International Challenge win goes to Australia at Island Classic
Section: Competition
Phillis earns top individual honours with Ken Wootton Trophy.
Image: Russell Colvin.
Australia has successfully defended the International Challenge winning the three-nation battle at he Island Classic, with the locals’ 704 point haul securing victory over rivals America with 691 points and the UK third with 423 points.
Albury’s Alex Phillis was the star performer – claiming two wins, a second and a third across the four six-lap races – to lead the Australian effort and be awarded the best individual performer on the grid aboard his Suzuki 1260. He won the Ken Wootton trophy with his 157 point haul.
Just behind was Melbourne polesitter Jed Metcher who produced four podium places on his Yamaha FJ to amass 155 points, racing at the front of the pack throughout the meet to make a major contribution to the Australian victory.
But it was far from an easy Australia Day victory, with the Americans taking it to the Aussies in every race. Their major nemesis was Californian ace Josh Hayes – a multi AMA champ – who at 43, still possesses the speed and competitive grit that has seen him amass 83 career wins across many classes over a brilliant motorcycling career.
Hayes had his work cut out from him for the literal start – thanks to engine issues in qualifying relegating him to grid position seven for each race and a testing third row start.
Saturday’s front-runners continued to dominate with Australia’s Alex Phillis winning race three on his Suzuki ahead of Jed Metcher, with America’s Josh Hayes in third.
Polesitter Metcher won the start and while struggling somewhat with the front end of his Yamaha, led for the first four laps, while the melee settled behind him.
Phillis on the other hand, had a lousy start off the front-row and was pushed back to sixth by the end of the first lap. In front of him lay Metcher, former enduro champ Steve Martin and the formidable American trio of Larry Pegram, Josh Hayes and Michael Gilbert on their Mojo Yamahas.
Despite gearbox problems and some light rain mid-race Phillis slowly ticked them off, and by the end of lap three it was a Metcher/Phillis battle at the front with Hayes in pursuit.
Phillis took the lead going into turn three, with Metcher biting back to once again take control. Phillis though had the top speed advantage, and took the lead on Gardner Straight to head the final laps to the flag and cross 0.077s in front of Metcher and seize 40 points for the Australians .
With no sign of rain, race four was an epic final battle in the sun. Metcher won the start and led at the end of lap one. Rather than Phillis who was struggling with gearbox issues, it was Metcher and Hayes that set the pace.
Hayes took the lead on lap two, and despite the badgering of Metcher and Phillis, added the race four victory to his race one win and to finish the weekend with two victories, a third and a fifth.
Phillis, son of multiple Australian champ Robbie Phillis, claimed the individual Ken Wootton win, as well as the national victory for the Rex Wolfenden led team.
After a rain-affected WorldSBK test at Jerez, WorldSBK headed west to Portimao for testing overnight and got to enjoy some Portuguese sunshine.
It was a Yamaha 1-2-3 at lunch time but Scott Redding got down to business in the afternoon to best the Yamaha men by more than half-a-second.
Scott Redding set quick lap times on both of his bikes and had only been to Portimao once before. With long corners coupled with tight hairpins, the track provides the perfect opportunity for this testing.
Team-mate Chaz Davies confessed that he didn’t really learn much at Jerez and started from square one on Sunday in Portugal. Davies steadily improved throughout the day before eventually finishing seventh on the time-sheets.
Chaz Davies
Loris Baz was eager to demonstrate his prowess on the Yamaha, as he and his Dutch Ten Kate Racing Yamaha squad prepare for their first full season together. Testing different parts on both the 2019 and 2020 Yamahas, Baz made plenty of strides forward and ended the opening day second only to Redding.
Loris Baz
Other Independent riders accompanying Baz inside the top ten were Sandro Cortese (Barni Racing Team) in eighth and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) in tenth. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Goeleven) was one place further behind.
Garrett Gerloff
Michael van der Mark had tyre degradation work on his mind, the Dutchman’s aims are to get the bike smoother on tyres, he was fourth at the chequered flag.
Michael van der Mark
Pata Yamaha Team-mate Toprak Razgatlioglu was one place ahead of van der Mark and also worked on chassis balance, whilst valuing every lap he got aboard the Yamaha YZF R1. The Turkish rider came into Portimao having been second in Spain and was third after day one in Portugal.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Flying the BMW flag on day one at Portimao was Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with the Irishman going well at the circuit he took his most recent pole position at. Laverty had plenty to test and was looking at how well the engine was working, given the length of the straight at Portimao. However, the 2013 WorldSBK runner-up suffered an engine failure at Turn 3 in the afternoon, bringing out the red flag.
Tom Sykes
Team-mate Tom Sykes was working on electronics and also his chassis, aiming to improve his race set-up. At the end of the day, Laverty completed the top five whilst Tom Sykes was sixth.
Leon Haslam
Featuring at the top of the time-sheets at Jerez and once again a prominent force in Portugal, the HRC Team continued looking for their base set-up for the CBR1000RR-R. Leon Haslam was fifth at lunch time before continuing his day acquiring laps and data, whilst Alvaro Bautista got to grips with the Portimao circuit aboard the all-new Honda. Come the close of business on Sunday, Haslam was eighth and Bautista 15th, with plenty more to come on day two for the Honda duo.
In 13th place after turning his first wheel of 2020, Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) enjoyed his Portimao experience aboard the ZX-10RR. Experimenting with a new swingarm and chassis, Fores will aim to consolidate his findings on day two. He was one place ahead of Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) whilst Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) was in 16th.
WorldSBK Portimão Test Day One Unofficial Times
Scott Redding – Ducati 1m41.179s
Loris Baz – Yamaha 1m41.752s
Toprak Razgatlioglu – Yamaha 1m41.881s
Michael Van der Mark – Yamaha 1m42.057s
Eugene laverty – BMW1m42.661s
Tom Sykes – BMW 1m42.740s
Chaz Davies – Ducati 1m42.749s
Sandro Cortese – Ducati 1m42.936s
Leon Haslam – Honda 1m42.967s
Garrett Gerloff – Yamaha 1m43.031s
Michael Rinaldi – Ducati 1m43.218s
Leandro Mercado – Ducati 1m43.343s
Xavi Fores – Kawasaki 1m43.490s
Federico Caricasulo – Yamaha 1m43.533s
Alvaro Bautista – Honda 1m43.662s
Sylvain Barrier – Ducati 1m44.016s
Christophe Ponsson – Aprilia 1m44.035s
WorldSSP
After an intriguing test at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, it was Portimao’s turn to play host to the FIM Supersport World Championship teams and riders, as they take part in two more days of frantic testing.
Jules Cluzel
The rollercoaster circuit in the Algarve saw three-time WorldSSP runner-up Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) on top of the pile, heading fellow countryman Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), whilst South African Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing) completed the top three.
Cluzel continued his pre-season with good pace in Portugal, with the Portimao circuit proving to be to his liking. Fellow countryman Lucas Mahias was also finding the Portimao track enjoyable, having taken a phenomenal victory in the World Supersport class back in 2018. Working on suspension settings and refining small details, Mahias was busy on day one.
Lucas Mahias
Steven Odendaal was also right in contention, with the rookie taking his Dutch squad into the leading positions, whilst explaining that there was little difference between slick and road tyres.
Steven Odendaa
Italian star Andrea Locatelli (Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) was fresh off the back of testing at Almeria and was eager to join the other teams on circuit. He continued his adaption to the World Supersport class and placed fourth come the end of day one.
Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) was up in fifth, also looking to refine small details of his package. Hikari Okubo (Dynavolt Honda) enjoyed his first testing action of 2020 and was sixth, with three manufacturers inside the top six.
Corentin Perolari
Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was back in action after extensive testing at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, taking to Portimao for the first time. The German rider was fractionally ahead of Jaimie van Sikkelerus (MPM Routz Racing Team), who set as many laps as possible ahead of his first full season on Yamaha machinery.
Danny Webb (WRP Wepol Racing) was ninth on his WorldSSP debut, whilst Turkish rookie Can Öncü (Turkish Racing Team) was tenth and the last of the WorldSSP runners and riders.
The MO Classic Racer Sprint featured bikes from done-up old Hondas to Suzuki’s GT750 “Kettles” competing, including Isle of Man TT rider Conor Cummins, the latter which also competed in the Honda Sprint on a CB1000R against rival Alex Polita. The Sultans of Sprint—Freak and Factory Class, also featuring Randy Mamola, was probably the most colourful sprint event of the day, where riders didn’t take themselves too seriously, all entering the arena dressed up in fancy costumes, that is until they got to the starting grid. Finally, by about 6 p.m., the Starr Wars Sprint, which established itself at Glemseck 101 over the past five years, was the last event of the day, held on motorcycles whose rigid frame construction can be traced directly back to the early days of motorcycle development.
More and more riders are being charged with negligent driving (riding) after a single-vehicle crash, says NSW traffic and criminal law specialist Chris Kalpage.
He now tackles this increasing risk of a negligent driving charge for which penalties can be quite severe:
Chris Kalpage sets up for a track session
Negligent driving
The concept of negligence is whether the person charged was not riding in the manner of a reasonably prudent motorist, considering all the circumstances.
Often if police are called to a single-vehicle accident where the bike has come down there is a risk the rider will be charged with negligent driving.
Two cases I defended come to mind.
Case 1
Riders on the Old Pac (Photo courtesy of Valley Images)
One morning my client was riding his Aprilia RSV on the Old Pacific Highway, tipped into a corner at below the speed limit and lost his front end on slippery leaf mulch. You could substitute that for moss, oil, gravel from filling in potholes, or anything on the road surface.
He dragged himself to the Armco and sat down, his leg was broken. To his surprise, a tow truck and ambulance stopped to assist. As he was traveling to Gosford Hospital he heard over the radio that they had picked up the wrong accident victim, so they stopped at the next accident scene some kilometres from where he had crashed.
While the paramedics were assisting the other rider, a highway patrol officer at the second scene spoke to my client while he was in the back of the ambulance. He asked what had happened and my client explained about the leaf mulch. The officer further interviewed my client in hospital.
My client subsequently received an infringement for negligent driving which we defended.
The police officer’s evidence was that my client had told him he had lost his front wheel on leaf mulch. However, the officer said he attended the site and there was no leaf mulch, inferring that my client was riding with negligence.
In calling for the officer’s notebook in cross examination of him, it was clear the officer had noted my client indicated he had lost his front wheel suddenly on hitting the mulch. In cross-examination of the officer it was established that the notebook was the totality of the content of the discussion with my client. It was further conceded by the officer that my client had said nothing more.
It was conceded that there were many corners between where the officer saw my client in the ambulance and where the accident had occurred.
The obvious conclusion was that the officer could not correctly identify the exact corner of the crash and by inference had not attended the site as was stated. The officer’s questionable evidence was rejected, my client’s evidence favourably received and he was found not guilty.
Case 2
Riders on the Oxley Highway
Another client was riding his Ducati 748 down the Oxley Highway when he hit a wedge of tarmac, possibly caused by heat forming a lip in the soft asphalt. His bike was knocked into gravel on the opposite side of the road.
Again my client had a broken leg and the ambulance was called. A regional highway patrol officer turned up at the site about 20 minutes later. Again, he had not seen how the accident occurred and had no evidence from witnesses, but formed the view that as an accident had occurred my client must have been traveling too fast.
At the hearing, the prosecutor agreed with me that the highway patrol officer could not provide expert post accident crash analysis. That is the remit of the specially trained police crash investigation unit. The case was adjourned so representations could be made.
However, the officer chose to press on with the case. Even though the magistrate allowed the evidence — which I believe should not have been — he took into account the officer’s lack of expertise and was prepared to accept my client’s evidence. He dismissed the prosecution.
Conclusion
A mere accident does not automatically mean that the rider was negligent. The prosecution needs to establish that you were driving or riding without the standard of care and attention reasonably expected of the ordinary prudent driver.
Even if you run into the back of a vehicle that suddenly stops, it does not mean your manner of driving was negligent.
I defended a retired motorcycle highway patrol officer with significant riding experience who ran into the back of a car because he had to apply emergency braking right where there was a sudden change in the road condition. He was acquitted at hearing.
So, if you have to brake suddenly and do it on a patch of diesel causing you to run into the car in front that may not constitute negligence. The court has to take into account all the circumstances of the case as embodied in the legislation, a part of which is printed below:
NSW ROAD TRANSPORT ACT 2013 – SECT 117
Negligent, furious or reckless driving
117 Negligent, furious or reckless driving
(cf STM Act, s 42)
(1) A person must not drive a motor vehicle on a road negligently.
(3) In considering whether an offence has been committed under this section, the court is to have regard to all the circumstances of the case, including the following:
(a) the nature, condition and use of the road on which the offence is alleged to have been committed,
(b) the amount of traffic that actually is at the time, or which might reasonably be expected to be, on the road,
(c) any obstructions or hazards on the road (including, for example, broken down or crashed vehicles, fallen loads and accident or emergency scenes).
(Editor’s note: This is a NSW law, but there are similar rules in most jurisdictions.)
This relates to the specific circumstances of the particular incident and this is one situation where every case is different. No two situations are alike so they require careful analysis. Don’t assess your case based on someone you know who had a similar situation and got a certain result, as you could be very wrong.
Disclaimer
This article is for reader information and interest only and is based on New South Wales law. It is not intended to be comprehensive, and does not constitute and must not be relied on as legal advice.
Please be aware that every case is different and the matters raised may not be of specific relevance to your situation but may have a general application. You must seek specific advice tailored to your circumstances. Chris is happy to talk to anyone needing clarification. He can be contacted on 0418 211074.
Consistent Forkner earns 250SX West win at the fourth round.
Image: Octopi Media.
450SX red-plate holder Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) dominated the Triple Crown at Glendale’s fourth round of Monster Energy Supercross by securing the overall win with a trio of race victories.
Zach Osborne (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) stormed to the hole-shot in main event one, leading Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) and Malcolm Stewart (Smartop Bullfrog Spas Motoconcepts Honda) in the early stages.
Points leader Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) made an incredible pass around the outside of Tomac in the sand section, going onto then pass Osborne – who crashed in the path of the German ace.
Roczen got through unscathed to secure the lead, fending off a bid from Tomac to secure victory. Tomac was second ahead of rookie teammate Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki), followed by Stewart and Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing).
Sixth through to 10th was completed by Justin Barcia (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing), Justin Brayton (Team Honda HRC), Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Justin Hill (Smartop Bullfrog Spas Motoconcepts Honda) and Martin Davalos (Team Tedder Monster Energy).
Main event two was forced to be red-flagged after a nasty first crash involving Osborne and Justin Bogle (Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM), the latter being assisted off the circuit with the Alpinestars Medical Unit.
On the restart it was Roczen who shot out to the lead with reigning champion Webb in tow, but that was the last they saw of Roczen as he charged to a commanding win.
Webb struggled to maintain his position at the front, first being passed by Cianciarulo, who went down a lap later, then losing spots to Tomac, Anderson and Baggett – the trio finishing in that order with Webb in fifth.
Cianciarulo rebounded to cross the line sixth, followed by Brayton, Barcia, Plessinger and Dean Wilson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing).
Another red-flag was thrown in the opening stages of main event three, which came due to nasty crash for Chris Blose (Chaparral FXR Racing Honda) in the whoop section.
Roczen benefited from the restart for the second time, securing the hole-shot and storming away from the field to a dominant victory.
Tomac went down on the early lap, but able to rebound, while his teammate Cianciarulo crashed heavily in the whoops during the final moments.
At the chequered flag, Anderson was second over Tomac, Webb and Davalos. The top 10 was made up of Stewart, Barcia, Plessinger, Brayton and Hill. Roczen boosted his points by taking the overall, joined on the podium by Tomac and Anderson. Australia’s Chad Reed (Mountain Motorsports Honda) was 20th overall.
Image: Octopi Media.
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner has claimed the 250SX West victory in the Triple Crown format at Glendale’s fourth round of Monster Energy Supercross.
Main event one saw Geico Honda’s Christian Craig pushed off the start, while it was Forkner and JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki Racing’s Alex Martin who led the field.
Points leader Justin Cooper suffered a pair of crashes in the opening stages as Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) made moves on Martin and Michael Mosiman (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) to finish second behind eventual winner Forkner.
Craig worked his way back to third ahead of Mosiman and Brandon Hartranft (Troy Lee Designs Red Bull KTM), while the top 10 was completed by Jacob Hayes (Gas Monkey AJE Motorsports), Mitchell Oldenburg (Penrite Honda Racing), Martin, Aaron Tanti (Yamaha) and Derek Drake (Troy Lee Designs Red Bull KTM).
It was a dramatic start to main event two as Cooper surged to an amazing hole-shot, leading the field for the opening stages before suffering an untimely crash.
It allowed Drake to take control of the field, while at the same time Craig was ruled out of the race. Drake led for a number of laps, but was ultimately passed by Forkner, who went onto secure victory.
Reigning champion Ferrandis moved to second as he crossed the line ahead of Drake, while it was Mosiman and Hayes who completed the top five. Hartranft was sixth ahead of Oldenburg, Martin, Cooper and Jay Wilson (Yamaha).
Martin Castelo (JMC Motorsports Racing) snatched a surprise hole-shot in the final encounter before being quickly overcome by Cooper, who put his earlier mistakes behind him to claim victory.
The race was mainly uneventful as Ferrandis and Forkner locked out the top three, finishing ahead of Hartranft and Hayes. Mosiman was sixth followed by Oldenburg, Clout, Martin and Killian Auberson (Gas Monkey AJE Motorsports).
Overall it was Forkner from Ferrandis and Mosiman, who landed on the podium for the first time this year. Australians Luke Clout (Penrite Honda Racing), Jay Wilson (Yamaha) and Aaron Tanti (Yamaha) finished in positions 10, 15 and 16. Cooper still leads the standings as the series heads to Oakland in California next weekend.
The overnight noise curfew expired at 0900 this morning and immediately the Phillip Island air exploded as a cacophony of engines fired in to life.
A quartet of Keihin carburettors feeding an RC30
Air-cooled, water-cooled, two-stroke, four-stroke, singles, twins, triples and four-cylinder engines all singing their different notes as last-minute fettling took place up and down pit-lane.
A Matchless being worked on between races
The interesting mix of the machines continued into the public parking areas where many spectators had dusted off their prize jewels for the ride to Phillip Island. I have never seen so many six-cylinder motorcycles in the one place. There was as much fap fodder coming through the public entry gates as there was to be seen in the pit garages.
Dieter dusted off his immaculate Yamaha ZJ650 Turbo for his ride down to the Island Classic
The eclectic range of machinery here helps to make the Island Classic something really special with motorcycles being raced in anger that date as far back as the 1939 350 Velocette of Philip Price in the Pre-War support category.
A 350 Velocette from 1939
Once again today the weather was simply magnificent. Beautiful blue skies were revealed as dawn broke to signal we were in for another treat at what is arguably the world’s most beautiful racetrack.
Jordan Szoke
“It’s amazing (Phillip Island) and I never want to go home! When you get to go around here, and if you look where we are, obviously the ocean is right there, it is so beautiful. The fans are amazing, and everyone is so friendly, in the paddock, and then they all just want to win on the track.”
Jordan Szoke is loving his first visit to Phillip Island. The 18-time Canadian Superbike Champion is here racing for Team America in the 2020 International Challenge. He is pictured here animatedly discussing proceedings with four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes
The morning was indeed so gorgeous it made me wish I had camped at the track this weekend to really enjoy all of it to the full. A great day to be alive!
American competitor Michael Gilbert is racing a machine that is twice as old as him and was all smiles during his racing island holiday
The sun had really started to warm things up before International Challenge competitors headed out of pit-lane for their third six-lap bout of the weekend just after noon. The ongoing battle to get these aging tuned-to-the-limit machines to the grid is almost non-stop. Spanners are spun on the motorcycles almost all the way to the start line.
The spannering never stops at a historc race meet…
Some of the mechanical and engineering skills present here this weekend are enough to make rocket scientists feel a bit inadequate. The collective breadth of knowledge within these pit garages is so large that it would be impossible to document. When a lot of these guys eventually pass on, so much of this knowledge will unfortunately die with them.
The delectable Irving Vincent is a good example of the type of engineering skills present here in Australia. Pretty much this entire machine was made from scratch right here in Melbourne.
While that is indeed quite sad, we can at least celebrate their skills while they are here with us fettling and tuning these glorious beasts. As fine as the riding talent present here this weekend is, I think it is fair to say that the talent behind the bars is much more easily replaced and replenished as time marches on than the font of mechanical knowledge inside the minds of many of the mechanics here this weekend. So many of these guys are here not only giving up their time for free, most are more often than not actually spending thousands of their own dollars to be here working their arses off.
The T-Rex Yamaha prepared by Rex Wolfenden and ridden by Jed Metcher
Well now we have given the spanner twirlers their moment of glory, it’s time for them to hand over the motorcycles to the riders and leave the rest of the job up to them!
International Challenge Race Three
While the morning had been quite warm, some cloud cover moved in just after midday and the temperature dropped quite markedly as a result. Due to the problems experienced by David Johnson over the weekend Team Australia had chosen to promote Shawn Giles to the head of the second row in Johnson’s place, demoting the South Australia back to the fourth row.
Jed Metcher led the field through the opening turns ahead of Steve Martin and Michael Gilbert but Larry Pegram and Josh Hayes wasted no time in moving past their countryman, relegating the youngster back to fifth as they approached turn four.
Across the stripe for the first time Metcher had a few bike lengths over his pursuers, the first of which was now Larry Pegram followed by Josh Hayes, Steve Martin, Alex Phillis and Michael Gilbert.
Hayes started to challenge Pegram for second place and that American duo started to pull away a little from Steve Martin.
Alex Phillis then started his charge forward, taking fourth place from Steve Martin, followed by third place from Pegram and then second place from Hayes after the young Victorian put in a 1m36.743 scorcher to storm through the field.
Jed Metcher #22 leads as Alex Phillis closes in on Josh Hayes
Josh Hayes tried valiantly to stick with Phillis but the youngster had his measure, a 1m36.552 the next benchmark set by Phillis on his way to reeling Jed Metcher in.
Alex Phillis #20 got the better of Josh Hayes #4
Alex Phillis moved through to the race lead with two laps to run then extended his buffer to half-a-second as they got the last lap board. Josh Hayes was coming along for the ride though, the fierce competitive streak in him coming to the fore as he hunted down the young competition.
That leading trio then all ran wide at turn four on the final lap and Metcher sneaked past Phillis as a few drops of rain started to fall around the back of the circuit…
Josh Hayes rounds turn 12 as Metcher and Phillis fight for victory
Metcher led them around the back of the circuit and Phillis shadowed his countryman through turn 12 before powering past on the line to steal a narrow victory over Metcher.
Alex Phillis #20 powered past Metcher on the run to the flag #22
Hayes had to settle for third place but had three-seconds over fourth placed Steve Martin.
Josh Hayes
“It was a tough race, I was a bit of a slow starter this morning so that definitely hurt me and Jed got out there pretty far and Larry (Pegram) rode good for a few laps. It took me a little while with Steve (Martin), and Larry (Pegram) and Michael Gilbert, and a handful of guys there in the beginning. When I got to 2nd, I was just taking such little pieces out of Jed (Metcher) and then I couldn’t believe how fast Alex (Phillis) went by, I was like shit that guy must be doing 35’s as fast as he went by me! He just rode right up to him, and again they got together and brought me back a little bit, racing up with each other. When we got the mist on I was having this real internal battle, because I wanted to get in there and I wanted to win that race so bad, but I didn’t feel like with the cooler temperatures my bike was quite where I wanted it to be like it was yesterday, so you start thinking about the team aspect and a 3rd is a lot better than me screwing up. I was a little too cautious, and they did give me a chance to get back in it, but I just played my cards a little too cautious and ruined a good opportunity, hopefully the sun will come back out and we can work hard for it again.”
Phillis pipped Metcher at the line while Hayes rounded out the podium
Aaron Morris scored a fifth place finish ahead of Larry Pegram and Michael Gilbert. Eighth went to Beau Beaton ahead of Taylor Knapp and Jordan Szoke.
Five Australians and five Americans in the top ten but with Shawn Giles, Cameron Donald and Craig Ditchburn filling places 11-12-13 that contributed to Australia extending their three-point lead over Team America out to 12-points. 530 plays 518 with one race remaining.
International Challenge Race Three Results
Pos
Rider
Class
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Alex PHILLIS
AUS
1980 Suzuki XR69 1100
9:52.346
2
Jed METCHER
AUS
1984 Yamaha FJ 1200
+0.077
3
Joshua HAYES
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
+0.704
4
Steven MARTIN
AUS
1982 Sukuki Katana 1294
+3.739
5
Aaron MORRIS
AUS
1980 Suzuki Katana 1300
+4.176
6
Larry PEGRAM
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
+4.906
7
Michael GILBERT
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
+4.981
8
Beau BEATON
AUS
1982 Irving Vincent 1300
+11.105
9
Taylor KNAPP
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
+11.192
10
Jordan SZOKE
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
+16.287
11
Shawn GILES
AUS
1982 Suzuki Katana 1294
+17.410
12
Cameron DONALD
AUS
1982 Irving Vincent 1300
+29.817
13
Craig DITCHBURN
AUS
1978 Yamaha TZ 750
+41.011
14
Brendan WILSON
UK
1980 Suzuki Harris 1170
+42.717
15
Scott WEBSTER
AUS
1982 Suzuki Harris 1200
+50.465
16
Alexander SINCLAIR
UK
1982 Suzuki XR69 1080
+1m00.239
17
Joe PETHOUD
USA
1984 Yamaha Harris 1250
+1m02.122
18
Damien KAVNEY
UK
1982 Suzuki XR69 1260
+1m14.392
19
David CRUSSELL
USA
1978 Yamaha TZ 748
+1m14.874
20
Brian FILO
USA
1978 Kawasaki Z1 1260
+1m14.941
21
Tony HART
UK
1982 Suzuki Harris 1085
+1m16.073
22
Robert RUWOLDT
USA
1980 Kawasaki Harris 1200
+1m17.886
23
Roger GUNN
UK
1982 Harris F1 1170
+1m18.863
24
Richard LLEWELLIN
UK
1982 Ducati TTF1 750
+1:30.470
25
James AGOMBAR
UK
1978 Yamaha TZ 750
+1m30.917
26
Hasse GUSTAFSON
UK
1972 Ducati 750
+1m31.289
DNF
Jorge GUERRERO
USA
1982 Suzuki XR69 1200
2 Laps
DNF
David JOHNSON
AUS
1982 Suzuki Katana 1100
2 Laps
DNF
Melissa PARIS
USA
1978 Yamaha TZ 748
3 Laps
International Challenge Race Four
The crowd had been quite good throughout the weekend but many spectactors headed home before the final International Challenge bout. This event is a lot more than just about the racing for many, plenty instead come to simply oogle the machinery in the pits, to drink in the sights, sounds and smells, then head for home once those senses have been suitably satisfied.
Alex Phillis, Jed Metcher and Josh Hayes have consistently displayed superior speed all weekend and been the men to beat but would a wildcard find some extra pace in this final bout…?
Hayes had taken the opening victory on Saturday, while Phillis took top honours both yesterday afternoon and this morning, sneaking past Metcher on the line to deny his team-mate victory.
Metcher has been chasing front end set-up all weekend while Phillis had a few gear selection problems this morning. Riders do have to somewhat nurse these fickle machines throughout the six-lap races, riding a fine line between all-out attack and mechanical sympathy.
International Challenge Race Three gets underway
Josh Hayes, Larry Pegram and Jordan Szoke all got away well but not well enough to beat Jed Metcher to turn one as the Rex Wolfenden prepared Yamaha wound up.
Jed Metcher led the field towards turn one
Around the back of the circuit on the opening lap it was Metcher from Hayes, Phillis, Martin, Pegram, Gilbert and Beaton.
The field heads towards turn one in the International Challenge decider
Hayes took the lead at the end of lap one after slipping past Metcher before turn one. Phillis was in third as again it was this trio proving quickest. Steve Martin was the best of the rest at this stage of the race ahead of Pegram.
Next time around Alex Phillis took his turn at the front after putting in a 1m36.655s. Hayes was back through to the lead by turn four and Metcher then pushed Phillis back to third place once again. Hayes pulled away over the second half of that lap and by the stripe had half-a-second over Phillis and Metcher.
Phillis ran wide on the next lap and lost second place to Metcher, he then lost yet more time through the next few turns, grip perhaps now going away from him.
At the last lap board Josh Hayes had a buffer of seven-tenths over Metcher who had a similar advantage over Phillis. Michael Gilbert had moved up to fourth place, Jordan Szoke was in fifth and Aaron Morris sixth in what was a tightly packed group.
Josh Hayes the victor from Metcher with Phillis coming home third in the fourth and final International Challenge bout of the weekend.
Josh Hayes
“I knew with the sun coming out it played a little bit of an advantage for tyres with us in the Dunlop’s, and finally I got a pretty decent run off line and didn’t let Jed just go. I wasn’t trying to play catch-up for the whole race, being able to get up close to him right off the bat, I thought if I could push and pressure the pace for race distance, every lap works in my favour a little bit. I made a few mistakes late in the race and they got back a little close to me, but I was just trying to be steady and just hit my marks and fortunately we had a clean race. We had four great races and I really enjoyed riding in them, with the boys (Alex & Jed) all of us together, all weekend, every race, it was so much fun! It’s good to leave on a high note!”
Josh Hayes after taking the final victory on Sunday afternoon
Michael Gilbert won the battle over fourth place ahead of Szoke and Morris.
Third place was good enough to see Phillis take the overall individual honours for the weekend by two-points over Metcher.
Team Australia won the International Challenge by a slender seven-points over the USA.
International Challenge Race Four Results
Pos
Name
Class
Machine
Time/Gap
1
Joshua HAYES
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
9m47.879
2
Jed METCHER
AUS
1984 Yamaha FJ 1200
+1.414
3
Alexander PHILLIS
AUS
1980 Suzuki XR69 1100
+3.292
4
Michael GILBERT
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
+6.538
5
Jordan SZOKE
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
+7.019
6
Aaron MORRIS
AUS
1980 Suzuki Katana 1300
+7.125
7
Steven MARTIN
AUS
1982 Sukuki Katana 1294
+7.788
8
Taylor KNAPP
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
+11.296
9
Beau BEATON
AUS
1982 Irving Vincent 1300
+14.011
10
Shawn GILES
AUS
1982 Suzuki Katana 1294
+19.237
11
Cameron DONALD
AUS
1982 Irving Vincent 1300
+24.861
12
Brendan WILSON
UK
1980 Suzuki Harris 1170
+38.600
13
Craig DITCHBURN
AUS
1978 Yamaha TZ 750
+40.509
14
Larry PEGRAM
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
+41.419
15
Scott WEBSTER
AUS
1982 Suzuki Harris 1200
+43.315
16
Damien KAVNEY
UK
1982 Suzuki XR69 1260
+1:06.063
17
Joe PETHOUD
USA
1984 Yamaha Harris 1250
+1:06.469
18
Roger GUNN
UK
1982 Harris F1 1170
+1:08.030
19
Brian FILO
USA
1978 Kawasaki Z1 1260
+1:11.464
20
Robert RUWOLDT
USA
1980 Kawasaki Harris 1200
+1:14.018
21
Hasse GUSTAFSON
UK
1972 Ducati 750
+1:34.608
22
James AGOMBAR
UK
1978 Yamaha TZ 750
+1:35.352
23
Richard LLEWELLIN
UK
1982 Ducati TTF1 750
+1:40.880
DNF
David CRUSSELL
USA
1978 Yamaha TZ 748
2 Laps
DNF
Jorge GUERRERO
USA
1982 Suzuki XR69 1200
3 Laps
DNF
Tony HART
UK
1982 Suzuki Harris 1085
4 Laps
DNF
Alexander SINCLAIR
UK
1982 Suzuki XR69 1080
5 Laps
2020 Island Classic International Challenge Team Points
Pos
Name
Total
1
AUSTRALIA
704
2
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
691
3
UNITED KINGDOM
423
2020 Island Classic Race Ken Wootton Perpetual Trophy Individual Points
MV Agusta will officially celebrate its 75th anniversary on June 20-21 at its factory on the shores of the beautiful Lake Varese in northern Italy.
If you’re a fan, we recommend booking your flights now as the Italian lake region is not only beautiful, but is blessed with excellent roads for riding motorcycles.
The company sent out a potted history (attached below) which concludes with a vision of the future where they listen to customers and promise new models, faster spare parts delivery and an expended sales network.
Troubled times
MV Agusta has gone through some tough financial times over the past few years.
It had a rocky relationship with AMG Mercedes ownership, developed terribly slow spare parts delivery and did not produce any new models, only limited editions of their ageing fleet.
New boss Timur Sardarov took over from Giovanni Castiglioni in 2018.
Giovanni Castiglioni and Timur Sardarov
Timur is the founder of Russian investment company, Black Ocean Group, which rescued the company in 2017.
He set up the Nevada Burning Man festival and is the son of oil tycoon Rashid Sardarov who was mentioned in the Panama Papers and has links to Russian mafia lawyers.
Last year,the Sardarov family acquired 100% of the company’s capital and Timurannounced a five-year plan to build new bikes and improve its service.
However, we are yet to see a truly new motorcycle from MV and have not heard any reports of improved parts delivery in Australia.
In July 2019, Timur announced a partnership with Chinese Loncin Motor to make 350-500cc motorcycles.
Timur says being the boss at the historic 75th anniversary is “exciting and challenging”.
“I consider it a great privilege, and also a great responsibility, but looking back at MV Agusta’s legacy, I know we are standing on the shoulders of a giant, and this gives me great pride and confidence in breaking new ground every day, launching innovative technology, new incredible models, and expanding into markets we have never entered before.”
MV Agusta 75th anniversary history
Here is the unedited MV Agusta version of its history to mark its 75th anniversary:
It all started on January 19, 1945, with the establishment ofMeccanicaVerghera Srl in Cascina Costa, near today’s Malpensa international airport. The Agusta family, pioneers of the aviation industry, unable to continue manufacturing aeroplanes in the aftermath of WWII, turned to motorcycles to express their passion for speed, adrenaline and precision engineering. Legend has it that the first model, a 98 cc, was due to be called “Vespa”, but the name was already taken, so it went down in history simply as the MV98.
The Agustas also knew how to convert their racing motorcycles into successful production road models for a public of passionate enthusiasts, and started right from the beginning with a luxury version of the 98 that made a sensation at the 1947 Milan Trade Fair. Since then, every new MV Agusta model made its mark in the history of motorcycling, and still today the launch of a new model or range is a much awaited event.
Count Domenico Agusta had a knack for hiring the best riders, most of which became legends of the sport: Franco Bertoni, MV’s first rider, followed by ArcisioArtesiani, Carlo Ubbiali the “flying chinaman”, Leslie Graham,CecilSandford, Fortunato Libanori, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood,Gianfranco Bonera, Giacomo Agostini and Phil Read. Throughout the 30 years of the Agusta era, the history of their victories intersects with the launches of equally legendary and successful MV Agusta production models.
Cecil Sandford
Giacomo Agostini
John Surtees
Carlo Ubbiali
The partnership with Giacomo Agostini was the most celebrated in the history of motorcycling: in his career, “Ago” won 13 Wold Championships, 18 Italian titles and 10 Isle of Man’s TTs.
Count Domenico passed in 1971, and after Agostini’s last victory at the Nürburgring in 1976, the destiny of MV Agusta seemed to have come to an end, until the Castiglioni family decided to give it a new lease of life. In 1992, Claudio Castiglioni’s Cagiva acquired the MV Agusta brand and moved production to its facility on the shores of lake Varese, in Schiranna, where MV Agusta motorcycles are still produced today.
Claudio Castiglioni and F4 designer Massimo Tamburini
Under the visionary guidance of Claudio Castiglioni the brand never ceased to represent Italy’s best motorcycling tradition and even acquired further prestige and recognition. Castiglioni single-handedly revolutionised the motorcycle industry, heavily investing in R&D and in production.
The four-cylinder,750cc F4 was the first bike of the new era, and also the first superbike. It is still considered “the best looking bike ever”. Claudio also invented the concept of the “naked” bike, a new paradigm in the motorcycling world.
Giovanni Castiglioni in front of a photo of his father, Claudio
After his premature death in 2011, his son Giovanni succeeded him at the helm and continued in the family’s pioneering tradition. He actively sought and developed partnerships with world-class names such as Pirelli and Formula1 champion Lewis Hamilton to further broaden the reach and the appeal of the brand. Giovanni was behind the creation of the “Brutale”, the ultimate naked, and the F3, the best middle-weight sports bike with an inline-three cylinders engine and a counter-rotating crankshaft. Under his guidance, other remarkable models such as the Dragster and the Turismo Veloce, an opening into the tourers’ world, as well as successive evolutions of the F3 and F4, were acclaimed both by critics and motorcycling enthusiasts.
Timur Sardarov
In 2017, the company was ready for a new important step in its history of continuing growth, and new capital was brought in byComSar Invest, a Luxembourg company belonging to a family of entrepreneurs who share the same pioneering spirit and passion for speed as the Agustas and the Castiglionis. After an initial and successful partnership phase, in2019 the Sardarov family acquired 100% of the company’s capitaland Timur Sardarov, MV Agusta’s present CEO, was ready to take on a leading role.
After a rain-affected WorldSBK test at Jerez, WorldSBK now heads west to Portimao for testing today and tomorrow, 26th and 27th January.
The second test in January will be the final time we get to see most of the bikes on-track at once before the Phillip Island test the week before the first round, meaning that there will be plenty to keep our eyes on as the new season gets nearer.
After more wet than dry at Jerez teams will be hoping that the sun shines in Portugal over the next two days
Portimao came onto the calendar in 2008 and has been a favourite for the riders ever since, with its dramatic undulations, fast straights, sweeping bends and technical sectors. The factors combined make for the perfect testing circuit and with KRT absent, the ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati squad will be keen to get some running in.
Scott Redding and team-mate Chaz Davies had contrasting Jerez tests; Redding was quick and constantly in the top three, whilst Davies crashed twice within in the morning of day one. With dry running expected, the next two days will be critical for a valid insight into the 2020 season.
Scott Redding
Since their comeback to WorldSBK as a factory manufacturer in 2016, Yamaha haven’t enjoyed such a strong pre-season. The Pata Yamaha World SBK Team have been a constant threat to Kawasaki and Ducati and have packed out the leading positions across numerous tests.
Michael van der Mark and Toprak Razgatlioglu looked to be the riders to beat at Jerez at various points and will now get to bring their 2020 engine and 2020 Yamahas to Portimao, a track both riders took podiums at in 2019.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
In what has so far been a quiet pre-season, the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team will also be present at Portimao and look to really shine through with the sun expected. Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty have both enjoyed strong results at the track before and with plenty to test, both are anticipated more positives across Sunday and Monday. Having stated back at the Jerez test that focus needs to go on the engine, Eugene Laverty will be looking for more power in Portugal, whilst both he and Tom Sykes will continue working through their schedule regarding which chassis to use.
Tom Sykes
They topped day one at Jerez and had an equally positive second day, but the HRC Team will now take to the Portimao circuit and continue their 2020 pre-season testing programme. Whilst exactly what they are testing has been kept under wraps, the bike has already come out of the box in a competitive nature. Leon Haslam was a regular fixture inside the top three over the Jerez test, whilst Alvaro Bautista enjoyed top ten pace despite a small crash. Will Honda make steps forward in Portugal?
Leon Haslam was quickest on day one at Valencia
With no KRT squad, attention turns to the Independent riders; an impressive Jerez test for the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team gives them plenty to shout about going to Portugal. Federico Caricasulo won in WorldSSP at the track last season and despite suffering a tricky last day of testing at Jerez, he will be eager to get some dry running in warmer conditions under his belt. For Garrett Gerloff, the American will simply be looking to get good track running in dry conditions ahead of the first action at Phillip Island. Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha) will also be determined to continue his great start to 2020, making incremental steps with the 2020 Yamaha YZF R1.
Loris Baz
In terms of the Independent Kawasaki teams, there’s plenty to watch out for as Orelac Racing Verdnatura and Kawasaki Puccetti Racing take to the circuit. For the Valencian-based Orelac squad, Chilean rookie Maximilian Scheib will look to carry on bedding in to the WorldSBK paddock. He will be the first rider from Chile to start a full season of WorldSBK, with the adaptation to the ZX-10RR still ongoing.
For Puccetti, Xavi Fores will be on Kawasaki machinery for the first time in 2020, having not taking part in the Jerez test. It will be the first time he will have raced a four-cylinder WorldSBK machine in 9 years and will aim to get crucial dry weather running under his belt before Phillip Island.
There are four Independent Ducati teams taking to the Portimao circuit across the two days, starting with the Barni Racing Team heading into the test off the back of little track action at Jerez. The Italian squad are keen to shine in Portugal with Sandro Cortese heading out to ride for the team, whilst Leon Camier will be in attendance and if fit enough, out on the Ducati Panigale V4 R. For Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing), he will aim to continue acclimatising to his Ducati Panigale V4 R and achieve his bid of top ten success in 2020. On the fringes of the top ten at Jerez, the former STK1000 Champion is shooting high in the Algarve.
The other two Ducati teams include Team GoEleven and Brixx Performance. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GoEleven) suffered a crash at the Jerez test on day one, hindering his progress. At Portimao, the team will work together to try and understand Rinaldi’s riding style, so they can make changes accordingly.
Frenchman Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) is relishing the opportunity of being back on the world stage and with a good team behind him, Barrier is far from feeling the pressure. He will continue the shakedown of his Ducati Panigale V4 R in order to be in the mix for positive performances come the start of the season.
Four World Supersport teams will also be in action across the two days in order to improve their packages ahead of the 2020 WorldSSP season.
Starting with the Champions, the Bardhal Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team and their sole entrant for 2020 Andrea Locatelli will hope to be in action. The team were scheduled to ride at the Jerez test, but inclement weather meant they packed up earlier and headed to Almeria. Locatelli needs crucial miles and with the new regulations stipulating that slick tyres will be used for the first time in WorldSSP, there’s more than just new parts to try out. The former Moto3 podium finisher has been one of the biggest profiles to come into World Supersport and will look to give the Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team a second teams’ title in as many seasons.
One of the most successful teams in WorldSSP are PTR Honda, rebranded this season as Dynavolt Honda; Simon Buckmaster’s squad picking up new sponsorship for their 2020 World Supersport campaign. With 18 race wins to the team’s name, Hikari Okubo and Patrick Hobelsberger will be in action at Portimao and eager to get to grips with the CBR600RR. The team were consistent top ten runners in 2019 and will hope to move up and challenge for the top six as 2020 unfolds, especially given Okubo’s podium-threatening pace last year.
GMT94 Yamaha had an incredibly strong end to 2019, with Jules Cluzel winning at San Juan and securing a strong podium finish at Losail. Three wins for the 31-year-old three-time WorldSSP runner-up still wasn’t enough to give him the title in 2019 and he will be hoping that the turn of the decade brings luck his way. His teammate for a second season is the flamboyant Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha), who took his first pole in Argentina. He ended 2019 strongly and with the right amount of testing, he could be a real threat to the title.
The final team that will be testing from the WorldSSP field is the WRP Wepol Racing squad, a new addition to the grid this season. Featuring the only British rider in the field – Danny Webb – the team is managed by double World Superbike Champion, James Toseland. Toseland is back in the paddock at Portimao, a track he raced at only once in 2010. For rider Danny Webb, it is a big opportunity back on the world stage, with him clinching the International Road Racing Championship (IRRC) in 2018.
Team Australia leads USA after Saturday’s Island Classic action
Section: Competition
Hayes and Phillis split race wins on day one of racing.
Image: Russell Colvin.
Only three points separate Australia and Team America after day one of racing in the three-nation International Challenge at the Island Classic, with California’s multi-AMA champ Josh Hayes scoring victory in race one and Melbourne’s Alex Phillis winning race two.
Aboard his 1980 Suzuki 1260, 26-year-old Phillis was the player of the day, taking second in race one and winning race two to lead the Ken Wootton Memorial Trophy battle on 79 points – with Melbourne’s Jed Metcher (Yamaha) clocking 3-2 finishes to finish second overall on 77 points.
American gun Hayes just a point behind with his race one victory and a fifth place in race two aboard the Mojo Yamaha. Other solid performances came from America’s Larry Pegram (4-3), Michael Gilbert(7-6), Taylor Knapp (8-9) and Jordan Szoke (11-8) to bolster the US tally.
Team Australia also saw good point hauls for 2019 winner, Steve Martin (5-4) and Beau Beaton(9-11). 2018 winner and Australian hope, Adelaide’s David Johnson, struggled with brake problems to return a sixth in race one but retired to the pits in race two.
The UK team saw Brendan Wilson lead the British charge. He sits in 12th position overall with compatriot Roger Gunn, the second best performer, in 15th with the team amassing 213 points overall.
International Challenge action did not start so well when a lap one crash at Southern Loop saw UK riders Michael Neeves and Brendan Wilson and Australia’s Scott Webster, John Allen and Craig Ditchburn go down, with Ditchburn’s 1978 Yamaha on fire.
The race was red-flagged, and only Wilson managed to make the restart while the others retreated to the pits for hasty repairs to machinery in an effort to make race two.
At the restart it was Phillis who led the field with locals Metcher and Martin, but Hayes showed his class from the word go. Despite starting from position seven after engine issues in qualifying, he was sitting fifth by the end of lap one and bearing down on the front-runners.
By lap two he was in second and then it became a battle between the young Phillis and the experienced Hayes, with the Californian taking the lead on lap four to the flag to pip the Aussie at the post. Behind was Metcher in third, Pegram in fourth, Martin in fifth and Johnson in sixth.
In race two, Phillis took charge at the start, but the battle intensified mid-race with Metcher and Hayes both taking the lead before the American pulled a false neutral going into turn four and then ran off the track. Phillis took the race two flag in front of Metcher, with Martin third, Pegram fourth and Hayes fifth.
The International Challenge continues tomorrow with two six-lap races to determine the crown for best nation and individual competitors. Now in its 16th year, Australia has won the Challenge on 12 occasions and is the defending champion.
Chris Kalpage sets up for a track session
Riders on the Old Pac (Photo courtesy of Valley Images)
Riders on the Oxley Highway
Giovanni Castiglioni and Timur Sardarov
MV Agusta in joint agreement with Chinese
Claudio Castiglioni and F4 designer Massimo Tamburini
Giovanni Castiglioni in front of a photo of his father, Claudio
Timur Sardarov
