‘81 Yamaha XV1000 – Plan B Motorcycles

Written by Martin Hodgson.

I’ve been on a journey with this bike, not one that allowed me to twist the throttle and tip it into a bend, but a journey of discovery as to what makes ‘Fireball’ tick and how it was put together. It’s a journey that started with a love of the custom tank and over many hours grew to an appreciation of how a once failed attempt by a multi-national to do something new became a one off custom by a lone builder that blows away everything a billion dollar company attempted to achieve.

‘Fireball’ is the creation of Plan B Motorcycles in Northern Italy and described by its owner and sole employee Christian as being a “Neo-Café” workshop that builds one off motorcycles tailored strictly to their owner’s requirements, mixing technology with tradition to improve performance and create Italian like good looks. It is this philosophy that absolutely sums up ‘Fireball’ a 1981 Yamaha XV1000/TR1 that is now a high tech café custom with classic looks and a killer ride.

The TR1 was a good idea at the time, create a V-twin sports commuter that catered to those in the US and European markets that still hadn’t bought into the 4 cylinder “fad”. But unlike its cruiser styled big Brother the Virago, the TR1 was a failure for Yamaha and it was soon ditched. But it did have some strong points and Christian has taken great use of them and crafted the rest of the bike from scratch to achieve the desired result.

I say crafted, because this build is not a collection of bought pieces, many of the major components are made by hand, hammers, English wheel and blood sweat and tears. The tank is simply a thing of beauty, hammered out from sheets of aluminium it sets the tone of the whole build. The top is curved to create the high point of the build before flowing gently down to either end, the sides are recessed at the back for easy tuck in while extended front halves add extra fuel capacity and give a muscular feel from any angle.

Just like the tank the front fender was created by Christian with a hammer and a sheet of aluminium, bashed into shape and then rolled smooth on an ole English, before cutting out and shaping the legs to match. The lightweight aluminium work doesn’t stop there, good thing too as the TR1 starts life at a weighty 220kg, but for purposes of form and function the alloy is cleverly used to create a shortened subframe that supports the hand shaped neoprene seat that is then leather covered.

The final aluminium masterpiece is the upper triple tree, crafted from a billet block, it not only looks incredible all polished up, it neatly houses the TR1’s controls. That tree clamps onto the definitely not standard front forks that give a hint as to how serious Christian is about handling. They are a set of black anodized Showa items, 43mm upside down and fully adjustable, held in place at the bottom with a Ducati 916 lower tree.

The standard swing arm is ugly and that’s being kind, it also does nothing for the handling, so in its place is a Ducati 999 unit that supports a Showa R1 mono shock. But you can’t simply bolt a modern Ducati item to an early 80’s Yamaha frame, so extensive work was carried out to make it all work together. I highly recommend you checkout the build blog at Plan B motorcycles to gain further appreciation and understanding of how the build was done.

One of the big positives of the TR1 is the Yamaha V-twin that has been a staple of many of its more successful models. Its slim profile is something that Christian has honoured and helps improve the handling, the 75 degree and offset layout drastically improves cooling and unlike most big bore V-Twins it revs and does it smoothly. To gain some more power a custom made full stainless steel exhaust system was meticulously put together with a modified “Q-D ex-box ” silencer maintaining the slimline profile.

With the weight now down a whopping 60kg and the suspension sorted it would have been criminal to not upgrade the brakes, Christian made no such error with a 320mm floating disc with Brembo 4-piston caliper taking care of the front end and a 200mm disc with two-piston upside down Brembo caliper out the back. 1980’s Yamaha wheels were not exactly pretty at the time, now that the 21^st century has rolled around they look even worse, but the decision to do a spoke conversion makes all the difference and with a 110/80 18inch tyre up front and a masculine 160 section 17 inch item out back putting the power to the ground and grip in all situations now matches the capabilities of the thoroughly transformed TR1.

Approach Fireball and you’ll see the hand tooled sider cover that wears the bikes name, you’ll see the lovingly formed headlight cover polished to perfection and the raw aluminium rearsets that like so much of this bike were made by Christian from scratch. Climb aboard and turn the key and the big V-twin rumbles to life, the sounds from the low slung box muffler echoing off the nearby mountains. Then crack the throttle and fire it into the nearest corner, trusting the handling of the Showa shocks and the Brembo’s should you over cook it. It’s been a hell of a journey today with Fireball, I didn’t get to ride it, but thanks to Christian’s imagination and skill we can all look at the photos and dream.

via PIPEBURN

VENIER’S ‘TRACTOR 03′: A MOTO GUZZI V7 SCRAMBLER

Full Size

We wonder if Stefano Venier knew what a hit his ‘Tractor V75‘ would be when he created it. Based on a 90s-model NTX 750, it struck a balance between looks and usability—and has since kicked off a series of builds.

This is ‘Tractor 03,’ and it’s been built using a more modern donor—the 2011 Moto Guzzi V7. Just like its predecessors, it’s been given a hefty dose of scrambler style. And, in typical Venier Customs fashion, it looks absolutely factory fresh.

Full Size

Part of the Guzzi’s charm is a subtle aesthetic that Stefano prides himself on. “I have a few extreme builds I’m currently working on,” he says, “but most of my builds have to look like motorcycles—not customs.”

Stefano’s Italian—but he lives in New York. On this project, he roped in local builder Lou Neziri to handle some of the fabrication, assembly and paint duties.

The first part to get swapped out was the V7’s tank—in its place is Venier Customs’ signature aluminum scrambler unit. Lou then hand-made a set of aluminum side panels and fenders (to Stefano’s spec) to complete the bodywork.

Full Size

Unlike most customs, the seat’s been designed for two people—and the subframe’s gone untouched. “We’re trying to keep the two-seater setup,” says Stefano, “and all the comforts that an everyday motorcycle should have.”

In keeping with that philosophy, the V7’s also retained its original switchgear—but the handlebars have been swapped out for a set of Renthals. The lights and turn signals have also given way to more svelte items.

Full Size

The cockpit’s been cleaned up further with a neat GPS speedo. (Look closely, and you’ll spot the Venier Customs logo on its face.)

Since Stefano was working on a modern, reliable motorcycle, he left the engine alone—save for a set of vintage-looking “small block” cylinder head covers. A new set of mufflers were supplied by partners Mass Moto, developed especially for the ‘Tractor’ series.

Suspension specialists Ikon also came on-board, hooking Stefano up with a new set of shocks. The wheels are stock, but they’ve been stripped, powder-coated and reassembled. Continental’s popular TKC80 tires round off the package.

Full Size

The V7’s new livery is as sublime as we’ve come to expect from the Venier stable. A dark matte green dominates the bike—broken by a black stripe, with a gold logo and pinstripes.

Venier Customs’ Tractor series is good enough to make you wish that Moto Guzzi would start taking notice. Customers certainly are: 04 and 05 are already in the queue.

Venier Customs website | Instagram | Facebook | Photos by Alex Logiaski

Full Size

via BIKEexif

Black Bomber ...

Ducati : 800 podiums en WorldSBK / Ducati reaches 800 podiums in World Superbike

dimanche, 21 juin 2015 09:13

Moment historique pour Ducati suite à la troisième place de Chaz Davies à Misano.

La troisième place de Chaz Davies lors de la première des deux courses au Misano World Circuit "Marco Simoncelli" était le 800e podium de Ducati dans l’histoire du Championnat du Monde Superbike. Le constructeur de Bologne avait déjà un palmarès unique dans le championnat et avait été sur le podium dès la toute première course du WorldSBK, à Donington Park, en 1988, grâce à la seconde place de Marco Lucchinelli sur Ducati 851.

Avec 17 titres, 314 victoires, 167 pole positions et désormais 800 podiums, Ducati continue de s’inscrire dans l’histoire du championnat et a cette année fêté la toute première victoire de la Panigale, obtenue par Davies au MotorLand Aragón.

Ducati décroche en plus son 800e podium à domicile, sur le circuit de Misano, où la marque avait eu ses 600e et 700e podiums.

Les étapes de Ducati jusqu’à son 800e podium :

No.    Circuit & Date                                Pilotes
1        Donington Park 1988 (Course 1)    Marco Lucchinelli 2e.
50      Brainerd 1991 (Course 2)               Doug Polen 1er, Stephane Mertens 3e.
100    Jarama 1992 (Course 1)                 Raymond Roche 2e, Giancarlo Falappa 3e.
200    Hockenheim 1995 (Course 1)         Fabrizio Pirovano 2e.
300    Donington Park 1998 (Course 2)    Troy Corser 2e, Carl Fogarty 3e.
400    Donington Park 2001 (Course 1)    Neil Hodgson 1er, Steve Hislop 3e.
500    Silverstone 2003 (Course 1)           Neil Hodgson 1er, James Toseland 2e, Ruben Xaus 3e.
600    Misano 2005 (Course 2)                 Régis Laconi 1er.
700    Misano 2009 (Course 1)                 Shane Byrne 2e, Michel Fabrizio 3e.

Sunday, 21 June 2015 09:13

Davies has achieved the milestone for the Italian manufacturer

The third position for Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team) in race 1 at the Misano World Circuit "Marco Simoncelli" was the 800th podium for Ducati in the history of the Superbike World Championship. The Bologna based manufacturer boasts a fine record in the series, with podium number one claimed in the first ever championship race at Donington Park in 1988, Marco Lucchinelli finished second on that day aboard a Ducati 851.

Seventeen titles, 314 wins, 167 pole positions and 800 podiums later, Ducati continues on its path of success and hunts for the next milestone in a season where the Panigale was ridden to victory for the very first time courtesy of Chaz Davies.

What’s more, the accolade was achieved at the Misano circuit on home soil, the very same destination where Ducati´s 600th and 700th podiums were claimed resepctively.

Previous noteable podiums are listed below:

No.    Circuit & Date                                 Riders & Podiums   
1        Donington Park 1988 (Race 1)    Marco Lucchinelli 2nd.
50      Brainerd 1991 (Race 2)                Doug Polen 1st, Stephane Mertens 3rd.
100    Jarama 1992 (Race 1)                  Raymond Roche 2nd, Giancarlo Falappa 3rd.
200    Hockenheim 1995 (Race 1)         Fabrizio Pirovano 2nd.
300    Donington Park 1998 (Race 2)    Troy Corser 2nd, Carl Fogarty 3rd.
400    Donington Park 2001 (Race 1)    Neil Hodgson 1st, Steve Hislop 3rd.
500    Silverstone 2003 (Race 1)            Neil Hodgson 1st, James Toseland 2nd, Ruben Xaus 3rd.
600    Misano 2005 (Race 2)                   Regis Laconi 1st.
700    Misano 2009 (Race 1)                   Shane Byrne 2nd, Michel Fabrizio 3rd.

2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed: Un programme alléchant / a mouth-watering programme

Dans quelques jours, c’est le solstice d’été. Et qui dit été, en Europe, dit Goodwood Festival of Speed, sorte de garden party des sports mécaniques qui se tient chaque année en Angleterre, dans le Sussex. Et comme chaque année, les animations ne vont pas manquer…

Le Goodwood Festival of Speed 2015 (FoS, 25/28 juin) s’inscrit dans la longue tradition qui a fait sa réputation, mais de nouvelles animations, collections, et de nombreux invités sont attendus pour cette édition.

Cette année encore, la course-de-côte d’1,8 km sera l’épicentre du festival avec une procession ininterrompue de véhicules 2 et 4 roues, de tous types et de tous âges, qui se lancent à l’assaut de la piste qui zigzague aux alentours de Goodwood House.

Le programme prévoit le plus prestigieux défilé du Michelin Supercar Run, ainsi que la toute première participation à Goodwood du plus titré des pilotes MotoGP, Valentino Rossi. L’Italien sera accompagné par une pléiade d’anciennes gloires et de stars actuelles des sports mécaniques.

Il y a aura également une « forest rally stage » et la présence cette année d’une Porsche Martini 911 SC dans sa version Safari Rally 1978.

D’autre part, de nombreuses voitures de collection sont attendues au Concours d’Elegance, alors que d’autres véhicules trouveront nouveaux propriétaires lors d’une vente aux enchères par Bonhams Collector’s Motor Cars and Automobilia. Sur les 390 lots, plusieurs devraient dépasser les un million d’euros.

De nombreuses expositions seront organisées dans une vaste zone, sans parler du Thursday’s Moving Motor Show qui permettra aux futurs acquéreurs de tester un grand nombre de nouveaux modèles.

Pour la première fois, les visiteurs (200 00 l’an passé) pourront admirer les stars du drift comme Ken Block et Mike Whiddett, et assister à l’avant-première mondiale de la Bienville Legacy, une des motos 4-cylindres les plus puissantes jamais créées.

Pour les chanceux ayant trouvé un billet, nous vous vous donnerons d’autres informations avant l’ouverture des portes jeudi 25 juin

In a few days’ time, the first official day of summer will be with us (on this side of the equator, at least). And the beginning of summer in the European motoring world means just one thing: it’s time for the Goodwood Festival of Speed – a unique motorsport-themed garden party that takes place in the heart of England’s Sussex countryside. As usual, there will plenty to entertain every type of race and rally fan, as well as the casual visitor.

The 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed (‘FoS’, June 25-28) will feature all the traditional ingredients that have helped to forge its success, plus the attendance of numerous special guests, as well a new attractions and collections.

As usual, the weekend’s centrepiece will be the 1.8km Hillclimb which will see a near-nonstop procession of two- and four-wheeled machines of all types and ages tackle the ‘hill’ that snakes through the grounds of Goodwood House.

The schedule includes what is being described as the best ever the Michelin Supercar Run, as well as the first Goodwood FoS appearance of the most successful MotoGP racer of all time, Valentino Rossi. Naturally, the Italian will be joined by famous faces from all forms of motorsport past and present who simply can’t stay away from the event.

There will also be the customary forest rally stage, with added interest this year thanks to the presence of the iconic Martini Porsche 911 SC of 1978 Safari Rally fame.

Meanwhile, there will be a host of stunning classic cars at the Concours d’Elegance, while many others are due to go under the hammer at the Bonhams Collector’s Motor Cars and Automobilia auction. The 390 lots include several cars expected to fetch more than €1 million!

The menu continues with the vast exhibition area given over to trade stands, plus Thursday’s Moving Motor Show which gives prospective buyers a chance to road test a staggering variety of new models.

For the first time, visitors – there were 200,000 last year – will be treated to the antics of the world’s top ‘drifting’ experts like Ken Block and Mike Whiddett, not to mention the world debut of the Bienville Legacy, billed as one of the most powerful four-cylinder production motorcycles ever created.

Before gates open on Thursday, June 25, we will bring you further information of what’s in store for those fortunate enough to have found a ticket for this exceptional annual extravaganza…

BLANCPAIN GT SERIES Paul Ricard : La Nissan GT-R GT3 NISMO s’impose sur le fil devant Bentley et BMW ! / Nissan takes maiden win at Circuit Paul Ricard

C’est à une première partie de course animée que l’on a eu droit au Paul Ricard. Une première moitié de course marquée par les nombreux soucis rencontrés par les favoris ! Après le second envol, qui faisait suite à un extra formation lap, Maxime Soulet (Bentley Continental GT #8/M-Sport Bentley) loupait son dépassement sur Norbert Siedler (Ferrari 458 Italia #333/Rinaldi Racing) et s’accrochait avec celui-ci et Rob Bell (McLaren 650S #58/Von Ryan Racing). Si le belge perdait deux tours et devait purger un Stop&Go de 10 secondes, les deux autres étaient contraints à l’abandon ! Par la suite, une multitude de candidats potentiels à la victoire étaient ralentis par des problèmes techniques comme la McLaren 650S #59/Von Ryan (Senna-Quaife Hobbs-Parente), la BMW Z4 GT3 #9/Roal Motorsport (Zanardi-Glock-Spengler), l’Audi R8 LMS #1/Audi Sport Team WRT (Vanthoor-Rast-Rockenfeller), la Bentley Continental GT #84/Bentley Team HTP (Abril-Parisy-Primat), l’Audi R8 LMS ultra #26/Saintéloc Racing (Guilvert-Mortara-Tambay) ou encore la Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 #21/Black Falcon (Buurman-Haupt-Al Faisal), qui a d’ailleurs du abandonner. Quant à la Ferrari 458 Italia #20/AKKA ASP (Vautier-Pier Guidi-Moulin Traffort), elle a crevé en début de course mais est toujours dans le coup grâce à sa stratégie décalée.

Si la Lamborghini Huracan #63 partie de la pole a mené la majeure partie du début de course, Alex Buncombe (Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 #23/GT Academy Team RJN) est passé en tête il y a quelques minutes et devance de quelques secondes Giovanni Venturini. Une dizaine de secondes derrières, ça bagarre fort entre Andy Meyrick (Bentley Continental GT #7/M-Sport Bentley) et Maxime Martin (BMW Z4 #46/BMW Sports Trophy MarcVDS). La BMW vient d’ailleurs de prendre l’avantage après une superbe manoeuvre de Martin ! En 5ème place, on retrouve le leader de la catégorie Pro-Am avec la Ferrari 458 Italia #11/Kessel Racing (Lyons-Bonacini-Bronizsewski). On retrouve ensuite, à une quarantaine de secondes de la tête, la première Mercedes avec la #98/ROWE Racing de Daniel Juncadella qui emmène Marco Bonanomi (Audi R8 LMS ultra #75/I.S.R. Racing), Christopher Haase (Audi R8 LMS #5/Audi Sport Team Phoenix) et Andrew Palmer (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 #19/Grasser Racing Team). Gaëtan Paletou (Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 #22/GT Academy Team RJN) occupe une belle 10ème position, 2ème en Pro-Am. En Am Cup, c’est la Ferrari/AKKA ASP de Pons-Barthez qui mène les débats devant la Porsche GT3 R #56/Attempto Racing (Schmikler-Häring-Konstantinou).

Le soleil se couche sur le Castellet, et le spectacle nocturne risque d’être intense !

La deuxième moitié de course aura été moins animée, sans être pour autant ennuyeuse, loin de là. Et si Lamborghini avait dominé chaque séance d’essais et qualificatives, la marque de Sant’Agata n’aura pas réussi le week-end parfait ! Peu après le cap de la mi-course, la #19 de Palmer-Babini-Mul s’immobilisait en bord de piste. Guère mieux pour la #63 de Venturini-Bortolotti-Zaugg, alors en pleine lutte pour la tête, se voyait infliger un drive through pour un arrêt aux stands non réglementaire, voyant ainsi ses espoirs de victoire s’envoler ! Quant aux Audi, ça ne s’arrangeait pas avec un capot avant soulevé pour la R8 LMS #6/Phoenix (Fässler-Mies-Haase), un contact entre les R8 LMS ultra #6/Phoenix (Thong-Lee-Winkelhock) et #2/Belgian Audi Club Team WRT (Frijns-Vernay-Van Der Linde) et enfin un contact entre Marco Bonanomi (Audi/ISR) et Andy Meyrick qui envoyait l’italien en tête à queue…

Si les deux dernières heures étaient moins fertiles en incidents, le suspense était presque insoutenable jusqu’à la fin de l’épreuve ! La lutte pour la gagne concernait Alex Buncombe (Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 #23/GT Academy Team RJN), Steven Kane (Bentley Continental GT3 #8/M-Sport Bentley) et Maxime Martin (BMW Z4 GT3 #46/BMW Sports Trophy MarcVDS). Et plus l’horloge tournait, plus Steven Kane se rapprochait d’Alex Buncombe alors que Maxime Martin était en embuscade à une dizaine de secondes des fous furieux britanniques. A 10 minutes du terme, Kane avait réduit l’écart à 1.5sec mais faisait une erreur dans Le Beausset et perdait 2.5sec dans l’aventure. En tentant de réduire à nouveau l’écart, Kane faisait une nouvelle erreur et laissait ainsi la Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 de Reip-Chiyo-Buncombe s’imposer pour la première fois en Blancpain Endurance Series ! Une victoire qui doit faire doublement plaisir chez NISMO après des 24 Heures du Mans difficiles… La Bentley Continental GT3 #7/M-Sport Bentley de Kane-Smith-Meyrick termine 2ème et fait une bonne opération au championnat avant Spa. Partie depuis la voie des stands, la BMW Z4 GT3 #46/MarcVDS de Martin-Luhr-Palttala a fait une fantastique remontée pour terminer sur la plus petite marche du podium. De bonne augure avant le rendez-vous ardennais du mois prochain !

On retrouve ensuite la Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 #99/ROWE Racing (Bastian-Dusseldorp-Juncadella) qui a tenté un double relais pneumatique en fin de course mais la stratégie aura juste permis de terminer 4ème. 5ème position et surtout victoire en Pro-Am pour la Ferrari 458 Italia #11/Kessel Racing (Broniszewski-Lyons-Bonacini) ! La Lamborghini Huracan GT3 #63/Grasser Racing Team termine finalement 6ème devant la Ferrari 458 Italia #20/AKKA ASP (Vautier-Pier Guidi-Moulin Traffort). Débuts réussis pour le team de Jérôme Policand en Pro-Cup même si le résultat aurait pu être meilleur sans cette crevaison en début de course. Course très difficile pour Audi avec I.S.R. Racing comme meilleur représentant en 9ème position avec la R8 LMS ultra de Vervisch-Bonanomi-Salaquarda. Six marques différentes dans le top 6 avec Nissan, Bentley, BMW, Mercedes, Ferrari et Lamborghini.

En Pro-Am, si la Ferrari/Kessel s’est imposée, la Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 #18/Black Falcon (Johnston-Morley-Engel) et la Ferrari 458 Italia #51/AF Corse (Griffin-Cameron-Guedes) complètent le podium. Victoire Ferrari également en Am Cup avec la #25/Glorax Racing (Mancini-Birzhin-Mastronardi) mais pour une petite seconde sur la BMW Z4 GT3 #78/Barwell Team Russia (Matchiski-Sardarov). Malgré une crevaison en début de course, la BMW Z4 GT3 #16/Boutsen Ginion (Ojjeh-Grötz) termine sur la plus petite marche du podium, concluant ainsi un week-end positif. Quatrième place pour la Ferrari/AKKA-ASP de Barthez/Pons.

Cap désormais sur le gros morceau de la saison avec les Total 24 Heures de Spa qui devraient, une fois encore, valoir le détour ! D’ici là, on retrouvera une partie des concurrents dans les Ardennes ce mercredi pour le Test Day.

Le classement de la course est ici

The #23 Nissan GT Academy Team RJN GT-R Nismo of Alex Buncombe, Wolfgang Reip and Katsumasa Chiyo have taken their first win of 2015 in the Blancpain Endurance Series 1000 at Circuit Paul Ricard. After an exciting six-hour race the Nissan crew beat the #7 Bentley M-Sport Continental GT3 and the #46 BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS Z4 by eight and ten seconds respectively. The first of the Pro-Am cars finished in fifth overall as well, a great result for the #11 Kessel Racing Ferrari driven by Michal Broniszewski, Alessandro Bonacini and Michael Lyons. Best of the Am cars was also a Ferrari, the #25 Glorax Racing Ferrari of Fabio Mancini, Andrey Birzhin and Rino Mastronardini.

With blue skies, bright sunshine and temperatures around 28 degrees, Circuit Paul Ricard had donned its best dress for the Blancpain Endurance Series 1000, third round of the 2015 series. 61 cars hurtled down the straight towards the first corner and even though polesitter Mirko Bortolotti was surprised by two Bentleys in the opening lap, the #63 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini driver quickly regained first spot and kept it all through the first two stints.

But the competition was never far behind. In the third hour of the race, Alex Buncombe in the #23 Nissan GT Academy Team RJN GT-R Nismo passed the #63 Lamborghini, now with Giovanni Venturini at the wheel. When the Lamborghini incurred a drive-through penalty for a pitlane infringement, it dropped several places and eventually finished in sixth.

Together with team-mates Wolfgang Reip and Katsumasa Chiyo, Alex Buncombe extended the advantage of the Nissan to almost 25 seconds, but the intervention of the safety car – after the #49 AF Corse Ferrari had hit the barriers – bunched up the whole field.

What followed proved to be a most exciting race right up to the chequered flag, with the #23 Nissan being chased by the #7 Bentley M-Sport Continental, the #46 BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS Z4 and the #99 Rowe Racing Mercedes. After five hours and 50 minutes of racing, the gap between leader Alex Buncombe and Steven Kane was a mere 1.6 seconds. However, shortly afterwards, the Bentley driver pushed the car over its limits and spun. Even though the Continental grazed the barrier, Kane was – just – able to hold on to second spot, but the win was now firmly in the hands of the Nissan trio. In only their third race in the Pro category, Alex Buncombe, Wolfgang Reip and Katsumasa Chiyo scored their maiden win, with the #7 Bentley M-Sport and the #46 BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS Z4 completing the podium.

In Pro-Am, the other GT Academy Team RJN Nissan was fighting for the class win as well, battling hard with the #12 TDS Racing BMW and the #11 Kessel Racing Ferrari. But minutes after the TDS Racing car had to retire after contact with another car, technical problems for the #22 Nissan meant the end of their race as well. This left the #11 Ferrari in the Pro-Am lead, and Michael Lyons managed to bring the car home in fifth overall, despite having lost all radio contact with the pit wall. The #18 Black Falcon Mercedes, which had led briefly, took second, with the #51 AF Corse Ferrari claiming the final spot on the podium and a top-10 finish overall, by passing the #70 GT Russian Team Mercedes in the closing stages of the race.

Starting from pole position, Rino Mastronardi was the first leader in the Am Cup, at the wheel of the #25 Glorax Racing Ferrari. He was soon under pressure from the Sport Garage and Akka-ASP Ferrari colleagues, but during the final hour it became clear that the duel between the Glorax Racing Ferrari and the #78 Team Russia by Barwell BMW would decide the outcome of the race. A slow puncture for Fabio Mancini in the Ferrari meant that the BMW closed the gap, but Mancini still managed to cross the line in front, with an advantage of only 0.6 of second after six hours of racing.

Alex Buncombe (#23 Nissan GT Academy Team RJN GT-R Nismo): “We’ve been trying to get an overall win for quite a while now, and it’s great to be able to do it here at the six hours. We had a pretty perfect weekend, with smooth pitstops as well. Chiyo-san put some stunning laps in during his second stint and even though it was pretty close at the end, this is a fantastic result.”

Steven Kane (#7 Bentley M-Sport Continental): “There were a few moments during my final stint, I have to admit. It was very close, but I made a small mistake. We weren’t close enough at the very end, but it’s good to get second and important points for the championship. Guy and Andy drove brilliant stints and I have to thank the whole team, they gave us a great car.”

Lucas Luhr (#46 BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS Z4): “It was a very good race for us. Our mechanics did an awesome job in replacing the engine. The spare one only arrived on Saturday morning and they worked really hard to get the car ready in time. We had to start from pitlane after that, but the least we could do was to thank the boys with a podium finish. We came here to prepare ourselves for Spa, and I think we did quite well.”

Michal Broniszewski (#11 Kessel Racing Ferrari): “I was very lucky to avoid the incidents during the opening lap. Since the beginning of the season we have shown that we are strong, but we need a little bit of luck to get a good result, especially in a field of 60 cars.”

Fabio Mancini (#25 Glorax Racing Ferrari): “My big problem during the final laps was that I had a slow puncture. I was not aware of the problem at the time, I just felt a lot of oversteer. I put the traction control on 10, but I still struggled a lot. I am very happy that I could keep the BMW behind and I have to thank my teammates and the whole team for this excellent result.”