WSBK-Moscow

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Championship Leader Sykes Joins With Baz Again In Moscow

Tom Sykes and Loris Baz will lead the Ninja ZX-10R charge when the SBK championship heads to Moscow Raceway for the eighth round, with Sykes now in the lead of the championship for the first time.
Championship Leader Sykes Joins With Baz Again In Moscow
The KRT team and riders did not take part in the official single day Imola tyre tests after the most recent round of the year in Italy, in which Sykes won both races and got his championship challenge back on track in emphatic fashion. The team opted to recharge their batteries in readiness for another big push towards full points from Sykes and more top five and podium finishes for Baz.

Sykes and his Ninja ZX-10R have been able to operate at full pace since the start of the year and despite some misfortunes along the way in race conditions both bike and rider enter the Moscow round in an enviable leading position in the points table, six ahead of the next nearest challenger. Sykes won both races at Imola - and the inaugural race at Moscow Raceway in 2012 - so he is understandably keen to get back into race action after a two weekends away from the track.

For Loris Baz this race will signify his second time in Russia on the Ninja ZX-10R, although his results last year did not match his already proven potential to win or take podium places at other meetings. After a heavy practice fall in Imola the tough young French rider recovered well to score points and he still sits inside the top six in the championship ranking.

Federico Sandi (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) will be joined by his countryman Lorenzo Savadori (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) in Moscow. Savadori has no regular Superstock 1000 FIM Cup round this weekend and thus he will stand-in for the injured Alexander Lundh.

Tom Sykes: ?Last year Moscow was new for everybody and I consider myself quite good at learning tracks pretty quickly. I have a massive belief in Kawasaki and the team so I knew we would make a good package for Moscow last year - and we won a race because of it. Like me almost all my rivals have knowledge of the Russian track now so it will be harder this year but it is a good circuit to compete at. We went down in history as winners of the first ever race there last year, which adds to the enjoyment of going back there. Overall it is a tight, twisty and technical track but it does provide for good racing.?

Loris Baz: ?I am feeling good now after the Imola round. We made a positive step in testing before the previous round but could not show it fully in Italy because of the pre-race crash I had. Now we are going to try to show our best pace when we get to the Moscow circuit. Last year it was not my favourite layout but I think we have improved quite a lot since the beginning of the year. I want to be with the top guys this weekend or at least very close to them. My feeling with the bike is really good and we just need a step to be with the guys at the very front. We have to try to be with them every weekend and we all know which direction we have to go in to improve some more.?

 

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HEADING EAST

The BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team is heading to the East of Europe where the second half of the 2013 FIM Superbike World Championship starts in Russia. The "Moscow Raceway" - located west of the Russian capital Moscow close to the city of Volokolamsk - will host the eighth round of the season this weekend. In the Manufacturers' classification, BMW is currently third with 237 points. In the Riders' classification, factory riders Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies are lying in fourth and fifth respectively. Marco has collected 182 points so far with his BMW S 1000 RR while Chaz has 154 points.

This round is the second visit by the Superbike World Championship to the new "Moscow Raceway" which was only opened one year ago in July 2012. Last year's Russian debut was a more than successful weekend for BMW Motorrad. With one victory and a second place, Marco took the lead in the Riders' championship. It was another milestone, as Marco was the first BMW rider to top this classification. In both races, the fastest lap was done with an RR: former factory rider Leon Haslam secured this trophy in race one, Marco in race two. The Italian also achieved the highest speed in the races with 315.1 km/h. Chaz, since this season on duty as a BMW factory rider, has very fond memories of Russia, too, with the "Moscow Raceway" being the venue of his first ever podium finish in World Superbikes.

Marco Melandri: "During the Dorna test in Imola we tried some new setting solutions which worked quite well. On a different track of course we have to restart working on the set up but we will not start completely from the scratch.

The Superbike World Championship made its debut in Moscow last year. It was a very good debut and I also had lots of fun. The track is pretty flowing; you never brake or accelerate hard. You need to let the bike go as fast as possible into the corner. I don't expect any gifts but I'm confident that we'll have good races and that we could be among the protagonists."

Chaz Davies: "I like the Moscow circuit. It is quite interesting and I think it is quite different to what people had expected. It is a small track and physically very demanding. In the first part, you get zero rest until the long straight before the last corner so you have got pretty physical work over most of the lap. The first part is also very technical, especially the section from the very long right-hander turn 3, when it comes back uphill and goes into a double apex left turn. There the line is pretty important as it is all connected.

I enjoyed racing there last year. It was a good weekend for me. In race one, I fast and catching the leader but then I had a gearbox problem, so I think I could have won. In the second race I finished third on the podium, though I have to say that I was a bit lucky as two competitors in front of me crashed. This year as usual it will be important to find a good set-up in the first practice on which to build on over the weekend. Overall I am looking forward to it and I hope that the little things that we found on Imola's Monday test will help us in Russia."

Serafino Foti (Sport Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team): "The test day after the races in Imola was really useful to prepare for the coming rounds. In the four hours track time available we tried many different solutions which worked well and which our riders liked, even if in two hours of testing each in the morning and in the afternoon we could not try everything. Marco and Chaz were satisfied with the test and are confident for next races.

Moscow also marks the halfway point of the season, which is particularly long and challenging. For this reason we are continuing to work hard for next races. Marco, last year, did a very good job in Moscow. He really likes this track and it suits very well to his riding style. Chaz was also on the podium last year, showing how much he likes this track. The track is technical in the first part, with a long straight in the second part, where we could take advantage with our BMW powerful engine. The characteristics of the track suit quite well with our RR. We're confident that we'll have a positive weekend."

Andrea Dosoli (Technical Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team): "We are all looking forward to the Russian event which not only is important for the championship but also for the motorsport in general. It is nice to visit the 'Moscow Raceway' and Russia for the second time and it is essential for the Superbike World Championship and for the motorsport to expand its borders. Last year even if we got a very good result on this new race track it has been a difficult race weekend for the crews as we started without any data and reference. This year we expect to be better prepared, counting on the data gathered in 2012.

The race track needs good handling for the tight sections but as well braking stability for the turn after the over 900 m long straight. On this straight, the engine performance is important not only regarding top speed but mainly for acceleration. Both riders had adapted very well to the track in 2012, being together on the podium in race 2. Our RR will receive small updates for the chassis, the engine and the electronic as result of the last Imola test. So we are confident to start the second half of the season well prepared."

 

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FIXI CRESCENT SUZUKI SET FOR MOSCOW WSB

The 2013 eni FIM Superbike World Championship will reach this season's half-way point this weekend as the FIXI Crescent Suzuki squad heads to Russia for the eighth round of this year's series.

Leon Camier and Jules Cluzel will be at the Moscow Raceway for only the second time in the history of World Superbike, with the pair looking to continue with the rise in competitiveness from the Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R. Camier took a pair of seventh place finishes last time out at Imola and will be looking to push on with the form at the Moscow Raceway in 2012; that saw him take a spirited fifth place after starting from 18th on the grid. Cluzel tasted success at the Russian circuit last season as he secured Pole Position at the 3,931m track and followed that up on race-day to take second place. He will be looking to find some of that form as he makes his Superbike debut in Russia.

The track is located approximately 100kms from Moscow, along the Novorizhsky Highway and the circuit is built on a slope, which allows its layout to follow the natural terrain. There are 17 corners throughout the configuration and a number of uphill and downhill sections which offer a mixture of fast and slow sections, as well as one of the longest straights (one kilometre in length) in the championship. The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke and opened in 2012 following a cost in the region of ?130 million to build the facility.

Camier, Cluzel and the rest of the WSB field will take to the track on Friday morning for the first free practice session, before competing in the opening qualifying practice in the afternoon. Saturday morning will have a second qualifying session to confirm riders that will progress towards Superpole. Sunday's first race - to be held over 25-laps- is scheduled for 12.00hrs local time (09.00hrs BST), with the second event set to get underway at 15.30hrs local time (12.30hrs BST).

Leon Camier:

"Moscow is a tough and demanding track; it's like Imola in that way although quite a different layout. We found a couple of things at the test and it will be good to try them out over a race weekend and hopefully we won't encounter the chatter problems as we did in Italy. We still need to make small detailed steps with the bike, and I need to make sure I am at the top of my game. We have found a couple of positive improvements but we still need a bit more to challenge for the podium, so we will be looking to make further improvements throughout the weekend and maximise our potential."

Jules Cluzel:

"I am looking forward to going to Moscow, because the last race weekend at Imola was a bit of a disaster for me and I need to put that behind me and start working again in the best way for us. We did some stuff at the test after the last race and learned what we can do with the bike and also what we can possibly do as the season continues. I think we will try to make as few changes as possible this weekend, because my riding needs to improve, so that I can make the most out of the bike that I have at the moment. I had a Pole and second in the race in Moscow last year and I had a good feeling at the track. I believe it will be a better place from me and I think that I will really enjoy riding the FIXI Crescent Suzuki Superbike there."

 

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SBK Race Bulletin - 2013 Moscow
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbkenergyzone.com%2Fapp_themes%2FSBK-RACE-BULLETIN_2013-Moscow-Round.asp%3Ff%3DSBK-RACE-BULLETIN_2013-Moscow-Round.pdf%26nodeguidutente%3Dca05dae9-3e60-4c43-b384-64f3ceaecfca%26usernameutente%3Dkuciar666%40gmail.com%26provenienza%3DPoland&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGNz7cz5CK7fLf_hf5CCZAFDgnwKA

 

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Honda duo aiming high in Moscow

The Pata Honda pairing of Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam are preparing for this weekend?s (19-21 July) eighth-round World Superbike championship races at Moscow Raceway in Russia.

Following last season?s inaugural World Superbike event in Russia, this weekend marks the championship?s second visit to the tight 3.931km circuit which lies 80km to the west of Moscow, with Sunday?s opening 25-lap race marking the halfway point of the 2013 SBK season.

Rea is in good form, having enjoyed podium finishes at each of the last two rounds in Portugal and Italy, but the 26-year-old did not enjoy good fortune during his last visit to Moscow Raceway. Rea crashed out of race one last season and came home seventh in the second outing after being taken out by another rider.

Haslam, too, had his second race terminated by another rider last season and had only one sixth place finish to show for his efforts. However, the 30-year-old is feeling stronger in the left leg that is still recovering from an early-season fracture and he tested last week alongside his Pata Honda team-mate for the forthcoming Suzuka 8-hour race which takes place just one week after this weekend?s Moscow SBK event.



Leon Haslam

I was pretty sore after Imola and went straight into testing there on the Monday after the race, followed by the Suzuka test. But it all went well and Suzuka was actually a little easier and less physical with the lower power from the endurance bike. It was nice to get home though, and to enjoy some good weather. I?m really looking forward to Moscow despite disappointing results there last season with a couple of crashes. But we were at the sharp end and competitive and the circuit should be good for the Honda. Hopefully, I?ll be able to ride it a little more normally this weekend as I?m able to put some more weight through the pegs, even though it?s through my heel rather than the front of the foot. But it?ll definitely be better than at Imola.



Jonathan Rea

It?s been nice to have a few days relaxing in this good weather because it?s been pretty flat-out since Imola, with the test there and then a couple of days at Suzuka. Moscow?s a unique circuit ? tight and twisty and not necessarily the favourite of many riders. But I think it could play to the strengths of the CBR, especially the first two sectors. We struggled a bit at the end of the lap last year, but I think we?ve got some ideas on how to deal with that. I?d be happy to continue the podium form we?ve had in the last couple of rounds but it?s important for us to string two good results together. At the last two races we?ve been strong in the first two days but then something?s gone wrong in one of the races. I?m confident that we?ve addressed problems that we faced earlier in the season, so I hope that will allow us two good results on Sunday.



2013 World Superbike championship, round eight

Moscow Raceway, Russia ? weekend schedule (local times ? GMT+4)



Friday 19 July

11.45-12.30 Free practice

15.30-16.15 Qualifying 1



Saturday 20 July

09.45-10.30 Qualifying 2

12.30-13.15 Free practice

15.00-15.14 Superpole 1

15.21-15.33 Superpole 2

15.40-15.50 Superpole 3



Sunday 21 July

09.20-09.35 Warm-up

12.00 Race 1 (25 laps 98.275km)

15.30 Race 2 (25 laps 98.275km)

 

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STRONG FIRST DAY FOR FIXI CRESCENT SUZUKI WSB

FIXI Crescent Suzuki riders Leon Camier and Jules Cluzel both had strong first day performances at this weekend's eighth round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship at the Moscow Raceway in Russia.

Camier produced some competitive laps in this afternoon's first qualifying session to place him just over one-tenth-of-a-second away from a provisional front-row start. The Englishman looked impressive over the first three sectors of the 3,931m Russian circuit, but is aware that he needs to make up some time in the final two sectors. If he can achieve that, it will leave him in a very promising position for Sunday's two races.

Cluzel looked confident and at ease on his Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R1000 as he gave one of his best first-day performances of the year so far. He was only 0.9 seconds from the top-spot in this morning's free practice session and followed that up to finish the first qualifying just 0.7 seconds from pole position. Cluzel is positive that he can go faster and will be looking to improve his time tomorrow.

Today's sessions were held in dry, but windy conditions, with track temperatures reaching 38?C, but with wet weather forecast tomorrow, the data gathered today could prove vital for the races. Quickest time of the day went to championship leader Tom Sykes on a Kawasaki.

FIXI Crescent Suzuki will have one more qualifying session tomorrow morning to confirm the places for the afternoon's Superpole, where the riders will battle for the best grid positions for Sunday's two 25-lap races.

Leon Camier:

"We made some good progress in this afternoon's session and only made had to make a couple of changes through the day to make the GSX-R suit the track. From the start today we found a bit of speed, but we are still losing a big chunk of time in the last sector. We think we know how we can improve on that and then we should be quite strong. If we can make that big step in the final part of the track, we will be right up there; so all our attention is focused on that now and we'll see what we can do tomorrow."

Jules Cluzel:

"I am quite happy with how things have gone today because it has been a consistent day and I feel strong on the bike. I have enjoyed every lap from the start of the day and I've felt really comfortable on the bike. My lap-time has improved on every exit and I think I can go faster, so that's good. This morning I was nine-tenths off the fastest time and this afternoon only seven-tenths and I think I have a big chance to make faster laps, because I am confident that we can improve the bike in one or two places. It could be wet tomorrow, but that does not bother me because if it is wet or dry I think we can have a good race here."

Paul Denning - Team Manager:

"It's been a solid first day's work by the whole FIXI Crescent Suzuki team and both riders have performed strongly. Jules, in particular, has demonstrated a huge improvement over Imola - where frankly speaking we struggled to find the best way of working - and we followed that event with some discussions between us, which appear to have paid dividends. As always there are a number of small details to improve upon and if we could have Leon's lap-time for the first three sectors added to Jules's for the last two, then that would be absolutely perfect! It is an interesting race-track here in Moscow and we're looking forward to what we can achieve in the next two days."

Moscow - eni FIM Superbike World Championship - Qualifying 1: 1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'36.567: 2. Davide Giugliano (Aprilia) +0.048: 3. Marco Melandri (BMW) +0.324: 4. Carlos Checa (Ducati) +0.354: 5. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) +0.397: 6. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +0.446. 11. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +0.737.

 

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Pata Honda working steadily in Moscow

Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam are both relatively satisfied after the opening qualifying session for the eighth round World Superbike championship event at Moscow Raceway in Russia today.

The British pairing finished in seventh and 12th places respectively in this afternoon?s 45-minute session while series leader Tom Sykes set the pace with provisional pole position.

Lap times are close, however, with 26-year-old Rea just half a second behind Sykes and Haslam, 30, a further 0.5s back. Both Honda CBR1000RR riders are confident of improvements in their settings for tomorrow morning?s second qualifying session before the afternoon Superpole sessions to determine final grid positions for both Sunday?s races.

Jonathan Rea ? P7 1m36.084s

It?s not been a bad day although we got off to a sluggish start this morning, setting up a base map for the electronics, but the guys worked pretty well to get it in the ball park. We?re there or thereabouts and we didn?t use a lot of tyres today, trying to focus more on what?s happening when the tyre gets old. I tried a different front today, which I liked, but I had some positives and some negatives. Tomorrow we need to work on the exit on to the back straight where we?re a little weak so we?re looking at different options. Maybe gearbox ratios will make things a little better there. Otherwise, it?s half a second to the front, but it took us a while to wake up this morning. We?ll all sit down together to discuss options and come back strong in the morning.

Leon Haslam ? P12 1m36.585s

We had a few little niggles this morning and managed to rectify the bulk of them this afternoon. There was a bit of an issue with the new tyre but we kept with it and the times came good again. So, we just need to look at a bit of a set-up for the newer tyre, but on old rubber the bike was pretty good. There are only really two options for the rear and we?ve tried them both now. They both look good for the race so it?s a question of what we do with set-up and electronics to see which is the better option.

Pieter Breddels ? technical co-ordinator

We were a little behind in the morning session and had to make some adjustments, but we recovered quite well and made some progress this afternoon. We didn?t really go for a lap time in that qualifying session and didn?t use new tyres. Also, the ideal times look better so we?re not too concerned. It?s all quite close at the top so it should be an interesting day tomorrow.



2013 World Superbike championship, round eight ? Moscow Raceway, Russia

First qualifying results:

1 Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki 1m35.567s

2 Davide Guigliano (ITA) Aprilia 1m35.615s

3 Marco Melandri (ITA) BMW 1m35.891s

4 Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati 1m35.921s

5 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Aprilia 1m35.964s

6 Leon Camier (GBR) Suzuki 1m36.013s

7 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Pata Honda 1m36.084s

12 Leon Haslam (GBR) Pata Honda 136.585s

 

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FIRST AND SECOND ROW FOR THE BMW MOTORRAD GOLDBET SBK TEAM AT THE MOSCOW RACEWAY

The BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team has had a successful Superpole at "Moscow Raceway. Factory rider Chaz Davies claimed his best ever qualifying result in the FIM Superbike World Championship. The Welshman finished second, putting his BMW S 1000 RR on the front row of the grid. His team-mate Marco Melandri is also happy with qualifying. He finished fifth and thus will start the eighth round of the season from the second row.

Changing weather made the conditions difficult today. After it had rained in the morning, the track was still wet when the riders went out for the second qualifying practice. Already, the two BMW factory riders were fast, with Marco setting the fastest time of the session and Chaz placing fifth. During the free practice session in the early afternoon it started to rain again, so the track action was pretty limited. But then conditions bettered and for the Superpole, it was dry.

At the beginning of Superpole 1, both Chaz and Marco did two laps on race tyres and then returned to the garage, having comfortably qualified for the second part. In Superpole 2, Chaz again started with a race tyre, then he came to the pitlane to change to his first qualifying tyre. With this, Chaz put in the second fastest time and progressed easily to the final session.

Marco meanwhile started Superpole 2 with his first qualifying tyre. He returned to the garage, but to be on the safe side, he went out for another attempt with his second qualifying tyre with two and a half minutes to go. He set the fourth fastest time. In the final and deciding Superpole 3, Chaz began with his second qualifying tyre and was temporarily fastest. In the end he slipped back to second when Davide Giugliano set a better time to secure pole position. Marco did two outings in Superpole 3 with the qualifying tyres he had already used in the second part. Thus, he set the fifth fastest time.

Chaz Davies: "I am very happy. The result confirms the steps that we have taken all weekend have been right. We made the turning a little bit better and now I feel like I can actually force the front to turn rather than the bike deciding where it wants to go. We made some changes that have really helped. I felt that I did not make the best lap, I lost a couple of tenths here and there, maybe enough to keep me off from pole but to get there you have to put it all together and I did not. But still I am very satisfied with the front row and am looking forward to the races. I think it is going to be a battle tomorrow, it is going to be close off the line and whoever has the pace will stay at the front. I think that it will be between a few riders tomorrow. It will be interesting but I am pretty confident with my package and on the few laps we did today in the dry, I had a good pace."

Marco Melandri: "Today we have made a good step forward, especially on the race pace both in dry and wet conditions. We improved a lot in the last sector, while we have still some room for improvement in the first one. Tomorrow the weather will be the key. In case the weather conditions change during the race, we will have to do a pit stop to change tyres. Tonight we will define a strategy to decide if and when it is better to do this. Tomorrow in the race many riders will be fighting for the top positions. On this track it is quite difficult to overtake but we could be at the front. Today's fifth position is a good result, I feel good for the race and I'm happy."

Serafino Foti (Sport Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team): "It was a very positive day. Both our riders were fast in all conditions. This morning, in the wet, we were in front. This afternoon, when it was supposed to be the worst weather of the whole weekend, we had a dry Superpole. Chaz is back on the front row and this is good for his and the team's mood. Tomorrow in the races, I'm sure, he could do even better. Marco is quite serene and in the races he can also do very well. The weather is unpredictable and it changes quite fast. Tomorrow the team will have to be ready to manage all weather conditions and, in case they change, to manage them quickly. I am confident that tomorrow we will be able to have a good race in any conditions."

Andrea Dosoli (Technical Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team): "Overall it has been a good day. We have achieved our target for Superpole which was to start from the two front rows. But the most important point is that we have improved the performance of our RR. With both riders we have improved a few tenths in the first and last sectors where we are struggling. And I have to say that I am satisfied with the job done by both crews in such difficult and unpredictable weather conditions. We managed to always be well prepared and we were fast in both dry and wet conditions. The races will not be easy. The start will be very important and quite a few riders will be able to fight for the podium but I am confident to say that our two riders will be among them. So it is up to the guys to make a good start and up to the team tonight to analyse the data and to try to fine tune the RRs. Then we will use the warm-up to further improve the package."

 

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Sykes Will Start Moscow Races From Third Row

Tom Sykes was looking set for yet another Superpole win as he approached Superpole 3 but a fall deprived him of the chance and he now starts Sunday?s races from the third row of the grid.
Sykes Will Start Moscow Races From Third Row
Sykes was running a high lean angle as he negotiated the long turn three when he lost the front end and he was unable to make it back to the pits. In the era of single bike rules he had no spare machine to use to get back into contention for the font row, and what could have been his seventh pole in succession. He ended up ninth on the grid.

Tom still leads the overall Superpole count in 2013 by some margin, with six pole positions to his credit.

His misfortune in Superpole today did not disguise Sykes? sheer pace through qualifying and practice and Sykes is now confident that with two good starts he should be in contention for the top race places as he has been all season long on his Ninja ZX-10R.

Second KRT rider Loris Baz pushed his way to Superpole 2 but was unable to improve his time enough to make it into the final Superpole session and he earned a 12th starting place overall. He is on the fourth row of the grid for Sunday?s two 25-lap races.

Federico Sandi (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) ended regulation qualifying in 16th place, while Lorenzo Savadori (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) will start the races from 18th place in Moscow.

Tom Sykes: ?I just lost the front at the very last moment in turn three. It is a shame but sometimes these things happen. It is a small mistake and it means that we will start on row three, so it is a mistake with not a very big consequence. In this respect it is not so bad and tomorrow, in the races, is where you make up points. I am still confident with the settings of the Ninja ZX-10R for this track. I just need to make a clean start each time and continue in a good way. Pace in general has been strong and the lap times are good, which we saw in Superpole 1 when I was using a race tyre. It will be 25 laps each time so there will be long races here. In Imola I dropped to fourth at the very beginning and then had time to react so hopefully we have lots of time tomorrow to make the correction for today?s small mistake.?

Loris Baz: ?I used a qualifying tyre to start in Superpole 2 but I had a lot of chatter so I almost lost the front and had to save it on my elbow. I lost time and was not going to make it to the third part of Superpole so I came in and we fitted a race tyre. I did my two best times of the weekend after that, but I could not go fast enough to make it into Superpole 3. Race pace is not so bad but we have a small issue with set-up on corner entry. I am sure we can sort it in morning warm-up. If we do find an improvement I will have to make a good start to be able to get to the front and fight for a top five place again.?

 

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CLUZEL CLOSE TO MOSCOW WSB FRONT ROW

FIXI Crescent Suzuki racer Jules Cluzel continued to impress at this weekend's Russian round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship at the Moscow Raceway by putting in a competitive performance in this afternoon's Superpole.

Cluzel made his way into Superpole due to his time in Friday's first session after this morning's wet qualifying practice, where no riders improved on their times. The French Rookie made his way through Superpole 1 and 2 and began the third and final session with his last Pirelli qualifying tyre. He set a time of 1'35.256, which saw him in a provisional front-row position for a short while, before his time was marginally bettered by other riders. At the end of the 10-minute session Cluzel was only three-tenths-of-a-second away from the front row and just over half-of-a-second off Pole Position. He will head the third row for tomorrow's races after finishing seventh quickest.

Cluzel had a good day all round, and after a third-place in this morning's wet qualifying; he followed that up with another third position in the dry free practice. He is confident with the set-up for his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R1000, whatever the conditions are on race-day, and will be looking to push for a strong result in both races.

Leon Camier will start directly behind his team-mate in tomorrow's races after the Englishman qualified in 10th place. He looked like getting a good grid position after recording the second fastest time in Superpole 1, but he was unable to use his qualifying tyre to its best effect and was eliminated in the second session. Camier had looked on-the-pace earlier in the day when he set the second fastest time in the dry free practice and his time in the first Superpole underlined that performance. He will be hoping to make a fast start in tomorrow's races so that he can be up amongst the front pack as soon as possible.

Today's practices and Superpole were held in varying conditions, but the rain that threatened this afternoon never materialised. Davide Giugliano on a factory Aprilia took his maiden World Superbike Pole Position; championship leader Tom Sykes will start from ninth on the grid after he crashed in Superpole 3.

FIXI Crescent Suzuki's Cluzel and Camier will line up with the rest of the field for the first of two races from the 3,931m Moscow raceway at 12.00hrs local time (09.00hrs BST), with the second 25-lap event scheduled for 15.30hrs local time (12.30hrs BST).

Jules Cluzel:

"It felt really good out there today, I was consistent and solid and I am very happy about this because we need to keep improving at the moment. In the rain we are really good and in the dry we have improved again. For tomorrow we are feeling positive no matter what the conditions are, because we have a good setting for both. I hope to make two good races tomorrow because this would give us a good conclusion to the weekend. I will try to do my best and see what we can achieve."

Leon Camier:

"I was feeling good on the bike in Superpole 1 and was a bit behind Eugene - I was trying to use him as a tow - and the bike was handling really well. When I was behind Eugene I felt really comfortable and it was as though he was holding me up, but on the back-straight I couldn't quite stay with him. I then came in and got a qualifying tyre and did a pretty good time to get through to Superpole 2. In the next session I was trying hard on my second lap on a race tyre, but Melandri was on my racing line and got in my way. So I came in and put on another qualifier, but I was so angry with him for messing up my lap that I think I tried too hard with the qualifier and didn't get the best out of it. I had a bit of chattering, but I was the main reason I didn't go quicker. I am reasonable happy with the race setting, but around here it is difficult to overtake, so if it is a dry race it will be tough coming from so far back. I will just need to keep the pace and my rhythm up and try to be strong at the end."

Paul Denning - Team Manager:

"The FIXI Crescent Suzuki team has done a very good job over the last two days in the changeable conditions at the Moscow Raceway and in a strange way it's very positive to be disappointed with Jules's qualifying position of seventh - and only half-of-a-second off Pole Position. However, when you miss the front-row by three-tenths - and we know that one mistake on his best lap cost him that - then we know that the potential was much more. This has been Jules's best run-in to a World Superbike event so far and wet or dry, he knows he's got a good package underneath him and is looking forward to the races.

"Leon also has shown excellent and consistent speed. He was second in the dry free practice this afternoon and unfortunately just didn't get the job done in Superpole 2 when he needed to. He's disappointed, but with more changeable conditions on the way for tomorrow, the starting position might not be as critical as it might have been.

"The FIXI Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 is working very well here this weekend and we are looking forward to two hard, but competitive, races tomorrow."

Moscow - eni FIM Superbike World Championship - Superpole: 1. Davide Giugliano (Aprilia) 1'34.676: 2. Chaz Davies (BMW) +0.157: 3. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) +0.258: 4. Jonathan Rea (Honda) +0.382: 5. Marco Melandri (BMW) 0.439. 7. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +0.580. 10. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +1.085.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Kawasaki Sends Condolences To The Family And Friends Of Andrea Antonelli
WSS, Moscow, Russia, 21 July 2013

During the eventually abandoned FIM Supersport World Championship race at Moscow Raceway today, Team Goeleven Kawasaki Rider Andrea Antonelli was involved in an accident and suffered terminal injury.
Kawasaki Sends Condolences To The Family And Friends Of Andrea Antonelli
He crashed on the longest straight and after a collision with another rider?s machine he suffered a fatal cranium base fracture. Andrea was 25-years old, from Castiglione del Lago in Italy.

All in the Kawasaki family and the wider paddock are shocked and saddened by this event and we want to extend our deepest condolences to Andrea?s family, his friends and to all in Team Goeleven after this tragic loss.

After the accident all on-track sporting activity was cancelled as a mark of respect.

 

[KUCIAR666]

SUCCESSFUL SUNDAY ENDING SADLY

It is a sad Sunday for the FIM Superbike World Championship. While the BMW Motorrad Motorsport works riders Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies finished first and second in the first race, the Russian round at "Moscow Raceway" was overshadowed by a fatal accident in the World Supersport race a few minutes later. The whole BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team sends its sincere condolences to the family and the team of Italian rider Andrea Antonelli, who died this afternoon in a tragic crash. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in these difficult times.

This devastating news has made the sporting aspects secondary. After the incident, it was decided to cancel the activities scheduled for the rest of the day. In the first scheduled race of the Superbike class, which was held before, BMW factory riders Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies had finished first and second.

 

[Gary Bartley]

Such sad news.. was wondering why the coverage just ended in the supersport after such a bizarre first WSB race, TBH I thought the race was red flagged because of the torrential downpour.

Sincerest condolences to Antonelli family, may Andrea rest in peace.