| Author | Message | ||
     Sprintst |
http://www.sportrider.com/news/wsbk-team-hero-ebr- skips-assen-race-two-to-analyze-engine-issues?src= SOC&dom=fb Notoriously a difficult track, Assen did not turn out to be too kind on Team Hero EBR. During the third WSBK round, Geoff May and Aaron Yates' hopes of a rematch after a difficult Superpole were shattered by engine failures during Race One, which was eventually stopped by red flags because of the smoke (and possibly oil) coming off May's 1190 RX. As a consequence, the team decided to opt out of Race Two and return to the race shop to examine the engines before returning to the track at Imola in two weeks. "It's the kind of decision that hurts," said Team Manager Giulio Bardi. "It wasn't pretty but it's the right thing to do. We decided to skip the afternoon race for two reasons. First, with only eight engines allowed per rider in the season, we want to make sure we understand what caused the failure before breaking a new seal. This, of course, wasn't something we could do in just an hour and a half in between races. Also, we want to make sure our riders are able to finish the race once we send them out there." EBR's twin-cylinder engines will be taken to Verdello, Italy (where the team's workshop is based), and thoroughly analyzed. "We won't send the engines to Wisconsin, since we already carry out their development in Italy," Bardi added. "We are in touch with the factory on a daily basis, so we will talk with them and decide the next steps together. The positive thing is that, before being forced to retire, both riders were able to reduce their gap by one second compared with yesterday. Aaron and Geoff were both having fun. We've surely made another step forward over the weekend." Meanwhile, the crew will keep developing the bike to narrow the gap from its counterparts, mainly focusing on outright power. "It's the price to pay when you're the last one joining the competition," Bardi reasoned. "Our development is non-stop. Here in Assen, we were forced to tweak the tail section of our exhaust pipes to match the noise requirements, but managed not to lose top power. We're still working on optimizing the output at lower regimes, but we're getting there." Imola's layout, which favors rideability over sheer power, should theoretically help EBR to get closer to the front. In two weeks' time, the first answers will come. | ||
| Sir_wadsalot |
Ohhhh that suuuucks. Better for them to blow it up on track & find a fault, than blow it up on the highway on the way to work, right? Still, doesn't "look good". |
