World Superbikes at Aragon
Monday 15 April: World SBK Round 2 at MotorLand Aragon was raced under blue skies.
Chaz Davies wins SBK Race 1 at Aragon
The
MotorLand Aragon circuit proves again to be a special place for Chaz
Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet), World Superbike Race 1 winner. It was a
perfect race for the Welsh rider - who got his maiden podium in the
series last year on this very track - out on his own after two potential
winners were forced back to the pits.
Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki
Racing Team) experienced technical problems - while they were on the
lead - during lap 4 and 5 respectively and had to make their way back to
the their garages. Aprilia works rider went back on track later on to
test the RSV4 after the work done by his crew.
The positive note for Noale's manufacturer comes from 2nd place
and new Championship Leader (after Race 1) Sylvain Guintoli. BMW chances
for a one-two were denied by a false neutral experienced by Marco
Melandri, who then had to make his way through from 5th to 3rd at the
chequered flag.
An unfortunate technical problem on the last lap stopped Davide
Giugliano (Althea Racing Aprilia) from finishing in 4th place. Carlos
Checa (Team Ducati Alstare) crossed the line in 7th place behind
Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike), Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing
Team) and Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki).
Davies makes it two out of two at SBK Aragon
A Sunday to remember for Chaz Davies,
who repeated first race success and got a double race win at Aragon. The
BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team rider was unstoppable under MotorLand
Aragon heat and crossed the finish line with a big margin over Sylvain
Guintoli, still Championship leader after race 2.
A race day to forget for second
works Aprilia rider Eugene Laverty, who lost the front of his RSV4 on
the opening lap of the race at Turn 2, straight after getting the
holeshot ahead of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team): 2012 WSBK runner-up
was 3rd at the chequered flag after pulling away from a tenacious Davide
Giugliano (Althea Racing Aprilia).
Fifth place for Marco Melandri
(BMW Motorrad GoldBet), not as competitive as in race 1 but still able
to finish ahead of Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Jules Cluzel
(FIXI Crescent Suzuki). Both French riders had an outstanding Race 2, as
Baz started from the last position on the grid and Cluzel moved off
from the pit lane. Carlos Checa (Team Ducati Alstare), on his home
track, finished in 8th place the second race of the day.
Sylvain Barrier dominates STK1000 Aragon race
Sylvain Barrier concludes the first
battle of his FIM Superstock 1000 Cup Title defence campaign in the best
way by winning the 12-lap race at Alcaniz MotorLand Aragon. The BMW
Motorrad GoldBet rider, after he got the lead from Niccolò Canepa (Barni
Racing Ducati) on lap 3 at Turn 16, down the long straight, rode
comfortably and kept a pace quick enough not to let the former WSBK
rider close the gap.
Barrier's 6th win in the series
completes the perfect weekend for the French youngster, who has proved
once again to be the man to beat in 2013, following yesterday's pole
position. The STK1000 comeback for Niccolò Canepa proved to be a
successful one: the experienced rider from Genova led the early part of
the race and tried not to lose contact with Barrier, but the lack of
horsepower on the straight didn't help his mission.
3rd rider on the podium was
Argentinian Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini Kawasaki), back for a full
Superstock 1000 with some great confidence shown on track. Wasted
opportunity for Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki), who early on during the
race was closing the gap with the front but, due to a small mistake that
pushed him back to 10th place, was forced to make his way back to a
final 4th, snatched from Eddi La Marra (Barni Racing Ducati) on the last
lap thanks to an overtaking manoeuvre at Turn 16 - and a 0.040 seconds
margin on the finish line.
Potential podium finisher Lorenzo
Savadori (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) lost control of his ZX-10R on lap 7,
while he was on 3rd position and closing the gap to the front.
Ironically, the Italian has set the new lap record of the Spanish track
in 2'01.074, on the third lap.
Foret wins unpredictable WSS Aragon race
Mahi Racing Team India gets its 2nd
win of the season today at Aragon, this time courtesy of Fabien Foret,
who crossed the line on his own in first place, following the gear shift
problem on Sam Lowes' Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha that forced the Brit
to a frustrating retirement on the last lap. Thanks to his 16th race win
of the career, the 2002 WSS Champion becomes the new leader in the
standings.
An almost countless number of
crashes, technical issues and unforeseeable happenings characterised
today's Supersport close race, starting from the braking issue that put
an early end to Reigning Champion Kenan Sofuoglu attempt for a repeat
performance. Scot Kev Coghlan (DMC Lorenzini Racing Team) had a shot at
the lead during the race, but at crash at Turn 7 prevented him from
maintaining the first position.
Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda
World Supersport) gets another podium finish in his rookie season, a 2nd
place this time ahead of Italy's Luca Scassa (Kawasaki Intermoto
Ponyexpres), Andrea Antonelli (Team Goeleven Kawasaki), Riccardo Russo
(Puccetti Racing Kawasaki) and team mate Lorenzo Zanetti.
Lewis 1st EJC race winner of 2013
The opening round of the Pata European
Junior Cup, powered by Honda was, as expected, a close and exciting
race. With a leading group of eleven riders locked together throughout,
nobody could predict the final outcome.
The race was eventually won by
Kiwi Jake Lewis (Jake Lewis Racing), who stole the victory by 0.003s
from Spanish wildcard rider Albert Arenas, who had taken pole position
yesterday. The final podium position went to Italian rider Michael
Canducci (Colors Experience).
Sabrina Paiuta (LS2 Helmets Racing
Team) from Brazil was once again the fastest of the female competitors,
at one point making the fastest lap of the race, before eventually
finishing in 13th position. The next round of the series will take place
at Assen, The Netherlands, in two weeks time.
Duwelz wins Aragon STK600 Race
Close racing was the main factor of
STK600 first race of the year at Alcaniz MotorLand Aragon. Pole man
Gauthier Duwelz (MTM Racing Yamaha) gets a hard-won victory after a
breathtaking 10-lap race on the 5344 m Spanish venue. It's the maiden
win for the 19 year old Belgian, who was able to take advantage of the
tough four-way battle behind him, eventually making a small mistake
towards the end of the race that allowed his rivals to close the gap
down to 1 second.
But the battle for the 2nd place
helped once again Duwelz to maintain a small margin up to the finish
line. Tony Coveña (Nito Racing Kawasaki) made his final move on Swiss
Bastien Chesaux (EAB Ten Kate Junior Racing Honda) during the final lap,
down the long straight going into Turn 16, and set at the same time the
new Lap Record in 2'05.250.
Robin Mulhauser (MTM-MVR Yamaha)
kept his team mate Adrian Nestorovic behind to get a 4th place finish,
while Franco Morbidelli (San Carlo Team Italia) lost some ground in the
early laps and was not able to stay with the front runners.
