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OW CUP Hockenheim 06/07-08 – Podium feast and other moments..

Hockenheim07-08-2016
The next races of the OW Cup took place at the Hockenheim circuit. Almost the entire team was already present on Friday for the training day. The weather forecast was fine and everyone was motivated to achieve good results. No one could imagine that it would lead to a great podium feast.

NK Supercup 600 – Greg Barnes#67 and Mark van Bunnik#77
On Friday there was only a free practice, on Saturday there were two qualifications. Together with Luc van Gerven#36, the riders were in one group by merging the classes Supercup and Procup 600. The training ended with both riders qualifying within 0.1 seconds of each other. Mark van Bunnik#77 on the 27th position and Greg Barnes#67 on the 29th position.
Around half past 5 the first race was planned for 15 min. and 1 round. Greg Barnes#67 had another one of his super starts and already had passed some riders in the first corner, including Mark van Bunnik#77. The next two corners it was very close between the two riders, with Mark passing Greg on the brakes at the end of the main straight. The rest of the race, both riders could pass some others, but the order between the teammates remained the same. Unfortunately, the race was terminated by a red flag situation in the 7th round. Greg Barnes#67 achieved a 24th position and Mark van Bunnik#77 ended 23rd.
Below the onboard videos from both riders from the race on on Saturday:
 
Sunday morning started with a warm up of 10 minutes. At 10:50h the next race was scheduled for 20 minutes and 2 laps. Like the day before, Greg Barnes#67 had another lightning start and dived into the first corner, just before Luc van Gerven#36 and Mark van Bunnik#77. Already in the 2nd corner Luc van gerven#36 passed Greg on the brakes and took off as a bullet. Mark van Bunnik#77 followed Greg Barnes#67 for a few laps until in the 3rd lap the race was stopped by a red flag situation. At the restart Mark van Bunnik#77 had a very bad start. Both Greg Barnes#67 and Luc van Gerven#36 passed him already into the first corner. In the third lap Luc had a moment at the exit of the Sachs Kurve which saw Mark again right behind him and in the next lap Mark could pass. Greg Barnes#67 had already disappeared into the distance. Especially when a few laps later Mark van Bunnik#77 also had a moment in the Sachs Kurve and rejoined the race as one of the last riders. Eventually Greg Barnes#67 earned 21st position and Mark van Bunnik#77 a 28th position.

Both riders have greatly improved their PR, but with the very high level of riding and fast material of the other riders in this topclass of the NK, it is almost impossible to end further up with our standard material. But still….we have FUN!!
Below the onboard videos from both riders from the race on Sunday:
  
NK Procup 600 – Luc van Gerven#36
As indicated above, Luc van Gerven#36 competed this weekend with the riders of the Supercup 600 in the same group. The two qualifications on Saturday were finished very well, because Luc was allowed to start in his class from 2nd position. Later, it actually turned out to be a pole position, because the pole man cut off a corner and thus obtained a fast time. After a reasonable start Luc van Gerven#36 could hold his position, but during the race he had to give in a place and eventually finished in a well deserved 3rd position and climbed the podium later that day.

On Sunday Luc was very motivated to continue the good result. This time he was allowed to leave from pole in his class and had a fantastic start and entered the first corner just behind Greg Barnes#67. The next corner he passed Greg Barnes#67 and left his teammates behind him until the red flag was waved in the 3rd lap and the race was restarted. Upon entering the pit lane with the team, his engine did not sound ok. A heavier sound came out of the exhaust and probably an exhaust gasket had shifted or leaked. This did not stop him to resume the race again at the restart. The restart was reasonable and Luc van Gerven#36 was again just behind Greg Barnes#67 into the first corner. In the third lap however, exiting the Sachs Kurve, he was almost thrown out of the seat and was off the gas. This allowed Mark van Bunnik#77 to pass him a lap later. The next lap a tense moment happened again when Luc van Gerven#36 went of the track entering the Motodrome but fortunately he could just keep his motorcycle upright. Because of this he lost touch with the leaders and finally finished his class in 6th position and unfortunately not a podium.

NK Procup 1000 – Thorsten Burger#38
After riding his familiar Kawasaki earlier this year, Thorsten Burger#38 switched to a Ducati Panigale during this season. After solving some teething problems and assembling telemetry, the Ducati was painted in Docshop Racing colors for this weekend and ready for the double races. Thorsten Burger#38 was feeling relaxed after a warm holiday and ready to achieve a good result. Already in qualifying on Saturday, everything turned out to be all right and resulted in a 2nd starting position. After some instructions from our data specialist , the first race was started and a fierce battle began for the first three places. Finally Thorsten Burger#38 finished in 2nd place with a difference of 0.1 seconds to the first rider.
Thorsten podium 2eplek
The 2nd race on Saturday was a different story. The track was a little wet due to a light rainshower and the race thus started with a damp track. Thorsten Burger#38 was very cautious at the beginning of the race and did not want to risk anything, certainly not himself and the new Ducati. He eventually fought his way back from 8th place to the front of his class and even passed a rider on the last corner which resulted in a podiumfinish yet again, this time on the 3rd position!
Thorsten podium 3eplek

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