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Time for a new excellence in Clubsportracing
The Erik Buell Racing 1190 RR-B Superbike is turning within some month after the first launch from zero into a real benchmark in Clubsportracing.
After H-D decided to shut down the Buell factoryplant at East Troy / Wisconsin many people say ok that’s the end for Erik Buell and his dream to built the ultimate american Sportbike. Even in the USA many sportbikefans anyhow believe in Gixxers, R1 and the other inline 4´s as the the real Sportbikes and and just a small minority of enthusiasts show passion for bikes like Ducati, KTM, Aprilia, MV Agusta or Buell. So in the end of 2009 not many people would give a cent for the idea that one of Eriks bike will ever running competetive in a open raceseries. Today, in begin of July 2010, 4 month after the first rollout, the Erik Buell Racing 1190RR-B is dominating the Sound of Thunderseries like no other bike ever before, leading at halftime the scoreboard with 150 of 150 possible points.
It was some days before Christmas 2009 when Pegasusraceteamprincipal Thomas Wanner and Teammanager Jens Krüper decided to show the flag by ordering two 1190 RR-B Superbikes from Erik Buell Racing. All who were involved know that it will be a concept what had a lot of work behind, but was never really trackproofed and that there could be a big risk to faile if the bikes would be not operated in a professional way. Long story short, there were showing up many challenges in the following months, but the performance speaks for itself and as the result of a perfect Teamwork, not one time bike or rider was out by technical failure.
Rider Harald Kitsch in combination with Engineengineeer Alex Kucis and Chiefmechanic Christian Hoffmann and the other Teammembers had done an outstanding job always focused to the result and the progress of the development of the bike. It was very early to see that Harald and the 1190 RR-B was running by its own, far in front of the competitors of the Sound of Thunder. So very early the Team started to compare laptimes with other non Twin competitions or higher level series. A first idea was giving the seasonstart at the Masters of Speed, were Harald was going with the Superbikes like S 1000 RR and the Gixxers. Some weeks before at the rollout in Alcarras / Spain he was in a second with some australien Superbikers from the german IDM (International German Championship), later in Assen he took the Poleposition in the dry over some real Assentrackspecialists.
Finally the team was coming to the Festival Italia in Oschersleben having, beside of winning the races, in mind to beat the magic 1:30 laptime. 8 weeks before on an open training Harald rode the bike first time there under 1:32 using old tyres, than later after more experience with the Dunloptyres and the bike, Harald stated that a 1:29.high should be possible in Oschersleben when all fits.
It fitted him on the 27 th of June at the Festival Italia when he rode in the Sound of Thunderrace round 5 with the Erik Buell racing 1190 RR-B a laptime of 1:29.733. Never a Buell was qicker there, maybe no Twin without tractioncontrol ever was under 1:30.
Fact is, that with these laptime Harald and the bike would able to go in the middle of the pack at the IDM race in Oschersleben 3 weeks before in a field with factorybikes using any electronic needed to go fast. Harald, ex IDM rider who winned the 2009 Sound of Thunderchampionship on a KTM RC 8 commented his laptime like that: “I think the 1190 RR-B is now on the level of the KTM and Ducati factorybikes used in the IDM. If you let one of the young quick guys race this bike, who are 35 Kg lighter and 30cm shorter than me, than a 1.27 laptime should be possible”.
By the way, if you understand how very near the 1190 RR-B is to the unfinished 2011 Buell Barracuda roadbike, you are getting really angry. Understanding that Buell had a real killerbike in the pipeline just when H-D decided to shut it down hurts and leave us with the problem that the 1190 RR is a prototype with no chance for now to get a homologation. So how is future heading?
The racing of V-Twins and other exotic sportbikes, homologated or not, requires additional passion and understanding. The challenge to race one of this special breed of bikes is in a way a very healthy elitethinking. Why should we race against lowbudgetbikes like cheap Inline 4´s if our passion belongs to enthusiasts bikes like Buell, Ducati, MV Agusta, Aprilia, KTM?
The financial situation im Motorsport is very tight these days. Without engaged Riders, Teamprincipals, Collectors and other Enthusiasts a top level Clubsportracing will be not possible. Operating a Ducati former Pascal Picotte or Steve Martin Superbike in a todays raceseries shows pure passion and you are only willing to do that if the level around fits you. Would you sent, as a passionated collector, your Desmosedici out competing against a Fireblade? Where is the top level platform for one of a kind or small numbers bikes, like a Aprilia RSV4, a Kalex AV1, the Vyrus or a Buell 1190RR-B? Where would a Britten found today an equal series to show up?
It´s time to bundle the forces, its time for return of the B.E.A.R.S. We need an excellence class of Motorcycle Clubsportracing.
The B.E.A.R.S (British-European-American-Race-Series) was originally founded in begin of the 80 th as an answer of the dominating inline 4´s from Japan. The idea was simple and brilliant: Why we should compete against bikes we don´t like?
How sound this? A new raceseries that offer a plattform for any enthusiasts and toplevelcollectorbikes from Europe and USA, not Twins only, also RSV4, Desmosedici and MV Agusta, Benellis, Triumph, BMW (except S 1000 RR what already overflodding the paddocks for small bucks and getting quickly now in a line with the Japanese).
A raceseries presenting the most awsome and interesting bikes of bikebilders and industry. Outstanding motorsport with a rulebook that allow in technical ways the maximum and that only limited rider/bike combinations that start to dominate the season by adding extra weight. Special rules like to put the 1-8 finishers from first race to the end of the grid for the Start at Race2 of the weekend, guarantee interesting motorsport.
For the bikeowners, industry and sponsors this raceseries could be a highlevel platform to show up with their bikes and businesspartners. A proper mediacoverage mainly by internet, including live- or for the begin videostreams, will be an essential.
Welcome the new BEARS. Fast, performant and exclusiv, the excellence playground for motorcycle ethusiasts.
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