Two pole positions and a front row start for Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad at Cadwell Park

Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad riders Steve Brogan and Richard Cooper battled their BMW S 1000 RRs through wind and rain to secure two pole positions in the BSB-EVO and 1000cc Superstock classes. New addition to the team Tristan Palmer delivered an equally strong performance which will see him start from third position on the front row.

Brogan - who broke into the Superbike top ten during the rain-swept free practice - put in a sterling performance in the sunnier Q1 and Q2 sessions to qualify as top BSB-EVO rider and in 18th position overall.

Jentin Racing-BWM Motorrad BSB-EVO rider Steve Brogan said: "In Q1 I had a good clear five laps - but I was conscious that a few of the other EVO guys were trying to copy my lines so I pulled over and let them by. I got my head down and put in another two  fast laps, my best of the weekend so far, and that was enough to keep me in 10th overall and well in the cut off zone for Q2.

"In Q2 I was on probably my best lap of the weekend when I got held up in the Woodland section and that really messed it up for me. I got back on it but the lap times weren't coming, I think I was trying a bit too hard, but by then my tyres were gone. Overall I'm happy to be the top EVO rider but I would have liked to put more of a gap on the other riders. I'm confident that I can get a good start tomorrow and head for a couple of podium finishes."

Richard Cooper returns to the team after a three-race break for surgery to cure his arm pump. Cooper finished top of the Superstock 1000 time sheets with no other rider able to match the blistering lap he set in yesterday's qualifying session.

Cooper is on the first of three BMW S 1000 RRs heading up the Superstock grid with championship leader Jon Kirkham second and Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad team mate Tristan Palmer in third. Unfortunately Richard ended today's qualifying session in the gravel after a wind-assisted off-track excursion when strong gust caused him to lose the front end at Charlie's.

Richard Cooper said: "That's not the best way to end an otherwise fantastic comeback! I've been desperate to get back on a bike since my operation and in the previous practice and qualifying sessions I've been flying. I feel I'm riding the best ever and I'm very, very pleased to take my first ever Superstock pole position.

"I'd like to thank the team for all their support over the season and I'm happy to reward them with a pole position and hopefully a bit of silverware tomorrow."

Following Tristan's impressive performances for the team in Richard's absence, Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad have put together another Superstock S 1000 RR for him to compete on over the rest of the season. The team have had only seven days to build and prepare the bike so Tristan and the mechanics have been working hard over the practice and qualifying sessions get it fighting fit.

Tristan Palmer said: "I'm very happy to be on the front row alongside Richard. We've all had to work really hard to get the bike on the pace and - considering it only arrived in the workshop a week ago - I really couldn't have asked for anything more! The bike's getting better and better each session and we're now just fine tuning it.

"We've got a bit of time in warm up in the morning to try a few more tweaks but I'm happy that we have a good race pace and I hope Richard and I can both get on the podium in tomorrow's race."

Tomorrow's racing kicks off at 12:35 with the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 race and the two MCE British Superbikes and Mirror.co.uk BSB-EVO races at 13:30 and 16:40 - and can be seen on the Eurosport 2 channel.

Starting positions for the Mirror.co.uk BSB-EVO race

Steve Brogan (Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad)
Gary Johnson (AIM Suzuki)
Paul Pekkanen (Suzuki 777 RR Motorsport)
Craig Fitzpatrick (Honda CLose Print Finance)
James Edmeades (Redline KTM)

Starting positions for the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 race

Richard Cooper (Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad)
Jon Kirkham (Clarks BMW)
Tristan Palmer (Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad)
Glen Richards (Padgetts Honda)
Scott Smart (Moto Rapido Ducati)

Simo Kirssi wins 2010 German Cross Country series on BMW G 450 X

Simo Kirssi has earned the title honours in this year’s German Cross Country Championship with one round still to go. The 30-year-old Team BMW Husqvarna Motorsport rider sealed yet another series victory with a third place finish at Mühlhausen, but it didn’t come without drama for the ‘flying Finn’.



A severe thunderstorm crossed the ‘Airtime Area’ one third into main event – the Sunday afternoon pro race – turning the perfectly prepared track into a mud pool within minutes. Kirssi had ruled the proceedings before the rain came, as he dominated the early stages on his BMW factory enduro machine. The downpour didn’t make a difference in the race order at first, but then Simo took a bad line and crashed, leaving fellow countryman Samuli Aro with the opportunity to take the lead.

Kirssi battled back and looked set to re-capture the lead but then his engine died while riding through a deep waterhole, which was just 50 metres from the finish line. At the very same moment the officials decided to red-flag the race due to safety concerns, so Kirssi summoned up the strength to push his bike past the chequered flag, although German rider Chris Gundermann was able to get past and therefore demoted him to third place.

The new champion was satisfied with the outcome, though. He had shown once again that with four victories to his name he was the man to beat in this year’s series, and he enjoyed a dominant run all year, which was only really affected when something unusual happened – like this freak storm at Mühlhausen. Regardless, his team all had reason to celebrate what is Kirssi’s third German title and his second aboard the powerful BMW G 450 X.

“That was pure drama – it almost felt like the end of the world out there,” joked Kirssi after the race was over. “This is an outdoor sport, so you have to accept the forces of nature I guess! I was able to reel in Samuli after my crash, but had no idea that the race was about to be red-flagged anyway; that’s why I attempted a pass about 50 metres from the finish line. This of course turned out to be a bad move, as the bike fatally stopped, but at least I was able to push it over the finish line.”



German Cross Country Championship, Round 6, Mühlhausen results
1. Samuli Aro (FIN), KTM, 12 laps
2. Chris Gundermann (GER), Yamaha, 12
3. Simo Kirssi (FIN), BMW Husqvarna Motorsport, 12
4. Chris Weiß (GER), TM, 12
5. Steffen Albrecht (GER), Yamaha, 12
6. Stefan Svitko (SVK), KTM, 12
7. Marco Straubel (GER), KTM, 12
8. Mickael Musquin (FRA), BMW, 12
9. Martin Schneider (GER), Yamaha, 10
10. Andreas Schulz (GER), KTM, 10

German Cross Country Championship, Points standings after round six (of seven)
1. Simo Kirssi, 162
2. Samuli Aro, 137
3. Stefan Svitko, 126
4. Steffen Albrecht, 112
5. Chris Weiß, 111
6. Marco Straubel, 111
7. Hans Vogels, 99
8. Andreas Schulz, 70
9. Mickael Musquin, 67
10. Martin Schneider, 65

Mini Cooper's back!

Three's (not) a crowd for Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad at Cadwell Park

The bank holiday weekend's racing will see the much-anticipated return for Richard Cooper alongside fellow Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad riders Steve Brogan and Tristan Palmer. Tristan, who has been standing in for Richard, is staying on with the team for the remainder of the season and will compete alongside Cooper in the Superstock championship.

Cooper was out of action for three rounds following an operation to banish the arm pump which troubled him earlier in the season. Following a trip to a specialist surgeon in Belgium and successful recuperation period, Richard has just completed a full test day at Silverstone on his BMW S 1000 RR.

Superstock rider Richard Cooper said: "This was my first time on the a bike in over six weeks and I felt a bit rusty at first but it's a great feeling just to be able to start an engine up again. The last time I raced here it was disappointing, my arm pump held me back and I couldn't ride like I wanted to but I didn't have any problems today - which is a great sign - so we're now looking forward to Cadwell.

"It'll be a bit of a bonus having Tristan as my team mate - we can bounce ideas off each other and having a friendly rival should get us both riding even faster! I'm excited at the prospect of returning to racing - I've been away for three rounds but it feels like a lot longer - and I can't wait for the weekend."

Stand-in rider Tristan Palmer, who took the team's BMW S 1000 RR from pole position to race win at Snetterton while Richard Cooper was having surgery, is joining the team as their second Superstock rider. Tristan - currently second in the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 championship - will be lining up alongside Richard for the rest of the season.

The team's BSB-EVO rider Steve Brogan is preparing for a charge on the number one spot. Following a truly mixed bag of results at Brands Hatch - a win, a crash and a puncture - Brogan is confident in the team's setup and aims to leave the weekend with a nice points haul and a healthy championship lead.

Bernie Toleman, Team Manager, said: "We've just finished a very promising test day at Silverstone with Richard. The plan was for him to familiarize himself with the S 1000 RR again get used to spending time riding at racing speeds - and he's done very well. The whole team is very pleased to have Richard back in his rightful place on his bike.

"And we're also excited that Tristan can continue to race with us. He's is a top rider and a nice guy and it's great to be able to give him the opportunity. With the extra support from our sponsors and the team's hard work, we've been able to put together a third bike for him to race.

"Our aim this weekend is for Richard to get used to riding at race pace and competing once again - then we can look to the rest of the season. Tristan delivered a race win at Snetteron and a gutsy ride at Brands Hatch so we're confident he can deliver more of the same while Steve is only two points off the top spot in the Mirror.co.uk BSB-EVO standings and we aim to leave on Monday with the championship lead."

The bank holiday weekend Cadwell Park racing kicks off with the first qualifying sessions on Saturday afternoon. Jentin Racing-BWM Motorrad will be racing on Bank Holiday Monday.

For photos, news and regular updates on the Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad team, check out the website at www.jentin-racing.com

Zé Hélio shows potential of the new Speedbrain BMW

Brazilian rider Zé Hélio dominated the early going of the Rally dos Sertoes until a stone shattered his victory hopes. The rally is the second longest behind the Dakar and part of the Cross Country Rally World Championship.

Zé Hélio gave his debut for the German Speedbrain Rally Team. The multi-time Sertoes winner´s race weapon has been built based on the BMW 450 X. Zé Hélio displayed blitzing speed already in the prologue, where he placed runner-up to fellow countryman Felipe Zanol. He went on to capture the first stage win the very next day, taking the chequered flag three minutes ahead of rally legend Marc Coma aboard his KTM 690. Zé Hélio wasn´t quite as successful during stage two. He followed the wrong route, but still maintained his leadership position. Stage number three then saw Zé Hélio extend his lead until a stone hit his bike and damaged the oil line. The engine lost all its liquid and Zé Hélio failed to reach the finish on his own.

Suddenly his dream of winning had gone out the window. A devastated Zé Hélio began the next day in the national class, meaning he had to start from the back of the pack. The Brazilian had to bite a lot of dust, yet his team used the opportunity to test the new bike and gain valuable competition time. Despite the now difficult circumstances, Zé Hélio scored a remarkable third place during the marathon stage, where he had to come from way behind again.

Ramon Volkart, the second Speedbrain BMW rider finished the Sertoes in ninth place. Volkart used a stock bike that had been optimised with a Speedbrain kit. Without any technical problems and after 4,500 kilometers, he was able to earn second place in the super production class (up to 450cc).

Zé Hélio: "I´d like to thank Speedbrain and the whole team for the great bike. I was in a position to win the race until disaster struck. It was not about the bike though, which has tremendous potential. I am impressed with the engine and the way the bike handles in the sand. An additional thanks goes to BMW Brazil. I hope to receive such support in the future as well."

Around the world with the S 1000 RR

In only its second season in the Superbike World Championship, the S 1000 RR is already having a big impact. Furthermore, all around the world, motorcycle racers are discovering that BMW’s new Superbike has exactly what it takes – straight out of the box – to win races. Here’s a summary of BMW S 1000 RR success so far in 2010…

WSBK
The thousands of passionate BMW fans that gathered at the historic Monza circuit early in May and who were watching around the world were in for a treat, as BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider Troy Corser achieved the team’s first ever World Superbike podium. After a four-way battle at the front between himself, Max Biaggi, Leon Haslam and Cal Crutchlow at the high-speed circuit, Corser secured his 129th WSBK podium – but importantly – the first ever for the S 1000 RR and BMW Motorrad Motorsport.

Since then, Corser has gone on to record another podium finish – at Misano at the end of June – as well as achieving the team’s first ever pole position. Roll on Silverstone in August…

Superstock 1000 FIM Cup
After six rounds of 10 in this year’s Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, the S 1000 RR has been in a class of its own with BMW Motorrad Team Italia’s Ayrton Badovini being equally Unstoppable in this important race series that supports the Superbike World Championship at all its European rounds.

Six convincing wins from six races so far in 2010 means that Badovini currently has a maximum 150 points in the rider standings – currently more than twice that of second-placed rider Michael Magnoni. His team-mate Daniele Beretta also showed his potential by finishing on the podium in Monza and finishing fourth in Brno, elevating him to tenth in the standings.

With these impressive results, BMW leads the Manufacturers Standings by a clear margin over distant challengers Honda and Suzuki. The Superstock 1000 FIM Cup returns at the beginning of September at Silverstone. Who would bet against Badovini securing the championship at this round?

France
After four rounds of the 2010 French Superbike Championship, it’s success all the way for BMW Motorrad France team riders Erwan Nigon and Sébastien Gimbert. After 8 races out of 14, their race results on the track prove conclusively just what the BMW S 1000 RR is capable of in the right hands: After five wins, two second places and a third place, Nigon tops the points table with 184 (out of a possible 200). Team-mate Sébastien Gimbert is second on 143 points, with one win, five second places, a fifth and ninth place to his credit.

The two BMW riders have done incredibly well so far this year and now both occupy strong positions at the top of the championship, which means that BMW Motorrad France is extremely confident for the forthcoming rounds of the 2010 French Superbike Championship, which continues at Magny-Cours on the 17th and 18th of July.

Spain
The 2010 ‘CEV Buckler’ Spanish Superbike Championship has completed just four rounds so far in 2010, but BMW S 1000 RR rider Javier Forés is already staking his title ambitions by securing four consecutive victories so far in 2010 for the Motorrad Competicion team.

In the ‘Stock Extreme’ class, the Valencian rider’s maximum points gives him an advantage of 40 points over Ducati rider Xavier Del Amor. His team-mates Enrique Rocamora and Alberto Lopez are fourth and seventh in the overall championship standings.

These great results from the Motorrad Competition team have helped extend BMW’s lead in the Manufacturer Standings. Despite this being the first time that the S 1000 RR has competed in this championship, BMW currently has 155 points, 76 more than the nearest manufacturer Ducati, with the Japanese manufacturers trailing even further behind. The next race takes place at Albacete on 12 September.

Germany
Belgian rider Werner Daemen recently scored a double victory at the Salzburgring on his BMW S 1000 RR in a successful weekend of racing in the German Superbike Championship (IDM).

The Team alpha Technik - van Zon - BMW rider performed flawlessly and elevated himself to second place in the overall points table. His pole position, two race wins, fastest lap and a podium from his team-mate Barry Veneman also means that the BMW team is now leading the Manufacturers Standings by 28 points over KTM, with Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki rounding out the top five.

The next round of the 2010 IDM German Superbike Championship will take place on the first weekend of August at the Schleizer triangle.

Australia
Lap record, top qualifier and two race wins. That’s not bad for only the second outing on a new bike and a considerable achievement for Craig Coxhell and the CJC Racing S 1000 RR team at Round 3 of the Australian Superbike Championship, held at Queensland Raceway in Australia’s Sunshine State.

In the team’s first outing in Darwin they’d managed to get inside the top ten in the Superbike class on a practically standard and untested bike. With the bike in Superstock trim and unsure of when new parts would be available, the team decided to switch to the Superstock class. In doing so, they still managed to finish 6th and 7th outright – winning the Superstock class in both races – and were also the first Superstock bike to get into Superpole shoot-out in the history of this qualifying format in Australia.

This was the first podium for BMW in Australia on the new S 1000 RR but definitely not the last. The championship continues on August 20-22 back at Queensland Raceway.

UK
In the 2010 British Superbike Championship EVO class (which allows homologated machines with full Superbike racing rolling chassis, but ‘stock’ engines in order to keep costs manageable), Jentin Racing – BMW Motorrad rider Steve Brogan is second in the overall points standings after six of 12 rounds having scored five race wins so far.

In the Metzeler Superstock 1000 national championship, the S 1000 RR is again in front with Jon Kirkham leading the 2010 series by 34 points, with two race wins and three third places to his credit. Other BMW riders battling in this competitive series include Tristan Palmer – who has scored two podiums and is currently forth in the championship – and former BMW BoxerCup rider Richard 'Cooperman' Cooper.

Canada
Along with many other markets worldwide, BMW Motorrad Canada is fielding an S 1000 RR team in its own national superbike championship. Both riders from BMW’s 2009 race team – Francis Martin and Michael Ferreira – are the riders hoping to bring a superbike victory to BMW Motorrad Canada in 2010 and after five rounds of this year’s series, Francis Martin is getting close. The former double Canadian Superbike Champion has finished on the podium four times in five races and currently lies second in the overall points, with team-mate Ferreira in sixth.

The final two rounds of this year’s series will take place from 5-8 August at Shubenacadie in Nova Scotia, so here’s hoping that Francis Martin gets his first victory on the S 1000 RR.

Northern Ireland
In June, Scottish rider Keith Amor scored a stunning victory in the North West 200 Superstock race on a BMW S 1000 RR. Held in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, this race takes place on public roads running between the three seaside towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush, and is one of the fastest in the world, with top speeds up to 204 mph (328 km/h) recorded through the speed trap.

Thirty-eight-year-old Amor from Falkirk in central Scotland rode a BMW S 1000 RR to victory for the WA Corless/Jackson Racing team – his first ever International road race win and the first on public roads for the S 1000 RR. Keith also rode a BMW S 1000 RR in the event’s two ‘Superbike’ races, finishing in fourth and sixth places respectively, recording 195mph (313.8 km/h) through the speed trap.

Elsewhere…
All around the world, BMW S 1000 RRs are being raced in various championships. In Argentina, René Zanatta is racing in the national Superbike championship, while Daniel Cassano and Mariano Cordasco are racing the BMW in the ‘Stock Bikes’ category.

In the USA, the vast area covered means that many riders are restricted to regional, rather than national championships, but as you can imagine, there is a lot of activity and success going on stateside – enough to bring you a whole story in the near future!