2019-2020 WSBK Off-Season thread because Gerloff is gonna make it worth watching

[budman]

Cool... thanks. :thumbup

 

[Map8]

WordSBK.com: Cortese on 2020 WorldSBK grid with Pedercini Kawasaki

Team Pedercini Kawasaki previously announced they would continue with Jordi Torres and add Lorenzo Savadori for 2020. Their plans looked suspect when Team Pedercini didn't show for any of the winter tests. Today they announced a single rider team having signed Sandro Cortese. Cortese thanked the team, his sponsors and, specifically, his "personal sponsor" in statement on Twitter so I'm guessing Cortese was the only rider who could bring enough money to lock in that seat.

Savadori raced MotoE last season and can probably go back to that series. I'm really bummed for Jordi Torres and hope he finds a ride somewhere soon.

 

[Map8]

First WSBK race is one week from this evening Pacific time.

Honda revealed the new bikes and color scheme for the HRC team and Moriwaki satellite team. Jordi Torres will be the second rider on the Moriwaki team.

Torres' bike

 

[stangmx13]

CBRs looks great in red/white/blue

damn, look at that rear hugger.

Alvaro has a Mr Rogers look going on or something

 

[Map8]

Final off-season WSBK test Monday and Tuesday at Phillip Island (which is means later this afternoon Pacific time).

GRT Yamaha WSBK Junior team is all smiles, especially Garrett Gerloff (left #31).

 

[Map8]

WSBK 2020 Round 1 thread is up so I'm locking this off-season thread.

 

[Map8]

Unlocking this thread because the season is in limbo due to CORVID-19 virus.

WSBK moved Jerez (formerly Round 3) to the end of the calendar and moved Magny-Cours back a week. I would expect more changes in the coming weeks.

 

[Map8]

World Superbike news:
Two months into the season and Alex Lowes is still leading the championship. Didn't see that coming. :laughing

In real news, the Suzuka 8-hour has been rescheduled for November 1. In the unlikely event things get back to normal this summer, that puts the 8 hour between the last two rounds of the latest World SBK calendar. That means the top Superbike riders will probably be asked to race Jerez WSBK, Suzuka 8 Hour and Misano WSBK on successive weekends. Brutal.


FIM EWC: NEW DATE FOR THE 43RD EDITION OF THE SUZUKA 8 HOURS

 

[budman]

World Superbike news:
Two months in into the season and Alex Lowes is still leading the championship. Didn't see that coming. :laughing

:laughing

Truth!!

 

[squidworth]

That'll be a rainy, cold, and dark 8 Hour in November

 

[Map8]

KRT exercises their option to retail Alex Lowes for the 2021 season.

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2020/Lowes%20to%20continue%20racing%20for%20KRT%20in%202021

 

[Map8]

WorldSBK.com: Jonathan Rea signs multi-year deal to remain with Kawasaki in World Superbike.

 

[Map8]

Provisional 2020 SBK schedule. Rounds 8-12 are still in question, apparently.

 

[budman]

Thanks Map!

Racing... need more racing.

 

[Map8]

van der Mark will leave the Yamaha WSBK team for other opportunities in 2021. MvdM's destination hasn't been announced. yet. I guess Yamaha is Toprak's team now.

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2020/Van+der+Mark+and+Pata+Yamaha+to+part+company+at+the+end+of+2020

 

[Lucky Jones]

VdM lands at BMW.

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2020/BMW sign van der Mark for 2021 WorldSBK title assault

Good luck, son.

 

[Map8]

WSBK teams just completed the first of two days of testing at Circuit de Barcelona. WSBK only listed the times for the Top 6 riders but noted van der Mark was 1.2 seconds off Redding's fast lap so the top nine were within one second of the goat-loving Brit.

Gerloff was reported as fifth quickest when everyone was working on race pace but dropped down the order as the factory riders went for a single fast lap time late in the day.

1. Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) 1’41.727
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.183
3. Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.253
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.591
5. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) +0.593
6. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.728
7. Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)
8. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha)
9. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
10. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha)
11. Leon Haslam (Team HRC)
12. Tati Mercado (Motocorsa Racing Team Ducati)
13. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team)
14. Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR)
15. Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team)
16. Maximilian Schieb (Orelac Racing)
17. Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance Ducati)


Your Championship leader for the last four months.

 

[Map8]

Toprak tossing it into Turn 1 at Circuit de Catalunya all crossed up with the backend dancing like a GP bike.

photo credit; Steve English

 

[Map8]

Gerloff and his crew chief.

Combined Day 1&2 fast lap times.

 

[budman]

Aussie story here

Love this pic.. :thumbup