samedi 26 octobre 2013
Lorenzo storms to second consecutive pole / Lorenzo s’assure la pole au Grand Prix AirAsia du Japon
On a weekend heavily disrupted by inclement weather, Qualifying on Saturday afternoon marked the first time the MotoGP™ riders had taken to the track at Twin Ring Motegi. In order to allow the field as much track time as possible, one single session of 75 minutes replaced the usual setup of 15-minute Q1 and Q2 periods.
Already quickest on a drying track, Lorenzo recorded blistering pace as conditions improved towards the end of the period, registering an effort of 1’53.471. Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) went second on his final flying lap, demoting Hayden to third; nevertheless, the Ducati Team rider still achieves his best qualifying result since the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez in 2012. He now aims to take advantage of his grid position with Ducati before switching to Power Electronics Aspar next season.
Lorenzo’s impressive pace was demonstrated by the fact that all riders from third place downwards were over a full second in arrears. Behind, Row 2 will be occupied by Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi for Honda and Yamaha respectively, with the second Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso in sixth position. GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista will line up seventh – despite a crash at Turn 7 - from LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl, with the German returning from a fractured ankle. Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro was ninth, having already claimed the overall CRT honours for 2013.
Yonny Hernandez completed the top ten for Ignite Pramac Racing, while wildcard Katsuyuki Nakasuga enjoyed a strong session en route to 12th place for Yamaha YSP Racing Team. However, it was a difficult time for Monster Yamaha Tech3 as Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith could manage no more than 11th and 13th spots. Nakasuga’s compatriot Hiroshi Aoyama will begin his home race from 18th position on the grid with the Avintia Blusens FTR machine.
Should he be able to end the race with a points lead of 26 or more, 20-year-old Marquez will become the youngest ever MotoGP™ World Champion and first rookie title winner for 35 years. Taking place over the course of 24 laps and with dry conditions expected, Sunday’s 2013 AirAsia Grand Prix of Japan is set to begin at 2pm local time (GMT +9).
Les pilotes de la catégorie reine ont finalement pu entrer en piste samedi après-midi après avoir été privés des trois traditionnelles séances d’essais par le mauvais temps et disposaient exceptionnellement de 75 minutes de piste pour leur séance de qualifications, leur première séance du week-end, qui sera suivie d’une séance d’essais dimanche matin puis de la course.
Sur piste trempée au départ, les pilotes ont profité de bien meilleures conditions sur les dernières minutes, lorsque la trajectoire de course avait été balayée, et c’est le Champion du Monde en titre Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) qui a eu le dernier mot. Installé en tête du classement avant la fin de la séance, le Majorquin a dû répondre aux menaces de Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) et de Nicky Hayden (Ducati), avec un chrono de 1’53.471 et sa quatrième pole position de la saison, après celle qu’il avait remportée le dimanche précédent en Australie.
Márquez, qui dispose ce week-end de sa seconde balle de match pour remporter le titre mondial, a fini à 0.658s du Majorquin après être sorti de piste à deux reprises tandis que Hayden a une fois de plus démontré la compétitivité de la Ducati sur piste mouillée en prenant la troisième position, à une seconde de la pole.
L’Américain, en première ligne pour la première fois depuis le début de la saison 2012, a battu de trois millièmes de seconde Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), qui mènera la deuxième ligne devant Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing) et Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati).
Tombé à sept minutes de la fin de la séance alors qu’il prenait le temps de faire monter ses pneus pluie en température pour se lancer sur un tour rapide, Álvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), troisième de l’épreuve l’an dernier, devra partir de la troisième ligne, en compagnie de Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda), de retour ce week-end après avoir manqué la manche australienne, et un impressionnant Aleix Espargaró (Power Electronics Aspar).
Yonny Hernández (Ignite Pramac Racing) complétait le Top 10 juste devant Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech3), onzième et à deux secondes et demie de la pole, le Wild Card japonais Katsuyuki Nakasuga (Yamaha YSP Racing Team) et Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3). Randy de Puniet (Power Electronics Aspar) sera quant à lui dix-septième sur la grille de départ.
Via MotoGP.com
TRIUMPH T100 SS BY UNTITLED
London’s Untitled Motorcycles have made a name for themselves with raw and functional customs designed to blast around congested city streets. So this board track-inspired Triumph T100 SS is something of a departure—but a intriguing one at that.
There’s an explanation for the sudden swerve of direction. A few months ago Andy Carol, the bike’s owner, went on a boys’ weekend to the Veterama Oldtimer Autojumble in Mannheim, Germany. While walking up and down the many aisles, he came across this Triumph—half-finished and part-assembled.
“I’d been getting more interested in board track racing and was beginning to harbor a desire to create something reminiscent of that era, but also useable and a bit unusual,” he recalls. “This bike hit the spot!”
The frame had been modified and adapted from an original T100 SS ‘bitza’ by a chap called Carl Frith from Bath, in the west of England. “Carl had started the project but was moving it on, because he’d sourced an early Indian board tracker,” says Andy.
The frame had been modified and welded but was missing foot pegs amongst many other details, and most of the brackets were only tack-welded. It was very much a work in progress, but the stance was already there—and the original Harley ’45 springer forks worked really well with the skinny Avon tyres and Indian board track tank.
Andy struck a deal and returned the Triumph to Untitled Motorcycles’ premises in Camden, London. Adam and Rex stripped the bike down and refreshed the motor. New bars and pegs were installed and the frame was prepped for powder coating in gunmetal grey. The rims were powder coated off white to add a little contrast and period style.
“We didn’t want to produce an immaculate show queen,” Adam notes, “and we liked the grey primer on the tank. But we became rather obsessed with having various parts brass plated. I sourced inverted brass levers from India and slowly the bike came to fruition. I have a vintage pushbike with wooden mudguards and that gave me the inspiration to find some wooden mudguards—eventually sourced from Woody’s Fenders in California.” Woody made a set in Peruvian Walnut, and also a small wooden chainguard (yet to be fitted.) An old brass car horn was chopped down to create a carburetor intake.
“She’s been primed and fired up and sounds amazing,” says Adam. “All that remains is to put some miles on her, roaring over the hills of Hampstead and Highgate. And of course to the Ace Café for the obligatory fry up!”
Check out the Untitled Motorcycles website here and follow their news via the Untitled Facebook page. Images courtesy of Andre Silva.
via BIKEEXIF
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