Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) and Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) took one race victory apiece
On a sunny race day at Miller Motorsports Park the sixth round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship delivered some great action and two different race winners to the 49,000 strong weekend crowd. In a landmark day for the series, race one saw World Superbike reach its 600th individual race mark.
Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) and Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) took one race victory apiece, but the weekend winner was the rider who finished third each time today, Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing). With his haul of 32 points Biaggi now leads the series by 18, from Melandri and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team). Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) was the other podium finisher today, second in race two, and after scoring fourth in race one he is fourth overall and only 1.5 points from Melandri and Sykes.
It was a truly up and down day for Checa, as he fell in race two. His fourth no-score of the season, coming along so shortly after his fourth race win, puts him fifth overall.
Race 1
Checa pulled a controlled win out of the bag, eventually heading home Melandri by 2.313 seconds. Third was Biaggi who had to work hard in the final laps to hold off Rea. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing) finished fifth, with pole man Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati) sixth. Slowing front row starter Tom Sykes was finally caught by Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Aprilia) with Davies seventh and Sykes eighth.
Carlos Checa: “I had a great time and I always enjoy coming to America, spending time around here, and I always feel really well at this track. It is a fantastic moment for me to win again, get on the podium, to take a victory, so some great feelings come back. It is a really special day for all the Americans here as it is Memorial Day so I want to dedicate this victory to you.”
Marco Melandri: “I was struggling a lot last year so to get such a good race was amazing for me. I tried to make life not easy for Carlos but when I came back in the end, I tried to come back to him a few times but I made a mistake. So, for the last lap I chose not to try too much because it was easy to make another mistake. Second place was good for me after such a tough qualifying.”
Max Biaggi: “It is good to be on the podium and I appreciate the third position. I had a long fight with Rea and his Honda and we got good points for the championship. In the end I could not go faster than that. On the first lap with so many riders there was a battle and I am happy now because we had a good race and finally we got some California-style weather.”
Results: 1. Checa (Ducati) 21 Laps/103.047 km in 38’21.283 average 161.201 kph; 2. Melandri (BMW) 2.313; 3. Biaggi (Aprilia) 5.338; 4. Rea (Honda) 5.517; 5. Laverty (Aprilia) 12.201; 6. Smrz (Ducati) 13.262; 7. Davies (Aprilia) 19.662; 8. Sykes (Kawasaki) 21.292; 9. Fabrizio (BMW) 21.450; 10. Haslam (BMW) 23.433; 11. Giugliano (Ducati) 23.696; 12. Guintoli (Ducati) 24.752; 13. Camier (Suzuki) 29.400; 14. Badovini (BMW) 31.222; 15. Baz (Kawasaki) 32.966; 16. Berger (Ducati) 35.409; etc.
Race 2
Melandri and Rea went 1-2 in the second race at Miller, which was halted, shortened to 18 laps, and then re-started late after an oil spill following a crash. The wait was worth it for the spectators as the last lap fight was tense and exciting right up until Melandri took his second win of 2012, by only 0.195 seconds. Biaggi was third and Davies fourth, easily the SBK rookie’s best result of the year. Fifth was Sykes, sixth came Laverty, with Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) seventh. Early leader Carlos Checa was unlucky to fall and no score.
Marco Melandri: “It was such a difficult race for me, I was lucky for sure when Carlos made a mistake. I was struggling a little bit with a full fuel tank but after 50% of the race it was getting better. When Johnny passed me he was much faster than me, and I lost a bit of concentration, so Max passed me and then Chaz Davies did as well. So I tried to stay calm, take my rhythm and try to get a good feeling to catch Johnny. I was very lucky because my engine was so strong so I could pass him on the straight. Otherwise for me it would have been really difficult to pass him. So a podium in race one and a win in race two is really unbelievable.”
Jonathan Rea: “Marco made some mistakes in the middle of the race and then I was making some mistakes at the end of the race. He was really strong but I am just so happy to come out of Miller with a fourth and a second. It is so nice to be here on the podium in America. I grew up watching AMA motocross and it was my dream to come to America and race. My team did a fantastic job. We have been lacking a little bit in a straight line but it is unbelievable everywhere else and I could really push to the maximum.”
Max Biaggi: “To come all the way to Utah and finish on the podium twice is not so bad, but my dream was to win a race. But there were some other guys who did a better job than me so third position is not so bad. I am not super happy, but not so bad.”
Results: 1. Melandri (BMW) 18 Laps/88.326 km in 32’56.257 average 160.897 kph; 2. Rea (Honda) 0.195; 3. Biaggi (Aprilia) 2.137; 4. Davies (Aprilia) 4.245; 5. Sykes (Kawasaki) 9.534; 6. Laverty (Aprilia) 9.798; 7. Giugliano (Ducati) 11.891; 8. Haslam (BMW) 12.715; 9. Smrz (Ducati) 13.017; 10. Guintoli (Ducati) 13.703; 11. Camier (Suzuki) 15.687; 12. Fabrizio (BMW) 21.923; 13. Badovini (BMW) 23.940; 14. Baz (Kawasaki) 24.051; 15. Berger (Ducati) 33.897; 16. Hopkins (Suzuki) 38.692; etc.
Points (after 6 of 14 rounds): 1. Biaggi 160.5; 2. Melandri 142.5; 3. Sykes 142.5; 4. Rea 141; 5. Checa 130.5; 6. Haslam 103; 7. Guintoli 95; 8. Laverty 86; 9. Giugliano 64; 10. Smrz 61.5; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 195.5; 2. BMW 176; 3. Aprilia 171; 4. Kawasaki 148.5; 5. Honda 145; 6. Suzuki 48.5.
Official Tyre Supplier
“The two overseas World Superbike races held at Miller Motorsports Park offered Pirelli important feedback for its work over the last few months with the new R302 rear tyre, developed from the reference SC1 compound as an alternative for use also under lower temperatures and to prevent cold tearing often encountered with the use of soft compounds in harsh conditions. The R302 solution was first used by SBK riders at the Imola test, followed by a successful first-race showing at Donington Park in mid-May receiving great appreciation from nearly all riders. For this reason Pirelli made available this tyre for the USA round which proved positive: in both R1 and R2 the R302 solution was preferred to the SC1 and SC2 reference tyres by 20 of 24 SBK riders on the grid, and as a demonstration of its excellent adaptability to the various motorcycle makes, in the first 5 positions for both races were seated four different teams. We leave the USA very satisfied with how this weekend unfolded both for how this new tyre performed as well as how it positively contributed to the two very equal and winning races.” – Giorgio Barbier, Racing Director, Pirelli Moto
Pirelli BEST LAP Awards:
SBK Race 1 – Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1’48.867 (Lap 18)
SBK Race 2 – Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) 1’48.820 (Lap 2)
Total BEST LAP (SBK): Checa C. (Althea Racing) 4, Biaggi M. (Aprilia Racing Team) 3, Sykes T. (Kawasaki Racing Team) 2, Guintoli S. (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) 1, Melandri M. (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1
source: infrontsports.com
Checa, Melandri Win at Miller Motorsports Park
Hayes, O’Hara claim AMA victories; ‘Quest for 200’ continues
What was shaping up to be a third weekend sweep at Miller Motorsports Park for reigning Superbike World Champion Carlos Checa of Spain wound up only 50-percent satisfactory for the popular Spanish rider known affectionately as “King Carlos.”
After winning the first of two races for the FIM Superbike World Championship, the featured events of the BigM Weekend presented by Lucas Oil, Checa crashed while leading the second race, handing the lead and eventual victory to BMW’s Marco Melandri, who scored the German marque’s second series win in as many race weekends.
Checa, riding the No. 7 Althea Ducati 1098R, was dominant in the first 21-lap race, posting a 1.346sec margin of victory over the No. 33 BMW S1000 RR of Italy’s Marco Melandri. Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes got a great start and took the early lead, but Melandri got by to take the lead on Lap 5 and led three laps before being overhauled by Checa, who never looked back. Melandri, who won BMW’s first-ever World Superbike race at England’s Donington Park two weeks ago, powered through to second place, 2.313sec behind Checa. Max Biaggi, aboard the No. 3 Aprilia RSV4 Factory, claimed third place, crossing the finish line just over three seconds behind Melandri. Jonathan Rea (No. 65 Honda CBR 1000RR) and Biaggi’s teammate Eugene Laverty (No. 58 Aprilia) were fourth and fifth, respectively. Polesitter Jakub Smrz, Chaz Davies, Sykes, Michele Fabrizio and Melandri’s teammate Leon Haslam filled out the top 10.
“I had a great time and I always enjoy coming to America, spending time around here, and I always feel really well at this track,” Checa said in the post-race press conference. “It is a fantastic moment for me to win again, get on the podium, to take a victory, so some great feelings come back. It is a really special day for all the Americans here as it is Memorial Day, so I want to dedicate this victory to you.”
The second race started much the same as the first, with Sykes jumping out to an early lead. Checa blasted past after two laps and looked to be checking out again, but a crash and subsequent oil spill by Honda’s Hiroshi Aoyama on the fourth lap brought out the red flag. It took approximately 90 minutes to get the track cleaned and a complete restart was staged with 18 laps remaining to run. Checa again took the lead and held the point for five more laps, but a Lap-6 crash at Turn 5 put an end to his hopes for a third MMP sweep (he won both World Superbike races here in 2008 and 2011). With Checa’s exit, Melandri was elevated to the race lead. A titanic battle with Rea ensued, with Melandri leading Laps 6-10 before Rea got past to lead Laps 11-17. Melandri made a bold, last-lap pass to secure BMW’s second World Superbike win, edging a charging Rea by 0.195sec.
Biaggi claimed the final podium spot, almost two full seconds behind Rea, with Davies and Sykes filling out the top five. Laverty, Checa’s teammate Davide Giugliano, Haslam, Smrz and his teammate Sylvain Guintoli completed the top 10.
“It was such a difficult race for me,” Melandri said afterwards. “I was lucky for sure when Carlos made a mistake. I was struggling a little bit with a full fuel tank, but after 50 percent of the race it was getting better. When Johnny passed me he was much faster than me, and I lost a bit of concentration, so Max passed me and then Chaz Davies did as well. So I tried to stay calm, take my rhythm and try to get a good feeling to catch Johnny. I was very lucky because my engine was so strong, so I could pass him on the straight. Otherwise, for me it would have been really difficult to pass him. So a podium in race one and a win in race two is really unbelievable.”
Two-time and defending series champion Josh Hayes regained the championship points lead in today’s AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship race, putting in a decisive and dominant race on No.1 Monster Energy Graves Yahama R1. Hayes checked out from pole position and never looked back, taking the checkered flag 7.774sec ahead of teammate Josh Herrin (No. 2) to give Yamaha a 1-2 victory. Herrin emerged atop a vicious back-and-forth, last-lap battle with Blake Young’s No. 79 Yoshimura Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 to claim the runner-up spot, with Young settling for third. Completing the top five were Team Hero’s Geoff May (No. 99 EBR 1190RS) and Ben Bostrom (No. 23 Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000). Danny Eslick, Larry Pegram, Chris Clark, David Anthony and Chris Fillmore rounded out the top 10.
“What an awesome day,” Hayes said after the race. “The bike was good; things have been pretty smooth for the weekend. We didn’t really make too many changes, and we just worked on getting good, clean laps. All in all, it was a pretty smooth run.
“We couldn’t have asked for much more today. It was a beautiful day for racing. It was a perfect Memorial Day. Having the National Guard as the primary sponsor of our series, it was fantastic that on Memorial Day we would be able to put on a good show for them,” he continued. “Thanks to all the servicemen and women out there who support us, and hopefully they were entertained by the show under the umbrella they provide for us.”
In the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series race, Tyler O’Hara became the first series rider to score a second win this season with a convincing triumph on his No. 29 Bartel’s Harley-Davidson XR1200. Kyle Wyman finished second, 4.261sec behind, on his No. 33 KLR Group/Vesrah entry, with O’Hara’s teammate Michael Barnes claiming the final step on the podium on his No. 34 machine.
“Ever since we unloaded the bike off the truck, it’s been awesome,” O’Hara said. “I rode here a few years ago on the Supermoto track, and wanted to be out here. I’m just really comfortable on this track; it’s fast and flowing. I ran really hard tires and was comfortable out there sliding around. I put in a good charge at the beginning, and just maintained the lead.”
“Quest for 200” Update: Unfortunately, no World Superbike rider was able to surpass 200 mph on Miller Motorsports Park’s 3,500-foot front straightaway for the first time, which would have made Miller Motorsports Park the fastest natural-terrain road racing circuit in America. However, it was very close: in today’s first World Superbike race, Melandri, Biaggi and Laverty each recorded a top speed of 198.35. As a result, the prizes in the “Quest for 200” contest went unclaimed until another day.
Attendance for the weekend was estimated at 49,000 by Infront Motor Sports, the Italian-based company that owns and operates the FIM Superbike World Championship.
The next major event at Miller Motorsports Park will be the third annual appearance of the Lucas Oil Offroad Racing Series, which will take to MMP’s Off Road Short Course over the weekend of June 23-24.
To obtain tickets for or information about Miller Motorsports Park, visit the track’s website at www.MillerMotorsportsPark.com or call 435-277-RACE (7223).
source: MillerMotorsportsPark.com