Victory for DPH Motorsports Husqvarna’s Todd Waters at the Gympie round of the 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals saw him regain the Thor MX1 red plate in Queensland.
After winning the first moto this morning, Waters followed Kirk Gibbs (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) across the line this afternoon to clinch the overall.
Waters led the initial portion of the race only for Gibbs to make his way by in the second half, going on to finish in that order, while Hayden Mellross (Raceline KTM Thor) was third and a fast-finishing Brett Metcalfe (Penrite Honda Racing) fourth – each finishing in formation across the line.
Superpole winner Jesse Dobson (Husqvarna) had a stronger ride in moto two for fifth, ahead of holeshotter Dylan Long (Empire Kawasaki) and former points-leader Luke Clout (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy), who was forced to climb back from a heavy fall in the opening corners.
The top 10 was rounded out by Jayden Rykers (Suzuki), Caleb Ward (Davey Motorsports KTM) and Richie Evans (Yamalube Yamaha Racing). Overall the podium featured Waters, Gibbs and Metcalfe, with Waters now taking charge of the championship lead.
Image: Foremost Media.
Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Jay Wilson delivered a timely win in Pirelli MX2 moto three, which handed him the overall to commence the second half of the season.
This afternoon Wilson was victorious over Serco Yamaha duo Nathan Crawford and Aaron Tanti, with Kyle Webster (Penrite CRF Honda Racing) fourth and red plate-holder Wilson Todd (DPH Motorsport Husqvarna) fifth following an early error.
Sixth came Dylan Wills (Davey Motorsports KTM) in another consistent effort, leading Bailey Malkiewicz (DPH Motorsport Husqvarna), Morgan Fogarty (Davey Motorsports KTM), impressive privateer Luke Reardon (KTM) and Ricky Latimer (Yamaha).
Overall it was Wilson who stood in the middle step of the rostrum, joined by Todd and Crawford to set up and intriguing second half of the series to be contested.
Image: Foremost Media.
Moto two of Motul MXD saw championship leader Regan Duffy (Raceline KTM Thor) turn the tables on this morning’s victor Maximus Purvis (WBR Yamaha).
Duffy managed to steal the round win in the process, as joining Duffy and Purvis on the podium for round six was Noah Ferguson (Davey Motorsports KTM).
Duffy put on a charge to beat Purvis home, while Mason Rowe (KTM) was third from Jayce Cosford (Yamaha) and Ferguson. Sixth through 10th were Brodie Ellis (Yamaha), Tye Jones (Husqvarna), Jai Walker (Husqvarna), Rhys Budd (Penrite CRF Honda Racing) and Liam Walsh (KTM).
The 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals will now move ahead to Maitland in New South Wales, where round seven will be hosted on Sunday, 14 July.
#RiminiWorldSBK🇮🇹 🏁 Misano 🗓 Sunday 23rd June 📋 SPRC
⌚ 11.00 (10.00 UK)
📺 Live Eurosport UK 2
🌤 24*C
🏍 10 laps Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
First professional win for Cooper in 250 Class as Lawrence lands top five.
Image: Supplied.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin was victorious at WW Ranch Motocross Park in Florida for round five of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.
Musquin went 1-3 to secure the overall ahead of points-leader Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki), with Zach Osborne (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) third.
In moto one Musquin was dominant to his first moto win since the 10th round at Unadilla last August, crossing the line 7.7 seconds ahead of Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC), with Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) right behind in third.
No doubt disappointed in his first moto effort, Tomac seized the moment to start moto two and took his first holeshot of the season. With a clear track ahead of him Tomac sprinted in the opening stages in an effort to build a margin that he could manage as the moto continued.
Anderson applied pressure on Osborne and made an impressive pass to take over second. Osborne attempted to fight back, but to no avail. Tomac needed just over a lap to storm out to nearly a five-second lead, which left everyone else to battle for the remaining spots on the podium.
Anderson gave chase from second, while Osborne was left to deal with Musquin for third. The rookie held off his training partner for a while, but the Frenchman utilised alternate lines to make the pass and move into third.
However, the big-picture battle in the championship changed after Roczen went down while running fifth. Roczen and Tomac entered the race tied atop the point standings, but Roczen began the second moto with the upper-hand. He remounted in seventh, but continued to lose positions and ultimately took 10th.
Tomac managed a perfect moto to take his fifth chequered flag of the season, 4.1 seconds ahead of Osborne, while Musquin held on for third and Australia’s Dean Ferris (Monster Energy Yamaha) went 10-7 for eighth overall. It’s Tomac who holds a six-point lead in the 450 Class standings over Roczen.
Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper emerged to take the first professional win of his career in the 250 Class, going 2-2 for the overall ahead of teammate Dylan Ferrandis and championship leader Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki).
Geico Honda’s Chase Sexton won the opening moto, however, he pulled off into the mechanics area and eventually retired from the race later in the afternoon, ending his hopes of a first career win. Australian teammate Hunter Lawrence took fifth overall via 3-5 scores.
Despite seeing his win streak come to an end, Cianciarulo still has a firm hold on the championship point lead, where he sits 18 points ahead of Cooper. Ferrandis is third, 35 points out of the lead.
The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will reach its halfway point next Saturday, 29 June, with the Southwick national in Massachusetts.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jonathan Rea was back in the winner’s circle in the restarted race one of the Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) at Misano, Italy.
With the rain continuing to fall by the bucket-load, it was a delayed start to WorldSBK race one. Once it got underway it was stopped two laps later, the red flag deployed as the rain intensified.
After the restart, drama unfolded all through the field, but it was Rea who eventually won ahead of Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing Ducati). Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and second of the Ducatis, Chaz Davies, filled the top five.
Pata Yamaha’s Alex Lowes crashed out of the lead in the mid-stages, which handed Rea the lead, and Michele Pirro (Barni Racing Team Ducati) crashed at the same corner while in second.
It was drama with nine laps to go, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Barni Racing Team Ducati) crashing at turn 13, completing a wretched day for the Barni outfit. Then at turn eight, more spills, this time with Leon Haslam going down. The British rider remounted, but retired with too much damage done.
Sixth was Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK), trailed by teammate Sandro Cortese, Yuki Takahashi (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team), Lorenzo Zanetti (Team Goeleven) and Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura). The championship gap is now down to 32 points as Rea continues to make gains on Bautista.
In World Supersport Superpole, championship leader Randy Krummenacher (Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) crashed, while a stunning late lap from Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) saw the former champion take pole.
Federico Caricasulo (Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) managed to get second ahead of his teammate Krummenacher, making for a spectacular race day.
In a rain-affected WorldSSP300 Superpole session, the grid for the main race on Sunday will see a staggered approach, with those riders in Group A starting from odd grid positions in first, third, fifth, etc, and even position starting slots for Group B riders, in a second, fourth, sixth etc format.
With this situation, Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) took pole position ahead of Andy Verdoia (BCD Yamaha MS Racing) and Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) in third. Of the Australians, Tom Bramich (Carl Cox-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) starts eighth and Tom Edwards (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) 37th.
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship made its anticipated return to the state of Florida for the first time in 22 years on Saturday, as WW Ranch Motocross Park made its debut as the newest venue to host an AMA Motocross round.
The US Assure Florida National presented the most challenging conditions of the season, as a difficult sand track and hot, humid temperatures combined to push riders to the limit.
At the end of a pair of grueling motos, KTM’s Marvin Musquin claimed his first overall victory of the season in the 450 Class, while Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper emerged to take the first professional win of his career in the 250 Class.
Musquin took home his first win of the 2019 season – Photo: Rich Shepherd
450 Moto One
The opening 450 Class moto saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb surge to his class-leading third Holeshot over Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen.
The spirited foes went at it over the course of the opening lap, with Roczen attempting several passes that were ultimately defended by Webb. Webb was able to keep the championship co-leader behind and complete the opening lap with the lead, but Roczen continued to attack and soon seized control of the moto.
As this captivating battle unfolded, fellow championship co-leader Eli Tomac was mired in 18th aboard his Monster Energy Kawasaki and had to make a series of tough passes in the opening laps just to break into the top 10.
Once in the lead, Roczen was able to assert himself at the front of the field while Webb began to lose ground to his teammate, Musquin. The Frenchman sensed the opportunity to pass Webb for second and wasted little time in taking advantage of the first opportunity he got to drop his teammate to third. From there, Musquin set his sights on Roczen.
Soon enough the former MXGP rivals were duking it out for the lead. Musquin searched for every possible line in his quest to find a way around Roczen, but the German consistently countered those moves.
Musquin narrowly avoided a big crash in his pursuit of Roczen in Moto 1, but recovered and went on to take the win – Photo: Jeff Kardas
Musquin’s relentless pressure on Roczen almost led to a crash from the Frenchman, but he saved it and never let up, eventually making the pass stick shortly after the halfway point of the moto. The clear track allowed Musquin to storm out to a comfortable lead over the field, while Roczen settled into second.
With about 10 minutes left in the moto the battle for third heated up between Webb and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jason Anderson. The race’s top qualifier appeared to be quicker than Webb, but he was unable to make the pass happen as Webb responded by picking up his pace. Anderson didn’t give up, however, and regrouped for a couple laps to prepare for one final push, quickly closing back in on Webb’s rear fender before making an impressive pass for the position. Anderson’s late surge pressed on, and with two laps to go he found himself mere bike lengths behind Roczen. However, the German stepped up in response to the pressure.
Musquin was dominant en route to his first moto win since the 10th round at Unadilla last August, crossing the line 7.7-seconds ahead of Roczen, with Anderson right behind in third.
Webb soldiered home in fourth, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rookie Zach Osborne was fifth. Tomac never made his presence felt in the moto, but battled through the field to finish seventh.
450 Moto Two
No doubt disappointed in his first moto effort, Tomac seized the moment to start Moto 2 and took his first Holeshot of the season ahead of Osborne. Anderson slotted in behind his teammate in third, while the KTM’s of Musquin and Webb, along with Roczen, gave pursuit.
With a clear track ahead of him Tomac sprinted in the opening stages in an effort to build a margin that he could manage as the moto continued. Anderson applied pressure on Osborne and made an impressive pass to take over second. Osborne attempted to fight back, but to no avail.
Marvin Musquin
Tomac needed just over a lap to storm out to nearly a five-second lead, which left everyone else to battle for the remaining spots on the podium. Anderson gave chase from second, while Osborne was left to deal with Musquin for third. The rookie held off his training partner for a while, but the Frenchman utilized alternate lines to make the pass and move into third.
The field stabilized through the middle portion of the moto, with multiple seconds between each rider in the top five. However, the big-picture battle in the championship changed after Roczen went down while running fifth.
Roczen and Tomac entered the race tied atop the point standings, but Roczen began the second moto with the upper hand. Roczen remounted in seventh, but continued to lose positions. As this unfolded, Anderson’s pace dropped dramatically and he dropped from second to fourth, moving Musquin up to second and Osborne up to third.
Musquin managed to get Tomac in his sights late in the moto, but the reigning series champion responded. As the moto wore on, Musquin’s pace dropped. He lost touch with Tomac and then lost considerable ground to Osborne in third. With just three laps to go, Osborne made the pass on Musquin to take over second.
Tomac managed a perfect moto to take his fifth checkered flag of the season, 4.1 seconds ahead of Osborne. Musquin held on for third.
Osborne earned his second overall podium result of the season – Photo: Rich Shepherd
Musquin’s 1-3 scores carried him to the eighth overall win of his career and ends a six-race winless streak. Despite his slow start to the afternoon, Tomac’s win in the final moto vaulted him to the runner-up spot in the overall classification (7-1), while Osborne’s late pass on Musquin landed him third (5-2).
Tomac leaves Florida with a six-point lead in the 450 Class standings over Roczen, who finished sixth (2-10). The win allowed Musquin to climb from fifth to third, 31 points out of the lead.
Marvin Musquin
“I tried [to catch Tomac]. I knew I had the overall, but winning both motos is the best,” said Musquin. “I just kind of ran out of energy there at the end. I’m a little disappointed. I didn’t see Zach coming [from third], but it’s still good. I salvaged third place [in the moto], and that was good enough to earn the overall.”
Marvin Musquin
Eli Tomac
“[The difference from Moto 1 to Moto 2] was the result of a bad start in the first one. Not sure what happened there. I got a much better Moto 2 start and had a better feel on the bike,” explained Tomac. “I’m happy to get through the heat today. The sand was a serious challenge and it changes things up for us, but overall it was a good day.”
Tomac bounced back from a tough Moto 1 to take an impressive Moto 2 win – Photo: Rich Shepherd
450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Marvin Musquin, KTM (1-3)
Eli Tomac, Kawasaki (7-1)
Zach Osborne, Husqvarna (5-2)
Jason Anderson, Husqvarna (3-4)
Cooper Webb, KTM (4-5)
Ken Roczen, Honda (2-10)
Justin Barcia, Yamaha (6-6)
Dean Ferris, Yamaha (10-7)
Fredrik Noren, Honda (9-8)
Blake Baggett, KTM (8-9)
450 Class Championship Standings
Eli Tomac, Kawasaki – 215
Ken Roczen, Honda – 209
Marvin Musquin, KTM – 184
Jason Anderson, Husqvarna – 182
Zach Osborne, Husqvarna – 182
Cooper Webb, KTM – 166
Justin Barcia, Yamaha – 129
Blake Baggett, KTM – 117
Dean Ferris, Yamaha – 114
Justin Bogle, KTM – 99
The first 250 Class moto of the afternoon got underway with KTM rookie Derek Drake capturing the first Holeshot of his career over the Yamaha Racing duo of Cooper and Ty Masterpool. Championship leader, Adam Cianciarulo, found himself buried deep in the top 10 aboard his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki.
Out front, Drake took full advantage of his first opportunity to lead a professional race and he established a multi-second lead over the field. Cooper and Masterpool settled into second and third, while Cianciarulo went to work from an eighth-place start.
Derek Drake and Justin Cooper
With the lead well in hand through the first five minutes of the moto, Drake gave it away when he crashed hard through one of the track’s section of rollers. That allowed Cooper to inherit the lead, while GEICO Honda’s Chase Sexton charged his way up to second and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Michael Mosiman into third.
A patient Cianciarulo rode just outside the top five for several laps behind Monster Energy Yamaha’s Mitchell Oldenburg, but he eventually found his way around to move into the top five.
A determined Sexton was able to close to within a second of Cooper and began searching for different lines in an effort to mount a challenge on the top spot. Cooper did well to keep Sexton at bay, and the lead hovered around a second throughout the middle portion of the race. Sexton’s patience eventually paid off and with just under 10 minutes left in the moto, when he made the pass on Cooper and quickly put some distance between them. It wasn’t long before Sexton enjoyed a multi-second advantage on the field and the Honda man rode strong through the remainder of the moto and prevailed with his first career moto win.
Cooper followed in the runner-up spot, 8.2 seconds back, with Mosiman rounding out the top three. Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha’s Dylan Ferrandis put in a strong come-from-behind effort to pass Cianciarulo late for fourth, while the winner of the first four rounds of the season settled for fifth.
250 Moto Two
The start of the second 250 Class moto saw a slew of Monster Energy Yamahas storm to the front, with Oldenburg emerging with the Holeshot. However, his time in the lead was short lived as both Cooper and Ferrandis charged into the top two spots. Mosiman soon slotted into third, with Cianciarulo in fourth.
In the early stages of the moto Sexton pulled off into the mechanics area and eventually retired from the race, ending his hopes of a first career overall win.
Cooper and Ferrandis ran a stellar pace out front, which allowed them to pull away from Cianciarulo, who made the pass on Mosiman to take over third. Ferrandis kept his team-mate honest and stayed close, but Cooper maintained his hold on the top spot and started to inch away as the moto wore on. Together, they opened up a double-digit advantage over Cianciarulo.
Ferrandis made it a 1-2 effort for the Star Yamaha squad – Photo: Rich Shephard
Cooper appeared to have the moto win in hand, but Ferrandis stored his energy for a late push and with less than 10 minutes left in the moto the Frenchman pulled the trigger. He closed in on Cooper and made the pass with ease with just over seven minutes to go. From there, Ferrandis carried on to his first moto win of the season, crossing the line 9.3 seconds ahead of his teammate, while Cianciarulo finished in a distant third.
Cooper’s consistent 2-2 results were enough to give him the first professional win of his career, edging out Ferrandis (4-1) by a single point.
Despite seeing his win streak come to an end with a 5-3 result, Cianciarulo still has a firm hold on the championship point lead, where he sits 18-points ahead of Cooper. Ferrandis is third, 35-points out of the lead.
Justin Cooper
“The bike was good today. We did some testing to get it right going into this weekend. It was tough to set up the bikes for everyone, but I was pretty comfortable all day. Today was physically and mentally exhausting. It took a lot of heart to get this first win, and it makes it feel that much better. The track was really rough and the heat made it that much more tough, so I am stoked on the day. First in qualifying, and I backed it up with my first win. I’m super-happy.”
Cooper prevailed for the first professional victory of his career – Photo: Rich Shepherd
Dylan Ferrandis
“In the first moto, I was struggling a bit with the start. I haven’t been so far back, in 15th the first lap, so I had to push really hard in both motos. We have been working really hard on improving our starts. We have tried everything with the team, with my setup, talking with my coach and my wife. We tried everything. So I don’t know; it’s something in my mind. In the second moto, I just figured out how to get a good start and had a great battle with my teammate Cooper. To get my first moto win this season… I want to say finally, because it took so long. I was starting to get impatient because I want to fight for the championship and if you don’t win a moto and a race, you can’t. So I’m happy with the start, the race. I just want to send a big thanks to my coach because we work really hard together physically and today that paid off because I think that was one of the most difficult races I ever rode. I’m very happy.”
Adam Cianciarulo
“I don’t want to take anything away from these guys. They were ripping all day and were just better than me,” explained Cianciarulo. “I just didn’t feel great today. I didn’t really gel with the track, and my body didn’t really feel great. I’m fortunate to have the start like I had with all those wins, and I’m happy to leave here with a podium when I wasn’t at my best.”
Championship leader Cianciarulo had to dig deep in each moto to land on the overall podium – Photo: Jeff Kardas
250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Justin Cooper, Yamaha (2-2)
Dylan Ferrandis, Yamaha (4-1)
Adam Cianciarulo, Kawasaki (5-3)
Michael Mosiman, Husqvarna (3-5)
Hunter Lawrence, Honda (8-4)
Alex Martin, Suzuki (7-6)
Colt Nichols, Yamaha (9-7)
RJ Hampshire, Honda (6-11)
Jacob Hayes, Yamaha (13-8)
Jordan Bailey, Husqvarna (10-12)
250 Class Championship Standings
Adam Cianciarulo, Kawasaki – 222
Justin Cooper, Yamaha – 204
Dylan Ferrandis, Yamaha – 187
Chase Sexton, Honda – 159
Colt Nichols, Yamaha – 152
Michael Mosiman, Husqvarna – 148
Hunter Lawrence, Honda – 142
RJ Hampshire, Honda – 129
Alex Martin, Suzuki – 116
Shane McElrath, KTM – 79
Up Next
The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will reach its halfway point next Saturday, June 29, with the MB Tractor & Equipment Southwick National from New England’s legendary The Wick 338.
DPH Motorsport Husqvarna’s Todd Waters has made a triumphant homecoming in Thor MX1 moto one at round six of the 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals in Gympie, Queensland.
Waters withstood a mid-moto charge of Brett Metcalfe (Penrite Honda Racing) to capture the race victory, the pair comfortably ahead of the chasing pack.
It was Kirk Gibbs (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) who took the hole-shot, however, Waters soon sliced his way through to the front and that is where he would remain. Metcalfe was the only rider to match him, but wasn’t quite able to make an attack for the lead in the second half.
As for Gibbs, he managed to make a late move on teammate and red plate-holder Luke Clout for third, the latter finishing ahead of Hayden Mellross (Raceline KTM Thor), who clawed his way through the field for position in an inspired ride.
Super Pole winner Jesse Dobson (Husqvarna) was sixth, followed by the returning Caleb Ward (Davey Motorsports KTM), Jayden Rykers (Suzuki), Richie Evans (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) and Connor Tierney (Yamaha), who is also back behind the gates.
Image: Foremost Media.
In the Pirelli MX2 Sprint motos it was Wilson Todd (DPH Motorsport Husqvarna) who won both, securing him maximum points.
He led Kyle Webster (Penrite CRF Honda Racing) and Aaron Tanti (Serco Yamaha), who was ahead of teammate Nathan Crawford and Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Jay Wilson.
Sixth through 10th places were filled by Dylan Wills (Davey Motorsports KTM), Bailey Malkiewicz (DPH Motorsport Husqvarna), Isaac Ferguson (KTM), Cooper Pozniak (KTM) and Joel Evans (Husqvarna). Todd topped moto one from Tanti and Webster, while Webster and Crawford were P2 and P3 in moto two.
Image: Foremost Media.
The opening Motul MXD encounter was won by WBR Yamaha’s Maximus Purvis, six seconds clear of points-leader Regan Duffy (Raceline KTM Thor) after a late charge.
Early leaders Noah Ferguson (Davey Motorsports KTM) and Mason Semmens (Davey Motorsports KTM) third and fourth respectively, each delivering strong performances among the front-end of the field.
Fifth position belonged to Jai Walker (Husqvarna), followed by Jayce Cosford (Yamaha), Liam Walsh (KTM), Mason Rowe (KTM), Tye Jones (Husqvarna) and Mackenzie O’Bree (Yamaha).
After a 20-minute delay, racing got underway in treacherous conditions at Misano overnight but after just two full laps, the red flag was brought back out as the rain intensified. Alex Lowes was the race leader ahead of Jonathan Rea, whilst Tom Sykes and Alvaro Bautista were right behind. After the red flag came out, positions for the new re-start would be made up by the order of the riders at their most recent timing point.
2019 WSBK – Round Seven – Misano – Race One
On the second start over a reduced 18-lap distance, it was another great start for Jonathan Rea ahead of Lowes, with Sykes third and Chaz Davies up to fourth, ahead of Bautista as thunder and lightning lit up the Misano sky.
2019 WSBK – Round Seven – Misano – Race One
Conditions began to deteriorate and riders began to slow accordingly, with some eventually dropping out.
Alex Lowes and Sandro Cortese sandwich Tom Sykes
With ten laps left to run Alex Lowes crashed out, his lead being handed to Jonathan Rea as the Pata Yamaha man could only watch on, distraught. Michele Pirro then crashed at the same corner.
2019 WSBK – Round Seven – Misano – Race One – Tom Sykes
Tom Sykes was now second, and Leon Haslam was third, with Davies and Bautista behind.
On the following lap Rinaldi went down at turn 13, then it was Haslam that slid off at turn 8.
Haslam chasing Davies
Chaz Davies then made a small error which allowed Bautista through to third place.
The battle for sixth was raging, as Delbianco came under pressure from Melandri, with the veteran Italian getting ahead of his rookie compatriot on the front straight. Delbianco was then swallowed up at Turn 8, as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing), Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) and Yuki Takahashi (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team) moved ahead.
Jonathan Rea took his 74th win, 10 years and one day after his first victory came at the same track.
Jonathan Rea – P1
“I had done next to zero laps in the wet this season, even in winter testing. The first time we came across the wet was in morning warm-up at Imola. The gamble to stay inside the box in the wet morning warm up today still paid off, but we did not expect the rain clouds to come for the race. I was very nervous as we did not really have a wet set-up. So we just tried to maximise our potential, ride my own race and our bike works well in these conditions. It is a very stable bike but the track was changing lap-to-lap. Sometimes we had a lot of surface water, sometimes zero surface water. You need much more concentration in a wet race, because the bike is moving much more underneath you and you have to be very precise, especially with the white lines and the kerbs. When Alex came past I was not prepared to take that risk to go that fast. When I was leading the race I tried to manage my rhythm and the gap to behind. Arturo my mechanic was super-good with my pit-board so I could enjoy the last lap.”
2019 WSBK – Round Seven – Misano – Race One – Jonathan Rea wins
Tom Sykes gave BMW their first podium since 2013 at Jerez and Alvaro Bautista salvaged a podium after an eventful first wet race.
Tom Sykes (GBR) – P2
“To say that I am very happy would be a slight understatement. I am very, very happy and it’s just credit to all the guys in the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. We’ve been working really hard and finally we’ve got the result which I feel we deserve. We’ve been pushing forward and it’s absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed riding in the wet conditions. The BMW S 1000 RR gave me some great feedback today and what a better place to do that than here at Misano in front of some amazing fans. So we will try and keep that momentum together and try to get the results tomorrow. Thanks to all!”
2019 WSBK – Round Seven – Misano – Race One – Tom Sykes took second place
Álvaro Bautista – P3
“Today there were many things new for me, first of all these difficult conditions. As well as doing my first Superbike race in the wet, with the delay in the start and the red flag two times, it was difficult to keep concentration. I made a cautious start to try and understand the conditions of the track; in some parts it was raining too hard while in others the situation was a bit better and when I understood that I could get my feeling and pace. Lap by lap I felt more feedback and went more to the limit so I’m happy for the feeling with this race. It was important to get points and to do it with a podium was a good result.”
Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha) took fourth place and was top Yamaha, ahead of Chaz Davies in fifth.
Loris Baz – P4
“Four weeks ago, the team were still building the bike and everyone else had done 14 races, while we had completed not even one lap, so it feels good to finish fourth here today. I’m really happy with the result but also with the progress we’ve made with understanding the bike in the dry. I was angry with myself for crashing in Superpole this morning, but the race was cool. When Haslam crashed I pushed really hard to catch Bautista for the final podium place but, as the track started to dry, he was able to increase his pace and it wasn’t possible to close him down. I’m really happy with the result and big thanks to all the guys in the team for their hard work.”
“It was the first wet race with the Panigale V4 R so overall it wasn’t such a bad performance. I had a problem in the middle of the race with the electronic shifter, then it cleared itself and was fine again, it was probably water-related. That upset my rhythm a bit because I was more or less in with the fight for the podium. I lost a bit of time trying to manually backshift, but to a limited effect. In the last four laps I got back into the rhythm again but the gap to the others was a bit too much. I was quite happy with the feeling with the bike in those conditions, it’s just a shame we didn’t really get to fight with the right package for the whole race distance.”
Marco Melandri held on to sixth place from 13th on the grid as Toprak Razgatlioglu suffered a huge crash in the final sector of the last lap. Cortese picked up seventh ahead of Yuki Takahashi, Lorenzo Zanetti (Team Goeleven) and Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) – the Argentine picking up his first top ten in almost a year. Delbianco was a career-best 11th at the flag.
Marco Melandri – P6
“It was a very, very difficult day, both in the dry and the wet. I never had the feeling with the bike that I was looking for, especially on maximum lean angle. During the race I made a mistake at the beginning when I tried to brake later to stay with the group, but the pace was simply not there today. Difficult conditions, a difficult race and a difficult situation. Tomorrow we will start the sprint race from the back because of the Jerez penalty, so I have nothing to lose. Top nine is the target, but I suspect it’s not going to be easy.”
2019 WSBK – Round Seven – Misano – Race One – Marco Melandri
Sandro Cortese – P7
“It was a very tough race, as the conditions were very difficult but. It was a completely new situation for us, as we’ve never raced this bike in the rain, so it was a pretty steep learning curve for both me and the team. This meant we weren’t in a position to fight for the top positions, but the goal was to finish the race with as many points as possible, and this is what we did. Of course, I’m not completely happy with seventh after qualifying second on the grid, but I think we have a good day ahead of us tomorrow, with two races in which we can build on what was, overall, a fairly positive start today.”
2019 WSBK – Round Seven – Misano – Race One
The championship gap is now down to 32 points as Jonathan Rea continues to make gains on Bautista. Tom Sykes, Chaz Davies and Marco Melandri were beneficiaries of Haslam’s crash, as they all close him down – Sykes moving up to eighth overall.
Seven motorcyclists are dead and three more injured after a Dodge pick-up truck mowed down a pack of riders in New Hampshire, US, yesterday.
Associated Press reports the crash took place just metres from where the riders staying.
Police say the riders were from the Marine JarHeads Motorcycle Club that includes ex-United States Marines and their spouses.
“There was debris everywhere,” Miranda Thompson, 21, told the Associated Press.
“People were in the grass. There were people putting tourniquets on people, trying to make sure they didn’t move. You could tell people were lost who it happened too … It was a sad day for all of them.”
The cause of the crash is not yet known, nor is the condition of the driver whose pick-up burst into flame after impact.
All images Associated Press
Police have apparently identified the driver, but not released their name yet. His pick-up was apparently towing a long flat-bed trailer. It is not known if it was a support vehicle for the riders.
Image: AP
Our condolences to the riders’ families and friends.
I had done next to zero laps in the wet this season, even in winter testing. The first time we came across the wet was in morning warm-up at Imola. The gamble to stay inside the box in the wet morning warm up today still paid off, but we did not expect the rain clouds to come for the race. I was very nervous as we did not really have a wet set-up. So we just tried to maximise our potential, ride my own race and our bike works well in these conditions. It is a very stable bike but the track was changing lap-to-lap. Sometimes we had a lot of surface water, sometimes zero surface water. You need much more concentration in a wet race, because the bike is moving much more underneath you and you have to be very precise, especially with the white lines and the kerbs. When Alex came past I was not prepared to take that risk to go that fast. When I was leading the race I tried to manage my rhythm and the gap to behind. Arturo my mechanic was super-good with my pit-board so I could enjoy the last lap.” http://jonathan-rea.com/news/race-and-superpole-wins-rea
Four-time Superbike World Champion Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR dominated the proceedings at Misano on Saturday, taki Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
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