WSBK-Portimao

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Portimao Race Is Full Of Promise For Sykes And Baz

Recent Donington double winner Tom Sykes and his talented KRT team-mate Loris Baz take their official Ninja ZX-10Rs to Portimao for round six of the championship this weekend in confident mood.
Portimao Race Is Full Of Promise For Sykes And Baz
Sykes is eager to keep up his winning momentum, having won half of the last six individual races, including a brilliant double at his home venue of Donington last time out.

Having now visited a variety of circuits on his KRT Ninja ZX-10R Sykes has proved competitive at all of them, which gives rider and team a boost in their desire to continue the form that has put Tom only four points behind the championship leader with a third of the racing season completed.

Last year at Portimao Sykes won the first race of the day on his official KRT machine, having started from pole position. In 2013 Sykes and his entire Kawasaki crew aim to build towards ultimate raceday performance from the very first free practice session on Friday morning.

Baz is a real fan of the Portimao circuit and this will be his second visit there on an official Kawasaki, having raced to two seventh places in Portugal last year. Already a podium finisher in 2013, and proven SBK race winner in 2012, Baz is out to post consistent top five finishes as the 20-year-old French rider continues to build experience at a seriously fast pace. Sitting sixth in the championship after Donington, Loris has scored a 2013 podium finish already, in race two at Assen.

Portimao is a remarkably intense and undulating challenge for any Superbike rider and team to face, with so many uphill and downhill sections and a bewildering variety of corners to negotiate along its 4.592km length.

A stunning modernist venue in all ways, the ?Autodromo do Algarve? it is a treat for the spectators who get to see the riders for so much of the full lap, wherever they choose to watch from. It is also a popular testing circuit, although not one used by the KRT squad during the pre-season build up.

Federico Sandi (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) and his team-mate Alex Lundh will be back in action on their Ninja ZX-10Rs at Portimao with Lundh continuing his recovery from a relatively recent collarbone fracture.

The Superstock 1000 FIM Cup and Superstock 600 European Championships return to the SBK paddock at Portimao, after missing a round at Donington. The Kawasaki charge will come from a number of possible fronts in the Superstock 1000 class. The best-placed Ninja ZX-10R rider so far is Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) who is fourth overall, while the first Kawasaki race winner of the year is Monza victor Lorenzo Savadori (Team Pedercini Kawasaki).

Tom Sykes: ?I think it is safe to say that we have kept our feet on the ground after our first double win at Donington. Race weekends do not get any better than that and we took the maximum in all ways. The bad news is that we can only equal it again now! But the good news is that if we can do it again we will be in a really good situation. Both the Ninja ZX-10R and I have been fast in Portugal recently so I?m honestly really looking forward to it. Expectations will be high of course but I feel we have a good package to keep working forward with. I think Portimao is even more intense than Donington, very physical for the arms. The hills and so on are a bit extreme, almost too much but the beauty is that it is the same for everybody. I am sure we can get the Kawasaki working strongly and we need to keep the momentum going there. Racing is a massive team effort nowadays. A few years ago I thought that a strong rider could always make that last little bit of difference, and of course he still can, but I have learned a bit more since then. I think it is clear to understand that not only do you need to be a good rider you also need every single person involved to be in good working order. Luckily I have a very good blend of people around me and we are all working at a high level.?

Loris Baz: ?I am sure Portimao should be a good race for us. I really like the track and the weather looks good at the moment. We would like to have a full three-day dry race meeting to let us work a little bit more in consistent conditions. I cannot wait to get on the bike on Friday now. Portimao is very intense but I really like it and it has always been a good place for me to ride at. It is up and down and has some fast corners, so it is a lot of fun to ride around. We are a third of the way through the season and I think overall we are where we wanted to be at this stage, maybe a bit more than we wanted. We are fighting for fifth place in the championship and we can fight for that position at nearly every race. I hope we can also be inside the top five in the Portimao races.?

 

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Rollercoaster ride in Portim?o

This weekend, the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team will be in action in the south of the Iberian peninsula. The "Aut?dromo Internacional do Algarve" near Portim?o in Portugal will host the sixth round of the 2013 FIM Superbike World Championship. The first third of the season is already completed. After five rounds, factory riders Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies have claimed a total of seven podium finishes on their BMW S 1000 RRs, including three victories.

In the Riders' classification, Marco is currently fourth with 127 points. Chaz follows directly behind, being fifth with 112 points. In the Manufacturers' classification, BMW is third with 175 points, with a gap of 33 points to the lead. Last week, the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team conducted two days of testing at Spanish "Motorland Arag?n". In preparation for the next rounds, Marco and Chaz tried several new settings and updated components.

After a four week break, the 2013 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup resumes at Portim?o, contesting its fourth round of the season. The BMW Motorrad GoldBet STK Team and riders Sylvain Barrier and Greg Gildenhuys are eager to celebrate more successes with the brand new BMW HP4. After they were involved in a heavy crash at the previous round in Monza (ITA), both riders are fully fit and ready for the Portim?o weekend.

Marco Melandri: "Portim?o is a pretty technical track, similar to Assen and Donington. There are some very slow turns and some very fast corners. It is undulating with some blind crests. In general Portim?o has a quite unique layout and consequently, it is not easy to find a good set-up. In addition, the track is very bumpy so we need to improve a bit more to be competitive. As it is very difficult to overtake there, it will be important for us to have a good qualifying."

Chaz Davies: "Portim?o is a great circuit. Because of its character, it is one of my favourite tracks. It is difficult to find the right set-up but I always enjoy riding there and I have been competitive there in the past. It is fun as it has a lot of elevation changes, and some of them are quite steep. I am looking forward to the weekend. The first priority is not to encounter some of the issues we had at the last couple of races. Then my plan is to qualify well and to push for a podium."

Serafino Foti (Sport Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team): "After the Donington races we had two positive days of testing at Spanish Arag?n last week. Even if we were a little bit hampered by the weather conditions, Marco and Chaz could test new solutions which will be useful at this next race weekend in Portim?o. The Portuguese track is very technical, with uphill and downhill sections. For our riders it will be important to start the round with a good base in order to be able to continue their work over the weekend with confidence. We are sure that from the two days of testing we found the solutions we were looking for. Now we are focused on the next races."

Andrea Dosoli (Technical Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team): "The whole team is looking forward to the next races in Portim?o. It is a track where in the past we have shown a good speed but for a series of unlucky circumstances we did not claim the expected results. It is a very busy time for all our guys. After Donington, we went to Arag?n for an important test where we could work on the main issues we had experienced in England. We have partly fixed or better understood them so we now want to see the results of this work in Portim?o. Our competitors are becoming stronger and stronger so we must keep our heads down and work harder in order to improve the performance of our machine. Only in this way we will be able to maintain the competitiveness of our package and give our riders the chance to win races.

The Portuguese racetrack with its elevation changes and several uphill and downhill sections requires a lot of work, not only on finding the right chassis setting but also the right riding dynamic strategies. We need to find the best compromise between handling and stability, trying to keep our performance as consistent as possible. We expect that our RR will suit the characteristic of this racetrack as it has done in the past."

 

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FIXI CRESCENT SUZUKI SET FOR PORTIMAO WSB

FIXI Crescent Suzuki is heading for the south of Portugal as the eni FIM Superbike World Championship makes the next stop on its tour at Portimao for round six of the series.

Leon Camier is travelling to the Portuguese circuit looking to put the disappointment he suffered last time out at Donington firmly behind him. The Englishman is now fully fit and is aiming at getting back to basics at a circuit that saw him cruelly robbed of a very possible podium last season. Camier was challenging for third as the final lap approached in 2012, but a technical issue forced him to retire at the start of the last lap. With the thought of what might have been still firmly in his mind, and the desire to make amends for his crashes at Donington, Camier is clearly focused on the job ahead.

Jules Cluzel is returning to a circuit that saw him take third on the grid last season in the Supersport class, but he bettered that on race-day by taking victory in the 600cc category - his penultimate win of the season. The Frenchman has been producing solid performances on his Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R in his first season in the Superbike class and will be looking to find more speed in Portugal.

The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve is one of the most modern tracks on the World Superbike calendar. Situated in the Algarve region of Southern Portugal, it was completed in 2008 and opened officially when it hosted the finale of the WSB championship that year. The layout of the 4,592m circuit is situated in hilly landscape and features many sections that rise and fall over the configuration. A number of changes in direction throughout the 15 corners, allied with some complex sections, a lot of long corners and a winding infield, make the circuit a real challenge for riders and teams alike.

The sixth round of the World Superbike season will get underway on Friday with the first practice and qualifying sessions. Saturday morning will see Camier and Cluzel in a second qualifying session that will reduce the field to just 15-riders, who will then progress to Superpole. Sunday's two races will be 22-laps long and will start at 12.00hrs local time (12.00hrs BST) and 15.30hrs local time (15.30hrs BST).

Leon Camier:

"I can't wait to get back on the bike and hopefully make amends for what happened at Donington last weekend. I have been training hard and that's all been going good, so I know my fitness is up there; now we need to bounce back and put the last race behind us. We'll be looking to build the weekend up as it goes along and aim to get the FIXI Crescent Suzuki in to a strong position for race-day. We need to get back to our strengths and start pushing for some good results. I was unlucky at Portimao last year because I was with Max Biaggi all the way and if I hadn't had to retire I think I could have got third. I really like the Portimao track and my race-pace has always been pretty good there - we now need to get the bike feeling right, make sure I stay consistent; and see what we can produce."

Jules Cluzel:

"We will try and work in the same way that we did at Donington, but this time we really hope we can have some nice weather on Friday. This will help us to work on the bike and the set-up and get a good base for qualifying. It would be really nice to get a full weekend on the bike, because the more time I spend on the Suzuki GSX-R the better it is for me. I went very well at Portimao last year; it was my first time at the track and I was able to win the race, but this year it will be much tougher and it's a very physical circuit so I will have to concentrate a lot. I am really excited about going there though and wish that it was Friday already!"

 

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SBK Race Bulletin - 2013 Portimao

http://www.sbkenergyzone.com/app_themes/SBK-RACE-BULLETIN_2013-Portimao-Round.asp?f=SBK-RACE-BULLETIN_2013-Portimao-Round.pdf&nodeguidutente=ca05dae9-3e60-4c43-b384-64f3ceaecfca&usernameutente=kuciar666@gmail.com&provenienza=Poland

 

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SOLID DAY FOR FIXI CRESCENT SUZUKI AT PORTIMAO

FIXI Crescent Suzuki's Leon Camier and Jules Cluzel finished comfortably inside the Superpole positions during today's first qualifying session for the sixth round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship at Portimao in Portugal.

Camier led the way for the FIXI Crescent Suzuki team as he posted the ninth-quickest time around the 4,592m Portuguese circuit. He made several changes to his machine throughout both the qualifying and free practices and is confident that he can improve his own riding further as the weekend progresses; and be able to challenge for a good result on race-day.

Cluzel was returning to a circuit that saw him take victory in the 600cc class last season, but the step-up to the Superbike class was a completely different affair and the ever-improving Frenchman made sure he used both sessions to gather as much information as possible for his Yoshimura-powered Suzuki. His 12th place was only one second off the fastest time of the day and Cluzel is convinced he can make steps tomorrow to further improve his time.

Today's conditions at Portimao were very windy with an overcast sky covering the circuit all day. Track temperatures this afternoon reached 37? C as Honda's Jonathan Rea took provisional pole.

Camier and Cluzel have a second qualifying session tomorrow morning where they will aim to consolidate their places in the top-15 to make sure they are in the afternoon's Superpole to get the best qualifying positions for Sunday's two races.

Leon Camier:

"We changed the bike a bit today because I felt that I wanted a bit more out of it and we certainly improved it - that's for sure. My consistency was a lot better as well, but I still need to find a bit more speed in some places. We still need to make some small changes, but only enough for me to get the feeling I want and then I can start to push and find the boundaries, then hopefully that will be good enough for race-pace. The wind was a bit difficult today; as you came down the start-finish straight it would try and blow you off the track. It was quite vicious there, but thankfully not as bad around the rest of the track."

Jules Cluzel:

"I am happy to have completed a whole Friday in dry conditions; it has helped us to try lots of stuff and we now have more data to improve the bike tomorrow. I am pleased with 12th because it is only one-second away from the best time and I think we can do better tomorrow. This is not an easy track because it is very bumpy and everybody is wheelying, but this is a good thing for us because it means we will be able to fight with all the other riders as we are all having the same things happen."

Paul Denning - Team Manager:

"Position-wise we would like both of the FIXI Crescent Suzuki riders to be further up the leaderboard today, but it has been a solid day's work so we can't complain. Leon has been regaining confidence following a difficult race-day at Donington and is progressing well step-by-step. The lap-times are extremely close, with Jules just one second from the fastest rider, but that one-second puts him down in 12th place! The team will be working hard tonight to give the riders a little more grip and a bit more confidence to see if we can eat away at the gap to the front row tomorrow morning."

Portimao - eni FIM Superbike World Championship - Qualifying 1: 1. Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1'43.551: 2. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) +0.052: 3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +0.097: 4. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) +0.383: 5. Davide Guintoli (Aprilia) +0.466. 9. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +0.727. 12. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +1.042.

 

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Rea sets the pace in Portugal

Jonathan Rea set the fastest time in this afternoon?s opening qualifying session at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal to take provisional pole position for Sunday?s two sixth-round World Superbike championship races.

The 26-year-old from Northern Ireland lapped the 4.592km circuit near Portimao in a time of 1m43.551s, ahead of fellow Ulsterman Eugene Laverty and British rider Tom Sykes who complete the provisional front row.

Rea?s Pata Honda team-mate, Leon Haslam, was 13th fastest in this afternoon?s 45-minute qualifying session, as he continues his recovery from a broken leg. The 30-year-old suffered some pain in this morning?s free practice session but was more comfortable this afternoon following pain-killing injections.



Jonathan Rea ? P1, 1m43.551s

It was quite a frustrating day as we had loads and loads of problems, but the good thing is that it didn?t stand in the way of a good run at the end. So it?s mixed emotions really, because although my guys worked really quickly to resolve the problems, it was frustrating that we?re still having issues on the electronics side. I?m enjoying riding here and although our bike has improved a lot, it feels like the circuit is a little bit slower. It?s a mix of a lack of rubber and how bumpy it?s got in the last year. It?s hard to make a perfect set up and it needs a lot of rider input and thinking outside the box to make the bike work in the fast bumpy areas. But for day one we?ve gained a lot of data, especially in the engine braking area, and we?ve made better inroads than we did on day one at Donington. I just hope that tomorrow we can steer clear of any little gremlins and work on a race tyre. I tried three different tyres today and each one has positives and negatives, so we need to evaluate them some more tomorrow to make a choice.



Leon Haslam ? P13, 1m45.075s

This morning I was actually in a lot more pain than I was at Donington! The ligaments and tendons in my knee are actually a bigger issue now. I can bend the knee how I want and put weight through my leg like I should, but it?s hammering the ligaments. It was better this afternoon after the clinic did some really good taping and gave me some pain-killers. I didn?t do as many laps this afternoon, but it definitely felt better than this morning. Honestly, we?re a little bit off the pace at the moment but I?m pretty confident that we?ll get closer. There?s still a lot to do with the bike and I?ve still got to put a lap together as well.



Pieter Breddels ? technical co-ordinator

Leon is still suffering from his injury a bit and we?re trying to make the bike as comfortable and as good as it can be for him. We can do a little more tomorrow but we?ll all do the best we can and see how he goes. On the other side of the garage, it?s been quite a good day for Jonathan. He didn?t make many changes to the chassis ? we just made the bike a bit more rideable with electronics and the rest he did himself. He?s quite good around here. After the second race at Donington, everyone is quite happy with this result and we hope it leads to a good weekend.



2013 World Superbike championship, round six ? Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, Portugal

First qualifying results:

1 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Pata Honda 1m43.551s

2 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Aprilia 1m43.603s

3 Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki 1m43.648s

4 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Aprilia 1m43.934s

5 Davide Guigliano (ITA) Aprilia 1m44.017s

6 Marco Melandri (ITA) BMW 1m44.026s

13 Leon Haslam (GBR) Pata Honda 1m45.075s

 

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Sykes Takes Five Poles In A Row As Baz Goes Sixth On The Grid

Tom Sykes posted his fifth Superpole win of the season in succession after a two-part ?Wet? Portimao Superpole and in doing so took a new track best lap of 1?41.360. Loris Baz was a strong sixth.
Sykes Takes Five Poles In A Row As Baz Goes Sixth On The Grid
Despite the Portimao track surface being more bumpy than last year, and with small spots of rain arriving to turn a planned three part dry Superpole into a two-part wet Superpole, Sykes still used his time and tyres wisely to set a new track best and his fifth Superpole win in a row. He now has 16 career Superpole successes, making him equal fifth best in the history of SBK qualifying.

Working well with his team and his Ninja ZX-10R in the final 20-minute Superpole session, having qualified fifth into Superpole after combined qualifying, Sykes was only just able to hold off the close attentions of Eugene Laverty. The Irish rider went to within one thousandth of a second of Tom?s time, but starts from second place.

For Loris Baz Portimao in 2013 started out as a tough test but after good work from rider and team he moved from tenth in combined qualifying to sixth in Superpole, earning himself a second row start which should count for a lot at this tight and intense circuit.

Alex Lundh (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) qualified 17th on the grid with team-mate Federico Sandi 19th.

In the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup Lorenzo Savadori (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) scored second place on the grid for Sunday?s race, as Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) set the fourth best qualifying time.

Tom Sykes: ?I am really happy to have five Superpole wins on the bounce, it is a record for me. I was able to do my time on a dry and sunny track but Eugene Laverty almost beat me to it this time. He was not quite close enough, so it does not matter if it is one thousandth of a second or one second, it went in my favour. I am looking forward to two races tomorrow and I am expecting them to be difficult, but also a good show for the fans. We took a circuit best lap and I was surprised at that because last year I put in a good lap in better conditions. I think it shows that Pirelli have made a good step with the tyres. Conditions today were not as good as last year and yet we went faster. I was not expecting this lap time ? but I will certainly take it!?

Loris Baz: ?Our target was to get on the second row and we achieved it. Superpole was strange because we started dry and ended up with one wet final Superpole session but the track was dry. The feeling with the bike yesterday was not really good and this track gets more bumpy every year. I was still only one second from the front so we worked really well today and the team did a good job. We found a nice setting this morning. It was a little bit better in free practice once more in the afternoon and so I was confident for Superpole. Whether we were fourth, fifth or sixth, it is the same if I am on the second row. Our race pace is good so I am looking forward to the races.?

 

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STRONG WSB SUPERPOLE FOR CLUZEL

FIXI Crescent Suzuki's Jules Cluzel powered to eighth on the grid for tomorrow's two races in the eni FIM Superbike World Championship at Portimao in Portugal after an eventful Superpole that also saw the Frenchman top the timesheet in the first session.

Cluzel made his way through to this afternoon's Superpole by way of finishing in 14th place in this morning's second qualifying practice and in the process taking over a second off his best time from yesterday. The Superbike Rookie then improved further in the final free session and reduced his time by over three-tenths-of-a-second to put him 10th quickest. In Superpole 1 he used his first qualifying tyre to perfect effect as he managed to force his Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R to the top on the leader-board and move comfortably into the Superpole 2. This was the first time that Cluzel has topped the leader-board in a Superbike session and the first time FIXI Crescent Suzuki has led the way in any Superpole.

Unfortunately the weather intervened and the second session had to be stopped due to rain, making Superpole 2 a 20-minute outing and the second and final session of what was now declared a Wet Superpole. The rain didn't last though and the track remained dry, so Cluzel and the rest of the field were able to use slick tyres. The FIXI Crescent Suzuki man again used his qualifying tyre to good effect, but couldn't quite match his earlier heroics and brought his machine home in an impressive and creditable eighth. Cluzel was pleased with his efforts and will be looking to improve further in tomorrow's races.

Leon Camier didn't have such a positive Superpole after a calculated gamble in the first session failed to materialise and he was eliminated early on, without having the chance to use his qualifying tyres. He was sitting comfortably in sixth place after setting a competitive time on a race compound tyre, but the Pirelli qualifiers worked so well around the 4,592m Portuguese circuit that other riders produced better times and relegated him to 13th on the timesheets. Camier could only watch as the clock ticked down and he had no opportunity to rectify the matter as the session drew to a close. He was heartened though by his race-pace, which saw him qualify for Superpole earlier in the day in sixth place and follow that with seventh fastest in the final free practice. Camier will now be looking to make a good start in the races to get up amongst the front-runners early on.

Today's practices and Superpole were held in mixed and inclement weather, that saw sun, wind, cloud and rain at the Portimao circuit in varying amounts and intensity. Superpole was won yet again by Kawasaki's Tom Sykes; his fifth consecutive victory this season.

Cluzel and Camier will battle it out with the World Superbike field in Sunday's two races over 22-laps, with the riders covering 101.024km of the Portuguese circuit before they see the chequered flag. The first event gets underway at 12.00hrs local time (12.00hrs BST); with the second scheduled for 15.30hrs local time (15.30hrs BST).

Jules Cluzel:

"I am pleased when I can smile inside my helmet when I'm on the bike and I have been able to do that today. When we used the qualifying tyre I had a really good feeling with the bike and for me it felt like everything I want from the FIXI Crescent Suzuki at this moment. It felt like a big step between the race tyre and the qualifier, so we have to understand why, but the good thing from today is that I now understand what I want, so we can now work towards that. I had a similar feeling to today in race two at Phillip Island, where when I started the race I had good grip, but that has been hard to repeat since then, but we had it today. I am a bit disappointed with eighth place because I think we could have done a little bit better. I missed the first fast-lap on the qualifier so had to do another one and made a few mistakes, so we could have been further up the grid. I think we are moving in a good way, so I am happy with this."

Leon Camier:

"It's really frustrating because I made a call that no-one else would go that much faster, but people like Checa, Badovini and Jules made a massive step on a qualifier. The difference in the times on the tyres was not a lot at Donington, but here a lot of people went a second-and-a-bit faster. We were sixth when the others put in the qualifiers and I still thought we'd be fine, but we left it too late, so I'm disappointed about what happened. The race-pace at the moment is not good enough for the front group, but I will be aiming to get to the next group back and that will be a good achievement from where we are on the grid and then we'll have to see what happens from there. We made a change in Superpole, but we need to try that tomorrow in warm-up with a full tank of fuel, and if it feels right, we'll use it. I'm hoping to get some good passes done early on and be aiming to get up to that group around fifth or sixth position and try to do the best we can."

Paul Denning - Team Manager:

"For Jules and his team, eighth place on the grid for tomorrow's race is a good reward for all the hard work they have put in this weekend. It hasn't been easy to give him the package he needs to feel comfortable on this technical circuit. He used the first of his qualifiers well in Superpole 1 and had perfect track position behind Melandri, which helped him take more than a second off his best lap of the weekend and finish at the top of the timesheets for the first time this year, which was a great boost to all the team. The lap didn't quite come together in the second part of Superpole, but there were 11 other Factory bikes out there and Jules managed to take some great scalps to qualify eighth.

"For Leon, the race tyre pace was positive, but the result was disastrous! He has been chipping away all weekend and the bike is very competitive on a race tyre. Leon decided that he wanted to keep two qualifiers for what would have been Superpole 2 and 3, but the new 17" Pirelli qualifiers worked brilliantly well here and unfortunately all the guys behind him that used them made great use of them and left Leon down in 13th place and on the fifth row. It's happened before in Superpole and it will happen again, but hopefully not to us! Leon now has a real job to do tomorrow to generate a result that he and the bike are capable of."

Portimao - eni FIM Superbike World Championship - Superpole: 1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'41.360: 2. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) +0.001: 3. Jonathan Rea (Honda) +0.427: 4. Marco Melandri (BMW) +0.755: 5. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) +0.849. 8. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +1.285. 13. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +1.879.

 

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Mixed emotions for the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team in Portimao

The BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team had a day of mixed fortunes at Portim?o, Portugal. Factory rider Marco Melandri will start the sixth round of the 2013 FIM Superbike World Championship from the second row. In today's Superpole, which was interrupted by a rain shower, Marco finished fourth on his BMW S 1000 RR. His team-mate Chaz Davies had a tough day. He crashed in the final stages of the free practice session, two hours before the start of the Superpole. Chaz will start from 12th place on the fourth row.

In this morning's second qualifying practice, conditions were dry but at noon, light rain started. As a consequence, the riders waited until the track had dried again to go out in the free practice session. With only a few minutes to go, Chaz lost control over the rear coming over a crest and he crashed. He suffered a cut to his right arm which was stitched up at the Clinica Mobile.

The Superpole started in dry conditions. Both Marco and Chaz did their first outing on race tyres. Then Chaz opted for his first qualifying tyre, setting the second fastest time of Superpole 1. Marco also did another outing but on race tyres, finishing sixth. For their first laps in Superpole 2, both BMW factory riders chose qualifying tyres. But during the first flying lap for the riders, the session was red flagged due to a rain shower. It was bad luck for Chaz as the red flag ended his attempt on his second and last qualifying tyre. The format of the qualifying was changed to "Wet Superpole". Therefore, instead of Superpole 2 and 3 there only was one "Final Wet Superpole" session, with a duration of 20 minutes, in which all 12 riders who had qualified for Superpole 2 took part. Marco went out firstly on race tyres, then switched to his second qualifying tyre and rode the fourth fastest time. Chaz also first went out on a race tyre, then replaced it with the then already used second qualifying tyre. He struggled to ride a consistent fast lap and finished 12th.

In the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, Sylvain Barrier from the BMW Motorrad GoldBet STK Team will start tomorrow's race from pole-position despite the fact that the Frenchman had a massive crash at the beginning of today's second and final qualifying practice. The lap time Sylvain did with his BMW HP4 in yesterday's first qualifying practice was still good enough to secure him pole-position. His team-mate Greg Gildenhuys (RSA) qualified 15th, defying, but still being affected by, the pain of his broken left heel.

Marco Melandri: "It was a rather positive qualifying session but we are not completely ready for tomorrow. The positive thing is that, for the first time, we were able to push properly with qualifying tyres. Today we improved the rear end of the bike but regarding the front, we made a slight step backwards. The track surface is in a really bad condition and unfortunately we lose stability in the dips between the bumps. For tomorrow we need to put together the best package in order to have a good race pace. In the race it will be important to start in the best way. It is no problem to be in the second row; I just have to be within the leading group immediately after the start in order to compete for the front positions."

Chaz Davies: "It's been frustrating because before the crash I felt that the bike was better. This was part of the reason why I crashed because I carried more speed across the crest but I think it was a bit too much speed for the set-up of the bike we had at that time. The bike kind of took off over the top so it was a pretty hard crash. I have a hole in my elbow and I banged my head pretty hard so I did not feel too great before Superpole. Anyway, we made it through the first part with a decent lap time. Then we had the red flag, but that was the same for everybody. In the final session I could not make the best use of the qualifying tyre and I made a mistake in my best flying lap with it. I think the tyre was six laps old by then which is way over the hill for a qualifier. For tomorrow we need to further improve. We still need to work on the set up and find something I am comfortable with and which helps to absorb the bumps. That's the priority for tomorrow."

Serafino Foti (Sport Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team): "Marco, for the first time today, was able to make proper use of the qualifying tyres, and this is an important step forward. He will start from fourth on the second row tomorrow and it will be important get away in the best way to be with the front runners and to compete for the top positions. Chaz crashed this morning at a speed of 180 km/h. He slightly injured his arm; it is nothing serious, but given the fact that he hit his head we were a little worried. Luckily the doctors confirmed that he was fine to participate in the Superpole. We are happy that he is quite well and that he did not suffer any major injuries. He will start from 12th tomorrow and for sure he will do his best to gain positions and have a good race. In the Superstock class we secured the pole-position thanks to the lap time Sylvain set yesterday. Unfortunately he crashed today after two laps, but luckily he escaped OK. Greg is still not fit but he is doing the best he can."

Andrea Dosoli (Technical Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team): "With Marco, we have achieved our target to qualify for one of the first two rows. Unfortunately, Chaz crashed during the free practice session so we could not expect more from him. We have improved the bike, especially the rear end. It is absorbing the bumps better. We are happy about that but it is still not enough. Our competitors have a better pace than us. The difference is not huge but we still have some work to do over the night. We are losing a bit too much in the last sector where both riders are missing the proper feeling to turn in and to keep the necessary speed. We will keep our heads down and try to further improve to give both riders a decent package. We have a few ideas and we will try them in the warm-up."

 

[KUCIAR666]

Portimao front row for Rea

Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow?s two sixth-round World Superbike championship races from the front row of the grid after setting the third fastest time in this afternoon?s rain-affected Superpole sessions at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal.

The 26-year-old from Northern Ireland was fastest in both regulation qualifying sessions at the 4.592km Portimao circuit and progressed comfortably through from the Superpole 1 this afternoon.

However, as he attacked Superpole 2, setting the fastest time again, the session was red-flagged due to rain. The final grid positions were, therefore, to be determined by a single 20-minute session, which turned out to be dry.

With further rain threatening, Rea went out on his final qualifying tyre, matching his fastest ever lap around Portimao, but it was Tom Sykes who took pole position by 0.001s from Eugene Laverty.

Rea?s Pata Honda team-mate Leon Haslam once again battled against injury to put his CBR1000RR into Superpole but he was unable to progress beyond Superpole 1 and will start tomorrow?s two 22-lap World Superbike races from the fifth row of the grid.

Jonathan Rea ? P3, 1m41.787s

Superpole was a bit strange, to be honest, because the weather was coming in, so in Superpole 2 we went out straight away with the Q. I went pretty quick in dodgy conditions and I was taking a bit of a risk, but they red flagged the session just as I finished my lap. So I was really frustrated because I thought that was us locked in and we?d got our place on the grid. But then they went to the wet Superpole format which was 20 minutes, and we used the Q too early. I did my best again on the other Q and went pretty quick ? a 41.7, and the clouds were coming in again ? but then it brightened up so the other guys tended to get the best of the track. I was happy enough to be on the front row, really, because we made a real backwards step in FP2, but we rectified it for Superpole. I?m looking forward to the races tomorrow and I think we can make another step in warm-up with the chassis. The bumps around here are just a little bit off-putting, especially through the fast bomb-hole section, so we?ll just tidy the bike up a little bit. I?ve got to find some speed in sector one as well but, other than that, we?re good to race.

Leon Haslam ? P14, 1m43.522s

I felt we made some good steps with the bike today and, honestly, it?s working really well. But I?m still struggling in certain areas. I?ve got the knee bend now, but it?s pain from the ligaments and the lack of strength that is making me suffer. I still can?t push through the left peg like I want to, but the boys have moved the bike on through the weekend so far, which is positive. Obviously, I?m not doing too many laps in one go so it?s hard to make much progress but it?s definitely better. I used a qualifier in Superpole 1 but probably had to be more aggressive and physical with that tyre, getting it to turn and do the things I need it to do, because of the extra grip. I should have been a second faster but struggled to get more than a couple of tenths, which wasn?t good enough. I?ve accepted the fact that we?re not on the pace again here and the races are going to be difficult but the developments we?re making on the bike are only going to help when I?m back fit.

Pieter Breddels ? technical co-ordinator

Leon made it to Superpole, which was a great job, and we actually managed to improve the bike quite a bit for him. He finished in 14th but that?s just due to his physical condition, so we?ll just have to see how he goes tomorrow. Jonathan had a really good run in Superpole 2 which was declared wet and he immediately set the pace with a 41.7, matching his best lap time around here which was pole position from 2011. He got third and a front row, so well done to him. His race pace is quite good, too, so we can compete and there?ll be two exciting races tomorrow.

Qualifying position
1 Tom Sykes 1'41.360 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
2 Eugene Laverty 1'41.361 IRL APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
3 Jonathan Rea 1'41.787 GBR HONDA Pata Honda
4 Marco Melandri 1'42.115 ITA BMW BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team
5 Sylvain Guintoli 1'42.209 FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
6 Loris Baz 1'42.328 FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
7 Carlos Checa 1'42.405 SPA DUCATI Team Ducati Alstare
8 Jules Cluzel 1'42.645 FRA SUZUKI Fixi Crescent Suzuki
9 Michel Fabrizio 1'43.032 ITA APRILIA Red Devils Roma
10 Ayrton Badovini 1'43.057 ITA DUCATI Team Ducati Alstare
11 Davide Giugliano 1'43.314 ITA APRILIA Althea Racing
12 Chaz Davies 1'43.463 GBR BMW BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team
13 Leon Camier 1'43.139 GBR SUZUKI Fixi Crescent Suzuki
14 Leon Haslam 1'43.522 GBR HONDA Pata Honda
15 Max Neukirchner 1'44.038 GER DUCATI MR-Racing
16 Vittorio Iannuzzo 1'45.208 ITA BMW Grillini DENTALMATIC SBK Team
17 Alexander Lundh 1'45.361 SWE KAWASAKI Pedercini Team
18 Ivan Clementi 1'45.607 ITA BMW HTM Racing
19 Federico Sandi 1'47.322 ITA KAWASAKI Pedercini Team
Championship standings
1 Sylvain Guintoli 173 pts FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
2 Tom Sykes 169 pts GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
3 Eugene Laverty 150 pts IRL APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
4 Marco Melandri 127 pts ITA BMW BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team
5 Chaz Davies 112 pts GBR BMW BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team
6 Loris Baz 95 pts FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
7 Jonathan Rea 89 pts GBR HONDA Pata Honda
8 Michel Fabrizio 86 pts ITA APRILIA Red Devils Roma
9 Davide Giugliano 72 pts ITA APRILIA Althea Racing
10 Jules Cluzel 55 pts FRA SUZUKI Fixi Crescent Suzuki
11 Leon Camier 49 pts GBR SUZUKI Fixi Crescent Suzuki
12 Max Neukirchner 45 pts GER DUCATI MR-Racing
13 Ayrton Badovini 37 pts ITA DUCATI Team Ducati Alstare
14 Carlos Checa 33 pts SPA DUCATI Team Ducati Alstare
15 Leon Haslam 29 pts GBR HONDA Pata Honda
16 Ivan Clementi 14 pts ITA BMW HTM Racing
17 Federico Sandi 14 pts ITA KAWASAKI Pedercini Team
18 Niccolo Canepa 11 pts ITA DUCATI Team Ducati Alstare
19 Fabrizio Lai 8 pts FRA KAWASAKI Pedercini Team
20 Alexander Lundh 8 pts SWE KAWASAKI Pedercini Team
21 Vittorio Iannuzzo 7 pts ITA BMW Grillini DENTALMATIC SBK Team
22 Glen Allerton 6 pts AUS BMW Next Gen Motorsports
23 Jamie Stauffer 4 pts AUS HONDA Team Honda Racing
24 Mark Aitchinson 2 pts AUS DUCATI Team Effenbert Liberty Racing
25 Kosuke Akiyoshi 2 pts JPN HONDA Pata Honda

 

[KUCIAR666]

Sykes Up And Then Down As Baz Scores Strongly

Tom Sykes scored third in race one at Portimao but then failed to score in the second as his KRT team-mate Loris put in two impressive results, taking his Ninja ZX-10R to a fifth and a fourth place.
Sykes Up And Then Down As Baz Scores Strongly
In a bizarre raceday for Sykes and his team he hung on well inside the leading three in race one, and did so for the whole race, only losing out in the final two laps to finish third. When he realised he could not quite match the pace of Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli he eased up right at the end to make sure of a good top-three finish.

His luck was to change in race two when he clipped a kerb on his sighting lap at turn one, fell heavily, and was lucky to be able to restart. Tom made it back to pitlane, his team made running repairs and he lined up for the real race start in pitlane itself. Tom then found an issue with a broken sensor for the electronics system, damaged in the crash, and came back into pitlane. After this was fixed he going again to try out his new settings.

Not classified in race two as he finished seven laps down, Sykes nonetheless scored the new lap record of 1?42.475 as his team had made improvements in the bike set-up between race one and race two before Tom?s fall.

For Baz both races were fruitful, as he was only 12 seconds from the winner?s overall race time in race one, and an assured fifth, despite not having a perfect race set-up on his machine. In race two he went one better in fourth place - his second best finish of the year - as he also found a happier set-up in the second outing.

Despite his race two mishap Sykes is still second in the championship fight, although 28 points behind leader Sylvain Guintoli. Baz improved his championship prospects with his Portimao performances. He is now only 14 points behind fifth place after six rounds.

Federico Sandi (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) and his team-mate Alex Lundh each scored SBK points at this tough and technical circuit, with Sandi tenth in race one and then 13th in race two, while Alex Lundh was a retiree from the opener but 14th in race two.

Jeremy Guarnoni was third the Portimao Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race on his MRS Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, with Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) fourth. In the points Guarnoni is top Kawasaki rider, fourth, and only ten points behind the leader with four rounds of ten completed.

Tom Sykes: ?I expected the first race to be just as close as it was, and obviously the guys who finished first and second were riding really strongly, but I was struggling a little bit with race performance. But we made a good podium and scored good points. Portimao is not one of my strongest circuits and still we could fight for the win. In race two the fall was my fault because in turn one on my out lap I ran over the kerbstone on the inside. The piece of kerbstone looked quite flat but in the last moment I realised it was a big high kerb and it chucked me over the front of the bike. The bike flipped, landed on me and it was a big crash. It hurt my right leg and gave me a headache. We had made improvements on the bike for race two and we proved that was the case because we went on to break the lap record. I was just riding to the limits of the bike in each race. This is my worst circuit but in both races we raced to the limit of the package and it felt easier to do this record lap time in race two. I feel I have let a few people down but I do not want to be too hard on myself as it is the first mistake I have made for a long time.?

Loris Baz: ?Race two was a good one and I made a good start like I did in race one. I tried to go with Sylvain Guintoli but I could not follow him. I pushed in the race but when I saw Sylvain going away I dropped the pace a little. Top five is always our target but I think we could have made an even better result than fifth in race one. I lost only one position early on in that race but I felt that the bike did not have the same feeling with the rear as we had in practice and when I passed Carlos Checa I could not push like I wanted. In race two Melandri had a problem and I caught him fast so that was a good race for me. Overall two positive races and we made up points to Chaz Davies in table. If you look where we started on Friday we made a big improvement on raceday.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Rea maintains remarkable Portimao podium run

Pata Honda rider Jonathan Rea took his seventh career podium finish at Portimao in Portugal today by taking third place in race two of the sixth-round World Superbike championship event.

The first 22-lap race was won by Marco Melandri after 26-year-old Rea retired on lap nine with a technical problem. On the same lap, his Pata Honda team-mate, Leon Haslam, also retired ? a result of the injury he sustained in a practice crash at Assen in The Netherlands at the end of April.

Starting from 14th place on the grid, Haslam had battled up to tenth before pulling into the pits in discomfort, unable to ride his Honda CBR1000RR in the way he wanted. The 30-year-old opted to withdraw from race two to concentrate on improving his fitness for the next round at Imola in Italy in three weeks.

Starting from the front row of the grid, Rea got a superb start to race two and, from second place, closely tracked eventual race winner, Eugene Laverty, until half race distance when his rear tyre performance began to fall off.

Rea was passed by Sylvain Guintoli but held on to take third place, his seventh podium finish at the 4.592km Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, to maintain his record of at least one podium finish every year since his full World Superbike debut in 2009.



Jonathan Rea ? DNF and 3rd

It?s been a frustrating weekend, yet again, but we have a podium to take away from it and I?m quite happy to get back into the podium way. I set a really good pace in the first part of race two and the bike felt really good but, as soon as the grip dropped, the electronics were playing havoc. I can?t turn the traction control up because I slow down even more and, if I turn it off, the bike becomes unrideable. We?re just waiting for some more input, but it hasn?t come yet, which is frustrating. Race one was also disappointing because we?re just having too many mechanical problems this year. It was frustrating to go through that when I was fighting in the top five and two good circuits for us have now been and gone and we haven?t been able to capitalise. Imola is another strong circuit for us, so hopefully we can be back up here again. I want to thank Chris [Pike ? crew chief] and everyone who keeps digging deep and working hard, and all the fans for their support, which means a lot at the moment when we?re finding it tough.



Leon Haslam ? DNF and DNS

A tough weekend, really, when I?ve been struggling with power in the leg. The knee bend was pretty good, but I just struggled in race one with fatigue in the rest of my body. I couldn?t use my leg properly, so the manhandling of the bike that?s needed round here was done pretty much using my upper body. You don?t realise how much you use your legs on the bike until you can?t use one of them! It?s a little frustrating, but I got eight or nine laps in before I was completely done, and I managed to pass a few people, like Leon Camier, who finished fourth. We?ve made progress from Donington and we have another three weeks until Imola. We?ve also been keeping up to speed on the electronics, which will be useful in the races to come. We haven?t made many chassis changes because a lot of the problems are from me not being able to push through the pegs. I just need to get a bit more strength back in the leg.



Pieter Breddels ? technical co-ordinator

Leon went out in race one and was immediately quite aggressive, getting up into the top ten. Eventually he dropped positions again and finally had to come in. He?s not in a good condition yet and needs to recover some more but I?m quite sure that in Imola we can have another go at it. Jonathan was in fifth position when he had another mechanical problem and this is not good. I can only apologise again for the problem he had with the bike because this is not how things should be. Luckily in race two he was able to get a podium after fighting for the lead and then for second place. That gives us something positive to finish the weekend, but we still need to understand the problems we?ve had lately, and work on them. We can look forward to Imola but, for sure, we have work to do.

Event results - Round 6 - Race 1
1 Marco Melandri 38m12.447s ITA BMW BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team
2 Sylvain Guintoli 0.007 FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
3 Tom Sykes 4.224 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
4 Leon Camier 9.479 GBR SUZUKI Fixi Crescent Suzuki
5 Loris Baz 12.057 FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
6 Chaz Davies 16.610 GBR BMW BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team
7 Michel Fabrizio 21.350 ITA APRILIA Red Devils Roma
8 Jules Cluzel 22.337 FRA SUZUKI Fixi Crescent Suzuki
9 Carlos Checa 23.662 SPA DUCATI Team Ducati Alstare
10 Federico Sandi 1'26.995 ITA KAWASAKI Pedercini Team
11 Vittorio Iannuzzo 1'27.119 ITA BMW Grillini DENTALMATIC SBK Team
12 Ivan Clementi 1'29.096 ITA BMW HTM Racing
13 Max Neukirchner 3 Laps GER DUCATI MR-Racing
14 Ayrton Badovini DNF ITA DUCATI Team Ducati Alstare
15 Eugene Laverty DNF IRL APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
16 Leon Haslam DNF GBR HONDA Pata Honda
17 Jonathan Rea DNF GBR HONDA Pata Honda
18 Alexander Lundh DNF SWE KAWASAKI Pedercini Team
19 Davide Giugliano DNF ITA APRILIA Althea Racing
Event results - Round 6 - Race 2
1 Eugene Laverty 38m02.051s IRL APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
2 Sylvain Guintoli 4.107 FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
3 Jonathan Rea 5.853 GBR HONDA Pata Honda
4 Loris Baz 15.306 FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
5 Chaz Davies 17.552 GBR BMW BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team
6 Carlos Checa 18.366 SPA DUCATI Team Ducati Alstare
7 Jules Cluzel 29.392 FRA SUZUKI Fixi Crescent Suzuki
8 Ayrton Badovini 38.359 ITA DUCATI Team Ducati Alstare
9 Davide Giugliano 39.321 ITA APRILIA Althea Racing
10 Michel Fabrizio 44.603 ITA APRILIA Red Devils Roma
11 Max Neukirchner 45.339 GER DUCATI MR-Racing
12 Marco Melandri 45.429 ITA BMW BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team
13 Federico Sandi 1'16.310 ITA KAWASAKI Pedercini Team
14 Alexander Lundh 1'16.375 SWE KAWASAKI Pedercini Team
15 Vittorio Iannuzzo 1'18.303 ITA BMW Grillini DENTALMATIC SBK Team
16 Ivan Clementi 1'24.259 ITA BMW HTM Racing
17 Tom Sykes DNF GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
18 Leon Camier DNF GBR SUZUKI Fixi Crescent Suzuki
19 Leon Haslam DNS GBR HONDA Pata Honda
Championship standings
1 Sylvain Guintoli 213 pts FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
2 Tom Sykes 185 pts GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
3 Eugene Laverty 175 pts IRL APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
4 Marco Melandri 156 pts ITA BMW BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team
5 Chaz Davies 133 pts GBR BMW BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team
6 Loris Baz 119 pts FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
7 Jonathan Rea 105 pts GBR HONDA Pata Honda
8 Michel Fabrizio 101 pts ITA APRILIA Red Devils Roma
9 Davide Giugliano 79 pts ITA APRILIA Althea Racing
10 Jules Cluzel 72 pts FRA SUZUKI Fixi Crescent Suzuki
11 Leon Camier 62 pts GBR SUZUKI Fixi Crescent Suzuki
12 Max Neukirchner 53 pts GER DUCATI MR-Racing
13 Carlos Checa 50 pts SPA DUCATI Team Ducati Alstare
14 Ayrton Badovini 45 pts ITA DUCATI Team Ducati Alstare
15 Leon Haslam 29 pts GBR HONDA Pata Honda
16 Federico Sandi 23 pts ITA KAWASAKI Pedercini Team
17 Ivan Clementi 18 pts ITA BMW HTM Racing
18 Vittorio Iannuzzo 13 pts ITA BMW Grillini DENTALMATIC SBK Team
19 Niccolo Canepa 11 pts ITA DUCATI Team Ducati Alstare
20 Alexander Lundh 10 pts SWE KAWASAKI Pedercini Team
21 Fabrizio Lai 8 pts FRA KAWASAKI Pedercini Team
22 Glen Allerton 6 pts AUS BMW Next Gen Motorsports
23 Jamie Stauffer 4 pts AUS HONDA Team Honda Racing
24 Mark Aitchinson 2 pts AUS DUCATI Team Effenbert Liberty Racing
25 Kosuke Akiyoshi 2 pts JPN HONDA Pata Honda

 

[KUCIAR666]

CAMIER GETS FIXI CRESCENT SUZUKI?S BEST RESULT

FIXI Crescent Suzuki's Leon Camier fought his way to fourth place during today's first race at the eni FIM Superbike World Championship event at Portimao in Portugal; his and the team's best result of the year so far.

Starting from 12th on the grid, Camier was down in 15th place at the end of the first circulation after an incident with another rider forced him off the track. He began his fight up the field and passed many riders as he moved into the top 10 on lap five with a double overtaking manoeuvre on the brakes at the end of the start/ finish straight. Camier continued his progression through the pack and after Jonathan Rea and race-leader Eugene Laverty were both forced to retire with bike problems, Camier moved up to fourth place by the end of lap 11. He held this position for the remainder of the race and recorded consistent times that saw him finish only just over nine-seconds behind eventual race winner Marco Melandri. Camier's result was his and FIXI Crescent Suzuki's best result of the season so far and shows the race potential of the Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R. Unfortunately for Camier, he didn't fare as well in race two when a simple mechanical issue on lap 12 caused the Englishman to retire from the race as he was making progress through the field and was closing on the fight for sixth place.

Jules Cluzel had two very impressive performances today as he brought his FIXI Crescent Suzuki home comfortably inside the top-10 in both races. Starting from the middle of the third row, Cluzel was ninth at the end of lap one in the first race and struggled to find a rhythm early on as he was relegated to 12th, but the Frenchman re-grouped and made his way back up to ninth on lap 11; a position he held until the 20th lap when he passed Carlos Checa to move into eighth and hold that place until the chequered flag. In race two Cluzel's team made some setting changes to help the rider and his performance and lap-times improved as he held a consistent pace throughout. He gave chase to race-one winner Melandri and passed the Italian on lap 14 to move up to seventh, after which the FIXI Crescent Suzuki man was under pressure from Davide Giugliano, but Cluzel managed to put some space between him and the Aprilia and brought his machine home in a creditable and impressive seventh.

Both of today's races were held in cloudy conditions with track temperatures reaching a high of 27?C during the first race. Melandri took victory in race one by one of the smallest margins in Superbike history as he led Championship leader Sylvain Guintoli over the line by just 0.007 seconds. Race two saw Laverty make amends for his race one retirement by racing to the win ahead of his team-mate Guintoli.

FIXI Crescent Suzuki will now head back to the UK before it prepares to travel to the next round of the series, which is scheduled for Imola in Italy on Sunday June 30th.

Leon Camier:

"I got an ok start in the first race and made a bit of progress, but as I went past Haslam on the inside - and was well past him! - he let the brake off in the turn and punted into me. I lost some time and dropped back some places and had the job of trying to catch-up and get through the field, so from 15th to fourth is a pretty-good result. The bike felt good, I felt like I could pass really well; and the speed of the FIXI Crescent Suzuki has definitely improved. This showed on the straight because I could exit on the last turn and keep the momentum going so I could pass at the end of the straight, which I haven't been able to do before, so I was really happy about that. At the start of the second race I had a problem with the electronics and the bike didn't pull away as it should. I made a few places up, but didn't feel quite as strong as I did in the first race, but I kept pushing and I was getting in a good rhythm when a problem with the bike didn't allow me to continue. I was hoping that I could have made up some more places, because I could see the group in front coming back to me, so I think that fourth or fifth was achievable, but we will never know now!"

Jules Cluzel:

"I'm pleased to have finished both races inside the top-10. The first one was really hard and in the early part of the race I had very little feeling from the rear tyre and I nearly high-sided a few times in the first two laps. After this I tried to come back step-by-step and at the end my pace was not so bad and I finished eighth. In the second race we tried to improve the setting and I think we found something because the first 10-laps - when I was behind Leon - I was able to follow him and my pace was better than the first race. I think I was faster in every lap and that was a good step forward. I would still like more grip on the rear and I need to do more laps on a used tyre to learn more about how it works at the end of the race. It's been a good weekend and we have made some steps; now we will go to Italy and carry on working there to go further forward."

Paul Denning - Team Manager:

"We've made some positive steps forward this weekend and Leon's performance in the first race; coming from 15th at the end of the first lap to fourth at the end - and not losing any time at all to the leaders over the last 12 laps of the race - is a very encouraging sign for the future. A very simple gear-linkage failure in race two was disappointing for everybody involved and robbed us of what looked like a top-six place.

"Portimao has been a challenging circuit for Jules in his first ride on the GSX-R here, but he rode two solid races, particularly in the second race when we tried a setting which will hopefully give us a more solid base to work from for the next rounds.

"The bike and Leon were strong last year in Imola and we will be going there with high hopes to turn the improved potential from this weekend into better race results."

Portimao - eni FIM Superbike - Race One: 1. Marco Melandri (BMW) 38'12.447: 2. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) +0.007: 3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +4.224: 4. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +9.479: 5. Loris Baz (Kawasaki) +12.057. 8. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +22.337.

Portimao - eni FIM Superbike - Race Two: 1. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) 38'02.051: 2. Guintoli +4.107: 3. Jonathan Rea (Honda) +5.853: 4. Baz +15.306: 5. Chaz Davies (BMW) +17.552. 7. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +29.392. DNF: Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki).

Championship Classification: 1. Guintoli 213: 2. Sykes 185: 3. Laverty 174: 4. Melandri 156: 5. Davies 133. 10. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) 72: 11. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) 62.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Marco Melandri wins in Portimao

BMW Motorrad added another circuit to the list of tracks it was victorious at in the FIM Superbike World Championship. The BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team and factory rider, Marco Melandri, celebrated victory in the first race at Portim?o. It was Marco?s second and the team?s fourth victory of the season. In race two, Marco struggled with rear tyre wear issues and finished 12th. His team-mate Chaz Davies finished a difficult first race in sixth place. For race two, he and his crew improved the set-up of the BMW S 1000 RR which meant Chaz felt more comfortable and finished fifth. After six rounds of the 2013 season, Marco is fourth in the riders championship with 156 points, directly followed by Chaz who is fifth with 133 points. In the Manufacturers? classification, BMW climbed back up to second place with 211 points.

Race one was an exciting thriller. After starting from fourth place on the grid, Marco improved to second soon after the start, right behind leader Tom Sykes. He dropped back to third place on lap three when Eugene Laverty overtook him. Halfway through the race, Laverty was forced to retire, and almost simultaneously, Marco took the lead from Sykes. Over the next few laps, Sykes was pushing from the back and the gap to Sylvain Guintoli in third declined. Entering lap 17, Sykes passed Marco with a close manoeuvre and the Italian BMW factory rider had to take evasive action and leave the track to avoid a collision. As a consequence, he dropped back to third but began to catch up straight away. On lap 19 of 22, Marco overtook Sykes and Guintoli to take the lead, however the Frenchman fought back successfully. Entering the final lap, Marco retook the lead. It was hard work for Marco to defend it, but in the end he crossed the finish line with an advantage of 0.007 seconds in front of Guintoli - the fourth closest finish ever in the history of the Superbike World Championship. Chaz, who started from 12th place, lost two positions at the start and had to fight battles in the middle field during the beginning stages of the race. Over the course of the race he gained positions as his race pace was close to the leaders, but he was too far back to fight for the podium and he finished in sixth place.

In race two, Marco experienced excessive wear on his rear tyre from the very beginning. During the early laps he was able to hold third position, but from the eighth lap onwards he started to drop back. Without the correct level of grip, he was unable to fight back against his competitors and lost positions and after 22 tough laps he finished 12th. Meanwhile Chaz was feeling a lot better on his RR in comparison to race one. He made a good start and improved from 12th to eighth soon after the start of the race. He overtook Davide Giugliano on lap three to take seventh place and then fought a long battle with Giugliano and Carlos Checa. On lap 12, he improved to sixth place by passing the struggling Marco, and on the penultimate lap Chaz overtook Checa to secure fifth place before the chequered flag.

In the fourth race of the 2013 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, Sylvain Barrier from the BMW Motorrad GoldBet STK Team celebrated his second win of the season and retook the lead in the Rider?s classification. After his heavy crash in yesterday?s qualifying session, the team worked all night to repair the BMW HP4 and their hard work was well rewarded. Today, Sylvain once more proved the potential of the new bike by dominating most of the race. His team-mate Greg Gildenhuys defied the pain caused by his fractured left heel and collected important points finishing 12th.

Marco Melandri: "To win in race one was not easy because at the beginning I was struggling a lot with the traction but after ten laps this improved and it was easier for me so I got closer to the front again. When I was leading, it was very difficult, because it was very windy so it was hard to stay in front. When Tom passed me, he closed the line. Maybe he thought he was in front of me but he just pushed me out of the track. When I came back, I did not have any plan so I just pushed as much as I could. I tried to overtake Tom very quickly because Sylvain was very fast and tried to pull away. When I caught Guintoli I took the opportunity to pass him. The last lap is very difficult to explain, it was just very close and I pushed as much as I could. I am so happy and thank you to everyone at BMW. In race two, I could certainly have been on the podium but instead the rear tyre began to vibrate from lap two onwards. From lap three I started losing grip and then the tyre deteriorated. As a consequence the whole bike started to vibrate and it was difficult to ride. I did the best I could do in that situation. Now I am looking forward to Imola."

Chaz Davies: "Race one was kind of frustrating. My start was not particularly good and for the first few laps I was in the wrong company and I lost a lot of time. It did not ruin my race but it did not allow me to finish in a position that we were capable of. In the middle of the race, my pace was not too far off the guys in front so it would have been nice to have gone away with them. In the closing stages, we had a drop of performance as we started to lack a little bit of grip, also in the front where we were using the harder front tyre for stability purposes. For race two, we took a couple of gambles as honestly we did not have a lot to lose. We changed the front and the rear tyre and also changed the suspension a little bit. And in fact race two was much better than the first. I was much happier with the bike even if I did not quite have the grip that I wanted, especially on the first two laps. But then I found some grip from lap three onwards. Again, we have learnt something a little bit too late which is frustrating but in general we showed a better performance in race two, even if it not was good enough. So I would say that I am `semi-happy?."

Andrea Buzzoni (General Manager BMW Motorrad WSBK): "The day started very well with the victory in the Superstock class and it bettered itself thanks to the fantastic performance of Marco in race one, where he won by a fraction. In race two, due to a problem with the rear tyre, Marco couldn't finish better than 12th place but still gained four points. We are quite disappointed with this result because Marco was able to be on the podium but the circumstances did not allow him to do his best. Chaz had a tough Saturday with the crash, which had some physical consequences. Nevertheless he had two great races: he was sixth in race one and fifth in race two, very good results given the position he started from. In the Superstock class, Sylvain took the lead in the riders? ranking with today?s victory while Greg, despite his fractured foot, gave his best and gained his first points"

Andrea Dosoli (Technical Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team): "Today was a day of mixed emotions for us. For BMW it was nice to win two of three races. Firstly, the Superstock team was successful with Sylvain and then we won the first of the Superbike races with Marco. The job done by all the guys after Donington has paid off as we improved the bike and we were able to give Marco a more competitive package that he used in the best possible way. We must congratulate him for what he has done. It was a good decision to test after Donington. Even if we have seen during the races that we are still missing some stability and that we need to further improve for the future, overall I must say that at least with Marco the package was quite competitive. Chaz had to pay the price for his grid position. In race one, he lost time when he had to overtake other riders. In race two, he was more confident from the beginning and he was able to catch up the guys in front of him. Fifth place is a good result when starting from 12th on the grid. Also with him we have to work on the machine. We have to improve his feeling with the RR and to make sure that in Imola he will be able to show his potential. Race two for Marco we would prefer to forget. We experienced unexpected severe wear on the rear tyre and now we have to analyse the hardware and the data in order to understand the reason of these not common issues."