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Written by Nigel Jones on May 25, 2008 at 11:05
After an incident packed weekend the STP Motorsport MV Agusta British Superbike Team recorded its best ever qualifying position ahead of Monday’s British Superbike races at Donington Park.
The freak accident in warm up on Saturday, when a gust of wind blew several pitboard numbers onto the track, one of which punctured the radiator on the MV Agusta causing Chris Burns to highside as he entered turn one, meant another late night for the pit crew. They delivered a bike that was quick enough to put Chris second fastest in the Daily Star Cup standings in today’s free practice. However, technical issues as a result of yesterday’s crash would mean more work being done between free practice and qualifying.
The first for laps of the wet qualifying session highlighted suspension issues and the STP Motorsport technicians put in another huge effort to swap front and rear suspension at a cost of almost 25 minutes of the session. At this time the MV Agusta had not posted a qualifying time, so the pressure was on to get back on track and put in some quick laps in difficult conditions. The end result of second in the cup standings and 12th overall, giving a third row start, is just reward for the effort that the team has put in so far this weekend.
Chris Burns, Rider:
“I am extremely happy with third row of the grid as I know I can go faster in the race. Given the problems that the team has had this weekend, none of our own making, to qualify in 12th position and only about 0.5 second behind Gary Mason in the Cup, who had the full session to work with, is a fantastic result. So far this season I have not qualified well and I have had to push hard early in the races to make up places. This has affected performance late in the race and stopped me from finishing higher up the order. Now, I have qualified well, ahead of both Rizla Suzukis, and several other Superbike contenders, if I can get away with the fast guys I should be able to compete not only for the Superbike Cup win but also some serious Superbike Championship points as well.”
Warwick Nowland – Team Manager:
“We have witnessed all of the highs and lows of racing this weekend and we haven’t got to race day yet! Having to install a new engine on Friday evening combined with the freak accident on Saturday and a familiarisation process with the new electronics system the whole team has been under huge pressure. I am extremely pleased in the way that they have all responded and pulled together to deliver the results on track. Hopefully we can now translate this superb qualifying effort into race wins in the Cup and good points in the main championship.”
Simon Woods – Team Principal:
“At the start of the season we knew we had to have faith in the bike and the team to deliver results for STP Motorsport and MV Agusta. For such a small team we have been confronted with some serious challenges in the past few weeks and days and I am happy to say that we have handled them well, coming up with solutions to every problem that we have faced. The most encouraging thing from today’s result is that we know that the bike has so much more to give and we are now in a position where we can start to extract that extra performance. The fact that we have qualified so well with what is our old engine, gives us great optimism for the coming rounds in the series and the races on Monday.”
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Written by Nigel Jones on May 19, 2008 at 14:05
After gaining their first win in the Daily Star Cup Chris Burns and the STP Motorsport MV Agusta British Superbike team heads to Donington Park in buoyant mood. The team has made full use of the time between meetings to iron out the minor technical issues that arose at Brands Hatch and is confident that two more podium finishes are on the cards.
After leaving Brands Hatch with a win but no serviceable motorcycles the team has been hard at work with the spanners to ensure that both race bikes will be in good shape for Donington Park. A new engine has been shipped from Italy and will be fitted to the number one bike before the weekend. The number two bike will run the engine that won at Brands Hatch and, while slightly down on horsepower, this shouldn’t prove to be such a handicap at the Derbyshire circuit if this bike is called into action. This bike will also be running a new ECU, dash and wiring loom, which has been installed since Brands Hatch.
Chris Burns, Rider:
“I'm really looking forward to Donington this weekend. After being able to pull off the win in race one at Brands Hatch on the spare bike, I am confident going into this weekend. The forward steps that we are making in developing the MV Agusta will give us a little extra in order to be able to mix it with the factory bikes. My target now is the top step of the podium and I will be going all out for wins from now on. My job now is to close the gap on the series leader and I will hopefully find the right set-up early on Saturday in free practice to be able to qualify well and challenge for not only Cup points but main Championship points as well.
Warwick Nowland – Team Manager:
The win at Brands really focussed our minds as to the potential of the MV Agusta in British Superbikes. Considering the early stage of development that the bike is at we are confident that we can find the extra pace to move Chris up into the top ten of the main championship. Knowing that most of our competitors started the season with bikes that had already benefited from extensive development work and track time the gains that we can make in the coming weeks will make the MV Agusta extremely competitive.
Simon Woods – Team Principal:
“After Brands Hatch the entire team is buzzing with anticipation ahead of this weekend. We are now starting to make some headway in developing the bike and with the new electronics system in place this process should accelerate. Hopefully, what we are doing on track will encourage sponsors to come forward and become a part of our success. Our ambition is to eventually field a two-bike team and to be able to do that we will need backing from a number of new partners.”
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Written by pier luigi on May 17, 2008 at 05:05
Monday will be official press release about this news,
ILARIO DIONISI will be the MV's rider for Italian Superstock on MV AGUSTA by GIMOTORSPORTS ufficial team!!!!
Ilari rode MV in 2006 WSTK and made pole position in a lot of races!Mike21& his wife can remember ILARIO in Imola round 2006 (pics).
Team is working in those days for to ride with another guy in World Superstock also!
I think this news are optimistic for factory future!!!!!
GO MV GO and WELCOME again to "FAST DIONISI"!!!!!
Pier
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Written by Nigel Jones on May 12, 2008 at 02:05
The confidence gained in Saturday’s free practice was carried forward to race day for the STP Motorsport MV Agusta British Superbike team with Chris Burns taking the first win in British Superbikes for the famous manufacturer.
Starting in 27th place on the grid Chris Burns simply carved his way through the pack from the very first lap. By lap 5 he had passed every one of the Daily Star Superbike Cup challengers and then proceeded to proceeded to hunt down Guy Martin on the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda. He eventually had to settle for 14th place overall, gaining the team’s and MV Agusta’s first ever points in the full British Superbike Championship and at the same time taking a well deserved first place in the Daily Star Superbike Cup for privateer teams.
This success took him to within 20 points of cup leader John Laverty, who finished a distant third, some six seconds behind the STP Motorsport MV Agusta F41000.
The race win was all the more impressive as it was achieved on the team’s second bike after the first bike developed technical issues in the warm up session. It is testament to Crew Chief Paul Snell and his team of technicians that the second bike was in race wining trim.
The elation of race one was tinged by disappointment as electrical gremlins meant the MV Agusta had to pull out of race two after nine laps.
Simon Woods – Team Principal:
“This is a fantastic result for us. We knew that the MV Agusta with Chris [Burns] on board was capable of winning races in the Cup competition but we did not expect it to happen so soon in the season. I have to heap praise on Chris as there is no way we would be where we are now without him on the bike. Running the team on a limited budget we are lucky to have a rider of his calibre and as we develop the bike I know he will finish ahead of much better funded teams as the season progresses. This win will certainly help our cause in finding the finances that we need.
The DNF in the second race was just one of those things that happen in racing but after the euphoria of race one it was a major disappointment. We now have a taste for victory. I would also like to praise the technicians in the garage. They were faced with some challenges today, which they dealt with in a calm and professional manner.”
Chris Burns, Rider:
“To go out on the spare bike and pull off a victory like that is unreal. The whole team is determined to do well and I am certainly happy to be a part of a team which has such enthusiasm for the job in hand. The pace that the MV Agusta had was enough to get me through the field relatively quickly but our lack of development was highlighted once I caught Guy Martin on the Hydrex Honda. I could stay with him but I was lacking the power to overtake. Having said that we are ahead of where we expected to be at this stage of the season and to chasing bikes such as the Hydrex Honda is testament to the potential of the MV Agusta”
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Written by Nigel Jones on May 10, 2008 at 15:05
Burns smokes it in Brands free practice
Chris Burns riding the STP Motorsport MV Agusta continued where he left of at Oulton Park with a storming first free practice at Brands Hatch. Burns’ session was halted prematurely when he was black flagged with smoke pouring from his rear Pirelli, a situation caused by a screw working loose and gouging the tyre. However, by then he had posted the 8th fastest time of the session overall and 1.3 seconds faster than his nearest rival in the Daily Star Superbike Cup.
As expected, in the second free practice some of the many Superbikes that were behind the MV Agusta earlier in the day improved their times to push Chris Burns back to 13th place overall, but he remained ahead of all of his Cup rivals. With the MV Agusta starting from 27th on the grid, due to the earlier qualifying times from the cancelled race meeting, we should witness the MV Agusta making up lots of places in its quest for yet another podium finish.
Jon Strike – Team Principal:
“Chris has done an absolutely fantastic job for us today putting in a lap time that was over a second quicker than when we were here in April. Development of the bike is continuing slowly due to a lack of funding but, hopefully, the success we are having on the track will encourage sponsors to come forward and support our efforts. After a late start the team is gelling really well and the results of all their efforts are now there to be seen”.
Chris Burns, Rider:
“These practice sessions have really set us up for a fantastic race day and I can see no reason why we cannot out the MV Agusta on the podium in both races. If I can get away from the start I know I have the pace to get past many of the riders in front of me on the grid and, we may well be pushing for our first points in the main championship if things go our way.
“During the second free practice session I was consistently posting 1:29 laps and we ran the whole session without making any changes to the bike. I am definitely feeling at home with the MV Agusta now and things can only get better, especially if we can find the extra funding we need to develop the bike.”
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Written by pier luigi on May 08, 2008 at 09:05
02 Maggio 2008- Venerdì: Nella giornata di prove libere il Team Factory Superbike ha lavorato intensamente per assecondare al meglio le necessità di messa a punto della ciclistica richieste dal pilota Prattichizzo per la sua F4.
-03 Maggio 2008- Sabato: E’ tempo di qualifiche ed ulteriori affinamenti della ciclistica sono stati messi in atto. Il Team Factory Superbike ed il pilota Prattichizzo segnano rispettivamente il terzo tempo nelle qualifiche della mattinata ed il quinto tempo in griglia a conclusione della seconde qualifiche del pomeriggio. Purtroppo la prestazione del pilota Brianzolo è stata penalizzata dal traffico in pista durante quest’ultima sessione di qualifiche.
-04 Maggio 2008- ore 17.00: Semaforo verde!! I problemi in partenza della Mv F4 312 R SBK non sono stati ancora risolti, e come per il Mugello, il pilota Prattichizzo ha affrontato una gara in salita perdendo moltissime posizioni alla partenza. Nello svolgere dei primi sette giri, grazie alla grinta e determinazione, il pilota risale la testa con un ritmo forsennato fino a guadagnare la quarta posizione che manterrà fino alla conclusione della gara. Sfortunatamente, Prattichizzo risulta impossibilitato a raggiungere i primi che avevano preso un discreto vantaggio già dalla partenza.
CLASSIFICA ATTUALE C.I.V. 2008, categoria SBK PBR-EK: Maurizio Prattichizzo - 26 Punti – 3° in classifica
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Written by Nigel Jones on May 06, 2008 at 03:05
Chris Burns put in two, very determined, rides at Oulton Park over the Bank Holiday weekend to come away with 2nd and 3rd places in the Daily Star Superbike Cup races. These results move Chris and the STP Motortsport MV Agusta British Superbike team into 2nd place in the overall standings.
With free practice going extremely well over the weekend the team was hopeful of qualifying for the races in a strong position. Unfortunately, due to the mixed weather during qualifying Chris found himself in third place out of the Cup riders and 20th overall on the grid. While disappointed, the team knew the potential of the bike and rider and were confident ahead of Monday’s races.
However, when the first race was stopped due to rain Chris found himself in pit lane for the restart as the team had not had enough time to change the settings on the bike. Undeterred he fought his way through the pack, with both bike and rider showing their full potential in the wet conditions. Chris was consistently putting in the fastest laps of the Cup racers, finishing with the overall fastest lap of 1:49.219, some two seconds per lap quicker than Steve Mercer, the eventual winner of the Cup race. With not enough laps to make up the lost ground on Mercer, Chris had to settle for 2nd place (16th overall out of 31 starters, and just out of the points in the main championship).
With race two being dry STP Motorsport MV Agusta was looking to build on race one but a startline incident saw Chris, once again, having to fight from the back. With fastest lap following fastest lap (culminating in a fastest lap time of 1:39.446, again the fastest of the Cup teams) he pulled back the lost places to claim the last step of the podium.
With 56 points the MV Agusta is now placed second in the Daily Star Cup 29 points behind the Ducati of John Laverty.
Warwick Nowland, Team Manager:
“We are really pleased with the results from Oulton Park, which are a testament to the team that we are developing at STP Motorsport and the particular efforts of Chris Burns who is competing against some extremely well-funded teams on a bike that is little more than a superstock machine at present. Our problem in qualifying was down to a development in the braking system that left us with insufficient wheels and we had to make the tyre choice on the weather at the time, which left us without a front slick when the track dried. Problems like this are annoying but they are inevitable as we continue to develop the MV Agusta F4 1000 Superbike.
“The progress that we are making as a team is encouraging for everybody and the developments that will be in place by Donington Park will make a considerable difference to the bike’s performance. The new electronics package will provide an edge and allow Chris to get off the start line that bit quicker. Chris and the bike are definitely on the pace now and we have to make sure that we give him the parts that he needs to be able to compete with the rest of the field. Once these parts arrive we are confident of continuing and building on our success”.
Chris Burns, Rider:
Not having the front slick at the end of the qualifying session certainly made a big difference to our qualifying position. However, our free practice times gave us the confidence that we had the pace for the races. If I hadn’t been forced to start from the pit lane in race one, the bike ‘bogging down’ on the start line in race two, I know I could have finished higher in both races. At the beginning of the season if somebody had said we would get three podiums from four starts it would have taken some believing. However, the team is working hard and we are benefiting from that effort. As a racer, though, you always want to improve and having tasted the podium again, after such a long time, I want to be stood on the top step as soon as possible. It will happen.”
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Written by pier luigi on May 05, 2008 at 10:05
Was a very difficult week end in Monza.
Luca started 2nd after to have broken engine.
First line was good,but only three laps only before to broke another one engine.
Sorry,those are the races....
Luca is optimistic for other races,Monza was no good track for MV.
Pier
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Written by Nigel Jones on April 29, 2008 at 14:04
Today was a day of track time at Donington Park for STP Motorsport. This was an opportunity to put some miles (kilometres?) on the bike before the race at Oulton Park on Monday (Holiday here in the UK). The team will be back at Donnington at the end of May, (yes another holiday :-))
I will try to keep you posted over the weekend on their progress.
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Written by pier luigi on April 22, 2008 at 04:04
Luca si è presentato in forma splendida al Mugello e tutto il team ha lavorato duramente per rendere la f4 312RR performante come non mai.
Tutti sapete cosa è successo in gara.
Un grazie particolare agli Ingegnari GOGGI/FANI/MARELLI,al Team Manager Gigi D'Esposito,a Federico Toti,Maci e tutti i meccanici!
Grandissimo secondo posto!
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