Month: April 2023

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João Curva doubles at TLC

After winning yesterday, João Curva took his BMW S1000R to his second victory this weekend today, Sunday, which marks the first race of the 2023 TLC Trophy season.

Continuing yesterday’s performance with the climb to the top of the podium, Curva set the second time in Sunday’s timed race (1.49.197s) which guaranteed him equal position on the starting grid. With a slower start than intended, the man in the S1000R found himself relegated to 5th at the end of the first lap.

Coming from pole and with the best time in the timed race (1:48.503s), Duarte Amaral ended up seeing his intentions for this first race of the championship achieved when he crashed at Curva 2 at Estoril and retired immediately. With this fall Amaral left the door open for Frédèric Bottoglieri. Triumph ST765RS, coming from third place on the grid, took the lead at that moment. But it was short-lived, as João Curva, growing stronger after a bad start, took first place in an exchange with Bottoglieri on the 3rd lap, a position he would maintain until the end.

After 10 laps of the Estoril Circuit, João Curva would win twice this weekend and start the 2023 season in the best way. The middle of the podium would go to Bottoglieri at 1.750s. At the bottom of the podium, but first among the “naked”, Paulo Vicente with his M1000R more than 4 seconds behind the curve.

In terms of classes, the Open triumph was once again in the hands of Rodrigo Amaral, followed by Fernando Mecier. On TBN 1 the top 3 were made up of João Curva, Paulo Vicente and Ricardo Amaral, while on TBN 2 the top three were Frédèric Bottoglieri, Romain Berton and Cyrille Schertenleib. André Capitão was the lone winner of SBK, and Raul Felgueiras and Márcio Silva in Super Sport.

Results

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Borges wins in the Supersport 300 with Alonso having two retirements

After yesterday’s retirement with one lap remaining, Tomás Alonso, reigning National Champion of the Superstock 300, secured pole position for Sunday’s race with a time of 1:53:438. Next to him was yesterday’s winner Dinis Borges who needed just another 0.149s to complete his fastest lap around the Estoril Circuit. Third on the grid went to Martim Garcia. The fight is relaunched.

With 8 of the 15 laps around the Estoril Circuit completed, champion and runner-up were running with a difference never exceeding 1s with Garcia more than 10s behind in third place. In addition to the fight at the front, 4th and 5th also aroused interest among the public who were present on this last sunny Sunday in April, with Martim Jesus and Rafael Damásio competing for position and with minimal differences at each lap.

But luck would be stepmother again for the national champion. The 14th lap seems to be unlucky for Alonso who, like yesterday, was forced to abandon, handing victory once again to Dinis Borges. This is a weekend to forget for the Quaresma Racing Team with Alonso’s two retirements to which must be added yesterday’s disqualification and today’s crash on the 15th lap of Rafael Damásio.

With the checkered flag already flying, national runner-up Dinis Borges celebrated by completing the weekend for Rame Moto Racing. In the middle of the podium, Martim Garcia more than 21s behind the winner followed by Martim Jesus more than 29s.

This is how the Superstock 300 season begins, with the close fight between Alonso and Borges setting the pace of the races just as it had been in 2022.

Results 

Circuito Estoril

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Two for Ivo Lopes in SBK and Gonçalo Ribeiro repeats in Superstock 600

After dominating on the first day of the start of the SBK National Speed ​​Championship, Ivo Lopes, the several-time national champion, secured Pole for race 2 by setting his fastest lap in 1:39.823. Alongside him on the front row are defending champion Romeu Leite (1:43.218s) and Marco Garcia (1:43823s).

Lopes, who returned to Nacional this season without forgetting the WSBK, started unopposed for the 15 laps of the Estoril Circuit and even in the first lap he already had a difference of more than 2 seconds between Romeu Leite and Marco Garcia.

After the first lap, Lopes, Leite and Garcia were comfortably installed in the top places with Lopes considerably increasing the gap to his pursuers and Gonçalo Ribeiro taking 3rd position in an exchange with Garcia.

The excitement was further back with the drivers in 4th and 8th place running at very close times, separated by thousandths of a second. And excitement was here as the race seemed to be set in terms of victory. But once again, and perhaps because it was the start of the season, the red flags came to create confusion.

João Rego (Yamaha R1, SBK), Corey Tinker (Yamaha R6), 1st in SuperStock and Pedro Fragoso (Yamaha R6), 2nd in Superstock compete against each other for 4th position overall braking for turn 1 at the start of the 10th lap to Estoril. This position would not suit any of the riders as in an attempt to overcome each other they all ended up in the gravel. Taking into account the positioning of the bikes and riders, the race was immediately interrupted.

New grid formed to complete the final 5 laps of the Estoril Circuit with Lopes (SBK) placing his BMW1000 on pole with Leite (R1) and Gonçalo Ribeiro (R6) at his side. Garcia maintained 4th place on the grid.

Red, Green… departure. Race without any more history. Absolute victory for Ivo Lopes (BMW 1000), leaving the reigning national champion Romeu Leite more than 22s behind. In the lowest place on the podium, more than 27s behind the winner and separated by just 0.056s, the 1st and 2nd men in Superstock Marco Garcia and Gonçalo Ribeiro, 3rd and 4th respectively. Miguel Romão is 5th overall, third in SBK and Tiago Morgado 6th overall and 3rd in Superstock.

Results 

Circuito Estoril