Fifteen days after the inaugural event fought out on the Ledenon circuit, the drivers of the French F4 Championship met again for the Pau Grand Prix, ready to tear down the streets of the Béarnaise city. Simon Gachet, the “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” 2011, created a stir when he won second place right from the very start of the qualifiers in Ledenon and finished second in race 2 after leading the race for a great part of it. Emerging from rugby, he discovered motorsport last year, without even going through the karting stage, unlike his young friends, Simon has astonished everyone!

Arriving in Pau with great ambitions, Simon Gachet stepped up on the second step of the podium twice for both races fought out on the urban circuit of the city. The “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” 2011 was the driver who won the most points during this “risky” weekend, boosting his rise in the general provisional ranking of the French F4 Championship where he now stands in 3rd place.

After some studious free practice, Simon Gachet completed some great qualifiers finishing with 4th and 3rd places on the starting grid, advantageous positions in a race where it’s almost impossible to overtake!

Off to a good start in race 1 which saw him finish the first lap in 4th place, the “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” would benefit from a penalty attributed to his leading opponents to finish in second place. Same again for the second race where he would also finish in second place after a brilliant and consistent race, the “Gachet” rocket was launched:

“I came to Pau with the objective of picking up some big championship  points on a very technical and dangerous circuit. Objective achieved since I did win the most. For that I knew it was vital to succeed in the qualifiers to get a start on the two front lines, after that it was relatively easy because I only had to control the situation according to events on the track, I think I had a successful weekend. A big thank you to EUROFORMULA and RALF TECH.”

There was satisfaction all around at EUROFORMULA, as the director, Laurent Fradon, tells us: “He was the driver who brought in the most points from this weekend and there’s no doubt that it will weigh heavily in the balance when the tally is counted for the championship! Simon knew how to manage the pressure perfectly while all the time being fast and consistent, he is among the lead players of this championship and he’s fast becoming one of the favourites for the title. The next step  is victory but not at any price, Simon must always keep in mind that it is the intermediate points that often determine the champion!”

The next challenge in the French F4 Championship will take place on June 23 and 24 on the Val de Vienne circuit where Simon Gachet has always felt at home. We can now count on the “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” 2011, and thoughts of victory are now among the possibilities!

Donington Park (UK), Sunday 13 May 2012 – A 48,500 strong crowd saw some astounding race action at Donington in two sun-blessed 23-lap races, which culminated in a moment of history for one of the world’s most important motorcycle manufacturers, some of the best SBK racing ever seen and changes near the top of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship table.

After Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) won the first race, the German manufacturer added its name to the list of race-winning makes for the very first time. In race two a classic multi-rider battle ended up in joy and heartbreak for some top riders, as Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) came out on top after a final corner melee.

The end result of one of the best days of racing imaginable is that Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) leads the championship with 128.5 points, from double podium man Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) on 123, and Rea on 108. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) is fourth on 105.5. The top four championship places are now covered by only 23 points, after five rounds and nine individual races.

Race 1

A truly historic 1-2 for BMW saw Melandri win the opening race with his team-mate Leon Haslam only 0.728 seconds behind. An eventual five rider fight for the podium places provided overtaking and personal duels aplenty as the race order changed multiple times. Tissot-Superpole winner Sykes won a tense battle to go third, with Rea making up places in the final laps to overhaul Biaggi and take fourth. The leading five were covered by only 2.102 seconds at the end of the race. Checa was sixth, four seconds from the win, making it five different manufacturers in the top six at the flag. Melandri’s win also means that six different riders have now won races this year, representing five different manufacturers – and all with nine rounds and 18 races left to go.

Marco Melandri: “It means a lot to me to win this for such a good factory like BMW, it’s history and something I could not dream about when I was young. I just want to say thanks to BMW in Germany, the team on track and everybody involved in the project. We have been working so hard and we never give up even when we found some difficulties. We are working still right now to stay at the top and I am so happy to be here. I had good race pace yesterday and today the tyres have been working very good until the end. We managed the situation well but at the beginning I was not so fast, but fortunately Tom and Leon were fighting a lot so they lost a bit of time and we could catch them again. We are so happy for this win.”

Leon Haslam: “I found myself on the wrong side of Marco, on the right side of him into the Esses and I nearly went into the back off him so I had to let off the brakes and I am disappointed because I did feel quite good up to that point. Fair play to Marco and we got a BMW 1-2 which is fantastic. Hopefully we can make amends in the next one and not make that mistake. I want to dedicate this result to the late Robert Fearnall, who was a big, big friend of the family and Donington.”

Tom Sykes: “A fantastic race, I really enjoyed it and it certainly felt like a long, seemed to go on for many laps. Overall I think we had a very good show, lots of passing, and a little bit too much at some corners, especially at the Foggy Esses, which seemed to claim a few victims. Overall I am very happy to be on the podium and collecting some good solid points again with the Ninja ZX-10R. Unfortunately we seemed to struggle at one particular part of the track and that definitely affected our race performance, but hopefully we can improve on that very small sector and go better in race two. As for now a podium is good enough.”

Results: 1. Melandri M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 34’26.736; 2. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 0.728; 3. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1.609; 4. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1.819; 5. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2.102; 6. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 4.820; 7. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 7.520; 8. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 7.927; 9. Camier L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 15.144; 10. Fabrizio M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 16.065; 11. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 19.805; 12. Davies C. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 20.170; 13. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 21.274; 14. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 21.517; 15. Laverty E. (IRL) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 26.920; 16. Baz L. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 35.025; etc.

Race 2

Rea took his second win of the season after an incident-strewn Race 2 at Donington. On the first corner Checa and Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) touched and Checa went down, taking out Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati) and Checa’s team-mate Davide Giugliano. Then Laverty himself crashed heading down Craner Curves as eventual third place man Sykes led for most of race distance. He was finally overhauled by a warring faction which included eventual second place man Biaggi plus Haslam and Melandri. After a multitude of overtakes and riders running off track on occasion, Haslam looked to have it won until both he and Melandri ran wide as the Italian attempted a pass into the very last corner and Rea pushed inside as a gap opened up. He and Haslam collided and Haslam fell, knocking off Melandri with his stricken bike as he slid across the track. Rea held on to win by just over half a second from Biaggi, with Sykes two second back in third place. Leon Camier (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) was an impressive fourth.

Jonathan Rea: “In the last corner there were five guys out there wanting to win a race, most of all Melandri came from a long way back on Leon to create a gap that I went for, me and Leon touched and I’m really sorry that he crashed. But more importantly we’ve won, taken 25 points and I’ve given my team a great reward for giving me a great bike this weekend.”

Max Biaggi: “In race 2 the bike was a little better, I could keep up and race with the guys more than before. When the tyre went off I was struggling and then the last lap was simple, everyone tried to go inside and take my position: Melandri, Jonathan, everybody! I didn’t give up, stayed cool and second place came automatically. I cannot say I’m very happy but the result is OK.”

Tom Sykes: “Yet again we got the holeshot and led for a number of laps, but I was missing a bit of feeling with the wind, which was unfortunate. I managed to stay out front but made one mistake and all the other guys came past at a rate of knots. We didn’t quite have the best setting this weekend but a pole position and two podiums is great for myself and the Kawasaki team. I had the best seat in the house for the last couple of laps, but for me five minus two equals a podium so I’m very happy!”

Results: 1. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 34’31.847; 2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 0.508; 3. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2.029; 4. Camier L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 4.245; 5. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 6.595; 6. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 17.469; 7. Davies C. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 17.788; 8. Baz L. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 21.093; 9. Hickman P. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 21.866; 10. Aoyama H. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 22.620; 11. Canepa N. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 26.764; 12. Zanetti L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 27.043; 13. Fabrizio M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 28.390; 14. Aitchison M. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 56.618; 15. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1’20.196; etc.

Points (after 5 of 14 rounds): 1. Biaggi 128.5; 2. Sykes 123.5; 3. Rea 108; 4. Checa 105.5; 5. Melandri 97.5; 6. Haslam 89; 7. Guintoli 85; 8. Laverty 65; 9. Giugliano 50; 10. Smrz 44.5; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 161.5; 2. Aprilia 139; 3. BMW 131; 4. Kawasaki 129.5; 5. Honda 112; 6. Suzuki 40.5.

World Supersport

In winning his first ever WSS race British rider Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) became the fifth different winner in five races this season and the third in a row on a Honda machine. Having struggled on with a stomach bug of some kind since Friday, and suffering a serious finger injury in a fall on Saturday, Lowes had to work hard to resist a late push from eventual second place finisher, Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini). Lowes came within 0.003 seconds of setting a new lap record in his efforts to keep the Turkish rider behind him on the penultimate lap, and is now only six points from Sofuoglu in the championship. Third place today was taken by third ranked rider overall, Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda). Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda) was in the early fight for the podium places but dropped back to fourth, while Glen Richards (Smiths Gloucester Triumph) finished fifth today and Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) sixth.

Results: 1. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 33’43.603; 2. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Kawasaki ZX-6R 0.678; 3. Cluzel J. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 3.987; 4. Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 8.088; 5. Richards G. (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 11.786; 6. Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 20.849; 7. Quarmby R. (RSA) Honda CBR600RR 23.795; 8. Debise V. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 24.094; etc.

Points (after 5 of 13 rounds): 1. Sofuoglu 81; 2. Lowes 76; 3. Cluzel 64; 4. Foret 55; 5. Parkes 42; 6. Baldolini 38; 7. Quarmby 34; 8. Morais 27; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 111; 2. Kawasaki 106; 3. Triumph 51; 4. Yamaha 43; 5. Suzuki 6.

Donington Park (UK), Sunday 13 May 2012 – A 48,500 strong crowd saw some astounding race action at Donington in two sun-blessed 23-lap races, which culminated in a moment of history for one of the world’s most important motorcycle manufacturers, some of the best SBK racing ever seen and changes near the top of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship table.

After Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) won the first race, the German manufacturer added its name to the list of race-winning makes for the very first time. In race two a classic multi-rider battle ended up in joy and heartbreak for some top riders, as Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) came out on top after a final corner melee.

The end result of one of the best days of racing imaginable is that Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) leads the championship with 128.5 points, from double podium man Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) on 123, and Rea on 108. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) is fourth on 105.5. The top four championship places are now covered by only 23 points, after five rounds and nine individual races.

Race 1

A truly historic 1-2 for BMW saw Melandri win the opening race with his team-mate Leon Haslam only 0.728 seconds behind. An eventual five rider fight for the podium places provided overtaking and personal duels aplenty as the race order changed multiple times. Tissot-Superpole winner Sykes won a tense battle to go third, with Rea making up places in the final laps to overhaul Biaggi and take fourth. The leading five were covered by only 2.102 seconds at the end of the race. Checa was sixth, four seconds from the win, making it five different manufacturers in the top six at the flag. Melandri’s win also means that six different riders have now won races this year, representing five different manufacturers – and all with nine rounds and 18 races left to go.

Marco Melandri: “It means a lot to me to win this for such a good factory like BMW, it’s history and something I could not dream about when I was young. I just want to say thanks to BMW in Germany, the team on track and everybody involved in the project. We have been working so hard and we never give up even when we found some difficulties. We are working still right now to stay at the top and I am so happy to be here. I had good race pace yesterday and today the tyres have been working very good until the end. We managed the situation well but at the beginning I was not so fast, but fortunately Tom and Leon were fighting a lot so they lost a bit of time and we could catch them again. We are so happy for this win.”

Leon Haslam: “I found myself on the wrong side of Marco, on the right side of him into the Esses and I nearly went into the back off him so I had to let off the brakes and I am disappointed because I did feel quite good up to that point. Fair play to Marco and we got a BMW 1-2 which is fantastic. Hopefully we can make amends in the next one and not make that mistake. I want to dedicate this result to the late Robert Fearnall, who was a big, big friend of the family and Donington.”

Tom Sykes: “A fantastic race, I really enjoyed it and it certainly felt like a long, seemed to go on for many laps. Overall I think we had a very good show, lots of passing, and a little bit too much at some corners, especially at the Foggy Esses, which seemed to claim a few victims. Overall I am very happy to be on the podium and collecting some good solid points again with the Ninja ZX-10R. Unfortunately we seemed to struggle at one particular part of the track and that definitely affected our race performance, but hopefully we can improve on that very small sector and go better in race two. As for now a podium is good enough.”

Results: 1. Melandri M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 34’26.736; 2. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 0.728; 3. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1.609; 4. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1.819; 5. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2.102; 6. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 4.820; 7. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 7.520; 8. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 7.927; 9. Camier L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 15.144; 10. Fabrizio M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 16.065; 11. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 19.805; 12. Davies C. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 20.170; 13. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 21.274; 14. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 21.517; 15. Laverty E. (IRL) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 26.920; 16. Baz L. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 35.025; etc.

Race 2

Rea took his second win of the season after an incident-strewn Race 2 at Donington. On the first corner Checa and Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) touched and Checa went down, taking out Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati) and Checa’s team-mate Davide Giugliano. Then Laverty himself crashed heading down Craner Curves as eventual third place man Sykes led for most of race distance. He was finally overhauled by a warring faction which included eventual second place man Biaggi plus Haslam and Melandri. After a multitude of overtakes and riders running off track on occasion, Haslam looked to have it won until both he and Melandri ran wide as the Italian attempted a pass into the very last corner and Rea pushed inside as a gap opened up. He and Haslam collided and Haslam fell, knocking off Melandri with his stricken bike as he slid across the track. Rea held on to win by just over half a second from Biaggi, with Sykes two second back in third place. Leon Camier (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) was an impressive fourth.

Jonathan Rea: “In the last corner there were five guys out there wanting to win a race, most of all Melandri came from a long way back on Leon to create a gap that I went for, me and Leon touched and I’m really sorry that he crashed. But more importantly we’ve won, taken 25 points and I’ve given my team a great reward for giving me a great bike this weekend.”

Max Biaggi: “In race 2 the bike was a little better, I could keep up and race with the guys more than before. When the tyre went off I was struggling and then the last lap was simple, everyone tried to go inside and take my position: Melandri, Jonathan, everybody! I didn’t give up, stayed cool and second place came automatically. I cannot say I’m very happy but the result is OK.”

Tom Sykes: “Yet again we got the holeshot and led for a number of laps, but I was missing a bit of feeling with the wind, which was unfortunate. I managed to stay out front but made one mistake and all the other guys came past at a rate of knots. We didn’t quite have the best setting this weekend but a pole position and two podiums is great for myself and the Kawasaki team. I had the best seat in the house for the last couple of laps, but for me five minus two equals a podium so I’m very happy!”

Results: 1. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 34’31.847; 2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 0.508; 3. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2.029; 4. Camier L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 4.245; 5. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 6.595; 6. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 17.469; 7. Davies C. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 17.788; 8. Baz L. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 21.093; 9. Hickman P. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 21.866; 10. Aoyama H. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 22.620; 11. Canepa N. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 26.764; 12. Zanetti L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 27.043; 13. Fabrizio M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 28.390; 14. Aitchison M. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 56.618; 15. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1’20.196; etc.

Points (after 5 of 14 rounds): 1. Biaggi 128.5; 2. Sykes 123.5; 3. Rea 108; 4. Checa 105.5; 5. Melandri 97.5; 6. Haslam 89; 7. Guintoli 85; 8. Laverty 65; 9. Giugliano 50; 10. Smrz 44.5; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 161.5; 2. Aprilia 139; 3. BMW 131; 4. Kawasaki 129.5; 5. Honda 112; 6. Suzuki 40.5.

World Supersport

In winning his first ever WSS race British rider Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) became the fifth different winner in five races this season and the third in a row on a Honda machine. Having struggled on with a stomach bug of some kind since Friday, and suffering a serious finger injury in a fall on Saturday, Lowes had to work hard to resist a late push from eventual second place finisher, Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini). Lowes came within 0.003 seconds of setting a new lap record in his efforts to keep the Turkish rider behind him on the penultimate lap, and is now only six points from Sofuoglu in the championship. Third place today was taken by third ranked rider overall, Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda). Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda) was in the early fight for the podium places but dropped back to fourth, while Glen Richards (Smiths Gloucester Triumph) finished fifth today and Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) sixth.

Results: 1. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 33’43.603; 2. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Kawasaki ZX-6R 0.678; 3. Cluzel J. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 3.987; 4. Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 8.088; 5. Richards G. (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 11.786; 6. Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 20.849; 7. Quarmby R. (RSA) Honda CBR600RR 23.795; 8. Debise V. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 24.094; etc.

Points (after 5 of 13 rounds): 1. Sofuoglu 81; 2. Lowes 76; 3. Cluzel 64; 4. Foret 55; 5. Parkes 42; 6. Baldolini 38; 7. Quarmby 34; 8. Morais 27; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 111; 2. Kawasaki 106; 3. Triumph 51; 4. Yamaha 43; 5. Suzuki 6.

Donington (UK), Friday 11 May 2012 – Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati) loves Donington Park and today it loved him right back as he took provisional pole after posting the fastest lap in the opening qualifying session. After the rain flags came out momentarily at the start of the 45-minute session track conditions improved and a flurry of fast times in the last few minutes of qualifying put Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) second, Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) third and true home boy Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) fourth. Rea had two falls today, one shortly after the start of this morning’s free session and one at the end of this afternoon’s qualifying run, without injury.

British riders were, predictably, to the fore, as Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) was fifth and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing team) sixth. Sykes had headed up the first unofficial practice session in the morning.

The overnight second row was completed by Michel Fabrizio’s BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet machine, and the first Aprilia Racing entry in the rankings, ridden by 2010 champion Max Biaggi.

Two local riders were given the opportunity to run as wildcards at Donington, with Peter Hickman (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) in 17th place and Gary Mason (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) 23rd. New Kawasaki Racing Team rider Loris Baz was 20th in his first ever SBK qualifying session.

One more regulation qualifying session remains tomorrow, before the top 16 riders move on to Tissot-Superpole.

Times: 1. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1’29.336; 2. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’29.394; 3. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’29.507; 4. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1’29.604; 5. Camier L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’29.614; 6. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’29.719; 7. Fabrizio M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’29.918; 8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’29.973; 9. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’29.977; 10. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’29.986; 11. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1’30.225; 12. Melandri M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’30.245; 13. Davies C. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’30.392; 14. Aoyama H. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1’30.522; 15. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1’30.539; 16. Laverty E. (IRL) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’30.577;

World Supersport

Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) came close to setting a new best lap in the Supersport World Championship class during the first qualifying session at Donington. By grabbing provisional pole with his 1 minute 31.155 second lap time he was almost a second ahead of Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) and just over a second ahead of Monza race winner Jules Cluzel (Honda PTR). Wildcard Australian team-mates Glen Richards and Billy McConnell (Smiths Gloucester Triumph) were fourth and fifth respectively. Ronan Quarmby (PTR Honda) and Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda) were the last riders into the 1 minute 32 seconds lap times.

Times: 1. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1’31.155; 2. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’32.053; 3. Cluzel J. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1’32.281; 4. Richards G. (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 1’32.397; 5. McConnell B. (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 1’32.505; 6. Quarmby R. (RSA) Honda CBR600RR 1’32.724; 7. Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1’32.856; 8. Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’33.064;

Rome (Italy), 8 May 2012 – The 2012 eni FIM Superbike World Championship continues its first European leg of races this coming weekend at the Donington Park circuit in the UK, where it all began back in 1988, the year of the very first round of the production-based series. 25 years and 301 rounds further on, the East Midlands track 180 kms north of London is getting ready to offer even more excitement at what will be the fifth of 14 rounds this season and races number 598 and 599 in its history.

The complicated Monza weekend left the points standings virtually unchanged, Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) still in control but with a two-point lead over Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati). With his triumph at the fastest circuit on the calendar Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) is now just six points away from the top slot and ready to make the most of home advantage. Donington is ideal ground for another great race by Sykes, who first emerged on the world scene in 2008 when he finished second on a Suzuki as a wild-card rider behind the three-times champion Troy Bayliss.

Biaggi has never won at Donington but he does have a 50% podium record, four times out of eight. His compatriot Marco Melandri, currently fourth in the table 25 points behind the leader, has gone better in the UK, taking his first win in Superbike last year and sharing the day with Carlos Checa.

In 2011 the Spaniard picked up the most points (45 out of 50 with a win and a second place) on a Ducati, a bike that in all of its different versions has won at Donington 17 times in 38 races. Another rider to keep an eye on will be Jonathan Rea, fifth in the points table but 27.5 points behind Biaggi: the spectacular northern Irishman has never been on the podium at Donington while Honda have not won a race here since 2008 when Ryuichi Kiyonari scored the double in a wet race.

The numerous UK fans expected to pack into Donington will also be cheering on their local hero Leon Haslam, the BMW Motorrad man who hails from just down the road near Derby. Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati), who scored his first win in the wet at Assen but then had to take a rain check from pole at Monza due to a problem in the warm-up lap, is also sure to be back on the ball this weekend.

It will also be a home round for the Crescent FIXI Suzuki team, which will line up with Leon Camier, podium finisher in 2011 with Aprilia and American John Hopkins who will probably not be in perfect form after picking up a broken bone in his foot at Monza. With the possibility of utilizing reference data accumulated in recent editions of the BSB championship, the Suzuki GSX-R might be in with a chance of gate-crashing the WSB regulars’ party.

Good news comes on the weather front, with a sunny weekend on the cards: after the rain that has ruined the last two rounds at Assen and Monza, the British crowd will be hoping for some true Superbike action at their home event.

Points (after 4 of 14 rounds): 1. Biaggi 97.5; 2. Checa 95.5; 3. Sykes 91.5; 4. Melandri 72.5; 5. Rea 70; 6. Haslam 68; 7. Guintoli 66; 8. Laverty 64; 9. Smrz 42.5; 10. Giugliano 41; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 140.5; 2. Aprilia 108; 3. Kawasaki 97.5; 4. BMW 96; 5. Honda 74; 6. Suzuki 20.5.

World Supersport

The Supersport World Championship for the medium cylinder sector bikes continues its unpredictable run with four different winners in four rounds and a spectacular start to the season. The group is headed by former double champ, Turkey’s Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) who after claiming the opening round win has proved to be the most consistent rider in terms of results and placements. The chasing group is led by Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda), who is yet to win a race but who provided such a great spectacle to finish runner-up at Monza, a result that allowed him to cut the gap to the Turk to just ten points. Unlike Superbike, Supersport is run over a single race format and each win assigns 25 points.

The biggest step forward in this sense has been made by series newcomer Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) who was brilliant in the wet to conquer his first win in the category and move to within 13 points of Sofuoglu. Just one point ahead of Cluzel is his fellow Frenchman Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Intermoto Step) who is still up in the leading positions despite only notching up four points in the last two outings.

Alex Baldolini (Power Team by Suriano Triumph) is the leading Italian in the points, in fifth place and the only man capable of keeping up with the front-runners, if one excludes Lorenzo Lanzi who dominated in the wet at Assen in a one-off outing. Baldolini knows Donington well, having raced there in Moto2, while right behind him is Australian Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda) whose season has gone from bad to worse recently after he crashed out of the lead at Monza.

The Donington weekend event schedule will not include the two Superstock categories or the KTM European Junior Cup which now take a break until the next round at Misano on June 8-10.

Points (after 4 of 13 rounds): 1. Sofuoglu 61; 2. Lowes 51; 3. Foret 49; 4. Cluzel 48; 5. Baldolini 34; 6. Parkes 29; 7. Leonov 26; 8. Lanzi 25; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 86; 2. Kawasaki 86; 3. Yamaha 40; 4. Triumph 40; 5. Suzuki 6.

Monza (Italy), Sunday 6 May 2012 – Thanks to poor weather conditions that came and went all day at Monza the first race had to be cancelled and only one SBK contest took place, which was then unavoidably shortened to half distance. On a day of uncertainties and unpredictable track conditions Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) provided an emphatic win out of all proportion to the short eight laps the race lasted before the rains came back to spoil the party yet again. His margin of victory was 9.709 seconds, more than a second per lap faster than his main rivals in damp but drying track conditions. An overall crowd figure of 85,000 was recorded at the Autodromo Nazionale for this weekend’s event.

Tom Sykes: “There’s been a lot of commotion today, but to get the win for Kawasaki and the ZX-10R is great for us. The bike was awesome in the race, there were a lot of damp patches, but I had such good feedback I was able to get my head down and go about business in a good way. It’s a shame the race couldn’t go two-thirds distance but, hopefully now we can move on to a very sunny England and have some consistent weather for a change!.”

Leon Haslam: “I think we made the best of a bad day, 14^th on the grid wasn’t ideal. It was quite difficult to overtake coming off the dry line, but it worked out perfect. We managed to get second, Tom was too quick from the get-go and by the time I got second he had already gone. A big credit to BMW, I’m happy to just get back onto the podium.”

Eugene Laverty: “We’ve been strong all weekend here at Monza in these conditions but I think we’re all just relieved to get that race over. I’m happy to be on the podium, home safe and sound. When I saw Leon go in front of me because he’s very experienced, I was happy to follow him and let him lead the way because there were some damp patches. Pleased for the podium after a tough day.”

As the race was so short, but beyond the lap count that would mean a restart, only half points were awarded to all the top 15 finishers. Tissot-Superpole winner Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert-Liberty Ducati) looked like he would be the man to challenge Sykes but his bike stalled on the final warm-up lap and he could not get back to the grid in time to make the start. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) and Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) headed up a warring group of six potential podium riders, with Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) fifth and Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) seventh.

Sykes is the fifth different race winner of the year and race victories have now been taken by Aprilia, Ducati, Honda and Kawasaki riders, after only seven individual race finishes.

Results: 1. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 14’08.800; 2. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 9.709; 3. Laverty E. (IRL) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 10.119; 4. Melandri M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 10.294; 5. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 10.527; 6. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 10.638; 7. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 10.899; 8. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 12.195; 9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 13.199; 10. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 19.372; 11. Aoyama H. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 24.551; 12. Davies C. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 24.655; 13. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 24.662; 14. Zanetti L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 24.668; 15. Camier L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 24.810; 16. Mercado L. (ARG) Kawasaki ZX-10R 24.935; etc.

Points (after 4 of 14 rounds): 1. Biaggi 97.5; 2. Checa 95.5; 3. Sykes 91.5; 4. Melandri 72.5; 5. Rea 70; 6. Haslam 68; 7. Guintoli 66; 8. Laverty 64; 9. Smrz 42.5; 10. Giugliano 41; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 140.5; 2. Aprilia 108; 3. Kawasaki 97.5; 4. BMW 96; 5. Honda 74; 6. Suzuki 20.5.

World Supersport

Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) won what was only his fourth ever Supersport race, in wet conditions at Monza. He finally held off an exciting late challenge from Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) who passed him going into the final corner, but was forced wide to allow Cluzel to duck inside and claim the prize. Some way back, Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) was a safe third, ahead of the impressive wet-weather abilities of Imre Toth (Racing Team Toth). Fifth was wild card rider Stefano Cruciani (Puccetti Racing Kawasaki Italia).

Results: 1. Cluzel J. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 33’08.897; 2. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 0.312; 3. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Kawasaki ZX-6R 17.369; 4. Toth I. (HUN) Honda CBR600RR 21.528; 5. Cruciani S. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 29.469; 6. Baldolini A. (ITA) Triumph Daytona 675 32.214; 7. Roccoli M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 43.577; 8. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 43.949; etc.

Points (after 4 of 13 rounds): 1. Sofuoglu 61; 2. Lowes 51; 3. Foret 49; 4. Cluzel 48; 5. Baldolini 34; 6. Parkes 29; 7. Leonov 26; 8. Lanzi 25; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 86; 2. Kawasaki 86; 3. Yamaha 40; 4. Triumph 40; 5. Suzuki 6.

Superstock 1000

Lorenzo Savadori (Barni Racing Team Italia) took the all-new Ducati 1199 Panigale to its first win in this class of racing, on a drying track at Monza. With the previous championship leader Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) falling late in the race the championship lead was taken over by Savadori, who has 53 points to Barrier’s unchanged 50. Christoffer Bergman (BWG Racing Kawasaki) was an impressive second, only 1.65 seconds behind, with Eddi La Marra (Barni Racing Team Italia) right behind him. Fabio Massei (EAB Ten Kate Junior Team) was fourth in the 11-lap race with Marco Bussolotti (SK Energy Racing Team Ducati). With his third place La Mara is now only five points from the leader Savadori and two behind Barrier.

Results: 1. Savadori L. (ITA) Ducati 1199 Panigale 21’21.255; 2. Bergman C. (SWE) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1.651; 3. La Marra E. (ITA) Ducati 1199 Panigale 1.884; 4. Massei F. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 3.071; 5. Bussolotti M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 11.194; 6. Gyorfi A. (HUN) Honda CBR1000RR 21.378; 7. Reiterberger M. (GER) BMW S1000 RR 26.047; 8. Baroni L. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 30.259; etc.

Points (after 3 of 10 rounds): 1. Savadori 53; 2. Barrier 50; 3. La Marra 48; 4. Reiterberger 35; 5. Baz 30; 6. Bergman 28; 7. Massei 23; 8. Baroni 20; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 61; 2. BMW 59; 3. Kawasaki 50; 4. Honda 23; 5 Aprilia 11.

Superstock 600

Riccardo Russo (Team Italia FMI Yamaha) won the Superstock 600 class in fully wet conditions on his R6, after a deluge of rain forced the start of the race to be put back as full rain tyres were fitted. It was his second win of the year. Gauthier Duwelz (Team MTM Racing) was second on another Yamaha with the first Honda home being the EAB Ten Kate Junior Team CBR600RR of Bastien Chesaux. Michael van der Mark, Chesaux’s team-mate, was fourth and only 3.5 seconds from Russo.

Results: 1. Russo R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 13’18.546; 2. Duwelz G. (BEL) Yamaha YZF R6 1.694; 3. Chesaux B. (SUI) Honda CBR600RR 2.307; 4. Vd Mark M. (NED) Honda CBR600RR 3.509; 5. Vitali L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 6.211; 6. Calero Perez N. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R6 6.254; 7. Covea T. (NED) Kawasaki ZX-6R 10.982; 8. Schacht A. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 16.186; etc.

Points (after 3 of 10 rounds): 1. Russo 61; 2. Vd Mark 54; 3. Calero Perez 50; 4. Duwelz 42; 5. Chesaux 26; 6. Egea 24; 7. Vitali 20; 8. Schacht 18; etc.

European Junior Cup

The reappearance of fierce rainfall during the second lap of the KTM European Junior Cup at Monza brought out the red flags and the delayed race was subsequently cancelled in the interest of rider safety.

Points (after 2 of 8 rounds): 1. Pasek 25; 2. Hartog 20; 3. Wielebski 16; 4. Demoulin 13; 5. Patterson 11; 6. Lewis 10; etc.

A POSITIVE FIRST FOR NELSON PANCIATICI

SIGNATECH-NISSAN‘s G-DRIVE team arrived on the SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS circuit with legitimate podium ambitions but the loss of a rear wheel, as yet unexplained, wrecked all their hopes. Pierre Ragues, behind the wheel when it happened, was positioning the car so that his co-drivers could finish the job and fight for the final victory.

Roman Rusinov took the wheel next after a thirty minute stop in the stands and after two very good relays passed his seat on to Nelson Panciatici.

The young G-DRIVE by SIGNATECH-NISSAN driver then launched into the battle while keeping in mind that his objective was to learn to manage the traffic and bring the car back intact. This would not stop him from making the third best time in LMP2, two small tenths of a second behind first before running into a gear change problem.

Nelson: “I spent more energy watching the television screens to follow my co-drivers than I did in the car! It’s incredible how we share the emotions. This weekend was really valuable for me, I learnt a lot and I’m starting to get into the competition. Our ORECA is well balanced which means we are fast throughout a relay. I feel I’ve found my place in the team, in difficult moments they don’t miss a trick and I know that with Pierre and Roman we have the means to do something great together. Looking back doesn’t help much, I prefer to focus on the future. We could say that I passed my entrance exam this weekend!”

For Philippe Sinault, although frustrated, he knows that there is light at the end of the tunnel:

“Difficult weekend… With the times we made in the race and in free practice 2 by Nelson, we should have been able to achieve something here at Spa. But the gods of Belgium didn’t grant our wish. The Panciatici-Ragues-Rusinov team is balanced. Spa was their first outing and we have to rehearse before Le Mans… For a first, the whole team behaved well and without the loss of that wheel, still unexplained, we could have had a very good result for our first race.”

The whole G-DRIVE by SIGNATECH-NISSAN team will be on the Magny-Cours circuit next week for night trials in their continuing preparation for the coming Le Mans 24 Hours, culmination of the season which looks to be tightly fought in the LMP2 category.

Monza (Italy), Saturday 5 May 2012 - Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing) made the best of the continuing difficult and changeable track conditions at Monza to record his first ever Tissot-Superpole win. At a circuit that was not expected to favour the twin-cylinders this was a surprise result to most but Guintoli richly deserved his pre-race success after a gamble to use a slick rear tyre on a slowly drying track paid off.

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was unable to quite reach the level of Guintoli, as he failed to win the pole prize for the first time this year, but in the final free qualifying session he used the slipstream provided by another rider to take his ZX-10R to a new record top speed in SBK history, 339.5 km/h, which equates to over 210mph.

A wet Superpole was called which meant that there would be only two sessions, each of 20 minutes duration, with the slowest eight riders eliminated after the first session. As soon as the first part started bright sunshine dried the wet track, particularly on the main straight, but further small showers were evident around the lap before the finish.

Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) was third in Tissot-Superpole, Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) fourth.

Sylvain Guintoli: “First pole for me and in difficult conditions! Unlike Tom and Marco I’m hoping for rain tomorrow, I’ll probably do a dance before the race. Today I had to take a lot of risks, I decided to go with the slick tyres and some corners were still wet, so it was quite dangerous and the last lap was very exciting. I thought Tom had enough watches now and I could do with one for my wife!”

Tom Sykes: “We’ve done a good job over the race weekend, we’ve got a good consistent race pace, and hopefully it’ll be dry. Today it wasn’t to be; we got outpaced by the ‘snails’, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Obviously it’s great for the Kawasaki to be so fast, I had fantastic drive from the exit of the Parabolica and who better but Max to be directly in front, I had a lot of help from him! Setting a new record is just a little bit extra for the books!”

Marco Melandri: “For sure it’s a good result, it’s been such difficult weather. I’m happy now because after Assen I was a bit worried about the wet conditions. BMW made a good job, the bike is working better and it’s nice to be on the front row. We got a new engine one month ago and it’s working pretty good here. I hope the weather will be a bit more stable. I hope to give a good race to Silvano (Galbusera) who is not here today.”

The second row of the grid for Sunday’s races will be headed by Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) with Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing), Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) and Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) alongside him. John Hopkins (Crescent FIXI Suzuki) and Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing) completed the top ten after just missing out on qualification for Superpole 2, but the most disappointed rider on the day was local man Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia Gold Bet) who had been fastest in combined qualifying but only 11^th after Superpole. The last place on the third row was taken by Leon Camier (Crescent FIXI Suzuki).

Times: 1. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1’54.276; 2. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’54.990; 3. Melandri M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’55.971; 4. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’56.793; 5. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’57.630; 6. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’58.666; 7. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1’59.718; 8. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2’00.645; 9. Hopkins J. (USA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’59.489; 10. Laverty E. (IRL) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’59.680; 11. Fabrizio M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’59.681; 12. Camier L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’59.845; 13. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’59.978; 14. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 2’00.093; 15. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’00.602; 16. Davies C. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2’01.772; etc.

World Supersport

The white flag with a diagonal red cross that signifies rain on track was a near constant sight on the second day of action at Monza and thus Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) took pole thanks to his Friday best time. It was his third straight pole position of the year, only missing out in the first round in Australia. With lap times over two minutes in the second qualifying session none of the riders improved in their opening day pace. Second on the grid for Sunday’s race will be Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) who will be close to his team-mate Sheridan Morais. Another regular Kawasaki rider, Fabien Foret (Intermoto Step Racing) is fourth on the grid. Local rider Stefano Cruciani (Puccetti Racing Kawasaki Italia) takes fifth place, Roberto Tamburini (Team Lorini Honda) sixth.

Times: 1. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1’47.601; 2. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’48.038; 3. Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’48.419; 4. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’48.696; 5. Cruciani S. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’48.808; 6. Tamburini R. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’48.817; 7. Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1’48.910; 8. Scholtz M. (RSA) Honda CBR600RR 1’49.188; etc.

Superstock 1000

Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) will start the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race from pole position after the final session was conducted in fully wet conditions today and therefore his Friday lap time was the fastest of all. Second on the combined qualifying sheets is Lorenzo Savadori (Barni Racing Team Italia) while Lorenzo Baroni (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) will get off the line from third sport on the grid, one place higher than Savadori’s team-mate Eddi La Marra (Barni Racing Team Italia).

Times: 1. Barrier S. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 1’46.340; 2. Savadori L. (ITA) Ducati 1199 Panigale 1’46.776; 3. Baroni L. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’46.917; 4. La Marra E. (ITA) Ducati 1199 Panigale 1’46.973; 5. Staring B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’47.237; 6. Bergman C. (SWE) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’47.342; 7. Reiterberger M. (GER) BMW S1000 RR 1’47.792; 8. Lussiana M. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’47.814; etc.

Superstock 600

The Superstock 600 race was postponed until Sunday, after the second Superbike race, after poor light, a flooded track and a lightning storm in very close proximity to the circuit made it unsafe to continue.

European Junior Cup

Poland’s Adrian Pasek negotiated the tricky Monza track surface to claim pole position in the European Junior Cup class, leading Kiwi Jake Lewis by 0.488 seconds. Third was British rider Joshua Harland, then Gaston Garcia from Spain, while top Italian rider was Kevin Chili, son of Pierfrancesco. Giuseppe Scarcella from Australia scored a top six grid placing. The race takes place tomorrow afternoon.

Times: 1. Pasek A. (POL) KTM Duke 690 2’15.199; 2. Lewis J. (NZL) KTM Duke 690 2’15.687; 3. Harland J. (GBR) KTM Duke 690 2’16.570; 4. Garcia G. (ESP) KTM Duke 690 2’17.638; 5. Chili K. (ITA) KTM Duke 690 2’17.696; 6. Scarcella G. (AUS) KTM Duke 690 2’17.889; 7. Wielebski A. (POL) KTM Duke 690 2’18.124; 8. Demoulin J. (FRA) KTM Duke 690 2’18.532; etc.

Monza (Italy), Friday 4 May 2012 – Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia Gold Bet) led home a BMW 1-2-3 at Monza in the first qualifying session, thanks to a 1 minute 42.325 second lap set with only three minutes of the session remaining. He had earlier equalled the best top speed in SBK history when he clocked 334.8 km/h down the main straight. Another Italian, Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) was second fastest and Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) third. The Friday reign of the S1000RR at the fastest circuit on the calendar was only challenged by the Aprilia Racing bike of Eugene Laverty, who was fourth in the overall rankings. BMW Motorrad Italia Gold Bet rider Ayrton Badovini posted the fifth best lap time, one place up on Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team). Local great Max Biaggi went seventh for Aprilia Racing, while the third Aprilia in the field in 2012, the ParkinGO MTC Aprilia of Chaz Davies, ended up in eighth place, making him the last rider to lap within a second of the top spot.

As expected the Ducati riders found themselves outgunned at this particular circuit with 2011 champion Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) only ninth and his team-mate Davide Giugliano tenth.

Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) was top Honda rider in 11^th and both Crescent Fixi Suzuki men, John Hopkins and Leon Camier, followed him on the opening day timesheets. Assen race winner Sylvain Guintoli (Ducati Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) was 15^th on the first day at Monza.

Times: 1. Fabrizio M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’42.327; 2. Melandri M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’42.380; 3. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1’42.523; 4. Laverty E. (IRL) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’42.625; 5. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’42.690; 6. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’42.794; 7. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’42.844; 8. Davies C. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’43.228; 9. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’43.393; 10. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’43.408; 11. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’43.410; 12. Hopkins J. (USA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’43.576; 13. Camier L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’43.837; 14. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’43.943; 15. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1’44.042; 16. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1’44.057; etc.

World Supersport

Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) left it until the very last opportunity to record a lap time that gives him provisional pole after the first qualifying session at Monza. His lap time of 1 minute 47.601 seconds equalled – to the same 1/1000^th of a second – the track best, originally set by Eugene Laverty in 2010. Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) got to within 0.437 seconds of the previous best lap at Monza as he took the second fastest lap of the first qualifying session. A strong day of work for the Kawasaki riders behind Lowes put Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) and Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Intermoto Step) third and fourth respectively, while wild card rider Stefano Cruciani (Puccetti Racing Kawasaki Italia) was an impressive fifth against the series regulars.

Times: 1. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1’47.601; 2. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’48.038; 3. Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’48.419; 4. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’48.696; 5. Cruciani S. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’48.808; 6. Tamburini R. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’48.817; 7. Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1’48.910; 8. Scholtz M. (RSA) Honda CBR600RR 1’49.188; etc.

Superstock 1000

Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) set the provisional pole time at Monza, very close to the track best, with a 1 minute 46.340 that kept him ahead of Lorenzo Savadori (Barni Racing Team Italia). Barrier’s team-mate Lorenzo Baroni (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) pushed his way to third, one place ahead of Savadori’s team mate Eddi La Marra (Barni Racing). A late charge from Bryan Staring (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) made him the top ZX-10R rider on display, fifth, with Christoffer Bergman (BWG Racing Kawasaki) right behind. Barrier was injured in a fall during the session and was declared unfit but he will go under medical review in the morning.

Times: 1. Barrier S. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 1’46.340; 2. Savadori L. (ITA) Ducati 1199 Panigale 1’46.776; 3. Baroni L. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’46.917; 4. La Marra E. (ITA) Ducati 1199 Panigale 1’46.973; 5. Staring B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’47.237; 6. Bergman C. (SWE) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’47.342; 7. Reiterberger M. (GER) BMW S1000 RR 1’47.792; 8. Lussiana M. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’47.814; etc.

Superstock 600

Riccardo Russo (Team Italia FMI Yamaha) and his team-mate Luca Vitali stormed to the top of the first qualifying session at Monza, ahead of lap record holder Nacho Calero Perez (Team Trasimeno Yamaha). On a good day for R6 riders Franco Morbidelli (RCGM Team Yamaha) put himself fourth in a session that was red flagged and had to be restarted to complete the final six minutes of qualifying time. The first Honda rider home in the opening qualifying session was top all-round competitor Michael Vd Mark (EAB Ten Kate Junior Team Honda). Tony Covena (Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki) proved to be the top Kawasaki rider on show, seventh and 0.6 seconds behind the lead at this early stage.

Times: 1. Russo R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’51.356; 2. Vitali L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’51.410; 3. Calero Perez N. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R6 1’51.529; 4. Morbidelli F. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’51.750; 5. Vd Mark M. (NED) Honda CBR600RR 1’51.964; 6. Duwelz G. (BEL) Yamaha YZF R6 1’51.991; 7. Cove T. (NED) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’52.006; 8. Chesaux B. (SUI) Honda CBR600RR 1’52.131; etc.

European Junior Cup

Adrian Pasek took the honours in the first outing for the European Junior Cup class riders, a category in which all the riders are on identical KTM Duke 690 single-cylinder machines. Joshua Harland from the UK posted second and like Pasek his was a result taken very near the end of the session. Previous leading rider Jean-Francois Demoulin, from France, was third. Lukas Wimmer from Austria went to fourth in the first session, with the top five rounded out by Spanish competitor Javier Orellana. Kevin Chili, son of SBK legend Pierfrancesco Chili, was placed sixth.

FOLLOWING a four-month research and consultation process that included focus groups and on-line surveys, The Isle of Man Government Department of Economic Development has launched proposals for a revised Manx Grand Prix Festival, which could come into effect from 2013. The 2012 Manx Grand Prix Festival will remain unchanged as published.

The new Festival proposals are designed to capitalise on the growing popularity of motorcycling nostalgia and would leverage the strength of the TT brand that is owned by the Isle of Man Government.

A shortened 10-day event, which would climax on the August Bank Holiday weekend, is designed to capitalise on the short-break motorsports market, minimise commitment and cost from the competitors, officials and marshals’ point of view and reduce disruption to individuals and businesses on the Isle of Man. It would also reduce event delivery costs that can be reinvested back into the Festival itself.

The 2013 Festival is proposed to run from the 17th of August to the 26th of August. The ‘centrepiece’ of the Festival would continue to focus on competitive racing around the world famous TT Mountain Course including three classic races and a further two races for modern machinery.

The Department hopes to create the most prestigious series of races for classic motorcycles in the world, featuring modern day TT stars along with existing classic racing specialists bringing the most exotic classic racing motorcycles in the world to the Isle of Man.

The event would also see a return for the Clubman’s TT titles which would be applied to two races for amateur riders on modern machinery. Designed as a more focused feeding ground for the current TT, the Clubman’s TT classes would incorporate a rider development structure with the opportunity for riders to receive sponsor funded TT scholarships and guaranteed entry into the TT.

The competitive racing programme would be supported by a festival of motorsport nostalgia including parade laps featuring legendary riders and machines from Mountain Course history, off road events including the Manx Classic Weekend Trial and exhibitions of exotic motorcycles and memorabilia. The event would also include the Isle of Man Vintage Motor Cycle Club activities including the popular ‘Festival of Jurby’ event that attracted over 15,000 visitors last year.

A revised Festival is expected to be more attractive to the motorsports media and be underpinned by a programme of commercial activity including international television coverage, sponsorship, brand licensing, digital activation and event ticketing. Further research will be undertaken to finalise a number of aspects in the detail of the revised festival, including the name and the Department recognises very clearly the need to work closely with its key partners in developing such a festival to ensure all detailed aspects of the proposals meet the needs of stakeholders.

Economic Development Minister, John Shimmin MHK, has welcomed the new proposals:
‘In the current economic climate, we have a responsibility to maximize returns from the significant investment required to run events of this nature. Local businesses have clearly indicated the opportunities that the Manx Grand Prix provides and I look forward to maintaining the existing levels of dialogue with the Manx Motor Cycle Club in order to resolve any concerns that might exist with regard to the new proposals.’

Colin Kniveton, Chief Executive, Department of Economic Development, commented:
‘Our market research and consultations have been extensive and we are grateful to everyone who has contributed to that process. The findings from this consultative process have provided us with some very clear outcomes that we are keen to act on.

‘The proposals are built very much on our consultations and market and media feedback and it is anticipated that a revised format to the Festival would give the Isle of Man real potential to increase visitor numbers, media profile and commercial incomes. Implementing these proposals would allow us to tap into the fast-growing nostalgia market that we have seen with events such as the Goodwood Revival and drive a tangible return on the ever increasing investment required to stage the event.’

ENDS

2013 Proposed Event Schedule

Saturday
Morning: – Classic Trial;
Afternoon: – Classic Trial; Evening:- Practice
Sunday
Morning: – Classic Trial;
Afternoon: – Classic Trial
Monday
Evening: – Practice
Tuesday
Evening: – Practice
Wednesday
Evening: – Practice
Thursday
Evening: – Practice
Friday
Afternoon: – Practice;
Evening: – Lightweight Clubman’s TT
Saturday
Afternoon: – 350cc Classic Race;
Evening: – Clubman’s Supersport TT
Sunday
Afternoon: – Festival of Jurby;
Evening: – Festival of Jurby
Monday
Afternoon: – 500cc Classic Race;
Evening: – Classic Superbike Race

Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why Change?
The last Economic Affairs survey in 2009 indicated that less than 9,000 visitors attended the Manx Grand Prix Festival. The Department does not feel that the current level of investment can continue to be justified in the current economic climate. An event that makes a loss for the Government of £369,000 a year cannot be sustained when very difficult decisions about cuts in services are being made elsewhere.

2. How much will the changes cost?
The costs of the proposed changes are estimated to be largely similar to the existing event. As increased revenues are identified, the Department may make bids to Treasury for additional funds to invest in the event, if the return on that investment could be justified.

3. Why not just reduce the costs?
Whilst recognising that costs should be reduced wherever possible, the Department of Economic Development exists to maximise revenue coming into the island. The Department wishes to grow the event and maximise its contribution to the economy, not merely to reduce the financial exposure. It is doubtful whether the costs could be reduced by £369,000 in order for the Government to break even.

4. Why make the event shorter?
The market research identified that events need to be shorter and feature more concentrated activity in order to maximise the short-break market. The evidence from the 2009 survey suggests that most spectators attend for less than seven days and we need to make the event more attractive for these visitors.

In addition the TT and MGP Festival cause a great deal of disruption to the public and business. Shortening the event will help minimise the disruption and make the event more supportable.

5. Why lead on nostalgia?
The market research also indicated that the potential for growth lies in an event that concentrates on classic machines and nostalgia. A number of similar events have grown dramatically in the UK and Europe. The market research also shows a lack of interest from spectators and the media in amateur modern motorcycle racing. If the event is to grow, it has to change.

6. Why do you think celebrity riders would race?
Much depends on the meaning of the word “celebrity”. Celebrity riders may agree to participate in parade laps. However it is believed that well-known professional riders would be willing to participate in a classic race event on the TT Course. Evidence exists of this in the existing Post-Classic Superbike Race and the Department’s relationships with contemporary TT riders.

7. What are the benefits of the proposals?
It is felt that the proposals have a number of benefits. Firstly they bring the potential for real growth in visitors. Secondly they will enable the Island to capitalise on the very successful TT brand. Thirdly, they will enable the Island to attract greater media coverage and to raise the profile of the island as a visitor destination and a business centre. Fourthly, they will enable the event to attract more sponsorship and commercial revenues. Fundamentally the event will offer a greater appeal and interest to a wider audience. The proposals will also enable the Department to condense the event into fewer days and thus reduce road closures with the resultant disruption to the public and local business.

8. Why would the media be more interested?
The evidence gained from the research suggests that there would remain very little interest in reporting on an amateur event featuring modern machinery. The media have expressed a real interest in a classic and nostalgia festival, featuring classic racing on the TT course by professional riders. The Department has already attracted interest from TV companies in broadcasting coverage of such an event.

9. Why would sponsors be more interested?
Commercial sponsorship is attracted to high-profile events that attract international media coverage. The Department believes the proposals will raise the profile of the event and attract this media attention.

10. Why not just advertise and promote it more?
The marketing advice is that marketing only succeeds if the product is right first. Marketing cannot significantly improve sales of a product that has already been rejected by the majority of the potential customers. The advice is that the Department could spend significant additional funds marketing the MGP Festival without significant increases in visitors being achieved.

11. How much is spent promoting the TT and MGPF?
The advertising and promotional spend in 2011 were:

TT £80,000
MGP £95,000

Marketing and promotional exposure can be either paid for or is free. The preference, of course is for promotional material that is free and this largely comes from features and reporting in the relevant industry publications and general press news reporting. This is where the TT enjoys a distinct advantage over the MGP Festival. There is a great deal of media interest in the TT resulting in a huge amount of free publicity which we simply could not afford to buy for the MGP. DED cannot force journalists to report the MGP races; they will only do so if they feel there is interest from their readership. Making the event more attractive to the media industry is a fundamental requirement to grow the event.

There are currently over 700 media representatives signing on to cover the TT races whilst that number is around 100 for the MGP races, the majority of which are IOM-based photographers.

12. Why consider changing the name?
The name of an event is important. It allows the promoter to market the event, align it to existing successful brands and to maximise the commercial assets of the event by registering the name as a trademark, providing licensing opportunities.

The Islands single most recognisable feature and most successful brand name is the TT and it makes commercial sense to capitalise on this. The Manx Grand Prix name does not currently carry any commercial weight and, although the Department has registered the name” Manx Grand Prix Festival”, this has not attracted commercial interest. The Department believes that a name of the event that capitalises on the success of the TT and is descriptive of the event itself, would suit our needs better. However, it is recognised that this issue is extremely sensitive and requires further research and consultation.

13. What could the name be changed to?
There would be some commercial advantages in incorporating the TT brand within the new event title, however additional research is required before a title is finalised.

14. How will riders get to race in the TT?
It is intended to continue with the very successful TT Rider Recruitment Programme which has attracted some high-profile riders to the event over recent years and introduced them to the course with appropriate coaching. In addition the proposals arising from the MGPF review introduce a more focussed route via the Clubman’s TT.

15. What is the Clubman’s TT?
The Clubman’s TT Races are races for modern machinery which would give selected riders a guaranteed entry into the following year’s TT with commercial sponsorship deals with our sponsor partners, including a ride with a manufacturer supported team. We believe this will attract interest from spectators, the media and sponsors. These races will also provide an opportunity for existing competitors to continue to participate. There will be two races – the Supersport Clubman’s TT Race for 600cc four cylinder machines and the Lightweight Clubman’s TT Race for 650cc twin cylinder machines.

16. Why does DED have to take the lead with these changes?
DED is the promoter of the existing event and provides the vast bulk of the funding that allows it to happen. DED also has the task of ensuring that any event that it invests in produces the best possible return on the investment and provides the maximum support to the visitor economy.

17. Do you want to end MMCC’s involvement?
The DED has been committed, throughout the review to working in partnership with the MMCC and has consulted with the Club at each key stage. The DED has considered the Club’s counter-proposals and has now determined a way forward that meets the Department’s objectives. DED remains committed to working with MMCC to deliver the new event and is hoping that they will participate in delivering it.

18. Why are the Festival elements important?
Our research reveals the importance of the Festival elements of the event to visitors. The survey results displayed high scores for visiting for the general atmosphere with generally high scores for all Festival events indicating that, although racing remained important to visitors, the general holiday package was also a positive factor.

19. Why would more people come?
The conclusions, drawn from the results of the review are that an event that has a classic and nostalgic emphasis, featuring classic races with some recognised riders, packaged with an appealing range of activities, would attract greater numbers of visitors. If this was supported by increased media interest and broader media exposure, including some television coverage, the event would become self-marketing. This in turn would serve to increase awareness of the event and increase the numbers attending.

20. Would the IOMTTMA support the event?
The Department has consulted with the IOMTTMA and sought their opinion. The IOMTTMA believe that it is important to retain competitive racing within the event. The IOMTTMA recognise that the new event and race programme will reduce the commitment required to marshal the event and that local marshals who worked a conventional week would normally only have to take one day holiday from work to marshal the whole event. This will help to maintain marshal support.

DED will continue to consider the views of marshals and there is no evidence to support a view that marshals would not support the new event.

21. Why end on Monday rather than Friday?
DED proposals utilise two consecutive weekends within the event and the bank holiday Monday as the final day of the event. This enables visitors to spend the maximum number of days at the event with the minimum amount of time off work. The Department feel that the bank holiday weekend has excellent potential to attract visitors and the programme is designed to fill every day with activity.

22. How do the proposals fit with the Department’s strategy?
The proposal’s fit well with the Department of Economic Development’s aims. In particular:

· Maximise the value of every opportunity

· Innovation and risk taking to ensure success for the future

· Service delivery for existing business

· Focus on outputs and deliverables

· Can do and collaborative attitude

In addition, the Department is seeking to rise to the challenge of partnering with industry. These proposals have the unanimous support of all the commercial stakeholders involved in the review process, including the Manx Hospitality Partnership, Steam Packet, Duke Marketing, MNH, Motorsport Merchandise and Mannin Media.