WSBK 2014...

Max Headroom

Starts this w/e......Nice to see Eugene flying the flag for us again...;)...looking forward to seeing Lowes too, but most of all i want to see 10' tall Chaz Davies on the Panigale.......:D

h3000

Max Headroom wrote: »

Starts this w/e......Nice to see Eugene flying the flag for us again...;)...looking forward to seeing Lowes too, but most of all i want to see 10' tall Chaz Davies on the Panigale.......:D

Was going to start a WSBK thread today

I'm really looking forward to this year. I think that Laverty will push very hard this year.

Max Headroom

h3000 wrote: »

Was going to start a WSBK thread today

I'm really looking forward to this year. I think that Laverty will push very hard this year.

Think he'll hav to...that GSXR is isnt the fastest...

Max Headroom

Max Headroom wrote: »

Think he'll hav to...that GSXR is isnt the fastest...

...well that shut me up........:o...Eugene and Alex 4 and 5 on the grid......DOH..!!

Grim.

fecking superb stuff, well done norge

Grim.

Race 2

BOLLOCKS:mad:

Max Headroom

1st Race....what a ride....that gsxr aint too shabby......

2nd race........:mad::mad::mad:

Supersport race.....i hate Sofuoglu....glad he's stuck back in the lower class....Great foe Kev....

CJhaughey

Not great for Suzuki to have that happen so early on, I wonder if its a case that they are trying to get too much from that engine to maintain competitiveness?
Eugene is a very tidy rider to watch on any machinery.

Grim.

CJhaughey wrote: »

Not great for Suzuki to have that happen so early on, I wonder if its a case that they are trying to get too much from that engine to maintain competitiveness?

Was thinking the same this morning, hoping this isn't the case and it was something like a batch issue with a particular part, at least there's time before the next round to figure out what happened and try find a solution to it.

Eugene is a very tidy rider to watch on any machinery.

He's amazing to watch especially at fast flowing circuits like Philip Island

frostie500

Grim. wrote: »

Was thinking the same this morning, hoping this isn't the case and it was something like a batch issue with a particular part, at least there's time before the next round to figure out what happened and try find a solution to it.

Yeah I'd be surprised if its any major issue, sometimes racing engines just blow. It's a shame it happened today and not in practice because Eugene looked very well placed to take the double

Grim. wrote: »

He's amazing to watch especially at fast flowing circuits like Philip Island

I've always been a fan of Eugene and he showed how good he can be over the last few years. I always bring it back to WSS in 2008 when he was up against Cal Crutchlow for the the title. That year the Yamaha was clearly the bike to be on (Chaz Davies won the title two years later on pretty much the same package) but Eugene on a second tier Honda (The Ten Kate squad and Kenan had the better bike that year) was able to come damn close to winning the title.
Last year on the Aprilia he always seemed to be chasing some good luck and his mechanical issues really held him back but with some luck he'll have a strong year and be in MotoGP next year on the factory Suzuki. It'd be great to see him get a proper shot at GPs

EB_2013

Max Headroom wrote: »

Supersport race.....i hate Sofuoglu....glad he's stuck back in the lower class....Great foe Kev....

Cracking 5 lap race after Kennedy's blow up. Great result for Coghlan.

Very impressed with the Suzuki's in the Superbikes, pitty about Eugene's retirement in race 2. He was fantastic in race 1.

exercise is the antidote

Pity about Eugene in race 2, would of being the perfect start to the season. Would love to see him win it or do well enough to earn a moto gp spot next year.....
Irishman in moto gp?
Has it happened before?

jpb14

exercise is the antidote wrote: »

Pity about Eugene in race 2, would of being the perfect start to the season. Would love to see him win it or do well enough to earn a moto gp spot next year.....
Irishman in moto gp?
Has it happened before?

Eugene has allready raced in GPs as an Irishman.He raced for LCR and also Blusens on a 250cc grand prix bike in 2007 and 2008.Eugene will get his well deserved big break next year.Surely he will get a ride with Suzuki on their motogp bike or maybe a Ducati ride for 2015.Hes too good not to be in MotoGP.

exercise is the antidote

jpb14 wrote: »

Eugene has allready raced in GPs as an Irishman.He raced for LCR and also Blusens on a 250cc grand prix bike in 2007 and 2008.Eugene will get his well deserved big break next year.Surely he will get a ride with Suzuki on their motogp bike or maybe a Ducati ride for 2015.Hes too good not to be in MotoGP.

Sorry I didn't know that, I would love to see him in moto gp, imagine the Irish national anthem being played ? I would love to hear that

jpb14

Typical RTE News.Some Irish cyclist wins a silver medal going around an indoor oval track a few times and they are praising him.But Eugene Laverty winning the 1st WSBK race of the year and flying the flag for Ireland yet again gets no mention at all.

EB_2013

They usually put it up on Aertel but I don't remember them ever covering his results on the main sports news.

I think UTV have it on their sports bulletins as I remember them mentioning Laverty and Rea's results last year.

Max Headroom

EB_2013 wrote: »

They usually put it up on Aertel but I don't remember them ever covering his results on the main sports news.

I think UTV have it on their sports bulletins as I remember them mentioning Laverty and Rea's results last year.

I do remember Euge getting mentioned on that RTE news station last year...

CJhaughey

Sylvain Barrier was in a coma after a car accident last weekend.
He has since come out of it but remains in hospital
Best wishes for a speedy recovery Sylvain.

What channel has coverage this year? A bump on race weekends would be good, love watching a Superbike race.

h3000

Deleted User wrote: »

What channel has coverage this year? A bump on race weekends would be good, love watching a Superbike race.

Eurosport will have the coverage of BSB and WSBK.

The next WSBK round is in Aragon on April 13th. The first round of BSB is the following weekend in brands hatch.

Max Headroom

Sad to see this thread dropping down the list...goes to show that WSBK was always been the poor mans Motogp......it certainely is for me now that Motogp is ppv ....:)

Infoanon

Max Headroom wrote: »

Sad to see this thread dropping down the list...goes to show that WSBK was always been the poor mans Motogp......it certainely is for me now that Motogp is ppv ....:)

I don't think the gap between races at the start of the season helps.

The Russian race has been cancelled which means there shall be a long gap mid season as well now.

EB_2013

Infoanon wrote: »

I don't think the gap between races at the start of the season helps.

The Russian race has been cancelled which means there shall be a long gap mid season as well now.

Yeah, I was checking out the remaining calendar and there's nearly a 2 month gap in the summer. They were looking at bringing Qatar in.

I agree the gap after Phillip Island is too long and then MotoGP starts and everyone forgets about the series. It's a shame because the series provides more entertainment compared to MotoGP. It just lacks the big names.

Max Headroom

Cracking supersport sprint race today at Brands Hatch BSB....cant wait for tomorrow..

CJhaughey

Rea looking good on that old CBR, pole isn't that bad on that bike.
Early start tomorrow, 8.45am weather likely to be coolish and that may make a difference.

Max Headroom

CJhaughey wrote: »

Rea looking good on that old CBR, pole isn't that bad on that bike.
Early start tomorrow, 8.45am weather likely to be coolish and that may make a difference.

Rea looking VERY good....2 out of 2......

Melandri....ha...:D

Eugene had another mare weekend it seems...whats up..

EB_2013

Very impressive double by Rea. It seems they have sorted the Honda's out this year compared to last year when they were down on top speed. Just hope they can keep it up for the rest of the season and challenge the Kawasaki's who usually pill ahead in the races.

Haven't a clue what's going on with Suzuki, I expected Laverty to be challenging for the title after Phillip Island but it's been a disaster since then.

CJhaughey

EB_2013 wrote: »

Very impressive double by Rea. It seems they have sorted the Honda's out this year compared to last year when they were down on top speed. Just hope they can keep it up for the rest of the season and challenge the Kawasaki's who usually pill ahead in the races.

Haven't a clue what's going on with Suzuki, I expected Laverty to be challenging for the title after Phillip Island but it's been a disaster since then.

I think there is a couple of things at play here.
Kawasaki's usually totally dominant but at Imola suffering from tyre wear issues, Aprilia usually top of the heap alongside Kawasaki, suffering with tyre wear issues and falling away mid race.
Now the FIM have recently appointed a new technical director in Scott Smart and he is a pretty smart dude, ex racer crew chief etc etc.
He has said he is going to be looking for frames that aren't legal.
In other words that have adjustability outside that of what is currently permitted and maybe non-homologated frame thickness/geometry etc.
I wonder are these related to the current issues or was it just the track:D
Also it was mentioned that Ten Kate have a new electronics guru who was previously with BMW and is a bit of a genius with electronics, he apparently has spent a lot of time with the CBR which is running MotoGP electronics apparently.
This might have helped Johnny Rea with his bike although Haslam doesn't seem to be anywhere near Rea in terms of speed or consistency.
WTF is up with Sofuoglu's team? He didn't need another DNF at this stage.
Suzuki have a lot of work to do to catch up.

Max Headroom

Suzukis....i'm lost for words...

Super Tom strikes again....brilliant...


Great ride from Jack K...made better by the off's and blow-ups.....:)

frostie500

Flying yonsepang this morning for the weekend, first wsbk race of the year for me! Got a few bits and pieces lined up for it so ill post them here with a few pics over the weekend

Max Headroom

Kennedy.....Going well then a stupid move ....:rolleyes:

Good results for Eugene....;)

frostie500

Just after finishing up in Sepang, working in Singapore for a couple of days this week so dropped in for the weekend! Great days racing but tell you what there was some heat! Huge respect to the riders for managing to make it through the races in such conditions. Got sitting down with Eugene, JR and Chaz Davies yesterday and Alex Lowes today, everything is up on the site, except for Chaz because it was a really long interview!

Here's a few pics from this weekend:

I've uploaded a few more to my gallery here

CJhaughey

Love the one of Sykes going past the Guy taking a piss against the Armco!

frostie500

CJhaughey wrote: »

Love the one of Sykes going past the Guy taking a piss against the Armco!

Yeah that's a favourite of mine from the weekend!

Infoanon

Frostie, how did a WSBK weekend compare to a motogp weekend ?

frostie500

Infoanon wrote: »

Frostie, how did a WSBK weekend compare to a motogp weekend ?

It was really quiet! At a MotoGP race there's usually, lets say 200 media (journos and photographers), at F1 there's lets say 350 but at WSBK there was probably about 30 total! It was really amazing to see the difference! Nice series to go to though because the riders are accessible and happy to talk, it's much more relaxed than any race I'd been to before

Max Headroom

Well done Jack Kennedy...ya boy ya..:D

frostie500

Great stuff Johnny and Jack yesterday, great days racing!

EB_2013

Thank god Sykes is brutal in the wet, I was expecting another another dominant display after race one but luckily the rain arrived. Great ride by Rea.

What's the deal with the scheduling this year, Portugal and USA a week apart and then no race for nearly 2 months. Was another race cancelled in between? Could've been spread out better.

frostie500

EB_2013 wrote: »

Thank god Sykes is brutal in the wet, I was expecting another another dominant display after race one but luckily the rain arrived. Great ride by Rea.

What's the deal with the scheduling this year, Portugal and USA a week apart and then no race for nearly 2 months. Was another race cancelled in between? Could've been spread out better.

Moscow was cancelled for August

EB_2013

Ah, forgot about that one from last year. Poor Antonelli, that track was lethal in the wet.

Max Headroom

EB_2013 wrote: »

Thank god Sykes is brutal in the wet, I was expecting another another dominant display after race one but luckily the rain arrived. .

Yeah...its starting to get a bit Motogp-ish........:)

Magown3

Ok, things are starting back up this weekend and while watching the qualifying, the commentators seemed to be talking a lot about rumours for next year! Exciting rumours.

Johnny Rea to Kawasaki!
Baz to Moto GP.
Haslam possibly back to BSB.
Melandri to Moto GP with Aprilla.

What have you heard?
What would you like to see?

Infoanon

Magown3 wrote: »

Ok, things are starting back up this weekend and while watching the qualifying, the commentators seemed to be talking a lot about rumours for next year! Exciting rumours.

Johnny Rea to Kawasaki!
Baz to Moto GP.
Haslam possibly back to BSB.
Melandri to Moto GP with Aprilla.

What have you heard?
What would you like to see?

Melandri to Moto GP is apparently a done deal and may be announced next week at Misano, I would be surprised if Johnny Rea left Honda.

CJhaughey

Infoanon wrote: »

Melandri to Moto GP is apparently a done deal and may be announced next week at Misano, I would be surprised if Johnny Rea left Honda.

I wouldn't be, Rea has given his all on a basically outdated 'blade.
In return he has been given a couple of wildcards on a GP bike as a stand in for Stoner.
He has also won the Suzuka 8hr for TSR/Honda.
He is not going to get a ride on a Factory machine and the list of riders ahead of him for Satellite seats is long and getting longer.
His only option at this stage is to stay in WSBK and get himself a competitive ride which means Kawasaki or Aprilia at this point.
If he had decent machinery under him he may well have had a couple of championships under his belt at this point.
He may as well cut his losses and ride for the win rather than loyalty at this stage of his career.
Kawasaki have the best package for the EVO rules currently and if Aprilia go back to GP then their factory SBK effort won't be much to write home about.

CJhaughey

How long ago was the last race at Portugal? It was so long it feels like the start of a new season!
Two rounds out of 15 cancelled and the series starts to look like a badly organised event IMO.
Sponsors won't like it and WSBK can not lose any more sponsors or they could be in serious trouble.
Dorna have a lot to do to get it back on track or it could be the start of a fatal slide into obscurity.

Infoanon

CJhaughey wrote: »

How long ago was the last race at Portugal? It was so long it feels like the start of a new season!
Two rounds out of 15 cancelled and the series starts to look like a badly organised event IMO.
Sponsors won't like it and WSBK can not lose any more sponsors or they could be in serious trouble.
Dorna have a lot to do to get it back on track or it could be the start of a fatal slide into obscurity.

The cancellation of the Russian round was out of Dornas control and in hindsight was a blessing, its unfortunate a stop gap round could not be put in place but its understandable.

Magown3

CJhaughey wrote: »

I wouldn't be, Rea has given his all on a basically outdated 'blade.
In return he has been given a couple of wildcards on a GP bike as a stand in for Stoner.
He has also won the Suzuka 8hr for TSR/Honda.
He is not going to get a ride on a Factory machine and the list of riders ahead of him for Satellite seats is long and getting longer.
His only option at this stage is to stay in WSBK and get himself a competitive ride which means Kawasaki or Aprilia at this point.
If he had decent machinery under him he may well have had a couple of championships under his belt at this point.
He may as well cut his losses and ride for the win rather than loyalty at this stage of his career.
Kawasaki have the best package for the EVO rules currently and if Aprilia go back to GP then their factory SBK effort won't be much to write home about.

Couldn't agree with this more. I only wish he cut His ties 2 years ago before he renewed his contract for 2 years. On a competitive or even semi competitive bike, he's a championship contender.

I'd hate to see him end his career on a Honda in years to come with the horrible title of "the fastest rider never to win a championship". Would be a terrible shame.

CJhaughey

Infoanon wrote: »

The cancellation of the Russian round was out of Dornas control and in hindsight was a blessing, its unfortunate a stop gap round could not be put in place but its understandable.

And South Africa?

EB_2013

Magown3 wrote: »

Ok, things are starting back up this weekend and while watching the qualifying, the commentators seemed to be talking a lot about rumours for next year! Exciting rumours.

Johnny Rea to Kawasaki!
Baz to Moto GP.
Haslam possibly back to BSB.
Melandri to Moto GP with Aprilla.

What have you heard?
What would you like to see?

The Kawasaki's would be unstoppable next year if they can get Johnny on board especially if their nearest rivals Aprilia scale back to concentrate on MotoGP. I would love to see how he does going head to head with Sykes and it might be his best chance of winning the championship.

If Johnny or Leon leave Pata Honda I'm guessing Van der Mark will step up after winning the Supersport title. He looks like an exciting prospect.

frostie500

EB_2013 wrote: »

The Kawasaki's would be unstoppable next year if they can get Johnny on board especially if their nearest rivals Aprilia scale back to concentrate on MotoGP. I would love to see how he does going head to head with Sykes and it might be his best chance of winning the championship.

If Johnny or Leon leave Pata Honda I'm guessing Van der Mark will step up after winning the Supersport title. He looks like an exciting prospect.

Yeah JR on that Kawasaki will be very hard to beat and I cant see Sykes getting close to him. Leon is apparently fielding offers in the paddock (Red Devils seems like the main one) and MvdM will be moving up to the SBK team next year but with JR moving it might open the door for Leon to stay on at Pata Honda.