PROSPEED COMPETITION SORT VAINQUEUR D'UN DUEL CONTRE BLACK FALCON.

On s'attendait à un duel entre Marc VDS Racing Team et Belgian Audi Club Team WRT pour ce pénultième meeting Blancpain Endurance Series de l'année disputé sur le tracé allemand du Nürburgring. Au final, on a eu droit à une lutte entre ProSpeed Competition et Black Falcon avec une victoire ProSpeed Competition. La course s'est jouée dans la dernière demi-heure avec un Jeroen Bleekemolen au volant de la Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 qui a mis la pression durant 30 bonnes minutes sur la Porsche 911 GT3-R de Marc Goossens. Le Néerlandais a poursuivi le travail parfait de Congfu Cheng et Mike Parisy, mais cela n'aura pas suffi puisque Cheng/Parisy/Bleekemolen échouent à une demi-seconde de la Porsche de Goossens/Hennerici/Maassen. Une fois de plus une équipe belge rafle la mise, ce succès venant récompenser les efforts du team de Rudi Penders. La dernière place du podium est revenue à la BMW Z4 GT3/Vita4One Racing Team de Franchi/Kechele/Lauda. La meilleure des Audi R8 LMS ultra du Belgian Audi Club Team WRT se classe au pied du podium avec Ortelli/Mies/Haase. De quoi récupérer de gros points sachant que la BMW Z4 GT3/Marc VDS Racing de Martin/Leinders/Palttala a abandonné après un contact avec l'Audi/Saintéloc de Dino Lunardi, le pilote Audi étant hors de cause dans l'accrochage. Ce fait de course n'a d'ailleurs pas ralenti la progression de l'Audi R8 LMS ultra/Saintéloc Racing avec une belle cinquième place finale pour Hirschi/Lunardi/Guilvert. L'équipage de la #40 s'est permis le luxe de tourner plus vite que les deux Audi/WRT. Au fil de la saison, le Saintéloc Racing de Sébastien Chétail fait jeu égal avec les ténors de la catégorie. Quant à la seconde Audi/WRT, elle a pris la 7ème place après avoir perdu du temps lors de l'arrêt de Sandström, le Suédois s'arrêtant un peu trop loin à son box.

La seule BMW Z4 GT3/Marc VDS Racing Team (Moser/Longin/Hezemans) vaillante a bouclé les trois heures de course dans le Top Ten (8ème). La meilleure des McLaren en Pro-Cup a été celle du Boutsen Ginion Racing de Verdonck/Ara/Franchitti (10ème), malgré une alerte en piste. Pour ses débuts en Blancpain sur une course de trois heures, l'Audi R8 LMS ultra/Phoenix Racing de Rast/Primat/Ludwig a pris la 13ème place avec un René Rast toujours aussi rapide. On a pourtant cru à un moment que la #13 allait abandonner, Harold Primat passant au ralenti, mais la R8 a pu repartir. La première heure a vu la seule neutralisation de la course suite à une grosse sortie de piste de la Lamborghini Gallardo/reiter Engineering de Marc Hayek, la #24 partant durement dans la pile de pneus. On a eu peur pour le pilote qui a été évacué vers l'hôpital pour des examens, mais son état n'inspire pas d'inquiétude.

En Pro-Am Cup, on a aussi assisté à une lutte entre ProSpeed Competition et Black Falcon, l'avantage revenant à la Mercedes SLS AMG GT3/Black Falcon de Jans/Morley/Edwards, 6ème au scratch. Le Pro GT by Alméras décroche son premier podium de l'année avec la deuxième place pour Beltoise/Hassid. La McLaren MP4-12C/ART Grand Prix s'est à nouveau bien comportée, la paire Tappy/Demoustier complétant le podium Pro-Am Cup. Chez SOFREV-ASP, la Ferrari de Goueslard/Badey/Beaubelique a fait une course solide avec une 4ème place finale. Longtemps dans le tiercé de tête, la Porsche 911 GT3-R/ProSpeed de Derdaele/van Splunteren/Soulet s'est finalement classée 5ème. Quant à la Ferrari 458 Italia/Kessel Racing de Rossi/Salucci/Ceccato, elle a pris a 9ème place de la classe Pro-Am, « Vale » laissant son baquet en deuxième position scratch à l'issue d'un beau relais de départ. En Gentlemen Trophy, la Porsche 911 GT3-R/Exagon Engineering de Kelders/Desbruères s'est imposée devant la Lamborghini Gallardo/Ruffier Racing de Thuner/Cabannes/Michal.

Le championnat se jouera donc le mois prochain à Navarra dans les trois classes sachant que les leaders de chaque classe n'ont pas vu l'arrivée au Nürburgring. En Pro-Cup et malgré leur abandon, Martin/Leinders/Palttala gardent la tête avec 99 points, contre 96 à Ortelli/Mies/Haase. Du côté du Pro-Am Cup, les quatre premiers avant le rendez-vous allemand ont abdonné. Hommerson/Machiels restent aux commandes avec 68 points, un point devant Bertolini. Amos/Bonacini/Petrobelle suivent à trois longueurs. La bonne affaire est pour Goueslard/Badey/Beubelique qui se replaçent à 14 points de la tête. Suivent Riegel/Stursberg, Beltoise/Hassid et Kox/Hayek. En Gentlemen Trophy, Hirschi/Hissom pointent toujours en tête devant les vainqueurs du jour Desbruères/Kelders avec 11 points de retard.

 by Laurent Mercier(endurance-info.com)

Eugene Laverty takes dominant victory in race 2 at Portimao, Sykes suffers title heartbreak

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If race 1 at Portimao was dramatic with Marco Melandri crashing out and having to skip race 2, the second race was just as eventful, as race one winner Tom Sykes was able to reduce his points gap to rival Max Biaggi to just 14.5 points but was forced to retire on lap 3 after his Kawasaki ZX-10R started to blow blue-white smoke from the bike’s exhaust pipe whileEugene Laverty took his first victory for Aprilia.

From the lights to the chequered flag, Laverty literally ran away with the race, almost never contested, until Jonathan Rea was able to slowly close the initial three second gap that the Aprilia rider had and try to apply some pressure on the last lap, but by then the race was already over. Max Biaggi desperately wanted a podium in race 2 after finishing fourth in the previous one, but he almost didn’t make it after an aggressive Leon Camier in a failed pass at turn 14 of lap 18 touched the Aprilia’s rear tire - Camier would then retire on the penultimate lap with some technical issue to the dismay of Jack Valentine.

Sylvain Guintoli took fourth in a race that saw a high rate of attrition, not only did Sykes retire, but Chaz Davies also crashed out while he was running in second trying to catch Laverty. Technical issues removed Davide Giugliano, Matteo Baicco and Hiroshi Aoyama from the contest. Carlos Checa took fifth after an error on the first lap had dropped to him to 9th. Ayrton Badovini was sixth followed by Loris Baz and Michel Fabrizio who was able to fend off an impressive Brett McCormick.

Lorenzo Lanzi in his fourth race with Effenbert Liberty was 10th, followed by John Hopkins, Lorenzo Zanetti, Davide Salom, Alexander Lundh and Norino Brignola.

Max Biaggi now leads the championship with 30.5 points over Tom Sykes and 38.5 over Marco Melandri, with just 100 points left to assign in the final round of the season at Magny Cours.

WSBK Portimao Race 2 Results:

1. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 38′35.105
2. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 38′35.267
3. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 38′38.871
4. Sylvain Guintoli (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 38′45.545
5. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 38′55.258
6. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 38′58.257
7. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 39′02.419
8. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 39′10.787
9. Brett McCormick (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 39′10.871
10. Lorenzo Lanzi (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R 39′13.416

Tom Sykes takes impressive victory in race 1 at Portimao and reopens championship fight

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A crash by Marco Melandri (who will not take part in race 2 after suffering a suspected kidney injury) in the opening stages, a red flag due to oil on the track, an extremely important victory after the interruption, has opened up Tom Sykes chances even further in the World Superbike title fight, as points leader Max Biaggi finished off the podium in fourth.

Today’s race 1 at Portimao was highly eventful and dramatic, not only because the track was wet and treacherous and then began to slowly dry, but because the championship lost one of its three contenders when Melandri on lap three, threw some caution to the wind and decided to immediately repass Max Biaggi who had just overtook him at turn 11. The BMW rider ended up sliding out and taking with him two riders, Davide Giugliano and future BMW team mate Chaz Davies in the process.

On the start of the sixth lap the race was being lead by Max Biaggi who had just taken the lead from Eugene Laverty at the end of the straight when the Irishman indicated with a very obvious gesture of his right foot that his team mate should pass him. Laverty immediately began to lose contact as both Jonathan Rea and Carlos Checa passed him in one fall swoop, while Tom Sykes was 7th after struggling with Sylvain Guintoli, and an impressive Brett McCormick and a very wrong set-up, but then Norino Brignola who was 9th, crashed out with his satellite Grillin BMW leaving oil on the track surface which prompted the red flag.

The new start was 16 laps with the starting grid as the previous lap before the red flag - Laverty, Biaggi, Rea and Checa on the front row with Guintoli, McCormick, Sykes (whose mechanics had plenty of time to change his set-up) and Leon Camier on the second.

When the lights went out Max Biaggi took the holeshot ahead of Rea and Laverty while Tom Sykes put in a hard pass on the Aprilia rider at turn 3 and gained the third spot and on the straigh then passed Rea and began tailing the Roman Emperor never letting him out of his sights, while Leon Haslam was given a ride through penalty for a jump start which further confirmed another bad day for BMW.

Sykes was all over Biaggi on the next lap and at the beginning of third put a ‘Por Fuera’ pass on the Italian to take the lead, with Biaggi following and slightly more distant Guintoli, Rea, and an aggressive McCormick in front of Carlos Checa. On the fifth lap it began to rain again and Max Biaggi ran off track letting Sylvain Guintoli through and one lap later Carlos Checa having disposed of the Effenbert Liberty rider passed Biaggi who was fastly fading and had his hands full with McCormick who passed him but the Roman Emperor repassed him immediately and struggled to hold him back, watching title rival Sykes disapper in the distance, with Carlos Checa chasing him.

Lap after lap the soon-to-be ex reigning World Champion started to break Sykes advantage and with just three laps to go caught the Kawasaki rider who wouldn’t let him through no matter what the Spaniard tried and they would cross over the finish line with Sykes taking his third victory of the season with Carlos Checa in second and Sylvain Guintoli the third spot on the podium for Pata’s penultimate round in Superbikes.

While Biaggi finished fourth followed by a suprising Brett McCormick, Jonathan Rea, Loris Baz and BMW Motorrad Italia’s Ayrton Badovini and Michel Fabrizio closed out the top ten.

WSBK Portimao Race 1 Results:

01- Tom Sykes – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 16 lap in 31’42.011
02- Carlos Checa – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 0.300
03- Sylvain Guintoli – PATA Racing Team – Ducati 1198 – + 2.732
04- Max Biaggi – Aprilia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 11.564
05- Brett McCormick – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 11.771
06- Jonathan Rea – Honda World Superbike Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 11.792
07- Loris Baz – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 28.693
08- Hiroshi Aoyama – Honda World Superbike Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 29.581
09- Ayrton Badovini – BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet – BMW S1000RR – + 31.507
10- Michel Fabrizio – BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet – BMW S1000RR – + 31.587

Loris Baz to continue with Kawasaki in 2013

As highly expected World Superbike team Kawasaki has completed their 2013 line-up after confirming Tom Sykes, they have also confirmed Loris Baz for next season. The 19-year old French rider started the season in the FIM Superstock 1000 Championship, but was called on to replace seriously injuredJoan Lascorz after the Spaniard suffered a horrific crash during the Imola post race test that left him a paraplegic.

Joining the team at Donington Park and just after four rounds Baz stunned the paddock when he took a third place podium at Brno and then took a victory and a second place at Silverstone which justly confirmed his presence in Superbikes for another season.

“I am really happy, as you can imagine! Since I first got on the official Kawasaki Racing Team bike I have done everything I could to stay for the future. I think it is one of the best bikes and best teams so I did not want to go anywhere else. To stay in this team was the best for me. We have a really good base and I want to be strong for next year. I have to thank Guim Roda, my team manager, for taking me in the first place – a young rider on an official bike – and I also have to thank Kawasaki, who also believed in me. After the end of last year, when I had nothing, they asked me to ride in Superstock. I saw it as a new challenge and a new beginning. So I am really happy to ride for Kawasaki again and I cannot wait for next year,” said Baz.

Guim Roda - Kawasaki Racing Team Manager: “When we took out Loris from the Superstock project and brought him into the Superbike team it was because we believed in his potential. It was not just to finish the year. We worked with him to confirm the potential and his way of working. We saw that he was a good prospect for the future so from the beginning we had, more or less, a clear idea and he just confirmed our expectations. He has demonstrated his abilities and has won a race already so Kawasaki wanted to reward his efforts with a ride next year.”

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