WSBK-Jerez

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Pata Honda returns to WSBK action in Spain

After an extended summer break of almost seven weeks, the 2015 World Superbike championship reignites this weekend (18-20 September) at Jerez in Spain with Pata Honda riders Sylvain Guintoli and Michael van der Mark eager to get back into action on their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machines.

Guintoli went into the summer break in great form following round 10 of the series at Sepang in Malaysia. The 33-year-old French rider started the two races from the front row of the grid and followed up his impressive qualifying performance with two strong fourth place finishes, leaving him sixth in the overall points standings.

Van der Mark also performed well last time out and, although a recurring electrical issue halted his race one progress in Sepang, the 22-year-old SBK rookie from Rotterdam in the Netherlands was able to push hard to fifth place in race two and he lies seventh, just behind his team-mate, in the championship table.

A tighter and more technical circuit than Sepang, the 4.423km Jerez circuit in Andalucia in southern Spain was built in 1985 and has hosted World Superbike races since 2013. It will present its own individual challenges to the Pata Honda riders, particularly Guintoli who missed out on valuable testing time at Jerez in January after a heavy crash.

Both riders have been training hard and riding their Honda CRF450R motocross bikes during the summer months to remain as sharp as possible. Both are keen to stress, however, that nothing can replicate riding their CBR machines on track and Guintoli and van der Mark are excited at the prospect of getting back to action at Jerez on Friday morning.



2015 World Superbike championship, round 11

Circuito de Jerez ? Jerez, Spain

Event schedule (local times GMT +2):


Friday 18 September

11.15-12.00 ? Free practice 1

15.00-15.45 ? Free practice 2


Saturday 19 September

09.45-10.30 ? Free practice 3

12.30-13.00 ? Free practice 4

15.00-15.15 ? Superpole 1

15.25-15.40 ? Superpole 2


Sunday 20 September

08.40-08.55 ? Warm-up

10.30 ? Race 1 (20 Laps, 88.460km)

13.10 ? Race 2 (20 Laps, 88.460km)



Sylvain Guintoli

It?s a good job that riding the CBR is a bit like riding a bicycle ? you don?t forget how to do it! I feel like I?ve been on a long winter break since the last round in Sepang, not a summer break. I?ve been able to do a bit of motocross on my CRF450R but it?s not the same and I?ve not been wanting to push too hard because it?s quite easy to get injured! So I?ve been doing lots of other normal training, riding the push-bike and running. Jerez is a really nice track and I had a couple of good results there last season. My last visit there at the beginning of this year wasn?t so good though because I got injured in a big crash, but I?m looking forward to going back there with the team. The last round in Sepang was really positive with good results in qualifyi ng and in the two races so I?m looking forward to getting back into that rhythm again as soon as we can.


Michael van der Mark

Of course, Jerez holds some very special memories for me because it?s one year since I won the World Supersport title there on the CBR600RR. It?s been a mixed first year learning to ride the Superbike with some good results but also some technical issues which have made things difficult sometimes. The guys have had some time back at the workshop since Sepang and I know they?ve been working hard at eliminating the problem. It?s been a long break for us all, but I?ve been training hard and riding some motocross. Now I?m ready to get back on the CBR and I?m really looking forward to riding again at Jerez. As Sylvain?s results also showed, the bike worked very well at Sepang which has not been a great circuit for us before, so we are optimistic for this weekend.


Pieter Breddels

We?ve spent the last few weeks working on a re-build of Mikey?s CBR and changing the layout of the electrical components. Basically, he had a problem in Sepang that has plagued him earlier in the season so we?ve addressed the issue completely and hopefully we can avoid any recurrence. We have also had a change in personnel on his side of the garage, so hopefully this will be a positive return for him to the circuit where he won his World Supersport title last season. Not very much has changed on Sylvain?s side but we?re just hoping we can pick up where we left off in Malaysia, which was a really positive weekend for him. A front row start and then two really solid results in the races made everyone happy going into the summer break and we?re looking forward to getting that feeling agai n in Jerez.

 

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ALTHEA RACING PREVIEW: JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA

After the long summer break, all of the riders competing in the 2015 eni FIM Superbike World Championship will be back on track this weekend for the eleventh round of the season at the Spanish circuit of Jerez de la Frontera.

The Andalusian track offers a good combination of corners, all differing in angle, length and speed and that, combined with the lack of long straights, highlight the riders? talents, guaranteeing some spectacular racing all the way to the final lap.

Ideal conditions in which to set-up the bike and a reason why Jerez is often chosen as the location for private testing.

Team Althea rider Matteo Baiocco had chance to test the Ducati Panigale R during one such test at Jerez in November 2014, and even though weather conditions were unfavorable, Matteo nevertheless has some good references ahead of his first race at this thrilling Spanish circuit.

Niccol? Canepa is also keen to get back on his bike and continue the great work carried out together with his team at the last round of Sepang, in Malaysia. Niccol? aims to take further steps forward to be able to fight for the front positions with the Team Althea Ducati.

The riders in the Superstock 1000 have been on an extremely long break since the last round at Misano Adriatico three months ago. Raffaele De Rosa arrives in Andalusia ready to fight for his first win of the season, something he has just missed out on until now. He is therefore full of expectation for this race, the penultimate event of the Superstock championship. A different situation for Luca Salvadori who was unfortunately the victim of a crash during last week?s private tests at Jerez. He has serious abrasions to the lumbar region and back and we wish him a speedy recovery, while his participation in this weekend?s race is still in doubt.

Matteo Baiocco: ?Finally we?re getting back to work after a really long break during which I never stopped training. I?m aiming to be able to finish this season, which has been positive for me so far, on a high, fighting for a good position in the overall standings.?

Niccol? Canepa: ?After the long summer holiday, I can?t wait to get back on my Ducati Panigale R. I want to score a good result, perhaps even fighting for a top five finish. I?m expecting a great weekend and am definitely ready for it.?

 

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WSB RETURNS FOR VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI AT JEREZ

The long summer break is finally over for Voltcom Crescent Suzuki as Alex Lowes and Randy de Puniet return to Spain this week for the 11th round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship on Sunday September 20th.

The previous round concluded at the start of August with a dramatic race day at the Sepang International Circuit, as Lowes was forced to bear the brunt of Max Biaggi?s first corner crash in the second race ? his swift avoidance relegating him to the back of the pack and ensuring a determined fightback of mammoth proportions to take an eighth place finish ? but the British racer, who turned 25 on Monday, is looking forward to getting his season back on track at the Jerez Circuit. The scene of consistent strong running on his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R during pre-season testing, Lowes is hoping the experience gained during July?s Suzuka 8-Hour and Malaysia?s WSBK races will allow him to challenge the frontrunners in the Andaluc?an heat.

De Puniet has raced at Jerez on 15 occasions during his MotoGP? career, securing two 250cc podiums, and with two pre-season visits aboard his Suzuki GSX-R1000 already under his belt, the Frenchman is looking forward to returning to the Spanish track as the World Championship heads into its trio of concluding races.

The 4,423m circuit is situated just 10kms outside of Jerez de la Frontera, in Andaluc?a?s southwest province of Cadiz. The fast and flowing layout has provided intense battles throughout its 13 corners since its re-introduction to the World Superbike Championship in 2013, due to the combination of multi-speed turns and directional changes, and remains a firm favourite with the attending fans.

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s campaign kicks off with the first of two free practice sessions at 11:15hrs local time (10:15BST) on Friday September 18th, with Sunday?s two 20-lap races scheduled for 10:30 and 13:10 (09:30 and 12:10BST).

Alex Lowes:

?I can?t wait to get back on my GSX-R and ride again at Jerez. For me the summer break is too long, especially with the ban on testing, so I am eager to get to Spain and start building on the progress made over the last few races. We have been solid recently and I hope to keep improving for the rest of the year. I have three weekends to do the best I can possibly do, and that is what I?m aiming for now!

?The track at Jerez is one we get to ride a lot with all the testing that goes on there! I really enjoy the layout, it has some great sweeping corners and a couple of hard-braking areas. The faster corners are better for me and the Suzuki but I will be working harder on getting in and out of the slower corners this year to make us more competitive.?

Randy de Puniet:

?Jerez was my first chance to ride the Superbike last year, during the pre-season, and the test was good. We also tested there at the beginning of this year which was also interesting, even if the bike was using the different electronic system. I like the track and the tests went well so I?m confident, because the last two race weekends before the summer break were much better with the bike feeling, especially the engine brake. We still have some improvements to make with the traction and wheelie control, especially for Jerez where this will be important, but I?m hoping to start the weekend with the same feeling I have had over the past few races and to continue the improvements.

?I have raced at Jerez all through my GP career from 1999-2013, with some good podiums and results so I have some good memories there. I like the track, especially the first few corners, turn five before the back straight, and the final two right-handers are very fast so it is always a fun track to ride and I?m looking forward to it!

?During the break I have done a lot of training, so I?m confident and ready to race again, it has been too long without racing and I am excited to get back on the bike. The last three races will be important for me so I really want to do well and I?m confident we can have some good results.?

 

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Guintoli and van der Mark return in Spanish heat

With air temperatures over 30?C and track temperatures approaching 50?C, Sylvain Guintoli and Michael van der Mark returned to World Superbike action at Jerez in Spain today.

After a seven-week summer break, the Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP-mounted duo ended the day in 10th and 11th places respectively on combined times but close to the front positions.

With higher track temperatures reducing grip levels in the second free practice session at the 4.423km Jerez circuit this afternoon, many riders found it difficult to improve on their FP1 lap times.

However, those times were close, with Tom Sykes fastest overall and Michael van der Mark just 0.8s off the British rider?s provisional pole time.

Guintoli and van der Mark will both aim for top ten positions in tomorrow morning?s FP3 session at Jerez in order to progress directly to Superpole 2 which will determine final grid positions over the front four rows for Sunday?s two 20-lap races.


Sylvain Guintoli - P10

Well, I can tell you that, after a month-and-a-half off, the CBR feels pretty quick! Especially here in Jerez, which really feels like a stop-and-go track compared to Sepang! It was a decent first day for us to get some feeling back and I think we actually did a pretty good job today. It was a shame that we had a small technical problem at the end of FP2 because we could have gone very close to the top five, which is OK. So it was a good day back at the office and it?s nice to be back on the bike and working with the team again because it certainly felt like a very long break.


Michael van der Mark - P11

This morning was quite OK and I was getting the feeling back lap-by-lap. I didn?t get much more grip with a new tyre but the session was a good way to get back into a rhythm. This afternoon we changed many things on the bike and did quite a long run at the beginning. Even on old tyres we were able to still go quite fast so I was happy with that. We changed a couple of settings after that and, although they didn?t really develop things the way we wanted, I was able to keep improving the time. Overall the result is not too bad so I?m looking forward to getting back to it tomorrow.


Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator

It was not a bad day for both sides of the garage ? we had no big problems or issues to deal with, which allowed us to work on improving the setting. Mikey still has some problems on corner entry so we need to make some adjustments to the engine brake. The conditions changed quite a bit from the morning to the afternoon and more track temperature here means less grip is available. With Sylvain 10th and Mikey 11th we are not that far from the front so it?s just basically work in progress.

 

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Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) 18 September 2015

On their return from the summer break, the Team Althea riders have made a positive start to the Jerez de la Frontera race weekend, taking part in today?s opening sessions of this eleventh round of the 2015 eni FIM Superbike World Championship.

Niccol? Canepa made a solid start, concluding the morning?s session in fourth place with a time of 1'42.125, only one tenth of a second from the first-placed rider. In session two, though dropping a position, the Italian rider was the fastest Ducati man on track despite the fact that track temperatures had risen to almost 50?C.

A good first day also for Matteo Baiocco who closed the sessions in eighth place overall (seventh in the morning session), with a best of 1'42.341. Starting with the set-up used in Malaysia, he worked hard with his crew to try and limit the grip problems that can arise in such high temperatures.

The Superstock 1000 Championship also starts back up this weekend. Raffaele De Rosa is Team Althea?s sole representative this weekend at the Andalusian track. Luca Salvadori is unable to participate after sustaining an injury during testing last week. De Rosa closed day one in sixth place (1?44.179) after having tested various set-up solutions for the Ducati Panigale R ahead of Sunday?s race. Tomorrow?s work will focus on obtaining the best time to score pole position.

Niccol? Canepa: ?I?m really pleased with how today went, especially in the afternoon as to be the fastest Ducati rider, in this heat, was totally unexpected; I thought I?d have more trouble. The important thing now will be to continue on in the same direction??

Matteo Baiocco: ?I?m pleased to have got back into a rhythm without any problems after the summer break. Already in this morning?s session we found a good set-up, starting with the base that we had at Sepang, while tomorrow morning it will be important to drop our times and take another step forward.?

 

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LOWES & VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI TOP JEREZ FP2

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s Alex Lowes returned from the summer break in fine form as he topped the afternoon practice at the Jerez Circuit in Spain today, to take third in the overall times as the eni FIM Superbike World Championship got back underway.

A cooler start ? despite the morning?s temperatures already heading in to the mid 20?s (with the track at 31?C) ? saw Lowes struggle with a front brake issue in FP1, preventing him from utilising the full 45-minute session. However, once rectified, the British racer quickly re-familiarised himself with his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R and the Andaluc?an layout. As the afternoon asphalt recorded 48?C, Lowes exploited his July experience from the Sepang and Suzuka heat, to advance his morning best by eight-tenths and claim the fastest time of the second free practice.

Randy de Puniet began his first day back on his Suzuki Superbike by comparing settings used both during winter testing and the Malaysian race, last time out. Looking to improve straight-line braking performance, the Frenchman is more confident with original settings used at Jerez in January and will continue to refine these as he returns to the track tomorrow morning.
Bathed in Spanish sun throughout the day, the Jerez circuit saw Kawasaki?s Tom Sykes retain the top spot in the combined times after setting a 1?41.957 mid-way through the morning?s opening free practice.

The action returns to the Spanish track at 09:45hrs local time (08:45BST) tomorrow morning for Lowes and de Puniet?s final timed free practice, with Superpole qualifying getting underway from 15:00 (14:00BST) Saturday afternoon.

Alex Lowes:

?We had a difficult start to the day as we missed a lot of the first session, and after not riding for six-and-a-half weeks I felt a bit rusty! We are actually running a setting we have not tried in Jerez, it?s more of a similar balance to what we used in Malaysia when the conditions were warmer, and I felt really good. The bike under braking and the front end feel, for the hotter conditions, is feeling really good; it?s something we?ve struggled with in the past so I?m pleased. I really enjoyed today, I?m happy to be back on the bike and back with the lads ? who are all working hard as usual ? but it is only the first day and everyone is just getting up to speed. I need to continue to work really hard tomorrow and hopefully we can stay close to the front this weekend.?

Randy de Puniet:

?We started this morning with the settings from Malaysia, combined with a new brake system, but I was not confident with this and the brake power was not enough. This afternoon we returned to the settings used during the winter test and my feeling was better but I still have an issue stopping the bike, which is now our main focus ? I am losing a lot of time everywhere as it is difficult for me to decelerate the bike in the way I want to. I hope we can find a solution to this tomorrow and then we can improve the lap-time a lot. I really enjoy this track and the weather is perfect, so once we can fix the brakes, we can have a good weekend.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?It is good to get back to work after the extended summer break, and the summer has certainly stayed with us here in Jerez. The track here is always very different by comparison to the winter testing and it is always difficult to know how much relevance we can place on the data collected, based on the new character of the track in the summer temperatures. We had some brake problems with Alex in the first session which took a bit of solving, and cost him some time, but aside from that the day has gone very well, with progressive improvements every time the bike has gone on track and very good performance both on used-tyres, and at the end of the session on a new tyre to top the standings. I think it?s only the second time we?ve topped a session this season, and that was in Thailand where Alex finished on the podium, so fingers crossed we can keep the momentum and aim for some positive results.

?Randy is not far away at all, exactly one second from the fastest, and has tried both winter test and the evolved settings ? used last in Malaysia ? so his guys will be carefully-considering the best ways forward for tomorrow and trying to find some small improvements that allow Randy to close the gap on the top 10.?

Jerez ? eni FIM Superbike World Championship ? Free Practice Combined Times: 1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1?14.957: 2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) +0.024 3. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +0.090: 4. Chaz Davies (Ducati) +0.099: 5. Niccolo Canepa (Ducati) +0.168: 14. Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +1.080.

 

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Superpole 29 For Sykes As Rea Makes It A Kawasaki 1-2

Tom Sykes (KRT) and Jonathan Rea (KRT) headed the field after Superpole qualifying at Jerez in the FIM Superbike World Championship round, with Sykes setting a new track best of 1?40.292. Rea was just 0.208 seconds behind him and is therefore in second position on the grid for Sunday?s races.
Having both gone straight into Superpole 2 on their official Ninja ZX-10R machines, Sykes and Rea had contrasting early experiences on their first fast Superpole lap on race tyres.
Rea was quick right away and Sykes slower than he had expected to be, but in the final push for grid position. After the qualifying tyres had made an appearance Sykes swept to his 29th career pole position at pace even long term championship leader Rea could not quite match.
Rea?s overall Superpole performance was all he had hoped for in readiness to try and take the title on raceday. Recently he had not enjoyed as many front row starts as he had desired, so being ready to launch from the front row on Sunday can only build his pre-race confidence.
Both KRT riders have done long runs to evaluate their expected race-day set-ups and been happy with their race pace, in what have been good conditions from the start at a sunny Jerez de la Frontera.
Tom Sykes stated: ?A few guys are very strong so it is good to be at the front for tomorrow?s two races. I like to ride out front, that is how I like to do it. I do not like anybody behind or in front of me - I just like to go and race the tarmac. We found some clear air but had a difficult time in the first run with the race tyre, and the lap time was incredibly slow. When we put the qualifying tyre into the Ninja ZX-10R for the second run it was very easy to manage. It was such an enjoyment to ride then and to get the record was just a little bit something extra for today. Overall the target was the front row and I think our race pace is also OK.?
Jonathan Rea stated: ?I am really excited because we have done a really good job with the bike throughout the free practice sessions, and not really once this weekend have we tried to push for an out-and-out lap time. The race tyre we used at the beginning of Superpole made a really good job. Then I got a little bit too excited on the qualifying lap in T2, overcooked it a little, but I am really happy with the effort I did. To be on the front row is good because I have been acclimatised to the third row recently. The front row gives me a real chance of a good start to get stuck in. Thanks to all my guys for giving me a good bike for tomorrow.?
David Salom (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) placed 12th at his home round, having got out of Superpole 1. His late fall in that first SP session meant he had to miss Superpole 2 and he therefore could not improve on 12th. Roman Ramos (Team Go Eleven Kawasaki), another Spanish rider on a Kawasaki riding at home this weekend, will start 16th on the grid.

 

[Wiztop]

Lets be honest though, all Jonathan Rea has to do is stay on the bike for one race and he's the world champion.

 

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Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) 19 September 2015

A fantastic Superpole for Niccol? Canepa who takes the Ducati Panigale R of Team Althea to the front row, obtaining third position. The eighth fastest time for Matteo Baiocco who will therefore start from row three of the tomorrow?s grid.

Saturday?s qualifying at Jerez de la Frontera started well this morning. Both riders completed a qualifying session that ensured them of direct access to Superpole 2, thanks to the fourth fastest time set by Baiocco and the eighth fastest for Canepa. Niccol? unfortunately suffered a crash during the 30-minute free practice and while he was unhurt his bike was badly damaged. The team worked quickly and precisely in order to get the bike ready in time for the Superpole. The Genoan rider was able to make the most of the qualifying tyre and closed the session with a time of 1'40.508 that translates into third position on tomorrow?s grid.

Baiocco, who will line up on row three in eighth place, has worked effectively this weekend and has good race pace. He is confident that he will be able to complete two high-level races.

First row for Raffaele De Rosa who achieves third place in the Superstock 1000 category. During the qualifying session, riders had to deal not only with the rising temperatures but also with strong winds. Despite the slightly more difficult conditions, De Rosa closed with the third fastest time and will aim to achieve his first win of the season in tomorrow?s race.

Niccol? Canepa: ?I?m really pleased with this third place, the first time I?m on the front row in Superbike. I didn?t expect to reach the top 3 but to stay in the top five, especially after the crash in the free practice. My technicians worked extremely quickly to put the bike back together so that I?d be ready to start the Superpole. For tomorrow we have good pace and I want to complete two great races.?

Matteo Baiocco: ?Qualifying didn?t go to plan, especially after this morning when I was very fast, but we?ve worked to prepare for the races and we?ve definitely taken another step forward. I improved a little with the qualifying tyre, though not as much as I?d hoped. Starting eighth is not so bad though and tomorrow we?ll have to deal with the heat and the grip. I?ll need to manage the tyres well but I?m feeling confident?.

 

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Van der Mark shines in Spanish sun

Michael van der Mark will start tomorrow?s two 11th-round World Superbike championship races from the front of the second row of the grid after setting the fourth fastest time in this afternoon?s Superpole sessions at Jerez in southern Spain.

With temperatures in the low 30s, van der Mark impressively topped Superpole 1 and then, in Superpole 2, fired his Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP around the 4.423km Jerez circuit in a time of 1m40.956s, just 0.6s off the record pole position time of Tom Sykes.

Van der Mark, 22, had found a step forward in the settings on his CBR in the earlier FP4 session, in which the Dutch rider also finished fourth after improving his overall pace for tomorrow?s two 20-lap races.

Despite making progress during Friday and Saturday morning sessions, Pata Honda?s Sylvain Guintoli went the wrong way with a geometry setting on his CBR in FP4 and was unable to match his team-mate?s performance in Superpole.

The French rider, 33, who will start his 150th World Superbike encounter in race two at Jerez tomorrow, qualified in tenth place and will line up on the fourth row of the grid tomorrow.



Michael van der Mark - P4

I?m really happy because in the last couple of races we?ve had really difficult Superpoles and today I finally found the grip on the qualifying tyre, which gave me a completely different sensation. It?s probably the first time this season that it?s worked well in qualifying. I knew that as soon as I could find some grip I could go really fast and we showed that today. I worked with Jonathan [Rea] at the beginning of Superpole 2 which really helped me a lot to get up to speed and I think we helped each other a bit. Normally we struggle a little when the temperatures go up but we?ve found a set-up now which works well when the track is warmer. The CBR feels really good, everything is working well and the race pace is quite OK. We really needed a good qualifying though because we?ve had g ood race pace before but ended up starting from bad positions. The start in tomorrow?s races will be very important but it was also important to be near the front of the grid; so I have a good feeling for the races.


Sylvain Guintoli - P10

So, qualifying didn?t really go to plan and I just didn?t have a good feeling going into Superpole. I made a couple of mistakes on the race tyre which didn?t help and then I had some traction control issues on my qualifier and the lap was not clean. I couldn?t get the exits that I wanted so that was it. FP3 was quite good for us and we found some good rhythm in that session, so it?s disappointing to start from so far back on the grid.


Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator

Sylvain?s progress in FP3 this morning was not too bad, but in FP4 we tried a different geometry setting and we got no improvements. I think that lost us a bit of rhythm in the session and that carried on into Superpole 2. He wasn?t happy with how the bike behaved on throttle and couldn?t get in a groove. We?ll try for a smooth warm-up tomorrow and we know he has a good start. Mikey had a really good day. In that last free practice, when temperatures were up, he improved quite a bit and was one of the fastest guys on used tyres. In Superpole 1 he had good pace on the race tyre and went even faster on the qualifier. That got him ready for Superpole 2 and he got behind Johnny [Rea] and, on a race tyre, he was able to match his previous qualifier lap. So he was really up for that last qualifying lap completely on his own which put him fourth on the grid. He?s upbeat and everyone?s really motivated for two good races tomorrow.

Qualifying position
1 Tom Sykes 1'40.292 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
2 Jonathan Rea 1'40.500 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
3 Niccolo Canepa 1'40.508 ITA KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
4 Michael van der Mark 1'40.956 NED HONDA Pata Honda
5 Jordi Torres 1'40.974 ESP APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
6 Chaz Davies 1'41.155 GBR DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
7 Michele Pirro 1'41.185 ITA DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
8 Matteo Baiocco 1'41.415 DUCATI Althea Racing
9 Alex Lowes 1'41.427 GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
10 Sylvain Guintoli 1'41.467 FRA HONDA Pata Honda
11 Leon Haslam 1'41.512 GBR APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
12 David Salom 1'42.201 ESP KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
13 Leon Camier 1'41.745 GBR MV AGUSTA MV Agusta Repart Corse
14 Leandro Mercado 1'41.908 DUCATI BARNI Racing Team
15 Randy de Puniet 1'42.486 FRA SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
16 Roman Ramos 1'42.584 ESP KAWASAKI Team Go Eleven
17 Ayrton Badovini 1'42.714 ITA BMW JR Racing Team
18 Christophe Ponsson 1'42.774 KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
19 Gianluca Vizziello 1'43.746 ITA KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
20 Gabor Rizmayer 1'43.826 HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
21 Imre Toth 1'46.983 HUN BMW BMW Team Toth

 

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LOWES & VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI ON JEREZ 3RD ROW

Alex Lowes will line up for tomorrow?s 20-lap races on row three at the Jerez Circuit after taking his Voltcom Crescent Suzuki to ninth in this afternoon?s World Superbike Superpole.

A strong morning had seen the British racer confidently set consistent pace aboard his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R1000, running in the top-five at the close of practice. Heading into the mid-afternoon Superpole Lowes unfortunately suffered with a gear-shifting issue, preventing him from fully-exploiting the rhythm found earlier in the weekend. His 1?41.427 best-lap places him ninth in the times, rounding-out the third row for Sunday?s two races.

Randy de Puniet continued to battle with an intermittent brake problem that has been the focus of his attention for much of the past two days, while pushing to sustain the improvements seen in recent races. With the issue persisting during his qualifying session, the Frenchman?s 1?42.486 time sits him 15th, and on row five, with his Suzuki GSX-R1000 for tomorrow?s races.

While Kawasaki?s Jonathan Rea looks set to fight for the 2015 Championship title this weekend, it was his team-mate Tom Sykes who stole the pole position with a blistering 1?40.292, and a new lap record, as the track temperatures reached 45?C in the 31?C afternoon heat.

Race action at the Jerez Circuit is scheduled to start at 10:30 and 13:10hrs local time (09:30 and 12:10BST) tomorrow with Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s Lowes and de Puniet eager to join the battle.

Alex Lowes:

?It?s been a good weekend and we?ve been working well throughout. We had a good practice three and four today and it was just a shame we struggled in qualifying ? with just a few small problems that meant we didn?t get as much from the session as we had wanted to ? but it?s tomorrow that is important. I feel like we?ve had a great weekend, some weekend?s this year we?ve pulled it out of the bag in qualifying and maybe masked a bad weekend, but it?s gone the other way here, with strong practices and a struggling qualifying, but hopefully that is a good omen for the race! We have some things to work through this evening but I?m looking forward to a couple of hard races tomorrow.?

Randy de Puniet:

?Today was a difficult day for me because I am still suffering problems with the brakes. The issue is inconsistent so it is difficult to manage and find the solution. I don?t really understand as for the last two weekends it was ok, with a little issue during the second race in Malaysia ? but here we have just been working on this and not had any real time to focus on setting up the bike. I really hope we can fix the problem and look forward to the races tomorrow.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?Alex has had a very strong weekend overall so far with good performances in both FP3 and FP4. The qualifying result is disappointing because the top-six, and the second row, was an achievable target. Unfortunately he had back luck with a gear-shifting problem in qualifying that made it difficult to ride at the absolute limits and when you?re looking to go as fast as the guys need to with the qualifying tyre, a small problem like that can easily cost half-a-second. Despite that, we are looking forward to two solid races tomorrow. The race-pace has been quite good and I think Alex has the opportunity to improve dramatically on his qualifying position.

?Randy has also been going pretty well this weekend with consistent pace, but the recurring theme of inconsistent brake performance has continued to haunt us and has left both rider and team scratching their heads and looking for further solutions. We will do what we can tonight to stabilise the braking performance for tomorrow and hope that Randy can give us a good run in return.?

Jerez ? eni FIM Superbike World Championship ? Superpole: 1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1?40.292: 2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) +0.208: 3. Niccolo Canepa (Ducati) +0.216: 4. Michael van der Mark (Honda) +0.664: 5. Jordi Torres (Aprilia) +0.682: 9. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) + 1.135. 15. Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) SP1.

 

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Championship Wins For Rea And Kawasaki At Jerez, Race Win For Sykes

Jonathan Rea (KRT) scored two fourth place finishes at Jerez today to take the FIM Superbike World Championship crown. After the second 20-lap race of the day Kawasaki was confirmed as Manufacturers? Champion. Tom Sykes (KRT) won the first race of the day and finished fifth in race two.

Jonathan Rea realised he only needed six points from the Jerez weekend to make sure he won the title but in finishing fourth in race one he took more than he needed and win his first World SBK championship, with five individual races to spare.
These two races were the first times in 2015 that Rea had finished off the podium in what has been a remarkable season so far. His 12 races wins, 20 podiums and ability to score big points every time out gave him the edge that he and his official Kawasaki team used to such effect - from the first race win in Australia in February to his championship win in Spain in mid September.
Tom Sykes has now scored four race wins in the season so far, playing his full part in helping Kawasaki secure the Manufacturers? Championship after the second race at Jerez. Tom had a typical front running success in the first race today, leading every lap and enjoying an impressive margin of victory of almost three seconds. Choosing a less than ideal tyre option for race two meant he led for ten of the 20 laps, but dropped back to fifth place.
Rea has grown his points total to 478 after Jerez. Race two winner Chaz Davies is second overall on 353 and Sykes has 331 points, in third.
The next round will be held in Europe again, at the Magny-Cours circuit in France, on October 4th.
Jonathan Rea: ?This is an amazing moment for me in my career because I started schoolboy motocross when I was six years old, spending time at race circuits with my father and growing up in a racing environment, so I always dreamed of being world champion. So to finally be here and be world champion is incredible. There has been a lot of hard work from myself, sacrifice and dedication from my family, but most of all this championship would not be possible without Kawasaki. I want to thank both my team manager Guim Roda, and Steve Guttridge from KME, who really believed in me and gave me this opportunity. Right now it has not sunk in. When my mechanics were putting the number 1 sticker on the bike out on track it felt really strange but I am just so happy and grateful for this opportunity. There have been many ups and hard times. Moments like this are even more special because of the challenges I have faced with injuries, a broken wrist and a bad fracture of my femur. When I watched the 2002 World Championship between Colin Edwards and Troy Bayliss I got so much inspiration from this it became my dream. It became like, ?I have to do this.? So even in tough times I never doubted my ability. Finally we are here today so hopefully this can also inspire some other young riders to start, or for young riders who are already racing to never give up on their dream. Right now it still does not feel real but I am world champion and I am really proud.?
Tom Sykes: ?Overall I am fairly satisfied because we have never won at this circuit, so considering the whole season today is fairly acceptable. We struggled in race two and perhaps chose the wrong front tyre in that race. It was the same as race one and even in race one I did not have a good feeling with the front. But when you win with that margin at a circuit you have never won at before it?s is still good. I think if we had changed the front tyre we would have had a much different bike to compete for race distance. It is great to be part of Kawasaki winning the Manufacturers? Championship. Obviously the majority of the points have come from Jonathan but I think that over the years I have helped create an environment and package that helped all the riders who have contributed toward Kawasaki?s first Manufacturers? title.?
David Salom (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) secured 11th and 12th places at his home round, while his compatriot Roman Ramos (Team Go Eleven Kawasaki) was 11th and a non-finisher. Roman is 14th in the championship standings and David 15th.

 

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Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) 20 September 2015

The eleventh round of the 2015 eni FIM Superbike World Championship came to its conclusion today under the Andalusian sun at Jerez. Team Althea has achieved a positive result overall, with Matteo Baiocco sixth in SBK race 2 and eighth in the general standings, and Raffaele De Rosa scoring a second place finish in the Superstock 1000. A rather unlucky day for Niccol? Canepa.

Superbike race 1: Niccol? Canepa got away very well and was lying behind Sykes, Rea and Davies, keeping pace with them and keen to pass the factory Ducati that was immediately ahead of him. Unfortunately a crash on lap two put paid to the potential shown up to that point. Matteo Baiocco did not make such a good start and battled with riders further back. He strived to catch up to the group ahead of him, against whom he?d proved competitive in the practices. From the mid-race he recorded a series of laps with times very close to those of the leaders and was finally able to get the better of Guintoli and Camier to conclude the race in eighth place.

Superbike race 2: This time Baiocco made a better start and concentrated on setting a good pace to make up ground. He came across former world champion Guintoli and was caught up in a close battle with him, before passing him and moving on to aim for Pirro on the second factory Ducati. Matteo, proving that he has both ability and grit, was four tenths behind Pirro but was able to get past the Italian and achieve a fantastic sixth place finish, just 1.2 seconds from Sykes immediately ahead of him. A very different result for Canepa who was slowed down by a gearing problem. By gritting his teeth, in the end he was able to finish eleventh. Matteo Baiocco, thanks to today?s performance, regains eighth position in the general standings and may be able to improve on this before the end of the season, with four races still to run.

Today was the penultimate race for those in the Superstock 1000 category and Raffaele De Rosa returns home having scored a fantastic second place finish.

In the race, he was slowed down by a difficult start that saw him having to fight with various riders to make up positions while the gap between him and leader Tamburini increased. Lapping with times in the low 1?45s, Raffaele was able to get past both Massei and Jezek and once he moved into second place, he had a free track and could work to catch Tamburini. At that point tyre wear came into play, as a result of the high track temperatures, and he had to settle for what is nevertheless a great second place finish. De Rosa is in third place in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup and still has a chance to take his first race win at Magny-Cours on 4 October.

The Superbike World Championship still has two events left to run.

Matteo Baiocco: ?It was a great weekend for me. I did well and limited the distance between me and the leaders. In race 1 I maintained a good pace after making a mistake at the start, but in the race 2, after a good start, I crossed the line sixth which has put me into eighth position in the standings. I want to continue like this until the end of the year.?

Niccol? Canepa: ?It was a good weekend because, like at Laguna Seca, we were able to stick with the frontrunners. Unfortunately in race 1, as I tried to keep pace with the leaders, I crashed. The good race pace I found once back on track bode well for the second race but then in race 2 I unfortunately had a problem with the gearing that caused me to lose concentration. Now I?m looking ahead to the French round in two weeks? time.?

Raffaele De Rosa: ?This weekend was a little difficult and I suffered during all the sessions. I didn?t make the best start to the race and had to make up some positions, losing precious time as Tamburini increased the gap. This is nevertheless an important result and I want to thank the team that has worked so hard and allowed me to bring home this second place finish here today.?

 

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STRONG 7TH FOR LOWES & VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI

Alex Lowes secured a seventh place finish for Voltcom Crescent Suzuki in the opening World Superbike race at the Jerez circuit in Spain today.

A good start from his ninth-place grid-spot saw Lowes manoeuvre his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R into seventh by the third lap of the day's first race. Faced with a fairly solitary but strong run for the remainder of the contest, the British racer continued to hold his rhythm steady securing nine points as the chequered flag was raised.

A challenging afternoon saw Lowes pit for a new rear tyre on lap two of the second race ? a switch that ultimately proved too slick as he collected a ride-through penalty for failing to meet the desired pit intervention time. However, he got back up-to-speed quickly, impressively matching the leading pace consecutively despite being placed at the back of the field. While his 18th place finish barely reflects the effort and potential on show, Lowes is pleased with the performance of himself and the GSX-R1000 and is looking forward to the season?s final European race in two weeks? time.

Randy de Puniet concluded his first Superbike race at the Jerez circuit just shy of the points. Using race one to adapt his riding style to the bike?s character ? having solved the weekend?s braking issue overnight ? the Frenchman battled with the 13th place group before consolidating 16th at the line.

De Puniet?s difficult day continued into the afternoon as a technical issue affected his Suzuki GSX-R on the sighting lap for race two before he was forced to retire the bike at turn 11 of his sixth lap due to an engine issue.

The French round of the championship now beckons for the Maisons-Laffitte-born racer who is hoping for a positive weekend on home-turf.

Thoroughly enjoying their own ?home event?, Kawasaki celebrated securing both the Rider (Jonathan Rea) and Manufacture Championship titles under Jerez?s clear blue Spanish skies, despite Rea being absent from the podium in both races. As temperatures rose from 25 to 29?C in the stands and 29 to 43?C on track, his team-mate Tom Sykes claimed victory in the opening race, while Ducati?s Chaz Davies continued his recent form to take the win in race two.

De Puniet?s home race is next on the agenda for Voltcom Crescent Suzuki, as the World Championship visits Magny Cours, in France, on Sunday October 4th.

Alex Lowes:

?Overall a slightly disappointing day but we had a solid seventh in race one. We made the bike better for race two and had really good pace, but unfortunately we had an issue with the tyre at the start, which if it wasn?t for this, we could have had an even stronger second race. I?m pleased with how I?ve been riding all weekend, the team have worked hard and I did the best I could for 40 laps. Unfortunately we didn?t get the results we wanted but we?ll look forward to Magny-Cours. I feel like I?m riding the best I have all season so my confidence feels good and I?m looking forward to the last two rounds of the year.?

Randy de Puniet:

?Two difficult races for me today. We fixed the problem with the brake this morning, which was good but I needed time to adapt my riding style with this. In race one the brake was consistent but I was not 100% comfortable with the bike, I was racing with the guys who finished 13th all race but unfortunately I finished 16th. In race two my bike stopped on the sighting lap so I had to push it to the grid. A weekend to forget again and I really hope for more luck in Magny-Cours for my home race.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?Race two brought a disappointing end to what genuinely has been a very positive performance over the weekend here at Jerez. We?ve struggled in the past in the very hot temperatures with the GSX-R but new suspension parts this weekend and Alex improving his technique in these conditions found much more competitive pace. Alex was disappointed with seventh in the first race but it was still a very strong performance and the second race ? with some changes that took the bike in the right direction ? promised a top-five result. The problem causing Alex?s need to stop and change the rear tyre after only two laps was very disappointing, but we then suffered a further setback with a ride-through penalty after changing the tyre too quickly. The fact that Alex then dug in, rode to the maximum over the full course of the race, and over the last 10 laps matched the podium challengers, enables us to take some positives.

?The weekend for Randy again was difficult. Primarily we have to thank Tomo from Nissin BS for supplying a complete new braking system to try and test on Sunday which brought an immediate improvement for Randy in terms of consistency and predictability and we will use this until the end of the season. With that problem fixed, unfortunately Randy?s pace wasn?t good enough to score points in race one, despite coming close, and in race two some changes in the set-up to help him further weren?t able to be evaluated due to his technical problem on lap six.

?Many positives to take from Jerez and an equal number of disappointments, but I feel we have plenty still to prove and plenty to race for in the final two rounds of the championship.

?I would also like to send our congratulations to Suzuki and the SERT team for winning the 2015 Endurance World Championship at the Paul Ricard Circuit this afternoon with a third place finish in the Bol d?Or 24 hour race. It?s great to see Suzuki has this success in the 30th Anniversary colours while celebrating the GSX-R?s legacy and it?s nice to end the day on a positive note!?

Jerez ? eni FIM Superbike World Championship ? Race One: 1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 34?14.685: 2. Chaz Davies (Ducati) +2.865: 3. Michael van der Mark (Honda) +6.665: 4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) +9.059: 5. Leon Haslam (Aprilia) +9.318: 7. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) + 15.945. 16. Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +40.275.

Jerez ? eni FIM Superbike World Championship ? Race Two: 1. Davies +34?29.546: 2. Jordi Torres (Aprilia) +1.840: 3. Haslam +2.335: 4. Rea +7.619: 5. Sykes +11.500. 18. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +1?37.110. DNF: Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki).

World Championship Classification: 1. Rea 478: 2. Davies 353: 3. Sykes 331: 4. Haslam 286: 5. Torres 210. 9. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) 121. 17. Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) 39.

Jerez WSB Image Gallery: CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS

 

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Van der Mark impresses with Spanish podium

Michael van der Mark took the third podium of his rookie World Superbike championship season today, taking his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP to third place in the first race of round 11 of the series at Jerez in Spain. The race was won by Tom Sykes.

Starting from fourth place on the grid, van der Mark dropped a position going into turn one but never lost touch with the leaders. By mid-race, the 22-year-old had passed Jonathan Rea, who finished fourth to secure the 2015 World Superbike championship title.

It was van der Mark?s first podium since he doubled up at Assen in the Netherlands in April and in this afternoon?s second race he looked to be on his way to another double podium. He had fought his way up to fourth place and was challenging Leon Haslam for the final podium position when he crashed unhurt at turn six.

Van der Mark was able to right his lightly-damaged CBR and re-join the race, matching the lap times of eventual winner, Chaz Davies. The Dutch rider finished in 13th place to consolidate seventh place in the overall championship standings.

Pata Honda team-mate Sylvain Guintoli, meanwhile, was unable to match the pace of van der Mark in today?s two races. The French rider finished 10th in race one and 9th in the second 20-lap outing at the 4.423km Jerez circuit.

The Pata Honda team will remain at Jerez for a one-day official test tomorrow before heading back to the workshop in the Netherlands to prepare for the penultimate round of the season at Magny-Cours in France on 2 October.


Michael van der Mark - 3rd and 13th

All weekend I?ve had some difficulties with the clutch, so the start in race one was not perfect. I managed to stay with the guys even though I was missing some grip at the beginning. As the pace dropped a little I was able to close the gap but I had to wait a little more before I could pass Leon [Haslam] and Jonathan [Rea]. I tried to close the gap to Chaz [Davies] but the grip was not there. Race two was a little bit similar at the beginning and I closed the gap to the front as the pace began to drop. I had a good feeling when I got to the back of Torres and Haslam so I was holding back a little bit because I saw they were pushing really hard. Then I just lost the front in a slow corner and crashed. I was able to get back on and do some good lap times before the end of the race and I think overall I must be happy with the performance this weekend. We finally had a weekend without problems and that?s really good for my motivation, and of course the podium is great motivation for the whole team.


Sylvain Guintoli - 10th and 9th

It?s been a difficult Sunday. I thought we could have done a bit better than this, to be honest, but it was a bit of a struggle. I was trying really hard in the races and maybe that wasn?t the best thing. I just lost my mojo a bit and didn?t feel comfortable. The feeling was not good and the pace wasn?t there so it?s been a very difficult Sunday. We need to have a sit down to put it back together. Hopefully it will be a different story at Magny-Cours; it?s a track I really like and I want to finish the season strongly so I?ll reflect on what happened here and why I was so slow and try to understand how to pick it back up.


Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator

Sylvain struggled a little today. We made some changes on the bike which didn?t really work out and he wasn?t able to get into a rhythm in either race. It?s a shame because on Friday everything was looking quite good, but he wasn?t able to show his full potential today. The next round is at Magny-Cours though, and we know he?ll be back then. Michael showed really good pace all weekend and his qualifying performance yesterday gave him the boost he needed to race for the podium. It?s the first podium for him and the team since Assen and it makes us really happy, especially here at Jerez, which has not been a good circuit for us in the past. In race two Michael was challenging again but, even after his crash, he was able to put in some impressive lap times, matching those of the race winn er. Overall it was a good weekend for Michael and it?s good that he has been able to show his potential along with that of the team and the CBR.