[Divers] Road Races

Thirty-one riders from 13 different nations and territories will contest the 46th running of the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix from November 15-18, with a fascinating combination of exciting new talent and seasoned road racing and endurance professionals doing battle on the 6.2km Guia street circuit.

Having cemented his place in the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix history books by taking an historic seventh victory in 2011, the undisputed Two-Wheel King of Macau, Michael Rutter, will be back this year and on the hunt for a lucky eighth win. The Briton will join fellow countryman and winner at Macau in 2001, John McGuinness, on a pair of SMT Racing Honda 1000cc machines.

McGuinness, second quickest in qualifying last year behind Rutter but only sixth across the line, is the reigning outright lap record holder on the Isle of Man TT course and winner of the 2012 Joey Dunlop TT Championship Trophy. He is also currently fourth in the FIM Endurance World Championship, in the Honda Legends team with former Macau rider Cameron Donald. Another leading endurance competitor, Horst Saiger of Austria, will be back in Macau this year with Saiger-Racing.com .

Martin Jessopp, who impressed with his second place finish last year, is back with Rider’s Motorcycles.com on a Ducati 1200cc. Jessopp, 27, has been contesting the FIM Supersport World Championship this season, but was handicapped by two shoulder injuries, one of which was a broken collarbone sustained in May’s North West 200, in as many weeks.

Another returnee to Macau is Isle of Man rider Conor Cummins, 26. Cummins was also injured at the North West 200 earlier this year and, as a result of this – and the cancellation of the Senior TT due to weather conditions – he was unable to race there. Second at Macau in 2009, Cummins is entered on a Tyco Suzuki 1000cc this year.

Making his fifth visit to Macau is Briton Gary Johnson, this year teaming up with Guia Circuit rookie and fellow Metzeler National Superstock 1000 regular Steve Heneghan on the Quattro Plant Motorsports team. The pair will ride Honda and Kawasaki bikes respectively, and Irishman Heneghan hopes to benefit from Johnson’s experience of the demanding street circuit.

Amongst the crop of newcomers to Macau are exciting road racing talent Lee Johnston, 28, making his debut along with RPM Performance team mate Jamie Hamilton. Johnston impressed on his Isle of Man TT debut earlier this year, but really marked himself out as a potential star of the roads at the Ulster GP where he won the National and Challenge races, before finishing an impressive third in the Supersport race. Twenty-one-year-old Hamilton, meanwhile, was the leading Isle of Man TT newcomer this year and has just completed a successful Irish road racing season.

From the USA comes perennial Macau favourite Mark Miller, this year aboard a Splitlath Redmond Aprilia, with fellow American Brandon Cretu, 27, making his Guia Circuit debut on a Hel Performance Honda. Cretu is the youngest American rider ever to compete at Isle of Man, and has contested WERA Endurance championships in the US. Joining Miller on the Splitlath Redmond team is David Johnson of Australia.

Amongst the truly international field are newcomers Italian Stefano Bonetti, third in the Isle of Man TT Privateers Championship, Japanese rider Yoshinari Matsuhita and Brazilian Rafael Paschoalin. Paschoalin, from Sao Paulo, won the 2008 Brazilian Supermoto Championship, and the 500 Miles of Interlagos in 2009. This year, he was runner up at Interlagos..

From Portugal come Macau regulars Nuno Caetano on a KS Team of Portugal Suzuki, Luis Carreira with Benimoto/Rider/Cetelem, also on board a Suzuki, and Fernando Costa on a Pon Pone Squadra Ducati.

Closer to home, flying the flag for Macau will be Joao Fernandes, partnering German Rico Penzkofer at Penz 13 on a pair of BMWs, and Sou Sio Hong on a Honda.

A new Team Trophy award is introduced this year. Teams with two riders are eligible to enter, with each rider receiving points in a increasing scale, with one point for the top finishing rider. The team which collects the least number of points from both riders combined wins a trophy and prize monies.

Six manufacturers are represented in this year’s Grand Prix entry, and for the first time a three-in-a-row grid format, as used in MotoGP, will be adopted in place of the previously used four. The intention of the new format is to stretch the grid as the riders head into the fast left-hander at Reservoir, and to allow safer passage through the fast right Mandarin Oriental Bend before heading down to the famous Lisboa Bend.

For the third year, the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix will also be the season finale for the Duke Road Race Rankings, a series which recognizes season-long performance on the world’s premier road circuits.

Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – Provisional Entry List

1 Michael RUTTER GBR SMT Racing Honda 1000
2 John McGUINNESS GBR SMT Racing Honda 1000
4 Conor CUMMINS IOM Tyco Suzuki Suzuki 1000
5 Gary JOHNSON GBR Quattro Plant Motorsports Honda 1000
8 Horst SAIGER AUT Saiger-Racing.com Kawasaki 1000
10 Mark MILLER USA Splitlath Redmond Aprilia 1000
11 Stephen THOMPSON GBR T & R Motorsport BMW 1000
12 Steve MERCER GBR T & R Motorsport Honda 1000
13 Rico PENZKOFER GER Penz 13 BMW 1000
14 Nuno CAETANO POR KS Team of Portugal Suzuki 1000
15 James STORRAR GBR DMR BMW 1000
16 Stefano BONETTI ITA Speed Motor Kawasaki 1000
17 Simon ANDREWS GBR Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade BMW 1000
18 SOU Sio Hong MAC SOU Sio Hong Honda 1000
20 David JOHNSON AUS Splitlath Redmond Aprilia 1000
26 Didier GRAMS GER German Team – Heidger – Motorsport BMW 1000
27 Fernando COSTA POR Pon Pone Squadra Ducati 1200
32 Joao FERNANDES MAC Penz 13 BMW 1000
33 Luis CARREIRA POR Benimoto/Rider/Cetelem Suzuki 1000
37 James HILLIER GBR Bournemouth Kawasaki Racing Kawasaki 1000
40 Martin JESSOPP GBR Rider’s Motorcycles.com Ducati 1200
44 Jamie HAMILTON GBR RPM Performance Honda 1000
47 Brandon CRETU USA Hel Performance Honda 1000
54 Steve HENEGHAN IRL Quattro Plant Motorsports Kawasaki 1000
55 Dan KNEEN IOM Marks Bloom Racing Suzuki 1000
66 Branko SRDANOV NED Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade BMW 1000
71 Davy MORGAN GBR CSC Racing Suzuki 1000
74 Yoshinari MATSUHITA JPN Penz 13 BMW 1000
84 Lee JOHNSTON GBR RPM Performance Ducati 1200
111 Brian MCCORMACK IRL DMR BMW 1000
113 Rafael PASCHOALIN BRA TT Brazilian Team BMW 1000

C'est confirme, Michael et William Dunlop ne seront pa a Macao cette annee.

Fast-rising road racing talent Jamie Hamilton says the opportunity to make his debut at next month’s 46th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix is a ‘great honour’.

Hamilton will ride Ryan Farquhar’s KMR Kawasaki ZX-10R at the infamous Guia street circuit in the Far East with backing from ex-racer Alan Patterson, who has facilitated the former British Superstock 600 champion’s maiden trip to Macau under the RPM Performance umbrella.

The 21-year-old is coming off the back of a memorable season in Farquhar’s team after winning the coveted Best Newcomer award at the Isle of Man TT and earning a breakthrough victory on the big stage at the Southern 100 on the Isle of Man, where Hamilton set race and lap records on his way to victory in the Supertwin class.

Fermanagh’s Lee Johnston will also make the long journey to southern China as he also visits Macau for the first time, where he’ll ride the Millsport Ducati under the RPM Performance banner, effectively forming a two-man team for Patterson alongside fellow rookie Hamilton.

Hamilton, who ended the Irish National roads season with a victory at Killalane last month in the Supertwin race and a podium finish in the Grand Final, told the News Letter he was treating next month’s race purely as a learning experience.

“It’s an honour to have the chance to race at Macau and I’ve never been outside Europe before, so I’m really looking forward to seeing another part of the world as well,” he said.

“I’m riding the Superstock Kawasaki I’ve rode all season on the same Michelin tyres, so it’s a package I’m used to and I can just focus on learning the track.

“I’ve had a good season so I don’t have anything to prove at Macau and I’ll just take it nice and steady,” he added.

“Alan Patterson has sorted it all out for me, so it’s thanks to him and also Ryan [Farquhar] as well, because he stepped in and offered me the bike after a deal to ride another bike fell through.”

A quality entry at Macau this year includes Michael Rutter, who surpassed Ron Haslam as the most successful rider ever in the history of the event when he notched his seventh triumph in 2011.

Rutter will team up with Isle of Man top gun John McGuinness in the SMT Honda team as the duo head the entries along with Martin Jessopp on the Riders Ducati, Tyco Suzuki’s Conor Cummins and Gary Johnson, who joins newcomer Steve Heneghan in the Quattro Plant Motorsport team.

Stephen Thompson, Brian McCormack and Davy Morgan are also entered at the event, which runs from November 15-18.

William Dunlop quitte le Wilson Craig racing et a envie de rouler aussi en supersport anglais. Il est en discutions avec Swan Yamaha et selon certaines rumeurs aurais essayé une des motos. Une chose est sur il ne veut pas faire comme son frère, changer de marque pour chaque catégorie.


Northern Ireland road racer William Dunlop has split from Wilson Craig Racing following a highly successful two-year partnership, News Letter Sport can reveal.

Dunlop, who secured team owner Craig’s maiden international victories as he triumphed in the Supersport class at the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix this season, has decided to seek a new challenge in 2013.

The Ballymoney rider has left Co Londonderry man Craig’s team on good terms following an amicable separation.

Dunlop told the News Letter: “I enjoyed riding for Wilson these past two years but it’s just time to move on now and try something new.

“There’s no hard feelings and I’ve left on good terms. Wilson has been good to me and I’m glad I was the first rider in his team to win international races for him.

“I have a number of options at the moment, but nothing concrete,” added Dunlop, who also finished on the rostrum for the first time at the Isle of Man TT in the first 600cc race in June.

“In an ideal world I’d prefer to run my own team and build my own bikes, but that is probably going to be unlikely due to funding.

“I don’t think I’ll be stuck for the internationals next year, but I’d like the chance to ride in the British Supersport class.

“I’m hoping now to try and get something tied up this month before the NEC Show.”

A philosophical Craig said he wished Dunlop well for the future and revealed he had an inkling the 27-year-old was poised to leave the team.

“We have parted company on good terms and I wish William all the best,” said Craig, who also ran Cameron Donald on his Honda machines this year.

“He is a good rider and he had two good years with the team.

“Riders come and go and that’s racing. I could see it coming with William and for one reason or another he has decided to go a different way.

“That chapter is now over and I will see where I go from here.”

Ce qui expliquerait pourquoi le Boss du team Swan a déclaré avoir les moyens d'engager pour l'instant qu'une seule machine en SBK pour la saison prochaine.

Alors la pour le prix , c'est que du Bonheur !!





http://www.dukevideo.com/Downloads/Bike-Downloads/Road-Racing/ROAD-RACERS-Download.aspx

Reçu le livre du sympathique pilote Suisse Hervé Gantner, relatant son TT2011. A commander impérativement pour tous ceux qui aiment les courses sur route.

Cela commence à bouger du coté de Macao depuis quelques jours :

Je ne reconnais pas le pilote de gauche , avis aux spécialistes ! , Mark Miller, Lee Johnston et Martin Jessop complètent la première rangée !







Début des hostilités demain avec la seule séance d’essais libres demain matin (07h30) et de la première séance qualifs l'après midi(15h50).(7 heures de décalage , je crois ! )

et à suivre avec un peu de chance ici :

http://www.mstworld.com/timing/livetiming.htm?series=WTCC-support

Free Practice


1 2 John MCGUINNESS GBR SMT Racing 2:29.914 15 146.96
2 40 Martin JESSOPP GBR Riders Motorcycles.com 2:30.682 16 0.768 146.21
3 1 Michael RUTTER GBR SMT Racing 2:30.940 17 1.026 145.96
4 8 Horst SAIGER AUT Saiger-Racing.com 2:33.481 19 3.567 143.54
5 5 Gary JOHNSON GBR Quattro Plant Motorsports 2:34.122 17 4.208 142.95
6 33 Luis CARREIRA POR Benimoto/Rider/Cetelem 2:34.242 12 4.328 142.84
7 37 James HILLIER GBR Bournemouth Kawasaki Racing 2:34.266 14 4.352 142.81
8 17 Simon ANDREWS GBR Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade 2:34.293 12 4.379 142.79
9 4 Conor CUMMINS IOM Tyco Suzuki 2:34.385 14 4.471 142.70
10 15 James STORRAR GBR DMR 2:34.759 15 4.845 142.36
11 9 James MCBRIDE GBR DMR 2:35.049 17 5.135 142.09
12 13 Riko PENZKOFER GER Penz 13 2:35.350 14 5.436 141.82
13 26 Didier GRAMS GER German Team - Heidger - M/Sport 2:35.705 13 5.791 141.49
14 12 Steve MERCER GBR T + R Motorsport 2:36.414 20 6.500 140.85
15 55 Dan KNEEN IOM Marks Bloom Racing 2:36.933 20 7.019 140.39
16 66 Branko SRDANOV NED Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade 2:37.958 12 8.044 139.48
17 27 Fernando COSTA POR Pon Pone Squadra 2:38.698 14 8.784 138.83
18 20 David JOHNSON AUS Splitlath Redmond 2:39.030 15 9.116 138.54
19 32 Joao FERNANDES MAC Penz 13 2:41.118 17 11.204 136.74
20 84 Lee JOHNSTON GBR RPM Performance 2:41.140 11 11.226 136.72
21 14 Nuno CAETANO POR KS Team of Portugal 2:41.159 16 11.245 136.71
22 18 SOU Sio Hong MAC SOU Sio Hong 2:41.308 20 11.394 136.58
23 54 Steve HENEGHAN IRL Quattro Plant Motorsports 2:45.739 15 15.825 132.93
24 44 Jamie HAMILTON GBR RPM Performance 2:46.190 7 16.276 132.57
25 74 Yoshinari MATSUSHITA JPN Penz 13 2:46.867 8 16.953 132.03
26 113 Rafael PASCHOALIN BRA TT Brazilian Team 2:48.467 11 18.553 130.77
27 16 Stefano BONETTI ITA Speed Motor 2:48.943 3 19.029 130.41
28 47 Brandon CRETU USA Hel Performance 2:50.683 16 20.769 129.08
29 10 Mark MILLER USA Splitlath Redmond 2:51.057 2 21.143 128.79
30 71 Davy MORGAN GBR CSC Racing 2:51.270 16 21.356 128.63
31 11 Stephen THOMPSON GBR T + R Motorsport 13:05.602 2 10:35.688 28.04

C'est partis pour la QP 1

http://www.mstworld.com/timing/livetiming.htm?series=WTCC-support

C'est partis pour la QP 1

http://www.mstworld.com/timing/livetiming.htm?series=WTCC-support

Séance interrompue suite au crash et décès du pilote portugais Luis Filipe de Sousa Carreira

Luis Carriera se tue aux essais du Macao Grand Prix
Le voici lors de ces essais

Une pensée pour Luis et ses proches....Je repense a Bruno Bonhuil aussi,et ne peux m'empecher de dire comme dans les fourberies de Scapin,en moins drole:"Mais qu'allait il donc faire dans cette galère?"....Quand on voit sur la photo precedente ,l'arriere plan!...Rails de "securité"!..mais securité pour qui?....Quelles sont les motivations de ceux qui vont rouler a "Armco Alley"??.......Je suis un passionné du TT pourtant...amoureux de l'Ile de Man...Mais dans l'ile ,le pilote peut se dire ,OK l'environnement est hostile, il y a enormement de chutes,meme a tres haute vitesse ,mais beaucoup se terminent a peu pres bien....J'ai vu cette année Guy Martin s'en mettre une a Billown et rouler le lendemain...Guy qui s'en etait mis une autre monumentale, a 260 il y a quelques années....Connors Cummins qui s'en sort apres son vol plané dans "Verandah"....La chute fait partie de la course....mais Macau c'est Zero chance...Le rail qui serpente de chaque coté....Avec des Superbikes modernes .....De memoire je crois que c'est le seul endroit en course ou les motos vont plus vite au tour que les voitures ...(Dixit Muller,qui en etait pantois...et Muller c'est pas un manche..)

Dommage pour Louis et surtout ses proches mais quand on signe pour ce genre de courses nous savons tous que nous prenons un risque mais c'est cela qui nous donne l'adrénaline le risque encore le risque même si parfois ont le "chatouille" un peu trop près ...

Macao sur le plan de la sécurité c'est une courses «à l'ancienne»... (comme le TT ou d'autres).

Le hasard m'a fait passer une soirée avec un grand hier soir que j'ai pu interviewer et justement on a parlé de la chute et il me disait qu'à son époque la chute c'était «la mort»... vous l'entendrez prochainement et c'est très instructif sur la notion de limite entre autre

RIP Luis

2nd free practice times.

Rutter 2.27.337
Jessop 2.28.559
Mcguinness 2.29.001
Andrews 2.30.687
Cummins 2.30.775
G Johnson 2.31.348
Saiger 2.31.811
Storrar 2.32..011
Hillier 2.32.497
Grams 2.33.061
Kneen 2.34.160
McBride 2.34.226
Srdanov 2.34.374
Mercer 2.34.773
D Johnson 2.35.000
Penzkofer 2.35.295
Thompson 2.36.157
Miller 2.37.354
Hamilton 2.38.127
Paschoalin 2.39.312
Heneghan 2.40.811
Fernandes 2.41.741
Morgan 2.41.851
Matsushita 2.42.324
Cretu 2.45.114
Hong 2.53.513

Les essais pour le WTCC en live a 08h30 ici
http://www.vipboxsports.eu/sports/moto-gp.html

malheureusement rien pour les motos