SuperMoto : two wins for Thomas Chareyre (TM-Michelin) at Rivesaltes / doublé de Thomas Chareyre à Rivesaltes

Thomas Chareyre (TM Racing Factory-Michelin) won both races at the opening meeting of the 2014 SuperMoto World Championship at Rivesaltes, France. Both times, he finished clear of his brother Adrien (Aprilia Fast Wheels-Michelin). The defending champion Mauno Hermunen (SHR-TM-Michelin) was third and fourth.

Thomas Chareyre (TM Racing Factory – Michelin) a remporté les deux premières manches du Championnat du monde SuperMoto à Rivesaltes (France). Il devance à deux reprises son frère Adrien (Aprilia Fast Wheels – Michelin). Mauno Hermunen (SHR - TM – Michelin), champion du monde en titre, se classe troisième et quatrième.

Thomas Chareyre kick started his 2014 programme with pole position and two victories at Rivesaltes. The dominant TM Racing Factory rider, who is now competing on Michelin tyres, also led both races from start to finish.

He began the first race with a sequence of quick times which earned him the fastest lap fourth time round (1m29.409s). Similarly, he posted the fastest time of the second race on his third lap (1m29.712s).

Adrien Chareyre completed the two races five and 10 seconds adrift of his brother respectively. In the first clash, he managed to ward off the 2013 champion Mauno Hermunen who was only fifth after Lap 1 before fighting his way back to third, his grid position. The result was an all-Michelin podium, while Ivan Lazzarini (L30 Racing-Honda) and wild card entry Sylvain Bidart (Team Luc1-Honda-Michelin) rounded off the top five.

Hermunen started the second race poorly, too, when he fell to seventh. By Lap 6, he was back up to fourth but then dropped to ninth before recovering a podium position on Lap 13… when the race was red-flagged. The final positions were consequently those at the end of Lap 12, however, and the Finn ended up fourth, behind Ivan Lazzarini.

Thomas Chareyre unsurprisingly tops the championship standings on 50 points, ahead of Adrien Chareyre (44). Lazzarini and Hermunen are equal third (38).

Thomas Chareyre débute la saison 2014 de la meilleure des manières en signant la pole position et remportant les deux premières courses. Le pilote TM Racing Factory désormais chaussé en Michelin a largement dominé ce week-end en menant les deux manches de bout en bout. Jamais inquiété, il a enchaîné une série de tours rapides dès le départ où il est crédité du meilleur temps au quatrième tour de la première manche (1.29.409) et au troisième de la seconde course (1.29.712).

Adrien Chareyre, relégué respectivement à cinq et dix secondes sous le drapeau à damier, assure la deuxième place. Dans la première manche, il résiste au retour du champion du monde en titre, Mauno Hermunen, cinquième dès le premier tour. Le Finlandais remonte à la troisième place, position qu’il occupait sur la grille de départ. Il offre à Michelin le premier triplé de la saison. Ivan Lazzarini (L30 Racing – Honda) et Sylvain Bidart (Team Luc1 – Honda – Michelin), wild card, complètent le top 5.

En seconde manche, Hermunen rate une nouvelle fois son départ et se retrouve septième. Revenu à la quatrième place au sixième tour, il chute à la neuvième position au tour suivant avant de remonter troisième au 13^ème tour. La course est alors arrêtée sur drapeau rouge et selon le règlement, le classement final de la course est figé sur les positions du tour précédent. Hermunen termine donc au pied du podium derrière Lazzarini.

Thomas Chareyre prend logiquement la tête du Championnat avec 50 points. Adrien Chareyre est deuxième (44 points) alors que Ivan Lazzarini et Mauno Hermunen se partagent la troisième place avec 38 points.

Résultats :

Course 1 : Chareyre T. (TM-Michelin) – 2. Charyere A. (Aprilia-Michelin) – 3. Hermunen (TM-Michelin) – 4. Lazzarini (Honda) – Bidart (Honda-Michelin) - ….

Course 2 : Chareyre T. (TM-Michelin) – 2. Charyere A. (Aprilia-Michelin) – 3. Lazzarini (Honda) – 4. Hermunen (TM-Michelin) – 5. Travnicek (Yamaha) - …

Championnat : Chareyre T. 50 pts – 2. Chareyre A. 44 pts – 3. Lazzirini et Hermunen 38 pts -…

Prochaine course : Roumanie, 18 mai

Natasha - Final Build

Natasha is an 1981 Suzuki GS450E that I found on Craigslist for $400. Only seven thousand miles on the clock, but with some thirty-odd years of neglect, there was obviously going to be some issues. Miracle of miracles, with some fresh gas in the tank and a new battery, she actually started up and ran. Yes, the carbs were a mess, various rubber items had turned solid, and there were a few million spider webs to clear out, but underneath all that there was an awesome bike waiting to be rediscovered.

Natasha - Final Build from The Four Forty on Vimeo.

Read the full build at thefourfifty.com

Motorbeach Fest 2014

WTCC Circuit Paul Ricard : MULLER and LOPEZ winners

RACE 1 – MULLER’S FIRST WIN WITH CITROËN

The reigning champion, who had inherited pole position after technical scrutineering yesterday, did not have the best of starts but took the lead in lap 3 after passing Michelisz and Tarquini and flew away to the chequered flag. 

Sébastien Loeb completed Citroën’s 1-2 after storming throughout the field from the last row in the grid. Honda took its first podium of the season, thanks to a great race by Gabriele Tarquini, who came ahead of Pechito López and a very inspired Rob Huff, who took fifth for LADA after a great race. In the TC2T class, Liqui Moly Team Engstler’s Franz Engstler and Pasquale Di Sabatino signed another 1-2.  

Key momentsStart – Tarquini takes a perfect start ahead of Michelisz, Mulller, Valente, Huff and Borković. Lap 1 – Muller passes Michelisz for second, while there is a contact between Loeb (already 7^th) and López; Loeb has another contact with Morbidelli as he takes 6^th. Lap 3 – Muller passes Tarquini at first corner and takes the lead. Lap 4 – Loeb passes Huff and Valente and climbs to 6^thLap 5 – Huff passes Valente for 7^th Lap 6 – Loeb (who has fastest lap in 1.44.389) takes third from Michelisz. Lap 7 – López passes Huff at the chicane after a short duelLap 8 – Muller leads with 4.5 seconds on Tarquini and posts fastest lap (1.43.801). Lap 11 – López passes Michelisz in turn 2 after a contact that puts both cars sideways. Lap 12 – Loeb is attacking repeatedly Tarquini for second but the Italian resists. Lap 14 – Loeb eventually manages to outpower Tarquini, while Michelisz, Huff and Valente fight fiercely for 5^th with the Brit brilliantly taking the advantage. Lap 16 – Valente also passes Michelisz for 6^th

RACE 2 – LÓPEZ RECOVERS TO VICTORY

The Argentine preceded his team mate Yvan Muller, winner of Race 1, in another 1-2 win for Citroën after the C-Elysées bent the resilience of the Honda of Tiago Monteiro, who led for most of the race. The Portuguese offered to Honda its second consecutive podium finish. Tarquini, Bennani and Loeb completed the top 6. The Frenchman had a more difficult Race 2 after an early contact with Muller and hitting the chicane tires later on. Franz Engstler won again the TC2 race despite being hit by Filippi at mid-race. 

Key momentsStart – Monteiro takes a great start and takes the lead ahead of Bennani, Münnich, Tarquini and Borković. Lap 1 – Chilton pushes Morbidelli into a spin and Muller is also involved.Lap 2 – Chilton is passed by López and Muller who slams the door on Loeb; the two tangle. Lap 4 – Valente fights with Chilton and Michelisz for tenthLap 5 – Monteiro leads from Tarquini who has passed Bennani.Lap 6 – López and Muller pass Tarquini after a small mistake of the Italian.Lap 7 – Loeb hits the tire pile at the chicane, prompting the exit of the safety-car. Lap 8 – Chilton is given a drive-through for the incident at the start.Lap 9 – At the restart, Monteiro keeps the advantage on López and Muller; but it’s safety-car again, as Filippi T-bones Engstler at turn 1. Lap 14 – The race restarts and López and Muller outpower Monteiro; Borković and Loeb pass ValenteLap 16 – Loeb moves up to fifth Bennani ahead of BorkovićLap 17 - Loeb passes Bennani for fourthLap 18 - López wins from Muller; Michelisz and Morbidelli pip Valente and Huff for 8^th and 9^th Lap 18 – Engstler retakes TC2T lead from Di Sabatino.

^{via fia wtcc}