Bol d’Or : H+3, Kawasaki SRC s’installe en tête

Après trois heures de course, le team Kawasaki SRC est leader de la 77ème édition du Bol d’Or devant le GMT 94. Le SERT complète le podium provisoire à 1min10. BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent est quatrième.

Kawasaki SRC, emmené par Grégory Leblanc, Loris Baz et Jérémy Guarnoni, maintient le cap en tête après avoir pris les commandes peu après la demi-heure de course. Les trois pilotes ont rapidement creusé l’écart pour ressortir en tête lors du troisième ravitaillement. Les leaders possèdent  58 secondes d’avance sur le GMT 94

Second suite à la première vague de ravitaillements, Sylvain Barrier a chuté au guidon de la BMW-Michelin n°99 au début de la deuxième heure. Le vainqueur 2012 de la Coupe du monde FIM Superstock  a pu néanmoins conserver sa seconde position mais la BMW S1000RR a dû subir une intervention lors du second pit-stop, la reléguant  ainsi à la huitième place. Grâce à des tours rapides et constants, la BMW n°99 pointe désormais à la quatrième place.

Redoutant la pluie, Dominique Meliand a opté pour un mauvais choix de pneumatiques lors du premier ravitaillement. Le SERT, moins rapide en piste, a rétrogradé à la quatrième place avant de revenir à la seconde position peu avant la troisième heure. Mais la Suzuki n°1  a cédé sous la pression de la Yamaha-Michelin n°94.

Le YART est cinquième à plus deux tours des leaders. Honda TT Legends pointe désormais à la sixième place devant National Motos. Les trois premières équipes engagées en catégorie Superstock, AM Moto Racing, le Suzuki Junior Team et Penz 13, complètent le Top 10

La météo est toujours chaotique, la pluie est de nouveau annoncée pour la prochaine heure.

Turbo-Lady in Pink: Donna Mae Mims

Don’t mess with Donna Mae. The cars might have been cutesy lipstick pink but when the flag dropped, the Pennsylvania-born lady racing driver was “out there only for one thing: to win. Nobody remembers second place...”

Mims worked as a secretary at Yenko Chevrolet in Canonsburg, PA, in the 1950s. Don Yenko’s name was synonymous with high-performance Chevrolets, and Mims and her husband bought a fuel-injected Corvette, which Donna Mae started racing in the 1960s. 

Very soon, she became a force to be reckoned with on the circuits, winning her first race in 1960 and becoming a regular runner in the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) national championship. 

It might not seem terribly right-on nowadays, but Mims played on her sex by painting most of her racing cars the same pink, proudly displaying a ‘Think Pink’ sticker on the rear bumper. Naturally, her racing overalls and crash helmet were colour-matched to the cars. 




In 1963, Mims won Class H of the SCCA’s national racing championship driving a 1959 Austin-Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprite. 

Sponsored by the ‘The Right Bra’, Mims and two other lady drivers competed in the last-ever Cannonball Run. By a logic that can only be understood by the Mad Men of the company’s ad agency, despite their ‘support’ the trio were to compete bra-less. They failed to finish. 

Mims died in October 2009. She requested that her body be seated at the wheel of a pink 1979 Corvette for friends and admirers to pay their last respects. 

Text: Classic Driver
Photos: Getty Images

Lorenzo and Rossi say they need to improve after Friday's free practices at Austin

fromTwowheelsblog

Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi knew that the Hondas, especially Marc Marquez would be fast at the Circuit of the Americas, following the March test, but they probably didn’t expect to be losing more than 1.6 and 1.8 seconds compared to the the rookie and and almost six tenths of second to Stefan Bradl, especially after the grip improved during the afternoon session and despite the fact that Marquez was still two seconds slower than his best lap during testing.

Unless the Yamaha duo finds something to stop the Honda domination they will be riding on the defensive on Sunday, trying to gain as many points as possible, waiting for a more Yamaha friendly track.

“In the morning we were competitive compared to our rivals but this afternoon when the track improved they had a better feeling and a better confidence to improve much more than us. We were unable to make profit from the improved track conditions. We need to improve the bike to gain some seconds. The track was better for everyone but for the moment it gives our rivals more confidence to go faster. We are better but still not enough,” said Lorenzo who finished 4th.

“The practices are not so bad because we improved a lot compared to this morning and we could stay close to Jorge. Unfortunately the Hondas are very fast which we already knew from the test. We hope to make it better this weekend but especially Marquez is very fast and also Pedrosa and Bradl are faster than us so we have to work and try to improve for tomorrow,” commented Rossi.

Honda CM400 Cafe Racer

This year citizens of the USA are being spoilt rotten with 2 installments of See See Motorcycles legendaryOne Motorcycle Show! After a hugely successful show in Portland, Oregon the One Moto Show is now heading to Austin, Texas on the 19th of Arpil. If you're one of the lucky sods that can make it along here's one bike you'll be able to get up close and personal with. It's a custom Honda CM400 Cafe Racer built by Junior Burell of Retro Moto. Jim sent his bike through along with the build story for all of those who can't make it the show to enjoy.

"The bike was originally an '81 Honda CM400. I purchased it the day after my previous build was stolen. At the time it was just frame, wheels, and a locked up engine. I was able to find an '82 450 engine with a six speed gearbox which I also purchased to go into this build."

"Since I was building this bike for myself, I wanted to fabricate as many of the parts myself as possible. The Honda CM400 isn't a very popular bike because of the shape of the subframe. I cured that issue by chopping it off and building a new one with a much a more aggressive look. The tank was formed by hand from steel and was inspired by old Italian race bikes."

"I built the tail to follow the lines of the tank and the seat is wood base with padded leather inserts. I freshened up the engine and had the head ported and polished. I joined the clipons to the tacho and headlight to make them a single piece reducing clutter on the fork tubes. A couple of buddies of mine talked me into building the under-tail exhaust, and I’m glad they did. The rear sets were constructed using parts from the original oil pump and a pocket bike transmission. The bike is a blast to ride and I do so every chance I get."

Junior is a fabricator from Fort Worth, Texas who runs a part time motorcycle fabrication shop called Retro Moto. It’s a single man shop which specialises in hand-forming steel tanks. Taking inspiration from old craftsman that didn’t have technology at their disposal. "I chose to build motorcycles because the options and possibilities for creativity are endless. I build with an aim to transform raw steel into art", I'm happy to say I think he's done a pretty good job of that with this bike.

Retro Moto     |     One Moto Show Austin Texas     |     Anthony Chiang

Return of the Cafe Racers iPhone 4/4S cases now available from 100MPH.com.au

return of the cafe racers