WSBK-Thailand ?Chang International Circuit? in Buriram

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ALTHEA RACING THAILANDIA PREVIEW

Team Althea Racing is ready for the second round of the 2015 Superbike World Championship that will take place in Thailand for the first time, at the impressive ?Chang International Circuit? in the province of Buriram.

Following on from two positive races in Phillip Island, Australia on 22 February, with two solid results for riders Nico Terol and Matteo Baiocco, the team will head to Asia in high spirits and intent on achieving more positive results.

It is a brand new track for the World Superbikes, meaning that all teams will have a lot of work to do right from Friday morning?s session in order to find the best set-up solutions and be ready for Sunday?s races. The entire Althea Racing Team will continue with the great work completed up until now, aware however that the weekend will consist of many unknowns. The physical and mental stress for the riders will be high due to the extreme heat that they will face and they will also have to deal with severe tyre wear caused by the unusually hot conditions.

Nico Terol: ?I?m coming from an opening round in which I did a good job but there is definitely still room for improvement and I think that we can make steps forward in Thailand. The important thing is to continue to work hard with the Team as I?ve done until now. This is a new track and we have no references of any kind, so we?ll have to work hard during the practices in order to be as prepared as possible for the races.?

Matteo Baiocco: ?I?m pleased to have made my 2015 debut with two good races and the continuous progress made throughout the Australian weekend motivates me ahead of Thailand. As it is a new track we don?t know what to expect but I definitely want to improve my performance. I?ve been training hard and can?t wait to get back on my Panigale.?

The ?Chang International Circuit? located in the Buriram province is the most recent creation from the world?s best-known circuit designer, German Herman Tilke. The track is 4554 metres long and its 12 corners are designed to ensure maximum speed. Buriram (meaning ?city of happiness?) is located in the north-east of the country, 400 km (5 hours by car) from Bangkok and the track, south of the city, can host roughly 50,000 spectators. Temperatures are expected to be very high, varying between 40 and 29?C, but by racing in this period, the Superbikes avoid the rainy season which runs from May to October.

 

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New Thai Adventure For KRT As Rea Shares WSB Points Lead

The Kawasaki Racing Team approaches the all-new WSB territory of Thailand with Jonathan Rea in the joint championship lead and Tom Sykes fourth overall after the first round in Australia last month.

After a strong first weekend in Kawasaki colours for Jonathan Rea and two battling performances from 2013 champion Tom Sykes the entire KRT squad is looking to the next challenge - an all-new one for everybody in the team.

For Rea another two podiums are the aim after winning the opening race of the season and then finishing runner-up in race two by only 0.010 seconds. His 45 points are therefore just five from the maximum possible after a dream debut on the Ninja ZX-10R.

With some set-up issues and being run off track at one stage in Australia Sykes is now looking to record his first two podiums of the year at the new Chang International Circuit located in the north east of Thailand. Tom currently has 23 points and is fourth overall in the early season rankings.

The Chang International Circuit is the first ever WSB venue in Thailand and with no prior testing there for the regular teams the first 75-minute long session on Friday 20th March will be an important one to make early progress towards a final race set-up.

At 4.554km long the Chang circuit is flat and features mostly slower corners, but with two fast straights followed by tighter turns there should be overtaking opportunities to exploit.

Sykes has already been on a promotional road trip in Thailand, taking part in PR activities, supporting the new Kawasaki effort in the Asia Road Racing Championship and meeting the fans during a large-scale event in Bangkok. He is now looking forward to visiting a local Kawasaki factory before race weekend begins.

Jonathan Rea: ?To be honest we had a much better start in Australia then we imagined. I know we were quite reserved with targets at Phillip Island as it had not been a circuit that has favoured the bike but we managed the set-up quite well. I was surprised with our pace. What I did learn was that all week we had been having some problems but Pere, Paolo and the guys at Showa worked it out and on raceday we had a package to ride a strong 22 laps each time. That really impressed me. In the end I had a bike that I was really happy with. That gives me a little extra confidence now and because things are still reasonably fresh for me, to have that feeling is good. I have been in Thailand for a while and I always had a plan to come out for a week before the race. We never got to go on a family holiday last year so we are taking a few days here to recharge the batteries ready for round two, and to get acclimatised to the conditions a little.?

Tom Sykes: ?I am looking forward to the first ever WSB race in Thailand. We are competing in a world championship and we are certainly doing more overseas races now. I am really looking forward to going to the new venue and I know from experience that the fans in that part of the world are fanatical about bikes as well. We have seen the circuit layout and for me it looks like what we generally expect from a European circuit. Hairpins and not so many long, long corners. The circuit is obviously a new challenge for everybody and I am sure the temperature and humidity will be something different.?

Other Kawasaki riders are hoping to make a big impact in Thailand with David Salom (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) in particular out to score well after suffering a fast crash in Australia and missing the opening two races.

 

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VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI SET FOR THAI WSB

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki is looking forward to the inaugural World Superbike race at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand this weekend as the Championship travels to its second long-haul event of the 2015 season.

After a difficult race day in Australia, Alex Lowes is energised by the new location and looking to build on the potential shown in practice at the opening round. The Buriram track?s more conventional stop-start design will see the team reverting to pre-season test settings rather than those needed for the unique and flowing nature of Phillip Island and Lowes is determined to use this knowledge to continue his challenge on the Yoshimura-powered GSX-R1000.

Rehabilitated from his testing injury Down Under, Randy de Puniet is excited by the prospect of racing his Suzuki Superbike on neutral territory. The Chang circuit?s introduction will allow the Championship rookie a clean slate against his competitors while he continues his development within the Crescent team.

Located 400kms to the northeast of Thailand?s capital Bangkok, Buriram (?the pleasant city?) is a largely agricultural region with a population of approximately 30,000. Pioneered by local politician and football club owner Newin Chidchob, the 4,554m Herman Tilke designed circuit cost 2 billion baht (circa ?56 million) to construct, meeting the highest FIM standards, and features a combination of long straights and 12 corners. Its technical complex comprising nine turns can be seen clearly, and in its entirety, by the 50,000 spectators seated within the main grandstand and aims to create a breath-taking lap of both speed and precision throughout.

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki begins its campaign in the tropics at 10:30hrs local time (03:30GMT) on Friday March 20th with an extended 75-minute free practice session, before returning to the regular schedule for the second 45-minute practice at 15:30hrs local time (08:30GMT). Saturday?s Superpole will be on track at 15:00hrs (08:00GMT) with Sunday?s races scheduled for 13:00hrs (06:00GMT) and 16:30hrs (09:30GMT) respectively.

Alex Lowes:

?The Chang International Circuit in Thailand looks like a great track. As a rider it?s always nice to experience new circuits and places so I?m really looking forward to the next race. The last few weeks, since returning from Australia, have allowed me to relax and refocus so I?m now ready to start work with my GSX-R1000 in FP1 on Friday and join the fight on track come Sunday.?

Randy de Puniet:

?My physical condition has improved a lot, I?m not quite 100% but I think I will feel much more comfortable on the bike and definitely much better than in Australia. It is a new track for everybody so it will be very interesting to see what will happen and I?m excited to learn the new layout. We will start at the same level as all the other teams and riders so it could give us a good indication of exactly where we are with the GSX-R in comparison. I enjoy learning new tracks so I?m looking forward to the second round.

?Even though I was not 100% in Australia I still managed to use the experience to learn a lot from both races, and I think we can do well in Thailand. The weather looks like it will be very hot, which can be challenging, but I have trained a lot over the past two weeks to ensure my physical condition is as good as it can be for the race duration. I also watched the Thailand motocross race last week, it was very difficult for the riders in those conditions and I think it will be the same for us, but I?m confident we can have a good race!?

 

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Pata Honda riders warm-up for demanding Thai round

Pata Honda World Superbike riders Sylvain Guintoli and Michael van der Mark got the ball rolling for round two of the 2015 championship season in Thailand by visiting one of the world?s most prestigious Honda dealerships in Bangkok today.

Before driving 400km north-east to the new Chang International Circuit at Buriram the heart of Thailand?s interior, the Pata Honda duo met fans and staff at the Honda BigWing store in the Thai capital.

Like most of their rivals, neither Guintoli nor van der Mark have raced in Thailand before but both are eager to test their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machines around the Hermann Tilke-designed 4.554km circuit, featuring five left and seven right-hand corners.

Weather conditions are likely to have a powerful effect on the riders at Buriram as temperatures over the race weekend are expected to be in the high thirties centigrade with humidity levels approaching 90%.

The weekend?s action kicks off on Friday 20 March with two free practice sessions for Superpole on Saturday afternoon which will determine the grid for Sunday?s two 20-lap inaugural WSBK races in Thailand.

2015 World Superbike championship, round two
Chang International Circuit ? Buriram, Thailand
Event schedule (local times GMT +7):

Friday 20 March
10.30-11.45 ? Free practice 1
15.30-16.15 ? Free practice 2

Saturday 21 March
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 22 March
10.00-10.15 ? Warm-up
13.00 ? Race 1 (20 laps, 91.080km)
16.30 ? Race 2 (20 laps, 91.080km)

Sylvain Guintoli
It?s been great to spend some time meeting some of the local fans in this really futuristic Honda BigWing dealership. It?s more like a concept or a fashion store than a bike shop and it?s a great way to get introduced to Thailand. I?m really looking forward to riding at this new track at Buriram which looks really exciting. I?ve watched some races on YouTube and it looks like a lot of fun and I?m hoping it will suit the characteristics of the CBR. My back is feeling better now so hopefully I won?t suffer as much as in Australia. So it?s all really exciting and I can?t wait to discover this new circuit.

Michael van der Mark
I really enjoy riding new tracks, especially ones where everyone is new to the circuit, so we?ll see who is fast and who gets the best set-up. I think we left Australia with a really good feeling, which was a really amazing experience for me where the bike felt really great. I know this weekend will be just as difficult but I?m looking forward to it because I?m usually quite fast at new tracks. I watched a few races on the internet and I think it?s a track that?ll really suit me because, from the videos I?ve seen, it looks really fast. Now I?m here, I just can?t wait to get out there and see how it is.

 

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Guintoli in the mix at Buriram

Sylvain Guintoli was sixth fastest on overall times after today?s practices for round two of the 2015 World Superbike championship at the Buriram United International Circuit in Thailand.

The reigning world champion made a change to his Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP after this morning?s extended FP1 at the 4.554km Buriram circuit which is hosting a WSBK event for the first time. The 32-year-old French rider went almost one second faster in temperatures of 36?C this afternoon, closing the gap on the morning's fastest rider Jonathan Rea.

With British rider Alex Lowes setting the pace this afternoon, Guintoli?s Pata Honda team-mate Michael van der Mark was unable to improve his lap time in the hotter conditions and, despite feeling good on the bike, remained in 12th place on combined times.

However, the 22-year-old Dutch World Superbike rookie is confident that he and his team can identify specific areas for improvement in tomorrow?s two practice sessions ahead of the afternoon Superpole which will finalise grid places for Sunday?s two 20-lap races at Buriram.

Sylvain Guintoli - P6, 1m35.570s
We made some good improvements after the morning session so that was a positive this afternoon and the bike felt much better. We need to carry on working there but I?m enjoying the track and we?ve closed the gap. I?m trying hard now and feeling a lot better physically than I did in Australia. That?s the main thing from today, so that?s nice because I suffered a lot in Phillip Island. I can still feel the injury but it?s a lot better and I?m a lot more focused and more hungry here. We can?t do damage limitation every race so we need to try to step it up a bit now. It was funny this afternoon because I was supposed to come in to try some different tyres but, as I was coming into pit lane I was thinking about the lines through sector three and missed my garage entry! I went st raight out again and saw that the session was nearly finished, so there wasn?t much point coming in for new tyres. So, although I didn?t plan it, I ended up doing the whole session on one set of tyres. We?ll try the soft option tomorrow!

Michael van der Mark - P12, 1m36.218s
There was no real problem today and it?s strange because I felt good with the bike on this new track, but the lap time is not there, which is a bit frustrating. I?m sure the guys will find something on the data tonight so I?m not too worried. I?m losing a lot of time in the second sector so we?ll check everything later to find out what it was. I rode the laps, feeling good on the bike in the heat, but each time I crossed the line I was like ?Where?s the lap time?? I think a good night?s sleep will help me relax for tomorrow. It?s an interesting track because the first part is long and fast and the second is a combination of smaller corners, but we?ll work hard tonight to try and go a little faster around it tomorrow.

Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator
Sylvain is in much better physical condition than he was in Phillip Island and this is helping. But we struggled a little in sector two with both riders and kept changing the bike, continuing in to the afternoon session. Sylvain was able to improve and was running second at one point which was a good step. At the end of the day it?s looking a lot better than Australia - there?s room for improvement sure, but it?s not so bad. Michael struggled a little in sector two this morning and that continued this afternoon. We?ll look into everything in details a bit later but I?m quite sure there?s better things to come tomorrow.

 

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Thailandia: Prime prove per la Superbike e per il Team Althea Racing

Buriram (Thailand), 20 March 2015 ? For the first time in the history of the World Superbikes, the championship and all of its teams are in Thailand, in Buriram, for round 2 of the 2015 season. A brand new track for all of the riders and also difficult physical and mental conditions due to the very high temperatures in the Asian country.

Team Althea Racing, with its riders Nico Terol and Matteo Baiocco, have started Friday?s sessions knowing that they have a lot of work to do to find the right set-up, with no previous references available.

Very high temperatures right from early on this morning (36? air temperature and 50? track), with riders starting the first session somewhat cautiously. Both Nico and Matteo, after some initial laps to get to grips with the layout, began to give the team some useful feedback in order to move forward with set-up work. Morning qualifying was today extended to 75 minutes, rather than the usual 45 minutes, to give teams a chance to understand the new track. The Althea riders closed the morning session in 13th position with Nico Terol (1?36.733) and 16th place with Matteo Baiocco (1?37.006).

Nico was particularly affected by the heat, suffering stomach pains after the morning session. The riders began the afternoon session with some more data at their disposal. Rising temperatures, close to 40?C, and track temperatures of over 50?C did not facilitate matters but thanks to intense work in the garage, times began to drop and on his very last lap Matteo moved up to eighth position (1?35.913) closing day one at Chang International Circuit in a positive way. Nico was a little further behind, conditioned by the fact he was not feeling 100% but he improved his time and concluded in fourteenth position (1?36.931), with more solutions to try tomorrow in order to try and find the right feeling both with his Ducati and the Asian track.



Matteo Baiocco: ?I?m pleased because all day we?ve seen that we can be inside the top eight in terms of lap times. We?ve worked a lot with the hard tyres and then in the final minutes I was able to make a good time with the soft tyre. Tomorrow we?ll start from where we leave off today but we?re working in the right direction in order to improve performance. I really like the track, it?s just a pity that it?s so very hot, I?m struggling a bit with that but all in all I?m feeling positive.?



Nico Terol: ?We?ve completed day one in Thailand but I thought I would immediately get to grips with the track. Instead I?ve had a little trouble. We started well this morning with some good initial laps but we didn?t finish the morning as I?d have hoped. In the afternoon I was getting on better with the bike and was able to improve a little with the used tyre. Tomorrow we have more references to work with, so I hope to be able to improve further and prepare as well as possible for the races.?

 

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LOWES ON PROVISIONAL POLE AT THAI WSB

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s Alex Lowes stormed to the fastest overall time in the World Superbike Championship?s inaugural practice at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand today.

Meaning business from the start, Lowes got his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R up-to-speed quickly at the new Buriram track. Claiming second with his initial laps, a technical delay to his exploratory opening practice did little to dampen his speed. Returning to the track with 35 minutes remaining of the extended 75-minute session, the British racer?s times continued to improve as his familiarity grew, concluding the morning in fifth.

A similarly quick start to his afternoon saw Lowes improve again with his second and third timed-laps, sitting in fourth for the majority of the session as he continued his development. Three consecutive fast laps aboard his Suzuki machine with five minutes of the day?s track action remaining, ensured he clinched the fastest overall time to claim WSBK?s debut provisional pole at the new circuit.

Randy de Puniet?s introduction to the Thai track wasn?t quite as smooth, with engine-brake complications interrupting his study of the unknown layout. As track temperatures rose steadily to 57?C the Frenchman continued his investigation, completing 37 laps as he expanded his knowledge of the GSX-R1000 and the Buriram circuit to finish the day in 13th with a 1?36.263.

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s final timed-for-qualifying practice will take place at 09:45hrs local time (02:45GMT) tomorrow morning ahead of the afternoon's grid-deciding Superpole at 15:00hrs (08:00GMT).

Alex Lowes:

?Today has been good! It?s always nice to come to a new track, to learn the layout and try to understand the challenges of each corner. I really like the mid-section ? you have to be quite physical on the bike which suits my style quite a bit. It?s been a good day, we?ve worked hard and I?ve done a lot of laps, completing two 10-lap runs in the last session, but it?s only Friday and the times are going to get a lot quicker so we?ll see what happens. The heat is obviously hard for everyone, and it?s going to be tough on the tyres but I?m enjoying it! I enjoyed it in Australia even though we didn?t get the results we deserved and I?m enjoying it again here. Thanks to the lads for working really hard, I?ll keep trying and see if I can get some good results on Sunday.?

Randy de Puniet

?I?m not that happy with the first day here as I struggled quite a bit. This morning we had an issue with the brake feeling so it was difficult to stop the bike, we fixed this but I had another issue with the setting this afternoon so it was difficult for me to be consistent with my laps, which is why the position is not as good. If we fix these two problems it will be much, much better but for now it is difficult for me to learn the new track and understand the GSX-R. Tomorrow I hope to fix the issues and concentrate on my riding style and improve the overall performance ready for the races.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?I think everybody in the World Superbike Championship is impressed with the Chang International Circuit and the facilities that the Thai organisers have provided. They can?t control the weather, which is incredibly hot, but everything else is very easy to work with ? very friendly people, organisers and hopefully a big crowd on Sunday. We have had a reasonably tough start to the weekend in general but Alex?s reaction to the problems we had this morning, keeping calm and working through the issues step-by-step, paid dividends this afternoon with a very strong and very consistent performance. We clearly had lots of potential in Phillip Island and weren?t able to capitalise so it?s great to see Alex and the GSX-R very much on the pace at a more stop-go circuit.

?Randy hasn?t gelled with the new track quite as well, in particular some engine-brake setting and actual braking-power problems have made it difficult to be consistent and to be as confident as you need to be here, slowing the bike from very high speeds. Luckily the gap to the top-six is not huge and if we can resolve those issues this evening we expect to be able to help Randy to go a lot better tomorrow.?

Chang ? eni FIM Superbike World Championship ? Free Practice Combined Times: 1. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) 1?34.685: 2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) +0.066: 3. Chaz Davies (Ducati) +0.603: 4. Leon Haslam (Aprilia) +0.603: 5. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +0.772. 13. Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +1.578.

 

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Prima Superpole per la Superbike al Chang International Circuit

Buriram (Thailand) 21/03/2015 ? In tomorrow?s races at Buriram, Team Althea Racing will line up in 12th position with Matteo Baiocco and in 14th position with Nico Terol.

The morning brought complications for the Team when rain began to fall on the Asian track during the first minutes of the third timed practice sessions, valid for qualification to Superpole. Conditions, neither full wet nor full dry, meant that the session was of no use to riders until it began to rain a little more heavily. Only in the final stages were the riders able to take to the track to test the rain setting of their 1199 Panigale R bikes. After just one lap a crash for a wildcard entry resulted in a red flag and the session came to a premature conclusion. This meant that work was postponed until the free practice session. The 30-minute practice took place in sunny conditions and the riders were finally able to work on new set-ups ahead of the Superpole, with both Matteo and Nico able to improve on times set yesterday and make some changes ahead of tomorrow?s races.

Nico Terol, still feeling unwell and as a result of losing this morning?s practice to the rain, found himself taking part in Superpole 1 at the Chang International Circuit. The Spaniard was able to complete two good laps with the qualifying tyre (the best in 1?35.255) but it was not enough to gain entry to Superpole 2, so he will line up in fourteenth place on tomorrow?s race grid.

Matteo Baiocco was a little further forward and, having closed yesterday?s sessions in eighth place, he qualified directly for Superpole 2 today. He concluded the Superpole in 12th position (1?35.024). Tomorrow?s Race 1 will take place at 13:00 and race 2 at 16:30 local time.

Riders comments at the end of the day:

Nico Terol: ?Yesterday and today have been two difficult days for me. Today I?m feeling a little better physically, but I hope to be better tomorrow and to be able to make some steps forward to improve on today?s results. The rain this morning didn?t allow to us test anything and although we made a good step in the free practice we still need to make more because I?m having more trouble than I would have expected. When things are not going well, it?s important to continue to work hard together with the team and then results will come.?

Matteo Baiocco: ?I had hoped to achieve a better result in the Superpole and it?s a shame because we had good pace during the free practice but I was not able to be fast enough during the first laps with the new tyre. I think that tomorrow we?ll go back to what we tried yesterday afternoon, because in today?s cooler conditions I was unable to repeat the same kind of times. We?ll start from there and see where we can get to tomorrow. As far as the races are concerned I think we?re in a good position, I?m confident and think we can fight for good positions.?

 

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Two Superpole Wins From Two Races For Rea And KRT

Kawasaki Racing Team rider Jonathan Rea rode his Ninja ZX-10R to his second pole position start of the season by setting a new track best of 1?33.382 near the end of the second Superpole session. Tom Sykes (KRT) placed fourth and will now lead the second row of starters for Sunday?s races.


Having set a very fast lap in his first outing in Superpole 2, Rea was subsequently overtaken for a time but he made a successful late attempt to start from the best possible position and it put him out in front for the second time in as many WSBK meetings.

Sykes placed himself in a good starting position despite not being able to make the most of his qualifying tyre, finishing up 0.459 seconds from pole but at the head of the second row.

Both Rea and Sykes lost dry track time at this all-new circuit when the third session proved to be wet this morning but they each made the most of the final free session shortly before Superpole, working on race pace and learning more about the 4.554km circuit.

Conditions were much cooler today than the scorching first day, with track temperatures some 20?C less than they had been - a development which complicated the preparation work done by the teams as they try to prepare for Sunday?s races.

Jonathan Rea: ?It?s good to make it two out of two. We know the Kawasaki really takes profit from a soft tyre, especially the qualifier. My pace has been really strong all weekend in race conditions so I knew just to make clean laps in Superpole. But in every lap I made a mistake in T4 - the fast left - so I ended up much too fast and the rear came round, which is a problem I have been working on a little bit. We found some things after we struggled with my back brake at times but we fixed it in this final session. I was able to enter T5 much better. I made a mistake in T1 on the first flying lap and then I saw the time was P1, so I knew not to push too much and just make a clean lap next time. I saw a 1?33.3 near the end of the session and I thought it may not be enough, so I tried again on the third lap with a qualifier, but already the tyre had had enough.?

Tom Sykes: ?It has just been unfortunate that I have not been able to use the qualifying tyre on the warm-up lap. In the last third of the lap I had three or four slides on the edge of the tyre, both left and right, but I knew I had to go for a fast lap anyway. I was struggling and it was not what I had expected. I am a little bit disappointed and that is why I tried for a second lap but I was not able to do it. We will work hard tomorrow and try to make two good races in any case.?

David Salom (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) made it into Superpole 2 by right after finishing tenth in regulation qualifying and then proceeded to take 11th place on the grid. He will now start from the fourth row.

 

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Third row starts in Thailand for Pata Honda duo

Pata Honda riders Michael van der Mark and Sylvain Guintoli will both start from the third row of the grid for tomorrow?s two second round World Superbike championship races at Buriram in Thailand.

Van der Mark set the seventh fastest time in Superpole with a lap of 1m34.514s while his Pata Honda team-mate will line up next to him on the grid after posting the eighth fastest lap, just five hundredths of a second slower, at 1m34.562s.

With temperatures slightly cooler for today?s proceedings, most of Free Practice 3 this morning was lost to rain, restricting track time for the riders on their CBR machines.

However, the warmer weather is expected to return for tomorrow?s two 20-lap races at the 4.554km Chang International circuit.
Michael van der Mark - P8, 1m34.514s
I?m quite happy today. We missed 45 minutes of practice this morning and I wasn?t able to improve the time so I went directly into Superpole 1. But FP4 was much better and I was able to improve the feeling with the CBR and also the lap time, which made me much happier. In Superpole 1 I started on the race tyre and then the qualifier but that didn?t bring much. We did the same in Superpole 2 and I was able to improve my time quite a bit. I?m happy with our position - I think the gap to the guys at the front is a little bit to far but I think our race pace is OK.
Sylvain Guintoli - P9, 1m34.562s
We?re still working hard and doing everything that we can trying to catch up. Obviously, we are missing a second and on a small track like this, that?s quite a lot. So we?re going to spend some time now going through everything on the data to try and understand how we can improve our pace and the race rhythm for tomorrow.
Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator
We hoped for dry weather but unfortunately this morning it was wet and we lost some valuable track time. Michael went through to Superpole 1 and that gave him a little more track time. He improved a lot in the last free practice too and his race pace is not looking so bad. He qualified eighth and the gap to the front looks quite big but I know his race pace is better than that. We worked through a lot of things with Sylvain and he was feeling OK but he ended a fraction behind Michael. As always, we?ll debrief and analyse and look for something he can go better with tomorrow.

Qualifying position
1 Jonathan Rea 1'33.382 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
2 Leon Haslam 1'33.393 GBR APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
3 Alex Lowes 1'33.738 GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
4 Tom Sykes 1'33.841 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
5 Jordi Torres 1'34.080 ESP APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
6 Chaz Davies 1'34.084 GBR DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
7 Troy Bayliss 1'34.334 DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
8 Michael van der Mark 1'34.514 NED HONDA Pata Honda
9 Sylvain Guintoli 1'34.562 FRA HONDA Pata Honda
10 Leandro Mercado 1'34.674 DUCATI BARNI Racing Team
11 David Salom 1'34.961 ESP KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
12 Matteo Baiocco 1'35.024 DUCATI Althea Racing
13 Sylvain Barrier 1'35.115 FRA BMW BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike Team
14 Nicolas Terol 1'35.255 ESP DUCATI Althea Racing
15 Leon Camier 1'35.267 GBR MV AGUSTA MV Agusta Repart Corse
16 Randy de Puniet 1'35.578 FRA SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
17 Roman Ramos 1'36.226 ESP KAWASAKI Team Go Eleven
18 Niccolo Canepa 1'36.466 ITA EBR Team Hero EBR
19 Christophe Ponsson 1'36.788 KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
20 Santiago Barragan 1'37.536 KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
21 Anucha Nakcharoensri 1'38.174 HONDA YSS TS Racing
22 Greg Gildenhuys 1'38.767 KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
23 Larry Pegram 1'38.870 EBR Team Hero EBR
24 Imre Toth 1'39.256 HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
25 Ireneusz Sikora 1'40.719 BMW BMW Team Toth
26 Chanon Chumjai 1'40.810 BMW RAC Oil Racing Team Championship standings
1 Jonathan Rea 45 pts GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
2 Leon Haslam 45 pts GBR APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
3 Chaz Davies 32 pts GBR DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
4 Tom Sykes 23 pts GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
5 Sylvain Guintoli 20 pts FRA HONDA Pata Honda
6 Nicolas Terol 18 pts ESP DUCATI Althea Racing
7 Leon Camier 14 pts GBR MV AGUSTA MV Agusta Repart Corse
8 Jordi Torres 13 pts ESP APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
9 Matteo Baiocco 12 pts DUCATI Althea Racing
10 Michael van der Mark 11 pts NED HONDA Pata Honda
11 Leandro Mercado 9 pts DUCATI BARNI Racing Team
12 Randy de Puniet 9 pts FRA SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
13 Alex Lowes 7 pts GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
14 Roman Ramos 6 pts ESP KAWASAKI Team Go Eleven
15 Sylvain Barrier 5 pts FRA BMW BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike Team
16 Santiago Barragan 3 pts KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
17 Troy Bayliss 3 pts DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
18 Jed Metcher 2 pts KAWASAKI Race Center - Demolition Plus
19 Larry Pegram 2 pts EBR Team Hero EBR
20 Christophe Ponsson 1 pts KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
21 Imre Toth 0 pts HUN BMW BMW Team Toth

 

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FRONT ROW FOR LOWES & VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s Alex Lowes scored his first World Superbike front row today in the Championship?s debut Superpole qualifying at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand after claiming third position in a closely-fought battle.

With the entire field missing the majority of this morning?s third free practice session due to an unexpected downpour, Lowes was assured of his ascension into Superpole two. An impressive pace in the final mid-day practice saw the Suzuki racer begin his afternoon with confidence. Improving on his previous best with his second-flying-lap as the shoot-out for grid positions commenced, he headed his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R in for qualifying rubber, instantly breaking the 1?34 barrier on his return to the track. A 1?33.738 on his second attempt was enough to keep the Englishman in the top three, giving him his first front-row start on the world stage for tomorrow?s races.

Randy de Puniet?s difficult weekend continued, as the morning rain prevented him from truly assessing the braking issue that has been plaguing him all weekend. With the available track-time now diminished, the team worked hard to try to find a solution during the final 30-minute practice, but with the clock against them the Frenchman had to settle for 16th in the opening Superpole, and a sixth row start for his second Superbike race weekend.

Dark clouds and a cooler 29?C greeted the Championship for its inaugural qualifying at the Buriram Circuit as Kawasaki?s Jonathan Rea claimed pole position with a 1?33.382.

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki returns to the Chang International Circuit tomorrow for its first WSBK race, scheduled for 13:00hrs local time (06:00GMT) with the second instalment of action following later in the afternoon at 16:30hrs (09:30GMT).

Alex Lowes:

?I?m happy with today! It?s my first time on the front row with the Suzuki, the boys have done a good job and we keep making little steps forward, not too much but we?re going in the right direction! I?m enjoying it and hopefully I can repay the lads tomorrow with a decent result because they?ve all worked very hard over the winter and last year as well. Thanks to the whole team, the boys on the other side of the garage as well because they?ve helped me out too, so cheers! To be fair the lap wasn?t my best, I could?ve gone quicker and I just didn?t quite put it together so that was a shame, but all that matters is that we are on the front-row, we?ve got a chance tomorrow and I can?t wait.?

Randy de Puniet:

?The second round is very difficult for us because since the first practice I have been struggling with the brakes. It?s very strange, I have a bad feeling on the brakes and it?s very inconsistent, we don?t understand it yet and keep trying to find a solution. We have one more chance in the warm-up and I?m crossing my fingers to find something because without a solution it will be difficult for me. I will just try to stay calm, work with the team tonight and do my best tomorrow.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?Congratulations to Alex and the whole team on his first front row start in World Superbikes. He?s been consistently fast in every session this weekend and it was great to back-that-up with the qualifying tyre. Alex is either fastest or equal fastest in all the sectors apart from the last one, where we are struggling a little bit under braking into the last corner, so some engine-brake setting work tonight and a little bit more refinement should help him there for the races.

?Randy has really had a difficult two days, and honestly, we are at something of a loss to understand the braking problems he is having. Every component that can contribute to the problem has been changed, some of them twice, and the characteristic has remained the same, so tonight the team will work hard to see what else can be done and also to study the data compared to Alex to check against the braking style that may help. Despite Randy?s difficult two days at this new track we are obviously pleased to confirm the continued potential of the GSX-R and we are looking forward to the races tomorrow.?

Chang ? eni FIM Superbike World Championship ? Superpole: 1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) 1?33.382: 2. Leon Haslam (Aprilia) +0.011: 3. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +0.356: 4. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +0.459: 5. Jordi Torres (Aprilia) +0.698. 16. Randy de Puniet Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) SP1.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Rea Scores Sensational Double Win For KRT In Thailand

Jonathan Rea (KRT) scored two emphatic race wins in the first ever WSBK races at the Chang International Circuit and in doing so left the new venue with a ten point championship lead. Tom Sykes (KRT) scored his first podium of the year with third place in race one and is now third in the championship rankings.


The first 20-lap race of the day belonged to Rea from green light to chequered flag, as the Superpole winner became race one winner after setting an unbeatable race pace in the 1?34s for almost the whole race duration.

Leon Haslam was second in the opener but Sykes mixed attack with defence as he chased hard to catch a slowing Haslam in the final laps, while also keeping eventual fourth placed rider Jordi Torres behind him to the end. This was Tom?s first podium of 2015, as he adapts to the new technical regulations for the 2015 WSB class.

In race two Rea repeated his perfect display from race one and in doing so scored his first double in Kawasaki colours. He also has the new lap record of 1?33.817 to his credit.

Sykes tried hard to repeat his podium from race one but he was forced to drop back and eventually finished fifth in race two.

In the championship chase Rea is in the lead with 95 points from a possible 100, two-time second place rider at Chang, Leon Haslam, has 85 and Sykes is third with 50 points, nine clear of Sylvain Guintoli.

Motorland Aragon, a home race for the bulk of the KRT staff based in Europe, is next up on the WSB calendar, with raceday on 12 April 2015.

Jonathan Rea: ?For me it has been a perfect weekend with pole position and two race wins - we could not have asked for any more. The bike can always be better but at the beginning of the weekend the Ninja ZX-10R was at a really good level, my pace was really fast, the rhythm was good so we did not necessarily chase something we really could have got lost with. Our base setting right now is good and it gives me confidence to push the boundaries and understand the bike. I have not had so many double wins in my career but I have been lucky to have some. They do not come round a lot so I want to savour this moment and reflect on what we have done tomorrow and enjoy these next few days.?

Tom Sykes: ?First podium of the year in the opening race so we are heading in the right direction. One step at a time and a podium finish was not so bad considering the feeling I had with the bike. I am not able to do exactly what I want yet. When it is like that you have no answer for guys who have finished in front of you. We tried everything we could and in the end third position was acceptable for where we are at the moment. I got caught up in turn three of the first lap in race two and got dropped back a bit as a result. We had some small issues after that and corner entry was a little bit difficult to manage. We will keep working and try to improve the bike.?

 

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Pata Honda riders enjoy Thailand battle

Sylvain Guintoli took fifth and sixth place finishes in today?s two second-round World Superbike championship races at Buriram in Thailand after a dramatic day for the Pata Honda team.

The 32-year-old French rider had a lonely ride to his second successive fifth place after making a number of changes to his Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP after this morning?s warm-up.

However, a technical issue on the sighting lap for race two at the 4.554km Chang International Circuit forced Guintoli to miss the formation lap and he had to start the race from the back of the grid. After a good start he was able to move through the field, eventually enjoying a thrilling battle with his team-mate Michael van der Mark.

Van der Mark, 22, had his own technical issues which forced his retirement from the first of today?s two 20-lap outings, but the Dutch rider enjoyed more success in race two.

The battle between him and Guintoli for sixth place came down to the final corner with van der Mark attempting a bold manoeuvre around the outside of his team-mate, which forced him outside the track boundaries. Race direction deducted one position dropping him back to seventh.

After the opening two flyaway rounds of the series, the Pata Honda team will now re-group at its Dutch workshop before heading for Spain and round three at Aragon Motorland on 10-12 April.

Sylvain Guintoli - 5th and 6th
In race one I did my best, of course, but we were just too far away from the pace of the front group. I did everything I could, but it turned out to be a bit of a lonely race for fifth. But race two was much more fun, even though we had a small technical problem which meant I had to start last. I had a great start and a great first two corners but then I got a bit over-excited and braked too late in turn five and lost three places. Finally I had a great battle with my team-mate which was more entertaining. Towards the end of the race I did my best lap time which was probably faster than my qualifying time, and that felt perfect, but it was difficult to be consistent. It?s only my second race on the bike and I?m still suffering from the neck injury in these dehydrating conditions. But we?ve now been to t wo different tracks with different characteristics and we can see that our pace is not as good as our rivals. So that gives us a base to work from and try to improve in key areas. Even though we?re not fighting for wins at the moment we?re still working to find solutions in the team and that will get the results we want.
Michael van der Mark - DNF and 7th
In race one we had a little technical problem which ended the race for us but unfortunately these things can happen. It was a shame though because at that point in the race I was going faster and faster. In race two I felt really good but the start was not so good. I also made some mistakes in the first couple of laps and ran wide at one point so I had to fight back again. At the end I had a good fight with Sylvain and felt I was faster than him but not fast enough to get away. So I decided to stay behind and try to pass him on the final lap. We had a nice and fair fight and even though I crossed the finish line first, they put me one place back because I went outside the track in trying to get past at the final corner. But I enjoyed raced two and I think we have a lot of positives to go back to Europe with for the next round.
Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator
It has not been an easy weekend for the team. We managed to improve Sylvain?s bike a lot after warm-up and he was able to get a lonely fifth which, considering the problems that we have had here in Thailand, was a respectable result. In race two he had to start from last position but he had a great start and fought up to sixth in the end. Michael had a DNF in race one but in race two he spent a long time behind Sylvain. They had a great battle to the finish which saw Michael running off the track a little bit and he was put back one position. But the guys had fun having that battle together. Although the weekend has been quite tough we have managed to close the gap to the competition and Sylvain is still fourth in the championship which we?ll take to Aragon and hopefully do a bit better there.

Event results - Round 2- Race 1
1 Jonathan Rea 31m33.852s GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
2 Leon Haslam 6.329 GBR APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
3 Tom Sykes 8.183 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
4 Jordi Torres 8.513 ESP APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
5 Sylvain Guintoli 20.502 FRA HONDA Pata Honda
6 Alex Lowes 22.249 GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
7 Matteo Baiocco 26.118 DUCATI Althea Racing
8 Troy Bayliss 27.174 DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
9 David Salom 27.925 ESP KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
10 Leandro Mercado 32.610 DUCATI BARNI Racing Team
11 Chaz Davies 37.330 GBR DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
12 Nicolas Terol 37.902 ESP DUCATI Althea Racing
13 Randy de Puniet 41.722 FRA SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
14 Sylvain Barrier 50.099 FRA BMW BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike Team
15 Roman Ramos 59.457 ESP KAWASAKI Team Go Eleven
16 Greg Gildenhuys 1'20.519 KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
17 Santiago Barragan 1'20.931 KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
18 Imre Toth 1 Lap HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
19 Ireneusz Sikora 1 Lap BMW BMW Team Toth
20 Larry Pegram DNF EBR Team Hero EBR
21 Anucha Nakcharoensri DNF HONDA YSS TS Racing
22 Michael van der Mark DNF NED HONDA Pata Honda
23 Christophe Ponsson DNF KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
24 Niccolo Canepa DNF ITA EBR Team Hero EBR
25 Leon Camier DNF GBR MV AGUSTA MV Agusta Repart Corse
26 Chanon Chumjai DNF BMW RAC Oil Racing Team Event results - Round 2- Race 2
1 Jonathan Rea 31m31.173s GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
2 Leon Haslam 4.946 GBR APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
3 Alex Lowes 8.701 GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
4 Jordi Torres 10.628 ESP APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
5 Tom Sykes 14.326 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
6 Sylvain Guintoli 21.060 FRA HONDA Pata Honda
7 Michael van der Mark 21.246 NED HONDA Pata Honda
8 Matteo Baiocco 23.868 DUCATI Althea Racing
9 David Salom 25.744 ESP KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
10 Leandro Mercado 29.692 DUCATI BARNI Racing Team
11 Troy Bayliss 34.533 DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
12 Nicolas Terol 38.323 ESP DUCATI Althea Racing
13 Sylvain Barrier 45.834 FRA BMW BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike Team
14 Roman Ramos 45.955 ESP KAWASAKI Team Go Eleven
15 Chaz Davies 1'00.898 GBR DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
16 Greg Gildenhuys 1'23.943 KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
17 Anucha Nakcharoensri 1'38.125 HONDA YSS TS Racing
18 Imre Toth 1 lap HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
19 Ireneusz Sikora 1 lap BMW BMW Team Toth
20 Chanon Chumjai 1 lap BMW RAC Oil Racing Team
21 Santiago Barragan DNF KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
22 Leon Camier DNF GBR MV AGUSTA MV Agusta Repart Corse
23 Randy de Puniet DNF FRA SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
24 Christophe Ponsson DNF KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team

 

[KUCIAR666]

THAI PODIUM FOR LOWES & VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI

Soaring temperatures and a big crowd saw Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s Alex Lowes ride to a stunning podium finish as Thailand hosted its debut World Superbike races at the Chang International Circuit this afternoon.

Determined to get a great start with his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R, Lowes took second on the opening lap of the final race, holding the position for the first half against the Aprilia of Leon Haslam. Succumbing on lap eight, he continued his stellar 1?34 pace, to maintain a strong gap throughout the remainder of the action, claiming the third place finish and rounding out the day with a podium celebration.

Having demonstrated blistering consistent pace all weekend, a bad start to Lowes? opening race initially saw him demoted him to fifth position before quickly advancing hard on the wheels of Tom Sykes? Kawasaki. Proving somewhat of a roadblock for the next four laps, Lowes took his chance at turn three, regaining his grid position in the hunt for the podium. A mistake on the 12th lap saw the British racer low-side his Suzuki at turn 12 but his determination saw him remount quickly, allowing him to cut back through the pack to finish sixth on the road. A protest from a rival team saw Lowes? demoted to seventh for allegedly passing under a yellow flag.

Struggling with the new circuit, a determined Randy de Puniet battled to 10th by the mid-point of his first Thai race before a last lap mistake dropped him to 13th. The afternoon?s disappointment continued in the concluding action as the Frenchman retired his GSX-R1000 on lap six, taking three points from the second round and leaving him 15th in the standings.

Jonathan Rea claimed both race victories and fastest lap awards aboard his Kawasaki in front of a 50,000-strong crowd at the new Chang circuit in Buriram. Lowes? podium contributed to his day?s haul of 25 points, promoting him to seventh in the Championship after four races.

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s next weekend of competition will herald the start of the Europe season, as the eni FIM Superbike World Championship heads to Aragon in Spain on Sunday April 12th.

Alex Lowes:

?I?m really happy to be back on the podium - it?s a third place but for us it means a lot after Phillip Island! It really should have been two podiums today, I just made a small mistake because I was determined to catch Leon and get second. As a team we?ve all worked so hard but the result is that we are back on the podium and back in the front group, and if we can keep a bit more consistency like this for the rest of the year then it will be a great season for us.

?I don?t really know about the yellow flag penalty, it?s a bit of a shame - Salom went off on the Astroturf at turn four so he shut off and Troy and I obviously passed him and when we arrived at the next corner there was a yellow flag! To be honest I didn?t think much about it. It?s disappointing as two top-sixes would have been good but it is what it is.

?So, one mistake away from it being a really great weekend but I?m really happy with race two, I was quite aggressive at the start but I rode a steady race and it?s a great way to thank the team for their hard work. Now I can concentrate on keeping it going for the next round in Aragon!?

Randy de Puniet:

?It was difficult for me from the first day; we have struggled with the braking and tried many things. The first race was going well because after 12 laps I was 10th and close to the top-six and even though I wasn?t as confident as I had hoped, I was improving my lap times a lot. After lap 12 I struggled with the braking and could only finish 13th.

?Unfortunately in race two we had an engine issue. We need to forget this race and start from zero in Aragon. The only positive points are I am in good shape and impatient to ride at Calafat in 10 days to try the new Marelli system, because every step is important for us. The team worked really hard and it was great for Alex to finish on the podium so we know we can do it, now we just need to put everything together.?

Paul Denning - Team Manager:

?After showing great potential in Philip island and suffering a really difficult race day, it?s been very positive to reconfirm the potential of the 2015 Suzuki GSX-R, and of course Alex himself, this weekend in Thailand. I wouldn?t have said the track suited the bike particularly well but we were fast all weekend, qualified well and aside for a very small mistake in the first race, should have been on the podium in both races. Congratulations to the whole team but especially to Alex, who is only in his second year of international competition but is starting to look like a serious contender.

?On Randy?s side there are unfortunately a lot less positives, it was a tough weekend from start to finish and we need to reset in Aragon and go forward from there. We all know he is a very high-quality rider, but there are some different characteristics to the Superbike and there is some more adapting to be done. We will get there, and as a team we are 100% behind him.?

Chang? eni FIM World Superbike Championship ? Race One: 1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) 31?33.852: 2. Leon Haslam (Aprilia) + 6.329: 3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +8.183: 4. Jordi Torres (Aprilia) + 8.513: 5. Sylvain Guintoli (Honda) +20.502: 7. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) + 22.249.13. Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +41.722.

Chang ? eni FIM World Superbike Championship ? Race Two: 1. Rea 31?31.173: 2. Haslam +4.946: 3. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +8.701: 4. Torres +10.628: 5. Sykes +14.326: Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) DNF.

World Championship Classification: 1. Rea 95: 2. Haslam 85: 3. Sykes 50: 4. Guintoli 41: 5. Torres 39 7. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) 32. 15. Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) 12.

 

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Positive day for Althea Racing at Chang International Circuit

The second round of the World Superbike Championship at the Chang International Circuit has concluded with very positive results for the Althea Racing Team, the first Ducati to cross the line in both races and obtaining fourth position in the overall Team standings.

In Thailand, high temperatures and humidity did not prevent the Althea Racing riders from achieving two solid results. The team came to Asia convinced that the track could suit the Ducati Panigale R. Unfortunately, the four cylinders were at an advantage, making the most of the long straights of the Buriram circuit.

Despite this, both Althea riders ran great races. Matteo Baiocco, starting from twelfth on the grid, was able to improve lap after lap to conclude race 1 in sixth place, and race 2 in eighth, the first and only Italian to cross the line and the first of the Ducatis. In race 1, Baiocco made a great start before battling with champions of the likes of Troy Bayliss (factory Ducati) and managing to get the best of factory Kawasaki rider David Salom on the very last lap, recording his fastest lap in the final stages and proving that he was in great physical shape for this tough round. He repeated the performance in race 2 after a great battle with the omnipresent Troy Bayliss.

On his side, Nico Terol had more trouble finding the right feeling with the Asian track. From 14th on the grid, he closed race 1 in twelfth place but with the desire to improve in race 2. The references obtained in race 1 allowed him to improve significantly on his lap times, reducing the overall gap by several seconds and again scoring a number of useful championship points. Nico is already ready to return to his home country, and Aragon, a track at which he already won races in both 125 GP and Moto 2.



Riders comments at the end of the day:



Matteo Baiocco: ?I?m pleased to have made continuous improvement throughout these two races. Even in qualifying we saw that that we could be inside the first eight and we are able to achieve this in the races too. I made two good starts, keeping pace until the end. I have grown a lot since Phillip Island and now we head to Aragon in high spirits. I am also very pleased for the Team as the guys have worked really hard, the bike was working well and to be the first of the Ducatis across the line makes both me and the team very happy.?

Nico Terol: ?I have had more trouble than I expected this weekend, I was unable to interpret the circuit as I wanted. This only spurs me on to work harder, the team has worked really well, seeking and testing different solutions which gave me better feeling with the bike in race 2 ? I improved a little. Now I?m focusing on Aragon, a circuit that I really like and where I want to make two great races in front of my fans.?

Genesio Bevilacqua: ?We came to Thailand not knowing how we would interpret this new track. We?ve done all we can with our technical package, but strangely we realized after the first half hour that we would have some serious problems in terms of the long straights, that did not allow us to be competitive against the four cylinders. Our job was to focus in order be as competitive as possible as twin cylinders. We made two great races, Baiocco put in an important performance, positive in terms of both his, and the team?s morale. We?re pleased to go home with two great results and Terol too has made continuous improvement. The fact that we were the first Ducati across the line in both races is also important as we look ahead ? from Aragon onward we will surely have the chance to score some important results.?