...yes, you heard
right, check the Albacete Entry
List...though I had heard that it was going to be Shinichi Itoh and Naoki
Matsuda. Well, got the bike right, anyway...the FCC Honda Team are getting some
quick practice in before Suzuka.
FINAL UPDATE BEFORE LE MANS
Final info from the guys who are doing the official FIM World
Endurance website is that Stephane Mertens is to be replaced by an American
rider, Nathan Kern. Nate teamed up with Brian Parriot and Mertens to win the
inaugural MOTO ST 8 Hour Endurance race at Daytona in October last year, the
team beating off tough opposition from Team M4 Emgo Suzuki and their SV1000S,
ridden by Geoff May, Chris Ulrich and former Team Verboven rider Mike Barnes.
Official World
Endurance Website HERE
LE MANS
24 HOUR LIVE TIMING HERE
THE LE MANS 2007 PAGE IS
HERE
ALEX CUDLIN TAKES ENDURANCE VICTORY...AND CRUEL, CRUEL
REVENGE...
Taree’s 20 year old Alex Cudlin has just
had a brilliant debut in the British Endurance Championships. Racing at
Snetterton raceway in the east of England and riding for GB Moto Yamaha Team,
Alex and the team put on a superb performance to capture a thrilling victory by
a massive 6 laps.
“It was a great result for me and the team. They
called me up just 2 weeks ago and asked if I was interested in riding for them
at Snetterton. I thought it would be a good way to start off my season in
Europe, so I agreed. I had a lot to learn over the weekend. Having never really
met the team and not knowing the track and learning to ride a Yamaha, I thought
it was a pretty good result”
GB Moto started the race in 3rd position and quickly asserted themselves as the
frontrunners.
“After the first hour or so we had a fairly
comfortable lead of around 2 laps. After we got in that position it was really
just a matter of staying calm and holding the lead so that the 2nd placed team
couldn't catch us. We managed to put a lot of fast laps in throughout the race
and eventually at the 6 hour mark, we crossed the line 6 laps in front. It was a
good result for the team and a great warm up race
for me” said Alex.
In 2 weeks time Alex will be competing in the opening race for the World
Endurance season. Round 1 is in France, where Alex will take on the grueling Le
Mans 24 hour race, riding for Diablo 666 Kawasaki. Alex says he is ready to
attack the World Champs.
"After testing in France a few weeks ago, I feel
confident that our team has a really good chance to not only be in the Top 10
this year, but top 3 in the Championship".
THE CUDLIN BROTHERS' DAD, SHANE...BURSTING WITH PRIDE FOR
HIS BOYS...
AMADEUS X-ONE YAMAHA TESTS
FROM TEAM MANAGER MAURIZIO BARGIACCHI:
Team Amadeus X
One has carried out an intensive programme of testing over the last two
week. First at Valencia (28,29,30 March) and then at Le Mans (3, 4 April), the
team have been finalising the development of the Yamaha YZF-R1 that they will
race in the World Endurance Championship, starting at Le Mans on 21st and 22nd
of April.
The weather at the Spanish circuit limited the amount of testing that could be
carried out on the first two days, with riders Tessari, Ricci and Gruy not able
to progress significantly. The conditions improved on the third day but parts of
the track stayed damp, preventing the riders from finding a good “dry” set-up.
Le Mans was much better, with Paolo Tessari, Will Gruy and Riccardo Ricci able
to test tyres for the forthcoming 24 hour race. The team weren’t chasing
absolute lap times but the changes made allowed the riders run at a consistent
race pace. Tessari was able to lap comfortably at 1:44.300 while Gruy and Ricci
ran long stints between 1:44.800 and 1:45.300.
Amadeus X One will enter the World Endurance Championship in the SuperProduction
class; effectively running a Superbike chassis with a production motor.
Sky Sports Crew to
Follow Amadeus X One at Le Mans...
The programme “The Games” will cover the mythical 24 hour race - the TV coverage
of the first race of the 2007 World Endurance Championship will be richer than
ever. “The Games” - broadcast every Sunday morning on Sky Sport 1 (with many
repeats during the week) – will follow Amadeus X One’s marathon race at the Le
Mans 24 Hours.
The programme will try and convey some of the backstage atmosphere of a race
which is a real adventure even for a well prepared Italian team.
Of course, this will compliment the extensive coverage on
Eurosport...
Sat 21st -
16:00 to 16:45 LIVE EUROSPORT INTERNATIONAL
20:15 to 22:00 LIVE EUROSPORT 2
23:15 to 24:00 LIVE EUROSPORT INTERNATIONAL
Sun 22nd - 08:30 to 09:45
LIVE EUROSPORT INTERNATIONAL
FACTORY BMW FINAL PRIVATE TEST DRAMA - UPDATED
Friday 6th April:
Yesterday, on the first day of their private final test in the South of France
before the Le Mans 24 hour race on the 21st/22nd April the new factory BMW team
suffered a setback when Stephane Mertens crashed and was taken to hospital.
First indications are that nothing is broken but there may be some doubt as to
his race fitness for Le Mans in two weeks time.
Tuesday 10th April:
Unfortunately, Stephane's injuries are worse than earlier reports indicated. The
Belgian multiple champion has suffered a broken pelvis and will definitely not
be riding at the Le Mans round - which means that Marcus Barth will definitely
be riding alongside Thomas Hinterreiter and Rico Penzkover.
Marcus won the 1000 kilometer event at Hockenhein on Easter Saturday with
co-rider Jurgen Fuchs on the No 196 Team Motobike/BMW Motorrad BMW R1200S. Pit
lane pundits claimed the BMW riders were "massively fast".
BRITAIN'S PHASE ONE - LE COMMUNIQUÉ
No.130...
It’s been a very, very busy three months,
but it’s been worth it. ! Since the arrival of the first of the 2007 bikes on
2nd January several of us have worked non-stop on the project, but with a great
outcome.
The first indications that we were on the right track came back in early March
on the dyno. The first Superbike engine giving over 190 BHP and the flowbench
indicating that over 200 BHP would be possible from the second engine. Even the
modestly tuned Le Mans race engine gave 175BHP, some 15 BHP up on its equivalent
in 2006. So if the peak power is good, you should see the mid-range.!! It is
truly outstanding and is largely as a result of the variable length inlet stacks
that are fitted as standard. These give massive gains between 8500 rpm and
10,300 rpm and will be retained for at least the 24hr races where the enormously
improved mid-range power will be most useful.
Next came the test results; the first impression of the rolling chassis from
each of the riders was extremely positive and each quickly gained confidence and
returned competitive times. The new generation Ohlins suspension played a big
part in this. Also, the Albacete tests progressed extremely quickly without too
many cul-de-sacs largely due to the very high quality rider feedback – of an
order that we have not experienced since the 2000 season with Stephane Mertens.
By day 3 at Albacete, the testing and the feedback from Glen’s good mate Troy
Corser had allowed us to conclude geometry and most of the basic suspension
settings. At the end we were going faster than in 2006 by almost half a second.
(For reference, Haslam and Lavilla were on the same pace as in 06, on 1.29.75
ish, which was just a little quicker than Walker. Buckingham and Rutter were on
32s. We achieved an Albacete best of 33.6, which was around the same as SERT’s
fastest race lap in 2006. The pre-Le Mans test was just as good; almost
equalling our 2006 times in an air temperature of 4 deg C and a track
temperature of only little more. By the end of the two day Le Mans test all
riders were within a one second span and the suspension settings were very
close. Two compounds of the Dunlop NTEC tyres had been tried and settings found
to suit, so good progress had been made on that front as well.
The best Le Mans test time was a flat 1 min 42 sec lap, compared with our best
qualifying lap of 1.41.6 secs in sunny warm conditions on qualifiers in 06.!
Team Kawasaki France (TKF) and SERT were each lapping in the 40s and 41s on the
same day, so we were not far off. By the end of testing we knew exactly where we
needed to be with engine, frame geometry, suspension and tyres, so we could ask
for no more.
Finally, we now know that we also have a truly great rider line-up. The
potential was there from the beginning, but with Didier scoring third at the
Donington Park opening WSB round and Glen winning the Brands BSB opener we now
know we have a top team!
THE PHASE ONE THREE - AND EACH JACKET HAS A PICTURE
RAIL...
Forthcoming events;
The Classic Bol d’Or at Magny Cours is over the weekend of the 14th/15th April.
It is the 5th edition of the event which attracts 95 entries (55 qualify) of
some of very best pre-1980 endurance Machinery. Our entry is a 1978 P&M Kawasaki
which will be ridden by the C&K contracts boys Chris and Kevin Jones. The
machine was tested at Mallory Park last week and apparently handled like a
dream…although the brakes were not perhaps to modern standards. ! See the boys
go (and stop maybe) during the two 2 hrs races over the weekend, race one starts
at 19.30 on the Saturday.
Team Launch/Open day- Mitsubishi Chertsey, is on Sat12th May. The team have been
invited to run a wheel change demonstration and competition, open to all comers,
at the new Mitsubishi Chertsey branch starting at around noon. The event will
include a ‘meet the riders (Glen and Warwick will both be there), a two-round
‘enter on the day’ timed wheel change competition, for teams of four (pitch
yourself against the Phase One ‘experts’) in a mock up pitbox and a short season
review talk. Light refreshments will be served and all team and supporters are
welcome, courtesy of Mitsubishi Motors.
THE MARCH 2007 FRONT PAGE IS NOW ARCHIVED
HERE
MORE STU WILSON...
After just missing out on a berth with
Alf's
Motorcycles, Stu has made it known that he's SERIOUSLY interested in riding at Le Mans and if
anyone has a place available for a fast rider, contact him
HERE
ADDITIONAL ALF'S MOTORCYCLES NEWS:
Craig
Fitzpatrick is now the third rider alongside Adam Jenkinson and Guy Martin
after Matt Layt injured a foot in an accident at Brands Hatch during Round 1 of
British Superbikes. Craig has raced in the KRC Endurance series and competed
last year in National Superstock, this year he is competing for Yamaha BLDS in
Supersport, placing 18th at Brands.
MACO MOTO FINALLY INSTALL THE LAST NUT...
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