écope d’un drive-through pour son contact avec Huff
Tour 11 – Coronel déloge Valente de la 7^e place
Tour 13 – Valente est ensuite la proie de Chilton et voit revenir Borković et Thompson
Tour 14 – Bennani remporte sa première victoire en WTCC

“If it is a dream, wake me up!”: Mehdi Bennani will certainly never forget this day.

The Moroccan driver put a fantastic performance in Race 2 to take his maiden overall win in the WTCC and give Honda its first success of the year. It was also the first WTCC win for the Proteam Racing of Valmiro Presenzini.
The great afternoon of the Civic cars was completed by Tiago Monteiro, who signed the 1-2 for the Japanese manufacturer while Norbert Michelisz took the last spot of the top 5.
Citroën had a more difficult Race 2, as Muller and Loeb collided in the early laps and Ma made a couple of slight off-tracks. José María López took third but was never really in a position to threaten the two leading Honda cars, while Loeb and Ma concluded fourth and sixth. Coronel, Chilton, Valente and Borković took the remaining points with their Chevrolet cars; Engstler and De Souza encored victories in the TC2T class and the Asia Trophy respectively.

Key moments Grid – Lok does not make the grid and Chilton starts from the pit lane
Start – Bennani takes an excellent start while Valente is slower and get passed by Tarquini and Monteiro.
Lap 1 – Borković and Huff make contact, Bennani leads from Tarquini, Monteiro, Valente, Muller and Loeb
Lap 2 – López passes Michelisz for 7^th, with Ma right behind the Honda; at the end of the lap, Loeb hits Muller as they both are behind Valente who is defending his 4^th place. Muller’s car is damaged and he retires
Lap 3 – It’s three Honda cars ahead of everybody, with Bennani, Tarquini and Monteiro. Valente holds on fourth with great determination. Ma passes López but runs wide in T15
Lap 5 – Huff crashes in T2 after a clash with Morbidelli; Tarquini slows down with a technical problem and retires; López manages to break Valente’s resilience and takes 4^th
Lap 6 – Bennani leads by 4 seconds over Monteiro, with López 8 seconds behind; Chilton, recovers to 10^th.
Lap 7 – Loeb overtakes Valente for fourth; Ma runs wide again at turn 15

Lap 8 – Contact between Michelisz and Valente; the Hungarian takes the 5^th spot
Lap 9 – Ma passes Valente for 6^th.
Lap 10 – Chilton is 9^th after passing Borković. Morbidelli is given a drive-through for the contact with Huff
Lap 11 – Coronel passes Valente for 7^thLap 13 – Valente gets past also by Chilton, with Borković and Thompson chasing him
Lap 14 – Bennani claims his maiden victory

A BMW R69S WITH A BIT ON THE SIDE

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

Few things in the world of motorcycling are as cool as sidecars. And the allure is magnified when the rig in question is both vintage and ultra-rare.

This very classy setup was put together by South African BMW experts Cytech, and pairs a 1964 BMW R69S with a 50s-model Steib sidecar. “The client had been in touch with us for two years looking for this particular sidecar combination,” says Cytech owner Donovan Muller. “Eventually we made the match.”

And what a match it is. Steib was the sidecar of choice for BMW Motorrad in the 50s; replicas are still available, but finding an original is a tad more difficult. This one was bought from a deceased estate, as part of a bigger lot—but it was completely dismantled, and riddled with rust and amateur repair work.

Cytech’s restoration on the sidecar would rival many complete motorcycle rebuilds. The main shell was stripped, sandblasted and repaired, and the wheel fender was rebuilt with sheet metal before being painted and rubberised inside.

The sidecar’s wheel received new spokes and nipples, the hub was powdercoated, and every nut and bolt was cadmium plated. Cytech has also fitted a new aluminum bead to the fender and body, and refurbished the original tail light and Steib badge. The seat was recovered in black leather with gold pin studs.

The BMW itself was also in need of a serious restoration, and was even missing a few parts—such as the seat and exhausts. So Donovan and his team tore into it with vigour, completely overhauling the engine, gearbox and original 26mm Bing carbs.

The electrical system received a serious refresh, with a new wiring harness and ignition system, and the suspension was rebuilt. Every little detail was attended to—such as fitting tapered steering head bearings and replacing the air filter housing.

A rare long range Hoske tank was fitted, with a Karcoma fuel tap and a set of US-spec R50 handlebars to accommodate its width. Other top-shelf parts include a Denfeld bench seat and Bumm bar-end mirrors.

Then a full stainless steel exhaust system was installed, and a set of wide-lipped aluminum rims built up with stainless spokes and nipples. Metzeler rubber was fitted to the bike and sidecar’s wheels.

By default, the sidecar mounts were all placed on the right from the factory. “But for the road rules in South Africa, the sidecar must be mounted on the left,” explains Donovan. Cytech moved the mountings to to the opposite side of the bike, and finished everything in a timeless BMW livery: black with white pinstriping.

Both the R69S and the Steib are immaculate in their own right. But combined, they’re unbeatable.

It’s the perfect rig for ambling around on a Sunday afternoon, in style.

Cytech | Images by Ryan Roux. via BIKEexif

WTCC Shanghai :Course 1 - Citroën remporte le titre Constructeurs avec la manière / Race 1 – Citroën clinches Manufacturers’ title in style

« C’est fait ! ». C’est avec émotion et soulagement que Citroën a célébré son premier titre Constructeurs en FIA WTCC après avoir placé ses quatre voitures aux quatre premières places de la première course disputée à Shanghai.

« Nous sommes heureux du travail réalisé par l’équipe et nous sommes fiers de décrocher le titre ici, en Chine », confie le Team Principal Yves Matton.

La victoire est revenue à José María López qui conserva l’avantage devant ses équipiers Ma Qing Hua et Yvan Muller, tandis que Sébastien Loeb a dû cravacher pour conquérir la quatrième place aux dépends des pilotes Honda.

Le premier « non Citroën » fut Norbert Michelisz, qui a défendu son rang 5^e rang face aux officiels Gabriele Tarquini et Tiago Monteiro.

En TC2T, enfin, la victoire de Franz Engstler est synonyme de sacre dans le Trophée Yokohama pour le pilote allemand. Son équipier Filipe De Souza a pour sa part décroché les honneurs en Asia Trophy.   

Moments clés

Grille – Thompson regagne son stand dans le tour de formation en raison d’un problème sur sa roue avant gauche
Départ – Envol sans encombre, avec un leadership de López devant Ma, Muller, Michelisz, Tarquini, Monteiro et Loeb
Tour 2 – Loeb attaque Monteiro et prend la 6^e à l’issue d’une belle bagarre. Coronel prend la 9^e position à Valente
Tour 3 – Chilton, qui était 8^e, perd sa roue arrière droite et abandonne
Tour 4 – Loeb déborde cette foit Tarquini pour le gain de la 5^e place sur la trajectoire extérieure !
Tour 5 – Michelisz protège sa 4^e place des assauts de Loeb, tandis que Bennani déloge Borković du 10^e rang
Tour 6 – Loeb dépasse Michelisz et Lok abandonne pour cause de suspension cassée
Tour 7 – Huff déloge Morbidelli de la 12^e place
Tour 13 – Huff et Morbidelli passent coup sur coup Borković
Tour 14 – Huff s’arrête en raison d’une crevaison à l’avant gauche, les Citroën réalisent un quadruplé et Engstler devance Filippi et De Souza en TC2T

“C’est fait!”, it’s done. That’s what the Citroën team could say, with emotion and relief, at the end of a Race 1 in Shanghai that they dominated from beginning to the end.

The final 1-2-3-4 ensured in the most brilliant way the Manufacturers’ title for the French car maker. “We are happy for the great job the entire team did and proud to reach the title here in China,” said Team Principal Yves Matton.The win was for José María López who kept the advantage of the pole ahead team-mates Ma Qing Hua and Yvan Muller, while Sébastien Loeb had to battle against the Honda cars to conquer the fourth spot.The first non-Citroën at the end was Norbert Michelisz, who defended strenuously his 5^th position from Tarquini and Monteiro.Time to celebrate also for Franz Engstler, who won the TC2T race and secured the Yokohama Trophy title and his team-mate Filipe De Souza took the honours in the Asia Trophy.    

Key moments Grid – Thompson pits after formation lap with a problem on the front left wheelStart – Trouble free start, with López taking the lead ahead of Ma, Muller, Michelisz, Tarquini, Monteiro and LoebLap 2 – Loeb attacks Monteiro and after a short fight takes 6^th; Coronel takes 9^th from ValenteLap 3 – Chilton, who was 8^th, loses rear right wheel and retiresLap 4 – Loeb passes also Tarquini for 5^th, on the outside!Lap 5 – Michelisz is defending fiercely his 4^th place from the attacks of Loeb, while Bennani passes Borković for 10^thLap 6 – Loeb passes Michelisz for fourth; Lok retires with a broken suspensionLap 7 – Huff takes 12^th from MorbidelliLap 13 – Huff and Morbidelli pass Borković for 11^th and 12^thLap 14 – Huff stops with a puncture on the front left; Citroën cars finish 1-2-3-4, while Engstler beats Filippi and De Souza in TC2T

WEC : 6H FUJI - TOYOTA SIGNE UN DOUBLÉ À DOMICILE / TOYOTA CELEBRATE 1-2 AT FUJI

Photo : Richard Washbrooke - Photo Copyright 2014 John Rourke / AdrenalMedia.com

Toyota Racing a su ravir ses fans aujourd’hui avec un magnifique doublé réalisé lors des 6 Heures de Fuji, cinquième manche du Championnat du Monde d’Endurance FIA WEC.

La Toyota TS040 n°8 d’Anthony Davidson et Sébastien Buemi devance sa sœur la n°7 de Stéphane Sarrazin, Alex Wurz et le héros local Kazuki Nakajima.

La Porsche 919 Hybride n°20 de Brendon Hartley, Mark Webber et Timo Bernhard s’octroie  la troisième marche du podium de Fuji.

Dans la catégorie LMP1-L Rebellion Racing remporte la course, mais cette fois-ci avec la R-One n°13 de Dominik Kraihamer, Andrea Belicchi et Fabio Leimer.

En LMP2, G-Drive Racing prend le maximum de points. Après une lutte de tous les instants, Olivier Pla est parvenu à doubler l’ORECA de KCMG dans les derniers tours.

AF Corse signe un doublé dans la catégorie LMGTE Pro, Gianmaria Bruni et Toni Vilander devant leurs teammates James Calado et Davide Rigon de la F458 n°71.

Aston Martin prend une nouvelle fois les lauriers de la catégorie LMGTE Am, grâce à la neuvième victoire de  la Vantage V8 n°95 de Nicki Thiim, Kristian Poulsen et David Heinemeier-Hansson.

Communiqué complet à suivre

Toyota Racing thrilled their home fans by finishing 1-2 in the 6 Hours of Fuji, the fifth round of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship today and reclaimed the lead of the Manufacturers' World Championship points standings.

The #8 Toyota TS040 Hybrid of Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi led home the sister car crewed by Alex Wurz, Stephane Sarrazin and local hero Kazuki Nakajima.

Rounding out the podium in LMP1 was the #20 Porsche 911 Hybrid of Brendon Hartley, Mark Webber and Timo Bernhard.

Rebellion Racing took another win in the LMP1-L class but this time it was the #13 Rebellion R-One-Toyota of Andrea Belicchi, Dominik Kraihamer and Fabio Leimer who took maximum points.

Taking the LMP2 silverware was the G-Drive Racing Ligier-Nissan. Olivier Pla overtook the KCMG Oreca-Nissan in the final stages of the race after a superb race long duel.

In LMGTE Pro it was an AF Corse Ferrari 1-2 as points leader Gimmi Bruni and Toni Vilander scored another victory ahead of the #71 458 Italia of James Calado and Davide Rigon

LMGTE again saw Aston Martin Racing take the win with the #95 Vantage V8 of Nicki Thiim, Kristian Poulsen and David Heinemeier Hansson celebrating a fine victory.

More details to follow