StoneBaker lead the field at Magny Cours
03-10-2008
StoneBaker have completed a successful first day at Magny Cours. Dan Linfoot headed both the Free Practice and opening Qualifying timesheets. Gino Rea is seventh after crashing out, uninjured, in wet track conditions during Q1. Saturday sees the team contest the second Qualifying session and all-important ten-lap race.
Linfoot to ride at Macau Grand Prix
28-09-2008
(Article submitted by independent source.)
Dan Linfoot's season won't be coming to an end when he completes the final two rounds of the European Superstock 600 Championship as scheduled, in which he currently lies fifth. Shortly afterwards in November, the 20-year-old Knaresborough rider will experience the challenge of "real roads" racing when he enters the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix for the first time.
Located on the south-east coast of China in what was once a Portuguese province, the annual Macau Grand Prix is known for being an international street circuit event in which both car and motorcycle races are held. Former winners around the 3.8-mile course include Kevin Schwantz, Carl Fogarty and Ron Haslam.
Although the idea to enter the event was raised early in the year by the team Dan rides for in the Superstock championship, StoneBaker Racing, Linfoot saw his hopes dashed when the squad later announced they would be disbanding at the end of the season. A trip to the Isle of Man just after the famous TT races had been held only strengthened his desire to try his hand at pure road racing and explore it a possible future career option. Later, whilst following up various options within the British race paddock to secure a ride for 2009, Dan held discussions with leading team manager Rob McElnea and suddenly the opportunity to ride at Macau was back on.
Linfoot will run under McElnea's "Pro Ride" banner aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6 in the Supersport class within the main 15-lap race, which is open to both World Superbike and MotoGP specification machinery. Practice and qualifying begins on November 13th with the race being held two days later on Saturday November 15th.
Explaining his decision to enter a real roads race for the first time, Dan says: "I have always taken interest in the roads, but have never had the chance to do anything about it. My trip to the Isle of Man earlier in the year was a real eye-opener as far as making me aware of how much bigger the sport appears to be over the water. It wasn't even TT week but everything still seemed to revolve around bikes. So for somebody who has been brought up with bikes all his life and wants to make a career out of the sport, I began to see the TT and road racing as another great chance to showcase a rider's talent."
He continues: "Macau will be all about introducing me to real road racing. I've never ridden a motorcycle on a public road before so I have to go there open minded, looking to learn a huge amount and to ride within my limits. I already respect the circuit and whilst I expect to be competitive I am not setting my sights on achieving a podium finish or anything similar. This is going to be my first time away from a short circuit and I think to set above-board targets could impact negatively on me. I hope to gain valuable circuit knowledge for future years and to confirm my belief that real road racing is another avenue I should explore. I am looking forward to the whole experience, especially competing on a new motorcycle and working with the guys from Rob McElnea's team, which I am going to make the most of."
Team Manager McElnea added: "This is a great opportunity for both Dan and myself. The Macau GP is a huge international stage and one I am sure Dan is looking forward to. Dan is refreshing with his outlook to the road-racing scene and sees this event as a great experience, one I am sure he will relish. We are keen to see how Dan performs on our bike and to evaluate his feedback, although we are also mindful of this being his first visit to Macau and indeed his first-ever road race so it is crucial he takes the learning curve step-by-step and enjoys every minute. We will be his pillion riders back at base!"
Sixth podium finish of the season for StoneBaker at Donington Park
07-09-2008
2008 European Superstock 600 Championship
Rd 08 - Donington Park
Race - 10 laps, Sunday September 7th
StoneBaker Racing served up another huge slice of excitement in the eighth round race of the 2008 European Superstock 600 Championship at Donington Park today. After ten extremely hard-fought laps, the Yamaha's of team riders Gino Rea and Dan Linfoot crossed the finishing line just seven-hundredths of a second apart in third and fourth place respectively to notch up the squad's sixth podium of the season.
Heavy rain had plagued the Derbyshire circuit for the previous two days of qualifying. Riding on a saturated track, Linfoot crashed out of the first wet timed session but then bounced back to claim fourth place in the dying moments of the second, nudging Rea back onto the front of the next row in the process.
Although conditions had improved for the start of the race, the track was still wet from an earlier downpour. Rea took the holeshot but was passed by Italian Marco Bussolotti (Yamaha) going into the opening Redgate corner. By the end of the first lap, Rea had also been passed by Linfoot and was coming under intense pressure from fellow Briton Alex Lowes (Kawasaki).
With all three riders fighting wheel-to-wheel, Lowes worked his way past Rea and Linfoot over the next four laps and then made good his escape. This left the StoneBaker boys to battle against each other and their machines which, shod with wet tyres on a rapidly drying track, began to lose traction. The duo ran together as one, sliding into the corners and nearly coming together on several occasions. Rea pulled ahead of Linfoot on lap eight and although the pair swapped positions four times on the final lap, it was Rea who got to the finishing line first by the narrowest of margins.
With championship leaders Loris Baz (Yamaha) and Patrick Vostarek (Honda) finishing further down the field, Rea and Linfoot retain their fourth and fifth places in the series. Both riders have scored valuable points today to close up the margin at the top of the championship table with two rounds remaining.
Gino Rea (Race 3rd, Championship 4th):
"That was a pretty exciting race, the most fun I've had all year. At the start when the track was wet I feel I had the pace to stay with the leaders, but as it dried out the surface got greasy. Our set-up was good for the wet, but in the dry the back started spinning up. There was a lot of fairing-rubbing going on at the end and it was hard to battle with Dan and keep the bike on two wheels. But overall it's been a good weekend. I'd like to say thanks to the whole team and especially to Andy Williams, my mechanic. I'd like to get a win before the end of the season. Ideally, I'd have done it here today but I'm happy with my podium and a victory at either of the last two rounds will do."
Dan Linfoot (Race 4th, Championship 5th):
"In those conditions I was happy to just stay on the bike today, I could have crashed three or four times on each lap. We lost a full half-hour of valuable wet set-up time in the first qualifying session and that had an impact on me today. When I cracked the throttle open the rear wheel would spin and there was no drive forward. Once Gino got past I decided to hold back and see where he was faster and slower than me. I got ahead of him twice on the last lap and thought I had it covered but he came back under me both times. My championship targets are now Gino and Bussolotti, they're the two riders I can realistically still get ahead of."
Andrew Stone (Joint Team Owner):
"I've just gone through two batteries on the pacemaker watching that! Fair play to Alex (Lowes) who rode brilliantly and seemed to have just that bit more grip than we did. Both our riders used their heads today, I told them that if anyone who was not a championship contender got in the way to just let them go, points make prizes as I've said before. I'm really proud of Gino and Dan. It's a shame that Dan seems to keep missing out on that final step of the podium at the moment. A one-two finish is still our goal, it would be a real achievement for the team and the boys as well as a great way to end our season."
2008 European Superstock 600 Championship
Rd 08 - Donington Park
Race result - 10 laps
1. Marco Bussolotti, ITA (Yamaha): 18'11.205
2. Alex Lowes, GBR (Kawasaki): + 00'05.559
3. Gino Rea GBR (Yamaha): + 00'11.227
4. Dan Linfoot GBR (Yamaha): +00'11.298
2008 European Superstock 600 Championship
Championship positions after 8 of 10 rounds
1. Loris Baz, FRA (Yamaha): 146pts
2. Patrick Vostarek, CZE (Honda): 121pts
3. Marco Bussolotti, ITA (Yamaha): 107pts
4. Gino Rea, GBR (Yamaha): 97pts
5. Dan Linfoot, GBR (Yamaha): 87pts
Sponsors
Team StoneBaker.
The great race at the new Portimao circuit brings an end to our season in World Superbike Superstock 600, with riders Gino Rea and Dan Linfoot.
The season has been a success with Gino third and Dan fifth in the championship standings following three victories and five additional podiums in total. The results have also acted as a stepping stone to the riders for next season, with both securing high profile, career progressing rides for 2009.
Thank you for all of the emails, calls, texts and visits throughout the year. It has been much appreciated.
