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    dimanche 8 novembre 2015

    VDEV Estoril : Victoire Norma et TFT, le titre pour l’équipage CD Sport !


    par Laurent Mercier (Endurance-Info.com)
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    La dernière manche VdeV Endurance Series 2015 (Protos) disputée à Estoril est revenue à la Norma M 20 FC/TFT de Vincent Capillaire, Philippe Illiano et Alain Ferté. Parti de la pole, l’équipage de la #8 a parfaitement maîtrisé son sujet pour marquer ses pénalités obligatoires au bon moment.
    A l’issue des 6 heures de course et … tours couverts, le trio de la #8 a devancé la Ligier JS 53 EVO2 /Graff de Yann Clairay, Eric Trouillet et Jordan Perroy, l’écart sous le damier avec les vainqueurs étant de 2 tours. La dernière marche du podium a été disputée jusqu’au bout et Dimitri Enjalbert, Patrice et Paul Lafargue sont venus à bout de la concurrence sur la Ligier JS 53 EVO2/IDEC Sport Racing, pourtant partie de la dernière place. Cependant, cette 3ème place n’a pas été suffisante pour décrocher le titre 2015 qui revient à Thomas Accary, Jean-Ludovic Foubert et Kévin Bole-Besançon, solides 4ème sur la Norma M 20 FC/CD Sport. L’équipage de la Norma du team dirigé par Laurent Cazenave et Claude Degremont succède à Vincent Capillaire. La hiérarchie en tête a changé à une heure du terme après que la direction de course ait apporté un changement dans la classement suite à un safety-car qui a redonné de l’air à la Norma victorieuse. Pour sa première année de compétition, IDEC Sport Racing est vice-champion en Protos et GT. Le Graff termine 3ème au championnat.

    On trouve une troisième Ligier JS 53 EVO2 dans le quinté de tête avec la #15 du IDEC Sport Racing  de Frédéric Da Rocha, Nicolas Da Rocha et William Cavailhes qui s’impose dans la classe Prestige devant la Norma M 20 FC/Equipe Palmyr de Christophe Kubryk, Didier Beck et Xavier Michel, auteurs d’une très belle course.
    La seconde Ligier JS 53 EVO2/Graff de Paul Petit, Sergio Pasian et Garry Findlay pouvait elle aussi espérer un bon résultat mais la #91 a dû abdiquer en fin de course. Guère plus de chance pour une autre Ligier, celle du Team Ultimate de Lahaye/Nicolet/Heriau qui a pourtant pointé en tête, mais un souci de pression d’essence n’a pas permis de concrétiser avec une 20ème place finale, devant la Ligier/SRT41 de Tinseau/Sausset.
    Une seule Tatuus PY012/Extrême Limite à l’arrivée avec la #20 de Redais/Breyner/Breyner, la voiture soeur de Léo Roussel ayant connu une sortie de piste.

    La saison 2016 débutera en mars avec une séance d’essais à Magny-Cours…

    Estoril (GT/Tourisme/P3) : Une Ginetta-Juno LM P3 s’impose, le titre pour Visiom


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    par Laurent Mercier (Endurance-Info.com)
    La finale GT/Tourisme/P3 disputée à Estoril sur une durée de 6 heures a été disputée jusqu’au damier avec la victoire pour la Ginetta-Juno LM P3/Team LNT de Carl Breeze, Colin White et Peter Belshaw à l’issue des 194 tours de course.
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    Le titre GT/Tourisme tombe dans l’escarcelle de Visiom. La 2ème place en GTV1 de Jean-Paul Pagny, Thierry Perrier et Jean-Bernard Bouvet est suffisante pour prendre la couronne à IDEC Sport Racing. La Ferrari 458 GTE aura donc le dossard #1 en 2016.
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    Sur la longueur, les LM P3 et GT3 ont bien croisé le fer avec des écarts très proches. Sous le damier, la Ferrari 458 Italia GT3/AF Corse de Mario Cordoni et Marco Zanuttini n’a concédé que 43s, sans le soutien habituel de Andrea Montermini. La dernière marche du podium est revenue à la Ligier JS P3/OAK Racing de Pierre Fillon, Jacques et Pierre Nicolet à un tour. Sans les deux boucles perdues le temps de régler un pépin de papillon de gaz, la #42 pouvait légitimement prétendre à la victoire. Pierre Fillon a montré qu’il n’avait rien perdu de son coup de volant, Jacques Nicolet s’est régalé et son fils Pierre a parfaitement assimilé le passage de la CN à la LM P3.
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    Les deux autres LM P3 ont été retardées par quelques soucis avec une 18ème place au général pour la Ligier JS P3/Graff de Nicolas Beraud, Eric Trouillet et David Droux qui a montré de bien belles choses. La seconde Ginetta-Juno LM P3 a connu encore plus de déboires puisqu’elle n’a pas rallié l’arrivée.
    La belle 2ème place de la Ferrari/AF Corse qui a tourné comme un métronome a permis au tandem italien de rafler la mise en GTV1 devant la Porsche 911 GT3-R/IDEC Sport Racing des infatigables Dimitri Enjalbert, Patrice et Paul Lafargue. A l’issue de solides relais, Thierry Perrier, Jean-Bernard Bouvet et Jean-Paul Pagny ont déroulé avec une 3ème place. Le Team AKKA-ASP n’a pas raté son retour en VdeV avec ses deux Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 dans le quinté de tête. Jérôme Policand, Maurice et son fils Benjamin Ricci ont assuré tout comme Jean-Luc Beaubelique, Guy Lacroix et Dominique Bastien. Sixième place pour la Mercedes SLS AMG GT3/ANTeam.
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    En GTV2, la victoire est revenue à la Mosler MT900/Escuela Espanola de Pilotos de Kostas Kanaroglou et Oliver Campos, 5ème au général devant la Porsche/RMS des trois compères Mallegol/Bachelier/Blank et la Porsche 997 Cup S/Porsche Lorient Racing de Polette/Neyrial/Lelièvre. Sur ses terres, la Porsche Cup/Team Sport 5 de Baptista/Martins s’est assurée la victoire. L’équipage de la Mosler décroche le titre GTV2. La GC10/GC Automobile s’est imposée dans la classe S1 face à la Solution F.
    Le classement de la course est ici

    Lorenzo remporte la grande finale de Valence / Lorenzo wins #TheGrandFinale to become champion


    Le Majorquin a décroché son troisième titre MotoGP™ en s’imposant devant Marc Márquez, Dani Pedrosa et Valentino Rossi à Valence.
                    A Spartan comeback for Lorenzo’s fifth crown
    Opposé à son coéquipier Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), qui était arrivé avec sept points d’avance mais une pénalité qui le contraignait à partir en dernière position, Jorge Lorenzo a fait la maximum pour remporter son troisième titre de Champion du Monde MotoGP™ au Grand Prix Motul de Valence. 
    Le Majorquin avait lancé son offensive dès le samedi après-midi et s’offrant une très précieuse pole position, qui lui a permis d’imprimer son rythme devant Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) et Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), qui partaient aussi de la première ligne, dès le début de la course.
                  
    Parti du fond de la grille, Rossi a lui aussi fait tout son possible dès l’extinction des feux et a réalisé un excellent départ pour gagner une dizaine de places en l’espace d’un tour et ensuite progressivement remonter jusqu’à Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) et prendre la quatrième place à son compatriote dans le douzième des trente tours de la course, lorsque les trois premiers étaient déjà trop loin devant pour espérer les rattraper.
    En tête depuis le début, Lorenzo a bien tenu devant Márquez et n’a pas commis la moindre erreur lorsque la tension est montée en fin de course et que Pedrosa s’est joint au duo de tête. Le Catalan a tenté de dépasser Márquez mais a tout de suite été repris par ce dernier et a dû se contenter d’une troisième place qui marquait cependant son 100e podium en catégorie reine.
    Vainqueur pour la septième fois de la saison, Lorenzo remportait son troisième titre MotoGP™ avec cinq points d’avance sur Rossi et un palmarès comprenant 40 victoires, 87 podiums et 35 pole positions depuis son arrivée dans la catégorie en 2008.
                  
    Derrière Rossi, qui a fini à 19 secondes du podium, Pol Espargaró (Monster Yamaha Teh3) et son coéquipier Bradley Smith ont respectivement pris les cinquième et sixième places, devant Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), Aleix Espargaró (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) et Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing). 
                  
    Le titre de la catégorie Open est revenu à Héctor Barberá (Avintia Racing), seizième de la course, alors que son principal rival, et futur coéquipier, Loris Baz (Forward Racing) a terminé dix-neuvième et donc lui aussi hors des points. Mike Di Meglio (Avintia Racing) n’a de son côté par rallié l’arrivée, à l’instar d’Andrea Iannone (Ducati), tombé en début de course.
    Cliquez ici pour accéder aux résultats.
                   Lorenzo wins #TheGrandFinale to become champion
    Lorenzo wins an incredible race to lift his fifth world title with Marquez and Pedrosa on the podium and Rossi fourth after an amazing ride.
    Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo led from flag to flag to become the 2015 MotoGP™ World Champion in one of the most dramatic races of the year at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana. In the process Lorenzo became only the third rider in the premier class to overturn a points deficit in the last GP to become champion and the first since Giacomo Agostini in 1966 to win the final race to clinch the title.
    His teammate and title rival Valentino Rossi, who started from 25th on the grid after Cal Crutchlow was forced to start from the back of the grid, rode one of the races of his life to cross the line in fourth, but despite his best efforts, the ‘Doctor’ could do nothing to stop Lorenzo becoming champion in the end. Lorenzo eventually took the race win by just 0.263s from Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, with his teammate Dani Pedrosa in third after thrilling finish that could have seen a very different outcome to the title battle.
    #TheGrandFinale certainly lived up to the hype as 110,000 fans at a sold out Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo circuit bore witness to one of the most tense and thrilling conclusions to a MotoGP™ season ever.
    When the lights went out it was pole man Lorenzo who led into the first corner, a lead he would not relinquish for the duration of the race. Immediately he set off at the front, closely followed by the two Hondas of Marquez and Pedrosa plus Andrea Iannone on the Ducati Team GP15. Rossi enjoyed an amazing start, making up 7 places off the line, and the Italian was up to 16th by after the very first corner.
                    
    Rossi was a man on a mission and while the four riders at the front started to open up a gap, he carved his way through the field. The ‘Doctor’ was into 15th by the by the end of the first lap and 12th after lap 2. He then passed Stefan Bradl (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) for 11th on the third lap, before swiftly disposing of wildcard Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) to move into 10th. 
    Still on lap three, Iannone lost the front at turn 12 and crashed out of the race, meaning Rossi was now into ninth and the crowd was going wild as they could not believe what they were seeing. At the front, Lorenzo was riding brilliantly, managing the gap to Marquez at around the 0.4s mark. Pedrosa had started to fall back from his teammate, but the front three had now opened up a 3.5s gap to the fourth placed Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team).
    Rossi continued his charge, and by lap five he was embroiled in a battle for sixth with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 duo of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro along with Danilo Petrucci on the Octo Pramac Racing Ducati. On lap six he overtook Smith for 8th, a lap later Petrucci ran wide and Rossi was up into seventh, but by this point Pol Espargaro had escaped 1.2s further up the road. Rossi set off in hot pursuit.
                 
    By lap nine he had closed down Pol Espargaro, and there was contact as he passed the Spaniard on lap 10 for sixth, but nothing was going to slow Rossi’s progress. On lap 12 Rossi made his move on Aleix Espargaro on the Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-RR in to turn 1, but Espargaro fought back, with Rossi having to wait until turn 5 to make it stick. Unbelievably he was now into fifth and a few corners later he took Dovizioso for fourth, but by this point he was 11 seconds behind Pedrosa in third.
                   
    It would turn out to be as good as it got for Rossi, as he didn’t have the pace to run with the front three as by this point he was lapping 0.3s slower than the men in front of him. Rossi, in fourth, needed Lorenzo to finish third if he was to become champion and only Marquez or Pedrosa could stop Lorenzo winning his fifth World Championship now.
    At this point Lorenzo was still managing the gap at the front beautifully, and every time Marquez appeared to close him down, he opened up a 0.4s lead once more and the duo were starting to pull away from Pedrosa. It was not over yet though, not by a long way.
                     
    With 8 laps to go Pedrosa, in third, started to close down his teammate, reducing the gap to the second placed Marquez to under 2 seconds. Suddenly Pedrosa was the fastest rider on track by far. While Marquez put Lorenzo under constant pressure at the front, it was Pedrosa who had the momentum and amazingly with three laps to go, only half a second separated the front three.
    Rossi was now 18 seconds behind the trio and hoping for a miracle. With two laps to go, Pedrosa made a move on Marquez into second, but Marquez fought back immediately. This swapping of places allowed Lorenzo to open up the tiniest of gaps at the front and as he crossed the line to start the last lap, he had a 0.347s lead over Marquez.
    The tensions was unbearable, but Lorenzo kept his cool to ride smoothly through the last set of corners and despite Marquez throwing everything at him on the last lap, Lorenzo held on to take the race win by less than three-tenths of a second from Marquez. It was the 28-year-old Mallorcan’s seventh win of the season, 40th in MotoGP™ and 61st of his illustrious career.
                   
    It was in incredible finish to one of the most epic seasons in the history of the World Championship and it meant that Lorenzo (330pts) had overturned Rossi’s (325pts) seven-point lead to lift the title by a slender five-point margin, in the process lifting his fifth World Championship title (250cc – 2006, 250cc – 2007, MotoGP™ - 2010, MotoGP™ - 2012, MotoGP™-2015).
    With Marquez and Pedrosa completing the podium, Rossi crossed the line 19 seconds behind Lorenzo in fourth, and despite a simply astounding ride, Rossi will have to wait to lift that elusive tenth title.
                       
    Pol Espargaro was fifth as the leading Satellite rider, 2.8s ahead of his teammate Bradley Smith in sixth, with the British rider securing sixth in the championship standings in the process and the honour of top Satellite rider in 2015.
                       
    Dovizioso finished in seventh as the leading Ducati, ahead of Aleix Espargaro in eight. LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow was forced to start from the back of the grid after experiencing issues with his bike before the race started. The British rider pulled off a great race to ride form 26th through to 9th, with Petrucci completing the top ten.
    EG 0,0 Marc VDS Scott Redding took the last points scoring spot in 15th, with Avintia Racing’s Hector Barbera in 16th as the leading Open Class rider, with the Spaniard securing the Open title in the process as his rival Loris Baz (Forward Racing) could only finish in 19th.
                        
    Nicky Hayden (Aspar MotoGP Team) bowed out of the MotoGP™ class by finishing as the leading Open Honda in 17th with Australian Jack Miller (LCR Honda) crossing the line in 21st. There were DNF’s for Broc Parkes, Mike De Meglio and Eugene Laverty.
    The riders and team return to the Valencia track on Tuesday & Wednesday to kick off the 2016 season with the first official test.

    Looking Back at Jaguar’s Greatest Racing Victories


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    By   via Gear Patrol 

    In the years following WWII, Jaguar developed the car that would put the brand on the map: the XK120. Equipped with Jaguar’s DOHC (dual overhead camshaft) and inline-six XK engine, the XK120 made for a great road racer. Ian Appleyard’s car (with the registration “NUB 120”) is perhaps the most notorious example of the XK120 to ever compete in motorsport.
    Jaguar Founder Sir William Lyons’s motto for his cars was “grace, pace and space.” 
    There’s no doubt that over the years Lyons’ road cars had all three attributes, and while “space” is nice, it’s the other two aspects of Jaguars that really get the blood pumping. None of Jaguar’s race cars have lacked either grace or pace.
    Jaguar has dipped its toes in a variety of racing types over the years, from road rallying to Formula 1. And though not all of their ventures have been resounding successes (see: Formula 1), there have been periods of time where Jaguar has lead the pack, dominating the track with all its British bravado and good looks.

    King of the Alps

    1950 to 1952
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    In 1950, Appleyard competed in the Alpine Rally, an endurance road race that spanned multiple countries through the Alps. He completed the rally with no penalties, winning him the Coup d’Alpes. Winning the award was no small feat, but the competition’s most coveted prize was the Coup d’Or, awarded to competitors who win a Coup d’Alps for three consecutive years. Appleyard did just that, competing in 1951 and 1952 without penalty in the very same XK120. Appleyard was the first to win the award, of which only three were ever won during the rally’s run from 1932 to 1971.

    Jaguar Dominates Le Mans

    1951 to 1957
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    Around the same time Appleyard dominated the alpine rallies in his road-going XK120, the car’s track equivalent — the XK120C, (commonly referred to as the C-Type) — was making big waves at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The C-Type used the XK120’s running gear, tuning the engine to around 200 horsepower, then mated that with a lithe aluminum body. The first C-Types were ready to race in early 1951, and immediately entered in the Le Mans that year, where Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead piloted one to victory.
    In 1952, the C-Types had mechanical issues and were forced to retire. The following year, Jaguar fitted disc brakes to the cars and the C-Types achieved tremendous success: of the four C-Types that were entered in the race, the cars finished first, second, fourth and ninth. In addition to taking first, Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt finished with an average speed of over 100 mph for the race, the first time the feat was achieved.
    The C-Type was replaced with the D-Type in 1954, which had a bump in power, a monocoque chassis and a more aerodynamic body. The car was capable of hitting over 170 mph on the Mulsanne Straight and eventually took first at the race in 1955, 1956 and 1957.
    The Bremont Jaguar Range
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    Bremont is driven by a deep desire to reclaim the lost tradition of British watchmaking. That much was clear when we took a look inside Bremont’s facilities in the United Kingdom to observe their production process earlier this year. So it’s only natural that the company has become the watchmaking partner of choice for Jaguar. Bremont’s new MKI and MKII watches continue the excellent collaboration that began with the lightweight E-Type. Both new models are dedicated to the original road-going icon which was not only the fastest production car in the world of its time, but also the most beautiful, according to even Enzo Ferrari. Learn more about the watches here.
    Also, if you’re in the New York City area, come meet Bremont’s cofounder Nick English as well as members of the GP staff during a special event at Bremont’s 501 Madison location at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 19th. You can RSVP to this free event here, but make sure you act quickly as space is limited.

    Four Doors for Victory

    1958 to 1963
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    In the late ’50s and early ’60s, Jaguar proved it didn’t need a purpose-built sports car to win races. Around this time, touring car racing — pitting everyday road cars against each other — came into its own. Teams fielded both the Jaguar Mark 1 and Mark 2sedans during those early years, making Jaguar’s small sedan an icon.
    Between the privateer teams like John Coombs Racing, Peter Barry Racing and Equipe Endeavor, Jaguar Saloons were victorious in a majority of British Saloon Car Championship (BSCC) races from 1958 to 1963. Not only did a Jag take first in most races, they also consistently took second and third place. Meanwhile, in France, the Jaguar Saloons were incredibly successful at the Tour de France Automobile road race, winning the Touring Car class from 1959 through 1963.

    Success in the States

    1975 to 1978
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    Though a beautiful and successful road car, the Jaguar E-Type’s performance in racing was not as resounding. E-Types had raced since their debut in the early ’60s, but were never competitive in top-tier racing. The E-Type’s biggest moment in motorsport came right at the end of the car’s production run in 1975, when the American Group 44 racing team fielded a Series III V12 XKE piloted by Bob Tullius. Tullius won the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) B-Class championship that year.
    The E-Type was phased out of racing after 1975, but Group 44 Racing continued its relationship with Jaguar through the rest of the ’70s and ’80s. The racing team saw even more success in SCCA’s Trans-Am racing series in the later half of the ’70s, piloting race-prepped Jaguar XJ-S cars. Tullius took the drivers’ championship in 1977 and in 1978 Jaguar won the manufactures’ title thanks to the Group 44’s race-prepped XJ-S.

    The Prototype Years

    1982 to 1991
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    Group 44’s success with Jaguar in the ’70s ultimately evolved into one of Jaguar’s last great racing developments. Tullius had the vision of building a mid-engined, Jaguar V12-powered racing prototype. The resulting car was the XJR-5, completed in 1982 and poised to compete in IMSA’s GTP class and later in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Unfortunately for Bob Tullius and Group 44, the XJR-5 failed to win any championships.
    However, the prototype program showed serious promise, so Jaguar turned it over to the successful British team of Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), who had previously found success racing an XJ-S in the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC). TWR developed its own XJR prototypes for the World Sportscar Championship (WSCC) which it won outright in 1987, 1988 and 1991. The XJR prototypes also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and 1990 — the first Jaguar victories at the race since the D-Type’s last win in 1957.

    Honda CB750 – Nick Perna


    Whether we’re in the back shed tinkering with our bike or blasting down the road there is a freedom and stress release to motorcycling that cannot be denied. But when your job is literally keeping people alive while they undergo heart surgery the need to relax after work becomes that much more important and so it is that Nicolas Vincent Perna a Cardiovascular Perfusionist from Canada spends his winters building a different bike each year. Nick has a love for low mileage classic Honda’s but having been born in Italy just south of Rome he has a soft spot for the Bologna beasts too. So when he tracked down this 1982 Honda CB750 with just 4000 miles on the clock he saw an opportunity to create one very special Honda with some Ducati sauce and a side of Britain’s best for one hell of a ride.
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    For the single sided swingarm conversion Nick found a near new 2012 Ducati Monster 1100 Evo and was able to secure the entire back half of the bike, a very clever decision as retro fitting other components can become very tricky. Fitting such a unique and far more modern swingarm to an older frame leaves only two options for fitment, modifying the frame or modify the swingarm to fit. Nick chose the latter and it’s a sensible choice as such changes at such a crucial mounting point can drastically alter the integrity of the frame. Also a more than handy woodworker, he’s built all the furniture in his home, Nick knows the importance of measure twice cut once (He measured a lot more than twice). Knowing the exact figures he machined the swingarm down removing a few millimetres of material from each side and using custom bronze shouldered bushings fitted the Ducati rear into the Honda frame with the standard axle.
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    With such an impressive rear the front could hardly be left standard and Nick didn’t settle for anything less than the quality 41mm Kayaba telescopic USD forks from a 2012 Triumph Street Triple. The new rear increased the wheelbase by 1 inch while the bike is now 2.5inchs lower overall and it’s safe to say the handling is now light years ahead of a stock ’82 Honda. Having acquired the new front and rear as complete units there is also the advantage of their modern lightweight wheels and quality braking equipment.
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    Up front the cast aluminium Triumph wheel is pulled to a halt by twin 308mm discs with two piston calipers. The rear Ducati wheel is also light weight alloy and provides a Single 245mm disc with a two piston caliper for stopping power. The modern componentry and quality Michelin rubber not only looks the business it works amazingly well too, with Nick reporting the bike to track dead straight and eat up the miles with ease.
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    Powering the 1982 Honda is of course the legendary air-cooled four-cylinder that made the CB750 such a legend, this later model example being the DOHC 16 valve version. With the big ugly airbox gone the bank of four 30mm Keihin carburettors now breathe through a set of aftermarket filters and the crank case breather has been given the same treatment. But the pièce de résistance is that exhaust system, the CB Honda’s have always responded well to breathing modifications but Nick has taken that to a whole new level.
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    Kemp Archibald of Ripple Rock Racers helped to organise the one-off custom system built by Hindle Exhaust Systems for the DOHC motor, a first for Hindle. Fabricated from ultra-thin wall stainless the entire system weighs just 2.5kgs and the finishing touch was done by Mr Lang Hindle himself. With the modifications to the downtube the battery and associated electrics are now hidden away under the seat and along with the refinished engine makes for an extremely tidy look.
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    With so many modern touches and high-end technology the original character of the Honda shines through in the visuals, the new rear hoop finished in chrome a nod to the touring-cruiser the CB750 had become in the US by 1982. The seat itself is standard, albeit with a host of customisation by Nick who insists on a saddle that can keep him comfortable for hours at a time. Reshaped and recontoured before being recovered it retains much of the visual appeal of the standard item with a nod to café racers in the rear hump. The custom paint on the standard tank really hits the mark, the painted on knee pads give a unique touch and the finishing piece are Nick’s own NVP Cycles logos. The standard plastic side panels are long gone and in their place is stainless flat bar with stainless perforated sheet covering, tigged together before being sandblasted and given a coat of clear.
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    Controls are a mix of old and new, the flat bars and risers are part of the Triumph front end from the Street Triple, while the switchblocks are classic Honda. Some may have been tempted to use the alien eye headlights off the Triumph as well but it only takes one step too far to ruin a build and Nick got that balance just right with a classic big single unit. Instead that more modern touch is saved for the rear end where twin clear taillights with a numberplate holder look right at home hanging over the trick Ducati swingarm.
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    Keeping it all legal is the single mirror and the two bar end amber indicators that give a hint to a way Nick rides. Sat up on his comfy seat in style, that Honda four barking through the stainless pipes with every crack of the throttle and when the twistys come it’s time for a little fun as Triumph, Ducati and Honda grip the road giving a sure sign those long Canadian winters are over and our medical mechanic has the sort of down time he deserves.
    VIA PIPEBURN 

    WalzWerk SCHIZZO® Vintage Racer by WalzWerk-Racing



     some shots of  SCHIZZO® Vintage Racer, based on a 1987 BMW R80RT. 





    Baz égale sa meilleure qualification de l’année


    Le Français partira quinzième suite à la relégation de Rossi en fond de grille.
                 Baz égale sa meilleure qualification de l’année
    Après avoir réalisé son meilleur temps en 1’32.597 le vendredi, Loris améliorait en 1’32.431 le samedi matin. Il se situait alors en vingtième position au classement général, à 1.5 du leader des essais libres Andrea Iannone, et à la troisième place de la catégorie Open derrière Hector Barbera (son futur coéquipier l’an prochain) et Jack Miller.
    Dès le début de la première séance qualificative, Loris progressait en 1’32.239. Il améliorait encore par la suite en réalisant le sixième temps (soit la quinzième place sur la grille de départ) en 1’31.856, à seulement cinq millièmes du leader de la catégorie Open Hector Barbera. Baz égalait ainsi ses meilleures qualifications de l’année, avec les quinzièmes places obtenues à Assen et à Silverstone.
                
    Andrea Iannone réalisait le meilleur temps des essais libres le samedi matin en 1’30.925, devant Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez et Jorge Lorenzo. Les trois premières places étaient alors occupées par trois marques différentes (Ducati précédant Yamaha et Honda). Mais il restait une belle marge de progression pour battre l’après-midi lors des qualifications le record de Marc Marquez établi en 2013 avec un temps de 1'30.237.
    Dans la deuxième séance qualificative, le chrono le plus rapide revenait à Jorge Lorenzo en 1’30.011 (nouveau record), devant Marc Marquez et Dani Pedrosa. Valentino Rossi chutait sans gravité. Il s’élancera ce dimanche depuis la dernière place sur la grille, avec sept points d’avance sur son coéquipier Lorenzo au classement provisoire du Championnat du Monde pour cet ultime Grand Prix de la saison.
    « La troisième séance d’essais libres a été un peu compliquée et je n’ai pas vraiment réussi à améliorer, expliquait Loris. Je n’étais pas très satisfait. J’attaquais un peu trop sur les freins et on n’avait pas vraiment les bons réglages sur la moto. On a ensuite parlé ensemble avant de repartir dans une autre direction, et c’est allé beaucoup mieux.
    « On a parlé également avec Adrien (Morillas) et choisi que j’attaque moins au freinage pour essayer de garder de la vitesse de passage en courbe. Ça a marché, en FP4 j’étais content de mon rythme en pneus usés. En qualifications, j’ai vraiment fait deux bons tours, dont le deuxième super bien.
                      
    « Je suis content car je ne m’attendais pas à être aussi proche d’Hector (Barbera) lors de cette qualification ici. Il n’y a aucun souci pour le rythme de course comme d’habitude, mais sur un tour il avait été beaucoup plus vite que moi depuis le début du week-end. J’ai hâte d’être à demain pour aller chercher une bonne place. »

    avion.........


    nettoyage ....


    samedi 7 novembre 2015

    Rossi and Lorenzo: a history of championships


    Both contenders have had illustrious careers, but each has faltered when the title came down to the final round.
               Rossi and Lorenzo: a history of championships
    Valentino Rossi won his first 125cc world title in 1997 and has since gone on to take an addition eight titles, now on the verge of his tenth. Riding an Aprilia, the rider from Tavullia took the title by more than 80 points from rival Noboru Ueda. Only four times in 1997 did Rossi fail to win, just twice off the podium.
    His second world title would come again with Aprilia in 1999 but in the 250cc class. It was again a Japanese rider who stood as Rossi’s main rival, this time Toru Ukawa. Once more Rossi secured the title before the end of the season, this time the gap was only 60 points.
    During his time with Honda between 2000 and 2003 Rossi dominated. He won the last 500cc title in 2001 two races before the end of the season. His opponent was bitter rival Max Biaggi, the pair continuing their battle into the first ever season of MotoGP™ the following year. The change in bikes didn’t stop Rossi, his form evident as he won the 2002 title four races before the end.
                  
    Rossi’s last MotoGP™ title with Honda came with the same apparent ease against Sete Gibernau, once more seizing the crown before the end. In 2004 came one of Rossi’s boldest moves, swapping to Yamaha who were struggling. The Italian worked his magic and achieved consecutive titles with different brands with surprising superiority to win before the last race.
    In 2005 came Rossi’s biggest advantage in pursuit of the title. The runner-up would be Marco Melandri, but he was over 140 points back on Rossi.
    In the closing years of his first run with Yamaha Rossi would be champion again in 2008 and 2009, retaking his crown from Casey Stoner and the fending off his own teammate Jorge Lorenzo for the first time.
    In both cases the title came before the last race. Valentino Rossi has never taken the championship in the final round of the year, but he has lost the championship.
    When the 2006 season came to an end, Rossi reached the closing round in Valencia with a 12-point lead over Nicky Hayden after an exhausting season in the wake of the American, the situation shifting in Rossi’s favour after Hayden fell in Portugal.
    However, Rossi had a disastrous outing in the final race in Valencia while Hayden escaped at the head. The rush of pressure then caused Rossi to make a fatal mistake at turn two where he fell, remounting to take 13th.
    With Hayden in third place, the title vanished for Rossi after succumbing to the pressures of a final battle, a fact that may grant Jorge Lorenzo confidence this year.
                      
    Lorenzo also treasures a great track record in the MotoGP™ World Championship. The Spanish Movistar Yamaha rider won the MotoGP™ title in 2010 and 2012, both times against closest rival Dani Pedrosa and before the final round of the calendar.
    During his time in the 250cc World Championship Lorenzo took the first of his two titles in 2006, winning against Andrea Dovizioso in the last race in Valencia. Although Lorenzo suffered somewhat from the pressure during the race, fourth place was fortunately enough ahead of Dovizioso’s seventh. In 2007 Lorenzo would hold onto his crown, wrapping the title up before the final round.
    As with Rossi, Lorenzo has battled for the MotoGP™ title in the last race on a single occasion, opposing Marc Marquez in Valencia in 2013. The Honda rider came into the final race leading the standings by 13 points. Although Lorenzo won the race, Marquez took enough points with third, behind Pedrosa, to clinch the title by just four points.
    Both Rossi and Lorenzo have lost out on a MotoGP™ title in the last race on a single occasion, but for different reasons. While the pressures of the last race overwhelmed Rossi, Lorenzo did his best in 2013 and failed as he was unable to bring more riders between himself and his rival.
    Either could win the title on this occasion and settle their outstanding debt with the Valencia Circuit. The other, however, will have to once again endure the struggle of losing the title in the final race of the year at the Ricardo Tormo de Cheste circuit.

    Harley-Davidson #burningwheels with Arthur Dietrich