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MotoGP Weekend: Francesco Bagnaia Wins In Jerez

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PB
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It’s the showdown that had been building all weekend: Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia vs Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo. Despite his easy win in Portimao, Quartararo couldn’t catch the Ducati. This is duel that we were waiting to spark again in 2022.

The jam packed weekend started on Friday. Reigning Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) was the rider to beat. The Championship leader pulled two tenths clear on Friday to hold off the hard-charging Ducati trio of Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), with the Frenchman finding a late 1:37.071 in FP2 to sit top of the pile despite a crash earlier in the day.

FP1
2020 Champion Joan MIr (Team Suzuki Ecstar) topped FP1, the Spaniard’s penultimate lap good enough to hold off a last lap charge from teammate Alex Rins, who ended up just 0.025 behind in second. LCR Castrol’s Honda’s Alex Marquez slotted into third, but there was some headline stealing from Quartararo in a different way to start the day.

The Frenchman was sitting pretty at the top of the timesheets before a wet patch caught him out at the final corner, and the crash left him wincing as the rear wheel of his Yamaha flicked him in the groin. No harm done once he’d had a few minutes to recover, but there were two further moments as well: The first came under braking at Turn 9, before he was then forced to straight line it through the gravel trap at Turn 5. Despite all of that, the number 20 closed out the opening session in fifth, just behind Aleix Espargaro.

FP2
Quartararo was able to pull out those two tenths to take back to the top, but he had competition from Ducati. Looking at the opening day of action, it’s the Bologna factory who may well be his closest challengers on Sunday after Bastianini, Bagnaia and Martin all impressed. The ‘Beast’ jumped ahead of his factory counterpart with the chequered flag out to take second spot late on, but after Bagnaia had earlier led the session too. The number 63 appeared to be back to his brilliant best as he threw in a handful of fast laps, with his best placing him third overall and a quarter of a second adrift of his 2021 title rival.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), meanwhile, suffered two crashes. The first off was at Turn 6, before quickly picking up the bike and rejoining. Whilst heading back to the pitlane, however, the eight-time World Champion was cruising off the racing line at Turn 9 and touched a damp patch that remained from Thursday’s rain. Down went the Spaniard again but former teammate and now KTM test rider Dani Pedrosa was on hand for a taxi back.

Friday Top Three (Full Results Here)

1 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – 1’37.071
2 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – Ducati –  +0.201
3 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.212

 

Saturday
History was made at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto after Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) set a new all-time lap record of 1:36.170, an incredible near half second clear of his main competition, aka reigning Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™). The Italian denied the number 20 a fifth straight pole position in Andalucia, with a late charge from Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro enough to see him snatch third and another front row.

Q1
There were plenty of disgruntled faces at the conclusion of Q1, most notably from the man tied on points at the top of the World Championship: Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins could only manage 14th on the grid and will be desperately hoping he can conjure up some first lap magic again on Sunday. Repsol Honda Team’s Pol Espargaro missed out on a Q2 place right at the end following a late lap from Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), and KTM had a day to forget as well with their factory stars Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira struggling down in 15th and 21st. Zarco topped the session, with rookie Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) once more an impressive nuisance for the veterans on Saturday.

Q2
Before the first flying laps had even come in we saw drama in Q2 when Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin crashed out at the first corner. A slight bobble saw him crash out and sprint back for his second bike, but the fall had consequences as it forced the cancellation of the majority of laps thanks to the Yellow Flags, meaning Joan Mir’s (Team Suzuki Ecstar) 1:37.616 was the fastest of the five riders whose laptimes still stood.

On the second flying laps, a familiar usual duo were down to business and at it again. Bagnaia took top spot for a split second before Quartararo back took over with a 1:36.790. The pair asserted their dominance early too, sitting four tenths clear of Aleix Espargaro. Bagnaia had company for his first run as Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez latched himself onto the rear of his GP22, but the number 63’s crew got the Italian back out in rapid time, and he was able to shake off the close attention of Marquez. The eight-time World Champion then switched his focus to Quartararo instead, gluing himself to the rear wheel of the reigning World Champion’s Yamaha M1.

History was then made as Bagnaia smashed everyone out of the park with a sensational 1:36.170, a jaw-dropping six tenths clear of Quartararo, as hopes of a fifth straight Jerez pole began slipping through his fingers. The Frenchman improved his laptime but was still four tenths adrift of the brilliant Bagnaia, whose first pole since the Algarve GP last year was an arguably perfect and unbeatable lap.

With the chequered flag out, Aleix Espargaro was able to dig deep to grab the final front row spot out of the hands of Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) too, the Aprilia rider making it a third top three performance in the last four rounds.

MotoGP Qualifying Results (Full Results Here)

1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 1’36.170
2 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – +0.453
3 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – +0.763

After a weekend of speed from both at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, Jerez was the place as the pair were in a class of their own to pull out ten seconds on the rest. In the end, Bagnaia held on for an emotional first win of the year, with Quartararo forced to settle for second but taking an outright points lead in the World Championship, 0.285 off the win.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) broke clear of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Jack Miller (Ducato Lenovo Team) in the final laps to take third, and in doing so brings to an end Aprilia’s MotoGP™ concessions after six years.

As the lights went out, the roars went up as the thousands of trackside fans celebrated their return to the grandstands after three years away. It was the poleman Bagnaia who launched himself into the lead too, with Quartararo settling into second behind. Ducati Lenovo Team’s Jack Miller was third on the opening lap, ahead of LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami, and Aleix Espargaro and Marc Marquez were literally elbow-to-elbow off the line – with the Aprilia diving under the eight-time World Champion into the opening corner only to run wide and allow the Honda back through into fifth. 

Marquez was aggressive later on the opening lap as he fired up the inside of Nakagami to claim fourth, and Aleix Espargaro also squeezed through. Seconds later Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin then crashed out for the fourth time in six races and, on his 200th Grand Prix appearance, HRC’s Stefan Bradl also hit the deck at the final corner.

Meanwhile at the front, only a handful of laps had been completed but the leading duo were already flexing their pace, edging further and further clear of Miller. By Lap 5 it was 1.5 seconds and thr gap just continued to grow. The Australian instead had to focus on hanging onto the final podium place, with both Marquez and Espargaro applying increasing amounts of pressure on the factory Ducati rider.

Darryn Binder (WithU RNF Yamaha) then crashed out at Turn 2, before a big moment in the World Championship fight: after a sluggish start, Alex Rins’ day got worse when the Team Suzuki Ecstar rider straight-lined his GSX-RR through the Turn 11 gravel trap after a big moment on the front end, and then Pramac Racing’s difficult day continued when Johann Zarco crashed out at Turn 5.

By half distance, Bagnaia had eked out an eight-tenth advantage and the Italian would maintain that gap up until the final three laps of the race. But then, a frisson of Jaws music: Quartararo sliced the lead in half and was starting to close in. Could Quartararo steal Jerez victory away from Bagnaia late on? The pair were pushing to the absolute limit, by then a mind-boggling 11 seconds clear of the rest.

They started the final lap with Bagnaia holding an advantage of just half a second. It would require something special from the reigning World Champion on the final lap, but as they came through the fourth and final sector Quartararo was closing and closing, just a quarter of a second away. But Bagnaia stood firm, withstanding the almighty pressure to take a vital victory in Jerez; a first for the Italian since the season-closing race in Valencia last year and a second for the Bologna factory in Andalucia in as many years. Quartararo’s third podium visit of the season saw him stretch out his Championship leader from nothing to eight points, however, with those 20 for second place proving very valuable.

Much like the duel for victory, the scrap for third took its time to come to life but when it did, it was a thriller. There were five laps left when Marquez made an inch-perfect move up the inside of Miller at Turn 5, and Espargaro behind knew he had to respond or risk seeing the Respol Honda clear off into the distance. And the Aprilia rider had an answer on the same lap as he braked hard and late into the final corner, heading through.

Marquez, meanwhile, was wide into the final corner and the front-end of his RC213V folded. But it wasn’t a crash, it was a number 93 classic: in true Marc Marquez style, he picked it up off of his elbow and continued on. Espargaro and Miller both swooped through to demote the eight-time World Champion to fifth though, and from there the Aprilia checked out, quickly pulling half a second out of Miller. But Marquez wasn’t done, risking it all on the final lap to take fourth thanks to a dive up the inside of Miller at Turn 8 in spectacular style.

Ahead of them, though, Espargaro was coming across the line to take a pivotal podium for the Noale factory. Not only does the Spaniard sit second in the standings, the rider eight points adrift of Quartararo, but Aprilia officially lost their MotoGP™ concession status after six long years. Behind Marquez and Miller in fourth and fifth was Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir in P6, the 2020 Champion coming into late contention but not quite able to find a move on the those ahead.

Nakagami eventually came across the line in seventh, four seconds clear of Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) in a slightly muted eighth. The erstwhile Championship leader picked off rookie Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing), but the latter matched his best MotoGP™ result despite that in ninth. The final place inside the top ten went the way of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder.

Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) completed the points.

And so we head for Le Mans with a little chance to recharge, and Quartararo out in front in the Championship. He doesn’t arrive from the top step, however, so can the Frenchman fight back on home turf? We’ll find out in two weeks…

Francesco Bagnaia: “It’s a beautiful day. We struggled a lot at the start of the season, during the tests, and we never stopped working. I had the luck to race in Portimao. Even with the pain, I was able to fight to have the same feeling again as last year, and finally this weekend everything went well. I’m so happy. I’m so happy we are back at our potential, or more. Because, last year in this track, we were struggling more compared to Fabio – Fabio was unbeatable – and today, we have done an incredible job. So, I want to say thanks to all the people who have helped me this week with my shoulder problems, and I just want to enjoy today, and give a huge hug to my family at home, to my girlfriend that is at home with my little dog. I’m so happy.”

MotoGP Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 41’00.554
2 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – +0.285
3 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – +10.977

Moto2
One day after taking his first Moto2 pole position, Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura became a Grand Prix winner in some style with a brilliant ride at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. The Japanese rider led all 23 laps around the Circuit de Jerez-Angel Nieto to finally, despite having a multitude of podiums and having fought for the Moto3 crown, take to the top step. His wasn’t the only performance deserving of high praise. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) had broken his left radius and a finger on his right hand just a week ago in Portugal, but clenched his teeth to finish second, ahead of Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team).

Ogura got the holeshot from pole, while Canet climbed from fourth on the grid to second place when he went around the outside at the first corner. Fermin Aldeguer (Lightech Speed Up) emerged third, ahead of Arbolino, Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), and Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) dropped back a handful of positions after he made contact with Chantra as field poured into the first corner.

Arbolino got past Aldeguer when they arrived at Pedrosa Corner for the first time, and the Spanish teenager soon found himself on something of a slippery dip down the order while Lowes began his fightback from deep in the top 10. Arbolino gained another place when he wrested second position from Canet as they ran through the stadium section on Lap 3, and when Lowes caught up to Chantra, who was still sitting just behind them, it became a five-way fight for the lead.

Even just by starting the race, Canet had showed his incredible determination, and he was not about to roll over in his bid for victory. Just after two unsuccessful attempts to reclaim second from Arbolino, he made a third stick at Turn 9 on Lap 6. Right behind them, Lowes pulled off the same move on Chantra to elevate himself to fourth position.

It wasn’t long, however, until a lead group of five became a lead group of three. Lowes was first to drop out of contention, sliding out on Lap 7 as he ran through Turn 8. One lap later, at the next corner on the race track, Chantra was out when he too folded the front end. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) then inherited fourth, having not long overtaken Vietti, and Aldeguer was back up to sixth. Then, on Lap 9, Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) tried to pass Aldeguer at the Lorenzo Corner (Turn 13), but became the next out of contention as he slid out and collected the number 54.

Less than one second still covered the top three of Ogura, Canet and Arbolino at the end of Lap 13, which marked 10 to go, but on Lap 17 Canet had a big moment at Pedrosa Corner, allowing Ogura to skip several tenths of a second clear. With that, was the Japanese rider seriously started to pull away from the two rivals who had stuck with him for most of the race so far. Ogura’s margin was over a full second on Lap 18, and 2.7 seconds by the time he started the final lap.

When he took the chequered flag, the 21-year-old not only had his first victory in any Grand Prix class, but he also became the fifth brand-new Moto2™ winner of 2022. Canet finished 2.5s behind but held on through the pain barrier, and Arbolino was just over a second further back as he completed the podium with more consistent pace.

Fernandez finished fourth, and Marcel Schrötter took fifth after an entertaining battle with Vietti, which was settled when the German squeezed through a small gap at the Pedrosa Corner on Lap 18. Seventh went to Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), ahead of Portugal winner Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Albert Arenas (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team), and Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP 40).

Alessandro Zaccone (Gresini Racing Moto2™) finished 11th for his best Moto2™ result yet by some margin, ahead of Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Stefano Manzi (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team), the latter the injury replacement for Keminth Kubo. The other two riders to score points were Barry Baltus (RW Racing GP) in 14th and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing team) in 15th. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) finished 20th after an early crash while running in the top 10, and Aldeguer eventually retired after his incident with Dixon.

Another weekend and another new winner in Moto2™… it doesn’t get much more intriguing than that. Meanwhile in the World Championship, Vietti is now on exactly 100 points, but his lead over Ogura has been cut to 19. Can Moto2™’s newest race winner make further inroads next time, will the VR46 rider hit back, or will we get another new face on the top step? Find out at the SHARK Grand Prix de France in two weeks.

Moto2 Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – 39’16.357
2 Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – +2.509
3 Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – +3.669

Moto3
Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) took his first win of the season in almost unbelievable style at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, the number 28 pulling off a stunner round the outside of the final corner to just pip teammate and Championship leader Sergio Garcia to the line. Garcia took the traditional route and dived down the inside to secure second, with Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) doing the same on Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM TEch3) to make it three podiums in a row for the COTA winner – and his first visit to the rostrum at Jerez.

Garcia got the launch from the front row, taking the holeshot ahead of Guevara as Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) moved up into third. The two GASGAS riders were off like a shot making a gap though, with Foggia then getting swallowed up in the early stages and Masia and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) on the chase behind the leading duo.

It soon became a leading quartet, and with nearly 1.8 seconds over the chasing Öncü and Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP). But bit by bit they reeled the lead in, and they brought company in the form of Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse), having taken his Long Lap for causing a crash in Warm Up, as well as Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) – the latter despite having started from the back and having served a Long Lap, given for riding slow on the line in FP3.

Rossi faded from the group and then crashed out, rider ok, and Holgado also found himself left behind, but a leading group of six pushed on: Öncü, Masia, Guevara, Garcia, Sasaki and Artigas. Moreira, after exceeding track limits, was dropped out the group because of a Long Lap Penalty.

Into the final couple of laps, Öncü led Masia led Garcia, with Guevara in fourth and Sasaki and Artigas holding station. The first move came from Guevara, but by Pedrosa corner it was all change: Masia attacked Öncü, Garcia hit back against Guevara and Artigas passed Sasaki. Öncü took back the lead a couple of apexes later, and everything was going down to that final, classic Jorge Lorenzo corner.

Garcia headed down the inside and dispatched Masia and Öncü, and on any other Sunday that would have been another impressive victory from the Championship leader. But not today, with Guevara swooping round the outside of the entire shuffle to make a little last corner poetry. Right round the outside and first to the flag, it’s a first win of the year in what is fast becoming a GASGAS Aspar calling card in 2022: style. Masia just nabbed third from Öncü, with Artigas completing the top five another tenth back. Sasaki took sixth, but from the back and after a Long Lap, it was another impressive Sunday from number 71.

Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) won an all-Japanese duel against Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) for P7, with Holgado beating Moreira to ninth. There was a small gap back to Matteo Bertelle (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) vs Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) in P11 and P12, with Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) completing the points.

Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) crashed out, and Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) retired after getting caught up in the Warm Up incident instigated by Rossi, the Australian fit to try but pulling in.

After another poetic final corner from the GASGAS team, it’s time for Garcia to lead the pack to Le Mans… and Guevara now third and a little closer. After a tougher weekend for Foggia it’s now a 21-point deficit at the top, so it’s could be time for the gloves to come off. Tune in for the SHARK Grand Prix de France in two weeks!

Moto3 Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 39’19.873
2 Sergio Garcia (Gaviota  GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – +0.061
3 Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – KTM – +0.208

Track Guide: Hidden Valley, Darwin, NT

By
PB
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Start/finish straight.

Hidden Valley was something new for the Taxi’s in 1998. When the bikes were slotted into the programme for 1999 as one of our 2+4 events with the Touring Cars it sounded pretty cool, with this really long straight and obviously for me, a chance to have a look at Darwin for the first time… Words: Andrew Pitt.

Hidden Valley in Darwin, NT One of the most challenging little circuits in the country…
Hidden Valley in Darwin, NT is one of the most challenging little circuits in the country…

I only ever went up there once to race and that was with Doyley and the Team Kawasaki Australia boys. Robbie Phillis and young Pete went ahead about a week earlier. The stories of that road trip from Pete about life in a truck with Phillis for a week, is in itself entirely for another issue. I suppose it was just about the equivalent of today’s flyaway races in the world championship. It was probably our only really hot summer type race as the Aussie Championship is run through the winter months.

Check out our other track guides here…

Flying up on the Wednesday and checking into a nice resort style holiday spot made you feel like you were away on a summer holiday somewhere with a few trips out to the racetrack thrown in. I do remember flying in over the coastline and beaches and seeing a few big old crocs soaking up the sun on the water’s edge. That was definitely somewhat of a surprise.

You can expect it to be bloody hot at the track. Temperatures will often exceed 40 degrees Celsius in summer...
You can expect it to be bloody hot at the track. Temperatures will often exceed 40 degrees Celsius in summer…

I learnt another pretty valuable lesson in punctuality up north in 1999 and that was when Peter Doyle says the team car leaves the hotel at 0800 then that is exactly when it leaves. I strolled down into reception about 0805 with everyone sat in the car waiting for me and Doyley simply said this is your one chance and the next time you’ll be getting a taxi. Scott Breedin explained to me that Marty Craggill had been left at the hotel a few times the year before and therefore had to get himself a taxi to the circuit. It had the desired effect because I was never late again.

Onto the circuit now. I found it probably due to lack of use but more likely having all the cars running around on it always made the 2+4 events a bit greasy. With the front straight at Darwin 1.2km long it gave you a nice little rest but also meant it allowed Craig Connell and Stevo Martin on the factory Ducatis to really stretch their legs. I had everything possible tucked in trying to stay in the slipstream especially of Craig. We were tapped out in sixth on the approach to turn 1.

Turn 01
Back down through the gearbox to 2nd and there was plenty to be made up on the brakes here because it is very much a double apex turn a bit like the Southern Loop at Phillip Island but you could really get sucked in here if you tried to go up the inside of someone and risk completely missing the turn. My old mate Krusty Fergusson found that out off the start of race two when he thought he could come from 5th or 6th and out brake everyone but unfortunately instead of just running off the track or running wide he used me to stop and took us both out. Krusty came away unscathed as he mostly did but I had a broken wrist to take home with me.

Anyway the first apex was on the way in while still trail braking and letting it drift out to about the middle of the track before pulling it back to apex again on the way out then letting it run out to almost the outside kerb while grabbing 3rd and 4th in pretty quick succession all the time trying to pull the bike to the left to get the next series of corners linked together right.

Turn 02/03/04
This is all taken in 4th for me on the ZX-7R and the end part very close to the limiter where the power goes a little flat just so the bike wasn’t still accelerating through the 3 and 4 flick from right to left before grabbing the brakes and shifting quickly back to 3rd for the right handed turn 5. This all needed to be done very smoothly because braking and down shifting while changing direction quickly can get messy if you don’t keep everything together including my movements on the bike.

Turn 05
This was a pretty basic and simple corner as long as you got it setup right on the way in. I tended to run it in a little fast sometimes because my bike was a little lazy in 3rd on the way out so I was always trying to roll through it a bit quicker. During the final qualifying on Saturday I remember it had gotten really hot and the circuit had started to melt and come apart and oil had been dropped on this corner that was then covered in cement dust. So if you slithered through the cement dust OK you were then presented with some potholes and lifting black stuff at turn 6. On the out lap though of final qualifying I didn’t make it past the cement dust losing the front on the way through.

Turn 06
Having been able to pick my bike up out of the infield of turn 5 I rode it back to get it checked over only to come straight back out in a rush and get one turn further and crash at turn 6 on the melting rutty part of the circuit. This time running back or getting a lift I don’t remember to the pit lane dreading the look on the boys faces when I wanted the spare bike. Flat and slippery and back to 1st or 2nd depending on the bike you were on. A Supersport bike would be in second whereas I took it in 1st so I didn’t need to carry as much corner speed and I could pick it up on the exit and jump out of the turn short shifting up to 3rd for the next fast right turn 7.

Turn 07
This was a turn you needed to sacrifice just a little on the entry to make sure you got it back for the right hand apex and got a really good exit for the next few fast corners all linked together. If you rushed at turn 7 a little fast tipping in early or simply were too wide on the exit of 6 the exit was terrible even if you managed to not run too wide.

Turn 08 and 09
Turn 7 and 8 were almost like one big double apex turn with a constant lean angle and constant throttle from the exit of turn 7 while shifting up to 4th just as you almost touch the inside kerb through turn 8. Still flat out in 4th while flick it left on the run down to turn 10 in the middle of the track.

Turn 10
You could enter here about the middle of the track not bothering to pull it back to the right too far for the entry in really run it in fast after back shifting down to 3rd. Let it drift out a little then picking up the throttle and aiming for the apex of turn 11.

Turn 11/12/13
These three are really just points to aim for while flick it from one side to the other on the throttle. The sections like this and also exiting turn 1 are linked corners where the bike needs to really steer well on the throttle and to get this you will need some good support from the rear of the bike. You definitely don’t want it being a chopper through these sections. After hitting your turn 11 apex it was a flick right for turn 12 apex and then right again to hit the turn 13 apex before letting it run out to the edge of the track while you set yourself for turn 14 and the exit onto the all important 1.2km start finish straight.

Turn 14
Just as you are grabbing the brakes and down shifting to 2nd while passing the turn 13 apex you should only be thinking about setting yourself up for the perfect exit onto the straight to finish the lap.

Just as you are grabbing the brakes and down shifting to 2nd while passing the turn 13 apex you should only be thinking about setting yourself up for the perfect exit onto the straight to finish the lap.
Just as you are grabbing the brakes and down shifting to 2nd while passing the turn 13 apex you should only be thinking about setting yourself up for the perfect exit onto the straight to finish the lap.

I got myself caught out in a painful way being a little over eager getting on the throttle as early as possible by hanging a highside without actually crashing. The rear stepped out and I was flicked up over the top but still hanging onto the bars I can back down on the tank with my head through the screen and both legs falling on one side. I had nutted myself and luckily the pit lane starts just after the exit because that was the direction I was going in. I managed to stay on board and dribble down pit lane to the boys that grabbed the bike while I fell into a heap in pit lane. After a few minutes I got my shit together and went back out for another go. This time though, I tried to picked it up a little more and ride it like a Superbike instead of the Supersport bike.

So that was how I rode around Hidden Valley and to be honest it wasn’t one of my best weekends result wise having an almost crash on Friday and two crashes on Saturday, a 4th in race one and my third crash on Sunday in race two courtesy of Krusty. I headed back to Sydney with a broken wrist for my troubles but the silver lining was I also had the lap record from race one that was to stand for more than 10 years, mainly to do with the fact they didn’t go back there to race until recently!

Between The Hedges: Alex Pickett’s Journey To The Isle Of Man TT

By
PB
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Taking away the extra pit stops I believe I would have won or at least been on the podium.”

Racing against the world’s best riders at the Isle of Man was once a rite of passage for Australian riders with dreams of making a name for themselves on the world stage. Up until 1976 the Tourist Trophy was a round of the world championship, so the vast majority of riders competing in the world championship had to ride there, whether they wanted to or not.

The TT has always had an aura about it, a sense of danger, of unforgiveness, but also a lure of adventure.
The TT has always had an aura about it, a sense of danger, of unforgiveness, but also a lure of adventure.

The TT has always had an aura about it, a sense of danger, of unforgiveness, but also a lure of adventure. Where once there was a well-trodden path to the TT by Aussie riders, this dwindled somewhat after the 1980s, and it was only sporadically that Australian riders in the last 30 years would venture to that island in the Irish Sea to take on the Mountain Course. Riders like Cameron Donald, David Johnson, Josh Brookes, and Alex Pickett. These four riders have all tasted success at the Isle of Man, but as they will tell you, it doesn’t come easy, cheaply or without scars, some physical, but almost always emotionally too.

I caught up with Alex Pickett and his father Chris (who’s also raced at the Isle of Man) to find out how a young bloke, barely 18, found his way to the starting grid on Mona’s Isle, the road racing Mecca of the world.

Head here to read our other features…

Alex: “I was conditioned to the TT at an early age. My dad loved it and always dreamt of racing there but the reality of a young family and living on the other side of the world meant he never had the finances to actually make that dream happen. He consoled himself with buying TT videos and DVDs through the years and we would watch these together. Dad loved his racing but was really only a club racer, mainly on classic bikes.

Alex and his Dad were huge fans of the Isle Of Man TT. It was only time before they were out lapping the island.
Alex and his Dad were huge fans of the Isle Of Man TT. It was only time before they were out lapping the island.

“In 2006 our family went to Europe for the first time and of course we had to go to the TT. We could only get accommodation for practice week so we missed out on race week. The first rider I saw come through on the first night of practice was Martin Finnegan on a CBR1000RR. Dad and I were sitting on the hedge at the end of Cronky-Voddy straight and we could hear him before we saw him, the engine on the limiter for ages. He popped into view and then leapt over the drop in the road, standing on the footpegs, his eyes like dinner plates. We were that close it was outrageous. That has burned into my memory, and I think from that point on I had this idea of one day racing at the Isle of Man. I was 12 years old.”

Stu: It’s one thing to have big dreams at the age of 12 but how did it progress from there?

Chris: “Alex started road racing when he was 13, and the timing was right for him to start in the very first season of the MRRDA Cup in Australia, where all riders had to be 13 and over, and under 16, the age where they become a ‘Senior’ Motorcycling Australia licence holder. You bought a Honda CBR150 and modifications were very limited. Quite a number of well- known riders came from that series, like Mike Jones, Josh Hook and Matt Walters just to name a few. These three are still top-level riders now, with Hook the reigning World Endurance champ, and Jones and Walters both Australian champs and still racing in ASBK.

After his first trip to the Isle of Man, Alex knew he wanted to go down the race path and his Dad promptly start making plans for him to race when they got home.
After his first trip to the Isle of Man, Alex knew he wanted to go down the race path and his Dad promptly start making plans for him to race when they got home.

“Alex raced in that series for three years but never really set the world on fire. He was a good rider but probably not aggressive enough to take the risks those other riders would. We had a lot of fun though, but also some stress. We had a line of credit on our home loan and in the first two years of Alex racing we didn’t pay anything off our home loan. If there was a race meeting or practice day, we were there. I’m sure many racing parents can sympathise with what I’m saying.”

“When Alex turned 16 we decided to get a bigger bike for him, and after a conversation with Terry O’Neill, we decided he would race in the Formula Xtreme Pro Twins class on a Triumph Daytona 675. He ended up winning two national championships on that bike but it was time to go a 1000cc machine. We bought Matt Walters’ spare Kawasaki ZX-10R, and Alex was racing that in Formula Xtreme at the age of 17. It was a lot of bike for a 17-year-old but he quickly rose to B grade and won races on that bike, and never crashed it by the way. It was a thankful progression from his CBR150 days when it often seemed he was more off the bike than on it. I got quite good at fibreglass repairs.”

“Then one night at the dinner table he tells us he was going to race at the TT. His mum went from zero to 100 in an instant, and even though outwardly I supported her view of no way in hell is this happening, inside I was going ‘Yeah’. Regardless of what we said he was adamant, the short of it was we decided to help him rather than see him do it on his own.”

Alex' Kawasaki wasn't eligible for the Manx GP, so they sold it and opted for a Ducati 848...
Alex’ Kawasaki wasn’t eligible for the Manx GP, so they sold it and opted for a Ducati 848…

Stu: So, can you just enter the TT and rock up like you would an Australian race meeting?

Alex: “Unless you are a very well-known racer you cannot simply enter the TT for the first time. What happens is the organisers won’t accept your entry, they will guide you to the Manx Grand Prix first. The Manx GP is held a couple of months later, right near the end of the UK’s summer, but it’s still run on the full TT course. Race classes are somewhat different, with only up to 750cc three and four-cylinder machines, and 1000cc twins allowed to race in the Senior Manx GP for example. This is to keep speeds down for riders new to the Mountain Course, so they are not overwhelmed trying to qualify for a TT against professional racers.

“My current model ZX-10R wasn’t eligible so we had to come up with another bike. Dad raced a Ducati for years so he’s always had a thing for them. This seemed like a good idea, so we sold the ZX-10R and bought a statutory written off Ducati 848 with less than 10,000 kilometres on it. Little did we know at the time that Ducatis aren’t exactly the most popular bike at the TT. Sure, Mike Hailwood won in 1978 and Tony Rutter won also on a TT2 Ducati but in modern times not many riders opted for an Italian V-twin at the TT. We were later told that less than 50% of Ducatis that started a TT finished the TT. And that doesn’t count the ones that failed to proceed in practice week.”

“We also had to find out what was required for me to have my entry accepted, how we were going to get my bike there, the cost and so on. We actually started the planning nearly 18 months earlier, dad and I even going over to the Manx GP in 2012 to see what was what.”

“Unless you are a very well-known racer you cannot simply enter the TT for the first time."
“Unless you are a very well-known racer you cannot simply enter the TT for the first time.”

Chris: “In 2012 Alex and I borrowed a couple of BMWs, picking them up in London and riding to the Isle of Man on a fact-finding mission and to see if this was something we really wanted to do as a family. This was a harrowing experience in itself. Alex was on his learner’s permit for bikes and wasn’t much more than 16. Through London I spent more time looking in my mirrors to see what he was doing. That was a tad stressful. Everything went well, we rode up to the north of England to visit an old mate, and then on to the Isle of Man where we stayed with Dave Milligan from Get Routed. Dave really looked after us and we had a blast tearing up the island roads. We even got off the island intact, only to have Alex crash into me somewhere south of Liverpool, sending bits of bike down the road. Somehow, we both stayed on and returned the bikes, with some scratches and broken bits. The best bit of advice we got from anyone about tackling the mountain course was from former racing great, Mick Grant. In a chance conversation he said to us that our bikes had to handle well and be reliable. This was something I wouldn’t forget.“

“We came home and the work started. Initially the plan was for only Alex to ride, but then I thought if we are all going, I might as well send a bike for myself as well, as 2013 was going to be the first Classic TT, held in conjunction with the Manx GP. All the big-name TT riders would be there competing in the Classic TT, and so was some 47-year-old wobbler from Australia. The fact I didn’t actually have a classic race bike suitable for the TT course didn’t pop straight to mind. I’d sort that later but first I contacted the separate Classic TT and Manx GP organisers to see what we had to do. Before you get a start, you have to apply for a Mountain Course Licence, part of which is you proving you’ve finished six individual race meetings in the previous 12 months. That means actually finishing a race on six separate days. Then there’s insurance, machine freight, flights, spares and so on.”

“As I was the editor of Cycle Torque Magazine at the time, I was publishing stories of the journey along the way. It was through this that Shaun Sutcliffe from D Moto Motorcycle Engineering in Sydney approached me at Eastern Creek at a ride day. I knew Shaun from his days working for the Australian Ducati importer, NF Importers, and his experience with Ducati machinery went back many years before the NF Importer years. He offered to build a bike in case my planned Honda VF1000F race bike didn’t make the grade in time. He offered to build me a ‘spare’ Ducati 851 but as soon as he offered, that was it, my mind was made up at least. That’s the bike I was going to ride, not my VF1000. He knew we had the 848 as well so the whole team at D Moto got on board.”

"Prior to heading over to the IOM, dad had accused me of not taking learning the course as serious as I should have. Turns out I knew more about the course than he did." said Alex
“Prior to heading over to the IOM, dad had accused me of not taking learning the course as serious as I should have. Turns out I knew more about the course than he did.” said Alex

“It was at this stage that a few racers I knew, and some I didn’t, heard about what we were doing and wanted to live their dream as well. The next thing you knew we had an Aussie team going over, with the Isle of Man government offering to pay for the freight of our bikes and gear to and from the island.”

Chris: “I was the liaison between all the Australian riders and the IOM TT organisers. I was spending more time doing stuff for our trip than I was putting out Cycle Torque Magazine, and then in some fit of madness I suggested Cycle Torque make a video of our trip. The magazine was getting into the digital side of publishing and I thought it would be a good idea. Of course, I had no idea of what it would cost, how long it would take or the impact it would have on our trip. Shaun and George Tamine at D Moto were sorting the bikes but they had their own business to run and I only got to ride the 851 Ducati once about two weeks before it was to be crated up and sent to the other side of the globe. This wasn’t a couple of weeks before we were to head off, it was a couple of months.”

“I was seemingly flat out organising everything and trying to come up with the cash to pay for stuff. Shaun was coming as our mechanic so I had five air fares to pay, plus accommodation, hire car and so on. Being in the game (so to speak) I was able to get a number of parts and tyres donated to the cause. This saved us at least a few grand but I still had to sell a beautiful Norton Commando 750 I owned to get the necessary cash to make it happen.”

Prep for both bikes were well and truly underway, with money quickly leaving Chris' bank account...
Prep for both bikes were well and truly underway, with money quickly leaving Chris’ bank account…

“We had quite a throng of people going with us. With friends, family and guys doing the video stuff, there were going to be 14 of us staying at the same cottage. That didn’t include the other racers and their friends/family from Australia. It was a massive relief meeting up with all the Aussie racers at the docks in Sydney as we handed over our crated-up bikes. There had been a lot of time and money invested in this project so it was good to see the bikes gone.”

Alex: “It was funny getting our bikes down to the cargo terminal in Sydney. My old Rodeo tray back ute was severely overloaded with the two crates, which hung over the sides and the back of the tray. Somehow they both stayed on as the little Rodeo dragged its arse all the way down the freeway from Newcastle. It was nearly show time. We couldn’t do anything more other than get ourselves to the IOM, and do a couple more race meetings to get the numbers up for a Mountain Course Licence.”

“This was harder than we thought though, as our main race bikes were on a boat. I borrowed Stuart’s first year model Fireblade Pre Modern race bike to get my races needed at a classic meeting, and at the same meeting dad raced his 500/4 Honda around on three cylinders to finish the last race he needed, after it dropped a valve seat on the first lap. He knew there would be carnage inside the engine but there would be no other chances to get that last race in with the valve seat destroying the piston and head. That decision cost him around three grand to fix the old Honda’s engine.”

Chris: “Our group was the first to arrive so we unpacked the container and set up in the marquee sorted by the TT organisers. We did laps of the course in our hire car, hung out and did some sight-seeing in the four or five days before we had to sign on. This also gave us the time to make sure the two bikes were prepared to go, essentially just going over what we had already done in Australia.”

Chris decided he wanted to ride with his son, one Ducati soon became two as he entered the classic TT.
Chris decided he wanted to ride with his son, one Ducati soon became two as he entered the classic TT.

Alex: “Prior to heading over to the IOM, dad had accused me of not taking learning the course as serious as I should have. Turns out I knew more about the course than he did. That shut him up a bit. We both did our guided lap with a TT or Manx GP regular. That was fantastic fun, but before we knew it, we were lining up for first practice.”

Alex: “I took to the circuit pretty easily but on my second lap of practice I ran out of fuel up on the mountain. The old fella didn’t fill it to the brim and I found myself spluttering to a halt in the freezing weather near the very top of Snaefell. I was sitting there shivering when I saw the old fella thunder past on his 851.”

Chris: “I was having a ball around the 80-85mp/h pace but when I got back all the team were asking me where Alex was. I knew he started before me and I hadn’t seen his bike on the circuit. Of course you think the worse. Up in the timing box they said he’d got back, which we knew wasn’t the case. Everyone was in a flat spin and finally he turns up in a car telling us what happened, abusing me for my lack of fuelling prowess. Turns out his transponder went flat and that’s why timing had him back in the pits. Once the bike was picked up it was all good and we were ready for the next day. That’s when my 851 started to play up, with the ECU giving us all sorts of dramas. Of course, we didn’t have a spare but we were able to borrow one off a guy in the paddock, the one off his road bike. That saved me really.”

“I was by far the fastest ’Newcomer’ and was 7th fastest overall of any bike. People were gobsmacked, including me.” – Alex

Alex: “The first couple of days I got faster and faster but I nearly came to grief on the third night’s practice. I was travelling flat out on my Ducati 848 up to Ballegary. They call this corner Ballascary, and that’s where Guy Martin had his massive crash in 2010, seen in the film TT3D – Closer To The Edge. Anyway, I was revving the 848 for all it was worth, riding into the evening sun when suddenly I’m riding between a couple of bikes that had just crashed. Because of the sun I didn’t see them until I was going through them. It was pure luck I didn’t hit one of them or their riders, who were still lying on the track. Luckily they were not badly hurt. That third night went really well for me, and I did a 114.8mp/h lap. I was by far the fastest ’Newcomer’ and was 7th fastest overall of any bike. People were gobsmacked, including me.”

Chris: “It quickly went through the pits that this young bloke from Australia, on a Ducati of all things, had posted such a fast time. People didn’t believe it, whispering the time must be wrong. Of course he backed that up the next night and so on. And to do it on a Ducati was almost unheard of at the TT/Manx GP. By this stage though, we realised the 848 tank couldn’t do two laps at Alex’s pace. If it was a steel tank we could have blown it with compressed air, or even enlarged it by welding in sections, but it was composite and we were too scared to try anything as we didn’t have a spare.”

Race Day
Chris: “My race was a four lapper, which meant one pit stop. I headed off and rode by myself for some time. On the second lap I could see I was catching a bike up on the mountain. I was getting into the groove, and we both came into the pits together for fuel. The guy was on a 1985 GSX-R 750 Suzuki. I’d caught him on the road so that meant I was 10 seconds up on him. No one had come past me at this stage, so I was up on time from the rider behind me. My mate ‘Tangles’ was the fuel man and he did a perfect job, with him, Shaun and Alex getting me out as quick as possible. I followed the GSX-R out of the pits and he pulled away from there until I couldn’t see him. Turns out he was a Manx GP regular and knew the track better than I. But then, once again I’d catch him on the mountain. On our last flying lap we went through the same process of him pulling away and me catching him.”

It was time to hit the track, racing against other riders on the TT for the first time!
It was time to hit the track, racing against other riders on the TT for the first time!

“At one stage Michael Dunlop came past me on a Suzuki XR69 and he just sprinted off into the distance. Once again I caught old mate on the mountain and coming down from Kate’s Cottage I wheel stood past him as we heading down to the Creg Ny Baa Hotel. As I’m braking for all I was worth the GSX-R rider came under me out of control. This got me fired up so as we went flat out down towards Hillbery where I saw redline in top on the tacho, and through to Signpost corner where I shoved it up the inside of the GSX-R and promptly ran up the grass bank. Luckily I stayed on and was right behind him in the next left hander. Old mate was on a mission and he ran up the gutter nearly throwing himself down the road, barely a mile from the finish.”

“Common sense prevailed and I hung back, shadowing him across the line, remembering I was 9-10 seconds up on him anyway. I was mentally stuffed, barely able to hold a conversation, but physically I was okay after around 1.5 hours of racing. I wanted to do a 100mp/h lap but I ended up doing a 99mp/h lap. At 47-years-old, I can tell you it was bloody difficult.” 

Alex: “My first race was a couple of days later than dad’s. Even though I was fastest Newcomer I still had to start in 25th position on the road in the Newcomer’s Race. I had four laps to do but instead of one pitstop like everyone else, I had to pit every lap, three in total. I didn’t realise how much that would affect my frame of mind. It pissed me off but also fired me up too. I was in second or third after the first lap, with me slowing down to pit. The 848 was running sweet and handling pretty good. After each stop I’d be back down the leaderboard, and then I’d pass bikes that should have been behind me. In the last pit stop I remember being really angry and throwing my water bottle back into the pits. On that last lap I gave it all I had and ended up 8th outright, not bad considering I’d spent an extra couple of minutes in the pits than all the other riders. If we’d used the 20 litre alloy tank off a Ducati 1098S we would have been right, but we just didn’t have the IOM experience to know this. Taking away the extra pit stops I believe I would have won or at least been on the podium.”

"Taking away the extra pit stops I believe I would have won or at least been on the podium.”
“Taking away the extra pit stops I believe I would have won or at least been on the podium.”

Chris: “Alex was also entered in the Senior Manx GP where he was in the top 10 qualifiers but come race day it was pissing down. The race was postponed a few times but eventually the organisers cancelled the race, the first time the Senior Manx GP had ever been cancelled in its 90 plus year history. I was happy actually. I didn’t want to see Alex race in these conditions even though we were prepared with wet tyres etc.”

“Then it was all over, just like that. We had to pack all our stuff up, make sure everyone’s bikes had been re-crated and put back in the container for the trip home. It was a real up and down time for our group. Some had good races, some crashed out with minor injuries, some didn’t qualify and some didn’t even complete one lap due to machine issues.”

Alex: “It was a bit of an anti-climax really, nearly a couple of year’s effort for it to all be over in such a hurry. I went back to normal life, work, chasing girls, partying, racing, but I knew I wanted to go back to the Isle of Man. I had experienced something that’s hard to explain. I was living life to its full and I’d had a taste of something special. I already had a ride for the next year’s TT in the wings and was working on that. To be honest, if I hadn’t done so well in the first year, I probably wouldn’t have gone back but this offer of a ride for a proper team was the carrot to go back.”

Next episode we ask Alex and Chris about their experiences at the TT proper, racing against riders like Guy Martin, Cameron Donald and John McGuinness.   

Words: Stuart Woodberry Photos: Chris Pickett, Chris Smith, Steve Babb, Peter Farragher

Racer Test: F3 Evo Racing Pierobon X60R

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PB
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Once a racer always a racer, as they say. For myself, riding the latest bikes for a job is a dream career, however, as good as showroom street bikes are, they never quite hit the mark of a well set up track bike or come close to the precision or agility of a purpose built racer, so I’m always hanging for my next racer fix, particularly now I have stopped racing.

This rare gem is the only Pierobon X60R in Australia, we got a chance to ride it on the limit...
This rare gem is the only Pierobon X60R in Australia, we got a chance to ride it on the limit…

Riding a real racebike is always a good reminder of how great a motorcycle can be and all true racers have one thing in common ­– lightweight and good geometry. One bike high on my bucket list to test has always been the Pierobon X60R, a super lightweight, compact, GP-style racer with a grunty Ducati Evo motor thrown in.

Check out our other racer tests here…

The X60R has been around for a while, closer to a decade than not and to be honest I never thought I’d see one in Australia. When I built my Aprilia RSX550 F3 BEARS racer, on which I won a championship and set some lap records, I dreamed of owning a Pierobon X60R. That would have made life that much easier and given me a chance to run with the big guys… I at least wanted a spin on one…

"One bike high on my bucket list to test has always been the Pierobon X60R, a super lightweight, compact, GP-style racer with a grunty Ducati Evo motor thrown in."
“One bike high on my bucket list to test has always been the Pierobon X60R, a super lightweight, compact, GP-style racer with a grunty Ducati Evo motor thrown in.”

Years passed, my Aprilia went, and I forgot about the X60R… Until Simon Galloway, the multiple Australian FX Pro Twins Champion, started to race one here for the Australian Pierobon importer, Evo Racing, who brought the first Pierobon X60R into Australia and promptly began to set lap records, win races and ultimately the FX F3 Championship with Simon at the handlebars. He also set lap records at Phillip Island, Lakeside and SMSP on the bike, as well as winning three out of four races in the Vic Titles. Not a bad effort at all…

“The Pierobon is such a sweet bike to ride,” says Simon, “It’s so different, a real challenge to get the best out of it and run with the more powerful F1 bikes. It is so raceable, I can carve through the field on the bike, taking advantage of the nimble nature of the bike and the broad, flat torque curve. It’s as though it has built in traction control.

Simon Galloway has had a very successful time racing the X60R, winning an FX Pro Twins F3 title and many races.
Simon Galloway has had a very successful time racing the X60R, winning an FX Pro Twins F3 title and many races.

“Top speed is just 235km/h, however, at Phillip Island it is just fantastic to ride, the flowing nature really suits the bike. The engine is like a Merlin plane motor, it just pulls from bottom to top and plays a sweet tune. We have worked hard on set-up and got it right for me now. I would usually have it even steeper than it is as you ride it but the ‘bars need more meat to clamp to on the top of the forks. Overall I love riding it, I am going to miss it this year as I just had an ACL reconstruction, but hopefully I will ride it again at some point…” He fnished.

“Top speed is just 235km/h, however, at Phillip Island it is just fantastic to ride, the flowing nature really suits the bike.”

When Evo Racing owner Nick Byrne offered me a ride on the bike at the end of the season, I really didn’t have to think twice. As quickly as I could, I lined up some time at our proving ground, the ultimate place to test such an amazing bike.

The test was a special one for me, being an F3 class bike, a true racer and a rare machine. Those are the things that really get me excited about motorcycling and a special bike like this deserves a thorough test on the best strip of tarmac in Australia, if not the world…

I rode the bike exactly as it came from the Lakeside round, which is good as Lakeside is similar in flow and speed to our proving ground, only a lot shorter. I was also glad to ride the bike as ridden by Simon, who happens to be an old friend of mine from when I was a 17-year-old screaming around on my TZR250 up the Old Road.

Finally, it was time to throw a leg over the modern day F3 racer with a heart of gold!
Finally, it was time to throw a leg over the modern day F3 racer with a heart of gold!

Simon was in my riding group and was one of the fastest guys up there, who thrilled us all of a Sunday doing all-gear wheelies along Peats Ridge straights on his 1993 Fireblade… He is a naturally fast, very talented rider and a polite, quietly spoken person off track but a fierce competitor when the visor comes down.

THE EVO RACING PIEROBON X60R
Nick Byrne has a bit of a sickness for Euro bikes particularly of the Italian origin. Pierobon is one of the most unique, rare and sought-after of the Italians and as the Australian dealer for Pierobon, it made sense that Nick build an X60R to get the brand out there in Australia and to put some trophies in the cabinet.

Where else in the world would you want to ride this dream machine? The Ducati heart is perfect for grunt out of the slow turns at The Farm.
Where else in the world would you want to ride this dream machine? The Ducati heart is perfect for grunt out of the slow turns at The Farm.

As Nick says, “The idea of putting an ancient two-valve engine in a cutting edge chassis and maybe beating four-valve twins was too good to resist. And don’t forget that stunning two-valve sound…”

The kit used is a 2017 X60R frame number 077. It cost around the 25k mark and includes the 6.3kg 7020 alloy frame and hand made 21-piece swingarm, weighing just 3.6kg, a stunning 3.48kg handmade brushed alloy tank, featherweight front and rear alloy sub-frames, stunning carbon-fibre bodywork, stylish racing seat, adjustable billet CNC alloy triple-clamps, adjustable rearsets, everything except the engine, suspension, electrics, wheels and exhaust, which are left to the owner to choose.

The frame kit can be either made for a Supersport, Hypermotard or Sportclassic donor engine/airbox, this one was built using the Hypermotard as a donor engine.

The engine was up-spec’d to produce 115RWHP (standard is 98hp). The cylinder-heads were ported, flowed and 47mm (IN) / 41mm (EX) valves fitted. Camshafts were replaced with Kaema items, pistons with high-comp Pistal slugs, conrods with Pankl Ti units and the crankshaft, which spins in stock cases, was lightened and balanced.

Comp is bumped to 12.5:1, the gearbox is Hypermotard sans top gear set, which is from a 999, and the clutch is an EVR CTS slipper unit with sintered plates and Brembo control. Fuelling is by stock throttle-bodies and PCV, ignition standard and exhaust the ultra-trick Pierobon Termignoni. Sean at D-Moto built the engine, while tuning was taken care of by Mark Carlsson from Serco in Brisbane. A reverse quickshifter is fitted as well. There is no TC or any rider aids.

Nick says the bike went together easily, like a grown-ups Meccano set… “The bike was built in a month or so. The kit is really well thought-out with only a handful of tricks, parts or shortcuts to learn before it is ready for testing. Keeping the rear-cylinders cool is always a challenge, hence the double-coolers and carbon side-scoops”.r, Woodcraft ‘bars, Ohlins FGRT203 43mm forks running 9.0kg springs, an Ohlins DU235 shock with 8.5kg spring and the 7020 box-section swingarm with progressive cantilever.

Nick, who happens to be an Andreani trained suspension expert, went with the Ohlins steering damper.
Nick, who happens to be an Andreani trained suspension expert, went with an Ohlins setup.

Each end rolls on trick Magnesium Marchesini wheels wearing Pirelli slicks and braking is partly adopted from the Panigale, with Brembo M50 radial-mount calipers up front squeezing MetalGear rotors via Brembo Z04 pads and a Brembo RCS radial-pull master-cylinder. The rear rotor is by Braking, with a small Brembo caliper and master-cylinder. Fluid is delivered by Hel brake lines.

The bodywork is Pierobon X60R fibreglass kit with carbon-fibre tail, along with the seat unit and the tank as mentioned is the stunning brushed alloy handmade kit one. I have to admit, it is one stunning racebike and I have actually enlarged one of our high-res shots and printed it for my shed wall!

THE RIDE – EVO RACING PIEROBON X60R
F3 class bikes are some of my favourites, if they are proper racers or custom made hybrids. My RSX550 hybrid (RS250 chassis, SXV550 engine) was a beast and the Pierobon X60R takes that type of bike to the next level thanks to the bigger engine and super-trick chassis. I knew the ride would be good, particularly given Galloway’s results and the experience from the team at Evo Racing.

We took the bike to our proving ground, as mentioned, as it has a perfect mix of fast and tight, flowing and sharp corners and a long enough chute for the 1100 to stretch its legs. After a quick look over and a run down from Nick, which as he pointed out, there was nothing too fancy to worry about, I hopped on the tall, narrow X60R and immediately feel the raceful purpose of this Italian thoroughbred.

Jeff says the racer in you comes out very quickly once on board the X60R.
Jeff says the racer in you comes out very quickly once on board the X60R.

The racer in me comes back immediately and I start to feel butterflies in my stomach as the loud Termi booms crack after crack of high comp piston and big cammy large valve combustion explosions. It sounds as mega as it looks and feels a tad intimidating initially.

The racer in me comes back and I start to feel butterflies as the loud Termi booms crack after crack of high comp piston and large valve combustion explosions.

I pull in the firm Brembo controlled dry clutch, pop it up to first with a thud and roll out onto the tarmac, short-shifting my way into my out lap… I reckon that the torque is monster and flatter than the Simpson Desert. Definitely no need for traction control, it’s built into the engine delivery…

The brakes on the X60R are completely nuts! Jeff nearly went over the 'bar the first time he grabbed them.
The brakes on the X60R are completely nuts! Jeff nearly went over the ‘bar the first time he grabbed them.

Nick has warned me that the brakes are, in his words, ‘retina detaching’ and I take heed of his warning, as the first time I use them, as I brake hard into a left hairpin, I almost go straight over the clip-ons, landing on the edge of the tank and that was one finger. Jesus it has big anchors…

I spew a little in my mouth, re-focus and then start to get in a groove. Just as I start getting a little cocky, I almost lose it again as I brake into a left-hand downhill off-camber blind entry. The bike is deceivingly quick thanks to the flat power and those brakes got me again, this time with the rear of the bike about a foot in the air (it’s OK Nick, you couldn’t see this happening)…

The Pierobon was telling me to calm down and give it some respect and a bit of space. I was already trying to grab it by the ‘bars and lead it around my way but this is not the right way to ride this bike. I soon settle into a rhythm, slow down to speed up and before I know it I’m in the zone and truly appreciating this motorcycle.

The engine is so sweet and throttle pickup is spot on once we remove the noise-limiting bung from the muffler. Whether cracked from low or high rpm on run-in, it picks up and doesn’t unsettle the bike at all. Also, the monster torque is delivered in such a way that is forgiving on the balance of the bike and on me, the rider, as I’m not even getting tired.

Fast corner entry on the X60R means it is a thrilling ride. The bike acts as if it's connected to a hidden rail.
Fast corner entry on the X60R means it is a thrilling ride. The bike acts as if it’s connected to a hidden rail.

Shift is hit and miss, while the ignition kill of the quickshifter too broad, making for clunky progress on the way up the gearbox, so at some points of each lap I am shifting old style. I don’t notice the gear ratio changes that have been done but do find the gearing and the gear ratios right through to top to be really nice and the engine just keeps pulling.

On the way down, I’m becoming addicted to the sound of the bike blipping down the ‘box and I’m grinning each lap I enter the esses. It sounds awesome. Engine braking, for my liking, is a little overly engaged and I experience some speed hindering rear wheel hop into turns, no doubt due to my extra weight on the front of the bike and the way I am seated being a lot taller than Simon.

"The X60R is extremely nimble and easy through the challenging esses at our proving ground." said Jeff.
“The X60R is extremely nimble and easy through the challenging esses at our proving ground.” said Jeff.

As the forks go through their stroke, my weight is shifting forward and lifting the back. Too many up-sized KFC meals I’m afraid… One of the rare A-Grade racers with a double-chin and proud of it!

“On the way down, I’m becoming addicted to the sound of the bike blipping down the ‘box and I’m grinning each lap I enter the esses.”

Back to the brakes. I’ve figured out by now that if I raced this bike I would crash on lap one, the moment I got into a battle and lost a bit of my smooth style. Simon is a calm type of person. I’m a hyper mental case.

We grab brake levers differently so for this test, I am just taking a calming breath and ‘easing’ the lever in a bit earlier than normal, being careful as to not smash the forks through the ground with reckless grabbing at the lever. It works and honestly the stopping power is up there with the Cagiva 500 I rode. It’s sh*t scary… I love rear brakes and I’d usually be doing my best to burn these pads up on the Pierobon, however, with the engine braking I’ve hardly touched the rear lever.

Handling is absolutely sublime, a large step above most current production bikes, with lightweight agility, high-end Ohlins, magnesium wheels and lots of sticky Pirelli on the tarmac it is a match made in heaven when all tied together with the sweet Pierobon frame and swingarm.

I’m not privy to Evo Racing’s geometry setup on the bike but it’s purposeful and racey. Initial turn-in is fast, accurate and effortless on or off the brakes, fall-in is predictable and neutral enough given the layout of the bike and once on its side, line holding is superb.

When pushing at full lean through the esses, the front did want to push, or be driven wide, by the rear but it is predictable and there is plenty of confident feedback through the ‘bars and shape of the tank. The rear of the bike hooks up amazingly and is controlled and also inspires confidence, with loads of grip from the fat rear Pirelli slick.

"As I pulled up after my test I was grinning and felt honoured to have had the opportunity to ride a Pierobon, particularly the X60R."
“As I pulled up after my test I felt honoured to have had the opportunity to ride a Pierobon, particularly the X60R.”

As I pulled up after my test I was grinning and felt honoured to have had the opportunity to ride a Pierobon, particularly the X60R. For a bike chassis that is close to 20-years young now, it sure does perform well. The big factories haven’t caught up yet… What a ride, it’d be the ultimate track day tool. As soon as I got home, I picked the scab off a cold tinnie and reflected on a test that is a definite highlight for me.

ABOUT PIEROBON

Pierobon is an Italian chassis manufacturer that has been supplying components at elite level since 1952. As well as box equipment Pierobon specialise in frame kits, bodywork, fuel tanks, triple-clamps and swingarms and just about any racing solution required, working closely with and supplying to MotoGP and WorldSBK teams.

EVO RACING PIEROBON X60R SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE: Ducati Hypermotard 1100 Evo (2010 – 2013), 98 x 71.5mm bore x stroke, 1078cc, 12.5:1 compression ratio, Pistal high-comp pistons, Pankl Titanium conrods, lightened and balanced crankshaft, Kaemna camshafts, 47mm (IN) and 41mm (EX) valves, Kaemna ported and flowed cylinder-heads, standard crankcases, 1198 oil cooler with additional Earls 13-row upper cooler with oil supplied to heads via cam covers, standard ignition, Power Commander V tuned by Serco on 98 PULP, 996 bellmouths, MWR filter, custom Termignoni exhaust system, stock Hypermotard gearbox with lower top gear, race pattern with reverse quickshifter, 15/39 gearing as tested, EVR CTS slipper clutch with sintered plates, Brembo RCS slave / master-cylinder.

CHASSIS:2017 Pierobon X60R frame, Pierobon triple-clamps, billet alloy headstock and swingarm pivot points, box-section alloy Pierobon swingarm, Ohlins DU235 shock with progressive cantilever and 8.5kg spring, Ohlins FGRT203 43mm forks, 9.0kg springs, 150mm oil height, standard internals, Brembo M50 front calipers, MetalGear rotors, Brembo Z04 brake pads, Brembo RCS master-cylinder, Hel brake lines, Braking rear rotor, Brembo caliper and master-cylinder, Marchesini Magnesium wheels – 17 x 3.5in (f) and 17 x 5.5in (r), Pirelli SC2 slicks, Woodcraft 57mm handlebars, Pierobon fairing kit in fibreglass, carbon-fibre tail, handmade aluminium fuel tank, Pierobon seat.

PERFORMANCE: 115whp, 136kg dry, over 235km/h top speed.

OWNER: Nick Bryne – Evo Racing, Sydney, Australia

EVO RACING PIEROBON X60R Gallery

 


Ducati Lenovo Team Ready To Attack Jerez

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Francesco Bagnaia will be looking to take home more than the constructors championship for Ducati in 2022.

Less than seven days after last Sunday’s Portuguese GP in Portimão, the Ducati Lenovo Team is preparing to return to action this weekend for the sixth round of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, the Spanish GP. Check out the round preview from the team below…

The Ducati Lenovo Team arrives at Jerez de la Frontera for the sixth round of the 2022 MotoGP season.
The Ducati Lenovo Team arrives at Jerez de la Frontera for the sixth round of the 2022 MotoGP season.

The event will once again be hosted at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, which last year saw the Italian team score an extraordinary one-two finish with Jack Miller on the top step of the podium and Pecco Bagnaia second. The Australian rider scored his first win of the year on that occasion, turning a difficult start to the season around. After a DNF at Portimão, Miller is determined to repeat his 2021 performance at Jerez. 

Pecco Bagnaia, who finished eighth last week after a superb comeback from last place on the grid, is also looking to get back to the front and close the gap on Championship leader Quartararo, who is currently 38 points ahead. After the first five rounds of the season, Bagnaia finds himself in tenth place, tied on points with Miller in ninth. 

Pecco Bagnaia, who finished eighth last week after a superb comeback from last place on the grid, is also looking to get back to the front and close the gap on Championship leader Quartararo
Pecco Bagnaia, who finished eighth last week after a superb comeback from last place on the grid, is also looking to get back to the front and close the gap on Championship leader Quartararo

Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 9th (31 points)
“I’m happy to be back on track this weekend and to be able to put the Portimão crash behind me. Racing in Spain is always special because the Spanish fans are very passionate and make the atmosphere unique. Jerez is a track that I like and where I have great memories after winning last year, my first on a Ducati, which came after a crash in the Portuguese GP. It would be nice to come back and win again this year. I’ll try to give my best to get the best possible result”.

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 10th (31 points)
“After the crash in qualifying in Portugal, these days off were crucial to rest and recover my strength. Despite the pain and the fact that we couldn’t ride much on slick tyres, we were fast in the race on Sunday, and we were able to achieve the objective we had set ourselves. This shows that we are working well and that race after race, my feeling with the Desmosedici GP continues to improve. Now we arrive at Jerez, where we finished on the podium last year, to finally be among the protagonists of the weekend”.

Circuit Information

  • Country: Spain  
  • Name: Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto
  • Fastest Lap: Quartararo (Yamaha), 1:37.770 (162,8 km/h) – 2021
  • Circuit Record: Viñales (Yamaha), 1:36.584 (164,8 km/h) – 2020
  • Top Speed: Zarco (Ducati), 300,8 km/h – 2021
  • Track Length: 4.4 km
  • Race Distance: 25 laps (110.6 km)
  • Corners: 13 (5 left, 8 right)
Ducati, which has eight podiums, including two wins at Jerez, remains in first place in the manufacturers' standings with a 36-point advantage over KTM in second. 
Ducati, which has eight podiums, including two wins at Jerez, remains in first place in the manufacturers’ standings with a 36-point advantage over KTM in second.

2021 Results 

  • Podium: 1st Miller (Ducati); 2nd Bagnaia (Ducati), 3rd Morbidelli (Yamaha)
  • Pole Position: Quartararo (Yamaha) 1:36.775 (164,5 km/h)
  • Fastest lap: Quartararo (Yamaha), 1:37.770 (162,8 km/h)

 

MotoE Ready To Start The Season In Jerez

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After a good few months to recharge, the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup will soon be back in action. The classic Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto is the venue as the class of 2022 get ready to race, with a new era about to begin: the bikes have lost 15kg, Q1-Q2 qualifying starts, and there are two races every single weekend.

The Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto hosts the season opener for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup, with the stage set for a stunner.
The Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto hosts the season opener for the MotoE World Cup, with the stage set for a stunner.

Jerez is a venue all know as the track hosted not one but two pre-season tests for the Cup, but some have the edge on experience. The two current riders to have won at the venue are Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) and Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) – two expected challengers this season too – and two-time Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons HP 40), another expected frontrunner, has been on the podium at the track. The fight between the three has already thrilled before, and 2022 promises another titanic showdown.

2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE), meanwhile, looks to have got his mojo back a little more in 2022 if the test timesheets are anything to go by, and Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) is back with a bang. The former podium finisher returns to MotoE this season and put in the fastest lap overall at the test, looking to fight for the Cup in the 2022 season.

2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari, meanwhile, looks to have got his mojo back a little more in 2022 if the test timesheets are anything to go by
2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari, meanwhile, looks to have got his mojo back a little more in 2022 if the test timesheets are anything to go by

The likes of Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team), a race winner last year, and Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40), already a podium finisher, can’t be counted out, but we will have to wait a little longer to see the return of Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team). After a crash at the 24h of Le Mans, the Brit is sidelined for the MotoE season opener and will be replaced by Lukas Tulovic – the German likewise an experienced electric runner.

There are some intriguing rookies this season. Xavi Fores (Octo Pramac MotoE), multiple podium finisher in WorldSBK and Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) – fastest rookie in testing – switches WorldSSP machinery for MotoE. Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) is another as the Spaniard joins from dominating the European STK600 Championship, the same position Fermin Aldeguer was in at the start of his MotoE adventure.

Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) is another as the Spaniard joins from dominating the European STK600 Championship, the same position Fermin Aldeguer was in at the start of his MotoE adventure.
Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) is another as the Spaniard joins from dominating the European STK600 Championship, the same position Fermin Aldeguer was in at the start of his MotoE adventure.

The new Q1-Q2 format means qualifying takes place on Friday at 16:50, before Race 1 gets underway at 16:25 on Saturday. Race 2 then sees the field head out at 15:30 on Sunday, completing a packed weekend of track action for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup!

Gardner & Acosta Saddle Up In Style At Gonzalez Byass Bodega 

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Andalucia… the land of flamenco, sherry, equestrian tradition, sun, sea and sand. And, when the Gran Premio Red Bull de España is in town, the land of horsepower. Ahead of the weekend’s track action, reigning Moto2 World Champion Remy Gardner and reigning Moto3 World Champion Pedro Acosta visited Gonzalez Byass bodega in Jerez…

Spanish tradition takes on a different kind of horsepower ahead of the Gran Premio Red Bull de España.
Spanish tradition takes on a different kind of horsepower ahead of the Gran Premio Red Bull de España.

As World Champions tend to do, the duo arrived at the bodega in style, blasting across the cobbles on the two KTM 1290 Super Dukes and off the back of some burnouts, as ever. Once inside, the two had a blast round La Conchabuilding within the complex, and then it was time to connect their horsepower to the carriage.

Against the backdrop of the sun-drenched bodega, the two headed up a traditional carriage helmed by a local coachwoman, with their MotoGP™ and Moto2™ bikes first taking centre stage and two stunning flamencas adding a dash of even more local flavour. Then it was time to pull the carriage and for that, the two KTM 1290 Super Dukes were on hand once again – connected together to keep the show rolling smoothly across the cobbles, and past the Alcazar in central Jerez.

Now it’s next stop the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, with both ready to saddle up back in the day job of being two of the fastest riders in the world.

Remy Gardner: “It’s been really fun, we just pulled around some ladies in the carriage, that was fun. It’s a pretty nice place here! I didn’t know it existed, it’s nice to explore Jerez and I’m super excited to be here. I’m feeling good about the weekend, we managed to score two points last week and hopefully we can improve on that. Seem like last year in testing we went quite fast here so I’m looking forward to getting the weekend started.”

Tune in this weekend to see Gardner and Acosta take on Jerez, with MotoGP™ at 14:00 (GMT +2) and Moto2™ just preceding the premier class at 12:20.
Tune in this weekend to see Gardner and Acosta take on Jerez, with MotoGP™ at 14:00 (GMT +2) and Moto2™ just preceding the premier class at 12:20.

Pedro Acosta: “Hanging out with Remy is always fun, I managed to disconnect a bit! I’m trying not to think about the race too much and just enjoy. I don’t have expectations of the weekend, I just want to continue learning and bit by bit get towards the front. And, more than anything, enjoy it.”

ASBK Gallery: All The Best Shots From Rd3 At Wakefield Park

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It was the Mike Jones show at Wakefield Park as he pulled off a great weekend to take the ASBK Round Three win and take control of the championship lead by 23 points. The Superbike riders now head off to Hidden Valley in Darwin, with the V8 Supercars… Photos: BiteSizePics.

Read all the race reports from Sunday here…

Superbike Wakefield Park Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1
2 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R
3 Cru Halliday – Yamaha YZF-R1

Alpinestars Superbike Standings After Round 3 (Full Standings Here)

1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1 132
2 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R 109
3 Bryan Staring -Ducati V4R 102

 

Lytras now ascends to the seemingly cursed leadership of the Michelin Supersport in a season where there have already been three leaders (and nominal leaders) by round three.

Michelin Supersport 600 Wakefield Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 John Lytras – Yamaha YZF-R6
2 Sean Condon – Yamaha YZF-R6
3 Ty Lynch – Yamaha YZF-R6

Michelin Supersport Standings After Round 3 (Full Standings Here)

1 John Lytras – Yamaha YZF-R6 117
2 Ty Lynch – Yamaha YZF-R6 100
3 Scott Nicholson – Yamaha YZF-R6 82

Dunker did all he could to prevent the pursuing riders from making use of the slipstream and he did exactly that, taking the win by .051 from Taiyo Aksu in second.

Dunlop Supersport 300 Wakefield Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Taiyo Aksu – Yamaha YZF-R3
3 Glenn Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3

Dunlop Supersport 300 Standings After Round 3 (Full Standings Here)

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3 184
2 James Jacobs – Kawasaki Ninja 159
3 Glenn Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3 158

Yamaha Finance R3 Cup Round Podium (Full Results Here) 

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Glenn Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3
3 Liam Waters – Yamaha YZF-R3

Yamaha Finance R3 Cup Standings After Round 3 (Full Standings Here)

1 Glenn Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3 188
2 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3 178
3 Hayden Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3 158

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Round Podium (Full Results Here) 

1 Hudson Thompson – Yamaha YZF-R15
2 Harrison Watts – Yamaha YZF-R15
3 Levi Russo – Yamaha YZF-R15

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Standings After Round 3 (Full Standings Here)

1 Harrison Watts – Yamaha YZF-R15 176
2 Hudson Thompson – Yamaha YZF-R15 163
3 Cameron Rende – Yamaha YZF-R15 152

MotoGP Gallery: All The Best Shots From Rd5 In Portimao

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How’s that for a victory? Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo got the hammer down to dominate the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal and taking his first win of the season, nearly five seconds clear by the flag, comfortably cruising over the line.

Read the full race report here…

 

 

 

WorldSBK Assen: Bautista Extends Lead, Rea Takes 100th Win For Kawasaki

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Race 1 of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) at the TT Circuit Assen for the Motul Dutch Round was a hard-fought affair with Jonathan Rea coming out on top against Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu as he claimed his 99th victory on Kawasaki machinery.

Rea started the race from third place, behind teammate Alex Lowes in second and polesitter Razgatlioglu but was soon fronting the field. The 2021 champion responded a few laps later to re-take the lead of the race. Rea once again passed the Turk on lap 16 before his attention turned to the charging Bautista.

Bautista had worked his way up from fifth on the grid to fight in the lead group and, after passing Razgatlioglu for second place, aimed to attack Rea on the final lap of the race. Bautista closed in on the run to the final chicane, but Rea was able to hold on to claim victory, his 16th at Assen, and take the lead of the Championship by just two points ahead of Spanish rider Bautista.

Rea’s victory means he has now won 99 races for Kawasaki and his first chance to make it a century for one manufacturer comes in the Tissot Superpole Race, a milestone that would just add to the number of records Rea has in the WSBK history books. With his first chance to make more history coming on the Sunday, Rea was asked about his feelings heading into a potential history-making day.

He said: “Step by step. We don’t want to think too much about that. Of course, the target is to go out and as many points as we can, try to win the race, but not for a piece of cake. I don’t know if the team have got anything planned but 100 wins for a manufacturer is an incredible milestone and, of course, that’s the next big hurdle for us. If it’s not tomorrow, I’m sure it’s going to happen at some point this season. We can be very proud of our partnership together and look forward to many more race wins.”

WorldSBK Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)

Tissot Superpole Sprint
The Tissot Superpole Race at the Motul Dutch Round was another thrilling battle in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed a historic victory in a shortened race.  Rea was able to make the move for victory on the final lap against Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at turn eight to take his 100th victory for Kawasaki. The win for the six-time world champion means he has now claimed 100 wins for a single manufacturer, the first rider to do so in WorldSBK and adding to his already-incredible record at the TT Circuit Assen at the Dutch Round.

The race was reduced from ten laps to nine when Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) had an issue on the grid, forcing the original start to be delayed and the race distance reduced by one lap. Rea was able to make the move for victory on the final lap against Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at turn eight to take his 100th victory for Kawasaki, something he was hoping to get a cake for.

Bautista finished second after fighting from fifth on the grid, and passed Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) at the high-speed turn six for the lead of the race at that time before Rea moved into the lead on the final lap. Rea will therefore lead Bautista and Razgatlioglu from the front row in race two. The drama did not stop there, though, with Bautista given a one place penalty for a track limits infringement on the final lap, promoting Razgatlioglu to second with Bautista third.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed fourth place and will line up there from race two on Sunday afternoon, ahead of rookie Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) in fifth place after another strong performance from the Honda rider. Locatelli’s fourth place means Italian riders have now finished in that position eight times in the last nine races and the fifth time in a row. French rider Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) claimed sixth spot, finishing as the best Independent rider, to complete the second row for race two.

American star Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) will lead away the third row in Race 2 after claiming seventh spot, finishing ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in eighth. Rinaldi will start from the third row after battling his way up from 12th on the grid, ahead of fellow Italian rider Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in ninth; Bassani completing the third row for race two.

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was running inside the top nine throughout the race, but a technical issue at the start of the ninth and final lap meant he was forced to retire from the race. As he qualified inside the top nine during the Tissot Superpole session on Saturday, but didn’t finish there, he will start race two from tenth.

Tissot Superpole Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.220s
3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.267s

Race Two
Drama was never far away in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the TT Circuit Assen with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) romping away to claim victory during the Motul Dutch Round, as rivals Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing WorldSBK Team) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) came to blows at turn one in the early part of the 21-lap race.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) got a good start from second on the grid and moved into the lead of the race ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). The pair, also running with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Honda), battled it out for the lead of the race in the early stages of the race. With the trio swapping places throughout, the battle came to a premature conclusion at turn one on lap six.

Razgatlioglu ran wide at the right-hander, but remained on track, with Rea making his way through turn one shortly after. The pair collided on the exit of the corner with both riders being forced to retire from the race. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards, with the investigation taking place after the race.

The incident allowed Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) to move into the lead of the race ahead of Bautista, although the Ducati rider soon made his move on the rookie to head the charge. From there, Bautista was able to pull away at the front of the field to win by 8.7 seconds ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) after Locatelli passed Lecuona on lap 18. Bautista’s victory is his 19th win in WorldSBK, running the #19 plate, and now the only rider to finish on the podium in all six races run so far.

Second for Locatelli means he has now scored his best WorldSBK result to date, and his fifth podium so far. Lecuona’s podium means Honda have claimed a podium finish for the first time at Assen since 2016 when Michael van der Mark (now BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed third. 

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) finished in fourth place as he bounced back from two technical issues in race one and the Superpole Race to record fourth place after a mega battle with Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Redding finished in fifth place, his best finish since switching to BMW, after Bassani was given a three-second time penalty for repeatedly exceeding track limits throughout the race.  

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) finished in seventh place to end a difficult weekend for the Italian rider, finishing five seconds clear of Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in eighth place. Van der Mark was making his first appearance of the 2022 season and is still recovering from his leg fracture but will take home a top eight finish for his efforts in front of his home fans. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) claimed ninth place with two Hondas inside the top ten, while Frenchman Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) rounded out the top ten.

Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) claimed his best WorldSBK result to date with 11th place, finishing just 0.004s clear of Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) who claimed 12th place. Leon Haslam (TPR Team Pedercini Racing), making his WorldSBK return, took the team’s first points of the season as he finished in 13th place. Sammarinese rider Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) claimed two more points in his debut campaign with 14th place, with Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) in 15th and rounding out the points.

Wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) was 10 seconds away from scoring points at Assen, although he had to fend off a challenge from Malaysian rookie Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team) with just a tenth between them at the end of the race. Rookie Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) rounded out the classified runners.

Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) crashed out of the race on the opening lap at turn one, with the Japanese rider taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Nozane was diagnosed with a fracture of the right fifth metatarsal bone. On the same lap, Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) made contact with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at turn five, with the American rider not finishing the race after sustaining damage to his bike. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) crashed out of the race on lap two, while Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) was out of the race with a technical issue on the same lap.

Alvaro Bautista: “I had the best seat to see all the action! I was so lucky because I saw Toprak and Jonathan crash, and I was scared because they both crashed in front of me. After that, Lecuona came and touched me in my side and then when I go into the next corner, I think Bassani came from very far behind and just touched my ribs. I was lucky again. In two corners, I was very lucky. After that, I needed a couple of laps to understand what was happening. It was incredible to understand!”

“I was quite fast and quite consistent. I sometimes just tried to relax because I saw the gap was increasing a lot. I started to make some small mistakes but I preferred to just keep the rhythm and concentrate until the end. Consistency is the key for this season, especially because Toprak and Jonathan are very fast. I don’t think I can win a lot of races like I did three years ago”

Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +8.770s
3 Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +11.580s

Championship Standings After Assen (Full Standings Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 109 points
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 91
3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 64

Oli In The Points
After a P14 in World Supersport’s race one at Assen Oliver Bayliss was able to do even better in race two. Starting from eighteenth on the grid, the Barni Spark Racing Team rider came out of turn one in P9 and closed the first lap in P11. Regrouped by some riders in the first part of the race Bayliss found himself P14 on lap 12.

In the last six laps the Australian rider started his comeback passing first Brenner and then De Rosa; in the last four laps – having gained another position due to a crash in front of him – Oli tried hard to attack Sofuoglu as well and go for the Top 10. Bayliss finished in P11, 22” behind the winner, but only 5” from the Top 5. It was a prestigious result for a rookie rider in World Supersport and his first race at Assen. Bayliss takes home seven points in the championship standings. 

At the front end of the WorldSSP field, reigning champion Dominique Aegerter claimed both wins at Assen on his Ten Kate Yamaha.    The Swiss rider battled back after losing ground at the start of the 18-lap Sunday race to claim honours and extend his lead at the top of the WorldSSP Championship.

Oli Bayliss: “We could sum it up with one sentence: we couldn’t ask for more. The team did a great job and every time I went out on track I was faster than the previous round. Also in Race 2, compared to Race 1, my pace improved and we reached the best possible result. I want to thank the whole team for the great work and the warmth I feel around me”. 

 

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