Kawasaki Racing's Tom Sykes, the 2013 World SBK Champion
Kawasaki Racing’s Tom Sykes, the 2013 World SBK Champion2014 World SBK Qualifying ChangesThe Tissot Superpole format has changed for 2014 World Superbike. Instead of three sessions that dwindle down the top-qualifying riders, there will be a new two-session format.
The Superpole format is now similar to MotoGP’s qualifying, and free practice will play a larger role in the battle for pole position.Following practice, the top 20 riders will battle in two, 15-minute Superpole sessions. The top 10 of those riders will go directly to Superpole 2. The other 10 will battle in Superpole 1, with the top two riders of that session heading to Superpole 2.Those 12 riders will then battle for the top 12 qualifying positions, and the remaining grid will line up as they qualified based on their best times in Superpole 1 and free practice.World SBK says “This change is part of an effort to make WSBK and GP Sporting Rules as similar as possible, to create a common ground in terms of regulations that can help circuit organizers, marshals and everyone involved in both series.”2014 World SBK Tissot-Superpole – New Procedure
The top 20 riders classified after the Free Practice 1, 2 and 3 sessions will take part in Tissot-Superpole
The 10 fastest riders will be seeded directly into to Superpole 2 while the riders classified 11th to 20th will take part in Superpole 1
The fastest two riders in Superpole 1 will progress to Superpole 2, making a total of 12 riders competing for the first 12 grid positions
Both Superpole sessions will run for 15 minutes each. There will be a break of 10 minutes in between Superpole 1 and Superpole 2
KTM RC 390 and Gordon McCall of Quail Motorcycle Gathering
byMotos and Friends by Ultimate Motorcycle
Hello and welcome once again to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast—Motos and Friends.
This week’s Podcast is brought to you by Yamaha motorcycles. Discover how the YZF-R7 provides the perfect balance of rider comfort and true supersport performance by checking it out at YamahaMotorsports.com, or see it for yourself at your local dealer.
This week features Senior Editor Nic de Sena’s impressions of the new KTM RC 390. The entry-level KTM has always been an impressive motorcycle that has sold extremely well, however the factory has now taken the bike to another level, with top-spec features that are typically found on flagship machines. Clearly KTM has realized that even smaller engined machines should have high spec suspension, brakes and electronics packages. Nic tells us how well the new RC 390 is equipped, and what he thought of riding the smaller displacement rocket.
In the second segment I chat with automotive and motorcycle industry icon, Gordon McCall. Gordon is the Director of Motorsports at the Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel Valley, California.
This weekend of Saturday May 14th sees the annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering re-start after its Covid-forced hiatus, and having attended every one of the previous Motorcycle Gatherings, personally I’m very happy that the event is back on the schedule. Gordon chats about the event and a little of what’s happening this year. It’s a great event and if you feel like a trip to the gorgeous Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley, you’ll get to meet Gordon, Roland Sands, and of course a large number of stunning motorcycles too.
From all of us at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!
