WSB at Brands Hatch is the biggest motorcycle event in the London area every year, pulling in 108,000 spectators this weekend for round eight of the championship. LB was in attendance for every day of the event, partnering up with our Technical Safety Partners, Adrenalin X at the circuit.
Contents-
Schedule-
Overview-
WSB Race One-
WSB Race Two-
Other Races-
Photo GalleriesScheduleFriday:
-All classes Free Practice
-All classes Qualifying Practice
Saturday:
-All classes Free Practice
-All classes Qualifying Practice
-Pit Walk
-Gary Rothwell stunt show
-Superbike Superpole
Sunday:
-Superstock 1000 race
-Pit Walk
-Gary Rothwell stunt show
-Honda Dream Team Aerobatics
-Superbike race 1
-Supersport race
-Red Devils Parachute drop
-Superbike race 2
OverviewIf you've not been to a WSB race meeting before, you're in for a treat, it's a real great weekend to be had and Brands Hatch is perfect venue for it. The circuit is easy to get to by road (A20/M20), has more than ample parking for cars and bikes, and has a heavy Police presence to ensure that each vehicle goes home with its legitimate owner.
The circuit is filled with stalls and displays, selling a huge array of bike & clothing accessories at discounted prices. The major bike manufacturers also have rigs set up for showing off their road-going versions of the WSB machines, and charities or schemes are also promoted, i.e. Bike Safe, Riders for Health, etc.
The circuit is also blessed with a permanent ACU-approved Mini-Moto race circuit in the shape of the main circuit itself. This circuit is run by the Adrenalin X store and was in use constantly throughout the weekend. Adrenalin X was open all weekend as well, selling its usual range of protective & casual safety clothing, with additional stalls from KTM Bracken, DreamBike and mountain-bike stunt show M.A.D. Custom ear-plugs were also being made-to-measure in store and Dainese themselves were on hand to provide help customers.
The circuit has great provision for spectators, with huge grand-stands and general viewing areas at all parts of the circuit. Due to the varying altitude of the circuit, it's quite easy to see a large portion of the circuit no matter where you stand because of the hills. An LB favourite is around the Paddock Hill and Druids area, though it's well worth the walk around the circuit checking out all corners.
Friday and Saturday are busy but relaxed days for both riders and spectators, with most attendees either camping overnight or just visiting for the individual days. The circuit has a couple of bars that are open all day, with the party mood going on well through the night. Sunday is the most hectic day, being race-day, and when most spectators will arrive. Throughout the day there's various track action, stunt shows on both the ground and in the air, then the races themselves which are heavily commented on by the generally good P.A system (though it's painfully loud in some parts, ruining the view in these parts).
After the races on Sunday, a party-mood develops for both spectators and racers, with a special VIP after-party taking place in the paddock for the racers and their team members, with the Corona hospitality unit. LB was lucky enough to gain access to this and photos can be found in the Sunday gallery (link at bottom).
WSB Race OneTroy Corser may have started from pole and won at Brands Hatch, but the first of two races was anything but a formality with the lead changing between him and Noriyuki Haga for lap after lap around the Grand Prix circuit. Regis Laconi was the third of three riders who stayed together until the end, with Chris Vermeulen fourth. Chris Walker followed Vermeulen home in fifth with Karl Muggeridge sixth. James Toseland's Ducati lasted until lap ten before the reigning champion was forced to retire with an electrical problem.
Corser got off the line well and got into the lead at the first corner, with Haga another rider to make a fast start. Haga got up into third as Walker and Toseland battled through Druids. Walker won the battle to keep fifth, where he had started, as the first lap ended. Toseland got ahead of Walker for two laps before the Kawasaki retook the position; Walker remained the top Brit until Toseland retired on lap 10.
Haga was clearly quick and, after taking second away from Muggeridge he began to look for a way ahead of Corser. He took the lead at Druids on lap three but Corser was soon ahead, and that continued for lap after lap.
Stirlings, Druids, Paddock Hill Bend, Graham Hill Bend, Hawthorns, there was hardly a place where the pair didn't swap places, and were clearly evenly matched. Haga, who won the double at Brands Hatch in 2004, appeared to be quicker at times but Corser judged the final move to perfection, edging ahead at Clearways on lap 24, giving him one final lap to defend for Suzuki's first win at Brands Hatch. In fact, it was the first World Superbike victory for a manufacturer other than Ducati or Honda.
The race wasn't just a battle between the first two though, as a five-bike train formed between the leaders at the start of the race. As Haga and Corser swapped places, Muggeridge followed closely before Laconi got past on lap six, and then Walker on lap 13. After that point, the front three began to pull away from Walker, who had Vermeulen close behind.
With nothing between Walker and Vermeulen, the Australian tried a move at Hawthorns several times, only to run wide each time and allowed Brit Walker to get ahead. The crowd loved it air horns and cheers went off each time they went past. Walker managed to hold out until the penultimate lap when Vermeulen, like Corser on Haga, got ahead and stayed there until the end.
It was a disappointment again for Pier Francesco Chilli; he did not qualify for Superpole yesterday and during the race had a mechanical failure that left him sidelined and hoping to score some serious points in the second race later on this afternoon.
WSB Race TwoNoriyuki Haga took a popular victory at Brands Hatch in the second World Superbike race, after refusing to give in to pressure from race one winner Troy Corser. Corser tried to take the lead on the final lap but ended up running wide at Westfield, and the win was Haga's. Chris Vermeulen got third ahead of highest Briton, Chris Walker, while James Toseland dropped down the order to finish seventh.
As in race one, Corser got away from pole into the lead at Paddock Hill Bend as Karl Muggeridge got into second, Haga third and Toseland fourth. Walker lost out at the first corner and dropped from fifth to eighth, before making his way back up the order through the race.
Haga was determined not to lose out as he had in race one, when Corser took the lead on the penultimate lap, and immediately began to attack Muggeridge for second. He gained the place at Graham Hill Bend on lap two but as soon as he did Muggeridge got on the power too quickly and high-sided on the exit, which left him out of the race.
The Japanese rider was then onto Corser, and took the lead at the end of the lap. Crossing the line virtually arm in arm at around 150mph, the pair went into Paddock Hill Bend with Haga on the outside, and the lead was his. Corser would get it back on lap five, only to lose it again, this time with Haga on the inside.
Toseland needed a good result at Brands Hatch if he was to get his title chances back on track, but after an electrical problem in race one, race two was not much better. Heading to the grid on his spare bike he felt a vibration, and his repaired race one bike was wheeled out as a replacement. The reigning champion held third until lap 12, after which point he began to drop down the order. Vermeulen took third from him, and would remain there until the end.
Moving back up the order after the start, Walker got fifth from Toseland on the 16th lap and began to chase Regis Laconi, getting fourth on lap 20.
After holding station behind Haga for most of the race, Corser went on the attack on the final lap and gunned it out of Surtees. The Australian edged ahead but Haga wasn't going to give in and held on through Hawthorns. Corser took the lead very briefly before running wide at Westfield and was almost on the grass, handing the victory to Haga. With the relentless pace that the frontrunners had set though, Corser could still hold on to second as Haga blasted across the line to a roar of cheers and air horns.
Corser's win and second place, compared to his closest challenger Vermeulen's fourth and third, puts him on a total of 344 to Vermeulen's 234. Regis Laconi is third with 214 and Kagayama fourth on 172. Haga's high score puts him sixth, with 167.
Other RacesWORLD SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP Sebastian Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) won his sixth race of the season, ahead of young charger Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda) and Yamaha rider Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany). Former Brands race winner Stephane Chambon (Gil Motorsports Honda) scored an impressive fourth ahead of Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda) and Katsuaki Fujiwara (Winston Ten Kate Honda). Alessio Corradi (Ducati Selmat) was the top Ducati finisher (seventh) ahead of local wild card Craig Jones (Northpoint Ekerold Honda).
Charpentier now leads Fujiwara by a whopping 190 points to Fuji's 116, with Curtain third on 109. Fourth place Foret is separated by only three points from his team mate Fabrizio, with Foret on 85 and Fabrizio on 83.
SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP A runaway five second win by Turkish rider Kenan Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motor Germany) saw him top the championship with a score of 111 points, 18 ahead of second placed rider, Craig Coxhell (EMS Suzuki), who was fifth in the race. Four riders battled for second place at one stage, but in an eventual man-to-man battle, Luca Scassa (Ormeni Racing Yamaha R1) scored second place, ahead of Alessandro Polita (Celani Suzuki Italia). Craig Coxhell was beaten into fifth place by Alstare Suzuki rider, Riccardo Chiarello, after dropping pace mid race.
SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Claudio Corti (Trasimeno Yamaha) took the win in the smaller Superstock class, with Niccolo Canepa (Bertocchi Kawasaki) in second place, only 0.5 seconds down after Corti's earlier domination. Yoann Tiberio (Team Megabike Junior Honda) retired from the race leaving Maxine Berger third. The points score now stands at Corti 136, Tiberio 110 and Canepa 85.
Related ContentSaturday's photo gallerySunday's photo galleryRelated Linkswww.adrenalinx.comwww.worldsbk.comwww.motorsportvision.co.uk/brands-hatch
