Mamola is far ahead
CUP OF NATIONS
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
2nd ROUND, 19-21st July 2013
Friday, 19 July
First qualifying session of the 2nd round of “Cup of Nations” ended first day of 8th round of World Superbike racing weekend. Dakota Mamola from Yakhnich Motorsport took the lead by setting extremely fast lap time and left next rival, Maxim Kiselev, 2.482 sec behind.
Last year, when Cup has its debut at Moscow circuit, Russian racers were the strongest. Kiselev won the race, which started on absolutely wet track, and Sergey Orlov finished second, passed Dakota just before the finish. This time, unfortunately, Orlov could not take part in Russian race because of the left shoulder injury received in training. However, Kiselev and Mamola battle seems to come to a new level.
Starting a day with their duel, Dakota and Maxim finished day 1st and 2nd. On first training session Ukrainian Ilya Mikhalchik had a good shot, finished FP1 with 1:45.728. But in the evening he dropped down to 9th place, when Corsini, Berestnev and Dusek improved.
Maxim Kiselev finished first qualifying session with fall in turn 4, which did not allow him to improve and to reduce gap to Mamola, which by the final run of Belgian was close to 2 seconds. Yakhnich Motorsport racer was quiet fast during all the day, started from 1:43.861 and stabilized within 1:41.5. The last two laps before the checkered flag Dakota did just at the border of 1:41, finally extended his lead. Italian Giuseppe de Gruttola finished with third best 1:43.706.
Second fastest Russian was Anton Eremin, who did a competitive time as 1:44.183. All the session Hungarian Agoston Rosivall was just behind him. At the end he managed to lap at 1:44.154 and pushed Motodom team racer to 5th place.
Dakota Mamola (1st place, 1:41.044): “It was great! Conditions today were good and I really like the track, that’s why from the very first session we are fast. Race in Moscow we see rather as a big test before two very difficult rounds of European STK600 championship. Interesting to see the weather on Saturday, because it can change a lot. Generally, it doesn’t matter – wet or dry. I like motocross and it helps me to feel the bike. But, of course, dry and sunny conditions are much better: not so cold and quiet more pleasure of process!”
Maxim Kiselev (2nd place, 1:43.526): “I compete in “Cup of Nations” not at first time and always I get what I want: strong rivals, the battle, which I miss recently, and race as a part of World Superbike Championship. This year we had to find 600cc bike, because in Russian championship I use to run 1000cc Kawasaki of Motorrika Racing. I had good races in wet and this weekend rain expected as well. But I want to prove that I’m fast enough on dry track also. But, there is a reason to believe that my bike is “tired” a little. And in T4 there was an insulting fall, which happened because of a simple lack of fuel – we didn’t see it because of the sponge on the tank, which hides the real volume. But its ok, everything is according to the plan!”