| |
2009 Round #6 Recap - Atlantic Motorsport Park
Most people that attend the races might see it or they might not however all the teams and riders on the Parts Canada Superbike Championship series are close friends as well as close competitors. This was very evident this past weekend at Atlantic Motorsport Park. BMW Team rider Francis Martin had a big get off on Friday morning during the first practice session of the weekend when he made a slight error entering the fast downhill turn 4 section of AMP. Martin ran wide into the corner and got onto the dirt at the outside of the track that dragged him to the grass. This normally would have been no problem except that Friday morning the grass was covered in a heavy dew that caused the bike and Francis to tumble at high speed into a cement retaining wall at an unusual angle. Francis was airlifted by helicopter to the hospital in Halifax for weekend observations with non life threatening injuries. Francis will be fine in a matter of weeks with lots of rest to allow for his minor injuries to heal however his season looks to be finished for 2009.
Qualifying Saturday August 8
With only one BMW Team rider, Michael Ferreira, competing for the remainder of the season, all efforts will be made to make sure Mike is comfortable on the BMW HP2 Sport and to ensure he has the best equipment available. Qualifying was difficult for Mike as he had a hard time focusing on the job at hand with so many riders crashing on Friday and Saturday around him. It was just one of those weekends with so many riders hitting the ground, it was just a matter of survival and that’s what Ferreira did qualifying in 14th position.
Race Day Sunday August 9
After the whole team spent time visiting Francis in the hospital on Saturday night, Mike felt better and was able to focus on what needed to be done for a good race on Sunday afternoon. A few simple suspension adjustments Sunday morning in practice made the world of difference for Mike and he was now ready to battle for positions in the race. A quick green light caught a lot of the racers off guard including Mike so nothing was made up off the start which he was hoping to do. A few laps into the race Ferreira was up to 11th and looking strong. Managing to hold his position for most of the race the dreaded arm pump crept in and Ferreira slipped back to 13th position by the third quarter mark of the race. Using what little feeling Ferreira had left in his braking arm, he dove under a rider entering the carousel and managed to hold on for 12th position overall and his best result of the season so far.
Francis was able to secure a few hours leave from the hospital to join the BMW Motorrad Canada Motorsport Team for dinner Sunday night and that seemed to raise the spirits of the whole team on what was the most challenging weekend of the 2009 season for everyone.
The action from AMP can be seen on TSN Tuesday September 15th at 1pm. The next round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship will be from Shannonville Motorsport Park September 4-6.
The BMW Motorrad Canada Motorsport Team is proudly sponsored by; Original BMW Parts, Parts Canada, Alpinestars, HJC Helmets, Pirelli, and DP Brakes.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
An interview with the
BMW Motorrad Canada Motorsport Riders.
We sit down for some one-on-one with Michael Ferreira and Francis Martin. Read More...
The shape of things to
come - the new
S1000RR
A new ultra-sport motorcycle built to take on the Japanese competitors both on the sales floor and the World Superbike Championship. Read More
Go behind the scences
Click here to view the BMW Motorrad Canada Motorsport photo gallery.
|
BMW Motorrad Newsletter
