eni FIM Superbike World Championship racing at the Nurburgring

Monday 02 September: Round 10 of 14 this morning at Germany's infamous Nurburgring.

Tom Sykes wins red-flagged first race

Tom Sykes

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) is the winner of the first eni FIM Superbike World Championship race at the Nurburgring. The race was red-flagged on the eighteenth lap as a result of two crashes that involved Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) and Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki), who both lost control of their bikes at Turn 9 on the oil left on track by Federico Sandi's Team Pedercini ZX-10R broken engine.

Once the flag came out, Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet) was on the lead after a successful overtake at the first turn but, as the final results were based on the previous lap, Sykes was awarded with the victory, with Melandri's team mate Chaz Davies to complete the podium. The three riders, along with Rea, rode together up front, but it was Sykes who led almost the entire race, after overtaking Melandri at the second turn during the opening lap.

Championship leader Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) holds now only a single-point advantage on Sykes after finishing the race in fourth place, ahead of Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Aprilia), Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Aprilia) and Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike). Factory Aprilia rider Eugene Laverty ended up 15th after crashing out of Turn 4 in the early stages of the race, and rejoining following a pit-stop. Home rider Max Neukirchner (MR-Racing Ducati) had to withdraw from the race due to a technical problem occurred on the fourth lap.

Jonathan Rea and Leon Camier were both flown by helicopter to the hospital. Rea was diagnosed with a broken left femur, while Camier was sent for precautionary measure due to an injury on the top of his neck.

Race 2: Chaz Davies wins as Tom Sykes is the new leader

Chaz Davies

Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet) got back on the top step of the podium after winning the second race of the day, that was red-flagged on the nineteenth lap after wildcard Matej Smrz (Yamaha Motor Deutschland) suffered a high-side and landed on track next to his YZF-R1. The Welshman successfully defended the lead in the final laps in a three-way battle with second place Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) and team mate Marco Melandri. Davies was able to repeat exactly the same results scored last year in the two races, and achieved a long-awaited race win after the double victory at Aragon earlier in 2013.

Despite the absence of three top riders due to injuries sustained today - Loris Baz during the warm-up, Leon Camier and Jonathan Rea in first race - Race 2 was characterised by a fierce battle up front for the win. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) finished fourth and fifth respectively, after being very close to the front for most of the 18 laps completed. The two riders, though, could not manage to get in the mix for the top-3, as well as sixth place Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Team Aprilia), who lost a lot of ground in the closing stages.

Top-10 was completed by Ayrton Badovini (Team Ducati Alstare), Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Aprilia) and Max Neukirchner (MR-Racing Ducati), with Badovini's team mate Carlos Checa in eleventh place. Jules Cluzel's performance was hampered by a temporary technical problem, as the FIXI Crescent Suzuki rider was able to rejoin and to end up fifteenth.

Sykes and Guintoli are still separated by one point, but the factory Kawasaki rider is now the new leader in the standings, at the end of the tenth round of the season.

SuperSport: Sam Lowes wins and extends his Championship lead

Supersport

Sam Lowes (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha) has scored probably the most important win of the season so far, as he crossed the line a lonely first at the Nurburgring , while main rival for the World Supersport title Kenan Sofuoglu (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki) was out of contention from Lap 10, after crashing out of the second turn.

Lowes didn't get the best start off pole, but in just two laps he was able to make his way back onto the lead, though unable to pull away at first from the reigning Champion. Once Sofuoglu pulled out of the race, his team mate Fabien Foret was unable to keep the pace of the Brit, so for the points leader it was only a matter of maintaining the gap up to the finish line. Lowes is now 54 points ahead of Sofuoglu in the standings, and could be crowned champion already after the Turkish rider's home round scheduled for September 15th.

Kev Coghlan (DMC-Lorenzini Kawasaki) made an impressive recovery throughout the last part of the race to get his maiden WSS podium finish of his career, after getting the better of Lorenzo Zanetti (Pata Honda World Supersport) in the closing stages. Vladimir Leonov (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha), on the other hand, was in third place when he suffered a technical problem during the fifteenth lap.

Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport) did a competitive second part of the race and climbed up to fifth ahead of Riccardo Russo (Puccetti Racing Kawasaki), Roberto Tamburini (Team Lorini Honda) and Jack Kennedy (Rivamoto Honda).

SuperStock 1000: Maiden win for Leandro Mercado

Superstock 1000

Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) has won his first ever FIM Superstock 1000 Cup race today at the Nurburgring. The 21 year old from Cordoba, Argentina, led the race for the most part and he was trying to pull away in the early stages, but he was then caught up first by Niccolò Canepa (Barni Racing Ducati) and then by Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad GoldBet). The reigning Champion, after a poor start of the race from pole, had a shot at the lead towards the end of the race but Mercado was able to pass him at the "NGK" chicane and defend the position up to the chequered flag.

Canepa, who was in contention for the win, lost some ground in during the final lap and had to settle for third, while Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) went wide at Turn 1 entering the final tour and missed the chance for a podium finish. Thanks to the 2nd place achieved today, Barrier puts on hand on the title as he leads the standings with a 40 point advantage over Canepa, with 2 races left to be contested.

SuperStock 600: Morbidelli race winner and new leader

Franco Morbidelli

Today's race at the Nurburging was a classic of the Superstock 600 European Championship, made of close racing and incredible performances by the riders fighting for the top positions. Franco Morbidelli (San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki) came out on top at the end of a thrilling 3-way battle with team mate Alessandro Nocco and Christian Gamarino (Team Go Eleven Kawasaki), who completed the podium in second and third place respectively.

The two Italian Motorcycling Federation (FMI) representatives got a good start of the race and they look like they could pull away in the early stages, but halfway through the race Gamarino and Gauthier Duwelz (MTM-MVR Racing Yamaha) closed the gap with the leaders to get in the mix for the win.

While the Belgian was unable to stay with the front runners in the final laps, due to a mistake at the first turn, the winner of Race 2 at Silverstone managed to keep himself in contention for first place. In the frantic final part of the race, Gamarino was forced to slow down due to a small moment by Morbidelli, who was in the lead, from which Nocco took advantage and made a successful pass for second place. Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (Niki Tuuli Racing Yamaha) ended up fifth ahead of STK600 debutant Kyle Smith (Agro-On Racedays Honda).

EJC: Bendsneijder wins the European Junior Cup race

Bo Bendsneijder

The 6th race of the PATA European Junior Cup, powered by Honda provided another thrilling climax to a race that nobody could predict the winner as the race entered its final lap. As the pack reached the final turn it was Bo Bendsneijder (RT Racing Support), at his second wildcard appearance in the series, who took the lead, holding a slender advantage to claim his 2nd win of the year. Kevin Manfredi (Newton Trasformatori Srl) and Robin Anne (Anne Formation completed the podium.

No mention there of Series Leader, Kiwi Jake Lewis so here is Michael Hill Promotions Race Report:

After a delay of over an hour, the 6th round of the PATA European Junior Cup eventually got underway and lived up to expectation by providing yet another thrilling climax to a race that nobody could predict the winner as the race entered its final lap.

Pole setter Jake Lewis was in confident mood and led at the end of lap one from Italian Kevin Manfredi.

Michael Canducci from Italy crashed on lap 2 leaving a breakaway of five riders at the front.

Lewis continued to lead while behind him positions were changing at almost every turn.

Guillaume Raymond (France) showed his hand at the start of lap four but Lewis responded instantly. Agusto Fernandez (Spain) then hit the front but again Lewis reacted and reclaimed the lead half way around the lap.

With one lap to go the leading group was now 9 riders all covered by less than half a second.

Fernandez and Hungarian Richard Bodis crashed out at turn one leaving 7 to battle for the podium.

As the gaggle reached the final straight they were line astern with nobody seemingly wanting to lead and as the riders entered the final corner it was Bo Bendsneijder (Netherlands), who was making his second wildcard appearance in the series who took the lead, holding a slender advantage to claim his 2nd win of the year.

Kevin Manfredi held on to second while Robin Anne (France) took his chance on the run into the line to grab the final podium spot.

4th was Britain’s Josh Harland who produced his best ride of the year, marginally ahead of compatriot James Flitcroft in 5th.

Championship leader Lewis had to be content with 6th after being pushed wide on the run in to the flag, the Kiwi holding on to his championship lead albeit by a reduced margin.

7th eventually went to Spaniard Javier Orellana who rode superbly from the back of the grid. 8th was Adrian Pittet (Switzerland) who got the better of Estonian Hannes Soomer and Stinius Odegard (Norway) who grabbed his first top ten finish of the season.

Local rider Marcel Schultheiss was an impressive 12th as Guillaume Raymond picked up a 20 second penalty and was eventually classified 13th.

Sabrina Paiuta from Brazil rode her CBR 500cc Honda machine into 16th position.

Magny-Cours in France will be the setting for the penultimate round of the PATA European Junior Cup powered by Honda in 5 weeks time.