Friday saw the culmination of a two-day test in the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship, hosted on the beautiful Adriatic Coastline at Misano, Italy. Among some of the more positive feedback from the test was that of Kawasaki, with the Japanese manufacturer seemingly making gains over the course of the test. Both Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK’s Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani seemed very positive by day’s end, with both acknowledging the progress made.

“GOOD DAY… WE’VE FOUND MORE FEELING: Lowes and Bassani discuss Day 2

When the chequered flag dropped on Friday, the timesheets made for good reading from a Kawasaki point of view. Whilst Axel Bassani could only climb to P13, his teammate Lowes shot up to P7. Lowes was kind enough to elaborate on the specifics of some of the gains made during Misano testing, and said: “It was a good day, honestly. I went back to the base bike and tried some electronics stuff. This is the first time that I’ve tried the SCQ with some experimental chassis work, too. So, good day. I managed to do all of laps in the 1’33s range, which is as fast as I’ve ever gone around here.”

Similarly, teammate Bassani spoke about the gains made during the test, specifically with tyres. Bassani said: “The feeling with the SCX was better than the feeling with the SCQ. I’m happy because we’ve found more front-end feeling with the SCQ. The lap was not so good, but the ideal lap was not so bad. Now we have to check and find the right setup for the bike before the race weekend.” Lowes also made a point of mentioning the improvements made in the electronics of his ZX10-RR, saying that: “We’ve definitely improved the bike a little bit in the electronics. The bike is less aggressive to try and move, especially with the SCX tyre on the Kawasaki.”

“I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DONE MORE… FRIDAY HAD BAD WEATHER”: No time to try more

Lowes and Bassani also both discussed the impact of bad weather on Misano across the two days, especially on Friday. When asked about this, Lowes said: “I would have liked to have done a longer run. We’ve always struggled on the SCX tyre, so we’re not 100% sure what Pirelli are going to bring, but whenever there’s been the option of the SC0, then we’re always quite strong compared to everyone else. Our bike is working well with the SC0. One of our focuses was to try and do a long run with the SCX, but we didn’t get to do that.”

Speaking about the weather, teammate Bassani was a little more concise with his answer, simply saying: “Friday had bad weather. Now we have to be focused for my home race weekend, and to try to do a good race.” When asked about potential areas for improvement, Bassani said: “I think we have to work a lot on the electronics configuration on the bike. We need to make a step, but I think for the race weekend we can do something.”

FRIENDS AND FOES: Lowes talks rivals, Bassani talks new-found ally

Interestingly, two different topics came up amongst both Kawasaki riders. Alex Lowes discussed the state of play within the wider WorldSBK field, especially amongst rivals. Speaking about this, Lowes said: “It’s so close now in WorldSBK. You’ve got Toprak and Bautista, and we know how fast Alvaro is around here on the rhythm. We can see that Toprak is really able to extract a lot from that bike, and Superpole has never been his strong suit. He improved a lot on the Yamaha last year, but he shows what a package they’ve got now when they’ve got grip.” Contrastingly, the #47 rider discussed his mentor, former WorldSBK rider Marco Melandri. Speaking about the importance of advice from someone as experienced as Melandri, Bassani said: “Marco is really important because he has a lot of experience. I try to learn something from him, and every time he is with me, it is good because I feel like I am growing up.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

While WorldSBK took a break between the Dutch and Emilia-Romagna Rounds, the SBK® Roadway programme witnessed thrilling action across various supported events, showcasing emerging talents and competitive racing.

China Endurance Festival Round 1 Kicks Off in Chengdu

The 2024 China Endurance Festival (CEF) in Chengdu marked the beginning of the SBK® Roadway program in China, an initiative to integrate emerging talents into the WorldSBK paddock. Held at the Tianfu International Circuit on May 11-12, the event attracted 38 teams and 132 riders from across the country, competing in various categories including the 4-hour endurance challenge, the Chinese Endurance Women’s Group, and the 600cc and 1000cc groups.

The event was a grand celebration of motorcycle racing, featuring a mix of professional riders and enthusiasts. Highlights included demonstrations of new products by major manufacturers, motorcycle stunt performances, and various entertainment activities. The Nooma Racing Team won in the domestic 250cc and 300cc classes, while SUBO-H Racing Team Kawasaki Ninja400 emerged victorious in the 4-hour endurance open group.

In the CEF women’s group, Chen Ling, Li Ruiyun, and Hu Mengying took the top three positions. Zhou Fenglong won the 600cc group, and Li Jinlin clinched the 1000cc group championship. The next stop for CEF will be in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, on August 17-18.

Yamalube R3 bLU cRU Latin America 2024 Round 1 in Goiania

The Yamalube R3 bLU cRU Latin America kicked off the 2024 season at the Ayrton Senna International Circuit in Goiania, with riders from five different countries making it to the podium. The competition in the R3 Talent and R3 Cup categories was fierce, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.

In the R3 Talent category, Colombian Jeronimo Gonzalez secured the first pole position of the season and won Race 1, followed by Peruvian Aymon Bocanegra and Brazilian Mario Salles. In Race 2, Brazilian Heitor Ourinho claimed victory, with Gonzalez and fellow Brazilian Caua Rodrigues completing the podium.

In the R3 Cup, Argentine Lucas Gutierrez secured pole position, while Brazilian Fabricio Zamperetti won Race 1, followed by Gutierrez and Chilean Isis Carreno, who will debut in WorldWCR next week at Misano. In Race 2, Gutierrez emerged victorious, with Carreno and Brazilian Jonas Vieira rounding out the podium.

Yamalube R3 bLU cRU Latin America 2024 Round 2 in Curvelo

The second round of the Yamalube R3 bLU cRU Latin America took place at the Circuito dos Cristais in Curvelo, Minas Gerais, on May 24-26.

In the R3 Talent category, Argentine Nahuel Santamaria claimed Superpole, while Mario Salles won Race 1, followed by Aymon Bocanegra and Caua Rodrigues. Bocanegra took victory in Race 2, with Santamaria and Salles completing the podium.

In the R3 Cup, Fabracio Zamperetti dominated by securing Superpole and winning both races. Isis Carreno continued her strong performance with two second-place finishes, while Brazilian Alex Schultz and Jonas Vieira completed the podium in Races 1 and 2, respectively.

Looking Ahead

As the SBK® Roadway program continues to support and nurture emerging talents, next will be the third round of the 2024 FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup will coincide with the WorldSBK Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, promising to deliver more exciting racing and showcase the next generation of motorcycle racing talents.

Source: WorldSBK.com

When the chequered flag dropped on Friday to bring an end to two days of testing on the Adriatic Coast, the dust cleared and once again, Toprak Razgatlioglu was top of the timesheets. “El Turco” set out in the morning session with a point to prove, having not been in action since Assen. The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider initially set a 1’32.918s to claim top spot. Then, towards the end of the day, Toprak took to the track on his standard setup M1000 RR, equipped with an SCQ qualifying tyre. He then proceeded to blitz his own best time, scoring 1’32.535s.

“I NEED MORE SETUP FOR THE NEW SWINGARM”: Toprak talks setup

Following Friday’s conclusion, Toprak offered his insight and view into the developments and progress made by the Bavarian manufacturer since Assen. One of the key talking points has been the development and testing of a new swingarm, a component which has been extensively worked on by both Toprak and Dutch teammate Michael van der Mark. Speaking about the new swingarm, the #54 rider said: “I need more setup for the new swingarm. I feel too much rear grip, with the rear of the bike pushing the front. I rode my base bike with a SCQ tyre, and I did a 1’32.5s with the old swingarm”. Interestingly, Razgatlioglu offered more specific insight into the behaviour of the new swingarm and how it affects the rest of his setup. He said: “It jumps a lot because of too much rear grip. We also were unable to work on the suspension setup, because the Ohlins guys were sick.”

MISANO GOALS REVEALED: an Italian hat-trick the dream…

Toprak took some time to discuss the upcoming race weekend at Misano, as well as hopes and ambitions beyond. Speaking about the Adriatic facility, the former World Champion said: “In general, it looks like we are ready to race. We did a really good lap time. Sometimes you need to forget the problem and just ride the bike. But overall, for me it’s a very positive test. We have very good data to understand all the parts.” Discussing his ambitions for Misano and beyond, ‘El Turco’ said this: “In general, I’m very happy with these last two days. I hope we win all three races. This is my dream with BMW!”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The first-ever FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship campaign kicks off in a couple of weeks at the iconic Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” in Italy, and now, a new name has thrown her hat into the ring to make history. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) will compete in WorldWCR this season with the Spaniard’s plans revealed on a visit to the magical Mugello venue for the Italian Grand Prix, running with the Klint Forward Factory Team on the Yamaha R7 machine in 2024.

27-year-old Herrera brings a wealth of experience to her WorldWCR campaign, having raced in Moto3™, WorldSSP300, WorldSSP and the MotoE™ World Championship including in 2024, with the team she’ll compete for in WorldWCR. The Spanish star was a regular competitor for points in the Grand Prix paddock across her Moto3™ and MotoE™ stints, while she was consistently fighting for the top ten in WorldSSP300. In her one season in the Championship, she scored points in more than half the races with a best of fourth at Magny-Cours.

She moved into WorldSSP for 2019 for three seasons, securing points in all three campaigns. Her best finish was in Race 1 at Aragon in 2021 when she claimed 12^th, before focusing on MotoE™ in 2022 and 2023. For this season, a new challenge awaits the Spaniard as she looks to make history by becoming the first Champion in WorldWCR, where she will face fierce competition.

In the announcement, Herrera said: “I’m happy to do the new FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship with my team. They brought me the possibility to do it and I’m very grateful. I want to bring happiness to the team in another Championship and fight in all the races for all the effort they have put in. Thanks to them we’ll make history together.”

She then expanded on her thoughts in an interview after the press conference, added: “Finally, we can say it, because it was a little bit difficult to be part of the Championship. I spoke to Martina and Giovanni, who wanted to support me, so I’m very grateful to this team because I can be part of this Championship for them. I don’t know about my rivals but, for sure, Ana Carrasco is the rider who has more experience and more laps with the bike. I’ve had just one test. I need to understand this bike. Sara Sanchez and Beatriz Neila are also fast. I want to be with them and learn about this new category. I think we want to do a good job with this team. I don’t know about the first race because it’s my first time on the bike but in the next one, we want to fight at the front.”

Martina Cuzari, Team Manager, said: “As a woman and manager, I am proud to be able to participate with one of our athletes in a Championship that will still mark an important point in the history of track motorcycling. Maria is a rider with talent and will and has always demonstrated affinity with our values and our desire to do well, without giving up. For the Klint Forward Factory Team, already very busy internationally and nationally, it is a “pleasant effort” because it goes beyond the sporting aspect. We are happy to be part of a new journey.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team riders Roberta Ponziani and Ornella Ongaro made an exciting visit to the Mugello Circuit for the Italian Grand Prix this past weekend. With less than two weeks before their debut in the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, the duo took the opportunity to immerse themselves in the MotoGP™ atmosphere and connect with the racing community.

French rider Ornella Ongaro expressed her enthusiasm about the visit, and said: “It was fantastic to hang out at Mugello with Roberta. We had the chance to catch up with a lot of people and see the bikes up close. It’s always a bit surreal to be on ‘the other side’, but I was thrilled to say hello to Johann Zarco and reconnect with Marc Márquez, who I raced against back in the day. Chatting with him and his dad brought back some great memories. It’s heartening to see the respect and interest in WorldWCR as we gear up for the Championship. We had some great discussions with riders about the R7 and our progress, and it’s exciting to see the growing interest in WorldWCR.”

Roberta Ponziani, the reigning Italian Women’s Champion, shared her excitement as well, adding: “I had an amazing time. Attending a Grand Prix is always special, but Mugello has a unique charm. We had an incredible experience meeting various teams, observing their garage operations, and getting an inside look at the bikes and the mechanics’ and riders’ work. It was truly inspiring.”

As the countdown to their first appearance in the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship continues, Ponziani and Ongaro’s visit to the MotoGP™ paddock has further fuelled their enthusiasm and determination. WorldWCR is poised to make a significant impact, and the support and interest from the MotoGP™ community are invaluable as the Championship approaches.

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Source: WorldSBK.com