World Supersport : Trois, le chiffre magique / Three is the magic number

Trois pilotes, trois constructeurs et plus que trois courses…

Le trois est le chiffre magique de la fin de saison du Championnat du Monde FIM Supersport. Avant la première des trois dernières courses, qui aura lieu à Jerez ce week-end, trois pilotes de trois nationalités différentes et courant pour trois marques distinctes sont encore en lice pour le titre mondial. Aucun des trois pilotes ne pourra remporter le titre ce week-end en Espagne mais l’épreuve de Jerez pourrait cependant être un tournant décisif de la saison.

Champion du Monde Supersport en 2007, 2010 et 2012, le Turc Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) a pour l’instant l’avantage avec treize points de plus que le Français Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) et 28 de plus que l’Américain PJ Jacobsen (CORE’’ Motorsport Thailand).

Sofuoglu a jusqu’ici obtenu six podiums dont quatre victoires en neuf courses mais a fini les deux dernières hors du Top 3, avec des résultats qui ont permis à Cluzel et Jacobsen de rattraper une grande partie de leur retard. 

Malchanceux en début de saison et contraint à l’abandon sur problèmes techniques en Thaïlande ainsi qu’en Aragón, Cluzel cumule sept podiums dont trois victoires et est celui qui a été le plus performant en qualifications, remportant six pole positions en neuf courses.

La saison de Jacobsen a quant à elle été bouleversée par un changement de team survenu après Donington Park et qui a particulièrement bien réussi à l'Américain. Le New-Yorkais a réussi à décrocher sa première victoire à Sepang, lors de la dernière épreuve, en étant parti de la pole position, et compte au total cinq podiums, dont trois sur les trois dernières courses.

À 55 poins de Sofuoglu, Lorenzo Zanetti (Cluzel’s MV team-mate) est lui aussi mathématiquement encore en lice pour le titre mais aurait besoin que le sort s’acharne sur ses adversaires pour rattraper autant de retard en seulement trois courses.

Bien que le team MV Agusta Reparto Corse ait marqué 57 points de plus que le team Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, la marque n’a qu’un point d’avance sur le géant japonais dans le classement constructeurs. À vingt points de l’usine italienne, Honda est encore dans la course pour le titre mais a, comme Kawasaki, déjà porté cette couronne à plusieurs reprises alors que MV Agusta court après un premier titre.

En dehors des pilotes de la grille WSS permanente, neuf pilotes inscrits en wildcard ou en participation unique viendront tenter leur chance sur la piste de Jerez, dont l’Italien Nicola Morrentino, qui court habituellement en STK600 ou encore Lucas Mahias, l’ancien coéquipier de Jacobsen, qui fera son retour dans la catégorie après le départ de son ancien team. Niklas Ajo, qui a récemment quitté le Championnat du Monde Moto3, fera ses débuts dans le paddock WorldSBK, à l’instar de Sarunas Pladas, qui entrera dans l’histoire en tant que premier Lituanien à participer à une épreuve de Championnat du Monde en course sur routes. Seront également présents l’Espagnol Christian Palomares Vilar, le Russe Alexey Ivanov, le Tchèque Miroslav Popov et les Hongrois David Juhasz et Jonas Chrobak.

Palomares portera le nombre d’Espagnols sur la grille de Jerez à trois en rejoignant Nacho Calero (Orelac Racing Team – Honda) et Marcos Ramirez (Team Lorini – Honda), qui vient de remporter l’épreuve STK600 du FIM CEV Repsol à Albacete.

La première séance d’essais de la catégorie World Supersport aura lieu vendredi à 10h15. Les qualifications et la course seront à suivre en direct sur WorldSBK.com.

Three riders, three different bikes and three races to go…

Three is the magic number in the FIM Supersport World Championship as the Pirelli Spanish Round approaches. With three rounds remaining, a triangular shootout is on the cards between three very different riders of three different nationalities, each representing their own team and manufacturer. The title cannot be won in Spain this weekend, but there is certainly potential to lose it. The situation is on a knife-edge.

It’s crunch time in World Supersport for 2015. Last year in Spain, Dutchman Michael van der Mark did the honours by clinching the title as he won the race. 12 months on and the younger brother of World Superbike looks likely to be the only category in the WorldSBK roster to see this year’s championship fight go all the way to the final round in Qatar, which itself follows the French fixture at Magny-Cours. But will the battle still be alive by Losail? Jerez will play a massive part in deciding its legacy.

The contenders involved couldn’t be much more diverse, representing three fine marques in Kawasaki, MV Agusta and Honda: Kenan Sofuoglu of Turkey (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Jules Cluzel of France (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and PJ Jacobsen of the USA (CORE’’ Motorsport Thailand).

Sofuoglu is the three-time World Supersport Champion of 2007, 2010 and 2012. From the first nine races of the season he has achieved four wins and six podium finishes, but has been outside the top three at the last two events.

Cluzel’s poor luck came early on. He may have won at Phillip Island, but was denied by engine failures in both Thailand and Aragon; as things stand, he has won a total of three races and claimed seven podium finishes, including the last six races in a row. Like Sofuoglu, Cluzel has started on the front row at every single race, but the Frenchman has been the best qualifier with a superb six pole positions from nine.

Jacobsen’s year has taken very different shape, switching team after Donington Park; he has five front rows to his credit, both his maiden pole position and victory last time out at Sepang and a total of five podium places (three of them in the last three races).

Sofuoglu’s lead is 13 points over Cluzel and 28 over Jacobsen, with a maximum of 75 points on offer from the last trio of encounters. It should also be noted that Lorenzo Zanetti (Cluzel’s MV team-mate) could still claim the title as the fourth and final rider still in with a shot, although the Italian sits 27 points in arrears of Jacobsen and a significant 55 behind the championship leader. Best of the rest is Gino Rea (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda), but 80 points behind Sofuoglu is a bridge too far.

Although the MV Agusta Reparto Corse team has scored 57 more points than Kawasaki Puccetti Racing thus far this season, it is not that comfortable in the Manufacturers’ Championship. In a truly nail-biting contest, Italian brand MV Agusta lies just a single point in front of Japanese rival Kawasaki. The latter’s compatriot, Honda, is also still in the mix, just a further 20 points behind. Kawasaki and Honda have been the Champions of the last two years (with Honda having also won a further nine titles in the past), but a crown for MV Agusta would be a celebrated first.

Thickening the plot even further, nine riders will compete at Jerez as either Wild Card or One Event entries. These include Italy’s Nicola Morrentino Jr. (who takes time out from the Superstock 600 class) and Jacobsen’s ex team-mate Lucas Mahias, as the Frenchman makes a welcome return after his previous team pulled out of the championship. Moto3 World Championship outcast Niklas Ajo of Finland ventures into the WorldSBK paddock for the first time, as Sarunas Pladas makes history by becoming the first Lithuanian to take part in a World Championship road racing competition. Also in action will be Spain’s own Christian Palomares Vilar, Russia’s Alexey Ivanov and the Czech Republic’s Miroslav Popov, plus Hungarian duo David Juhasz and Janos Chrobak.

The presence of the aforementioned Palomares (Autos Arroyos Pastrana Racing Team - Yamaha) takes the Spanish contingent on the grid up to three, as he joins 2015 regulars Nacho Calero (Orelac Racing Team – Honda) and Marcos Ramirez (Team Lorini – Honda). Incidentally, Ramirez travels to Jerez fresh from his latest victory at Albacete (aboard a Yamaha) in the Superstock 600 tier of the FIM CEV Repsol.

The first Jerez practice session for the World Supersport Championship will be staged from 10:15am local time (GMT +2) on Friday. Across the weekend, all of the qualifying and race action can be followed live on WorldSBK.com.

Salt of the Earth || Icon 1000 x British Customs

WSBK ; Jerez se prépare au sacre d’un nouveau Champion du Monde / Jerez poised to crown a new World Champion

Jonathan Rea n’aura besoin que de six points pour s’emparer du titre WorldSBK 2015 ce week-end en Espagne.

Suite à une exceptionnelle première saison avec le Kawasaki Racing Team, Jonathan Rea arrive à Jerez avec de très fortes chances de s’emparer du titre de Champion du Monde eni FIM Superbike 2015 puisque le numéro 65 n’aura besoin que de six points, soit un Top 10, sur l’ensemble des deux courses espagnoles pour remporter la récompense suprême. 

La palmarès annuel du Nord-Irlandais parle de lui-même : 20 courses, 20 podiums et 12 victoires. Cette année, Rea est devenu le premier pilote de l’histoire à obtenir 20 podiums en autant de courses depuis le début d’une saison et pourrait battre Colin Edwards pour le record de podiums consécutifs s’il poursuivait sa série jusqu’à la première des deux courses qui clôtureront la saison au Qatar.

Étant donnés ses résultats, Rea ne devrait avoir aucun mal à finir dans le Top 10 de la première course à Jerez et, s’il y parvient, devrait devenir le 17e Champion du Monde Superbike de l’histoire, le cinquième pilote à s’emparer du titre sur les cinq dernières années. Avant lui, Fogarty, Hodgson, Toseland et Sykes avaient tous rapporté le titre en Grande-Bretagne mais Rea sera le premier Nord-Irlandais à être sacré en WorldSBK.

Vainqueur à quatre reprises cette année, Chaz Davies est le seul pilote encore mathématiquement capable d’empêcher le sacre de Rea. Le pilote de l’Aruba.it Racing-Ducati SBK Team a fini sur le podium huit fois sur les dix dernières courses mais avait concédé beaucoup de points à Rea suite à un mauvais week-end en Thaïlande et un double abandon à Imola. Avec 144 points de retard, le Gallois ne se fait guère d’illusion quant à ses chances de s’imposer face à Rea et parlait déjà de ce dernier comme du Champion WorldSBK 2015 au mois de juillet à Laguna Seca. En l’absence de son coéquipier Davide Giugliano, blessé et forfait pour le reste de la saison, Davies fera équipe avec Michele Pirro ce week-end à Jerez.

S’il ne peut plus viser le titre de Champion du Monde, Davies devra par contre défendre sa seconde place pour être vice-Champion et ne compte que treize points d’avance sur Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), Champion en 2013 et vice-Champion en titre, tandis que Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils) est à 49 points de la seconde place. Suite au forfait de Giugliano, Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils) devrait pouvoir assurer sa place dans le Top 5 du classement général mais devra se méfier du Champion en titre Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team).

Quant au circuit, celui de Jerez de la Frontera accueille le WorldSBK pour la troisième année consécutive mais le championnat s’était déjà rendu en Andalousie en 1990 et le Français Raymond Roche avait alors remporté les deux épreuves avant de s’emparer du titre mondial.

Trois Espagnols seront présents sur la grille WorldSBK ce week-end : Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils), David Salom (Team Pedercini) et Roman Ramos (Team Go Eleven). Un chiffre égal au nombre d’Espagnols à s’être imposés en WorldSBK : Carlos Checa (24 victoires), Ruben Xaus (11) et Fonsi Nieto (1).

Du côté des constructeurs, Kawasaki pourrait remporter le titre dès la première course, notamment en cas de victoire si la première Ducati ne fait pas mieux que cinquième. Bien que la marque japonaise ait remporté plusieurs titres Pilote, avec Scott Russell en 1993 et avec Tom Sykes vingt ans plus tard, elle n’a jamais décroché le titre Constructeur, que seuls Ducati, Honda, Aprilia, Suzuki et Yamaha comptent à leurs palmarès.

La première séance d’essais de la catégorie WorldSBK à Jerez aura lieu vendredi à 11h15. La Tissot-Superpole de samedi après-midi et les deux courses de dimanche seront à suivre en direct sur WorldSBK.com.

A top ten finish would be enough for Jonathan Rea…

Jonathan Rea is just six points away from the ultimate goal in WorldSBK: the eni FIM Superbike World Championship title of 2015.

Thanks to a truly dominant campaign on the Kawasaki Racing Team ZX-10R, number 65 requires only a single top ten finish to cement the achievement in the opening World Superbike race of the Pirelli Spanish Round this weekend.

The list of superlatives describing Rea’s 2015 campaign is becoming exhausted. The facts speak for themselves: 20 races, 20 podium finishes and 12 race wins. He has already become the first rider in history to have clinched 20 top three finishes in as many races from the start of a season and, should the rostrum run continue, he will beat Colin Edwards’ record of consecutive podium finishes in the first Qatar race.

Should Rea finish tenth or higher in Race 1 at Jerez (a highly likely possibility, considering the season so far) he will become the 17th different World Superbike Champion and the fifth different title winner in as many years. Fogarty, Hodgson, Toseland and Sykes may have gone before him as British World Champions, but all of them hailed from England; thus, Rea would be the first Northern Irish title winner.

Four-time 2015 race winner Chaz Davies is the only man who can prevent Rea from winning the title. Despite the Aruba.it Racing-Ducati SBK Team rider having finished on the podium in eight of the last ten races, collecting fourth place finishes in the other two, he continues to feel the affects of his costly low placings in Thailand and his double retirement of Imola. A colossal deficit of 144 points to Rea (with 150 on offer from the final three rounds in Spain, France and Qatar) means the only way Davies can prevent Rea from winning the title is by winning five of the remaining six races and finishing at least second in the other – and, all the while, hoping Rea fails to score each time. In fact, in the Sunday Paddock Show at Laguna Seca in July, Davies was already hailing Rea as the 2015 World Champion. This weekend Welshman Davies is partnered by Michele Pirro, who covers for the injured Davide Giugliano.

The fight for runner-up spot is far less clear-cut. Tom Sykes has finished in the top two of the World Championship for the last three years (including his title, which he won at Jerez in 2013) and he wants to make it four. Rea’s team-mate currently sits 13 points behind second-placed Davies, while Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils’ Leon Haslam may have suffered of late but remains in the fight for second, 36 points behind Sykes and 49 in arrears of target man Davies. Further back, Aprilia’s Jordi Torres will feel more confident of retaining a top five spot now that Giugliano is out of action, but must be wary of a potential late-season charge from soon-to-be outgoing World Champion Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team).

What of this weekend’s venue? This is the third consecutive year that Jerez de la Frontera is a permanent fixture on the modern-day calendar. However, this is the fourth time that WorldSBK visits the sunbaked southern Spanish destination, which debuted on the calendar in 1990; Frenchman Raymond Roche celebrated both of the race wins prior to clinching the title that season.

Away from motor racing, Andalucia is known for its vineyards (indeed, it was dubbed Wine Capital of the World in 2013), sherry production and popular ‘Feria de Jerez’ horse fair, while Moorish fortress the Alcazar de Jerez and the Cathedral of San Salvador are just two must-see items on the list for sight-seeing visitors. There is also flamenco dancing, although this may be less evident in the WorldSBK paddock…

Spain itself is the fourth largest country in Europe, with Andalucia being its most southerly region on the mainland. Three Spanish riders line up on the grid this weekend: Jordi Torres from Rubí, Catalunya (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils), David Salom from Palma de Mallorca (Team Pedercini) and Roman Ramos from Santa María de Cayón in northern Cantabria (Team Go Eleven). This quantity of representatives matches the number of Spanish riders to have won World Superbike races: Carlos Checa (24 race wins), Ruben Xaus (11) and Fonsi Nieto (1). How sweet would it be to make it four at home this weekend?

Watch out also for Manufacturer joy. Kawasaki could clinch the title in Race 1, with the easiest method being to win the race with the top Ducati finishing fifth or lower. This would mark an historic first for the Japanese company; although Kawasaki has won Riders’ titles in the past (Scott Russell in 1993 and the aforementioned Sykes two decades later), it is yet to claim the Manufacturers’ crown. Should it do so, it would become the sixth different marque to wrap up a World Superbike Manufacturers’ title after Ducati, Honda, Aprilia, Suzuki and Yamaha.

Opening World Superbike practice for the Pirelli Spanish Round begins on Friday at 11:15am local time (GMT +2). Live Tissot Superpole and all of the racing action can be watched with full commentary on WorldSBK.com across Saturday and Sunday.

SIMON’S XV750 BY DOWN & OUT CAFE RACERS

Words by Ross Sharp · 

Childhood memories are a recurring theme amongst Bike Shed features. From a repressed dream, unleashed and realised to a driving force behind engineering endeavours, it’s those early flashes of excitement that are so ingrained in our grownup lives.

Simon Krajnyak grew up on the Lincolnshire coast in Mablethorpe, a small town famous for hosting beach racing, which continues to this day. Aged 7, leaning on the handlebars of his twinshock Puch, Simon decided that bikes were going to be his thing. If that wasn’t enough motivation, a few miles down the road was the HQ of the Honda WSBK team, back when the RC30 and 45s were the weapon of choice. Aaron Slight, Colin Edwards and Carl Fogarty with ice creams in hand used to watch the sand racing from the promenade, further fuelling Simon’s passion for two-wheels. A 125 wasn’t going to cut it so he saved for 10 months straight, a tall order working for £104 a week as an apprentice for British Gas, and bought a nearly new RGV250.

A few months later and a 17th birthday afforded legal riding of the stroker, which was curtailed two days later by a trip to A&E and the Suzuki arriving home in pieces. Undeterred, a lifetime of sports bikes followed but as is often the case with age, the realisation of mortality sets in. Having seen an XV750 on the American T.V. series Return of The Cafe Racers built by Docs Chops, Simon’s mind was once again made up and he turned the custom corner.

Having decided that the big brother in Yamaha’s cruiser range was the way to go Simon sourced a decent Virago donor, content that he’d be one of the only guys in the U.K. to café one. With limited spare time available the initial strip down was followed by lengthy periods of sourcing parts and research. A 2005 R1 front end was a relatively simple conversion which greatly improves the stance and of course performance. Trick billet yokes look the business and the dash has been eliminated by machining a recess for the Motogadget digital speedo.

Clipons with ISR levers and switchgear are not only super clean but chunky too, fitting in well with the beefy yokes and muscular proportions of the rest of the bike.

With the air-cooled 750cc twin taking up all the visual space and being a stressed member cafe racer style subframes need to be a fabricate and bolt-on affair. Simon made one to suit a MotoLanna seat unit, and the result is very neat. The stock tank has been raised slightly to achieve a purposeful bone line, which also revealed a small void beneath, just  spacious enough to bury the lithium battery. Just in shot is the one-off Öhlins shock, put together by Russell at Mick Gardner Racing. Friends in high places, always useful.

The fitting of the Tarozzi rearsets offered a more sporting riding position but brought with them a challenge, the exhaust positioning. Simon envisioned two stubby mufflers sitting no higher than the burly swing arm, but being a novice with the TiG welder meant a large custom zorst bill loomed over the horizon. The project stagnated and a layer of dust formed on the sleek tank.

By chance Simon was driving past the local MOT centre and noticed a very familiar silhouette being wheeled out of a van, surely not, another XV, in the same town? He couldnt believe his eyes and pulled over to interrogate the copycats. Well, maybe chat would be a better phrase as the van belonged to Carl & Shaun of Down & Out Cafe Racers, they aren’t the sort of guys one interrogates. Besides, there’s was a TR1, just different enough.

After an exchange of pleasantries Simon had persuaded Shaun & Carl that a barter of skills would be a good idea for all concerned. D&O would receive a shiny new website and proper bike photography and Simon would get help finishing his project. On a joint outing to Bike Shed Event II the relationship was cemented and now Simon takes care of all imagery for Down & Out. The show also provided a networking goldmine and the chance for a hobby to become paid employment, it appears Simon has come full circle and is as enthusiastic as he was back in his Puch riding days on the beach.

True to their word Shaun and Carl finished the XV and there can be little argument over the result. The bike was on display at Bike Shed London 2015, along with the D&O T100 poster bike, and certainly set tongues wagging. D&O are renowned for their finishing, no surprise really coming from a chopper background where neatness is everything, and have subsequently grown at a rapid rate over the last couple of years. With customers from all over the world placing orders, Simon’s shutter finger gets a fair old workout and now he’s branched out into video too. Check out the XV here.

A lifetime in the brewing and three years in the making and Simon finally has a finished bike that goes every bit as well as it looks. But unfortunately he’s caught the custom bug and there’s no cure, other than to medicate with another project. So the XV750 is for sale to release funds to feed the habit. Let’s hope the next one doesn’t take quite as long.

via The Bike Shed