Photo: MotoGP
Here’s a quick peek around the world of racing:
Jodie Christie flat-track results
As we told you back in June, Jodi Christie is flat-track racing this summer with Flat Track Canada, after being unable to get the funding he wanted to race this year. So how’s it been going for him? He’s been riding in the DTX Intermediate category, and he’s currently sitting in second. He’s also third-place in the Open Intermediate class. There are three races left in the season; he’s 38 points back of leader Dustin Brown in the Open class, which might be a tough gap to cut, but he’s only 28 points back in the DTX class. Maybe, with some luck, Christie might end up with another national championship trophy to match his hardware earned in Canadian Superbike (four Pro titles)?
Alex Lowes to fill in for Bradley Smith
Ever since Bradley Smith’s crack-up at the 8 Hours of Ochersleben (he banged up his knee in practice), we’ve wondered who would replace him on the Yamaha Tech3 satellite team. Now we know Alex Lowes is to get the nod for the Silverstone MotoGP race, as well as the San Marino GP. Bummer for Smith, as Silverstone’s his home race! But you can bet Lowes is happy to race in front of a British crowd too. He’s managed three podiums this year in World Superbike action and also raced the Suzuka Eight Hour, but this will be his first GP race (twin brother Sam has been piloting a Moto2 ride since 2014).
Suzuki takes FIM World Endurance title
While Yamaha’s made a definite comeback in endurance racing in recent months, Suzuki has won the FIM title for this year. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (or SERT, as they’re known — sounds like the name of a covert squad of baddies in a James Bond flick) won that Ochersleben race last week. This is mucho important to the manufacturers, even if fans don’t seem to have as much interest in endurance racing. The Japanese factories still put a big emphasis on winning at endurance racing, as it shows your company has what it takes to build a machine that can last. So, the French riders of SERT (
Eugene Laverty returning to World Superbike
Eugene Laverty has earned respect in the last couple MotoGP seasons, but he’s far from winning on the outdated equipment he’s using — he doesn’t even have a podium yet. And, he discovered that he was still going to be on an older bike in the 2017 season if he stayed with the Aspar team. As a result, he’s decided his fortune lies back in World Superbike. He’s lined up a ride with the Milwaukee team, on an Aprilia RSV-4.
