I should call this the “going left” gallery, as there isn’t much diversity in perspective, as all of the photos attached here were taken from the same vantage point: the inside portion The Corkscrew (Turn 8) at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
A popular feature to this coastal Californian track, The Corkscrew provides plenty of spectacle for fans, but it finds its true zenith when World Superbike riders are in circulation.
The approach to Turn 8 is a fast uphill stretch, about as much of a “back straight” as Laguna Seca has to offer, and the crest of the hill sees the faster rider’s lofting the rear wheel ever so slightly, as they begin to get on the brakes.
As they get closer to the entrance of the iconic turn – a mostly blind approach I should point out – the late-brakers will again bring the rear wheel off the ground, as they threshold brake into first apex, which only reveals itself at the very last moment.
Hitting the left-hander at the top of the hill, and the right-hander on the way down, there really isn’t a chance for the suspension pieces on these bikes to react, add in a quick downshift during the left-right transition, along with some trail-braking at the top of hill, and it is easy to see why this corner is so highly regarded.
Seemingly proving the point, in just the single session I shot here, we had two red flag moments, as both Red Bull Honda riders threw their bikes down The Corkscrew’s drop in elevation. For newer riders, the challenge is even greater.
Apologies in advance for the late posting, as I spent the better part of Saturday battling an uncooperative Adobe Lightroom. I hope you enjoy these high-resolution shots from Friday at Laguna Seca.
Ducati has finally released its Final Edition of the Ducati 1299 Panigale superbike, and the aptly named Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition packs a punch.
Sharing engine parts with the Ducati 1299 Superleggera (sans its aluminum sleeved engine cylinders and sand-cast casings), the Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition makes 209hp on Ducati’s chassis dynamometer, which should be a comparable figure to the Superleggera, as the latter has power figures quoted from an engine dyno.
Though they may produce similar power figures, the Final Edition Panigale does not quite take the Superleggera’s obsessiveness with weight to the same level, using more traditional fasteners and materials for its design. That is to say, it is without all the carbon fiber goodness found on the SL, including its chassis.
As such, the FE tips the scales at 419 lbs wet at the curb. For those keeping score, that mass is just a pound lighter than the Ducati 1299 Panigale S; and 13 lbs heavier than the Ducati Panigale R, which uses the 1199 motor.
Priced at $40,000 for the US market though, this “half a Superleggera” still packs a considerable punch, and of course it holds the distinction of being the last of Ducati’s v-twin superbikes…for the foreseeable future at least.
Everyone at the upcoming World Superbike round at Laguna Seca will have Nicky Hayden on their minds, as the American rider’s absence from the racing paddock is still sadly felt.
Instead of seeing an empty garage though, Hayden’s side of the pitbox will be busy this weekend, as Jake Gagne will ride with the Red Bull Honda team at the American round, thus making his World Superbike Championship debut.
Taking leave of his MotoAmerica superbike duties with the Genuine Broaster Chicken Honda for the weekend, Gagne will race aboard the WorldSBK factory-spec Honda CBR1000RR SP2 race bike for Laguna Seca, giving American fans someone local to cheer for during both World Superbike races this weekend.
There are not many circuits in the world like the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and the Californian circuit offers a unique challenge in World Superbike.
Led Zeppelin sang about Going to California and said, “I’ll meet you up there where the path runs high. Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams, telling myself it’s not as hard, hard, hard as it seems.”
Unfortunately for the riders in WorldSBK, when you stand at the top of the mountain at Laguna Seca, the challenge facing riders who dream of a win truly is as hard as it seems. This highly technical race track demands precision, consistency, imagination, and above all else experience.
Ahead of the World Superbike round at Laguna Seca, MV Agusta is releasing a special limited edition machine for the American market. Called the MV Agusta Brutale 800 America, only 50 examples of this red/white/blue street bike will be made, one for each state of the union.
As the name implies, this special edition machine is built off the MV Agusta Brutale 800 street bike, with a unique livery and color scheme being the key defining features of the MV Agusta Brutale 800 America.
The Max Biaggi continues to show progress on his recovery, with the six-time world champion finally leaving the intensive care unit at the San Camillo Hospital. The transfer occurred yesterday, which also happened to be Biaggi’s 46th birthday.
Tweeting to his fans on Twitter, the Roman Emperor said “After the time I spent in there, the most beautiful gift and get out of intensive care after 17 days. Thank you for all the birthday wishes and for all the affections received every day. Unforgettable. I love you.”
We bring you some good news today, Max Biaggi is said to have had a successful surgery this week at the San Camillo Hospital, after his supermoto crash from two weeks ago.
The six-time world champion underwent surgery to his chest, in what the hospital calls a “thoracoscopic toilette of the right pleural cavity.” This was to repair a tear in his lung cavity.
Biaggi will continue to remain in the hospital’s intensive care unit, with painkillers and supplemental oxygen, where his prognosis is listed as “reserved” for now. The surgery was considered a success however, and all signs seem to point to Biaggi’s recovery.
While everyone else seems to be turning a blind eye to aerodynamics, Ducati continues to be the brand pushing the aero envelope with its designs.
As such, World Superbike fans may have seen this weekend that Chaz Davies was sporting a unique rear end, as Ducati Corse continues to experiment with a lenticular wheel setup.
A piece of technology borrowed mostly from cycling, the carbon fiber disc “wheel cover” provides a more slippery surface for the wind to flow over, than the chaos that comes from a spinning spoked wheel on a motorcycle.
The Misano round of WorldSBK was dominated by talk of tires. As such, following a weekend fraught with failures, Pirelli will revert to an older specification of tire for the Laguna Seca round. The move sees Pirelli at a crossroads, after a series of high profile incidents during the scorching weekend in Italy.
This includes Michael van der Mark’s crash from the lead of Saturday’s race, after a tire failure saw the Dutch rider robbed of his chance to claim his first podium for Yamaha.
One has to remember too, Jonathan Rea also crashed out of the lead at the previous round in Donington Park, as it was a shock to see the previously robust Pirelli fail once again.