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Chaz Davies To Retire From WorldSBK At The End Of 2021

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An illustrious MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship career will come to an end at the close of season 2021 with Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) announcing his retirement from WorldSBK ahead of this weekend’s round ten at Spain’s Jerez circuit, closing a decade long career in WorldSBK.

Household WorldSBK name, Chaz Davies, has announced his retirement scheduled after this years Jerez round.

Davies has finished runner-up in WorldSBK on three occasions, in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and third placed on another two occasions as he often fought for the title throughout his career. The British rider also had two full seasons in WorldSSP and won the title in 2011 by 50 points over his nearest rival, ensuring he will go down in history as a WorldSSP world champion. In that 2011 campaign with Yamaha ParkinGo, Davies claimed six wins and eight podiums on his way to the title and earning a 2012 WorldSBK seat onboard Aprilia machinery.

His debut season started a run of ten consecutive seasons scoring podiums in WorldSBK while he has taken victories in all but two of his campaigns. For 2013, Davies switched to BMW machinery which featured a win on BMW’s home turf at the Nurburgring before switching to Ducati for 2014 for this third manufacturer in three years. He remained with the factory Ducati team until the end of the 2020 season, taking them close to the title on numerous occasions throughout an illustrious career. For his last campaign in WorldSBK, Davies had been competing on the independent Ducati outfit, Team GoEleven, taking one podium at the start of the season.

“His debut season started a run of ten consecutive seasons scoring podiums in WorldSBK.”

An emotional Davies announced at Jerez that the 2021 season would be his last, saying: “I just wanted to say that unfortunately in some ways, and fortunately in others, this will be my last season in WorldSBK. It’s obviously a decision that has not come easily, it’s taken a lot of thought because I’m a strong believer in when you’re done, you’re done. To me, the timing seemed right to make this decision. Like I said, very difficult and a lot of deliberation especially being here at the circuit again! It even felt different walking in a couple of hours ago to make this announcement.”

“You need to change something in your head. Here we are. There’s a lot of reasons behind it and like I said, a lot of deliberation and wondering whether it’s the right move but I’m very confident and I’m both happy and sad at the same time that it is the right decision. Ready to turn the page and open up the next chapter.”

“Out of Davies’ 32 WorldSBK victories, 28 of them came onboard Ducati machinery as he finished runner-up in the Championship on three occasions while 89 of his 99 podiums came with the Bologna-based manufacturer.”

Out of Davies’ 32 WorldSBK victories, 28 of them came onboard Ducati machinery as he finished runner-up in the Championship on three occasions while 89 of his 99 podiums came with the Bologna-based manufacturer. After eight seasons riding Ducati’s bikes, where he took the record for most starts for the manufacturer with 211, Davies created lots of good memories for both himself and the manufacturer and he reflected on those during his press conference.

“I’ve had so many good times and I think the, for me, one of the most special things I’ve experienced in all these years was winning races on Italian soil,” said Davies. “Especially at Imola, just down the road from Bologna, and I can genuinely say there’s no feeling like it. It’s just pinch yourself city. All the Ducatisti are there in force. It really does feel like something special. I can reflect on it now, but in the moment, I was like ‘you’ve got to remember this because these are the days that are beyond sweet’. A lot of good times, a lot of good people.”


Kobe Drew Adds To YJR Championship Tally

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Kobe Drew has made it eight state motocross championships for the GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing Team in 2021 after collecting two Queensland Championships as the final round of racing was wrapped up at Coolum over the weekend. 

Since moving to Yamaha and the GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing program in 2021, Drew has gone on a winning rampage and can now add two more number one plates to go with his Sunshine State Series success earlier in the year.

The two round Queensland Motocross Championship saw rounds held in Mackay and Coolum with Drew taking all before him. He simply dominated proceedings in the 13-14 years 250cc class winning every race he entered at both rounds to score maximum points. He proved equally skilled in the hard pack dirt and ruts of Mackay as he was in the deep and energy sapping sand of Coolum. He was a cut above his opposition with his speed and fitness unmatched.

He also claimed the 13-15 years 125cc championship as well, taking four race wins and two seconds from the six races contested. He dominated in Mackay and then had to work hard for his results in Coolum but still showed the poise and class to take the championship win. He now sits alongside other GYTR-YJR state championship winners in 2021; Jay Jennings, Angus Pearce, Jobe Dunne and Ryder Kingsford.

A very successful day all round for most of the YJR riders. However, there were some injuries.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as well for team-mate Jake Cannon. Cannon was in line to rack up another championship on his YZ85 and take it up to Drew on the 125 but fell in the first 125 race after colliding with another rider and broke his wrist. He was unable to compete for the rest of the weekend and was clearly disappointed in not being able to compete on his home track.

In the senior divisions, Yamaha was well represented in the MX2 category as the Serco Yamaha and Yamalube Yamaha Racing teams were on hand. Both Jesse Dobson and Levi Rogers had competed in the opening round at Mackay, while Nathan Crawford and Jay Wilson joined the fun at Coolum.     

Levi Rogers took home fourth place for the race weekend, just ahead of fellow Yamaha rider Nathan Crawford.

Dobson continued his good form to take second on the day at Coolum and finish second in the championship behind Todd Waters. Third for the day was Jay Wilson just ahead of Levi Rogers while Nathan Crawford was inside the top five before withdrawing from the last moto.

The action in the MX2 class was top shelf as the top five raced at high intensity and in close range of each other. The opening laps saw riders continually jostle for position and it a frantic pace that kept on lookers engaged.

Rogers was able to make it a Yamaha 2-3 in the championship as he finished third behind Dobson in the overall points.

The Queensland racing season now slows for the year with only a few regional based events left for the year. Stay up to date with all of the Yamaha Racing Team news here.


WorldSBK: Race Reports From RD11 At Portimao

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Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) raced to victory, his first in WorldSBK at the Algarve circuit in Portimao and his 11th of the year, whilst Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) crashed at speed from the lead of the race at turn 15. 

In what was one of the most intense opening five laps of the season, neither Razgatlioglu or Rea wanted to give an inch as they duelled hard. On lap two, Rea put a superb pass on Razgatlioglu at turn 11 but Toprak held on at turn 12, firing his Yamaha back through. Rea tried again at turn 13 but ran slightly wide, whilst Razgatlioglu scythed back through, colliding with Rea. The fight continued as Rea had a huge moment at turn one on lap five before getting under Razgatlioglu again at turn 11, whilst race leader Scott Redding ran wide at turn 13, with Rea coming back through to the lead. Then, disaster, as Rea tucked the front at turn 15, his Kawasaki ZX-10 RR barrelling through the gravel.

At the front, Scott Redding was leading the way until Toprak took back the lead at turn 1 with just less than four laps to go, and whilst Redding continued to try and retaliate, he couldn’t keep Toprak at bay. Razgatlioglu delivered Yamaha a first Portimao win since Marco Melandri in 2011. 

The fight for third was an ongoing affair throughout the 20-lap encounter with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) starting from third place holding onto that position until around the mid-way point of the race before he dropped positions, with Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) working his way up to third place on lap 12. There was plenty of action between the six riders in contention for a podium, with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), Haslam and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) all running wide at turn one at various points of the race.

As the race progressed, Bautista was unable to pull out a gap to the chasing pack with Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) and Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) chasing Bautista, Baz making the move at turn one before van der Mark and Locatelli, still chasing third, made contact at turn five with Locatelli retiring and van der Mark bringing his bike back to the pits; the incident will be investigated after the race by the FIM WorldSBK stewards. With the pair out of contention for the podium, Baz and Bautista battled for third place with the Spaniard coming out on top. At turn 15 on the final lap, Bautista crashed out of the race with Baz inheriting third place.

Rinaldi finished the race in fourth place after the incredible battle for third place, with Haslam eventually coming home in fifth place after starting from the front row. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed a solid sixth place, just three tenths behind Haslam in fifth place.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong rookie campaign with seventh place ahead of Argentinean star Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda) claiming eighth place – his best result of the 2021 campaign. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) battled up for ninth with Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha).

Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) missed out on the top ten by just over half-a-second but came home in 11th place, just ahead of Italian Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team); Cavalieri just a second behind Viñales. 2014 Moto2™ World Champion Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) scored points on his first WorldSBK race onboard Kawasaki machinery, with Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) rounding out the points.

Lachlan Epis, retired from the race, while Gabriele Ruiu (B-Max Racing Team) was also a retirement from the race, along with Rea, Locatelli, van der Mark and Bautista.


Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.691s
3 Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) +10.628s


Tissot Sprint Race
Almost 3,000 days since their last win in 2013 (Nürburgring), BMW claimed WorldSBK victory as Michael van der Mark mastered tricky conditions at the Algarve circuit at Portugal’s Portimao to take the flag in the Tissot Superpole Sprint, while title contender Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea crashed out. 

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) got the better start of the xhampionship’s lead trio but soon found himself under pressure from Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with six-time world champion Rea taking the lead on the opening lap.

As the leaders approached turn 13, Rea lost the front of his machine and went off the track, the crash forcing him out of the race for the second consecutive race after his race one crash on Saturday, meaning Rea will start from tenth for race two Sunday afternoon.   Razgatlioglu and Redding were the lead duo, but things soon changed in the 10-lap race as Razgatlioglu dropped down through the order while Redding remained clear at the front.

\With all the drama out in front, van der Mark was working his way through the field and moved into the lead of the race on lap 4 after taking advantage of Redding running wide at the left-hander hairpin; BMW leading a race for the first time since Phillip Island 2020. He will therefore start race two from first on the grid, ahead of Redding in second.

Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) claimed third place after withstanding the challenge from Leon Haslam (Team HRC), although Haslam did briefly pass Baz before crashing out on lap 8. A second crash for Haslam on lap 9 meant he brought his machine back to the pits, promoting Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) into fourth place.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was another beneficiary from his teammate’s misfortune to move into fifth place, ahead of championship leader Razgatlioglu in sixth; the Turkish star able to limit his damage in the race after dropping down the order rapidly in the early stages, with Bautista and Razgatlioglu completing the second row alongside Locatelli.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his streak of top-ten finishes since his podium finish in Catalunya with seventh place, withstanding a charge from Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) with the American star just 0.068s behind Bassani. Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was almost two seconds back from Gerloff with ninth as he starts from the third row.

Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) claimed the first top ten of his WorldSBK career as he finished in tenth place, as the top Kawasaki rider, two seconds clear of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) in 11th; although both riders will start from their Superpole result as they missed out on a top-nine spot.


Tissot Superpole Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +4.140s
3 Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) +5.479s


Race Two
The start was delayed due to a technical issue when the riders were lining up on the grid, with the delay meaning the race distanced was reduced one lap to 19 laps. Starting from tenth place, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was on the move from the get-go and was second by the end of the opener, while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) moved into third place.

Rea made his move for the lead through the fast turn nine left-hander on lap two on Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), relegating the British rider who had led from the start. At the start of lap two, Razgatlioglu passed Rea into turn one before the six-time world champion responded. The trio were battling throughout the opening laps, with both Razgatlioglu and Rea able to take advantage of Redding running wide at turns five and ten on the same lap.

Razgatlioglu made a move on Rea down the start-and-finish straight to move into the right-hander of turn one at the start of lap seven, before Rea responded at turn ten. At the end of lap ten, Razgatlioglu crashed at turn 15, the same place Rea did in race one, forcing the championship leader out of the race. Rea went on to take the 110th win and the 210th podium of his career, narrowing the gap in the championship to 24 points. Rea’s victory means both he and Razgatlioglu have scored 25 podiums this season, the first time it has happened in WorldSBK history. The top two in the Championship are also tied with 25 podiums and 11 wins each.

At the start of lap 13, Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) moved up into podium contention after his third-place start in race two after overtaking Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) into turn one; Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) had tried to pass both of them but Baz was wise to it, cutting back on the Spanish rider to re-take third place. Two laps later and Bautista looked to make a move through the opening couple of corners with Baz defending and keeping the position.

On lap 18, Bautista looked to make a move on Baz into the turn five hairpin, with Bautista running wide and Baz looking to reclaim the place. Through the exit of the corner, the pair made contact with Bautista coming off his bike and retiring from the race. Baz held on to cross the line in third place, while Locatelli came home in fourth place after withstanding a late surge from fellow Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in fifth place. After the race, Baz was sanctioned with a one place position drop, demoting him to fourth place and promoting Locatelli to third; the Italian’s fourth podium of his campaign.

Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was sixth after starting from first place, five seconds clear of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with the Italian suffering from a right ankle sprain and contusion and a right hip contusion following his Tissot Superpole Race crash. He battled with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) throughout the race with the pair separated by just three tenths at the end of the 19-lap encounter.

Italian rookie Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong form with ninth place, after battling with Rea during the open lap of the race, eventually finishing two tenths clear of Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) as he scored points again as he continues to stand in for Tom Sykes.

Laverty finished five seconds clear of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) in 11th place, who was also clear of Spanish rider Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 12th place. Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 13th, just over a second behind Viñales, with Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) rounding out the points. Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) was the last of the classified runners in 16th place.

Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was the first retirement of the race after a crash at the start of lap three, with the Belgian rookie taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the incident. Cresson was diagnosed with a concussion and a left knee injury and will be transported to Portimao Hospital for further assessments. Cresson’s teammate, Lachlan Epis, also retired from the race while Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) suffered from technical issues during the early running and brought his bike back to the pits. Wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (B-Max Racing Team) was also a retirement from race two after completing 10 laps.


Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +5.425s
3 Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +12.289s


Championship Standings After Round 11 (Full Standings Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 478 points
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 454
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 424


 

MotoGP Grid Assemble To Remember Dean Berta Viñales

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On Thursday at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, the MotoGP paddock came together to pay tribute to and remember WorldSSP300 rider Dean Berta Viñales, cousin to Maverick Viñales, who sadly passed away during the Jerez Round of WorldSBK after a tragic accident. 

The MotoGP paddock assembled to hold a one minute moment of silence for their fellow rider.

Below the podium at the Circuit of the Americas, members of the paddock including Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, IRTA President Herve Poncharal and riders from across each class of Grand Prix racing gathered together for a minute of silence in honour of Viñales, who will forever be remembered.

The Spaniard was well on track to a promising career in the Supersport 300 category with room to progress to higher categories. There has been an outpour of tributes on social media following the sad news, with plenty of support for Maveric Viñales who was the cousin of Dean and the whole Viñales family. WorldSBK have since posted a tribute video and compiled all of the social media tributes which can be seen and followed here.


Jay Wilson Flies Yamaha Australia Flag In Japan

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Jay Wilson has jetted out to Japan to contest round seven of the All-Japan Motocross Championship at the famous Sportsland Sugo circuit, north of Tokyo. Racing a YZ250F in the MX2 division, Wilson is excited about his trip to Japan and to further enhance the relationship between Yamaha Australia and Yamaha Japan. 

“The arrangement came about after Kota Toriyabe spent the 2020 season in Australia working with Wilson and the Yamalube Yamaha Team in an effort to fast track his speed and experience.”

The arrangement came about after Kota Toriyabe spent the 2020 season in Australia working with Wilson and the Yamalube Yamaha Team in an effort to fast track his speed and experience. Now in return YMC has extended an invitation to Wilson to contest the event and showcase the YZ250F in race conditions at Japan’s home of motocross.

“This is a great opportunity for me and an experience that I will never forget,” Wilson begins. “It was great to work with Kota-san last year while he was here in Australia and his riding certainly improved during his stay here.  I will be in Japan for around one month and while the race will be the highlight, I will also get the chance to meet many of the people who help develop, design and build the bikes we race every weekend. YMC has been amazing to deal with and I can’t thank everyone enough for their hard work in making this trip happen in such trying circumstances with the world still COVID affected.” 

Wilson will compete with number 106 on his 2022 YZ250F, the same number assigned to him while racing in the US at the start of 2020.

This opportunity is another example of the strong relationship between Yamaha and its subsidiaries and the addition of Wilson into the Yamaha fray for Sugo, looks set to inject some energy into the Japanese motocross scene.

“We are excited to provide this opportunity for Jay and know that he will do his best not to just represent Yamaha Motor Australia but also work hand in hand with YMC and make more of these experiences possible. We thank everyone from YMC who has worked hard behind the scenes to make this happen and wish Jay well as he gets to experience a trip of a lifetime,” says Yamaha Australia’s Matt Ferry.

Jay will start his Japan ride on the 23rd of October, so keep an eye out for his name in the results!

Round seven of the All-Japan Motocross Nationals gets under way on October 23 and concludes on October 24. Keep an eye out for Jay Willson in the results and the stream!


 

 

Rookie Dylan Ferrandis Takes Home Pro MX Championship

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Bell Helmets rider, Dylan Ferrandis, has clinched the 2021 450 Pro Motocross Championship title after a spectacular ride during the final round at Pala Raceway. Second place for the weekend was all Ferrandis needed to get the job done and take home the trophy. 

Dylan Ferrandis took home the 2021 Pro Motocross Championship in the 450 category after a great year.

The 2021 Pro Motocross Championship returned to Pala Raceway for the penultimate round of the Pro Motocross series on Saturday September 4th. With a reversed layout, 100+ degree heat, and a 50-point lead in the championship, Dylan had one goal for the day: finish in front of Ken Roczen and win the 450 Championship.

A brutal first Moto saw Dylan chasing down his rival Roczen for the win. A great start, but Dylan needed to outperform him in Moto 2 to clinch this Championship.

“Dylan had one goal for the day: finish in front of Ken Roczen and win the 450 Championship.” he achieved just that!

Turns out Ken was no match for the Frenchman’s speed on the day, and Dylan closed out Moto 2 with a 2nd place finish, a 2nd overall, and the 2021 450 Pro Motocross Championship. Congratulations to him and the entire Star Racing Yamaha Team on an incredible year.


BMW EWC Team Celebrate Their First Victory

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Having joined the FIM Endurance World Championship only two seasons ago, the factory BMW team managed by Werner Daemen claimed their very first win at the just-concluded 6 Hours of Most, the final of the 2021 season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team have always performed well and regularly featured on the podium, but have never managed to take home the win.

The crazy finish at Most, with only 0.07 seconds between BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team, resulted in a significant achievement for the factory BMW team. The win at Most was the very first for the Belgian team managed since 2019 by Werner Daemen.

Third at the Bol d’Or and the 8 Hours of Sepang last season with the BMW S 1000 RR, this year BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team finished third at the 24 Heures Motos and the 12 Hours of Estoril with the new M 1000 RR. The only race in which they did not score points was the Bol d’Or where they had to withdraw following a mechanical problem. 

BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team did finish as runner-up in the 2021 FIM EWC behind Yoshimura SERT.

At the 6 Hours of Most, the BMW M 1000 RR #37 moved quickly into the lead. YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team were the only ones able to compete towards the end of the race. The result of their epic duel was that Markus Reiterberger in the saddle of the BMW #37 crossed the finish line with the Yamaha #7 ridden by Marvin Fritz right behind. 

Werner Daemen is very pleased with the success of Markus Reiterberger and Ilya Mikhalchik (Kenny Foray did not ride the race at Most) and his entire team in the Czech Republic.

“Werner Daemen is very pleased with the success of Markus Reiterberger and Ilya Mikhalchik (Kenny Foray did not ride the race at Most) and his entire team in the Czech Republic.”

“I am overjoyed. This weekend has been perfect from the word go. To win the race by 0.07 seconds after six hours of racing is a dream. It is simply excellent, and I know how much work we have all invested in this success. Despite the races at Le Mans and Estoril not running entirely smoothly, we still finished on the podium. We then retired with a technical issue in the Bol d’Or, but these things can happen. Despite this, we still managed to finish the season in second place in the championship.”

The last time a BMW team won the runner-up spot in the FIM Endurance World Championship was in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. In those years, BMW Motorrad France won two races, the 2011 8 Hours of Albacete and the 2012 8 Hours of Doha.


2022 MotoGP Provisional Calendar Announced

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Dorna have just released the first look at the 2022 MotoGP calendar. With the on-going pandemic, it may be subject to some changes but the future is looking bright for Australian racing fans as the long awaited Phillip Island round is on the provisional 2022 calendar.

Riders haven’t been to Australia since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but 2022 could be the year racing returns!

While it is early days, Australian fans can rejoice as Phillip Island is scheduled for the 2022 MotoGP season. The riders haven’t been back to Australia since 2019, so Aussie fans have missed out on Jack Miller on a factory team Ducati and Remy Gardener leading the Moto2 championship.

However, 2022 will be a special year as we will have not one but two home-grown talents in the main event class. Check out the calendar below to see all the details on the 2022 provisional round line-up.


2022 MotoGP Provisional Calendar

  • 06 March Qatar* Losail International Circuit
  • 20 March Indonesia** Mandalika International Street Circuit
  • 03 April Republica Argentina Termas de Rio Hondo
  • 10 April Americas Circuit of The Americas
  • 24 April Portugal Algarve International Circuit
  • 01 May Spain Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto
  • 15 May France Le Mans
  • 29 May Italy Autodromo del Mugello
  • 05 June Catalunya Barcelona-Catalunya
  • 19 June Germany Sachsenring

  • 26 June Netherlands TT Circuit Assen
  • 10 July Finland** KymiRing
  • 07 August Great Britain Silverstone Circuit
  • 21 August Austria Red Bull Ring-Spielberg
  • 04 September San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
  • 18 September Aragón MotorLand Aragón
  • 25 September Japan Twin Ring Motegi
  • 02 October Thailand Chang International Circuit
  • 16 October Australia Phillip Island
  • 23 October Malaysia Sepang International Circuit
  • 06 November Comunitat Valenciana Comunitat Valenciana-Ricardo Tormo

* Evening Race, **Subject to Homologation. All dates, events and the attendance of spectators are subject to the evolution of the pandemic and the approval of the corresponding Governments.


WorldSBK: Race Reports From RD 12 In Argentina

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The WorldSBK Championship descended on the Circuito San Juan Villicum, Argentina and it was Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) who claimed race one honours after a 21-lap encounter after transferring his Friday pace into Saturday action.

Both Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), decorated in a special 1990s livery to mark a special anniversary for Kawasaki, got quick starts from second and fifth on the grid respectively to lead the race into turn one, while polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) found himself on the ground at the first turn after crashing, with the Briton falling to the back of the grid.

Out in front and Rea had put pressure on Razgatlioglu for the lead of the race before the championship leader opened up the gap to Rea to just over three seconds at the end of lap eight, with the pair holding station until the end of the race. Razgatlioglu’s win meant he claimed the 50th podium of his career while Yamaha claimed their first podium at San Juan Villicum. Rea’s second place meant he claimed Great Britain’s 810th podium, while it was only the second time Rea has not won at Argentina.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed the tenth podium of his WorldSBK career with third place after passing Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at around half-distance of the race. Bassani had started from the front row for the first time in his WorldSBK career but fell back at the start before fighting back into third, before Rinaldi was able to pass him. Rinaldi’s podium was Ducati’s 980th podium in WorldSBK.

The battle for fourth raged on between Bassani and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with Lowes, using a Top Gun-inspired livery to mark Kawasaki’s 125th anniversary, making the move through turns six and seven to move into fourth before fending off the Ducati rider down the back straight into turn eight, with Lowes finishing in fourth place and Bassani in fifth.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was another who had a strong start as the lights went out but soon found himself falling back down the order as he battled with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK); with the Dutchman claiming sixth place and Gerloff seventh. Locatelli ended the race in eighth place after starting from sixth place.

Redding ended the 21-lap race in ninth place after battling his way back from the back of the field after his turn one spill, passing numerous riders to secure a top-ten finish despite the early setback, with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) rounding out the top ten after withstanding late challenges from his rivals but unable to keep Redding behind.

Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed 11th place in only his second round onboard Kawasaki machinery, finishing almost two seconds clear of Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) who finished in 12th place. Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) moved up the order at the start of the race but fell back as the 21-lap progressed, eventually coming home in 13th place.

It was a strong showing for Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) as he looked to claim his first top-ten finish in WorldSBK, but a late trip through the gravel meant he fell down to 14th place, four seconds behind Laverty. Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed the final points-paying position with 15th place.

Home hero Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was 16th and missing out on points by around five seconds, but he was also five seconds clear of 17th-placed Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha). Two Argentinean riders rounded out the classified runners with Marco Solorza (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and teammate Luciano Ribodino in 18th and 19th respectively.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was the first retirement of the race after he had a crash at turn four on the third lap of the race. Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) had shown strong pace throughout the weekend but retired from race one after an early trip into the gravel at turn seven; although he did re-join the race, he retired in the second half.


Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.295s
3 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +9.417s


Tissot Superpole Race
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship continued to thrill throughout the Motul Argentinean Round as the 10-lap Tissot Superpole Race was decided by a drag race to the finish line at the Circuito San Juan Villicum with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dicing it out for Superpole Race honours.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) once again claimed the lead of the race into turn one after leapfrogging polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) while Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was straight into podium contention from fifth on the grid and immediately battling with Toprak Razgatlioglu and Scott Redding.

At the end of lap three, Redding lost ground to Razgatlioglu after running wide at the final corner, allowing Rea to put pressure on the Ducati rider while the Turkish star was able to extend his lead at the front of the field. Redding was able to spend a few laps recovering the time to Razgatlioglu before putting pressure on the race leader with the battling right until the line; Redding looking to make a move into turn six and seven but Razgatlioglu responded to hold on to the line by just 0.046s. Razgatlioglu claimed his 13th win of 2021 with Yamaha taking their 350th podium placement. Redding claimed second for his 20th podium this campaign with Rea settling for third; the trio starting race two from the front. 

As in Saturday’s race one, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) lost ground at the start of the race but was able to fight back to claim fourth place, his best dry-weather result, in the Superpole Race after passing Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in lap three; Lowes would drop back to ninth in the closing stages of the race. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) once again battled it out on track with the Dutchman coming out on top to claim fifth place, with Italian rookie Locatelli in sixth and one second back from van der Mark.

After topping warm-ip on Sunday morning, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed seventh place after making progress from his starting spot, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in eighth place; the Italian had battled his way up the order before losing a couple of spots in the latter stages of the race. Lowes will complete the third row after finishing ninth.


Tissot Superpole Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.046s
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.419s


Argentinian action in WorldSBK race two at the San Juan circuit saw the championship top three engaged in a hard-fought 21-lap battle with Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) coming out on top, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) second and Toprak Razgatlioglu third (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK).    In earlier weekend racing, Razgatlioglu won Saturday’s race one and the Sprint, while Rea took two podiums – a second in race one and a third in Sunday’s quick dash.   

The Turk now holds a 30 point lead over Rea  (531 to 501 points) with Redding back in third on 465 points, with the title-decider in the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship going down to the wire and to be decided at the final round,  a month away at Indonesia’s Mandalika International Street Circuit on November 19-21.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) got a good start from third on the grid while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) led from pole position.  The pair battled through the first three laps, with Redding joining the fray, and Rea taking the lead briefly before being pushed down to third on the fourth lap of 21. On lap five, the Ducati star moved up to second with a pass on Rea before passing Razgatlioglu, while Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong form as he battled the championship’s top three for a podium position.  

Rea was able to respond to move into second and looked to take the lead, but the Turkish star was able to resist the challenge on lap six.  At the start of lap nine, Redding made a move on Rea into turn one to move up into second place, with Razgatlioglu still out in front, although Redding did make a move into turn eight, with Razgatlioglu responding.

On lap ten at turn seven, Redding overtook Razgatlioglu to capture the lead, with Rea almost able to pass the Turkish star into Turn 8 but Razgatlioglu responded to keep second place. The move allowed Redding to escape the thrilling battles, with the fight between Razgatlioglu, Rea and Bassani continuing to heat up.

Rea cut back under Razgatlioglu into turn seven to briefly move into second place on lap 14 but Razgatlioglu regained the position under braking into turn eight. On Lap 16, Rea made the crucial overtake to move into turn one but Razgatlioglu fought back until turn five with the pair side-by-side throughout the sequence. Rea was able to break away to claim second place ahead of Razgatlioglu, with Redding claiming his first victory since Catalunya.

Bassani dropped away from the lead trio in the closing stages but still recorded fourth place after another excellent race for the Italian rookie as he withstood a late challenge from Ducati stablemate Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) by just half-a-second at the end of the 21-lap race. With the top four battling it out in the early stages, Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was running in the lead group with fifth place before he was passed by Rinaldi, eventually coming home in sixth place.

Yamaha stablemates Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in seventh and eighth respectively with American star Gerloff missing out in seventh spot by just three tenths at the end of the race. Despite missing out on seventh place, Gerloff’s points, coupled with teammate Kohta Nozane finishing in 14th place, was enough for GRT Yamaha to claim the Best Independent Teams’ title in 2021.

Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) battled it out for ninth place in the closing stages of the race with just eight tenths separating the duo as they crossed the line. Bautista, a race winner at San Juan for Ducati but making his first appearance on Honda machinery in Argentina, battled back from 15th place after missing out on a top-nine spot in the morning Tissot Superpole Race.

Bautista’s Team HRC teammate, Leon Haslam, was 11th with both Team HRC riders taking points for the team’s first appearance at San Juan. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed 12th place ahead of Spanish compatriot Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 13th with Viñales showing strong pace throughout the weekend. Nozane took 14th place with home hero Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado 15th (MIE Racing Honda Team) – coming home with points despite running wide at turn one late on in the race.

Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), still standing in for Tom Sykes, finishing in 16th place and half-a-second clear of Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) in 17th and Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) in 18th. Two Argentinean riders finished in 19th and 20th with OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing duo Luciano Ribodino and Marco Solorza rounding out the field.


Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.428s
3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +3.834s


Championship Standings After Round 12 (Full Standings Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 531
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 501
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 465


Tech Tips: Race Fairing Fitment

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At Doctor Glass they have fitted many sets of race fairings, including their own and other manufacturer’s products. Over the years they say they have come across a variety of different problems and solutions.

Doctor Glass have been making race fairings for a number of years. Check out the guide they put together below!

In this fitment guide we cover the main points of properly fitting fairings, in what order to tackle the job, as well as showing you some of the tricks used to do a good job and help you get around some of the problems that can arise when fitting aftermarket race fairings to your bike.


Check out our other tech tips here…


Firstly, there is a proper order to things. You’ll want to fit the fairings before you paint them, then take them off to be painted. It takes us around four hours in the shop with all the tools and know-how, so allow yourself six hours or more to finish the job. Make sure you have the bike clean and set up on stands or a workbench with plenty of room to move around. 

“Make sure your hands and tools are clean as the raw gelcoat will easily stain if it comes in contact with oil or grease, making it harder to paint later.”

You will need the correct tools. A compressor and a die grinder is a must for cleaning up rough areas and drilling holes. Some sand paper – 180 dry for rubbing down moulding seams and 320 dry for cleaning up edges and finishing off for paint (keep in mind that your spray painter will be able to take care of most of this when prepping). Plus all the usual workshop tools. Make sure all drill bits are sharp and ready for use!

When fitting race fairings you need to be patient. Sometimes you’ll find bolt marks that don’t line up. Often it’s simply a matter of taking a quick breather then getting back into it and you’ll find it will be something simple like the fairing not mounted correctly.

Have everything sorted and ready to go to ensure that you’re not spending all your time looking around for tools!

Sometimes the fairings may have warped a little during shipping, this is not a problem, it’s just a matter of bending them back into shape and fitting them to the bike in the correct position. Once the bike has been through a couple of heat cycles the fairings will re-set to that position.

You need to keep in mind that race fairings do not fit as well as factory plastics, so you may find areas where there are small inconsistencies. This is quite normal and not usually noticeable once the paint and stickers are on. If you check out other race bikes at the track you’ll be surprised how good they look from a distance but upon closer inspection the fibreglass fairings rarely look as neat as street fairings.

It is always best to start off with the tank cover first as it’s often the first thing that goes on from factory.

Start with the tank cover (if you have one), then seat support, ducktail, ducktail lower, upper fairing, lower fairing and finally the windscreen. You will need to be prepared to remove and refit panels a number of times to confirm correct fitting – be patient! 

You will need to use the original factory bolts to mount the fairing to the frame of the bike. Taper bolts allow you to make accurate marks in fairing panels so you know where to drill. Keep in mind that sometimes mounting points on bikes will be not perfectly aligned. If your bike has been in any kind of crash, it will be likely that things such as the subframe, radiator or other mount points will be not exactly aligned. If this is the case then you may need to straighten them before fitting the glass. 

Taper bolts allow you to make accurate marks in fairing panels so you know where to drill.

Sometimes you may need to grind areas off the fairing so that they fit around corners/over edges or if there are parts on the fairing that you do not require. If this is the case do not panic! Fibreglass is very easy to work with and can be easily shaped using a die grinder, electric grinder or even a hand file. If you need to remove a section of panel, simply mark what you need to remove with a marker pen and grind off the area. Finish the ground edge off with some sandpaper. 

When fitting upper and lower fairings, sometimes you will find that a mount point will not line up exactly to the area on the fairing that has the recess to mark where the hole should be drilled. If this happens do not panic! Sometimes previous accidents can cause alignments to go out but it is not a problem. You can simply drill the hole in the appropriate position or you may need to space the fairing out a little from the frame with some spacers.



Dzus Fasteners are great for connecting upper and lower fairings; however you need to be careful. Dzus Fasteners come in different shaft lengths and you’ll need the correct length for them to work properly. The Dzus Fasteners supplied with Doctor Glass fairing kits have 10mm shafts and are suitable for most applications so long as the fibreglass being connected is not too thick.

If the glass is too thick, such as in situations where carbon bordering has been chosen as an option, you may need to sand or grind the contact points between the fairings so that they reach the correct thickness for the Dzus Fastener to function correctly. Rivnuts also work as an excellent replacement for Dzus Fasteners if available. 

When mounting the windscreen for the first time it’s best to do so with the upper fairing off the bike.”

When mounting the windscreen for the first time it’s best to do so with the upper fairing off the bike. Get someone to hold the screen in position then mark any holes in the fairing or screen that need to be drilled. Some windscreens come pre-drilled but sometimes you will need to drill yourself. If you need to drill holes in the screen make sure you put tape over the area first (both sides), then use the drill in reverse at a very high speed. Don’t push too hard or you’ll crack the Perspex. 

Another point that is worth making is that it’s important to try to keep contaminants such as oil, grease and especially silicon off the unpainted fairings as this will make them much harder to paint. 

Some fairings will have moulding seams that will need to be removed. You can either do this yourself with some 180 then 320 grade sandpaper (it’s not hard) or ask your painter to clean them up for you.

There you have it! It might sound like a big job but if you take your time, measure twice and only cut once it’ll fit great. Then its off to the painters for your fairing and you’ll have a great looking track bike in no time!


Words and Photography: Doctor Glass