Sunday race, CIV 2
ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2012
ROUND 2 IMOLA
5-8 APRIL 2012
DAVID LEONOV
YAMAHA R6 TROPHY
A cold and constant raining morning was waiting our riders for the last day of the second CIV stage.
From 9,00 in the morning, just when Dakota Mamola and then 15 min later, Sergey Vlasov and Vladimir Leonov was ready for the warm-up, rain started to wet the circuit.
So, when David Leonov had to enter the grid for the Yamaha R6 Trophy, it was clear that we would have a wet race. Just because of that, the race was shortened by two laps, to allow the riders to have two warm-up laps, instead of the standard one, to have the possibility to ride a while in the wet as they never did in the week-end.
David started as a rocket from the 34.th position, and, using in the best way all his great off-road experience, started immediately to recover positions.
At the end of first lap he was already 20.th, then overtaking many riders and avoiding many crashes, he passed 18.th, 17,th, 14.th and 11.th, in an impressive progression always riding on the rhythm of 2’43”-2’44”. In the last lap he even tried to attach the 10.th position, but a mistake obliged him to stay in 11.th under the checkered flag.
As his brother Vladimir would say... “not Bad” David, absolutely “Not Bad”, even considering that he finished 5.th in the special standing of the younger under 18 aged riders.
DAKOTA MAMOLA
STOCK 600
A terrible raining condition was waiting the grid of the Stock 600 class. Starting from the 15.th position, Dakota knew he had to pay lot of attention at the first corner, when al group would have been arrived compact at the braking point. Infact immediately there was a crash, just ahead of Dakota front wheel. He was lucky to avoid the Oppedisano bike’s sliding 20 cm from his R6, and from that point he started a wonderful first lap. Overtaking so many competitors that at the first finish line he passed in third position! Do you remember a certain Ayrton Senna at Donington ’94? More or less the same incredible feeling with the wet conditions, event thanks’ to the perfect set-up that team established during a wet Thursday session.
The Yakhnich Yamaha R6 in his hands was constantly the faster in acceleration and the faster in top speed, confirming the perfect feeling between rider and bike, and so Dakota could stay all race fighting for the first three positions.
He was so intelligent to understand, in the middle of the race, to don’t force too much under the heavier raining situation, looking many competitors crashing as they did not understand the same, and so, together Russo (coming from back after a not good start) Cassani, Scicchitano, and Monti, was ready at the beginning of last lap to fight for the first victory!
As usual, he exit from the last corner with a very good acceleration, from third position, and taking the windstrteam of Scicchitano Dakota choose the left side of the straight going to Tamburello corner, preparing the attach, but, unfortunalty, on that line water level was higher than on the usual line, and both wheels loose the grip... A terrible crash, at more than 200 km/h putted the word “End” to the wonderful race Dakota was gifting to all of us...
Don’t worry Dakota, dont’t be upset. You did a perfect race. We always want a rider that try to win in every manner at the last lap!
The day we will see you on the podium is close, really close.
SUPERSPORT 600
VLADIMIR LEONOV
“Tomorrow will rain... will see”. With this words on Saturday’s pole position party, Vladimir answered to the journalist asking about his expectation about the race.
To be honest, he knew to be fast on the wet surface. He knew his bike was ready to allow him to repeat the astonishing victorious race of last year in Mugello Stock 600 CIV race, and it was.
4,5” second of advantage in the first lap, 10,5” second in the second lap, and there the race is finished! After two laps the competitors lost him, they saw him again on the podium, where he was waiting them by more then 30 seconds, after checkered flag!
The Vladimir rhythm was about 3-4 seconds faster then any other rider for almost all lap of the race. Just when box said him to slow down, in the middle of the race, he allowed Alex Gramigni, second, to fix a best lap time closer to his fast 2’16”158, but in any case half a second slower...
Yes, today nobody could think to win against Vladimir, and this victory has a double value. First of all now Vladimir is the championship leader, and this is the first time in the History for a russian rider being leader of a so important championship. Second, after the 6.th place in WSS at Imola and after this victory, Yakhnich Motorsport team go to Assen (22 april) with the conviction than finally team, bike and rider are ready to do another important step on the performance side.
The other great result of the day for Yakhnich Motorsport team was obtained by Sergey Vlasov. His was was perfect as the Vladimir One. Starting from last position of the grid after not really lucky qualifying, Sergey was so calm and intelligent to wait his moment. He started slowly, to avoid all the possible accidents at the first corner, but already in the first lap he owertook 4 competitors, and then lap by lap increased his rithm, fighting with the centre group riders, lapping in 2’25-2’26” in the middle of the races, when he finally got in the point position, and finished with a good rithm in 12.th position, that give him the satisfaction to install himself in the 16.th position of the championship.
Another great reason to be happy about our Imola week-end in this 2.nd CIV stage.
Next appointment with CIV is fixed for the last April week-end, but unfortunately there Vladimir Leonov cannot race because of the WSS regulations, that do not allow to permanent riders to have race in any circuit before the WSS stage.