Australian riders Troy Herfoss and Tom Toparis will be taking on the world’s best at Phillip Island this February, with the pair having been announced as wild card entries for the Australian round of the World Superbike and Supersport Championships respectively.
Herfoss and his Penrite Honda team will be keen to improve on last year’s wildcard performance, where technical difficulties led to retirement during the first race and the team electing not to start Race 2.
Penrite Honda – 2018 ASBK Superbike Champions – Image TBG
“I’m so stoked; over the moon.” Current Australian Superbike champion Herfoss said. “It’s a huge honour to be able to represent the number 1 plate in the domestic championship and be able to represent Australia in World Superbikes.”
Troy Herfoss – Image by GeeBee
“Last year didn’t go as well as I’d hoped so the team are really appreciative that we’ve got another opportunity. I’m 100% certain we’ll be a lot more competitive this year. Last year we… jumped right in the deep end, tried to build a bike… in a very short period of time and with very limited testing. Now we’re going to have a bit more of a competitive bike and a bit more knowledge on how the weekend works and hopefully we can get in there and get amongst it.”
Troy Herfoss – TBG Image
World Supersport wildcard Toparis already brings experience racing at the top level, having previously made appearances in Japan and Australia racing as a wild card in Moto3 – the feeder class to MotoGP.
In addition, the Goulburn native is reprising last year’s appearance at The Island, where a strong showing in the World Supersport race saw him advance back to 15th in the overall standings after starting the race last on the grid.
Tom Toparis – TBG Image
“Obviously very exciting, I’ve done (World Supersport) before, so I know what to expect now and I think it’s not so much of a shock anymore,” explained Toparis. “I’ve been given a great opportunity to try and do well at my home round – the first round of World Superbike – I’m so keen to get out with those guys again. Last year it was my favourite weekend of the year because I won all the Australian Supersport races and I scored a point in World Supersport, so let’s hope I can do a little bit better this year and score a couple of points to reward the team for all the effort they’ve been putting in.”
Toparis in the lead of the domestic Supersport race at Phillip Island – Image by TBG Sport
Both riders are expected to pull double-duty for the weekend, with the first round of the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) running as a support act to the main event. Herfoss will be looking for a good result to kick start his 2019 title defence, while 2018 Australian Supersport runner-up Toparis will be keen to go one better in 2019.
Round 1 of the FIM World Superbike Championship is at Phillip Island Circuit in Victoria on 22-24 February, and includes the first round of the ASBK.
The refreshed KRT WorldSBK line-up of Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam will restart their 2019 campaigns with a two-day test at Jerez, on Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th of January.
Guim Roda, KRT Team Manager
“This Jerez test is a warm-up session to start checking details of things we finished working on last year. The riders have been working hard this winter with their training programmes and now the idea is put it all together and see were we are. Another good point about this Jerez test is that many teams will be there, so everybody will be able to take notes and make final adjustments to be ready for the first race weekend in Australia.”
Jonathan Rea set the pace at Aragon in November
After a long winter break since the most recent test outing at the same Jerez venue last November, four-time WorldSBK champion Rea and current BSB champion Haslam are keen to begin the process of making their final preparations for the first round of the 2019 championship, to be held in mid-February in Australia.
Jonathan Rea
“I am excited to see my team and all the guys. I had a training camp last week in Barcelona and I saw quite a few of them but this will be the first time we will get together as a group. Hopefully we can pick up where we left off at the last test. It has been a long, long winter but I arrive feeling refreshed and recharged after a lot of time at home. We expect some new material in preparation to build our base package at the start of the year. The tests at the end of last year were all about trying out different items and now we can put them all together and begin performance testing. I am excited because we were fast in Jerez in November, so I hope we can have some good weather this time.”
Jonathan Rea – GeeBee Image
After two successful post-season tests at Motorland Aragon and Jerez last year, the entire KRT squad will now concentrate their efforts on making final choices of components and overall machine set-up. With Jerez also returning to the WorldSBK championship race calendar in 2019, the forthcoming track outing at the 4.423 km long circuit in Andalusia will be of great value in its own right.
As well as a new-look riding line-up the most recent Ninja ZX-10RR features a higher-revving stock engine than the 2018 version, achieved in part by the use of finger follower valve technology.
Leon Haslam
“It has been a short winter for me because I got some surgical screws taken out of my ankle. I have done a two-week training camp out in Barcelona, riding Supermoto, flat track and doing numerous other things. The weather has been kind to us. I just want to get back going again on track at Jerez. These tests will be important for me and the more laps the better. Getting used to the bike and how to use it in terms of riding style and electronics, is the key. But also we will get to explore a few more points on the bike, which we have not done at previous tests. The weather looks good for the days on track and all our opposition is going to be there, so it is a key point to see where we are and where we have to improve.”
Leon Haslam – GeeBee Images
After the Jerez tests are completed the KRT team and some of their rivals will swiftly relocate to the Portimao circuit on the Algarve, for two more days of testing on the 27th and the 28th of January.
65 copies of StepbyStep 4 hot of the printers and signed. @geebeeimages has created an amazing picture book capturing my fourth World Championship. https://geebeeimages.bigcartel.com
To be made a Freeman of the Borough is a humbling experience and a significant honour for which I am extremely grateful and which I shall continue to treasure. I want to thank all those who not only have taken the time to join me here on this special occasion, but have supported me and travelled with me at my races all over the world. http://jonathan-rea.com/news/rea-awarded-honorary-freedom-borough-antrim-and-newtownabbey
“Winning four titles and breaking lots of records is a huge achievement for sure but gaining recognition at home is a great honour. Being named Belfast Telegraph Sports Star of the Year for the second year in a row means a lot to me. It’s scary to think I’ve done four Superbike titles in a row. The only way is down but I can’t see retirement now. I’m having fun. I’ve just finished my training camp and I’m feeling better than ever. I’m really motivated for this year and I can’t wait to start. People say it’s become boring but it’s not boring for me. I’m having the time of my life winning races. My young son Jake has just started riding motocross. That keeps me young. I’m having the time of my life and I’m doing it with my family at my side. We’re going to have great family albums!” http://jonathan-rea.com/news/rea-named-sports-star-year-belfast-telegraph
Jonathan Rea, multiple World Superbike Champion and 2017 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Runner Up has annouced his involvement with the 2019 ArenacrossUK Tour, for the ‘Arenacross For Schools’ inititative that comes to Belfast on Wednesday 16th of January. 200 lucky primary school pupils will get the awesome opportunity to go behind the scenes at the The SSE Arena, Belfast to witness the creation of The Arenacross Tour, meet Jonathan Rea as well as a whole host of Pro Motocross and Freestyle MX riders competeting in the 2019 AX Series! Read more here: https://www.arenacrossuk.com/news/jonathan-rea-backs-arenacross/ To book you Arenacross Tickets head to www.arenacrossuk.com Dirt Bike Rider Magazine /Pitstop Betting/ ASL Activation/ MCFederation/ Protein Water Co /Fix Auto UK/ Motorcycle News/ Original WD40 UK /Muc-Off Moto /Motul in UK /Quattro Plant Ltd /Supercross The Game Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team has completed a successful first test with the new BMW S 1000 RR in Almeria, Spain, with riders Tom Sykes (GBR) and Markus Reiterberger (GER).
Sykes and Reiterberger had previously taken to the track with the Superstock version of the new RR at the end of November, in Miramas (FRA). The riders provided feedback about the ergonomics and their change requests regarding the handlebars, levers, footrests, seat, tank, windshield and instrument displays were then implemented in Munich.
Tom Sykes
“I am very happy with the test. Of course, it’s still early days and there is still a lot of things to come our way but like this I was very happy with my feeling for my BMW S 1000 RR. The general feedback was good. We certainly had two very productive days testing, we changed quite some parameters on the bike and really understood some key areas to work with. It was a very positive two-day test for me and I was really happy and quite impressed with the end result. It was the first time in that new environment, the whole team working with each other and the engineers from BMW Motorrad Motorsport. So it was a new experience for everybody and soon everybody was working together like a clockwork. So it seems that we are progressing very fast and I got a good feeling within the environment in the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team.”
Tom Sykes
The first components developed specially for the WorldSBK, such as brakes and suspension elements, were used in Almeria. Both riders were able to complete a comprehensive programme of testing over two days without any problems. They developed a basis setup that will form the foundation for further work at the next tests in Jerez de la Frontera (ESP).
Markus Reiterberger
“The focus was on completing a roll-out with the new bike and for me to get used to the team and my new crew. It is all new for me: the team, the working methods and the Superbike version of the motorbike. The first outing with the new bike went very well. I felt right at home with the seat position and the handlebars from the word go. Our comprehensive programme of tests included a lot of work on the chassis, electronics, geometry and a host of setting options. We wanted to try everything out and pass on our experience to BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the team to allow them to work on preparation for the next tests. We are still at an early stage and our focus was on the functional tests. It was important to gather as much information as possible for the work that is still to come. We are very pleased with what we have achieved thus far and we are getting on well as a team. We are all working towards making progress together.”
Markus Reiterberger
BMW Motorrad Motorsport engineers and the team gathered valuable information for further development of the new race bike.
Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“First of all, it was great to finally get the team together. We had two days at the circuit before the test, getting final material together, meeting and greeting and getting an understanding for the requirements of the test. The two days on the circuit proved to be very positive, too. Both riders did almost 100 laps each over the two days without any major issues. We worked our way through a very detailed test schedule. The key points for me were that the team are working together very well and that the comprehensive test of parts and material went very positively. We have a good base-setting for both riders and a good direction to go to Jerez. So overall we are very happy.”
BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the team also used the two test days in Almeria to get used to one another in the new team configuration.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
“The objective of the testing in Almeria was a shakedown with the superbike. On the one hand, we were able to evaluate the modifications regarding the ergonomics and we have seen that both riders have a lot of confidence in the bike. We were also able to test the newly-developed WorldSBK components and we can see that we are moving in the right direction. We have gathered important experience for the next tests and we know what work we still have to do. Of course, after two days of testing the bike is still pretty much in its infancy but we are very pleased with the basics of the motorbike and with what the team has achieved in the last few months. At the next test in Jerez, we will encounter our competitors for the first time and will be able to see exactly where we stand. We are looking forward to this but we would also like to concentrate solely on our own tasks and will not get distracted by the competition.”
Tom Sykes will ride the new BMW S 1000 RR in 2019 after switching over from Kawasaki
Here is your 2019 WorldSBK pre-season form guide ahead of Phillip Island’s kick-off of the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship next February 22-24.
The grid forecast for February is hot with a grid of seasoned pros going into battle against World Champions from the Grand Prix ranks, as well as a couple of hotshots returning to the production series for the Yamaha Finance backed season opener at Phillip Island.
The new three-race format also launches at the island, with the 10 lap Sunday morning sprint adding to the 2 x 22 lap traditional WorldSBK races.
A three-day ticket at $120* as it includes free Paddock Access and can be purchased at www.worldsbk.com.au or Ticketek.
Led by reigning world champion Jonathan Rea, 10 riders on the 2019 WorldSBK grid have won a total of 181 races between them. Rea has a whopping 71 one of those, followed by Tom Sykes (34), Chaz Davies (29), Marco Melandri (22), Eugene Laverty (13), Leon Haslam (5), Ryuichi Kiyonari (5), Michael van der Mark (2), Alex Lowes (1) and Jordi Torres (1).
Jonathan Rea – Image by GeeBee
Haslam and Kiyonari return to the WorldSBK ranks in 2019 – the latter for the first time since 2009! – while the grand prix stars are Spaniard Alvaro Bautista and German Sandro Cortese. And they bring with them major firepower: Bautista was the 2006 125cc champion and went onto win 16 races in the lightweight and intermediate classes before moving into MotoGP, where he was a three-time podium finisher; while Cortese was the 2012 Moto3 champion and in 2018 clinched the world supersport title in his first attempt.
WorldSBK 2019 Form Guide
Four-time world champion Rea will remain at home with his Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK. But there’s been a change on the other side of the garage, as Haslam joins the squad. Signing a one-year deal, the British champion returns to WorldSBK for the first time in 2015 – although we have seen him every year since then during wildcard appearances.
Leon Haslam inherits Tom Sykes’ crew chief as the BSB Champion takes Sykes’ place in the Kawasaki WorldSBK squad, while Sykes will be on the new BMW S 1000 RR for season 2019
It’s a similar story over in the Aruba.it Racing Ducati garage, with Davies remaining in the team for a sixth season as he rides the sensational new Panigale V4 R. But he will also have a new face on the other side of the garage, as Bautista joins the factory team for 2019. Davies has finished runner-up on three occasions in WorldSBK but will have his eyes on the world title. For Bautista, his pace in early testing has been impressive.
WSBK Test Jerez Nov GeeBee Alvaro Bautista Panigale V4 R
There will be no changes at the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team, as van der Mark and Lowes line up with their YZF-R1s for the third season in a row. Both riders took their first WorldSBK wins in 2018; van der Mark took the double victory around Donington Park, and Lowes followed with the race two win around Brno.
Michael van der Mark – Image GeeBee
Welcoming the return of BMW as a factory support, the BMW Motarrad WorldSBK Team, run by Shaun Muir Racing, will be lining up on the grid with reigning STK1000 champion Markus Reiterberger and 2013 WorldSBK champion Sykes. Reiterberger, who dominated the STK1000 class on a BMW in 2018, has experience in WorldSBK, while Sykes boasts some of the most experience in the paddock.
2019 BMW S 1000 RR
Fielding a third Ducati Paniagle V4 R in 2019 will be the Barni Racing Team, which has signed Michael Ruben Rinaldi. The Italian already has one year of experience in the WorldSBK class under his belt. Joining the best independent team of 2018, who secured six podiums last season, his experience and relationship with Ducati will no doubt help to continue this into 2019.
Ducati Panigale V4 R – Image GeeBee
Making the step up from the European Superstock 1000 Championship, Alessandro Delbianco will line up on the grid with the new Althea MIE Racing Team as it makes the switch to Honda in collaboration with the mighty Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) as it returns to the championship for the first time since 2002.
Still without an official team name, Althea will be collaborating with Moriwaki and HRC for 2019. British rider Leon Camier will stick with Althea and Honda after a tough season, while Japanese legend Kiyonari will ride for HRC.
Leon Camier
Camier had a strong start to 2018 with but ended in 12th overall after being plagued by injury and bike problems. Kiyonari has 53 race starts to his name, with three wins overall and experience in many national superbike championships.
Yamaha will be offering a second factory supported team in 2019, with Cortese and Melandri lining up for the GRT Yamaha WSBK Team. Cortese is keen to adapt his riding style for the new season ahead. Bringing in Melandri to join him, the veteran heads back to Yamaha for the first time since 2011 and was a WorldSBK race winner in 2018, so the duo will soon find the right direction for the team.
Marco Melandri back on a Yamaha – GeeBee Image
Sticking with the same team for 2019 will be Toprak Razgatlioglu, who heads into his second season with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing. The young Turkish star was able to secure two podiums in 2018, as he continues to get to grips with the ZX-10RR. Securing the STK1000 title in 2017, Razgatlioglu has a natural speed which he is continuing to define with the WorldSBK machine.
Last but not least, Torres has recently announced he will be making his return to the WorldSBK paddock after a brief stint in MotoGP as a replacement rider. The Spanish rider is joining Team Pedercini Racing for 2019, and will make his debut on the Kawasaki machine, debuting on the ZX-10RR.
Jordi Torres – Aragon MotoGP 2018 – Round 14
The full WorldSBK grid begins pre-season testing again in late January, with the final shakedown at Phillip Island on February 18-19 ahead of round one and the three-race formula debut, an 18-lap world supersport race and nine national support races in superbike, supersport and supersport 300 – the start of the 2019 Aussie title.
Tickets now on sale
As an extra bonus at WorldSBK, all three-day ticket holders are gifted free paddock access kids 15 and under^ are free.
A three-day general admission is $120* secured in advance, or $230* when you add camping to your purchase an available at www.worldsbk.com.au or Ticketek.
*All ticket prices quoted purchased in advance and subject to Ticketek service and handling fees. Book now and save on gate prices.
^Children 15 and under are free and must be accompanied by a paying adult.
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