We’ve got two interesting videos for you today from the World Superbike round at Portimao. The first is some great slow motion footage of the riders and the second is just the opposite with a four minute compilation of some of the fast and furious passing that took place in the two races, which were both won by Max Biaggi.

If you missed the video highlights of the races you can see them here.

Continue reading: WSBK: Racing seen in Slo Mo and Great Passing at Portimao (w/videos)

The Hannspree Ten Kate racing team had mixed fortunes in last weekend’s World Superbike at Portimao. Max Neukirchner has this very scary crash during the Superpole session which left the German rider with a deep hole in his arm.

In race 1, Neukirchner DNF’d after a clutch malfunction, while his team mate Jonathan Rea took a 3rd place in race 1, but very unlucky in race 2 where his CBR1000RR suffered a technical issue and he had to pull out of the contention.

Hit the jump to see Jonathan Rea talk about his Portimao weekend.

Continue reading: Max Neukirchner's Superpole Crash at Portimao (w/video)

Cal Crutchlow took his first ever Superpole this afternoon at Portimao. The Brit pulverized the track record in Superpole 3 with a blistering lap of 1’42.092, an amazing 0.320 of a second faster than Ben Spies’ Superpole time in last year’s race on the same track.

Max Biaggi will start in second and he was 0.421 of a second behind Cruthlow. Carlos Checa will start in third on the Althea Ducati, the final spot on row 1 was taken by Alstare Suzuki’s Leon Haslam. Jonathan Rea will open the second row with his fifth place. Jakub Smrz on his private Ducati will start in 6th followed by another private Ducati rider Shane Byrne in 7th. Troy Corser was able to qualify in 8th and Sylvian Guintoli 9th and Ruben Xaus in 10th.

In Superpole 1, the biggest surprise was that both Ducati factory riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio missed entering Superpole 2, qualifying in 17th and 18th and will have to take off from the fifth row in tomorrow’s races. Fabrizio lost the front on his bike during the first stint and had to return to the pits and pick up his spare bike to finish Superpole 1.

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao: Cal Crutchlow Pulverizes Superpole

Jakub Smrz and Max Biaggi, the first on a private Ducati and the second on an official Aprilia ended up posting the same idential laps times in the second provisional qualifying session at Portimao.

Smrz was the first to top the chart followed by Biaggi both with a lap of 1’43,003 and since the Ducati rider did his lap first, he’s on the provisional pole heading into this afternoon’s Superpole.

Michel Fabrizio, Leon Haslam, Jonathan Rea and Carlos Checa were 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th respectively and they were all separated by less than one tenth of second.

James Toseland took seventh and was three tenths from the top spot, while Xerox Ducati’s Noriyuki Haga took eighth.
Kawasaki’s lone rider after Chris Vermeulen’s withdral, Tom Sykes made a massive improvement and put his Ninja into 9th and Troy Croser closed the top ten.

Shane Byrne was in 11th, Sylvain Guintoli in 12th and Ruben Xaus who is slowly regaining his confidence on the BMW S1000RR took 13th

Cal Crutchlow and Leon Camier were 14th and 15th and Lorenzo Lanzi and Luca Scassa on private Ducati’s made it into the Supepole qualification with their 16th and 17th places. Max Neukirchner qualified in 18th place and Reitwagen BMW’s Andrew Pitt and Roland Resch’s replacement Makoto Tamada, were the last two riders to qualify for the Superpole.

Out of Superpole are Sheridan Morais, Matteo Baiocco, Vittorio Iannuzzo and Roger Lee Hayden.

QP2 Lap times after the jump.

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao: Smrz and Biaggi in a Tie in QP2

Chris Vermeulen has decided to withdraw from the Portimao WSBK round after trying to take a couple of laps in today’s free practice.

The Australian suffered torn ligaments, cartilage and muscle in his knee after the high-speed crash during race 2 at the Phillip Island season opener. Vermeulen needed at least two months to regain full fitness but was given the all clear by the doctors of the Clinica Mobile to try to race, but was was unable to bend his right knee and decided to pull out.

The Kawasaki rider will try to return for the third round in Valencia in two weeks time.

Continue reading: Chris Vermeulen Withdraws from Portimao Round (w/video)

Point’s leader Leon Haslam continues to show his great form after conceding only 0.060s during the first practice session, Pocket Rocket came back during this provisional pole session at Portimao to top the timesheets with a best lap of 1′43.476 leaving a surging Michel Fabrizio on the Xerox Ducati in second and just 0.032s from the Brit rider.

Carlos Checa came back from his 12th spot in the first session to take third and Max Biaggi was fourth. James Toseland was fifth in front of Yamaha Sterilgarda team mate Cal Crutchlow, who took the sixth spot. Two private Ducati’s were in the 7th and 8th positions, with Shane Byrne on the Althea Ducati and Jakub Smrz with PATA B&G. Leon Camier on the other Aprilia RSV4 Factory was 9th and Jonathan Rea closed out the top ten.

Still down on the charts was Noriyuki Haga who was once again eleventh and Max Neukirchner and Sylvain Guintoli who were in the top ten in the first session back pedaled to finish in 13th and 14th respectively.

QP1 Lap Times after the jump.

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao: Haslam on Provisional Pole

Today’s first free practice at Portimao saw James Toseland hit the the top of the charts with a best lap of 1’44.351 in the final 10 minutes of the session and looking like Yamaha Sterilgarda has solved the electronics problems that hampered the team during the Australian round.

Less than one tenth off was points leader Leon Haslam followed by Max Neukirchner who made a big jump forward, while Max Biaggi who lead the beginning of the practice finished in fourth. Aprilia is not using the much discussed drive cam motor. Jakub Smrz was fifth fastest on his private Ducati leaving the Ducati factory riders Michel Fabrizio in eighth and Noriyuki Haga in a lowly 11th place.

Sylvain Gunitoli was sixth fastest, while Jonathan Rea finished in 7th despite a crash. Carlos Checa who won race 2 at Phillip Island didn’t break the top ten and finished in 12th.

Still recovering Chris Vermeulen who got the okay to race this weekend, didn’t post any official times while replacement riders Makoto Tamada was 20th in his Reitwagen BMW debut, and Sheridan Morais on the Echo CRS Honda was 23rd.

FP1 Results after the jump.

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao: Toseland on top in FP1

Good news for Chris Vermeulen and his PBM Kawasaki team, the Aussie rider will not have to undergo surgery to repair the extensive knee damage that he picked up in his high speed crash at Lukey Heights during race 2 at Phillip Island.

Despite not having full movement in his leg, Vermeulen has stated that he wants to try race in the upcoming WSBK round at Portimao that takes place from March 26th to 28th:

“I saw my doctor again on Wednesday 17th March and the good news is that I do not need an operation on my leg. He said it would take a long time to heal, however, because there is a fair bit of damage in there. The main reason he did not want to operate is because it would not reduce the healing time and at this stage it is better to stay out of it. I don’t have enough bend in my knee joint to get my foot onto the footpeg at the moment but the race is a bit away yet, so hopefully it will be right by Portimao. I will be able to cycle quite soon, which will get more blood flow through it and help it heal faster.”

Continue reading: WSBK: Chris Vermeulen will be in Portimao

Echo CRS Honda’s Broc Parkes, who missed the first round at Phillip Island after breaking his right tibia in a pre-season training accident, will also have to sit out the second round of the World Superbike championship at Portimao.

The Aussie rider is expected to return to full fitness for Valencia or at the latest the Assen round of the championship, which are scheduled for April 11th and 25th.

The team is currently looking for another replacement rider for to ride the CBR 1000RR at Portimao. Josh Brookes, HM Plant Honda rider who subbed for Parkes at Phillip Island took 19th in race 1 and 14th in race 2.

Continue reading: WSBK: Broc Parkes to miss Portimao

With WSBK round 2 at Portimao in just two weeks time, we’ve got a couple of injury updates on riders of who will be racing and who’s still in doubt.

Chris Vermeulen (Kawasaki Racing) with his usual video, (thanks Chris) tells us the extent of the knee injuries that he picked up during race 2 when his gearbox locked up and sent him crashing into the tire wall at 200 km/h. Vermeulen in doubt.

James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda) fractured his third metacarpal bone of his left hand during a heavy fall in free practice and hurt his hand further when he highsided in race 1. In race two the Brit rider took 10th place, but rode the race with his hand heavily anethestized. Toseland will race.

Roland Resch (Reitwagen BMW) crashed during Q1 and picked up a concussion and fractured his right collarbone and was operated on a week ago according to his Twitter page and thinks he can be ready for the Portimao round. Resch still in doubt.

Continue reading: WSBK - Physical Updates on Injured Riders

Wayne Gardner, the 1987 500cc World Champion and four time winner of the Suzuka 8 Hours and motorcycle icon of the ’80’s alongside the likes of Kevin Schwantz, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey, got to try seven different Superbikes marques at the Portimao track.

Gardner who turned fifty October 11th, gave his first impressions to Italian website GPone.

What did you think about these bikes?

“Each of them has a different personality and most of all the characteristics are very particular. I was impressed by the Yamaha which was very difficult to ride: my compliments to Ben Spies that brought it to victory, he did a great job. I was also impressed by the BMW’s, while the Kawasaki is the one that has the most potential. On this circuit, I had fun on the Ducati, it seemed made for those up and down hills that remind me very much of the English tracks, like Brands Hatch.”

Source | gpone

Continue reading: Wayne Gardner tests Superbikes at Portimao