WEC : 6H FUJI - LMP QUALIFICATIONS - TOYOTA S’OFFRE LA POLE À DOMICILE / TOYOTA CLAIM LAST GASP POLE FOR 6 HOURS OF FUJI

Photo : Richard Washbrooke - Photo Copyright 2014 John Rourke / AdrenalMedia.com

Toyota Racing peut célébrer sa pole position obtenue aujourd’hui au Japon, pour la course des 6 Heures de Fuji, la 5e manche du Championnat du Monde d’Endurance FIA WEC.

C’est dans le tout dernier tour de la séance d’essais qualificatifs qu’Anthony Davidson et Sébastien Buemi sont parvenus à signer la meilleure moyenne au tour de la Toyota TS040 n°8, subtilisant la pole position à la Porsche 919 Hybride n°20. La superbe prestation du Suisse a permis au duo de réaliser un chrono en 1 :26'886, soit 0,043 seconde de mieux que la Porsche.

Mark Webber pouvait pourtant se féliciter d’avoir validé un superbe chrono, mais quand l’Australien est rentré au stand quelques minutes avant la fin de la séance, Sébastien Buemi en a profité pour offrir aux spectateurs une sublime performance.

Toyota signe aujourd’hui la 10e pole position de la marque japonaise depuis le début du championnat FIA WEC et la quatrième de la saison 2014.

Porsche partira donc en deuxième et troisième position sur la grille de départ, la n°14 sur la deuxième ligne, juste devant l’autre Toyota TS040 n°7 du local de l’étape Kazuki Nakajima qui partagera son volant avec Alex Wurz et Stéphane Sarrazin (4e).

Les deux Audi R18 e-tron quattro partiront de la troisième ligne, Benoît Tréluyer, André Lotterer et Marcel Fässler devant leurs coéquipiers de la n°1.

Malgré un problème technique ayant engendré une sortie de piste et un drapeau rouge, la R-One Toyota n°12 de Rebellion Racing a pris l’avantage et la pole position de la catégorie LMP1-L.

En LMP2, G-Drive Racing a été la plus rapide et a réalisé sa troisième pole position de la saison. Olivier Pla a signé le meilleur chrono de la voiture qui sera également pilotée par Roman Rusinov et Julien Canal.

En deuxième position sur la première ligne des LMP2, la Morgan-Judd du team OAK Racing d’Alex Brundle et Gustavo Yacaman a réalisé une très belle performance. L’héroïne locale Keiko Ihara sera par ailleurs à leurs côtés au sein du team français, elle est confiante que sa course à domicile sera belle. À l’issue des vérifications techniques après la qualification toutefois, la n°35 a été disqualifiée de ses temps à cause du diamètre trop grand de sa bride d’admission d’air (décision n°12). Elle pourra prendre le départ depuis le fond de la grille, elle s’est vu infliger de plus une pénalité (Stop & Go) qu’elle devra effectuer durant la course.

Classements ICI

Photo : Richard Washbrooke - AdrenalMedia.com

 

Toyota Racing is celebrating taking a thrilling pole position for Sunday’s Fuji 6 Hours, the 5th round of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship.

The #8 Toyota TS 040 Hybrid, driven by Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi, sealed a last-minute pole with Buemi setting a final lap time that ensured he just beat the #20 Porsche 919 Hybrid. The Swiss ace’s final lap ensured an average time of 1m26.886s, which was 0.043s better than the Porsche.

Mark Webber looked to have confirmed pole for Porsche but, when the Australian pitted with a few minutes of the 25 minute session remaining, Buemi had his opportunity to send the local fans in to raptures.

It is the 10th pole position for Toyota since the inception of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the fourth time this season that the manufacturer has topped the qualifying times.

Porsche will start second and third, as the #14 Porsche Team's 919 Hybrid heads the second row, just ahead of local favourite Kazuki Nakajima, who along with team mates Alex Wurz and Stephane Sarrazin had to settle for fourth fastest.

The Audi Sport Team Joest pair of Audi R18 e-tron quattros start the race from the third row of the grid, with the #2 crewed car of Treluyer, Lotterer and Fassler ahead of their #1 sister machine.

The LM1-L class will see the #12 Rebellion Racing R-One Toyota start the 6 Hours from pole position despite a brief technical problem that stopped them briefly on the track, triggering a short red flag period.

G-Drive led the way in the LMP2 class with its third pole of the 2014 season. Olivier Pla and his team mate Roman Rusinov again set the fastest time and, together with Julien Canal, they ensured the best possible platform was achieved for the race tomorrow.

An impressive second place in LMP2 was the OAK Racing Morgan-Judd, with Alex Brundle and Gustavo Yacaman confirming the class front row position. Local heroine, Keiko Ihara, is also part of the driving squad for the French team and is confident for a strong race on home ground.  However, following post qualifying scrutineering the No.35 was found to have an excessive diameter engine air restrictor (Stewards Decision No.12) and had its times cancelled.  It will be allowed to start the race but from the back of the grid and must take a stop and go penalty during the race. 

Moto GP : Rossi à deux doigts de la pole au Motegi / Rossi on importance of front row start

Le pilote du team Movistar Yamaha MotoGP a terminé à 0.055s d’Andrea Dovizioso en qualifications et sera deuxième sur la grille de départ du Grand Prix Motul du Japon.

Valentino Rossi a fait preuve d’une redoutable efficacité en qualifications samedi après-midi au Twin Ring Motegi et est passé tout près de ce qui aurait été sa première pole position depuis 2010. Malgré un index droit fracturé depuis sa chute en Aragón, l’Italien était parmi les principaux candidats à la pole et n’a au final été battu que par son compatriote Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), qui bénéficiait du pneu extra soft.

The Doctor a conclu les qualifications avec un chrono d’1’44.557, avec seulement 0.055s de retard sur Dovizioso, et signait sa meilleure qualification de la saison.

« Je suis très content, principalement parce que je vais partir de la première ligne et que ce sera très important pour la course de demain, » a déclaré Rossi, qui n’avait été en première ligne qu’à Misano cette année. « Ce sera une course longue et très difficile parce que tout le monde va donner le maximum. Je suis content parce que l’équipe a bien travaillé sur la moto pour améliorer notre set-up. Nous avons fait du bon travail et nous étions déjà performants avant les qualifications. J’espère que les modifications que nous avons faites nous aideront aussi sur notre rythme de course. »

« Lors des essais libre (FP4), mon rythme n’était pas mauvais mais ce n’était pas extraordinaire non plus. Nous devons encore progresser un peu si nous voulons nous battre pour la victoire. J’étais un peu préoccupé au début en raison du coup que j’avais pris à la tête mais en fait je vais bien. En ce qui concerne mon doigt, c’est un doigt très important pour le freinage. C’est douloureux mais je sens que j’ai de la force et du feeling quand je freine, je peux donc piloter normalement. »

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi qualified on the front row for the second time in 2014 at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan.

Nine-time World Champion Rossi worked with his team as they made several modifications to his Yamaha YZR-M1, which enabled him to fight for the front row.

Provisional pole belonged to Rossi early in the session, but the likes of Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) responded with quick lap times as Q2 progressed.

A 1’44.557s was Rossi’s final time, putting him in second place just 0.055s behind Dovizioso, who claimed his and Ducati’s first podium in four years. Pedrosa looked capable of challenging the Yamaha rider, but fell at the penultimate turn.

Rossi’s previous 2014 front row start came at Misano where the Italian went on to take a popular victory.

Rossi reflected on Q2, saying, “I’m very happy and satisfied. Even if Dovizioso overtook me for the pole position it’s not so bad. It’s very important to start from the front row. We improved a lot for qualifying, our set up took some big steps. I was able to go faster and hopefully this will apply to the race tomorrow as we still need to make some changes for the race.”

“It’s going to be a tough race with everyone pushing 100% so the front row is critical. I was worried that my head would not be OK but it is all good. The finger is a little annoying, it’s very important for the braking. I have a tiny bit of pain but the power is there so I can ride,” he added.

Moto GP : Pole position et record du circuit pour Dovizioso / Ducati get first pole position since 2010 courtesy of Dovizioso

Andrea Dovizioso s’est offert sa première pole position avec Ducati, la première du constructeur italien depuis 2010, samedi après-midi au Twin Ring Motegi et partagera la première ligne avec Valentino Rossi et Dani Pedrosa.

Andrea Dovizioso poursuit sa montée en puissance avec Ducati et a remporté sa deuxième pole position en MotoGP™ depuis celle de 2010, qu’il avait aussi obtenue au Twin Ring Motegi. Profitant de l’avantage que lui confère le pneu extra-soft, l’Italien a tourné en 1’44.502, soit près d’une demi-seconde de mieux que l’ancien record du circuit japonais. Ducati sera en tête de la grille pour la première fois depuis la pole de Casey Stoner au GP de Valence de 2010.

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a confirmé que sa fracture à l’index de la main droite ne l’handicaperait pas ce week-end au Japon en se qualifiant en seconde position, à 0.055s de son compatriote. Le nonuple Champion du Monde n'avait jusque-là été en première ligne qu'une seule fois cette saison suite à sa qualification en troisième position à Misano.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) complètera la première ligne après avoir chuté sur son dernier tour tandis que son coéquipier Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) sera en tête de la deuxième ligne.

Le Champion du Monde en titre, qui dispose de sa première balle de match pour le titre MotoGP™ 2014, a fini à un rien de Pedrosa, tout comme Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), vainqueur au Motegi l’an dernier, qui partira cinquième, devant Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing).

Pol Espargaró (Monster Yamaha Tech3), Cal Crutchlow (Ducati) et Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP) seront quant à eux en troisième ligne après avoir devancé Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) ainsi que Aleix Espargaró (NGM Forward Racing) et Álvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), qui étaient tous les deux passés par la Q1. 

S’il n’a pas encore complètement récupéré de sa blessure au poignet, Nicky Hayden (Drive M7 Aspar) a tout de même réussi à être le premier pilote sur RCV1000R en qualifications, à la quatorzième position, tandis que son coéquipier Hiroshi Aoyama a fini dix-huitième, derrière le wildcard Katsuyuki Nakasuga (Yamalube Racing Team with YSP). 

Mike di Meglio (Avintia Racing) est qualifié en vingt-troisième position.

Rendez-vous sur bwin pour découvrir les cotes de vos pilotes préférés et cliquez ici pour empocher votre bonus de bienvenue !

MotoGP™ Q2 was another frantic sprint for pole at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, with the honours taken by Andrea Dovizioso - as Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa also slotted onto the front row – despite a late crash for Pedrosa.

A new pole record of the Twin Ring Motegi circuit of 1’44.502 by Dovizioso gave Ducati Team their first pole position since Casey Stoner was on pole at Valencia in 2010.

For full MotoGP Q2 results from Motegi click here.

Behind Dovizioso, Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) had provisional pole early in the session before he dropped down the timesheet, only to respond with a hot lap which left him just 0.055s behind his pole setting compatriot.

Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) was also chasing pole and was on a hot lap when he fell at turn 12 in the final stages. Nonetheless the Spaniard qualified on the front row, a quarter of a second behind Dovizioso, with three different manufacturers represented on the first line of the grid.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) will launch his bid to retain the title from fourth on the grid having qualified just 0.02s behind his teammate Pedrosa.

Aragon race winner Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) qualified fifth, a 0.282s gap from pole. The second row is completed by Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) who like Dovizioso took advantage of an extra soft rear tyre.

Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3), Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team) and Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP) all qualified on row three, whilst Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) slotted into tenth place.

Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) and Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) made it through from an intriguing and fiercely contested Q1 session to qualify 11^th and 12^th respectively. Espargaro was forced to push hard to get through from Q1 on his final lap after being put under pressure by Yonny Hernandez (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing) who will start 13^th.

Check out the odds of your favorite riders on bwin and click here to get a sign up bonus of £30.

BARN FIND: DAVE MUCCI’S DREAMY HONDA CA95

We love a good barn find, and they don’t come much better than this sweet little Honda CA95. It’s a typically stylish build from Dave Mucci, and there’s a great story to match.

A few months ago, we got an email from Lauren, a Chicago rider who wanted to upgrade from a scooter to a classic motorcycle. So we put her in touch with her near-neighbor Dave. After running through a few options with him, Lauren decided she liked the curves of the Honda CA95.

It was a good choice. “The CA95 was the finned Cadillac of motorcycles,” says Dave. “The frame extends from the steering tube all the way back to the rear fender, in one swooping stamped-steel structure.”

The hunt was on, and Dave got wind of a 1962 model that had been sitting unused for more than a decade. “It was the dictionary definition of a barn find,” he remembers. “Covered in a thick layer of dirt, with hay stuffed into all the crevices, plus the remnants of generations of mice.”

Dave was almost afraid to touch it in case it fell apart. And then he swiped his thumb across the instrument gauge and revealed something pretty astonishing: the odometer read 00078 miles.

The remarkably low mileage isn’t the only unusual thing about this Honda. Lauren’s first requirement was practicality and storage—something that scooter riders take for granted, but motorcyclists often struggle with.

“The CA95 already has two square compartments, on either side of the bike,” says Dave. “They house the electrics and air filter box. So we replaced the airbox with a K&N pod filter, and built a custom electronics box within the frame.”

The side compartments were now free, so Dave fabricated metal cages and fitted soft, upholstered side bags. And for even more storage space, he added a removable luggage rack at the back.

With the storage issue out of the way, the rest of the build took a more familiar path. There’s a completely new electrical system, complete with a red USB chord snaking into a side bag so that a phone can be charged while riding.

In the US, the CA95 was delivered without turn signals, so Dave sourced and wired in an early Honda control with a turn signal switch. “Given the cell phone charger, we wanted to keep the electrical draw to a minimum. So we swapped out the rear taillight for a pair of LED units from Prism Moto Co.”

The tails are wired up to also function as turn signals, using a basic trailer converter and a couple of resistors. (“They’re bright as hell and draw a tenth of the current.”)

The curvature of the CA95 backbone is one of its most elegant features. “You can just picture a designer carving out that perfect silhouette in the 50s with a couple of pencil strokes. But unfortunately, someone then made the decision to plop a big black rectangle of a seat on top of that beautiful design element.”

So Dave designed a seat unit with more sympathetic lines. It’s one of the most dominant elements of the bike now, accentuating the backbone of the frame and tailing off down the rear fender.

The rest of the bike was overhauled, from the nickel-plated fender up front to the skinny new exhaust system—which replicates the original, but now sports a set of louvered baffles from a different Honda model. “The sound is surprisingly deep and bubbly for a pair of 75cc pistons!”

Even more attention went into the muted colors: warm and desaturated, they add a classy, haute couture vibe. “I enjoy working with contrasting materials and finishes, as well as the hues themselves,” says Dave.

“The brass hardware was bead-blasted down to its raw golden state, and there’s a pop of red via some of the smaller elements—like the plug wires, zipper pulls and carburetor parts. They complete the red motif seen in the neutral switch, speedo needle and taillight lenses.”

It’s a thoroughly well built bike, but it was constructed at breakneck speed to go on display at The One Moto Show in Portland last February. The judges were so impressed, they created a special award: the “What’s Up With That Seat” trophy.

With several high quality builds under his belt, Dave Mucci has now gone pro—with a new motorcycle design company called Draft Studio. If you’re in the American Midwest and want a one-of-a-kind custom, now you know who to call.

Images by Patrick Daly.

via BIKEexif