World SBK 2011 – Round 13 – Portimao
– Carlos and Marco bring the curtain down on 2011 SBK in style at Portimao
Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) and Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) traded wins at the final round of the championship in Portugal in a day that promised and delivered close racing in hot weather conditions in front of an 86,000 crowd. Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati rider Sylvain Guintoli almost gave the new-for-2011 team its first race win in race one, but Checa prevailed at the end.
Checa’s championship season win tally now ends on 15, part of a total of 21 podiums in 26 races, with six pole positions and 11 fastest laps. His points total reached over the 500 mark today, with his final tally 505 – the second highest ever in a single WSBK season.
Behind Carlos, the fight for second had already been already decided in Melandri’s favour but his determination to succeed in race two underlined how much his presence has brought to the series this year. He has now scored four race wins in his rookie WSBK season, as part of a total of 15 podium places.
The fight for third place looked set to swing in favour of Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) when Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) qualified only 17th, but after Laverty no scored in race one the 2010 champion did just enough today to secure third, on the same 303 points as Laverty, but with better results in the count back of podium places. They had tied on race wins, having scored two each, but Biaggi had far more second places than Laverty – nine to Laverty’s three.
Tissot-Superpole winner Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) continued his remarkable turnaround of late season form with two third places today and ninth overall. Leon Haslam had a tough final day for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team, scoring ninth and 15th places, but still ending up fifth in the championship, the top S1000RR rider of the year. Leon’s team-mate, WSBK legend Troy Corser signed off his career today, riding a specially painted racebike to signify this momentous day for the former double champion.
Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) was on good form and equalled his season best finish of fifth in race one, then scored eighth place to finish top Kawasaki finisher, 11th overall. Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare) went 11th and 14th in Portugal, and was 12th in the championship standings.
Carlos Checa: “It was not easy at all, at the beginning I was struggling because we made a difficult choice about the hard tyre. We knew we would be more consistent at the end, but it was also difficult to overtake Marco and then Johnny, and to catch Guintoli was not easy at all. The win is because we made the right choice, and a good job. I want to dedicate this victory and the championship to Genesio and all the team because they deserve the victory.”
race I
1 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 38’13.293
2 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 0’02.860
3 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 0’08.481
4 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 0’11.963
5 Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 0’13.330
6 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 0’18.960
7 Maxime Berger Ducati FRA 0’20.489
8 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 0’25.320
9 Leon Haslam BMW GBR 0’26.695
10 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0’26.801
11 Michel Fabrizio Suzuki ITA 0’27.115
12 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 0’28.563
13 Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 0’31.765
14 Troy Corser BMW AUS 0’31.822
15 Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 0’31.866
b
Race 2
Melandri and Laverty gave their official Yamaha squad a 1-2 finish in the final race of the 2011 season, with Rea posting third place after his late attack on Laverty was rebuffed. The top three were separated by only 1.363 seconds. Checa held off the resurgent charge of Guintoli to take fourth place in the 22-lap race. Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) and his team-mate Biaggi went sixth and seventh, Lascorz eighth.
Marco Melandri: “After race 1 I was a little bit disappointed because we had a tyre problem, so in race 2 I was stronger at the beginning when I saw Eugene in front I tried to catch him and wait a bit because I wasn’t fast at the beginning. It’s been a great season for me, and to give Yamaha a win in the last race is awesome. I just want to say a big thanks to Maio Meregalli, Marco Riva, all my team and all the Yamaha guys, they did a great job, especially when they knew we were pulling out at the end of the season.”
race II
1 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 38’11.326
2 Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 0’01.075
3 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 0’01.363
4 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 0’02.648
5 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 0’03.555
6 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 0’04.709
7 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 0’06.514
8 Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 0’14.441
9 Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 0’19.128
10 Maxime Berger Ducati FRA 0’25.527
11 Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 0’26.400
12 Davide Giugliano Ducati ITA 0’26.646
13 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0’26.968
14 Michel Fabrizio Suzuki ITA 0’30.209
15 Leon Haslam BMW GBR 0’30.951
Rider Standings After Round 13 of 13
1. Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 505
2. Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 395
3. Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 303
4. Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 303
5. Leon Haslam BMW GBR 224
6. Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 210
7. Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 208
8. Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 176
9. Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 170
10. Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 165
11. Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 161
12. Michel Fabrizio Suzuki ITA 152
13. Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 141
14. Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 127
15. Troy Corser BMW AUS 87
16. Maxime Berger Ducati FRA 64
World Supersport
Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO) scored his sixth win of the year, from the closing David Salom (Kawasaki Motocard.com) and one-time second place rider James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda). The top three were within 1.415 seconds of each other. Luca Scassa (Yamaha ParkinGO) slotted his R6 into fourth place, 5.522 seconds from his team-mate and the 2011 champion Davies. Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) and Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com) no scored after a crash for Lowes and a collision with Gino Rea (Step Racing Honda) for Parkes. Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) finished 12th, and thus Salom finishes second in the championship on the day he celebrated his 27th birthday. The final points read Davies 206, Salom 156, Foret 148 and Parkes 136.
Results: 1. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 35’31.062 (155,145 kph); 2. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1.253; 3. Ellison J. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1.415; 4. Scassa L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 5.522; 5. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 21.658; 6. Tamburini R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 24.490; 7. Roccoli M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 25.506; 8. Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 32.271; etc.
Final points: 1. Davies 206; 2. Salom 156; 3. Foret 148; 4. Parkes 136; 5. Scassa 134; 6. Lowes 129; 7. Ellison 99; 8. Marino 89; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Yamaha 251; 2. Honda 230; 3. Kawasaki 197; 4. Triumph 36.
Superstock 1000
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Ducati) secured the final win of the year in a race shortened to 11 laps after a technical issue with the starting lights. A distant second place went to Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) after a close fight with Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki Lorenzini by Leoni) and fourth placed Bryan Staring (Kawasaki Pedercini Team). The absence of champion Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) – who stepped up to the Superbike class today – means that Giugliano finishes his stellar year with an unchanged 171 points, Petrucci now has 169, Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) 148 and Barrier 132.
Results: 1. Petrucci D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 19’31.819 (155,18 kph); 2. Barrier S. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 8.019; 3. Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 8.115; 4. Staring B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 8.364; 5. Zanetti L. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 9.354; 6. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 9.466; 7. Baz L. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 9.664; 8. Massei F. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 16.030; etc.
Final Points: 1. Giugliano 171; 2. Petrucci 169; 3. Zanetti 148; 4. Barrier 132; 5. Canepa 109; 6. Antonelli 77; 7. Baroni 74; 8. Reiterberger 69; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 240; 2. BMW 193; 3. Kawasaki 99; 4. Honda 85; 5. Yamaha 16.
Superstock 600
Dutchman Michael vd Mark (Ten Kate Honda Junior Team) did all he could to win the championship at the final round, but despite his race victory Australian Jed Metcher (MTM-RT Motorsports Yamaha) secured his first title in this division, finishing fourth in today’s contest. Second in the race and the championship was American rider Joshua Day (Revolution Racedays Kawasaki), with van der Mark finishing third in the final points, with only one less than Day. Tomas Krajci (TK Racing Slovakia Yamaha) was a fighting third taking the final podium place and Riccardo Russo (Trasimeno Yamaha) was fifth. The final points scores are Metcher 150, Day 138 and van Der Mark 137.
Results: 1. Vd Mark M. (NED) Honda CBR600RR 18’11.759 (151,418 kph); 2. Day J. (USA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 3.787; 3. Krajci T. (SVK) Yamaha YZF R6 9.180; 4. Metcher J. (AUS) Yamaha YZF R6 11.700; 5. Russo R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 11.919; 6. Lombardi D. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 15.560; 7. Morbidelli F. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 18.821; 8. Vitali L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 20.194
Final Points: 1. Metcher 150; 2. Day 138; 3. Vd Mark 137; 4. Lanusse 101; 5. Lombardi 96; 6. Russo 94; 7. Duwelz 67; 8. Covena 50; etc.
– Yamaha Report
Yamaha World Superbike riders completed yet another spectacular race day today in Portimao, the final two races of the 2011 WSB season, with an outstanding one two finish on the Portuguese podium. Both Melandri and Laverty completed their WSB rookie seasons in style, closing the championship with Marco Melandri in second place in the 2011 WSB Championship standings and Eugene Laverty in fourth, the latter tying on points with 2010 Champion – Max Biaggi who takes the third place.
The Yamaha World Superbike Team proved to be the top team in the standings by completing the second race of the day with a spectacular one two race finish. Skillful race craft and determination was on display throughout the 22 laps. Laverty claimed the lead on lap one, following a perfect start off the front row on the grid, while Melandri tucked in behind him in second place by lap three. Holding off advances from Rea and Checa, Melandri closely tailed him team-mate to eventually take the lead with just four laps to go and snatch the chequered flag, claiming his fourth victory of the year. His Northern Irish team-mate and fellow rookie crossed the line just one second behind, to take the second step on the last podium of the season.
Both Yamaha riders faced a difficult race one after getting off to a perfect start from the grid. After just two laps Eugene Laverty had an issue with the rear of the machine, skillfully managed to avoid crashing but was forced to come in and have the steering damper repaired. The determined Northern Irish rider went back out, with a two lap gap and impressively made up four places setting fast lap times to complete the race in 19th position but missed out on important points for third place in the championship. Team-mate Marco Melandri struggled with rear tyre issues but pushed hard to cross the line in sixth place.
In this stellar season the Yamaha World Superbike team has claimed an amazing 19 podiums of which six race victories with two WSB rookie riders, Yamaha taking the second place in the 2011 World Superbike Manufacturer’s standings with a total of 450 points and the top team in the Team standings
Earlier this season, Yamaha Motor Europe took the difficult decision to withdraw the official Yamaha World Superbike Team from the FIM Superbike World Championship at the end of the 2011 season, so today’s race day in Portimao sadly marked the final race for the Yamaha WSB team.
Marco Melandri – Yamaha World Superbike Team – 6th, 1st
“It was a fantastic race win and end to the championship. The bike was working well and I really wanted one more win before finishing up the season. I would have liked a double but race one didn’t go so well. I got a good start and was planning on waiting a few laps before pushing harder and fighting for a win but unfortunately the rear tyre was gone by mid race I had very little grip and just couldn’t keep pushing. The team has worked really hard all year and I’d like to thank them and everyone at Yamaha for the amazing season together and for all their help and support in the tough time since YME decided to withdraw at the end of this year.”
Eugene Laverty – Yamaha World Superbike Team – 19th, 2nd
“Well it was a great end to the season for Yamaha with a one two race finish in race two. It’s been a fantastic year and I’d like to thank Yamaha and all the team for that. Obviously it would have been great to finish up with one more point to get third in the championship, but unfortunately I lost out on a lot of points in race one. I had an issue with the bike on lap three, coming into the VIP tower corner when the rear of the machine came off the ground and the bike suddenly snapped sideways. I was lucky not have crashed and managed to stay on the bike but the viciousness of the incident broke the steering damper and I had to come back in and have it changed. It’s a pity as the pace was quick and I could have definitely been on the podium.”
Andrea Dosoli – Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“Fantastic! A great finish to an amazing season. Marco and Eugene were really spectacular. In the second race they showed fantastic racing, proving to be very talented and determined riders with great respect for each other. It’s a pity Eugene lost out on important points in the first race and Marco had a problem with the rear tyre and they couldn’t fight for the podium.
I’d like to thank the riders, the team and all our partners for the professionalism, passion and motivation evident throughout the 13 races of the season. Second place in the Manufacturer’s championship is an excellent result for Yamaha, considering that both riders are rookies and were battling with Checa, a Champion that deserves his title, flawless all year and making the most of the advantage that the twin cylinder machines are provided by the championship. We are proud that our R1 is the first four cylinder in the standings. Thanks to everyone.”
Laurens Klein Koerkamp – Racing Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe
“Finishing first and second in the last race is an unbelievable way for the Yamaha World Superbike Team to leave the championship. But apart from today, we are extremely proud of the whole season: Marco and Eugene being Superbike rookies and finishing second and fourth, winning six races on the way, is a fantastic achievement and the R1 has proven to be the best four cylinder machine in the superbike field. But of course at the same time it is a sad moment as Yamaha Motor Europe (YME), as announced before, now withdraws the official Yamaha World Superbike Team from the championship.
“On behalf of YME I want to express the strongest appreciation possible to Marco and Eugene, our engineers in Japan and to all staff of the Yamaha World Superbike Team. They have done a great job this year again and to finish the 2011 season as the number one team in the WSB Team standings is a confirmation of their professionalism and dedication. Also I want to thank again all our team partners.
“Many of the staff and partners have been with us for many years, giving their best to Yamaha with great passion, and were part of winning the World Title with Ben, the Manufacturers World title, many race victories and podiums and the success of the 2011 season.
“It also filled us at Yamaha with pride that riders and staff all were prepared to hang on while we were trying to find a solution to remain on the grid with Yamaha factory superbike machinery. Unfortunately it is not meant to be.
“We will bring the team to a closure in the coming months and I wish Marco, Eugene and all team staff all the best in pursuing the next steps in their careers.”
– Althea Ducati Report
Carlos Checa and the Althea Racing team, World Superbike Champions 2011, closed the season in the best possible way today with a spectacular win in Race 1, Carlos’ 15th victory of this more than impressive year.
Carlos, second on the grid, was in fifth position at the end of the first lap, while his team-mate Davide Giugliano lay in eighteenth place. On lap three Davide had already made up a couple of positions and was in fifteenth and Carlos was up into fourth, chasing down Melandri for third. Unfortunately a small mistake by Giugliano caused him to lose several positions on the seventh lap and he had to recommence battle from twentieth position. Checa meanwhile closed the gap on Rea, passing him on lap twelve and moving into second place. It didn’t end there, as lap after lap the newly crowned World Champion gained on race leader Guintoli. Three laps from the end he got past the Frenchman, to cross the line in first place, 2.8 seconds ahead of Sylvain.
The second race got off to a similar start for Carlos who was fourth at the end of lap one. Despite his best efforts, a change of tyre between the two races didn’t allow him to push as he had done in race one. He held fourth position for the entire race, getting close to Rea, Melandri and Laverty but unable to pass them. He closed the final race of the 2011 season in fourth position. Davide made a better start in this race, and was thirteenth after the opening lap. He made a small mistake which cost him a couple of positions but he then fought back, passing first Fabrizio and then Haslam to take fourteenth place on the seventeenth lap. In the final phase, and thanks to some fast laps, he was also able to pass Corser and Smrz to close his second ever SBK race in twelfth position, and earning three championship points in the process.
Carlos Checa closes the 2011 Superbike season as World Champion, with a total of 505 points. During the season he has accumulated 15 race victories and a total of 21 podium finishes. He will stay with Althea Racing and Ducati for the 2012 season, an agreement having been reached just this afternoon at the Portimao track.
Carlos Checa, 2011 World Superbike Champion: “Race 1 wasn’t at all easy because at the start I was having trouble with the tyre but we knew that it would perform better in the final stages and our decision turned out to be the right one. I was able to reach first Marco and Johnny and then Sylvain to win the race with a small advantage. This victory is for the team that has truly deserved it this weekend – I dedicate this win to all of them. In race 2 I was pushing hard but we’d changed tyre and with the softer solution I couldn’t do more than I did. This weekend has been very special; before Race 1 it looked like there was no way that I could stay with Althea Racing in 2012 and I was very upset about this but now it seems that Althea Racing and Ducati have come to an agreement and I am over the moon to hear that I can stay with my team and with my bike again next year. We have built something very special here and to leave would have been heartbreaking. More than a win, today has been a moral victory – in the space of two days I have lost, and thankfully regained my team.”
Davide Giugliano: Race 2 went very well apart from a small mistake on my part; if it hadn’t been for that I could have done even better, Anyway I kept a good pace and was able to lap as fast as many of those ahead of me and I am pleased about that. The first race was very difficult but I realize that I need to gain experience as this category is certainly of a much higher level than the Stock 1000! I wasn’t able to make the best start in race 2 but I’ll work on this over the winter. We also changed tyre between the two races and this helped me a lot in the second. I thank my whole team of course, Genesio, and my engineer this weekend, Ernesto Marinelli, for all their hard work.”
Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager of Althea Racing: “Many things have changed between yesterday and today and I have waited before talking simply because of these uncertainties. We remained hopeful but it was a complicated issue especially on an economic level. In the end we were able to convince everyone to find an agreement that would keep the team together and this was of course the greatest news for me. Carlos stated a while ago that he wanted to stay with us and we of course wanted the same outcome so this positive agreement has been reached with Ducati and he’ll be with us again next year, faster than before.”
Ernesto Marinelli, Superbike Project Director – Ducati: “I am extremely happy that this agreement, which we never stopped working towards, has led to the confirmation of Carlos in the Althea team for 2012. Ducati has had to make a big effort in order for this to happen, a sign of the affection we have for Carlos, for Genesio and for the whole Althea Team, that has given us this truly incredible result, one that we hope can be replicated in future years.”
– BMW Report
It was a historic Sunday at Portimão (POR): After being part of the FIM Superbike World Championship for nearly 20 years, BMW Motorrad factory rider, Troy Corser (AUS), rode the last races of his long and successful career in this series. To mark this occasion, Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport surprised Troy with a special green “crocodile”-livery on his RR. Starting the final round of the 2011 season from 18th on the grid, Troy faced a big challenge at his farewell performance. But the double world champion was committed until the final chequered flag, despite knowing that the bumpy and undulating nature of the track would cause some difficulties for him and team mate, Leon Haslam (GBR). Troy put in two solid races and finished 14th and 16th. Leon came home in ninth and 15th.
Ayrton Badovini (ITA) of the BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team was 13th and ninth. His team mate, Xavier Fores (ESP), retired in race one and finished 19th in the second one. The races were won by Carlos Checa (ESP) and Marco Melandri (ITA). In the riders’ championship, Leon finished the season in fifth with 224 points. Troy is 15th with 84 points. In the manufacturers’ standings BMW is fourth with 275 points. Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport will now stay at Portimão and on Tuesday will test there with the 2012 RR.
In the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup race Sylvain Barrier (FRA) of the BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock Team celebrated another podium, crossing the finish line in second. His team mate, Lorenzo Zanetti (ITA), was fifth. In all five BMW S 1000 RRs were classified in the top 11. Fabio Massei (ITA) from Team Piellemoto finished eighth. The two riders from the Garnier Alpha Racing Team, Brett McCormick (CAN) and Markus Reiterberger (GER), were tenth and 11th respectively.
Troy Corser: “I am a little disappointed with the results. That was not really how I wanted to finish my racing career. We struggled the whole weekend. We were able to improve the bike by changing some settings, but we still did not have enough grip. I just rode as hard as I could with what I had and gave my best. It was a shame because we have made very good steps throughout the year and I was hoping to transfer that here to a good result. The boys and I tried everything, but that was not enough. But I was not the only one to struggle with grip, as a lot of guys were sliding around. So it was just a matter of bringing it home without a crash. All in all I have to say that I enjoyed every bit of my time with BMW so far. It was frustrating at times, but there have been a lot of great moments as well.”
Leon Haslam: “We knew that it was going to be a tough weekend and, as we had expected, we were struggling with the bike already in race one. From the first lap on we had to fight and it was a long, hard race. It was just about bringing it home and trying to get as many points as possible. We were in the top ten, so we improved from where we qualified. At the start of the second race I was struggling so much that I ran off the track. That put me way back. Throughout the race the consistency was a little bit better, but I lost the front quite often and the rear tyre had blistered. There were too many issues to get a good result. Now I am looking forward to the future and to the 2012 season, which starts on Tuesday with our test here.”
Bernhard Gobmeier (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director):
“Due to it being Troy’s last start in the Superbike World Championship, this was an historic day. Of course we would have hoped for a better result for him, but this weekend was difficult from the beginning on. In the early stages of race one it went quite well for us, but then we experienced severe issues with grip and tyres. I want thank our riders and the entire team for their commitment and efforts during the whole season. Now we are looking forward to the new 2012 season and getting our preparations into full swing, starting with our test on Tuesday.”
– HRC Report
Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) ended an often challenging 2011 season with two third place finishes in the 22-lap FIM Superbike World Championship races at Portimao having started from pole position each time. World Champion Carlos Checa (Ducati) and Marco Melandri
(Yamaha) won the races in front of a weekend crowd of 86,000, but with his two podium scores Rea put himself into the top ten, finishing the year ninth overall despite missing several races through injury.
Rea was only 1.363 seconds behind Melandri in race two, with Eugene Laverty (Yamaha) second. A late attempt to pass Laverty was rebuffed and Rea had to settle for a close third, his fifth podium in a year that delivered him two race wins.
Experienced rider Karl Muggeridge (Castrol Honda) was brought into the team this weekend to substitute for injured regular Ruben Xaus and thus Ruben finished the year 17th overall. Normally riding a less highly tuned Honda in the IDM Championship Muggeridge struggled to learn the circuit in the early part of the weekend, but still qualified 19th, with three riders behind him. In the races he worked hard to score 18th and 17th places, but missed out on the points scoring positions.
James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda) saw a possible second turn into a still-satisfying third place at the Portimao circuit as he was unable to chase down race winner Chaz Davies (Yamaha) in the final laps, and was himself passed by eventual race and championship second place rider David Salom (Kawasaki) on the very last lap.
Ellison had qualified tenth on the grid for a race held in glorious conditions and he had to work his way forward from seventh at the end of lap one. Seventh was also his eventual championship classification after 12-rounds, with the highest ranked Honda rider of all being
2002 champion Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). In finishing 12th in the 20-lap race today, Fabien ended his season third overall and eight points behind Salom.
Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) was on course for a late challenge on race winner Davies, but he fell on lap ten as he was easing his way towards his fellow Briton. Lowes ended his full rookie season sixth overall and scored six podiums in 12 races.
Florian Marino (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) started well and was up to third in the early laps, but dropped back as the hot temperatures took a toll on his set-up and he finished fifth, his second best finish of the year and good enough to put him eighth in his rookie season.
Local rider Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda) overcame his midfield starting position of 13th to go eighth, having mounted a great recovery in the latter stages. This was his fourth eighth place of the season and he finished 13th in the final rankings.
Misfortune found Gino Rea (Step Racing Honda) once again as he forgot to reset his electronics system after the start and he was kicked out of the seat as his rear tyre lost traction, causing him to run off. The closely following Broc Parkes (Kawasaki) could not avoid him and damage to his bike eventually forced him to retire. Rea recovered to go 14th in the race, and 11th overall in the final standings.
Balazs Nemeth (Team Hungary Toth Honda) went tenth in the race and 15th in the championship. Alexander Lundh (Cresto Guide Honda) was a strong 13th today, one place behind Foret, while Pawel Szkopek (Bogdanka PTR Honda) scored a single point for 15th. Lundh finished his year 16th overall.
Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Honda) suffered a puncture and another DNF, ending a promising season 12th overall. Imre Toth (Team Hungary Toth Honda) retired but ended the season 19th in the points.
Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda)
Race result: 3rd/ 3rd Championship position: 9th “It’s always good to get on the podium in each race and it has been such a journey this year; ups and downs and having fought hard to overcome two injuries. To come back to the top step of the podium at Imola was probably my highlight, because of how hard we had to work to get there. The last few races have been good and the bike is a pleasure to ride. I am enjoying it so much that I wish the 2012 season started tomorrow.”
Karl Muggeridge (Castrol Honda)
Race result: 18th/17th Championship position: No score “The was a very busy weekend. I was thrown in the deep end and I did not expect I would have so much trouble learning the track and I really struggled with that at first. I missed a bit of track time because we had some minor issues with the bike, but by the second race I found my way. I just needed more time but by race two I got to race a bit and I enjoyed myself.”
Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda)
Race result: 12th Championship position: 3rd “It’s been one of the toughest weekends of the season and we really didn’t expect to have the grip problems that we had today. It seems especially bad in the last race, which is always the one you remember. But our first race this season was difficult too, so we started badly and we’ve ended badly. There have been some great moments in between this year, but also some more difficult ones. I’m 50% happy and 50% frustrated because it could have been different and much better. We also lost second place in the championship, but there isn’t much difference between second and third because winning is the most important thing. Anyway, I want to thank the team for the time we’ve had this year. There is a great relationship between us and it’s my great wish to spend one more year with them.”
Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda)
Race result: DNF Championship position: 5th “I fell at turn five, and it was a strange one, because I just lost the front end. I must have done something wrong to crash and I am disappointed because I knew that I could fight for the win when I went fastest in warm-up this morning. I felt really good and Chaz and I broke everyone else early on. I wanted to finish the season with a win, because I felt I could have done it here. I feel as if I have had a very strong end to the year, despite this fall, because I have had three podiums recently.”
James Ellison (Bogdanka Honda)
Race result: 3rd Championship position: 7th “I really enjoyed that, but in the last couple of laps it was tough.
We did put 25 laps on a front tyre in qualifying and practice to see if it would go the distance. We had to use the soft one so it wasn’t a tyre gamble, but it was pushing the front towards the end. I am happy with a podium end to the season and also with getting the fastest lap of the race – it shows what we can do.”
Florian Marino (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) Race result: 5th Championship position: 8th “I was losing a lot in the corner speed because I could not get the same performance as the other guys, so I had to push so much on the brakes that sometimes I had to take a different line to try to stay fast. It was hot today and I think everybody had the same problems with the grip and the mission became staying on the bike without crashing. In the race I got some big warnings from the front and the rear, so I tried to keep going. We finished far from the front, but fifth is OK.”
Gino Rea (Step Racing Honda)
Race result: 12th Championship position: 11th “For this round only we had to turn all the electronics off on the grid for the start, but as I got off the start I had to go round another rider and forgot to push the button to turn the traction control back on, so when I opened the throttle it just flicked me out of the seat, but luckily I stayed on. It is frustrating because although we qualified average we knew our race pace would be all right. I apologised to Broc Parkes who ran into me, but it was not a case of me being too erratic on the first lap, I just forgot to switch the right engine map back on.”
Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda)
Race result: 8th Championship position: 13th “We had an electronic problems in warm up and made no laps and that made starting with the right pace very difficult. After the first five or six laps my pace was good and was then the performance was stable all the way through. I went for a different choice of front tyre and I had not used it all weekend. I recovered as many places as I could, but eighth was it.”
Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Honda)
Race result: DNF Championship position: 12th “This morning we finally got everything working and I felt very confident for the race. In the race I made up some positions and I was working my way to the top ten. After one lap I had a very strange feeling in the front and I lost all grip. I tried to continue, but almost crashing made me enter pit-lane. A flat front tyre was the problem.”
– Suzuki Report
Team Alstare Suzuki rider Michel Fabrizio suffered problems with his right wrist and rear grip in today’s 13th and final World Superbike Championship round at Portimao in Portugal that saw him finish in 11th and 14th positions.
The GSX-R1000-mounted Italian was hoping to end the final round with a pair of strong top-10 finishes. Although problems that began in practice and qualifying were less today, it was not enough to allow him to be as aggressive as he would have liked to have been.
Carlos Checa (Ducati) won the first race with Sylvain Guintoli (Ducati) second and Jonathan Rea (Honda) third. The second race – the final one of the season – saw Yamaha take a one-two with Marco Melandri taking victory ahead of Eugene Laverty, with Rea third.
Michel Fabrizio – Race 1: 11th, Race 2: 14th: “I am disappointed to end the season like this because today could’ve been so much better. I didn’t feel confident this weekend and although there was an improvement today, it was not enough for me. Between the warm-up and race one, we changed the bike back to the set-up we used in the second free practice, because that was the one that worked the best for me.
“In race one, my right wrist started getting sore and I was having difficulty on the brakes and getting the bike to turn quickly enough. It was very hard controlling the bike, so I suppose 11th wasn’t so bad. We changed the front and rear a bit for race two – just a few clicks – so that I didn’t have to exert so much pressure on the bars and it felt better. I just wished I didn’t have to end the last race weekend of the season like this.”
– Yoshimura Suzuki Report
Yoshimura Suzuki completed its third “Wild Card” entry of 2011 at today’s final round of the World Superbike Championship at Portimao in Portugal and came away upbeat after two race finishes and more valuable technical data to take back to Japan.
Australian Josh Waters and the aftermarket parts-tuning giant, mixed it with the world’s WSBK regulars on a track unknown to all of them and took home 21st and an 18th position in the hotly-contested 22-lap races on arguably the ‘most-beautifully-prepared and looking machine on the grid,’ according to the media – and at the most-difficult and technically-demanding circuit on the calendar.
Riding a modified version of the team’s Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance machine – and on completely different tyres than the bike was set-up for – that Waters, Yukio Kagayama and Nobu Aoki brought home to a close second-placed finish in July, Waters continued a steep learning curve, both for himself and the team; at the cutting-edge of world-level competition.
Josh Waters – Race 1: 21st, Race 2: 18th: “To say that today has been hard is an understatement. All weekend, we’ve been working as hard as we can, but we’ve been up against a load of people with a lot more experience than us and that experience told today. We’ve been trying to get our bike set up in just three days, whereas the others here have had all season. Part of the problem is that the last time I rode this bike was in the Suzuka 8 Hour race and then it was on different tyres. The bike was set up for those tyres and so we’ve spent a lot of time trying to get the bike to work on the Pirellis here. That, together with learning the hardest track on the calendar has been a real challenge.
“But I am so happy to have been here and so happy that Yoshimura gave me this chance. As I said yesterday, we’ve had to learn a lot in a very short space of time – and that is never easy. The results probably don’t look so good, but the team and I have tried our very best and we can hold our heads up that we have done so. It was good to have a dice with a fellow Aussie in race two and generally great fun competing against all the top guys. Hopefully, we’ll get the chance to do it again soon.
“I had a problem with the shifter in the first race and had to pit. The team made some changes to it and I went out again, but the stop meant I had lost a lot of time, so 21st wasn’t a bad result. Race two was a bit better, but these guys don’t give anything away at all. We’ve been up against top riders and top teams who have tested here before and gained lots of information, whereas we were starting from scratch. But, we’ve learnt a lot and can take that with us for the next time.”
Yohei Kato – Team Manager: “Josh had problems in race one with the gear shift lever and had to pit, so we could make some adjustments to it. He went out again, but obviously he had lost a lot of time and was way down the field. We’re a bit disappointed with the results today, but we knew it was going to be a hard weekend. It has been a very big learning experience for all of us in the team and we will build on this knowledge for the future.”
– Bryan Staring Report
Australian World Superstock 1000 sensation and reigning Aussie Superbike Champion Bryan Staring has ended his debut WSSTK 1000 season in fine form finishing in fourth place in today’s race and missing a podium by only two-tenths of a second.
Staring held third place for seven of the 11 laps on his Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R after starting well from seventh on the grid and passing a group of front runners in a brave move around the outside of the tight right hander, turn three. The 24-year-old held the position despite Barrier, Zanetti, Antonelli and Baz all riding within six-tenths behind the Aussie.
Staring quickly dropped into the 1:46 mark and made a charge, catching South African rider Sheridan Morais on lap six and attempting a pass. A small mistake saw Bryan clip a ripple strip, allowing Barrier through, relegating Staring to fourth. Despite his best efforts the three-times Australian Champion could not take the last podium spot back and ran out of laps.
Bryan Staring, “It’s a bitter sweet result for me. Not getting that podium will stay in my mind for as long as I live! But finishing a tough debut season with such a strong race is fantastic for me and for the team.
“The weekend has gone well for all of us. It is a new track for us and a very technical one. We had a lot to learn and we progressed throughout the weekend with small changes – eventually finding a great set-up on the Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R. Q2 went to plan, I put a new tyre in with 10-minutes to run and immediately got into the 46 bracket, holding third until the final minutes. Seventh on the grid was my second best result this season and the Kawasaki launch control is very good, so I knew I would get a strong start.
“I got away well and passed a handful of riders around the outside of turn three. Then I concentrated on pace and reeling in Morias and Petrucci.
“Those first few laps were wild! But once we all settled down Petrucci cleared off and Morias and I had a great battle. Unfortunately I missed the last lap board and lost the opportunity to take back third place from Sheridan but these things happen. I’m certainly looking forward to a cold beer tonight after a tough season!”
Bryan finished the championship in 11th position. He finished in the points in all completed races, did not crash out of any races, and suffered two machine failures during the season. He will now remain in Europe for testing purposes. He is yet to finalise his 2012 plans.