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Pirelli Remains as Sole WSBK Tire Supplier Through 2015

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Pirelli will remain the sole-tire supplier for the World Superbike series through 2015, a continuation of the relationship begun between the Italian tire company and Infront Motor Sports in 2004. Along with supplying the Superbike class, Pirelli will continue to supply World Supersport, the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, and the UEM Superstock 600 European Championship through the end of the 2015 season as well.

“We are delighted to be able to renew the contract with Pirelli until the completion of the 2015 season. Eight years of working together have provided results that go way beyond our highest expectations. Once again we can count on a tyre supplier, whose commitment to the product, service and development is second to none,” said Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports.

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WSBK: Melandri Re-Signs with Yamaha for 2012

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Marco Melandri has renewed his contract with the Yamaha World Superbike team for 2012, resulting in an unchanged line-up for the factory team next season. Teammate Eugene Laverty had signed a two-year contract with the Japanese team after moving up from nearly winning the World Supersport championship in 2010. The Italian, the 2002 250 GP world champion, has fared well in his rookie WSBK season and won three races to this point.

“Next year I’ll still be here in Superbike,” said Melandri. He continued, “After changing four bikes and four teams in the last four years I am very happy to be able to build something that will last rather than having to start over again every time.” He must also be happy with his results on circuits both familiar and new, having won pole once and been on the podium nine times in so far, including recent duels at Motorland Aragon and Brno with Max Biaggi.

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WSBK: Kawasaki Taking Bids for New Factory-Backed Team

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Multiple teams have placed bids to become the 2012 factory Kawasaki racing team in World Superbike, including current factory team Paul Bird Motorsports. The five other teams include satellite Team Pedericini, the current Alstare Suzuki squad (who are less than thrilled with Suzuki’s lack of support), and the Supersonic Ducati team completing the current WSBK teams vying for factory backing. Also interested are British Superbike team MSS Colchester and factory World Supersport’s Motocard.com team.

For PBM, the process of retaining factory support is more difficult after team trucks and personnel were detained with drugs and weaponry when returning to Britian after the Assen round. Though the team said afterwards, “The team are confident that no team member has any connection whatsoever with the items discovered. No one has been detained after the time of the search and all team members are able to undertake their normal duties,” such an event certainly raised eyebrows, and likely soured with an embarrassed Kawasaki.

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WSBK: Race 2 a Chess Match in the Czech Republic

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Max Biaggi won pole for the 2011 World Superbike round at Brno during Saturday’s Superpole sessions, beating out Marco Melandri, Carlos Checa, and Eugene Laverty, who join him on the front row for the second race of the weekend. Biaggi’s teammate Leon Camier was not so quick, though he did manage to move on to Superpole 3 after a late crash in the first third nearly kept him from setting any time at all. Neither Castrol Honda moved on beyond the final Saturday qualifying practice, nor did most of the Kawasaki riders fare terribly well.

Multiple riders sat out this weekend’s racing, with Lorenzo Lanzi replacing James Toseland at BMW Motorrad Italia, Alex Lowes in for Jonathan Rea at Castrol Honda, and no one filling in for Troy Corser at BMW Motorrad. Toseland rode in the Friday free practice, but was forced to give up his seat after his wrist injury continued to cause problems. Ruben Xaus was also forced to sit out Race 2 after a massive crash in Race 1 on Sunday. Though he did not have any broken bones, he did not race. Chris Vermeulen also did not start the second race.

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WSBK: Close Fighting for Race 1 at Brno

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Max Biaggi started the first World Superbike race of the Brno round on pole after no one could touch him in the final Superpole session on Saturday. He was joined by Marco Melandri, Carlos Checa, and Eugene Laverty on the front row. Though Biaggi led at the end, Jakub Smrz, Checa, and Laverty all took a turn at leading a session in the Czech Republic. Much further back, neither Castrol Honda rider managed to move on to the Superpole sessions and will start on the fifth and sixth rows. Checa led the morning warm-up on Sunday, with Smrz, Sylvain Guintoli, Biaggi, and Michel Fabrizio the fastest five.

Though James Toseland did ride for Friday morning’s free practice, he was forced to sit out the rest of the race weekend, hoping to heal for the next round at Silverstone. He was replaced by Lorenzo Lanzi at BMW Motorrad Italia. Also sitting out the weekend is injured factory BMW rider Tory Corser and Jonathan Rea at Castrol Honda. Though Corser has not been replaced at this round, Rea’s recovery might be long-term, leading to his replacement by Alex Lowes.

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WSBK: Dry & Sunny Brno Brings Dominance to Superpole

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Max Biaggi (1:58.580) ended the Superpole qualifying sessions for the 2011 World Superbike round at Brno essentially untouchable. Though he continued to lap at the end of the final session, his closest rivals either remained in the garage or were unable to find the speed to catch him on the track. He will be joined by Marco Melandri, Carlos Checa, and Eugene Laverty on the front row for Sunday’s races. Despite a crash late in S1, Biaggi’s teammate Leon Camier managed to get back out and move forward, qualifying on the second row.

Smrz was the first fastest rider in Friday morning’s free practice session at the Czech rider’s home circuit, barely beating Biaggi’s best time as the session ended. The Italian was second fastest, with Melandri, Fabrizio, and Smrz’s teammate Guintoli (set to replace the injured Loris Capirossi in MotoGP for at least one race this season) the fastest five. In the first qualifying session, it was Checa’s turn to be the fastest Ducati again, though Smrz was just a couple of tenths slower for a provisional front row start. Melandri, Laverty, and Biaggi completed the fastest five in that afternoon session.

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WSBK: Toseland to Miss the Rest of Brno Weekend

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Despite riding in the first practice session of the World Superbike round at Brno Friday, James Toseland will miss his third consecutive round of racing for the BMW Motorrad Italia team. The Briton sat out Misano and Motorland Aragon after also missing Donington Park, Assen, and Monza due to complications from a wrist injury he sustained while testing at Aragon in March. Though Spanish doctors quickly cleared him to race after the crash, Toseland underwent an operation to insert wires in his wrist soon thereafter when it became clear that there was a disruption in blood flow to his hand.

“My wrist started to hurt again after [racing at] Salt Lake,” said Toseland a month ago, adding, “I’m determined to make a come back in Brno.” He did ride during this morning’s practice at the Czech round, finishing eighteenth fastest. After the session Toseland was force to admit, “Had a run out this morning to get upto speed, unfortunately I have to sit out the rest of the weekend and get fully fit for Silverstone.” He continued, ” [Lorenzo] Lanzi will fill in for the remainder of the weekend,” as he did at Misano and Aragon.

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WSBK: Alex Lowes in at Castrol Honda for Injured Rea

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Alex Lowes will replace Jonathan Rea for the World Superbike round at Brno next month while the rider recovers from surgery. Rea had a huge crash during the warm-up ten days ago at the Misano round, resulting in a broken collarbone, injured foot, and radial fracture and ligament damage to his right wrist. He underwent surgery Monday and was scheduled to miss this past weekend’s racing at Aragon and return for Brno.

Instead, considerable ligament damage to the wrist was found, necessitating “external pins in it and screws,” according to a tweet by the rider Thursday. Rea explained further, “I was pretty upset when I got the news after the surgery yesterday because it means a longer rehab than we’d thought. It’s difficult, of course, and I’m devastated, but I’ve got a great team around me so I know I’ll get all the support I need to come back strong.” That team includes surgeon Mike Hayton, who has had a busy couple of weeks operating on Rea last Monday and Troy Corser this week.

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WSBK: Corser Undergoes Surgery, Will Miss Brno

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Troy Corser will miss the next Word Superbike round at Brno after surgery to repair injuries he sustained this past weekend while racing in Spain. The former world champion, already suffering a cracked rib, crashed in the second race at Motorland Aragon in a collision with Maxime Berger. He sustained a broken ulna and radius, injuries that were suspected after examinations at the circuit.

Corser explained, “I braked late at the end of the back straight and passed two other riders but I overshot the corner and turned in late. I saw Maxime Berger coming. I could see that his rear wheel was off the ground when he was braking and he just went straight into me.” He continued, “I am not blaming him. It was just unlucky.” The incident occurred on the first lap of Aragon Race 2, after Corser finished Race 1 in tenth position.

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WSBK: Race 2 at Aragon Brings First Win of 2011

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Marco Melandri (1:57.634) won his maiden World Superbike pole to start Race 2 at Motorland Aragon during Saturday’s Superpole sessions after dominating the Friday practices at the Spanish circuit. He was joined on the front row by Max Biaggi, Leon Camier, and Carlos Checa. The Spaniard held provisional pole going into the Superpole sessions after Saturday’s final qualifying practice while Biaggi posted a blistering pace during the final free practice. Tome Sykes and Joan Lascorz started on the second row, giving some indication that the former’s pole lat weekend at Misano might not have been entirely due to the wet conditions.

They were joined by Eugene Laverty and Ayrton Badovini, as the latter outpaced both factory BMWs on the satelite bike. His teammate James Toseland was replaced by Lorenzo Lanzo after suffering a relapse in his wrist injury after the round last month in Utah. Jonathan Rea, meanwhile, was not replaced for this round after surgery Monday on his own wrist injury, sustained at Misano. Biaggi led the Sunday morning warm-up, with Melandri well down in eleventh. They would duel in Race 1.

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WSBK: One Mistake Is All It Takes to Lose Race 1 in Aragon

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Marco Melandri (1:57.634) started on pole for the first time in World Superbike for the Race 1 at Motorland Aragon after dominating Friday and Saturday’s final Superpole session. Though he had some prior knowledge of racing at the Spanish track, after MotoGP made its debut their last season, the WSBK riders had an additional hairpin at the end of the back straight. Similarly, many teams tested there during the off season and extended break between some of the early races. Still, that did not keep Melandri from fending off Max Biaggi, Leon Camier, and Carlos Checa, who completed the front row.

They were joined by two factory Kawasaki riders, Melandri’s Yamaha teammate, and a satellite BMW on the second row as Ayrton Badovini outperformed his factory brethren to start eighth. Melandri led both the first free practice and the first qualifying practice on Friday, only to lose his lead to Checa in the final qualifying practice and Biaggi in the Saturday free practice. During Sunday’s morning warm-up, Biaggi led Checa, Camier, Haslam, and Sykes as the fastest five, with Melandri eleventh. Jonathan Rea did not ride or attend the Spanish meeting, having undergone surgery Monday after sustaining injuries in a warm-up crash at Misano last week.

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