Race Corporation

PHOTO'S THEY'D RATHER FORGET

TENTATIVE DESIGN FROM ZONGSHEN REJECTED WHEN MECHANICS COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING

If you have any pictures that qualify as "Photo's They'd Rather Forget", PLEASE send them to me HERE for inclusion in this feature...and I may even make a complete sub-web for them!

PRE-ALBACETE RUMOURS

There are rumours going around about the reasons behind the overheating problems suffered by some Yamahas at Le Mans this year. It's possible that the aluminium used in the Yamaha SP engine is different to that used in the standard engine, leading to deformation - and the consequent failure of head gaskets.
Because of this, there will be at least one high-profile Yamaha team using standard engines at Albacete this weekend.

PRE-ALBACETE - WARWICK NOWLAND AND PHASE ONE...FOCUSSED...

WARWICK: This Saturday night the circuit of Albacete, in central Spain, will erupt with the lightning glow and screaming roar of the Endurance World Championship. Round 3 of the series is set to sizzle in the party town of Albacete with tension and tenacity over flowing!
The Albacete 8 Hour race begins at 6pm on Saturday evening with the chequered flag appearing at 2am Sunday morning. It’s a tough, physical race with a circuit demanding extreme physical input and a temperature factor thrown in. Central Spain is usually warm at this time of year however the forecast is for a comfortable 23 degrees on race day… evening! The mega budget Castrol Suzuki Factory squad lead the title hunt after 2 tough rounds with myself and my team floundering in 9th place!
But all that is about to change!
The Phase One team have worked relentlessly since returning from LeMans. The trucks left the workshop on Sunday to arrive in Spain early and be prepared. This weekend we will have two identical Yamaha R1 Superbikes. Both engines have been extensively tested and tuned on the team’s dynamometer, and our technical man, Craig, feels like a Sat/Nav system after playing with so many maps!

Our Ohlins suspension components have been revised after the data acquired from the first 2 races and to be honest, the team have been doing a great job with this. Every step we take has been an improvement.

Again, Dunlop will be at our side in the ferocious tyre war with Pirelli. During our test in March at Albacete, Dunlop gathered information and have produced a race tyre for the circuit and the conditions. For a rider, this is always exciting! Especially when the tyres I used in March were good! Personally, I can’t wait to get on the bike. Albacete is a great track. I enjoy it because you have to ride the motorcycle and not rely on machine advantages. Having said that, if someone is going faster I am sure I can find something to whinge about!
The action starts on Friday with a hectic schedule of 2 free practice session, the 1st Qualifying session and 2 night practice sessions!

Albacete past results:
2003 (12Hour) – Winner
2005 (8 Hour) – 5th place

ASSEN REPORT FINALLY DONE...HERE...now including Damian Rowley's race report...
LE MANS REPORT FINALLY DONE...HERE
...and finally the pictures are included!

THAT FUNNY 'METISS' THING...

This from Stéphane Meunier "It seems that we're not ready with our brakes because we lost 5 places in Assen and we stopped at Le Mans after 8 hours. We'll have to work and test new brakes but you know how difficult it is for a "poor private team". Anyway we learned a lot and the riders are confident because they can go as fast as with a ordinary bike - with telescopic forks - but it's much more comfortable. They don't have to push to the limit..."

SUPERSTOCK, SUPERPRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURERS STANDINGS

SUPERSTOCK
Suzuki Team Endurance Moto45 head the World Endurance Championship SuperStock standings after the first two rounds of the championship. A class win at Assen and a class second place at Le Mans have secured an 18 point lead for the French Suzuki team (on 53 points), in front of Le Mans winners Kawasaki Maccio Racing (35 points) and Suzuki Team ABG Performance (27 points). Aprilia Motociclismo Test Team have moved into fourth place in the SuperStock standings after taking fourth in class at Le Mans. Endurance Moto45 are also in seventh place in the overall championship standings.

1 100 Team Endurance Moto 45 Suzuki GSX-R1000 FRA - 53
2 83 Maccio Racing Kawasaki ZX10R FRA - 35
3 134 Team ABG Performance Suzuki GSX-R1000 FRA - 27
4 79 Aprilia Motociclismo Test Team Aprilia RSV1000 ITA - 22
5 57 Team LTG Yamaha YZF-R1 FRA - 18

SUPERPRODUCTION
Yamaha Team Acropolis Zone Rouge 199 are leading the SuperProduction standings, backing up their Assen class win with a sixth in class at Le Mans. The Franco Belgian team’s 39 points leave them just 4 clear of Suzuki Infini Team with the French Sapeurs Pompiers Suzuki team (28 points) in third, Team Raffin Motos Kawasaki in fourth and Team SRK Suzuki in fifth. Acropolis Zone Rouge are in seventeenth place in the overall championship standings.

1 199 Team Acropolis Zone Rouge Yamaha YZF-R1 BEL - 39
2 10 Infini Team Suzuki GSX-R1000 FRA - 35
3 18 Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers Suzuki GSX-R1000 FRA - 28
4 16 Team Raffin Motos Kawasaki Kawasaki ZX10R FRA - 27
5 20 Team SRK Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 FRA - 20

MANUFACTURERS
Suzuki hold the lead in the World Endurance Championship manufacturers standings after the first two rounds of the championship. Suzuki Castrol’s first place at Assen and second at Le Mans have given Suzuki an excellent start to the season.
Honda have moved up to second place, with the Le Mans win by National Motos building on the
seventh place Assen finish by RMT21 Racing Honda. Yamaha are in third place after podium finished by Yamaha Austria at Assen and Yamaha GMT94 at Le Mans, and Kawasaki are in fifth place following Bolliger Kawasaki’s fifth at Assen and fourth at Le Mans. Aprilia Motociclismo Test Team’s 12th place overall at Le Mans puts the marque fifth in the standings.

Suzuki - 53
Honda - 44
Yamaha - 42
Kawasaki - 29
Aprilia - 6

ALBATHETIE...ALBERSETEE...ALBACETE

This year it's an 8 hour race and we're all hoping that THIS time there'll be a bit of entertainment at the track. Last year I couldn't even find a beer tent. With the race ending at 2am, there seems to be quite a bit of scope for shenanigans in the proposed Dance Tent - I seem to remember that in 2003 there were some seriously sexy babes there...let's hope they're there again this year!
This year there's the Copa Derbi and the Classic Bike race as support events for Round 3 of World Endurance - and I would love to put up further info - like entry lists, etc...but nothing's released yet except buckets of speculation...

Here's a spare "embarrassing photo" from years back, Albacete 2003.