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BLANCPAIN GT SERIES Moscou : Abril/Buhk (Bentley/HTP) tsars de Russie ! / First win for Vincent Abril and Maxi Buhk in the HTP Bentley Continental GT3

par Laurent Mercier (Endurance-Info.com)

En passant de Mercedes à Bentley, les allemands de HTP pensaient bien poursuivre sur une bonne série de bons résultats mais le début de saison a été plus que chaotique pour Bentley Team HTP. Il aura fallu attendre un changement de livrée de la Continental GT3 de Max Buhk et Vincent Abril pour que le tandem de la #84 rafle la mise sur le Moscou Raceway. Le champion en titre de la Silver Cup a donné le ton dès le départ en prenant rapidement la poudre d’escampette. Le ravitaillement aurait pu faire perdre la tête à la Bentley mais la concurrence n’a guère été plus chanceuse. Sous le damier, Max Buhk a devancé la BMW Z4 GT3/Team Brasil de Atila Abreu et Valdeno Brito de 7.5s et la Ferrari 458 Italia GT3/Rinaldi Racing de Seefried/Siedler de 8.3s.

L’Audi R8 LMS ultra/Phoenix Racing de Markus Winkelhock (seul au volant de la #6) pouvait terminer sur le podium en passant deux concurrents lors du ravitaillement mais un drive through pour une manoeuvre osée a repoussé l’Allemand au 6ème rang final. Le Belgian Audi Club Team WRT a placé deux de ses Audi R8 LMS ultra dans le quinté de tête grâce à Ortelli/Richelmi et Vanthoor/Frinjs, ces derniers partant de la 16ème place.

Douche froide pour la Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX/Reiter Engineering de Catsburg/von Thurn und Taxis avec un accrochage dès le premier tour pour la Lamborghini victorieuse de la Course Qualificative impliquant également la BMW Z4 GT3/Team Brasil #0 et une Audi/WRT.

Bentley Team HTP s’est imposé en Silver Cup grâce à Szymkowiak/van Splunteren sur la Bentley Continental GT3 #83. Sur ses terres, GT Russian Team s’est imposé en Pro-Am avec Christophe Bouchut et Alexey Karachev, les deux étant auteurs d’une course solide. Course à oublier pour la McLaren 650S GT3/Attempto Racing de Estre/Bell, seulement 9ème.

Vanthoor/Frinjs gardent les commandes du championnat avec 15 points d’avance sur les vainqueurs du jour, Abril/Buhk.

Le classement est ici

 

The drivers of the #84 Bentley Team HTP car Vincent Abril and Maxi Buhk dominated the main race of the Moscowround of the 2015 Blancpain Sprint Series. The Frenchman took the lead at the start, jumping from third to first, and never looked back. Former Blancpain Endurance Series-champion Maxi Buhk had little trouble holding on to the lead and claimed the team's first win with a Bentley.

The fight for second looked to be decided in the pitlane, when Markus Winkelhock jumped both the #77 BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil car and the #333 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari. But the #6 Phoenix Racing Audi was penalised with a drive-through after an unsafe release, which meant that Atila Abreu crossed the line in second, less than a second in front of Marco Seefried.

Silver Cup was won by the #83 Bentley Team HTP of rookie Max Van Splunteren and Jules Szymkowiak, while the #70 GT Russian Team Mercedes of Christophe Bouchut and Alexey Karachev took top spot in Pro-Am.

The Qualifying Race saw an emotional first win for Nick Catsburg and Albert von Thurn und Taxis in the #88 Reiter Engineering Lamborghini, but in the main race the joy of the Austrian was short-lived. Contact was made at the start between the Lamborghini, the #0 BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil car and the #2 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8 and the Gallardo was spun round. It was the end of the race for Von Thurn and Taxis.

Meanwhile, Vincent Abril set a blistering start with the #84 Bentley Team HTP Continental and managed to steer clear of the mayhem behind him. The Frenchman quickly built up a lead of a couple of seconds, first on the #77 BMW Sports Trophy Team Z4 (which had started from seventh), then on the #333 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari, which had lost some ground in avoiding the first corner incidents.

The pitstop of the Bentley was less than perfect, but Norbert Siedler lost some time in the Ferrari pitstop as well. That meant that the Rinaldi Racing machine dropped to fourth, behind the #77 BMW and the surprising #6 Phoenix Audi. Markus Winkelhock was racing alone in Moscow, since team-mate Niki Mayr-Melnhof had to leave the circuit for personal reasons. Even though Winkelhock could not score any points, he still wanted a podium finish. That proved to be impossible, since he was penalised for an unsafe release for the Phoenix Audi. A drive-through for Winkelhock meant that he dropped to sixth.

In front Maximilian Buhk had everything under control and the German ended the 36-lap race with over seven seconds in hand, scoring the first win of the season and the first win of the team since it switched to Bentley at the beginning of this season. With this win Buhk and Abril are now second in the Blancpain Sprint Series driver standings, 15 points behind the leaders.

Marco Seefried did all he could to recover second position, but Atila Abreu managed to hold on to the runner-up spot and claimed the team's fourth consecutive podium finish, closing the gap towards Blancpain Sprint Series leaders Laurens Vanthoor and Robin Frijns to 19 points. The Belgian-Dutch duo, setting perfect scores during the previous two meetings, did not have the best of weekends. During the qualifying race Vanthoor had a puncture on the opening lap, which meant that the #1 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT had to start the race from the penultimate row. Robin Frijns quickly gained some ground, driving from 16th to 6th, giving Vanthoor the opportunity to fight for a podium position. But just when the Belgian had closed the gap towards the #333 Rinaldi Ferrari, Vanthoor spun and lost a position in favour of the #2 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT machine of Stephane Ortelli. Vanthoor eventually finished in fifth, adding another ten points to their tally.

For Jules Szymkowiak and Max Van Splunteren, the Moscow weekend proved to be very interesting. The latter made his debut in the Series and at the wheel of the Bentley, the 19-year old proved to be competitive right away. Small mistakes meant that the Dutch duo did not end up as high as expected in the overall rankings, but the Silver Cup cheque was still theirs.

In Pro-Am Cup each car had one Russian driver at the wheel, making the category very interesting for the Moscow fans. The #70 GT Russian Team Mercedes barely made it to the start of qualifying after a crash during free practice, but the bright yellow machine of Christophe Bouchut and Alexey Karachev was not only repaired in time, the French-Russian duo also took a much coveted win in front of the team's home crowd.

 

Vincent Abril (#84 Bentley Team HTP Continental): "At the start I followed the Lamborghini, but then Albert suddenly slowed down and I managed to overtake him. I quickly had a good gap to the cars behind, so I could fully focus on my driving. I did not look in the mirror once. The Bentley was fantastic, the team did excellent work and Maxi finished the job. I am so happy with this first win."

Valdeno Brito (#77 BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil Z4): "During practice and qualifying we did not have a good car and we only managed to qualify in 15th. But overnight the team did an excellent job in changing the set-up of the car and it immediately proved to be very competitive. We climbed up to 7th for the grid of the main race and in the start I could pass the other cars to take second. This is our third podium in a row and I know we can still improve. We really want that win."

Norbert Siedler (#333 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari): "It proved very difficult to overtake the BMW. At the end of the straight I always was just a couple of metres short to outbrake Atila. But this was still a good weekend for us. Second in the qualifying race, third in the main race, I think a win is certainly possible in the near future."

Max Van Splunteren (#83 Bentley Team HTP Continental): "This is a really cool championship, very competitive as well. I have to thank Bentley and HTP for this opportunity. As a young driver you really can learn a lot from the more experienced drivers. My start was good, but afterwards I was passed by a couple of Audi's. Still, it was an ok stint in my eyes, I really had a good time with the Bentley."

Alexey Karachev (#70 GT Russian Team Mercedes): "This was an unbelievable weekend, certainly after the crash on Friday. Overnight I took a plane to the Czech Republic to get the necessary parts to repair our car, so I hardly slept. The team did a fantastic job to get the car ready in time for qualifying, even though we were not able to test it before taking it to the track. During the races we were able to fight with the other cars, I managed to almost match the lap times of my Pro team-mate Christophe Bouchut, and we won Pro-Am! So yes, I am a very happy man."

WRC, Rally Poland, étape 2 : Deux duels fabuleux à suivre / some good fights in store for tomorrow

Il reste moins de 30 kilomètres chronométrés pour départager les leaders, Sébastien Ogier et Andreas Mikkelsen, séparés par 5.6 secondes, et les autres prétendants au podium, Ott Tanak et Jari-Matti Latvala, qui se tiennent en 1.5 seconde. La troisième étape s’annonce somptueuse sous le soleil de Pologne. 

Ce matin, le leader Sébastien Ogier avait réussi à augmenter son avance sur Andreas Mikkelsen, le désavantage de balayer les pistes ayant été en partie compensé par la poussière restée en suspension dans les sous-bois pour ses poursuivants. De 2s1, l’écart était passé à 7s4 à l’issue de l’ES13.

De son côté, ses problèmes de freins résolus (maître-cylindre) et malgré un tête-à-queue, Ott Tanak (Ford) avait remporté deux spéciales pour prendre la 3e place à Jari-Matti Latvala avant la pause-déjeuner. Les quatre leaders étaient alors groupés en 20s1 et derrière, c’était relativement serré entre Paddon, Neuville, Kubica, Meeke, Ostberg et Sordo.

Comme vendredi, les choix de pneumatiques ont encore animé la boucle de l’après-midi aujourd’hui, en raison des températures exceptionnellement élevées au nord de la Pologne. Certains ont privilégié les pneus LTX Force S4 soft (Neuville, Sordo), d’autres ont opté pour des H4 hard (Mikkelsen, Tanak), et la plupart a choisi de mixer soft et hard comme Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala, Kris Meeke ou encore Hayden Paddon.

Quel fut le meilleur choix ? Difficile à dire puisque la première spéciale de la boucle (ES14) a été annulée en raison d’un trop grand nombre de spectateurs. Mais avec leurs Michelin LTX Force H4, Andreas Mikkelsen et Ott Tanak ont remporté les ES15 et ES16. Le Norvégien était revenu à 4s7 d’Ogier, et l’Estonien avait pris 2s4 d’avance sur Latvala avant la Superspéciale.

Cette courte spéciale (2,5 km) bouleverse souvent l’ordre établi. Alors il a fallu attendre près de 21h00 pour avoir le classement des premiers concurrents. Sébastien Ogier a finalement conclu cette journée en leader avec 5s6 d’avance sur Mikkelsen. Ott Tanak (Ford) compte 1s5 d’avance sur Latvala.

Derrière, avec seulement 30 kilomètres chronométrés restant à parcourir demain, les écarts semblent conséquents. Hayden Paddon (5e, Hyundai), Thierry Neuville (6e, Hyundai), Robert Kubica (7e, Ford), Kris Meeke (8e, Citroën), Mads Ostberg (9e, Citroën) et Dani Sordo (10e, Hyundai) devraient garder leur position.

En WRC-2, les deux Skoda Fabia R5/Michelin officielles dominent ce Rallye de Pologne. Esapekka Lappi et Pontus Tidemand devraient logiquement offrir un doublé à l’équipe tchèque.

En Junior, Osian Price a laissé la première place à Simone Tempestini après avoir perdu une minute et demie dans l’ES16. En Fiesta Trophy, rien n’est joué entre Marius Aasen et Tom Cave séparés par 13 secondes. Max Vatanen est 3e, sous la menace de Mats Van Den Branck.

La dernière étape du Rally Poland 2015 ne compte que deux passages dans Baranowo (14,60 km), le second étant Power Stage.

With less than 30 kilometres of competitive action remaining, Sébastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen are split by 5.6s, while the gap between podium battlers Ott Tanak and Jari-Matti Latvala is just 1.5s ahead of an exciting last day in Poland. 

The overnight leader Ogier succeeded in increasing his cushion over team-mate Mikkelsen this morning when the handicap of running first on the road was partially compensated for by hanging dust. The gap increased from 2.1s to 7.4s after SS13.

Meanwhile, a master-cylinder problem and a spin didn’t prevent Tanak (Ford) from claiming two stages to steal third place from Latvala before the lunchtime break. At this point, the top four were blanketed by 20.1s, while the situation was quite tight between chasers Paddon, Neuville, Kubica, Meeke, Ostberg and Sordo.

Once again, tyre choice was the main subject of conversation due to the extremely hot weather in this part of northern Poland. Neuville and Sordo opted for soft-compound LTX Force S4s, while Mikkelsen and Tanak went for the harder H4s, and Ogier, Latvala, Meeke and Paddon went for a combination of the two.

It is difficult to judge which the best choice was since the afternoon’s first stage (SS14) was cancelled due to spectator numbers. Mikkelsen and Tanak went on to win SS15 and SS16 as the Norwegian closed the gap to Ogier to 4.7s, and the Estonian went 2.4s clear of Latvala ahead of the super-special.

The 2.5km spectator test saw Ogier complete the day 5.6s safe from Mikkelsen, with Tanak (Ford) 1.5s ahead of Latvala.

In their wake, big gaps have opened up between Hayden Paddon (5th, Hyundai), Thierry Neuville (6th, Hyundai), Robert Kubica (7th, Ford), Kris Meeke (8th, Citroën), Mads Ostberg (9th, Citroën) and Dani Sordo (10th, Hyundai) whose positions are unlikely to change on Sunday.

In WRC-2, Skoda Fabia R5/Michelin drivers Esapekka Lappi and Pontus Tidemand continue to dominate and the Czech make is on target for a one-two finish.

In the Junior fight, Osian Price has been passed by Simone Tempestini after losing a minute-and-a-half on SS16. The Fiesta Trophy could still be won by either Marius Aasen or Tom Cave, who are separated by 13s. Max Vatanen is third, under the threat of Mats Van Den Branck.

The final day of the 2015 Rally Poland features just two attempts at ‘Baranowo’ (14.60km), the second being the Power Stage.

GEAR GUIDE #59

The latest Gear Guide sees the launch of the long awaited open face helmet from the 78 Motor Company, tough good looking Kevlar canvas jeans from Tobacco, a tailored armoured jacket from Ruste, a stunning repurposed lamp from Motorcircus, and welcome relief from swamp-arse from Below The Belt.

78 MOTOR COMPANY SUPERLUXE R/T HELMET

In true shed-builder style, Anthony Jackson has been locked away for nearly three years beavering feverishly – designing, engineering and building his passion project – the Superlux R/T open faced lid.

He’s a one-man band with no financial backing beyond his own hard earned readies, but somehow Anthony has managed to create a lid that shames the corporate manufactures and holds its own against the high-end niche brands. We’ve seen samples at the Bike Shed shows for a couple of years, but it’s only now he’s happy with the design, secured the highest safety certifications and been able to produce the helmets in a sufficient quantity, that he’s willing to release the Superluxe R/T to his eagerly waiting punters. But I have to say, it’s been worth the wait.

The Superluxe R/T is a hand crafted low volume luxury helmet that combines contemporary carbon fibre technology with retro styling. The Superluxe recalls the classic lines of the late 1970’s era jet helmet with a small shell and close fit with choices of authentic rubber trims. Each helmet is hand finished in a limited series of just 100 per colour taken from original 1970’s automotive paint palettes, each hand sprayed with a UV finish.

Every SL helmet features extensive detailing from embossed ‘gun metal’ metal ware, silk-screened artwork to the signature chrome badge (the first series in Morris red resin). The nappa leather and suede interior is stitched and finished by hand, featuring an integrated carry handle under each ear pad. Every SL comes complete with its very own slim line SL peak visor.  A carbon fibre peak visor optional at extra cost.

The Superluxe interior is extremely comfortable, lined with the finest Nappa lambskin with super-soft moleskin suede. After two years of research and development 78 Motor Co. have shaped and formed a new low weight EPS inner shell with focus on shape and fit. The dual density foam and Lambskin head/neck cushion with 360 degree padding “clamp yet caress” the head with extra long webbing straps and padding to avoid snagging on stubble and beards. Each ear pad can be removed and replaced. With an overall weight from just 780 grams, the Superluxe is incredibly light and ultra strong.

The Superluxe is autoclave formed from the latest carbon fibre composite with additional carbon fibre reinforcement. “A unique combination of fibres provides the low weight and strength of carbon fibre with the preferred crash behaviour of much heavier fibreglass.”  The denser EPS has been designed to absorb energy quickly whilst being low weight. For a safe and secure fit tensile ‘stainless steel’ double ‘D’ rings are fitted alongside heavy-duty aviation grade straps and webbing. Automotive alloy anchor points are mounted to the shell for additional strength.

Despite the low weight the Superluxe is not flimsy or flexible gaining full ECE R2205 approval. 

78 helmets are formed, assembled, painted and finished by hand in very low volumes with each being a true limited edition in sumptuous colours.   The tones available are Phantom Black – (Embassy Black Rolls Royce); Aston White – (Aston Martin 1970s); Zanzibar Blue – (BMC/British Leyland) – SL Series 100; Blood Orange – (Porsche 1970s);  and my favourite 100 Dove Grey – (BMC/Triumph 1970s).

A long time coming, the Superluxe is a terrific addition to the open face helmet line up, claiming its stake at the luxury end of the market www.78motorco.com

PRODUCT REVIEW – TOBACCO MOTORWEAR KEVLAR LINED JEANS

So, I’ve tried out a few pairs of Kevlar lined jeans over the last couple of years, and they’ve ranged from pretty poor to really quite good. So when I took delivery of my Tobaccos I was curious to see what more these had to offer. I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

First off, I got them in canvas rather than denim,  just for a change really. The heavy tan cotton is handsome, tough and durable, but comfortable from the outset. But comfort aside, the most striking factor is how well these fit. These are a classic Levi 511 style slim tapered cut, and fit perfectly. The Kevlar lining is soft and thin, so it doesn’t bunch up and feel like you’re wearing your mum’s tights underneath like some Kevlar jeans do. These feel like a normal pair of jeans, and can be worn all day, even in warm weather.

They don’t come with pockets for armour, which some people may not like, but it means you don’t have the extra bulk in the knees and hips that other Kevlar jeans do.  I particularly like these because they are equally comfortable on and off the bike. They are a well designed pair of jeans, period.

We first featured Tobacco Motorwear Company as a Kickstarter project last year, and they’re now in full production. The jeans come in indigo and black selvedge denim, and sand canvas. They certainly haven’t skimped on materials. Their canvas and denim are raw, hefty and unwashed. These will stretch and mould to your physique through wear and will get better with age. The fabric will soften and fade with wear. The Kevlar is extremely durable, abrasion, heat and puncture resistant.  These jeans are tough and ready to work. They come in odd and even waist sizes and various lengths, and are made in the USA. The classic five pocket design comes with minimal detailing, with a red and gold wave stitch on the pocket.

The founder of Tobacco, Dave Ackerman asks that ‘…you put them on and beat the hell out of them. Your Tobaccos are made to get better so get on a bike and go for a ride!”

Recently customer Andrew Wieralla wrote to Dave, “So I was out last week, on a sunny day riding my chopper. Riding in style wearing some blue Tobacco jeans. My front brake locks up and I go sliding across that warm blacktop. The only thought I had was, ‘at least I’m wearing my Tobacco jeans.’ I just wanted to say thank you for making such an awesome product and literally saving my ass. The jeans are also no worse for wear. I’ll never ride without them.”

I’m loving my Tobaccos, and I’m getting the indigo denim version next.

tobaccomotorwear.com

PRODUCT REVIEW – RUSTE PROTECTIVE TAILORING 

A few weeks ago we featured Ruste, the company that offers a tailoring service for jackets and trousers, lining your favourite garments with Kevlar and creating pockets for protective armour.

They claim: “Our expert tailors sew protective material into your jeans and jacket without changing the way they look. They will be comfortable, safe, and no one will even know that you’re wearing motorcycle gear.”

I was tempted, so sent them my Woolrich/West America heavy canvas jacket. I love to wear it on my bike, but am aware it’s not Kevlar lined or armoured, so I worried how it would hold up in an off. So I sent it to Ruste, curious to how they would deal with it.

They have a very easy and straightforward handling process. You place your order online, DHL call and arrange a pickup, you pack you garment, the package is collected and shipped to their tailors, and then returned to your home address. They quote a two week turnaround time from when they receive your garment, but mine got back to me much quicker.

When the jacket came back, it fitted perfectly, with the armour in the correct places and the lining fitted accurately. The quality of the workmanship is extremely high, the jacket looking and feeling like it was lined at manufacture and not retro-fitted. It hasn’t altered the shape or fit of the jacket, and the D30 armour is snug and discrete.

The lining material is Coolmax, which helps keep you dry, cool and comfortable. Coolmax is a performance fabric that has been used in athletic clothes for many years. Coolmax pulls moisture away from your skin and helps the air to circulate.

Ruste use authentic DuPont™ Stretch Kevlar®, which is lightweight, flexible, and incredibly strong. The Kevlar covers the most vulnerable places in your body, while leaving space to keep the clothes flexible and comfortable even on long rides.

This is a useful and efficient service that has transformed a good jacket into a great jacket, one which will protect me well if I come in contact with the gravel.

http://www.rusteprotection.com/

MOTORCIRCUS – GOLDFINGER LAMP

A few months back we featured Chris and the guys at Motorcircus, who fabricate one-off lamps and lights from vintage motorcycle and car parts under the banner Spot Vintage. Here are some images of their latest creation:

“This lamp is an homage to Ian Fleming, Sean Connery and Gert Fröbe. So I named this spot Goldfinger.”

The headlight is from the 60s and was finished in gold metalic paint. The stand is made from a BMW R100RS ransmission shaft and a polished and oiled chunk of walnut. The switch is also real vintage (dead-stock), and the joint allows turning the headlight in every direction because of the ball magnet. This unique beauty can be used on a desk, sideboard or shelves.

These lamps don’t run cheap, but the craftsmanship is exquisite and the use of high end components put their cheaper competitors to shame. These are lovingly crafted and incredibly labour intensive.

Check out Goldfinger and their other creations at www.spot-vintage.de or www.motor-circus.com

BELOW THE BELT

So, Swamp Arse. Anyone who has spent any time in the saddle has experienced the ignobility of a sweaty groin and butt chaffing. Uncomfortable and not a good look, some would say the affliction is a necessary evil of riding a bike. Maybe, until now.

Below The Belt Grooming have released a unique range of skincare products dedicated to refreshing your balls and crack.  “Often neglected in daily maintenance, a good regime can only enhance everyday life and ease the journey.”  My thoughts exactly.

There are three products in the range:

“Fresh & Dry Balls”: Use this gel down below to ensure you stay dry and comfortable. Its absorbed quickly to leave a dusting of talc in all the right places. It is not perfumed and uses only essential oils.

“Waterless Shower”: If you are going out straight from work, going for a long ride, hoping to get lucky later, or just a lazy bastard, this product will cleanse, helping to kill bacteria and odour. There’s no need for a shower, it’s instantly absorbed.

“Sports Lubricant”:If you road-race, motocross, grass track, traffic light grand prix, or do any sport where you work up a bit of sweat, this smooth, non-drag product will prevent chafing or unnecessary discomfort.

Perfect. Thanks to Below The Belt, Swamp Arse is a thing of the past.

(Note: We mercifully omitted the product application demonstration images)

www.btbgrooming.co.uk

via The Bike Shed