WSBK-Portimao

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KRT Riders Head To Portugal Hungry For More Success

After an almost perfect weekend at the previous round in Italy the official KRT and KRT SBK Evo squads head to the Portimao circuit near the Algarve coast ready to claim more wins and podiums in the FIM Superbike World Championship.

KRT SBK riders Tom Sykes and Loris Baz currently sit first and third respectively in the SBK Championship standings while KRT SBK Evo rider David Salom is 12th in the overall classification, but leads the internal Evo category points standings by a clear margin.

Despite the pain and reduced strength in his right hand and wrist that Sykes carried into the previous Misano round, after suffering injury in Malaysia, Sykes was unstoppable in Italy, winning Superpole and both races on his official Ninja ZX-10R.

This impressive double victory, somewhat against the odds and Sykes? own previous formbook at Misano, took his season-long race-winning tally up to six and propelled him into a 39-point lead in the championship. Sykes has scored podiums at Portimao on his Ninja ZX-10R in the recent past, including a race win in 2012.

Baz was the only rider to get truly close to Sykes at the previous round and took two second places on his KRT Ninja ZX-10R, as he still pushes to get his first race win of 2014.

With seven podium places so far ? peculiarly all second places and no thirds - Loris is only two points behind second place but 41 from his team-mate Sykes.

Loris has two previous race wins to his credit for Kawasaki in Superbike, and is understandably very keen to take his first race victory of the present season in Portugal. He finished fourth in race two at Portimao last year, after a fifth in race one.

David Salom has been on top form in the Evo class all season for the KRT team and sits 24 points clear of his closest challenger after half the season has been completed.

The 4.592km SBK venue at Portimao is a relatively compact and heavily undulating circuit, which has hosted an SBK round every year since its first arrival on the scene in 2008. On a modern day Superbike Portimao provides an intense test of concentration for the riders and a many vantage points for the spectators on the hilly terrain behind the holiday coast of the Algarve.

Once more the raceday schedule will undergo some modifications from the previous round, with SBK race one at 12 noon and race two at 15.00 local Portuguese time, which is one hour behind most of the rest of Europe.

After the intensity of the Portimao weekend the SBK teams get little rest as the next round will be held at the popular venue of Laguna Seca in the USA on Sunday July 13th - just a few days after the completion of the Portuguese races.

Tom Sykes: ?I have enjoyed some time off after the double win at Misano and my injured hand and wrist are slowly improving. We go to Portugal now and for me I think the layout is a little bit extreme for a Superbike in this era. The undulations are almost a little bit over the top but after Misano it would be very nice to keep the momentum going in the championship. It will be a big ask but as always we will do the best we can and I am sure the team around me will manage things in the best possible way. I have had some flashes at Portimao in the past, so potentially I know we can be very good this weekend. With those thoughts in mind I am looking forward to going to Portimao.?

Loris Baz: ?I am feeling really good because we had a strong weekend in Misano last time out. We have two weekends in a row now so it is going to be an exciting time but right now I am now only really looking to Portimao. I love the track and I feel I can go really well there. The bike is going very well but we just need to improve a little bit, with some little things, to make another little step and be the most competitive we possibly can. The competition is close this year and there are four or five riders that could win a race but at some tracks more riders than just those four or five are also very strong. Right now I am really looking forward to getting back on track at Portimao.?

David Salom: ?Portimao is a very difficult track because it has a lot of ups and downs, hard braking areas, and that may make it difficult for me as I am still carrying an old hand injury. But I think for the Kawasaki it will be a very good track because now we have made improvements to our suspension set-up and the bike is fast. For sure I have some tough competition and I am sure we will fight like at most other races! I know Portimao very well because I have ridden there maybe five years or more so I understand the layout.?

 

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Pata Honda targets improvements on the Algarve

The Pata Honda team is heading to Portugal this weekend (4-6 July) for round eight of the 2014 World Superbike Championship at the Autodromo Internacional Algarve near Portimao.

The team?s riders, Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam, together with their respective crews, are fully focused on improving recent results and targeting podium finishes once again with their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machines.

Rea has been on the Portimao podium no fewer than seven times in his six-year World Superbike career, the most recent being a third place in race two last season. He currently sits fourth in the SBK points standings but the 27-year-old from Northern Ireland is just 13 points from second position, and he is determined to re-discover the levels of performance that have taken him and his CBR to three wins in 2014.

His Pata Honda team-mate Leon Haslam has been making steady progress in recent rounds and has found a way forward to begin consistently challenging nearer the front of the field. The 31-year-old British rider will be testing a new engine specification at Portimao this weekend and is eager to return to the Portimao podium, which marked his debut rostrum finish with Honda's CBR in World Superbikes.

The Autodromo Internacional Algarve is set in rolling hills 84km to the west of Faro in Portugal and has been part of the World Superbike calendar since its completion six years ago. The undulating 4.592km circuit is renowned as a roller-coaster ride with a number of blind crests and dramatic changes in elevation.



Portimao World Superbike schedule (local times):



Friday 4 July

11.45-12.30 - Free Practice 1

15.30-16.15 - Free Practice 2



Saturday 5 July

09.45-10.30 - Free Practice 3

12.30-13.00 - Free Practice 4

15.00-15.15 - Superpole 1

15.25-15.40 - Superpole 2



Sunday 6 July

09.00-09.15 - Warm-up

12.00 - Race 1 (20 laps, 91.840km)

15.00 - Race 2 (20 laps, 91.840km)


Jonathan Rea

I?m really excited to be heading to a circuit where I really enjoy riding the CBR and, without doubt, Portimao is one of the most exhilarating tracks on the World Superbike calendar. It?s close by one of the main tourist areas in the Algarve and I have a lot of friends coming out for the weekend, so I?m even more excited about this round. The last few races have thrown up a few problems in managing the electronics on the bike, especially engine braking, so Portimao gives us an opportunity to go back to basics. We had a good five-day test there earlier in the year when the team extended our stay there because of early rain. We got a good base setting then so I?m hoping that will be a solid starting point for the weekend. I need to be really strong in the next couple of races because they take us to about two-thirds distance on the season and it?s important to carry some confidence and momentum into the final part of the year.


Leon Haslam

I didn?t race at Portimao last year because of my broken leg, but I really like the circuit and I?ve had some good races there over the years. I?ve been on the podium a few times and it?s a special place for me because I got my first SBK podium with Honda there in 2008. It?s fun to ride and it?s quite a physical circuit but my shoulder is feeling a little better after Misano. I?ve had some good physio down at the English Institute of Sport, which I?m hoping will see me through the next three races at Portimao, Laguna Seca and then Suzuka for the Eight-Hour, which are all quite physical tracks. We tested at Portimao earlier this year when it was wet a lot of the time, but we know the CBR goes well there and I?m quite excited to be trying a different engine this weekend.


Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator

Leon is happier with the bike now and Portimao is one of his favourite tracks. We will be trying a different engine specification with him this weekend which is designed to improve driveability for the particular characteristics of the Portimao circuit. We?re looking forward to seeing how that goes and to see if we can keep making positive steps like we have been recently. Jonathan?s results from the last three rounds have not been what we have been working for since the euphoria of his double at Imola. However, we had a good meeting at Misano and I believe we have identified the area where we need to focus and give him a bike on which he can be more competitive. We need to get some positives from this weekend because we know that the Portimao circuit has been good for both Jonathan and the CBR in the past.

 

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Pata Honda in day-one mix at Portimao

Jonathan Rea set the second-fastest time in this afternoon?s second free practice session for round eight of the 2014 World Superbike championship at the Autodromo Internacional Algarve in Portugal.

The 27-year-old?s time of 1m43.939s was good enough for third place overall - just six hundredths of a second behind provisional pole sitter, Marco Melandri - after today?s two free-practice sessions ahead of final qualifying tomorrow afternoon at the 4.592km circuit near Portimao.

Rea?s Pata Honda team-mate, Leon Haslam, was satisfied with his own progress with Honda?s CBR1000RR Fireblade SP today. The 31-year-old from Derbyshire in the UK ended the day in eighth position, just half a second from Rea and certainly in the mix for tomorrow?s Portimao action.


Jonathan Rea - P3

I feel like we?ve made more progress in one day here than we did all weekend in Misano. Part of that is down to the way we?ve been applying changes during the session ? we?ve been a lot braver with making the changes. We?re coming from outside the box and we?ve needed to do that. I really enjoy riding this circuit and I have a good feeling for what I need to go fast around here. In that respect, this is a good circuit for me to be able to give the guys some direction and I think we?re definitely making progress. We worked a long time on one tyre today and took it into the afternoon to understand how the race is going to be with the high temperatures, but we?ll see. The pace for everyone around here is a little bit slow but I think that?s down to the grip level. It?s really low compared to last year and even the winter test. But to be so close on the first day is good so we just need to keep making positive changes to improve the bike more. Hopefully we can make those right changes tonight and come back stronger tomorrow.

Leon Haslam - P8

It?s been a productive day and we?ve persevered with a new theory on engine power delivery. We?ve even gone in what you might call a ?non-normal? direction with the chassis as well, changing the balance of the bike. There are some definite positives, but a few negatives, too, so we just have to work out which is the quicker way! Johnny is running with the chassis and set-up that we know has got him a lot of podiums here, and that?s a fantastic back-up. We?ve got a new tyre this weekend to try, too, which has added some complications. They are going to be two long 20-lap races on Sunday, regardless of what set-up we go with but at the moment we haven?t had too many major problems and we?re getting through all the things we?ve wanted to test.


Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator

Leon didn?t have a bad day, even though we need to improve some settings. I think he made some good steps and if he continues like this he can do a good job here. It hasn?t been easy for Jonathan and progress was a little more slow than we would have wished. But in the end he pulled a good lap together which put him in third and only half a tenth from first. We are quite pleased with that but we still have work to do and I?m sure we can help him to go a lot better, especially in this place where he has such a good record.

 

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POSITIVE START FOR VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki had an encouraging start at the Autodromo do Algarve in Portugal today for the initial two free practice sessions of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship weekend.

Eugene Laverty showed determined-promise from the opening stages on his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R to claim the third-fastest time of the morning session. Having made adjustments to his Suzuki to accommodate his right foot - re-injured during Misano's race one a fortnight ago - Laverty continued his pace throughout the afternoon, setting a 1?44.147-lap to hold third position for both of the individual sessions and claiming fourth overall in the combined times.

Despite conditions being drastically different from his previous visit to the Portuguese circuit, Alex Lowes quickly got ?to-grips with the 45?C track. Lowes ran fourth in the morning outing, then the he continued his progress on the GSX-R1000, recording a 1?44.374 as the afternoon drew to a close; his lap-time earning him seventh position heading into tomorrow's final qualifying free practice.

Blue skies and glorious sunshine bathed the Autodromo do Algarve for the opening day of track action, with asphalt temperatures reaching 52?C by mid-afternoon. Aprillia?s Marco Melandri held the fastest time in both free practice sessions, with BMW?s Sylvain Barrier claiming the position within the EVO class.

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki returns to the Portimao circuit for the final timed free practice session at 09:45BST tomorrow morning, with Saturday?s Superpole scheduled for 15:00BST.

Eugene Laverty:

?To be right at the sharp-end on day-one is very promising. The Suzuki works really well here; it?s a track that has a lot of secrets and I?ve worked hard over the years to learn them. I?m confident that we will be there challenging for the win on Sunday and it?s been a long time since I?ve been able to say that. I was quite annoyed with my right foot this morning because it?s worse than the original injury and it means that I can?t use the rear brake now; so we are working on a thumb brake system. We will try to use that because the rear brake is a fundamental part of my riding style.?

Alex Lowes:

?I?m happy to be only a couple-of-tenths off Eugene as this is a good track for him and he?s done a lot of work round here. It?s my first-ever race here and we?re not too far away. I?m really enjoying it so far, so we will keep working over the weekend and see if we can challenge on Sunday. I think we can improve the bike and have a better result tomorrow.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?It has been a good first day for the whole team in Portimao; possibly the best Friday of the season so far. Eugene?s foot is far from perfect but he has managed to adapt and the team has adapted the bike by removing the rear brake system and adding a thumb brake system to try to help a little bit. It is nice to see Eugene really enjoying the GSX-R again and hopefully we can find a little-more performance to help make the job easier as we go into tomorrow.

?I think Alex is enjoying coming to a circuit that he has ridden the bike at before but with the track temperature up at 45?C compared to 18?C in January, the feeling is very different and he has had to work hard to understand the limits with the level of grip being reduced and the tyre movement being increased. He is riding in a fully-committed style and one of the targets for tomorrow will be to make the bike a little less nervous and easier to ride over race-distance at a decent pace.?

Portimao ? eni FIM Superbike World Championship ? Free Practice combined times: 1. Marco Melandri (Aprilia) 1?43.880: 2. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +0.047: 3. Jonathan Rea (Honda) +0.059: 4. Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +0.267: 5. Chaz Davies (Ducati) +0.393. 7. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) + 0.494.

 

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Sykes Wins Superpole Number 22

Tom Sykes took his official Kawasaki Racing Team Ninja ZX-10R to his third pole of the year and in the process lifted his career total of Superpole wins to 22, making him the third best ever pole setter in this class, in his own right.

With Sykes on pole his team-mate Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) continued his good 2014 form to go fifth and take a valuable second row starting position for Sunday?s 20-lap Superbike races.

David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team SBK Evo) was the first rider in the Superpole one contest, before heading into Superpole two to join Sykes, Baz and the other top ten qualifiers. David ended up 12th on the grid and on the same fourth row of the grid as the only other Evo rider to make it into Superpole 2.

The circuit conditions at Portimao ? with wind, some bumps and a track surface that has not yet delivered the same levels of grip as in previous years ? ensured that Sykes? existing track best would survive Superpole.

Sykes was still 0.281 seconds ahead of his nearest rival after working hard with his team to improve the qualifying and race settings on his Ninja ZX-10R. This was Sykes? third straight Superpole win at Portimao, following his successes in 2012 and 2013.

For Baz some final fine tuning will be done in the pre-race Superpole session on Sunday morning, but he is already showing good pace after some incredibly close qualifying sessions at the 4.592km Portuguese circuit. In the combined qualifying times less than 0.2 seconds covered the top eight riders before the final free session and then Superpole got underway.

Tom Sykes: ?The Ninja ZX-10R is working well after we started quite steadily this weekend. We made some small changes to the bike every session and now I feel more comfortable on it. On the race tyre I was able to feel more comfortable and in Superpole, with the qualifying tyre, I just made it to the apexes a little bit easier. The circuit is missing a little bit of grip and of course the high winds are not helping, especially on the final section, but it is costing everybody some time. I am happy, especially after the changes we made today. I feel more comfortable and confident for the races tomorrow but I expect two difficult races. There are a lot of riders who are capable of running at the front but we will do the best we can.?

Loris Baz: ?Our pace is good but I am just missing a few tenths right now. We have improved a lot and we are not really far away but at this track it is very close. When you are two-tenths slower you can be seventh! I am have to say I am happy with qualifying because the second row is good for the race and to get on the front row was just too hard here. If you make a good start second row it is still good for the race. We will try to find our missing two or three tenths in warm up and I love this track, even if it is not the easiest one to ride. I am sure we can find something to make life easier over race distance, but overall our pace is good.?

David Salom: ?It was not so bad today even thought I have some difficulties here with my hand injury. We will see how it goes in the races on Sunday but in Superpole one I made good progress with the qualifying tyre and went into Superpole two. In the second one I could not take the best from the qualifying tyre and finished 12th. But at the end we made into Superpole two, I am happy with the work of the team and we will follow the path we have planned into the races. We are happy.?

 

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Front row for Rea in Portugal

Pata Honda?s Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow?s two eighth-round World Superbike Championship races from the front row of the grid after setting the second-fastest time in this afternoon?s Superpole qualifying session at the Autodromo Internacional Algarve in Portugal.

After topping the combined free practice timing sheets this morning, Rea, 27, took his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP into Superpole in confident mood to lap the 4.593km Portimao circuit in a time of 1m42.765s, 0.2s behind the pole position time of Tom Sykes.

Rea?s Pata Honda team-mate, Leon Haslam, was also in a positive frame-of-mind heading into Superpole after showing good speed in both today?s free practice sessions. The 31-year-old was just 0.1s from Rea's fastest time in FP3 when the top ten riders were separated by just three tenths of a second.

As Superpole 2 began, Haslam set the third-fastest time on his initial run on race rubber, but was unable to significantly improve his time on the qualifying tyre and he will start tomorrow?s two 20-lap races from the third row of the grid in ninth place.

Jonathan Rea - P2

It was really windy for qualifying this afternoon and we made quite a big change to the set-up on the rear of the bike for Superpole after we?d compared data with Leon. It looked like he had a little bit more grip and it?s really good that he?s also on a good pace here this weekend because we can share data much better and I?m also learning some things from him. We?ve made a lot of progress here compared to the last few races and I?m really enjoying riding my bike here. We?ve gone back to basics, to something we know, and it?s good to come to Portimao where we have a lot of data. I?m really excited about tomorrow?s races. We?ve done a lot of laps on old tyres so we?ll have to wait and see if all that hard work will pay off.

Leon Haslam - P9

Obviously I?m disappointed because I was P3 on the race tyre and I felt pretty confident that we could make another step with the qualifying tyre. On the first lap I had a small problem so I cruised to try and get some more life from the tyre. I had another problem going into turn five on the second lap and my best time ended up being on lap three when the tyre was finished. It?s kind of frustrating because we?ve definitely been in the ball park to get back to the front boys there. But I?m feeling really good on the race tyre, we?ve done some good race runs so I?m looking forward to the two races tomorrow.

Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator

It's been quite an exciting day and this morning we made quite a good breakthrough with Jonathan's electronics settings. He immediately went quick on used tyres and the feeling was back. In the afternoon for FP4 we tried a few settings changes which didn't really work so we went back to the morning set-up. He took second place on the grid which is a good place to start. He normally goes quite well here so I expect him to be in the fight for podium finishes tomorrow. Leon has been going extremely well this weekend and his pace is also good on used tyres. However, with the qualifier in Superpole, he got ninth on the grid but, just before putting in the qualifier, he was third fastest on the race tyre. That was a bit of a shame but everything is looking good for tomorrow and I think he can fight near the front which will be good for him and the whole team.

Qualifying position
1 Tom Sykes 1'43.344 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
2 Jonathan Rea 1'43.147 GBR HONDA Pata Honda
3 Chaz Davies 1'43.287 GBR DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team
4 Marco Melandri 1'43.173 ITA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
5 Loris Baz 1'43.290 FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
6 Sylvain Guintoli 1'43.277 FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
7 Eugene Laverty 1'43.277 IRL SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
8 Davide Giugliano 1'43.441 ITA DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team
9 Leon Haslam 1'43.310 GBR HONDA Pata Honda
10 Sylvain Barrier 1'44.812 FRA BMW BMW Motorrad Italia SBK
11 Alex Lowes 1'43.401 GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
12 David Salom 1'44.173 ESP KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
13 Ayrton Badovini 1'44.879 ITA BIMOTA Team Alstare
14 Niccolo Canepa 1'45.232 ITA DUCATI Althea Racing
15 Christian Iddon 1'44.711 GBR BIMOTA Team Alstare
16 Sheridan Morais 1'44.389 RSA KAWASAKI IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team
17 Bryan Staring 1'45.119 AUS KAWASAKI IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team
18 Alessandro Andreozzi 1'44.941 ITA KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
19 Claudio Corti 1'44.214 ITA MV AGUSTA MV Agusta RC-Yakhnich Motorsport
20 Toni Elias 1'44.870 SPA APRILIA Red Devils Roma
21 Riccardo Russo 1'45.298 ITA KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
22 Jeremy Guarnoni 1'45.342 FRA KAWASAKI MRS Kawasaki
23 Fabien Foret 1'45.405 FRA KAWASAKI MAHI Racing Team India
24 Geoff May 1'46.971 USA BIMOTA Team Hero EBR
25 Gabor Rizmayer 1'48.250 HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
26 Aaron Yates 1'48.468 USA BIMOTA Team Hero EBR
27 Peter Sebestyen 1'48.734 HUN BMW BMW Team Toth

 

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VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI ON THE PACE

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki is looking forward to the two eni FIM Superbike World Championship races at the Portimao circuit in Portugal tomorrow after a promising second day at the track saw both racers on the pace despite a challenging Superpole.

Eugene Laverty will start from seventh on the grid for Sunday?s races after a successful day had seen him running second and fourth in the earlier free practice sessions. Consistently within the top-four times throughout the two-days at the Portuguese circuit so-far, the Irishman is encouraged by his Yoshimura-powered machine and firmly believes he has the capacity to challenge under race conditions tomorrow.

A high-speed crash at the end of his first flying lap of Superpole on qualifying tyres sees Alex Lowes reside in 11th, despite a promising pace which looked to have seen him on the second row. Largely unharmed from the off, the Englishman remains positive of his Suzuki GSX-R?s potential ahead of tomorrow?s battle, with less than 0.3-of-a-second separating the top-10 in the morning practice.

The warm conditions continued at the Autodromo do Algarve with track temperatures reaching 49?C for the afternoon?s Superpole while a strong wind kept the circuit a fresh 27?C for the visiting fans. Pole position was claimed by Kawasaki?s Tom Sykes, with Sylvain Barrier leading the Evo class? times.

In a change to the standard European schedule, Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s first race will commence at 12:00BST tomorrow with the second instalment following at 15:00BST.

Eugene Laverty:

?It?s a disappointing qualifying as I have been inside the top-four in every session this weekend. I have always been aiming for the first two rows and I thought that would be a minimum today and we are seventh. The bike has been good in practice, we had our struggles over one lap which has often been the case this year, but the bike is fantastic from mid-distance on, so if I can get in the mix early I know I will be strong towards the end!?

Alex Lowes:

?Obviously I?m unhappy with the crash today; the GSX-R had a lot of potential and we have made some good progress this weekend. I really enjoy the Portimao circuit so I?m looking forward to regrouping this evening, getting down to work and coming back fighting for tomorrow?s races.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?We have had another very positive day here at Portimao right up until Superpole started! At this point the bikes are still in parc ferme and we have yet to download the data but it appears that for both riders the engine braking character was different in that session than earlier in the day. We don?t know if that is connected with track temperature or the fact that the wind got up a lot but either way the bike was tough to ride to make the lap-time that we needed.

?The positives are that even with the problems Eugene is seventh, and is only a couple of tenths-off the front row, so even with the issues we?ve shown good potential and good speed. Alex got caught out on the fastest corner of the track and went down on his first timed lap on the qualifier when on front row pace which was a pity. It was a very fast accident so the biggest positive we can take from that is that he is essentially uninjured, apart from a few bumps and scrapes, and in a positive frame-of-mind for the races tomorrow.?

Portimao ? eni FIM Superbike World Championship ? Superpole: 1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1?42.484: 2. Jonathan Rea (Honda) +0.281: 3. Chaz Davies (Ducati) +0.440: 4. Marco Melandri (Aprilia) +0.554: 5. Loris Baz (Kawasaki) +0.564: 7. Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +0.761. 11. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +1.356.

 

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Race One Win For Sykes As He Extends Championship Lead

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) scored a commanding win in the first race at the Portimao round of the FIM Superbike World Championship, with his team-mate Loris Baz (KRT) joining him on the podium in third. Despite finishing off podium in race two Sykes extended his championship lead to 43 points. KRT SBK Evo rider David Salom won the Evo class in race one.

With a dry race opening victory and then a wet weather affected eighth in race two Sykes had a day of contrasts but the final result was an increase in his championship lead, and a season victory tally of seven so far. Sykes joined Max Biaggi on a career total of 21 SBK race victories after Portimao.

For Baz a sixth in race two was as much as he could get when the weather conditions changed unexpectedly and the full wet second race, of only 18 laps, was completed. Added to his podium score from race one he still managed to score enough points to remain in third place in the championship, only five points behind the second place rider.

In the first race Sykes had an almost flag-to-flag win, powering ahead of all his opponents and even surviving a worrying time mid-race when the clouds that had gathered finally dropped light rain on the Portimao track surface. Sykes, with no other riders to judge pace on slowed for a time but after the rain stopped he carried on at full pace on his Ninja ZX-10R. In race two he simply did not have the required set-up to compete for a podium again in full wet conditions for all 18-laps and dropped from a long time second place to eighth.

Baz was third in race one after pushing up to second and having to drop back to fifth at one time as the very slight rain arrived. He got going again to go third but in race two he went on to finish inside the top six in the rain, despite not finding his own personal best machine settings.

David Salom?s race one was full of fight and desire and at the end he got the best of his Sylvain barrier to take yet another win in the Evo category. In race two, in the wet, he was unable to match the race one best and he finished 17th, two places off a point score. In the Manufacturers? Championship Kawasaki still leads, by 28 points.

Laguna Seca in the USA will host the next round of the championship, in only a few days time, with raceday on Sunday 13th July.

Tom Sykes: ?I enjoy winning races and the good thing is that the Ninja ZX-10R is giving me the feedback to be able to do this so I am very happy at the moment. I had a poor start in race one and it is a long race round here, long enough race to make some corrections. I am happy because we had a good gap then the rain started to come. When you are leading the championship and leading the race you do not want to do anything stupid and it was very difficult to calculate the levels of grip because in some parts of the circuit it was raining more heavily than in others. The team gave me great pit board signals and luckily the cloud disappeared with a good amount of laps left, to go so I could take an advantage again. In the wet conditions of race two we had some issues but I cannot be disappointed because we have shown great potential. Sometimes we are dealt these strange races and there was too much for me to lose today. Some other riders made mistakes and so I extended my championship lead compared to when we arrived here.?

Loris Baz: ?In race one I saw the rain at one time and I did not know how strong it was so I did not take to many risks until the rain had gone. I am really happy because yesterday I was struggling to be inside the top eight on a race tyre and we found some good things in the morning warm up, so well done to the team. In race two we have been struggling a bit to find our best real wet settings but we have made progress in that area recently. In the beginning I was missing some feeling so I was waiting a bit and had some visibility issues. I am happy enough because I found a good pace. We have made a good step in the wet here and we lost almost nothing in the championship standings, as I am only five points from second place.?

David Salom ?I had a very good race and a very good fight with Sylvain Barrier in the first race. I waited almost behind him and I tried a couple of times to see where to pass him on the last lap. Seven laps from the end my hand was in a lot of pain and it was not possible to move the bike as I wanted to. I went off line maybe four or five times but I gave it all on the last lap and won the Evo race. The team worked very hard on the bike and it was in good condition in the race. In the second race, in the wet, it was difficult for me. I did not have the confidence even though the bike is very good in those conditions so I could not go faster. The problem in the wet was me not the bike and I did not want to risk a crash and we still have a good advantage in the championship.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

LOWES STARS FOR VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s Alex Lowes put on a display of determination to finish fourth in the eni FIM Superbike World Championship?s race two at the Aut?dromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal today.

The British racer got-off to a tricky start for the shortened 18-lap contest, from 11th on the grid, spinning off the line in the wet conditions and arrived 13th into the opening corners. Head down, Lowes put his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R1000 to work, closing on the nearest riders to claim ninth by the second lap. As the rain abated and the lap-times quickened he continued his charge: Lap 12 saw both Aprilia's ahead of him collide, promoting Lowes to sixth and in-the-mix of a four-bike-pack challenging for third. Bettering three riders on lap 15 he took a chance at the podium before a slight mistake saw him briefly back in fifth. He repeated the move on Honda?s Leon Haslam on the penultimate lap and brought his Suzuki across the line for a well-deserved fourth place.

A similar determination delivered Lowes 10 points and a sixth-placed finish in the day's opening dry race. A great start saw him jump four places in the initial sector, holding seventh before dropping to 10th for the first half of the 20-lap race. Advancing to eighth after a two-rider tussle on lap 11 as the white flags were waved, Lowes capitalised on an opportunity largely created by backmarkers to take sixth on his approach to the chequered flag.

Eugene Laverty leaves Portugal eighth in the championship after finishing eighth and ninth in this afternoon?s two races. It was a disappointing conclusion to his impressive weekend-showing, as the Irishman looked to be bringing home a top-six finish on his Suzuki GSX-R in the midday contest, before a tangle with the backmarkers on the final stretch of the last lap cost him two positions.

As the rain enveloped the Portimao circuit for the final race of the day, Laverty struggled to retain his earlier position. He dropped to 13th after a difficult start, but improved to set his fastest lap of the race on the penultimate revolution, consolidating ninth position at the line.

A grey and overcast race day greeted fans at the Algarve circuit as the brooding clouds brought the rain in time for the second race, despite the pleasant 21?C temperatures. Kawasaki?s Tom Sykes and David Salom took the spoils for the two classes in the opening contest, while Honda?s Jonathan Rea was dominant in the second outing; BMW?s Sylvain Barrier claiming the late afternoon?s EVO victory.

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki now prepares for its return to the United States and the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, as the Championship?s ninth round visits California on the July 13th.

Alex Lowes:

?After crashing yesterday in qualifying and being on the fourth row I?m quite happy with two solid top-six results. In the second race if I hadn?t made a little error I could have been on for a podium but I?m happy to come from where I started and to get fourth. We learnt some more about the GSX-R today - we now know where we still need to improve and also have some proof on where it is working well - which can help us to keep moving forward. I really want to say thanks to the whole team, they were in the garage until 1:30am last night fixing the bike after my crash yesterday; it would have been really nice to reward them with a podium so I?m sorry about that, but I?m now looking forward to next week. I can?t wait for Laguna; it?s another new track, but it?s tight and twisty so it should suit us well.?

Eugene Laverty:

?We were top-four in every session apart from the three that mattered, Superpole and the two races! I?m very disappointed with race one, it was drizzling with rain and I was too scared to take risks and ended up in a low position. I lost two places on the last lap due to backmarkers but whether it was sixth or eighth, for me it wasn?t a good race. In the second race I didn?t have any feeling at all in the beginning, it came better in the end but it was too little? too late, so it was a poor day. We really had pace for the podium here so to walk away with an eighth and a ninth is not what we hoped for.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?Mixed emotions and mixed results sum-up the team?s day at Portimao. We had a strong feeling that both riders could be competitive in the dry but in the first race we couldn?t make the lap-time needed with the new tyre compared to the excellent times we made in warm-up this morning, which was strange because the fuel load, track temperature and weather conditions were identical; as it has been all year understanding. How to make the bike to work well in the early laps is pivotal to the end result.

?Both Eugene and Alex had very strong pace towards the end of race one but by then it was too late and the fight for the podium is gone. The second wet race was a surprise after the beautiful weather we?ve had all weekend but a stunning performance from Alex from 13th on the first lap through to fourth and to get that close to the front-runners and to the podium was a brilliant ride. Eugene?s wet race was very strange, much further off the pace than he would want to be in the first half of the race due to a lack of feel and confidence on corner entry but stunning pace and the fourth-fastest lap overall as the race went on. Wet or dry we need to improve qualifying and improve our pace in the early laps; the answers aren?t clear how to do this but the team will keep working hard to fulfil our potential.?

Portimao ? eni FIM World Superbike Championship ? Race One: 1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 34?45.568: 2. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) +2.539: 3. Loris Baz (Kawasaki) +3.175: 4. Marco Melandri (Aprilia) +4.042: 5. Jonathan Rea (Honda) +7.791: 6. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +14.772. 8. Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +14.941.

Portimao ? eni FIM World Superbike Championship ? Race Two: 1. Rea 34?55.154: 2. Davide Giugliano (Ducati) +6.817: 3. Chaz Davies (Ducati) +8.676: 4. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +9.740: 5. Leon Haslam (Honda) +11.289. 9. Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +26.406.