Akrapovič Magazine vol. 30

ISSUE 30

30 YEARS OF BUILDING A HERITAGE

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C ont e nt s

Contents

/ / CONTENTS 04 Contents A K RAP OV I Č Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine Special Edition 30 Years Issue 30, June 2021 Akrapovič d.d.

Malo Hudo 8a SI-1295 Ivančna Gorica Slovenia www.akrapovic.com Editor in Chief: Miran Ališič Publisher: Korpmedia d.o.o.

Tomšičeva 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia www.korpmedia.si Registration No.: 2272237000 VAT No.: SI14601737 Client Coordinator: Primož Jurman Photo Editor: Bor Dobrin Art Directors: Slavojka Akrapovič, Neja Engelsberger, Saša Kerkoš Cover design: Zdenko Bračevac Content Editor: Jasna Milinković Contributors: Miran Ališič, Bor Dobrin, Randy Jennings, Primož Jurman, Gaber Keržišnik, Peter Nygaard, Mitja Reven Contributing Photographers: Alex Štokelj, Aprilia, Audi, Blaž Zupančič, BMW, Bor Dobrin, Branko Cvetkovič, Dragan Arrigler, Fabrizio Porrozzi (Zac Srl), Gold and Goose Photography, Graeme Brown (Kawasaki), Grand Prix Photo, Hoch Zwei, Marc Robinot, Mitja Gustinčič, Ray Archer (KTM Images), Rob Greer, Saša Hess, Shutterstock, Suzuki, Uroš Podlogar, X-raid, Yamaha Translation: Matjaž Horvat, Werner Schneider Proofreading: Katarina Mahnič Cover finish with effects and printing the wrapping poster Litteralis d.o.o.

Printing: LUart, Lepovče 42, 1310 Ribnica, Slovenia

// Si NOTE All the longer articles in the Akrapovič magazine include a text that will be marked with the // Si sign and placed in a special frame. The Akrapovič company is based in Slovenia and this is why we decided to keep this part of the text in Slovenian as well.

/ / LETTERS 05 Miran Ališič: 30 for 30 06 Slavojka Akrapovič: Spirit of speed and boundless freedom 07 Igor Akrapovič: The rise of MotoGP / / 30 YEARS 08 Statements 10 Igor Akrapovič – 30 years later: An exhaust is like a musical instrument / / EXCEPTIONAL 16 Colin Edwards: Dad’s hidden agenda 22 Wayne Rainey: A Rainey day in sunny California 28 Legendary – Enduropale du Touquet: Full throttle on the beach 34 Christian von Koenigsegg: A long wait for highly bespoke megacars / / 30 YEARS 38 Akrapovič – part of motorsport for 30 years: The art of racing 44 Visiting Valentino Rossi: I don’t care about racing without sound / / RACING 50 Antonio Cairoli: Speed, mud and glory 54 The Le Mans race is a racing icon: 24 Hours 60 Isle of man and machine 66 Honda Racing BSB Team: An injury-free run and some glory 70 Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero: A man of his word 76 Jochen Schmid and Kawasakis at Grobnik: Everything is different, but nothing has changed 82 BMW M8 GTE for the endurance races: Lightweight, performance, reliability and efficiency 88 Mike Rockenfeller driving the Akrapovič Audi RS 5 DTM: One prefers to be in a beautiful car 94 Romolo Liebchen, Audi Sport: Motorsports must remain close to the people 98 Indian Motorcycle, Randy Mamola and Glemseck 101: Just like a mad roaring man / / 30 YEARS 102 Slavojka Akrapovič – Akrapovič’s corporate image designer: Outside of this world / / TECHNOLOGY 106 John Britten: The last romantic tale 112 Visiting the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team: Mechanic’s heaven 118 Audi Sport and Akrapovič: A winning partnership 122 Ducati Corse: Behind that door 128 KTM’s road into MotoGP: Ready to race 134 Eskil Suter: Emotional perception of riding a two-wheeled beast 138 The Suzuki – Akrapovič link – Brivio: We were looking for a reliable partner 142 Developing the Evolution Line (Titanium) exhaust for BMW M5 with Marco Wittmann: Every exhaust needs its own sound 148 Sabrina the Robot: Tin Lizzie / / 30 YEARS 150 Akrapovič – 30 years of development: Inspiration came from the east / / INTERVIEW 156 Giacomo Agostini: Ago 162 Walter Röhrl: I don’t like heroes 166 Casey Stoner: Bikes, fishing and life on the Gold Coast 172 Ryan Dungey: Retirement? It’s from 100 mph to zero!

178 Jonathan Rea: I’d gladly exchange three Superbike for three motocross titles 184 Bernie Ecclestone: I didn’t have a vision, it just happened 190 Stéphane Peterhansel: I prefer to race against the clock 196 Mohammed Ben Sulayem: I truly love motosport 202 Dieter Burmester: The essence lies in the music / / 30 YEARS 208 Tom Kristensen – Mr. Versatile: Busy in retirement 214 Colin Edwards today: Associated with the best / / AROUND THE WORLD 218 The Nordschleife: Ticket to heaven 224 The great American race: Welcome bikers 230 Targa Florio in a Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS: A million blisters for a million thrilled spectators 236 Kawasaki Ninja H2 and Tom Sykes on the remains of the historic Adriatic Grand Prix: From the past to the future 242 Lamborghini Urus in Sassi di Matera: Toro e Sassi 248 Everyday Panigale meets the racing Panigale: Understanding the Ducati Panigale V4 S 252 Pikes Peak and Bentley Continental GT V8: The last gold mine in Colorado / / 30 YEARS 258 Marc Robinot – master photographer: To be perfect

Copyright notice This magazine and its entire textual and pictorial content are subject to copyright. Any reproduction thereof without prior written consent of the copyright holder is prohibited. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Akrapovič d.d., the publishers or the editors. Not for sale. Printed in Slovenia in June 2021 in 6.000 copies.

/ / LIFESTYLE 262 The Goodwood Festival of Speed 2010, Sussex, England: Beauty and speed 268 Akrapovič’s 25 years and BMW: Fast Bavarian mail 274 Audio Freaks: Horns of plenty 278 Greubel Forsey - The world’s most unusual watch makers: Every timepiece has a unique sound 284 Over 250 km/h on skis – brothers Simone and Ivan Origone: As fast as Formula 1 / / 30 YEARS 290 30 years: If you look and sound cool, you are doing it right

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Letter

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photography Bor Dobrin

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30 for 30 I have loved the smell of printing ink and the rustling sound of newspapers and magazines since my childhood days. Even in today’s age of electronic devices and media, which I also use, I still prefer to pick up a newspaper, magazine or book for pleasure.

I have loved car racing for almost the same amount of time and have always had a very respectful attitude towards motorcycles, especially racing ones. I was growing up a stone's throw away from the famous Ljubljana Castle bend, often used by local hotshots on their more-or-less tuned motorcycles, and among the names that were dropped we kids occasionally heard of someone called 'the Fanatic'. I spent several weekends sitting on the grass on the inside of the curve but had no clue whatsoever that Igor Akrapovič was among the local youths whizzing past without a helmet in sight. These guys, a few years older than us, were known only by their nicknames and feats...

Decades have passed, but my passion for motorsport and print media remained. Igor Akrapovič became the world’s most renowned manufacturer of exhaust systems, while I got sucked in by journalism, publishing and car racing. Our paths crossed again, this time by design, in the summer of 2006 in Ivančna Gorica, when we presented him with the idea of ​​a racing and lifestyle corporate magazine. After about 10 minutes of our presentation Igor interrupted us by saying, “Alright, do it, do the magazine!« We seemed to have justified his trust, as the current issue is already our 30th and, coincidentally, the Akrapovič company is also celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The idea for a special issue, the one you are holding, was thus born. First, we wanted to put everything related to this milestone into number 30, but it became clear over time that this number would be far too small for the numerous achievements accomplished by the company in its 30 and our magazine in its 15 years of existence. The working medium of Akrapovič is racing, the associated high technology and the best exhaust systems in the world. During the time of publishing our magazine, we have gathered more than 300 stories, interviews, behind-the-scenes and exclusives, and all of them left a footprint of a certain moment or time. We selected 44 narratives,

in our opinion the most interesting and important ones, from the period and reprinted them in the special anniversary issue, which we then enhanced with the current opinions of company owners and their closest associates, who continue to provide the motivation and success in Ivančna Gorica and Črnomelj. On this special occasion, we were also able to peek behind the scenes of motorcycle supremo Valentino Rossi, who let us through the gates of his Tavullia ranch, enter the home of 24-hour Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen, who now has a street named after him in his hometown and who showed us his own ‘hall of fame’, and visit the training grounds of Superbike hero Colin Edwards who relieved his racing memories at his Texas estate; but all these celebrities have one thing in common - the enthusiasm and respect for the people and the products behind the Akrapovič brand.

For most people I know at Akrapovič, racing is a passion and that passion drives them to more victories, more world championship titles, faster times on the racetracks and other achievements in speed-, strength- and endurance-related competitions, week in and week out. Racing is also the passion for all of us creating the Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine, as we have been racing fans since our childhood and we are furthermore extremely pleased that the enthusiasm for the magazine among the readers and fans of motorsport is intertwined with the affiliation for the Akrapovič brand. Their exhaust systems stand out, they are the jewellery for all those motorcycle and car owners who love speed, sound, quality and design. In a digital world where we are permeated by a flood of information and media, a magazine might be considered as something unnecessary, redundant, outdated. On the contrary - I believe that leafing through and reading one still remains a joy and pleasure for many, something that is vanishing on the one hand and becoming more and more special and desirable on the other.

Miran Ališič Editor in chief

General Warning Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those laws. Warning / USA Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, especially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts.

Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws. Warning / California California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws.

CARB replacement part Product is considered a replacement part under the Air Resources Board of the California Environmental Protection Agency (»CARB«).

Le t t e r

Slavojka Akrapovič

Spirit of speed and boundless freedom Throughout the years, we have designed our

been accepted into the racing family and receive

away. And when the race starts, the heart skips

magazine to the beat of the racing season.

a lot of attention. Both of us are made to feel

a beat or two. I can’t think of anything else that

What news come from the teams, who will

at home with teams and amongst the riders, as

can rouse my feelings quite as much. The silence

be the overall winner, what strategies will the

if we never left this international village where

in the second before the start is magnificent, and

teams employ, how do the riders feel, which of

everyone lives in their own exclusive way and,

then the starting grid thunders, the power and

the stars moved to a different team? All this is

of course, on the bleeding edge. The paddock

fearlessness of the greatest racers is released,

closely recorded by our journalists, reporters

travels on and its heart truly starts beating

and the fight for every hundredth begins. Their

and photographers to create attractive content

between Thursday and Sunday, when everything

speeds are unbelievable and their moves through

that is the essence and the added value of the

revolves around the results on the racetrack, the

the turns, curves and chicanes spectacular.

Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine. As in every other

weather-related choice of tyres and the roar of

Victory is hard-earned, and while it rightfully

field of human endeavour, we also perceive

racing engines. On Sunday morning, everything

belongs to the fastest, all who take part have a

many changes in racing. Advances in materials,

is calm, unusually calm, until the air and asphalt

role to play, creating a mosaic of attractive and

motorcycle and car performance, riders’ courage

tremble before the start and take your breath

unrepeatable racing stories.

and discipline; but the passion for speed remains the constant that keeps the racing world turning.

I believe that in each and every one of us, connected to racing in our own separate ways, the spirit of speed and boundless freedom lives on in our subconscious.

When I met my husband, he was completely devoted to motorcycles and racing. We spent a decade and a half on a motorcycle, on the asphalt, on the racetracks, but also by the racetracks, watching the races and the champions of the era, all exceptional personalities in the company of top models. They were our heroes, our superstars. It was the time of Barry Sheene and his beautiful Stephanie, Kenny Roberts and numerous others. We admired them as we admired the racing world, which was quite different from today. Racingrelated events were more relaxed, there were many fun evenings with guitars, rock music, conversations with team members, even with the riders themselves. We were all uplifted at the thought of how Sunday’s race would unravel.

These are my precious memories of being young and carefree. I never imagined back then that Igor and I would later become so intensely embedded in this world – both professionally and commercially. We were young and untroubled, we had our idols and our motto – “If some is good and more is better, too much must be just enough”, which we even wrote on the to our youthful fantasies.

Later in life our travels took us to many famous races all over the world, through Europe, America and Japan, and we’re honoured to have

Photography: Saša Hess

wall of Igor’s boyhood room. We were committed

06 / 07 Letter

Igor Akrapovič

The rise of MotoGP Going back through my memories, I really

in numerous serious injuries, leading to

the World Superbike series, so the beginning

consider myself privileged to have lived and

Formula 750 being abandoned in 1979. The

of the four-stoke GP era gave us an opportunity

witnessed the incredible times of evolution,

development of two-stroke engines was on the

to adapt to the extremely high technological

which has brought motorcycle racing to the

rise, and even the last attempt that Honda made

standards of MotoGP and expand cooperation

level that it’s currently at. Especially from the

in 1979, with maybe the most sophisticated

with our partners in this new field. Development

perspective of fans and spectators, this is now

four-stroke engine ever, the NR500, which

of new solutions is an ongoing process for us.

arguably the world’s most exciting and evenly

employed eight valves per cylinder and an oval

Since high performance engines are my lifetime

matched motorsport in the world, considering

piston configuration, was not enough. So from

obsession and I’m also an audio enthusiast,

that even a tiny four-tenths-of-a-second gap

1982 all factory teams were using two-stroke

I feel very lucky to have the best office in

might not guarantee a rider a spot in the top

engines, utilising three- or four-cylinder engines

the world, located directly above the racing

ten in qualifying, and finishing less than nine

in different configurations.

department and their dyno room, so I can listen to the incredible sounds of engines running

seconds behind the winner could result in a fifteenth-place finish on race day! Incredible, it’s

For another 20 years they ruled the 500 cc

there on a daily basis and monitor the constant

really amazing that the riders, motorcycles and

class, with constant and extremely competitive

development of their power that enables some

teams are so evenly matched, unlike any other

development taking them to an absurd level.

of them to reach speeds of over 360 km/h. It’s

time in the history of the sport. And the real

With quite a narrow and aggressive power

simply incredible!

question is, how and why?

band, reaching almost 200 HP and with only 130 kg in weight, there were not many riders

But sometimes, on rare occasions, for example

To answer this, we have to go back to the

that could cope with this combination. It was

during the development of the exhaust for Eskil

seventies. It was romantic and dangerous,

an era dominated by stars and heroes such

Suter’s MMX500 two-stroke bike and while

but also the period of monster machines. You

as Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Wayne

watching him riding it on roads around our

could have perceived riders more as rock

Rainey, Kevin Schwantz, Mick Doohan and,

factory in his very particular style, the nostalgia

stars, wild, quite unlike today’s standards of

in the end, another rising legend, Valentino

for the crazy days returns, at least for a moment.

behaviour, where professionalism and corporate

Rossi, who ended the two-stroke era in 2001

identity has created a new breed of athletes.

by winning the 500 cc championship. In 2002,

On the motorcycle side, four-stroke roaring

a new MotoGP class was introduced, together

lions were substituted by two-stroke engines

with new environmental directions, featuring

that were lighter and more powerful, but also

four-stroke engines up to 1000 cc and a

always notoriously unreliable. Consequently,

minimum bike weight of 150 and 157 kg. These

after each practice session, mechanics

were more reliable and, because of their wider

disassembled the engines, checked them

and consistent power bands, also easier to

thoroughly, changed pistons and maybe

ride. This was the basis for the current state of

cylinders, adjusted carburettors and made

MotoGP, with all the technology, electronics,

many other small adjustments, working until

increased safety measures and of course

late at night and even into the early hours of the

riders as top professional athletes aligning to

morning. Racetracks also evolved, switching

bring races together on an unprecedentedly

from road circuits to much safer closed

competitive level, with the sound and emotions

circuits, like the move from old and extremely

that attract fans from all over the world.

dangerous Preluk to the new Grobnik circuit

Switching to the riders, Valentino continued on

in 1978. These were the glory days of legends

four-stroke engines in the way he finished the

like Giacomo Agostini, Phil Read and then

old era, with four championship titles in a row.

Barry Sheene and Kenny Roberts. We must

Champions like Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo

also mention the Formula 750 championship

and the incredible Marc Márquez are now joined

that started in 1973. The bikes had brutal,

by a new, extremely skilled, motivated and

almost uncontrollable power that was not really

competitive generation of riders that produce, in

matched by other components like frames,

my opinion, the best racing spectacle in a long

rear swing arms, suspension and even brakes,

history of motorsport.

without any electronic assistance whatsoever.

These machines were extremely dangerous,

Akrapovič as a company has been quite

causing many highside crashes – which were

fortunate for having had a long history of

also common in the 500 cc class – resulting

developing exhausts for many factory teams in

06

07

08 / 09 30 Years

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“

I am not designed to come second or third. I am designed to win.

Ayrton Senna

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“

IF YOU THINK IT ’S TOO DANGEROU S, GO HOME AND CUT YOUR LAWN AND LEAV E US TO IT. Guy Martin

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“

Falling down is allowed, getting back up is mandatory.

Jorge Lorenzo

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“

If everythin g seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.

Mario Andretti

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photography Marc Robinot

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“

Anybo dy can jump a motor cycle.

The troub le begins when you try to land it.

Evel Knievel

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Statements

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“

If in doubt, go flat out!

Colin McR ae

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“

I wait until I see God, then brake!

Kevin Schwantz

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“

We know that injury can happen all the time, motocross is a dangerous sport. But I think life can be dangerous also for somebody who doesn’t race.

Antonio C airoli

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“ “

Aerodynamics are for people who can’t build engines.

Enzo Ferrari

Racing is life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.

Steve McQueen

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08

09

10

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10 / 15 30 Years

A chat between Igor Akrapovič, Gaber Keržišnik, Miran Ališič and Bor Dobrin photography Bor Dobrin

Igor Akrapovič – 30 years later

AN EXHAUST IS LIKE A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT We arrived at the Grobnik racetrack near Rijeka in Croatia on a cold and sunny day in April. The road by the racetrack is the same as it used to be, hugging the ’Zagreb‘ bend, going up a slope then turning left and descending towards the entrance to the paddock. We were stopped by a ramp and a gatekeeper in a white container, while to the right of the entrance everything looked the same as it had for many years.

Igor Akrapovič also came to a similar realisation about the frozen time at Grobnik, though in his case several decades have passed since he last raced here. “The racetrack received a new layer of asphalt and the garages are slightly renovated, but everything else seems more or less the same as it was when I was racing here,” he said as we waited for the photographer to set up his equipment and turn on the flash lamps for a photoshoot with the founder and owner of the world’s most recognisable brand for motorcycle, car and racing exhausts.

As we set out to take some photos, it quickly

the circuit can be rented by casual riders, who

became clear that Igor was not feeling too

on this particular occasion mainly came from

comfortable with the whole setup. He is not a

the south of Germany. The majority also had

performer, he does not seek attention, and he

Akrapovič exhausts fitted on their bikes, but none

prefers to assert himself through the brand and

of them recognised Igor. “Who is this man to

the successes achieved by racers using his

be photographed like this,” one of them asked.

products. Arriving during lunch break, several

“A Slovenian, he was a racer and he used to

visitors kitted in racing suits came to see what

win at this racetrack like it was nothing,” we told

we were doing and curious onlookers had

him, and we were not lying. “I thought as much.

to be asked not to photobomb the planned

He looks like one,” said the man, shrugged his

photoshoot. It was a normal Track Day, when

shoulders and returned back to his garage.

/ / Opatija and Grobnik

Before, during and after the shoot the chat revolved around the past, racing,

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music, the young, entrepreneurship and the world in which we now live. Grobnik was a place where he had spent a lot of his free time, in fact almost all of it, and he reminisced on this. “True. Well, before Grobnik our pilgrimage site was Opatija, because the Grand Prix of Yugoslavia, a World Championship race, used to be held on the roads of that town. We went there every year to see the best riders in the world, especially the great Giacomo Agostini and his MV Agusta. I remember it was amazing to see and hear him on his motorcycle. I was about 15 or 16 years old, motorcycles were already my passion and the centre of my world.” Igor definitely rode motorcycles as a teenager, maybe even earlier, Gaber chimes in. “Of course, but I was mainly preparing for races. I soon competed in the national championship at circuits such as Slavonska Požega, Prnjavor, Kavadarci and Osijek. There were numerous events and we raced all over Yugoslavia. Most of them took place on roads or improvised racetracks and were very dangerous. We only got a proper circuit with the construction of Grobnik, which was modern and, according to international standards of the time, safe. This brought in foreigners, especially Italians, Austrians, Germans and more. The Yugoslav scene was also strong at that time, the first real teams appeared, sometimes more riders were registered for a race in a class than there were available places at the grid, so some of them had to pack up and leave straight after the qualifications,” Igor explained passionately before lowering his tone and adding that “today’s youth are unfortunately different, as they are interested in completely different things, such as phones, computer games, and it all started with Space Invaders.” Since he mentioned repealing an attack from space it was pointed out that he preferred to spend most of his time in his garage, buried among the engines of Italian and Japanese racing motorcycles, which he repaired and tuned. Igor tuned the bikes that Edmund Hlabian raced on in the Superbike class of the Italian Championship and it was during this time that the budding tuner made new contacts, absorbed a lot of information and his eyes lit up as he discussed this part of his life. “I always prepared my racing motorcycles, either alone or with friends. Later, I also prepared and maintained the motorcycles of my competitors, who were also my friends. I co-operated very well with Edmund Hlabian, I went to many races in Italy with him. I met a lot of new, interesting people there and I learned a lot. Those were truly epic years, we drove to Mugello, Misano, and even to Rome in his van. At that time, I was already seriously preparing racing motorcycles, I also experimented with the first exhaust systems, but I did all of it in my garage at home in Ljubljana’s Rožna dolina and at my friends’ place in Črnuče, where I had access to a workshop and suitable machines, and when the motorcycle had to be tested we did it quickly and right there on the road. Today, that sounds abnormal or even crazy, but back then it was nothing unusual, we did take part in road races after all. The Yamaha 250, for example, was easier to set up on the road than on the racetrack. We weekends, and we were able to test what a racing motorcycle really can do. This was useful to some extent, but when we needed real data and measurements, only available with the aid of a stopwatch, we came here. After the racetrack was built, we often came to Grobnik.”

/ / Street transformation

Staying with the wild times of Igor’s adolescence, the conversation touches on the experience Igor got on the streets, leaning into the famous bend on the road leading to Ljubljana Castle and asks how important the street was

Photo: Mitja Gustinčič

rode to some lonely road or to the industrial part of town, it was empty on the

/ / Why exhaust systems?

As the interview continues, Igor is asked why he focussed specifically

for his development and what role did being ‘street smart’ play in his success

on exhaust systems. “Because they are a key part of the powertrain and

in later life. Igor heartily agrees that streets did shape him. “That’s how we

have a big impact on performance. Exhausts can add power or take it

lived. We hung out with friends all the time; we met in different parts of

away,” Igor explains succinctly. “We also tuned motorcycles, but the

Ljubljana, many times at my house. We also often went to the famous bend

exhaust was crucial, and you could make a good one with a few tools and

on the castle road, listened to music and rode motorcycles - that counts as

a bit of knowledge. There was something else. All the exhausts made in

street education for me. We also worked on musical components, tuned and

Europe were of relatively poor quality. They were too heavy, superficially

repaired motorcycles, my company today grew from this, from my passion for

constructed and had low effectiveness. Their tube cross sections were

motorcycles, technology and racing. School and education are important, but

usually too large by at least a half and they were also structurally incorrectly

we also learned a lot on the street, outside the established life between school

designed. The only really good exhausts that actually stood out at the

and home. When I see young people today who no longer live on the streets,

time were made by Yoshimura. These were excellent products, but also

but rather at home in front of computers, playing computer games, I see that

very expensive. I wanted to make an exhaust that would beat Yoshimura.

they find it harder to adapt in the initial phase of growing up.”

Racing departments of the Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki factory

10 / 15 30 Years

often negligible. The rider wasn’t in the mood, maybe he hadn’t been on a motorcycle for a month or two, and perhaps he didn’t feel any significant

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change at all. The only measure of success was the lap time, and that obviously depended on numerous other factors. We naturally didn’t have a dynamometer at the beginning. Exhausts allowed us to get the most out of the bike for the least money. Exhausts are like musical instruments that can affect the tone and sound and they also affect the operation of the engine.

This is very specific and important for motorcycles, much more so than for cars or even Formula 1. The motorcycle is about the link between the rider, his use of the throttle and the way the power is distributed to the rear wheel; this needs to be as direct as possible, with as few deviations in the whole process as possible, so the smooth transition of exhaust gases is a big step towards in achieving this.”

/ / Dad was not happy

Bending exhaust tubes and racing expertise gained on the street were probably not what Igor’s parents wanted for their son, and as the conversation gets round to this, Igor immediately concurs: “My father was worried. He didn’t like it. He was a workaholic who worked all days from morning to evening. My father graduated from two institutions, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, he was an excellent mathematician and inventor. 64 patents are registered in his name, and he was visited even by the people from the Jožef Stefan Institute.

He was a wartime pilot and mechanic and discovered that small tubes from the downed aircraft’s cooling system make for excellent sliding pencils. He then switched to plastic injection moulding and ran a successful and large company with as many as 70 employees in Istria. I worked in my father’s company for the first six years, but I was pulled in a different direction. My father was sceptical of my ideas at first. Not because he didn’t believe in them, mainly because he was worried that nobody would buy these exhausts of mine and he kept asking me that.” With a smile on his face Igor recollects what he believed his father thought, “I know he would have been much happier if I had stayed with him and later taken over his business.

Well, eventually he realised that people love to buy great exhausts, and that I have a sound vision and a company that is developing well and growing nicely. He was happy then. I find it interesting that my son inherited his talent for mathematics, as it really makes him happy and inspires him. He is also excellent at analysis and develops professionally in this direction at our company, while my daughter, who has an exceptionally developed social sense, made sure that we became a family-friendly business. What I inherited from my dad was mainly the entrepreneurial spirit and the love of technology.”

/ / The extreme importance of sound

After completing the final photo shoot, the group move from the sunny and windy paddock to the area used as a press centre during the races and, while sipping espressos, turn to another of Igor’s loves, namely music, or rather the sound created by music. Igor’s speech becomes a fraction faster and his voice even more inspired. “How come I haven’t made a hi-fi component yet? Well, one cannot do everything. However, I haven’t given up on this and remain a big fan of audio technology, quality sound, music and top components. I also assemble things from time to time, solder and teams also made quality exhausts, but those were out of our league, too

remodel, I like to fiddle around with speakers and components. I know

expensive for us. The basics of engine development had seen relatively

some top manufacturers of audio components, but these are intended

little advancement in the past 30-years. Forged pistons, engine valves, the

for only a handful of true fans and audiophiles. I’d say I can hear a quality

differences are essentially minimal, perhaps in detail, but the principle has

sound. If you deal with audio and focus on it for a long time your hearing

remained the same. We improved on a lot of things, camshafts, pistons,

gets so sharp that you can detect even the slightest difference in sound

valves, valve seats; we used precious metals, like beryllium bronze for valve

with your ear alone. The human ear is much more sensitive and accurate

seats, which I remember sanding way too often. We learned soon after that

than any measuring device.” The conversation then switches from music to

it is highly carcinogenic and its use was banned. I’m glad I escaped without

motorcycles, or rather exhausts, as Igor is questioned if he always had the

any consequences as we inhaled a huge amount of dust while sanding

last word in deciding the sound of an individual exhaust system before it

these parts. And many other things that we don’t even know about today.”

makes it to the market. “Sound is extremely important. But it is something

Gaber then asks why Igor decided on exhausts in the first place? “I

we decide upon together in the company. I often hear how the engine is

could work on tuning the engine for a month or two. You could write a

turning by its sound alone. If it is different, you immediately see whether the

PhD thesis on it, use expensive, state-of-the-art materials, but when you

change we made to the exhaust was beneficial or not. Measurements on

came to the racetrack, the difference was sometimes noticeable, but also

the dynamometer confirm our findings, but I only rarely make a mistake in

my assessment with the ear. In recent years, I am no longer the final arbiter, because we employ people who perceive sound extremely

/ / Restrictions for the young

Time was meanwhile quickly passing, the afternoon was in full

well and have learned to create the exhaust so that the engine has the

swing and the German hobbyists were once again on the track, with

best sound and the best performance.”

the different shades of sounds from various Akrapovič exhausts

All this talk about sound and music, but nothing about a band, why

coming through closed windows, but Igor Akrapovič seemed to us

hasn’t that been a thing in Igor’s life, but he freely admits he does

to be somewhere else, far away from Grobnik and motorcycles. Igor

not possess that particular talent. “No, no, that’s not me, to play an

did not stay at his father’s company for long, and his son Timotej

instrument, no, no. Hi-fi interests me from two perspectives. The first

is now working for him, so with all this in mind, what are Igor’s

one is that I use the equipment I have at home practically every day. I

thoughts on the future of the world and what the young need to

take my time, sit down in my room and just listen. The second aspect is

succeed in these times? “They need to be encouraged and shown

technical. I’ve always been attracted to technology and different types

real life, but on the other hand we need to enable them to start

of top-quality components and speakers. This is how I relax. I listen to

taking responsibility very early on. I see this as being quite difficult

music, rework devices and upgrade them. Hi-fi components are like cars

for today’s youth - probably even more so because we now have

or motorcycles. A new component takes some time to get used to, and

a whole bunch of restrictions. There are many more of them now

in doing so its sound can change considerably. I’m talking about the

than there used to be. I also notice this through the influence of

first 100, 200 or 500 hours of listening to music on them. You must love

the media. I read every day, you can’t do this, you can’t do that,

tinkering, changing, adjusting, testing. I have a friend, Matej Isak, who

don’t do this, don’t watch that, don’t eat this. I have a feeling that

is a top connoisseur, publishes a magazine for hi-fi aficionados called

young people today are significantly disadvantaged compared to

Mono & Stereo and receives hi-fi components from all over the world

what we had when we were their age. Everything one does in one’s

to test, determine their ratings, find out what the sound characteristics

own way today can turn out to be politically incorrect or socially

are, alignment with other components, advantages, disadvantages.

unacceptable; sometimes I even catch myself in self-censorship.

Sometimes he gives me a component and asks me for an opinion. This

This worries me, because we seem to be trying to squeeze the

hi-fi world is my hobby and I know quite a few of the best boutique

young into a mould.” After a short reflection, Igor continues: “I agree

manufacturers in the world. Many people ask me for an opinion, so I

with and advocate for everyone to be able to decide what makes

listen, test, comment, talk and give advice. I have quite a few contacts

them happy in life. I do not support the old European view that if

around the world in this field. I go to bed late and so I do my sound stuff

the father was, say, a mechanic, the next seven generations must

after 10 pm when the outside world calms down. I listen to music until

also be mechanics. Surely someone down the line would like to

midnight or until one in the morning, and I really like that. That’s when I

do something else and I do not want to shape the future of my

disconnect from all the problems and stuff in my head.”

children in this way.”

10 / 15 30 Years

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/ / The company will continue to develop and grow

was fierce. Graziano Rossi (father of Valentino Rossi) won this race on

As Igor touched on his company and its future, he was asked what comes

Sunday, with Gregg Hansford winning the qualifying. Also in front of

next, what will the next 30-years look like for Akrapovič? “The company

me at the start were Randy Mamola, Kork Ballington, Reinhold Roth,

looks set to continue developing and growing. Current indicators are good. But my interests are even more diversified. I’m focusing on plans to construct a company museum. I am looking for a location somewhere in Ljubljana and if it all goes well, we will soon be able to start designing and building. The idea isn’t new; I’ve been working on it for a while. I think it right and proper to make a museum, because there are already a lot of racing motorcycles from different series in front of my office and it would be a pity not to make a permanent exhibition out of them and show them to fans, citizens and tourists, domestic and foreign. What’s more, I want to add a congress centre for various events related to motorcycling, motoring and sport, a café and a few other things to boot. My colleague Slavko Trstenjak has in recent years managed to gather a wonderful collection of motorcycles, and we will try to get a few interesting and special cars from our partners to put in the museum as well. I believe that this could be an excellent technological facility which will become an additional tourist attraction in Ljubljana.”

/ / Memories of the 1979 race

Anton Mang, Walter Villa and other famous riders of the time. Of course, it would have made much more sense not to take part after Saturday’s crash, but I decided to patch up my Yamaha and appear on the grid on Sunday. With all the tension and the rush to prepare the motorcycle for the race I overlooked a cracked handlebar, which caused another crash in the race. This time the injuries were a bit more severe, but after a copious amount of painkillers and injections I got on my MZ and took Slavojka, then my girlfriend, now my wife, who was decidedly unimpressed by my performance on the track, back to Ljubljana, some 100 kilometres to the north. Halfway through, everything started to hurt terribly, but I ground my teeth and somehow we made it back home.”

We thanked the racetrack operators for their hospitality, but before Igor Akrapovič got into his Porsche Panamera, his gaze once again flitted through the open paddock across the finish line towards the furthest parts of the racetrack of his youth, where the German hobby riders were still doing their rounds and some of them even lent their motorcycles to their partners, also donning full racing gear, for a few laps. Before leaving he said: “Well, guys want to hear another story of how wild it was back

The sun was trying its best to remain warm, the unpleasant wind eased

then? Even today, my wife Slavojka holds the record among motorbike

off a bit and we went back down the steel stairs to the paddock of the

passengers here at Grobnik. She sat at the back of my tuned-up Suzuki

Grobnik racetrack where, before we said goodbye, memories came back

and the two of us did a lap in 1 minute 52 seconds. A very decent lap

to Igor and his gaze turned westwards, towards the Rijeka turn. “My most

time and still an unofficial record for passengers wearing espadrilles,”

vivid and painful memory is the 250 cc class World Championship race

Igor says with a smile as he bids us farewell.

in 1979. Hmm, that was 42 years ago. I crashed badly in qualifying but still clocked in as 34th and qualified for Sunday’s race. The competition

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Colin Edwards – Akrapovič Brand Ambassador

by Gaber Keržišnik photography John Shofner (Shofner Films), Gaber Keržišnik, Gold and Goose Photography, Good-shoot.com, Marc Robinot

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Article from

No. 26 / 2019

DAD’S HIDDEN AGENDA Colin Edwards was waiting for me at the designated spot on the landmark Triple Bridge in front of the pharmacy in the centre of Ljubljana. When I arrived, he was watching a street performance while visibly enjoying the city beat, concealed by sunglasses and an Akrapovič baseball cap. Even though I offered to pick him up in front of the hotel, he told me over the phone that it wasn’t necessary.

“I’ll walk to the centre. I like walking because that’s how I can best get to know a town.”

The two-time WorldSBK Champion began by complimenting Slovenian cuisine, something he has had the opportunity to thoroughly examine in the past few days, and added, “Now I’d like something from my neck of the woods.

Something simple and filling.” Easy-peasy!

His wish fit Ljubljana’s best recent delicacy to a tee. We sat down in the nearest bar and ordered a burger each. With a large beer on the side.

What are your impressions? This is not your first time in Slovenia. You’ve already visited the Akrapovič plant, met the people behind the brand and checked out both Ljubljana and the countryside. Have your views changed from your first trip?

I like it. The city is extremely pleasant and I hope to bring my family along the next time I visit. I’m sure they’d love it. Especially my wife. I was received really well by Akrapovič and we’ve established truly genuine cooperation. I now see that the company’s philosophy is in certain aspects very similar to my own and I can project it onto my work, principles and hobbies.

For example?

For example a dedication to perfection in manufacture and in details. I’d say this is what Akrapovič is famous for. I’m the same.

I can spend a lot of time on seemingly irrelevant details or on perfecting the smallest details when working on the things I like doing and I’m interested in. If I just think about the amount of time I can spend on ammo for my guns and pistols. I am capable of sitting down and working on a single bullet for a very long time.

I will return to your shooting later, but for now I’d like to know some more about Akrapovič. You have officially become their Brand Ambassador. Is it more of an honour or does it entail a lot of work?

Both, actually. I’m happy to have been chosen.

I won two WorldSBK Championship titles with Akrapovič. The one in 2000 was a first, both for me and for the company. In a sense, I’ve been accompanied by the brand for the majority of my racing years and I’m happy that

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we are still working well together. I’m from Texas, you know, and for us a handshake is like a contract. I don’t rush from one brand to another. My suppliers for helmets, racing kits, boots and the like have more or less remained the same ever since my active racing days. I

Colin Edwards & Akrapovič

like to make long-term deals and friendships.

And I also cooperate with the brands I feel close to at our boot camp.

Your Texas Tornado Boot Camp seems to provide fun and, in a way, cohabitation with nature. Another thing that eats up a lot of time, right?

I don’t think it takes up that much time. We finally found the right balance between too much and too little. We had, perhaps, organised the camp too many times a year in the past, then cut back by too much and it wasn’t enough. We once tried to organise ten camps a year. It was completely open to the public, but it simply didn’t work out. Perhaps between eight and ten applicants came.

Doing something too often isn’t good. We now decided to organise it between four and five times a year. Maybe a maximum of six.

Colin Edwards was named the first two-wheel Brand Ambassador for Akrapovič in December 2018. This honour was bestowed on the Texan in recognition of his achievement in winning the WorldSBK Championship in 2000, becoming the first rider to give Akrapovič a world title on a machine equipped with one of its high-performance exhaust systems, a feat which has now led to Akrapovič having over 130 world championships in both two- and four-wheel racing worlds. Edwards repeated his championship success in 2002, also on a Honda fitted with an Akrapovič, and he also won the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours on two occasions, in 2001 with Valentino Rossi as his teammate and 2002 with Daijiro Kato on machines with exhausts by Akrapovič. Edwards continued to use Akrapovič until he retired from the top flight in 2014.

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I think that five is the best number. This is how

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we can best fill the capacity. We organise between four and five corporate events and about the same number of public courses, for which anyone can apply.

Apart from the camp, you have also been kept busy by working for BT Sport from England. How do you see your job as a TV reporter or commentator? Riders are often annoyed by journalists, they see us as a nuisance, but it often happens that former riders join our ranks.

How come?

I’m mainly having fun. We have good conversations. Sometimes we remain on different banks and that’s when it gets most interesting. I like it. If you’re asking me whether I have to do it, the answer is of course not. But if you want to know whether I enjoy it, then the answer is a resounding yes. I don’t interview riders. I basically don’t have any contact with them as a journalist. Suzi (Perry) and I are more a duo that presents the entire show. She’s the host and I’m the pundit and I know and understand what’s happening on the track. My job is mainly to analyse individual events at the circuit.

However, your voice, accent, humour and know-how certainly enlivens the TV broadcast in numerous ways, right?

I hope so. I really do. I like to think so. I don’t really know how to explain. Perhaps I can compare my work with past IndyCar broadcasts in the USA. The commentator was British and he was excellent. But his greatest added value on US TV was that he was a co-commentator who didn’t come from the USA. To hear a “foreign” voice or a “foreign” accent, even though it was all English, was truly unusual. It was just different. Especially because an “outsider” can see things in a completely different way. I think I serve the exact same purpose on British TV. Apart from

Colin Edwards and Akrapovič Racing Together CHAMPIONSHIP

YEAR TEAM

BIKE

FIM WorldSBK

1999

Castrol Honda

Honda RC45

FIM WorldSBK

2000

Castrol Honda

Honda VTR1000SP1

FIM WorldSBK

2001

Castrol Honda

Honda VTR1000SP2

FIM EWC / Suzuka 8 Hours

2001

Team Cabin Honda

Honda VTR1000SPW

FIM WorldSBK

2002

Castrol Honda

Honda VTR1000SP2

FIM EWC / Suzuka 8 Hours

2002

Team Cabin Honda

Honda VTR1000SPW

FIM MotoGP

2003

Alice Aprilia Racing

Aprilia RS Cube

FIM MotoGP

2012

NGM Mobile Forward Racing

Suter MMX1

FIM MotoGP

2013

NGM Mobile Forward Racing

FTR MGP13

FIM MotoGP

2014

NGM Forward Racing

Forward-Yamaha

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2002 WorldSBK season

that, I was world champion twice, I raced in

between the means of transport on each

of motorcycle riding. And that’s why our

MotoGP for many years and I can pass on my

side of the Atlantic as well as the mentality

ranch is different. The track is not the same

knowledge in a way that’s different from my

and upbringing during one’s youth. You of

as on Rossi’s ranch. Rossi manages a facility

English colleagues. I’d say that the viewers

course remember what Europe was like in the

for training racing talents, while we work a

like it. I can speak completely freely, I just

eighties or nineties. The young switched from

lot with children. We make campfires in the

need to watch my language a bit. (laughter)

bicycles to mopeds and scooters. This gave

evenings, play games and have fun. The idea

them mobility before they passed their driving

is to make people see motorcycle riding as a

exam. And it remains in the blood. Many

fun way to spend their free time.

What about the strain and frequent travel? Flying from continent to continent, being away from your family for sometimes weeks at a time, doesn’t that bother you?

Europeans later bought a larger motorcycle.

Or at least returned to two wheels in their more mature years. This is of course strongly

No. I actually think it’s a good thing. It’s

reflected in the interest for motorcycle racing.

perfectly balanced for me. It sometimes feels

Rossi began his career on a scooter as well.

good to do stuff by oneself and it feels even

And his room had a poster of the next one he

better to return home afterwards. Only after

wanted. Much like the majority of European

you leave home you realise how much you

teenagers in those years.

can miss someone. Plus, it’s so much nicer

This will undoubtedly be a long and thorny path with an uncertain outcome. So how did you end up on motorbikes? Unless I’m mistaken, your father never raced on them.

True. My father never raced bikes. He prepared certain bikes for riders. He loved to tinker in his workshop and many bikes

after you get back. This is the life my wife and

All of that is lacking in the USA?

I have had in the past 20 years and we both

That’s right, it doesn’t exist there. The first

supercharged bikes, 750 cc Hondas with

got used to it. Perhaps this is the recipe for

mode of transport is a car. When someone

Rickman chassis and similar interesting

a long and successful marriage. I think that

is old enough to pass the driving test, they

items. He put various things together. And

it’s not all that good to be together for days

are immediately put behind a steering wheel.

then he bought me my first dirt bike for

on end.

The scooter era for youngsters is completely

Christmas when I was still a very young boy.

overlooked. Perhaps also because the

After that we often ended up on a motocross

distances are greater and your closest friend

track. I started racing in motocross from

lives at least 15 km away from you. Nobody

a very early age. I stopped at 14 and then

grows up loving two wheels in the USA. This

didn’t sit on a bike for about a year or so. I

was one of our guidelines when we decided

got my motorbike licence at the age of 16.

It’s changing in the US too. Well, at least

to set up our boot camp. We wanted to

On a Yamaha FZR1000 no less, which was

I hope so… The question is whether it will

create a practice package for children. And

ridiculous, because it was a real rocket at

ever reach the level of popularity it enjoys in

also for 40-year-old men – and women. The

the time. Dad then bought a Kawasaki ZX-7

Europe. The main reason is the difference

idea was to acquaint people with the basics

so that we could ride together. Then he

How do you see motorcycle racing in USA and Europe? The fact remains that motorcycle racing in the US is not on par with car racing, let’s just mention NASCAR as a case in point.

found their way there. Various custom jobs,

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suddenly said, “Let’s go to the racetrack just to see what the guys are doing.” And there, on the track, I saw a guy who used to race against me in motocross. I was always faster than him, so I couldn’t figure out how it was possible for him to do so well in road racing.

If he can do it, then I can do it even faster. I wanted to try it out as quickly as possible and that’s how it all began... Although my father never really told me that, I am thinking more and more that he already had a hidden agenda.

21

Let’s get back to your bullets. You can spend hours and hours on a single one, you say? What’s the point? It is fired against a target anyway and that’s it.

You’re partially right but it’s not quite as

2014 MotoGP season

simple. Shooting is a challenging sport. There are many different factors that can affect the outcome. First of all, you’re dealing with a real bullet, so it must be filled with the right gunpowder and also just the right amount of gunpowder. It must also have the correct shape. Many different options exist. All this is required for a truly accurate shot that hits the target. The aim of it all is to be so accurate that you can shoot five times at 100 yards, leaving but a single hole in the target.

In the meantime, it seems we have finished our burgers. By the way, are you good at preparing meat?

That I am. I love to make my own beef jerky.

I prepare the pieces of meat, cut them up properly, marinate and use the oven to dehydrate them. It’s not really complicated.

You can try it in your oven at home. What’s really important is to dehydrate the meat slowly. It should be done at a low temperature for 6 to 7 hours. Once it’s done, you pack it in bags and can then eat the processed meat all year long. We actually make deer sticks, which are similar to the beef jerky you can buy at the store. Very tasty and completely natural. Without preservatives. There is no set recipe, we make them a little bit differently every year. Not only that, we also make pan or breakfast sausages. You sauté them in a pan and simply add some eggs. It’s extremely tasty.

2001 Suzuka 8 Hours with Valentino Rossi

// Si Colin Edwards – prvi ambasador blagovne znamke Akrapovič na dveh kolesih Colin Edwards je verjetno eden najbolj markantnih dirkačev moderne dobe, čeprav je dirkaški kombinezon že pred leti obesil na klin. V dolgi in bogati karieri je dosegel številne uspehe tako v razredu WorldSBK kot v razredu MotoGP, v katerem je nastopal dolga leta. Preprost, nasmejan, duhovit in vedno pripravljen na pogovor s svojimi številnimi navijači in podporniki je še danes priljubljen in v središču pozornosti, kjerkoli se pojavi. Edwards je pred kratkim postal tudi prvi ambasador blagovne znamke Akrapovič v motorističnem segmentu, kar ni naključje. Leta 2000 je namreč v svetovnem prvenstvu razreda Superbike osvojil svoj in Akrapovičev prvi naslov svetovnega prvaka, ki mu je dodal naslednjega leta 2002. Edwards je tudi pozneje nastopal z različnimi motociklističnimi znamkami in pretežno uporabljal Akrapovičeve izpušne sisteme, s katerimi je tudi sklenil kariero. Danes te izpuhe najdemo na motorjih njegovega motociklističnega tabora Texas Tornado Boot Camp, Colina Edwardsa pa še vedno lahko srečamo v dirkaškem “paddocku” prvenstva MotoGP.

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Exceptional

W AY N E R A I N E Y

A RAINEY

D AY I N S U N N Y C ALIFORNIA Article from

No. 14 / 2013 22

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“We’re visiting Mr. Wayne Rainey,” i told the security guard.

We were standing at the entrance to a gated residential community, lying amidst luscious nature and hills, covered with sunburnt grass and low trees. The community is conveniently located near the Laguna Seca racetrack in Monterey, where one of the corners is named after Wayne Rainey: three-time World Champion in the most prestigious class of motorcycle racing.

“I am still not used to the wheelchair, I often think about the crash.”

by Gaber Keržišnik photography Bor Dobrin, Yamaha Motor Racing

After being given a thorough glance-over, asked who we were, what we were, and why we wanted to enter the intimate splendour of the residential houses on the other side of the gate, we were let in. We drove to the top of a hill, shared by only three houses. One of them belongs to Wayne Rainey, the 500 cc World Champion of the 1990, ‘91 and ‘92 season. The blonde-haired American would probably have won the title in 1993 and even a few others later on, had he not suffered a tragic accident at the Italian Grand Prix in Misano. That’s where Wayne Rainey fell.

Initially, it didn’t seem like there was anything special about it. It was similar to many other accidents, but at the same time it was tragically unique. Wayne Rainey did not, and could not, get up. He had to be taken to the ambulance on a stretcher.

That was the last race for the now 52-year-old American, who has been confined to a wheelchair ever since, a fate he still hasn’t completely come to terms with.

“Every morning when I wake up the first thing I look at is the wheelchair,” he says. “I’m still not completely used to it and I still think often about that crash. Then I start feeling angry but soon realise that what’s done is done and it’s now part of my life.”

It was an honor to talk to Wayne, one of my childhood idols. When I was a kid, I looked up to him and other racers like Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Gardner and Eddie Lawson the way other kids admired Robin Hood, Superman or Batman. Their photographs and posters watched over my room and I was glued to the screen on Sundays watching them do their magic on their 4 valve 500 cc machines. Back then, of course, they did it without the now common rider aids that prevent back wheel sliding and rear wheel lifting.

Nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi described the races in the elite class in the ‘90s as: “Not just racing, but war.”

Before the Laguna Seca race, I had the chance to ask Rossi what he thought about the former Yamaha

rider. “Ahh, Wayne. What a champion!” he told me.

“I was always a fan of his. And of his archrival Kevin Schwantz. They were real riders and those were real races. I would have given anything to have been able to race back then, but I was simply too young. I was a guest at Yamaha’s dinner yesterday at Rainey’s home and I felt so proud to be there. Wayne Rainey really is such a big name in racing…”

Such words coming from the mouth of a 9-time champion really leave no doubt about Rainey’s stature.

I was of the exact same mind as I pressed the bell of the Mediterranean-style hacienda. Rainey himself answered the door. He invited our group into his house and showed us around. Because the Rainey family was in the midst of preparing for a visit by other riders and bigwigs, who were invited for Yamaha’s dinner prior to the US Grand Prix, we decided to spend our time with Rainey outside, next to a large swimming pool.

“I still swim every day. It keeps me fit,” he told us. “I also do a lot of cycling on a custom bike which is made to be powered by arms. I keep fit in that way. I think it’s important.” Rainey, believe it or not, still looks as if he took off his helmet and hung up his racing suit yesterday.

After the accident, he decided not to leave the racing world. Following the advice of Frank Williams, the owner of the eponymous Formula 1 team and himself a tetraplegic, Rainey set up and successfully managed his own racing team after the accident. But only for a few years. Why did he decide to disband it so soon? Money?

Sponsorship issues?

“No, not at all. None of that,” he says. “I simply realised that I couldn’t do it. It was too demanding. All the races, trips, hotels, airplanes… I couldn’t do it. It was all too much. It was too exhausting and I decided to call it a day.

I wanted to relax.” After our photographer completed his tour of the outside, we moved to the inside of Rainey’s new house. A room full of cups and awards. The walls are full of race pictures and helmets with their distinctive

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Wayne Rainey: “Even though they’re parked in a memorial room, the bikes still require maintenance.“

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Rainey designs, while the middle is reserved for two beautifully restored Yamaha YZR500 bikes in Marlboro livery.

“The first was given to me by Yamaha as a surprise gift after the Misano accident,” he explains.

“The second one, also unexpectedly, came from Yamaha a few years later. So I had two of them, but lacked the third, so I became a bit ‘greedy’,” he jokes. “So I asked the Japanese team for a third one to complete my collection, but was squarely refused. ‘We’re not giving it to you. Two are more than enough!’”

After admiring the beautiful bikes for a while, Rainey continued: “I almost never enter this room.

I sometimes just slightly open the door and peek inside. Just to see if somebody maybe forgot to turn the lights off. But after the Laguna Seca race, I’ll devote a bit more time to the bikes here. Even though they’re parked in a memorial room, they still require

25

maintenance. I recently noticed traces of oil on the front suspension of one of them. Due to lack of use, the rubber spring gaskets on the front forks started leaking. I’ll take the front suspension off the bike in the near future and have Öhlins’ technicians repair the gaskets. The bike will then be good to go for a while.”

Sitting in a room full of relics and two priceless motorbikes, I steer the conversation from modern racing, the current lack of young US riders, overuse of rider aids in the MotoGP class and other topical issues back into the past.

Riders keep to themselves in the paddock nowadays and barely even greet each other if they meet. What was it like 20 or 25 years ago? Was it any different?

“While riders never were the best of friends, even back then, things were a lot better than today. We would often crack a beer or two after the race or have a barbecue in the paddock. Sometimes these meetings turned into proper parties lasting until the early hours.

Kevin Schwantz - also a Legend

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“Yeah, I always had good relations with my competitors. All of them, but one. And that one was Kevin Schwantz. I don’t know exactly why, but we simply never liked each other.“

home. It was Schwantz. He was at the Laguna Seca racetrack for an event he was invited to. He thought of me and gave me a call. We were just getting ready to have dinner, so I invited him over. And he was here in a couple of minutes. After dinner we sat in the kitchen late into the evening and talked about everything under the sun – everything but racing. As it was getting late and he was getting ready to leave, I asked him where he intended to spend the night. He replied that he didn’t have anything booked, but would go down to Monterey and find the first available room. So I invited him to sleep in our guest bedroom. He agreed and stayed over at my house. Before going to bed, I thought to myself: ‘My God. Incredible. Kevin Schwantz is spending the night at my house. This was probably the last thing that I’d ever thought possible…’”

Rainey pauses for a while before continuing with a smile: “We never got along well, at least until this March. I was quite surprised when a phone rang as I was sitting out by the pool this spring. I pick it up and a voice on the other end says hello and asks if I’m

An enigmatic smile crept on his face as he looked at one of the numerous photographs on the wall. It featured the famous duo in the heat of a race. Rainey with bike no. 1 in the lead, and Schwantz breathing down his neck on no. 34.

Come to think of it, the biggest parties were never held when I won, but usually when I finished second or third. But I maintained cordial relations with all the competitors. Especially with Eddie Lawson, who remains a good friend today. After my accident we raced a lot together in the Superkart series. I was behind the wheel of a tailored kart, with customised controls allowing me to control everything by hand.

But I stopped doing that a few years ago, whereas Eddie is still going strong. He and my dad have a team and that’s why we still spend a lot of time together.

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“Ahh... Wayne. What a champion! I was always a fan of his. And of his archrival Kevin Schwantz. They were real riders and those were real races. I would have given anything to have been able to race back then, but I was simply too young. I was a guest at Yamaha’s dinner yesterday at Rainey’s home and I felt so proud to be there. Wayne Rainey really is such a big name in racing…” VALENTINO ROSSI

// Si

Pri Wayne Raineyju doma Bili smo na obisku pri svetovnemu motociklističnemu prvaku sezon 1990, 1991 in 1992, ki ga je padec na dirki v Misanu leta 1993 prikoval na invalidski voziček. “S Schwantzem se nisva marala vse do letošnjega marca,” pove Rainey, o svojem največjem tekmecu. “Ko se je mudil na dirkališču v Laguni Seci je prišel k meni na obisk, ko smo ravno večerjali. Potem sva sedela v kuhinji še pozno

v noč in sva debatirala o vsem mogočem … samo o dirkah ne. Ker še ni imel rezerviranega hotela, sem mu ponudil našo sobo za goste. Privolil je in prespal. Preden sem legel v posteljo še sam, sem pomislil: ‘Moj bog. Neverjetno. Sam Kevin Schwantz bo prespal v moji hiši. To je zadnja stvar, na katero bi kdajkoli pomislil, da se bo zgodila’,” je dejal naš gostitelj.

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Exceptional

by Peter Kavčič photography Christophe Desmet, Suzuki

T

UE Q U O

Y– UT R A ND ALE D E G LE OP R U END

m

le fro

013 2 / 3 No. 1 Artic

E L L L T U F ROT EACH B H E T O

H T N

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ng

etti

sg ce i

n ista he d t rom ore ng f roar. i n m and m e o e h c k -li ent dw nd . An xcitem h of sou , storm n t a w en d t h e o nor ave be m t ble of nd t o a lou o e a r h , f t t h in in ing rs ting jum TM oun anging com derful ry here acture and K m s ’ t f s h on .I ki. nu ni cto aha yc s do rm a w d a vi cle ma n Yam d Suzu nsio slowl e m t r o n y o n st ha er f le is orc wee , the ki a way togeth a beac nt. Mot ht bet wasa zing t rumb z e u h e n y Ka ug ,t is b A quie sea ch, the race o hievem ere fo ns by . ere e d h h t o c a n w t i p s a s y co os e be rom cur me igge the atm e se ng f n to th the b a lifeti ‘80s onal in i m The r by th eo t is the asi e , is t co isn’ les rid ouque ngland me. In ith occ loud r e c d du T rcy aw mE ng ti hun is t 0 moto ropale ay fro or a lo d Hond h t an But a 1,00 . Endu ow aw here f r aha s n h s n m t r a o a Y th ati e’s ge wa ect een ton exp e, a s presti betw n ir nc Fra ng the ‘90s o e ti figh rom th f d an

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ich was followed by a starting their engines, wh ds flooding the narrow roa HOME gigantic column of bikes BE A MAN OR STAY AT g spot to the beach. And leading from the parkin d rbe rts for real. There’s even steel, who are unpertu there, on the sand, it sta This is a race for men of o t s colliding, crashing int sand being thrown straigh more pushing, handlebar by the icy wind, snow, or o motorcycle have sunk int erneath the wheels of the the guys in front, whose into their faces from und utter chaos. However, duropale du Touquet is a the sand; it’s complete and guys in front of them. En du s if you want to make it ture as the 24 Heure you have to survive this classic with the same sta shoots everywhere and r. It’s always difficult, to the starting line. Sand Mans or the famous Le Tou tely sullied before the e of the top amateur my goggles were comple dangerous and chaotic. On idly viv , lec t when the starting gate ng Toni Mu race had even begun. Bu rookies of the year, the you was simply amazing! We went down, the feeling described it this way: utter haze. Those in the pushed forward into an , en e path and good visibility you even hit the sand. Wh front obviously had a fre “The race starts before dozen bikes, all you to mount our bikes in but being behind a couple we were given the signal spray, the foaming waves s an almighty rush, as could see was sand, sea the ‘parc fermé’, there wa ol ottle like an out-of-contr g of a massive discount and bikes racing full thr if we were at the openin g over each other and sale. People were climbin

t turn. I don’t even stampede towards the firs ing a massive accident want to think about hav /h. It would’ve been a here, at more than 130 km e you somehow make it massacre. Fortunately, onc fall into a line of sorts. to the first turn, the riders d ride over bumps and This is followed by a wil ain the 200,000-strong artificial jumps that entert beginning and during crowd. Your tactics in the g You have to avoid gettin the first lap are crucial. at gre e petitors and tak entangled with your com , because the load on tch care not to burn your clu ous.” the machine is just enorm th ing his first adventure Toni, who came in 45 dur even keener to return on the sandy circuit, is now ybe it’s the craziness and improve his result. Ma erience that draws so and uniqueness of the exp

the beginning of ers to this unique race at

many rid every February.

CLASSIC the Enduropale du For more than 30 years, start of the racing season Touquet has signalled the lt classic races that has bui in Europe. It’s one of the ary end leg tion despite and maintained its reputa e were motocross world her s scuffles. The winner with enthusiasts and champions, who battled the event could not have amateurs, without whom brings excitement and a existed. The race always Mainly because when the fair dose of controversy. ond lap, they hit a crowd best riders start their sec rts, who end up stuck in of their slower counterpa h other, or crashing and the sand, riding over eac

Exceptional

IE OF THE YEAR TONI MULEC - ROOK

is the one who can falling down. The winner ir way through the best predict and find the ed by the deep sand. mass of riders overwhelm and ‘90s saw factory However, while the ‘80s ers taking on other motocross or enduro rid stige, nowadays it competitors mainly for pre specialists. They are has turned into a race for erts, who devote the new breed of sand exp oming the best sand their entire career to bec their time using a riders, and spend most of specifically for riding knobby back tyre, made on deep sand.

D DREAMING IS ALLOWE -

to the legendary Enduropale is very similar urs pit themselves Dakar Rally, where amate

s and give it to those watching races on their TV ch bea this e same goes for e part. His restless against professionals. Th were brave enough to tak o wh e cycle lovers who com be clearly seen both at the in northern France. Motor and exploratory spirit can rt’s spo to the to t nex rt to sta ch. It’s actually difficult here dream of being able rally and here on the bea rst wo al the rdi pite mo pri des do well much of its superstars and are keen to gine that the race kept so ima ing lud inc these enthusiasts, ce 1975, both during possible conditions. All and adventurous spirit sin y the t tha w kno es, tum r. Of course, numerous comedians in various cos Thierry’s lifetime and afte fer suf l s wil y the s, Ye . end environmental restriction will become part of the leg things have changed and as ally ear fici sw arti and ly curse m the dunes to greatly, fall down and like have rerouted the track fro from all es fac ir the ing the beach itself, where hitt on ps the salty sand kee de turns and chicanes ma the e joy as their jority will declare ctators feel exactly the sam spe 0 directions, but the vast ma ,00 200 gle completed lap may freezing first Sunday in day a victorious one. A sin predecessors did on the ! joy r lings of utte be enough to invoke fee February 1975. th thousands follow them! ps for the 38 time and d Dreams are allowe when the starting gate dro d An us d the man who allowe real race. Professionals on And that is exactly what in the row, it feels like a h bot d, san the on s ure ent dash for it. From above, to witness incredible adv their tuned bikes make a ine Sab y ierr Th d. lly, wante bees racing over the few here and at the Dakar Ra they resemble a swarm of ne ryo enture to eve always wanted to bring adv

d coast, pummelled by

kilometres of the levelle the Atlantic Ocean.

/H ON THE MX TUNED FOR 170 KM BEACH de an r guest and this year it ma

Chaos is a regula superb motorcycle and appearance as well! The rider plays an equally physical readiness of the Yamaha YZ450F, important role here. The lko Potisek from pushed to its limits by Mi , roared and breathed the start to the finish line 170 km/h. The bike and perfectly, reaching up to re subjected to brutal its Akrapovič exhaust we t no other race can loads under conditions tha That is also why ‘Le conjure up in three hours. e, but also an excellent Touquet’ is not just a rac

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Kevin Schwantz - also a Legend

MILKO POTISEK

limits of the newest test of endurance and the racing. technology in motorcycle . ing the 15-kilometre lap Anything can happen dur try you t leader, but when You could be the curren , he could pull out in to lap a slower competitor r h fall down. Maybe you front of you and you bot s. bar dle han the y down to bike even sinks all the wa is Th . tide caught by the Even worse, you could get when strong winds r, was demonstrated this yea ch the part of the track caused large waves to rea e. The event forced the that lies at the ocean’s edg nt an hour early. It was organisers to stop the eve t Le Touquet cannot also proven once again tha chaos reigned when the exist without controversy; Potisek caught up with red flag was waved. Milko e, who had to slow down leader Jean-Claude Mouss ms with his goggles. drastically due to proble

32

LE TOUQUET IN BRIEF ----------------------who

, hild of Thierry Sabine The race is the brainc Paris – Dakar Rally, and is also the father of the USA. sand beach races in the who was inspired by only s wa and anised in 1975 The first race was org rt Apa r.

1, due to the gulf wa cancelled once in 199 Sunday, quad bikes and from the main event on ay. themselves on Saturd juniors tried to prove the for ly app quads usually 1,200 riders and 800 and 0 by between 150,00 race, which is watched 15-kilometre circuit is 200,000 spectators. The es, ice officers on motorbik supervised by 60 pol 80 s, ter figh officers, 160 fire 300 additional police y enc erg em 180 officials. An security personnel and l cal helicopters is also on health team with three s track needs two month throughout the race. The in. beg can e ore the rac of preparation work bef

JEAN-CLAUDE MOUSSE

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took the lead just a few Potisek passed him and cial waved a red flag seconds before a race offi Initially, it wasn’t clear in front of Jean-Claude. t passed Jean-Claude, that another rider had jus cameras, journalists who was surrounded by congratulated him on and photographers who e. Or did he? During winning for the fourth tim ion, nobody knew who these moments of confus k finished another lap the real winner was. Potise after crossing the finish and raised his arms high winner, at least for line. And Potisek was the decided that it would some. However, the jury ngs as they were before be best to keep the standi red flag, thereby giving the starter picked up the e rendezvous on the Jean-Claude the win. Th ruary 2014, when the beach returns in early Feb w. thundering will begin ane

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VE RS IA L OR S IN A CO NT RO TI SE K - CO MP ET IT PO O LK MI D AN US SE JE AN -C LA UD E MO

RA CE

// Si

Plin do konca po plaži Enduropale du Touquet je najbolj množična dirka na plaži na severu Francije. Že več kot trideset let pomeni začetek dirkaške sezone v Evropi, ena tistih klasik, ki si je ime in ugled zgradila z legendarnimi boji do zadnjega diha in do zadnjega metra, na tej maratonski off road dirki. Na njej zmagujejo svetovni prvaki motokrosa in se borijo zanesenjaki, amaterji, brez katerih te dirke ne bi moglo biti.

Except ional CHRISTIAN VON KOENIGSEGG COMPETES WITH LUXURY BRANDS LIKE LAMBORGHINI AND FERRARI

A long wait for highly bespoke megacars

34 Article from

No. 21 / 2017

“I’m living proof that you can do the impossible

production, but it allows us to achieve a lot with

if you really believe in your idea and come

very few people.”

prepared to sacrifice everything to achieve your

The Swedish supercar company plans to build

goals,” says Christian von Koenigsegg when

80 Regera cars over the next five years. To ramp

we meet at his company’s headquarters on the

up production, Koenigsegg has already doubled

outskirts of Ängelholm.

its staff and plans to hire even more mechanics,

It’s a busy time in the small factory, housed in

engineers and refinishers. Building cars by hand

a hangar of a former air base once used by the

is a time-consuming process: “Last year we

Swedish Air Force’s “Ghost Squadron”. Three

delivered ten cars. Our customers have to wait

Koenigsegg showpieces are being shipped to

four years for their car, which makes it difficult for

the Geneva Motor Show: a gleaming granite

our sales agents,” says von Koenigsegg. With a

black Agera S, encrusted with flakes of 24 carat

price tag of EUR 2.15m, the Regera is a toy for

gold and two of the latest 1,500 HP hybrid

the superrich.

Regeras. The three cars are still being carefully

“Three or four percent of our customers are

assembled, polished and wired. Everything is

women,” von Koenigsegg explains as we walk

made by hand, from the ultralight carbon fibre

across the factory floor.

wheels to the shiny screws.

The two Regeras that were exhibited at the

And, of course, the roaring machinery that has

Geneva Motor Show have been fitted with

catapulted Koenigsegg into the Guinness World

Akrapovič fishtail exhausts, heralding a new

Book of Records. In 2002, the 655 HP engine in

partnership between Koenigsegg and Akrapovič.

the Koenigsegg CC8S was certified as being the

“I knew about Akrapovič since we started

most powerful engine in a series produced car.

building the Agera, but at the time our production

Two years later, the CCR outdid that record. It

was too small. Slovenia may not be renowned

was equipped with an uprated engine that added

for its car industry, but Akrapovič has a very high

more than 150 HP for a total output of 806 HP.

production quality and offers state-of-the-art

The new Regera, which combines a twin turbo

technology,” says von Koenigsegg.

V8 combustion engine with three electric motors,

All cars are made to order and most of the

is nearly twice as powerful.

Regeras that will be built over the next few years

But for the founder and CEO, Koenigsegg is

have already been sold.

about more than raw power.

“Our main advantage over the bigger brands,

“We have a more holistic approach to car

McLaren, Ferrari and Lamborghini, is our limited

building. Design, engineering and construction

production. It’s a lot easier for us to customise a

run through every aspect of the car, right through

car as we build it than for them to take a car off

to the joy of driving,” he says.

the production line and then customise it. We

“For example, the person who designed our

started a trend of customising cars and now the

unique carbon fibre wheel is a software engineer.

bigger brands have to follow suit as the clientele

Most car manufacturers don’t operate like this,

expects it.”

but in my world, the gearbox is only a short

Hand-building any car is time-consuming, but

distance from the wheels.”

building a high-performing supercar for clients

People have enormous flexibility. Allowing staff

who expect nothing but the very best is an

to work on four or five completely different tasks

arduous task. Building one of the Koenigsegg

not only gives them a better overview of the

powerhouses takes between six and seven

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by Sara Assarsson photography Jenny Leyman

On paper, it was possibly the opposite of a brilliant business idea: to build the world’s fastest supercar and compete with luxury brands like Lamborghini and Ferrari. But 44-year-old Swedish entrepreneur Christian von Koenigsegg did just that.

Despite having no experience manufacturing cars, young von Koenigsegg set off to piece together a powerhouse on four wheels – and laid the foundation for what decades later would be the world’s fastest car, reaching nearly 388 km/h at the Nardo high speed test track in 2005.

months. The paint job alone requires between

Inspired by the Norwegian stop motion movie

“I remember coming out of the cinema after

400 and 600 hours, and on top of that there is

The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (or the Flåklypa

watching the Flåklypa Grand Prix and saying

200-300 hours of polishing. One lightweight

Grand Prix), in which a poor bicycle repairman

to my dad: ‘This is what I want to do!’ I started

carbon fibre wheel takes a week to make. An

decides to build a racing car, young von

reading every car magazine I could get hold of,

Italian specialist is flown in to craft the flakes of

Koenigsegg set out to do the same. But while

and later began fixing up mopeds, boat engines

24-carat gold into the design.

the Norwegian role model didn’t have a dime

and remote control cars. In some way or another,

Can hand-building supercars ever be profitable?

to his name, von Koenigsegg’s entrepreneurial

I guess I have been studying car-building since I

Yes, says von Koenigsegg and points out that

skills had already earned him a handsome sum

was 6 or 7 years old,” he says.

the company has been profitable for the past 11

of cash. With the money from his previous

After two years, the first Koenigsegg CC

or 12 years. At the start of the Koenigsegg era,

business, von Koenigsegg and a small team of

prototype rolled out of the 400 m² factory in

it was a different story. Armed with a passion for

car enthusiasts put together a prototype and

Olofström.

motors and a childhood dream of building the

convinced the Swedish Agency for Economic

“My money ran out after a year and the loan from

world’s fastest car, Christian von Koenigsegg set

and Regional Growth (NUTEK) to lend them

NUTEK lasted for another six months. By then

up the company in 1994, at just 22 years old.

nearly EUR 170,000.

we had a prototype and my father, who initially

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“I was frustrated that we couldn’t get maximum power from the start in the type of combustion cars we were building.”

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36 65 37 64

had been very sceptical about my car-building

cars we were building,” he says.

for 2.8 billion dollars. But I’m not sure that I, as

ideas, agreed to go into business with me and

Instead, he came up with a new technology

a 19-year-old, would have seen the full value of

gave me a bridge loan,” von Koenigsegg recalls.

which combines a powerful twin-turbo V8

the patent,” says von Koenigsegg.

In 1999, after showing the Koenigsegg CC at

combustion engine with three electric motors.

Instead of cashing in on his early invention,

the Cannes Film Festival and building another

The technology, called Direct Drive, removes the

von Koenigsegg has put Ängelholm on the map

prototype, the company attracted its first

traditional gearbox.

and earned a reputation for building some of

venture capital.

“It’s not specific for supercars, but can be used

the most powerful and desirable cars in the

“It was the era of IT start-ups and there was a lot

to power buses, trucks and ordinary cars,” says

world. With Agera and Regera – meaning “to

of new money around. Investors were looking for

von Koenigsegg.

act” and “to rule” – Koenigsegg draws on its

something more tangible than internet ideas. By

He is still very actively involved in every step

Scandinavian heritage. The move is a nod to

that time, we had been up and running for five

of the car-building process. An inventor at

another famous Swedish company, furniture

years and were ready to start production,” says

heart, the CEO spends a lot of time in the

giant IKEA, who has conquered the world with

von Koenigsegg.

prototype room and on the factory floor. Von

its Billy bookcases, von Koenigsegg admits.

With the help of the cash from wealthy IT

Koenigsegg’s passion for design could have

While IKEA is in every Swedish home, very

investors, production finally started in 2002.

taken him in a different direction. Before he built

few of von Koenigsegg’s cars are seen on

Since then, Koenigsegg has built around 130

his first car, Christian von Koenigsegg patented

Scandinavian roads.

cars – from the original CC8S to the hybrid

a solution for joining floor planks together

“No, I don’t have one for private use,” he says.

Regera. The idea of combing electrical power

without adhesive or nails. At the time, floor

“I have to make the most of taking one for a spin

with a combustion engine – and getting rid of

manufacturers rejected the idea. Years later, a

when clients and journalists are here. As much

the gearbox – came from von Koenigsegg’s

Belgian and a Swedish company patented the

as I would love to own one, I would have to pay

experience of driving a Tesla.

exact same solution. “Every floor manufacturer

full price and that’s a bit expensive,” he says

“I was frustrated that we couldn’t get maximum

around the world uses this technology. In 2001,

with a smile as he hurries off to his

power from the start in the type of combustion

the patent was sold to an American corporation

next appointment.

“No, I don’t have one for private use,” says von Koenigsegg.

// Si Kupci na svoj avto čakajo štiri leta Na papirju je bilo morda pravo nasprotje briljantne poslovne ideje, vendar se 44-letni švedski podjetnik Christian von Koenigsegg na to ni oziral. Želel si je zgraditi najhitrejši športni avtomobil na svetu in tekmovati z luksuznimi znamkami, kot sta Lamborghini in Ferrari. Čeprav z izdelovanjem avtomobilov ni imel izkušenj, se je von Koenigsegg odločil, da bo izdelal zmogljivo vozilo – s tem je postavil temelje za avtomobil, ki je desetletja pozneje postal najhitrejši na svetu. Njegov avto je leta 2005 na stezi Nardo dosegel svetovni rekord – skoraj 388 km/h. “Jaz sem živ dokaz, da lahko dosežeš nemogoče, če verjameš v svojo idejo in si pripravljen narediti vse, da dosežeš svoj cilj,” pravi Christian von Koenigsegg.

by Mitja Reven photography Aprilia, Audi, BMW, Bor Dobrin, Cristiano Barni, Fabrizio Porrozzi (Zac Srl), Gold and Goose Photography, Graeme Brown (Kawasaki), Hoch Zwei, Ray Archer (KTM Images), Shutterstock, Suzuki, X-raid, Yamaha

AKRAPOVIČ – PART OF MOTORSPORT FOR 30 YEARS

THE ART OF RACING “Development will never end, because technology can always be improved,” says Igor Akrapovič, thus describing the world of racing in a single sentence.

Numerous engineers spend days and nights thinking and tinkering to make their racing machines faster and better and allow the racers to break new records and beat the competition. It is like a race within a race, but it starts way before the lights go out on the grid and continues into the infinite future, much further than the champagne droplets sprayed from the podium. This endless stream of improvements uses the medium of sound as it roars throughout the Akrapovič facility when a prototype racing motorbike thunders on the company’s Racing R&D dynamometer while company engineers and visiting technicians carefully observe the streams of data and results of various (r)evolutions of exhaust systems on the screens. Both the guests and the hosts are united by a common goal. Who knows, perhaps the sets of ones and zeros already point towards a new world champion. If they turn their heads, they can see quite a few mementos of their predecessors who sat on the same side of the glass next to the dynamometer in the past. These come in the shape of wall-mounted exhaust systems, used by the winners in various categories of motorsport. The space is much too small to house all the racing vehicles that have won the title of world champion while fitted with Akrapovič exhaust systems.

38 / 43 30 Years

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From 0 to 140+

exhaust system. “We won the title after almost

versions of motorcycles, used by superstars

One floor above the dynamometer is the

a decade of hard work and by taking part

like Ben Spies, Max Biaggi, Jonathan Rea,

racing motorcycle that made history on the

in countless WorldSBK and Pro Superbike

Chad Reed, Ryan Dungey and Cooper Webb,

first weekend in May 1995 at Hockenheimring.

races,” recalls Alojz “Slavko” Trstenjak, Head of

are heavily based on serial models and retain

Trackside spectators at this WorldSBK race,

the company’s Racing R&D department. This

many similarities with their serial counterparts,

already familiar with Akrapovič products

year, over two decades later, Cooper Webb

and the same applies to exhaust systems

in the Pro Superbike Championship, were

(Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) won the 141st

on the shelves. “We use the knowledge and

enthusiastically cheering on the incredibly fast

world champion title for Akrapovič by finishing

experience gained in races in the development

Jochen Schmid on his non-works Kawasaki

ahead of the pack in the AMA Supercross, an

of exhaust systems for production motorcycles,”

ZXR750RR, who was overtaking factory

FIM World Championship.

says Trstenjak, adding that “the benefit for the

WorldSBK riders as if they were standing still

end customer is getting an exhaust system

on the long straights of the German racetrack.

So different yet still the same

which is practically identical to the system used

He finished third in the first race and a place

The first and, at the time of writing, last world

by factory teams and riders like Antonio Cairoli,

higher in the second, only being bested by

champion title could not have been more

Jeffrey Herlings, Jorge Prado and others. The

Carl Fogarty. One of the reasons for the speed

different. On one side the asphalt and the,

differences between racing exhausts and those

of Jochen’s Kawasaki was his Akrapovič

usually one, ideal racing line, and on the other

sold in stores are minimal and mainly to do with

exhaust system. Since development never ends

the soft supercross surface, riders spending

a different layout for the racing version. When

and there is always room for improvement,

a lot of time in the air, hard landings and fully

it comes to performance, weight and other

Kawasaki factory team took notice of this

opened throttle to the next jump or turn. Both

features of an exhaust system, we try to make

special exhaust and saw its potential for

series though do follow the mantra of “win

them as equal as possible.”

improving their own racing motorcycle.

on Sunday, sell on Monday,” even if some

“I look back at the company’s three decades of

Cooperation between the Kawasaki factory

races happen on Saturday. The special racing

development, especially its racing history, with

team in WorldSBK and the Slovenian exhaust specialists soon followed, bearing fruit already in 1997 when Akira Yanagawa won the first world championship race for Akrapovič on his green machine. This memorable event took place in Austria at the track known today as Red Bull Ring, located close to Akrapovič’s home. The victory resulted in a period of rapid development both regarding the company, which, spurned by increasing demand, moved to new, larger premises, as well as in the paddock, where the 1999 WorldSBK Championship saw numerous factory teams working with Akrapovič, including all the Japanese ones. Among them was Honda, and it was on a Honda that Colin Edwards in the year 2000 won his first WorldSBK World Champion title in what became a landmark year for the Slovenian exhaust maker, as this was also the first world champion title for a motorcycle equipped with an Akrapovič

1997 Akira Yanagawa (Kawasaki, WorldSBK)

2016 Marco Wittmann (BMW, DTM)

2002 Colin Edwards (Honda, WorldSBK)

40

38 / 43 30 Years

2021 Stéphane Peterhansel, Edouard Boulanger (X-raid, Dakar Rally)

41 2012 Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer (Audi, 24 Hours of Le Mans)

great pride because races are the toughest

champions, be it in Grand Prix races, better

testing ground for a product,” is the belief of

known as MotoGP, the MXGP Motocross

Igor Akrapovič, who has always seen races

World Championships, endurance races or the

as the ultimate testbed for proving new

relentless Cross-Country Rallies.

ideas, technologies and materials, and has thus always been in favour of modifications

Development without end in sight

and improvements to make vehicles even

Akrapovič grew together with racing technology.

faster. Already while racing, Igor not only

While in 2003, when the legendary Joël Smets

tuned his motorcycles, but also those of

and his KTM won the first motocross world

his competitors! While it is quite feasible

champion title for an Akrapovič exhaust system,

that someone, because of their passion for

the company employed less than 150 people,

technology, starts a company and turns his

this number today stands at more than 1,300.

or her hobby into a profession, it is probably

When Steve Ramon won the MX1 Motocross

impossible to imagine someone using his

World Championship on a Suzuki in 2007, the

or her skills and know-how to help the

first title in this class for Akrapovič, the Ivančna

competition. Truly an example of passion that

Gorica-based company did not yet have its

exceeds one’s wildest dreams. Motorsport

own foundry for casting complex titanium

is an art where what counts are fast lap

parts, including valve housings, which are an

2017 Antonio Cairoli (KTM, MXGP)

times, the fastest time between checkpoints,

indispensable component of engine braking in

perfect jumps that are neither too short nor

some series, nor Inconel parts, materials without

2020 Joan Mir (Suzuki, MotoGP)

too long, and a perfect racing strategy which

which it is difficult to imagine today’s racing.

also minimises material wear and tear. It is

Every racing series has its own special features

truly astounding to see racers who, despite

as well as technical solutions – in MotoGP, for

different tyre wear and amount of fuel in their

example, the tubes are only 0.65 mm thick, while

machines, post nearly identical lap times,

in Dakar they measure 1.2 mm – but they both

lap after lap, but it is also amazing to see

have a constant quest for perfection in common.

mechanics being able to refuel and change

Just as racers want to immediately improve on

tyres in a few seconds. Their astonishing

the perfect lap that they have just completed,

skills are recorded by the racing clocks and

so too engineers want to develop an exhaust

the cameras, which show the virtual rails

system that improves on its predecessor. And if

on which the racers race. However, neither

they won with it last Sunday, their determination

of these can show the background where

to improve it burns all the brighter. But winning

technological solutions, new, even lighter

is not everything, as eternal fame and glory

and more durable materials, are created.

can also come through world records, another

They don’t show the countless technical

reason why development will never end. Who

sketches, heaps of tested prototypes of

can tell how long Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing

exhaust systems and other components that

Team) will hold the record for the highest speed

are continuously being improved to make

ever reached on a MotoGP bike with his 362.4

racing machines ever faster. “Development

km/h at a practice session in Qatar 2021. And

and curiosity drive us forward to constantly

who knows when, if at all, anyone will complete a

look for solutions on how to improve

lap at the Isle of Man faster than Peter Hickman

products, how to upgrade them,” Igor

(BMW) did in 2018 with an average speed of

Akrapovič summarises the philosophy of the

217.989 km/h (135.452 mph).

2019 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki, WorldSBK)

Márquez (Suter, Moto2), Lorenzo (Yamaha, MotoGP), Cortese (KTM, Moto3)

company that developed the 141 exhaust systems which were also crowned world

WORLD CHAMPIONS, MOTORCYCLE RACING: 2012

Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)

MotoGP

2008

Bernd Hiemer (KTM)

Supermoto S1

2021

Cooper Webb (KTM)

450SX

2015

Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)

MotoGP

2005

Boris Chambon (KTM)

Supermoto S2

2012

Marc Coma (KTM)

Cross-Country Rally

2020

Joan Mir (Suzuki)

MotoGP

2014

Antonio Cairoli (KTM)

MXGP

2014

Marc Coma (KTM)

Cross-Country Rally

2012

Marc Márquez (Suter)

Moto2

2015

Romain Febvre (Yamaha)

MXGP

2015

Matthias Walkner (KTM)

Cross-Country Rally

2013

Pol Espargaró (Kalex)

Moto2

2017

Antonio Cairoli (KTM)

MXGP

2016

Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna Motorcycles)

Cross-Country Rally

2017

Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna Motorcycles)

Cross-Country Rally

2018

Toby Price (KTM)

Cross-Country Rally

2014

Esteve Rabat (Kalex)

Moto2

2018

Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)

MXGP

2018

Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex)

Moto2

2007

Steve Ramon (Suzuki)

MX1

2012

Sandro Cortese (KTM)

Moto3

2010

Antonio Cairoli (KTM)

MX1

2013

Maverick Viñales (KTM)

Moto3

2011

Antonio Cairoli (KTM)

MX1

2016

Brad Binder (KTM)

Moto3

2012

Antonio Cairoli (KTM)

MX1

2020

Albert Arenas (KTM)

Moto3

2013

Antonio Cairoli (KTM)

MX1

2016

Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Husqvarna Motorcycles)

Moto3 Junior

2004

Ben Townley (KTM)

MX2

2011

Tadeusz Blazusiak (KTM)

Indoor Enduro

2017

Dennis Foggia (KTM)

Moto3 Junior

2008

Tyla Rattray (KTM)

MX2

2012

Tadeusz Blazusiak (KTM)

SuperEnduro

2018

Raúl Fernández (KTM)

Moto3 Junior

2009

Marvin Musquin (KTM)

MX2

2013

Tadeusz Blazusiak (KTM)

SuperEnduro

2020

Izan Guevara (KTM)

Moto3 Junior

2010

Marvin Musquin (KTM)

MX2

2014

Tadeusz Blazusiak (KTM)

SuperEnduro

2000

Colin Edwards (Honda)

WorldSBK

2011

Ken Roczen (KTM)

MX2

2015

Tadeusz Blazusiak (KTM)

SuperEnduro

2002

Colin Edwards (Honda)

WorldSBK

2012

Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)

MX2

2002

Juha Salminen (KTM)

Enduro

2009

Ben Spies (Yamaha)

WorldSBK

2013

Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)

MX2

2003

Juha Salminen (KTM)

Enduro

2010

Max Biaggi (Aprilia)

WorldSBK

2014

Jordi Tixier (KTM)

MX2

2016

Matthew Phillips (Sherco)

EnduroGP

2012

Max Biaggi (Aprilia)

WorldSBK

2016

Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)

MX2

2005

Ivan Cervantes (KTM)

Enduro E1

2014

Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia)

WorldSBK

2017

Pauls Jonass (KTM)

MX2

2006

Ivan Cervantes (KTM)

Enduro E1

2015

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki)

WorldSBK

2018

Jorge Prado (KTM)

MX2

2007

Juha Salminen (KTM)

Enduro E1

2016

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki)

WorldSBK

2019

Jorge Prado (KTM)

MX2

2012

Antoine Méo (KTM)

Enduro E1

2017

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki)

WorldSBK

2020

Tom Vialle (KTM)

MX2

2013

Antoine Méo (KTM)

Enduro E1

2018

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki)

WorldSBK

2003

Joël Smets (KTM)

MX3

2014

Christophe Nambotin (KTM)

Enduro E1

2019

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki)

WorldSBK

2004

Yves Demaria (KTM)

MX3

2004

Juha Salminen (KTM)

Enduro E2

2020

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki)

WorldSBK

2005

Sven Breugelmans (KTM)

MX3

2005

Samuli Aro (KTM)

Enduro E2

2000

Jörg Teuchert (Yamaha)

WorldSSP

2006

Yves Demaria (KTM)

MX3

2006

Samuli Aro (KTM)

Enduro E2

2001

Andrew Pitt (Kawasaki)

WorldSSP

2008

Sven Breugelmans (KTM)

MX3

2009

Johnny Aubert (KTM)

Enduro E2

2009

Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha)

WorldSSP

2009

Pierre-Alexandre Renet (Suzuki)

MX3

2012

Pierre-Alexandre Renet (Husaberg)

Enduro E2

2011

Chaz Davies (Yamaha)

WorldSSP

2010

Carlos Campano (Yamaha)

MX3

2015

Antoine Méo (KTM)

Enduro E2

2015

Kenan Sofuoğlu (Kawasaki)

WorldSSP

2012

Matthias Walkner (KTM)

MX3

2016

Matthew Phillips (Sherco)

Enduro E2

2016

Kenan Sofuoğlu (Kawasaki)

WorldSSP

2013

Klemen Gerčar (Honda)

MX3

2017

Josep Garcia (KTM)

Enduro E2

2017

Lucas Mahias (Yamaha)

WorldSSP

2009

Stephanie Laier (KTM)

WMX

2004

Samuli Aro (KTM)

Enduro E3

2018

Sandro Cortese (Yamaha)

WorldSSP

2010

Stephanie Laier (KTM)

WMX

2005

David Knight (KTM)

Enduro E3

2019

Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki)

WorldSSP300

2011

Stephanie Laier (KTM)

WMX

2006

David Knight (KTM)

Enduro E3

2020

Jeffrey Buis (Kawasaki)

WorldSSP300

2013

Kiara Fontanesi (Yamaha)

WMX

2007

Ivan Cervantes (KTM)

Enduro E3

2003

Team Suzuki GB Phase One (Suzuki)

EWC

2014

Kiara Fontanesi (Yamaha)

WMX

2008

Samuli Aro (KTM)

Enduro E3

2015

Kiara Fontanesi (Yamaha)

WMX

2009

Ivan Cervantes (KTM)

Enduro E3

2009

Team Yart (Yamaha)

EWC

2017

Kiara Fontanesi (Yamaha)

WMX

2010

David Knight (KTM)

Enduro E3

2014

GMT94 Yamaha (Yamaha)

EWC

2018

Kiara Fontanesi (Yamaha)

WMX

2012

Christophe Nambotin (KTM)

Enduro E3

2017

GMT94 Yamaha (Yamaha)

EWC

2008

Chad Reed (Yamaha)

450SX

2013

Christophe Nambotin (KTM)

Enduro E3

2008

Chris Pfeiffer (BMW)

Freestyle WC

2009

James Stewart (Yamaha)

450SX

2014

Matthew Phillips (KTM)

Enduro E3

2009

Chris Pfeiffer (BMW)

Freestyle WC

2015

Ryan Dungey (KTM)

450SX

2009

Oriol Mena (Husaberg)

Junior Enduro

2002

Thierry Van den Bosch (KTM)

Supermoto

2016

Ryan Dungey (KTM)

450SX

2010

Lorenzo Santolino (KTM)

Junior Enduro

2004

Thierry Van den Bosch (KTM)

Supermoto S1

2017

Ryan Dungey (KTM)

450SX

2012

Mathias Bellino (Husaberg)

Junior Enduro

2006

Bernd Hiemer (KTM)

Supermoto S1

2019

Cooper Webb (KTM)

450SX

2020

Hamish Macdonald (Sherco)

Junior Enduro

2019

Sam Sunderland (KTM)

Cross-Country Rally

2005

Carlo de Gavardo (KTM)

Cross-Country Rally – 450 class

38 / 43 30 Years

WORLD CHAMPIONS, CAR RACING: 2012

Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer (Audi)

FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Champions

2013

Loïc Duval, Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish (Audi)

FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Champions

2019/ 2020

Nicki Thiim, Marco Sørensen (Aston Martin)

GT FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Champions

DTM SERIES DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONS: 2008 Chad Reed (Yamaha, 450SX)

2012

Bruno Spengler (BMW)

2013

Mike Rockenfeller (Audi)

2014

Marco Wittmann (BMW)

2016

Marco Wittmann (BMW)

2017

René Rast (Audi)

2019

René Rast (Audi)

2020

René Rast (Audi)

DAKAR RALLY WINNERS, MOTORCYCLES:

2012 Max Biaggi (Aprilia, WorldSBK)

2002

Fabrizio Meoni (KTM)

2011

Marc Coma (KTM)

2012

Cyril Despres (KTM)

2013

Cyril Despres (KTM)

2014

Marc Coma (KTM)

2015

Marc Coma (KTM)

2016

Toby Price (KTM)

2017

Sam Sunderland (KTM)

2018

Matthias Walkner (KTM)

2019

Toby Price (KTM)

DAKAR RALLY WINNERS, CARS:

2018 Peter Hickman (BMW, Isle of Man TT)

2018 Matthias Walkner (KTM, Dakar Rally)

2014

Nani Roma, Michel Perin (X-raid)

2015

Nasser Al-Attiyah, Matthieu Baumel (X-raid)

2020

Carlos Sainz, Lucas Cruz (X-raid)

2021

Stéphane Peterhansel, Edouard Boulanger (X-raid)

24 HOURS OF LE MANS WINNERS:

42

43

2010

Mike Rockenfeller, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas (Audi)

LMP1

2011

Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer (Audi)

LMP1

2012

Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer (Audi)

LMP1

2013

Loïc Duval, Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish (Audi)

LMP1

2014

Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer (Audi)

LMP1

2014

Kristian Poulsen, David Heinemeier Hansson, Nick Thiim (Aston Martin)

LMGTE Am

2017

Darren Turner, Jonathan Adam, Daniel Serra (Aston Martin)

LMGTE Pro

2020

Maxime Martin, Alexander Lynn, Harry Tincknell (Aston Martin)

LMGTE Pro

44

44 / 49

30 Years

45

by Gaber Keržišnik

I DON’T CARE A BOUT R ACING WITHOUT SOUND

photography Bor Dobrin

Visiting Valentino Rossi We visited the nine-time world champion and one of the most prominent names in motorsport in Tavullia, the place Valentino Rossi calls home.

He invited us to his now already famous ranch, a very rare occurrence for journalists, and even more so for TV cameras. Here is where Rossi enjoys his peace and privacy. The invitation allowed us to attend a day of training featuring Rossi alongside other well-known riders who are part of his VR46 Riders Academy and his Sky Racing Team VR46. We inhaled petrol fumes, gaped at racing mastery on sand, drank espresso and ate the dust lifted into the air by motorcycles. We used this opportunity to chat about the future of racing, preparing for races, building a racing ranch, cooperating with Akrapovič and much more with ‘Il Dottore’, whom his friend and former rival at Yamaha American Colin Edwards nicknamed ‘the GOAT’, the Greatest of all Time!

As we arrive to Tavullia we find Rossi’s ranch without a problem.

Years ago, the riders tried to keep the location hidden for a while, but they did not succeed for long as the beautifully landscaped track is visible from the road leading to this hilltop village, and many fans also quickly found the place. little We drive past a few houses down a road that has

less grip

seen better days before reaching a barrier where

at the back and

we are stopped by a security guard. A few cars

we were able to powerslide

with a dozen admirers are already there, having

through corners,” begins Valentino Rossi.

come on a whim to see if Rossi might perchance drive by and make their day with a photo or

So how was the ranch then set up? “Dad bought

autograph. After explaining to the security guard

the land where the ranch is located. He had a

that we have arranged a meeting with Rossi, he

slightly different vision. He loved drifting in cars

makes a quick phone call before lifting the barrier.

and hoped to build a short track or a circuit that

The scowling man with sunglasses nods and

allowed drifting. The plan failed because he

waves us in. We have thus gained admittance to

didn’t get approval and permissions to go ahead.

a sacred place and off we go to Rossi’s racing

The land then remained empty for a while and

ranch. We park our car at the macadam parking

we decided to try and build a motorcycle track.

lot in front of a nicely renovated house hiding a

Something similar to what Graziano wanted, just

reception lounge, a large cosy fireplace, a small

without the asphalt. That’s how it started ten years

conference room and a locker room where all the

ago, around 2010, and now we have what you

Enthusiastic about Akrapovič products

racing suits hang. Here the riders change clothes

see – the ranch. It is similar to Edwards’s in Texas.

Since we visited Valentino Rossi and his boys for

and put on the necessary equipment for going

In principle such tracks are usually flat tracks and

a special issue of Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine,

to the track. The house is completely renovated

run in one direction only, but I like both left and

published on the occasion of the company’s

and furnished in Tuscan country style with visible

right turns, changes of direction, descending and

30th anniversary, we also ask him about his

wooden beams supporting the ceiling.

ascending… We made a dirt track with different

views on the Slovenian motorcycle experts. “I’ve

turns and configuration options,” continued Vale,

liked Akrapovič products for as long as I can

The lower floor, almost a basement, holds a well-

as the riders call him. Those very riders were also

remember, because they were always different

equipped workshop for preparing and maintaining

already getting impatient so he quickly put on his

from the others. Their design and workmanship

motorcycles, which the boys use for training on the

helmet and rode off with them to the track. The

immediately make them stand out. I no longer

sandy track. All in all, the scene reminds one of a

training includes breaks. The boys will complete

know exactly when I first heard of Akrapovič, but

service area in a modern motorcycle shop.

nine laps first, before taking their first one.

I have always been fascinated by the company’s

Father’s idea

On motorcycles and in the gym

Upstairs, in the corner of the reception area, we

It seemed to me that riders would rather train on

spot another necessity – a coffee maker. As we

motorcycles than spend time in the gym. Other

But there is even more praise from the MotoGP

sip our espressos, out comes Valentino himself,

riders often practice on fitness equipment but

superstar. “I think that I first met Akrapovič after

immediately changes into a racing suit and boots

Rossi’s boys are on motorcycles all the time. I

the Slovenians started working with Yamaha, but

while we begin discussing where the idea for

said as much to him, whereupon I received an

then we got even luckier because they were kind

the ranch came from. Did it come from his friend

unexpected reply: “No, no, not at all. You’re wrong.

enough to send their exhausts for our bikes like

Colin Edwards, who runs a similar operation in the

I spend a lot of time in the gym. All the riders and

training bikes and motocross bikes... I wanted

USA? Or was his role model the first person to

guys at my academy train a lot in the gym and on

their exhaust on my car as well and if I remember

start a ranch, Kenny Roberts Senior, whose aim

different workout tools. We train hard. True, I prefer

correctly that wish came true on my then still

was to better train his riders in the US and then in

being on a motorcycle to using fitness equipment,

ten-cylinder BMW. Oh, it’s been a while... Later, I

Spain? “The idea came from my father Graziano.

but it’s not true that we don’t train in the gym. You

always equipped my Audis with their pipes. We’ve

We have always trained with motorcycles. Usually

might think so because we don’t post photos

probably been cooperating for 15 years, maybe

on Saturday afternoons. We were looking for

from the gym and show off our muscles on social

even more.”

tracks with low grip, suitable for skidding. Skidding

media, because we prefer to be photographed on

can be practiced well on such tracks. Perhaps

motorcycles. All of us prefer riding to working out.

The nine-time Grand Prix World Champion also

dad did get the idea from Kenny Roberts, but the

We will ride motorcycles three times this week.

recalled the racing successes with Akrapovič.

fact is he always took us to motocross workouts

Here on the ranch, on the motocross track and at

“I am really happy that in all these years we have

on motorcycles fitted with a motocross tyre at the

the racetrack in Misano. Asphalt, compacted sand,

won quite a few victories with my team VR46,

front and an enduro one at the back. So we had a

mud... minibikes, medium bikes, pit bikes, we ride

and won the world champion title with Francesco

everything,” Rossi quite firmly corrects my lack of knowledge of their strenuous fitness regime.

products. I like their style, and above all I appreciate their high quality.”

44 / 49

Va len tin o

Bagnaia.”

Success requires

Ro ssi rid es for PE TR ON AS Ya ma ha Se pa ng

mutual understanding, a kind of

Ra cin gT ea m

chemistry, something which Rossi confirms.

“We make a really good team. We work well together. On the ranch, as you can see, all our motorcycles are equipped with Akrapovič

30 Years

Ph oto :P ET in RO 202 NA 1M SY oto am ah GP aS sea ep son an g .

exhausts, as the company also cooperates with my VR46 Riders Academy.”

A trip to the past

and

The track on the ranch has in the meantime been

I had to

prepared. It was wetted so as not to get too dusty,

return it, but now that

as racing is not meant to disturb the neighbours

we are slowly preparing our museum

too much. It is also important that the dust does

and collection of my motorcycles, I have a very

not settle on the nearby vineyards. A tractor drives

similar model at home – the serially-produced

onto the track to level the dirt and quickly prepare

version, though. We will make it into a copy of

it for the next session. There is still some time left

the superbike from that era. Good thing that you

to talk and I decide to take a trip to the past. I

reminded me, I have to ask the guys at Akrapovič

remind Rossi that he used Akrapovič exhausts a

if they still have any exhausts for this motorcycle.

long time ago, at the beginning of his career with

I urgently need an exhaust for a VTR1000.”

Colin Edwards and Honda at the Suzuka 8 Hours.

As if remembering something long forgotten, he

We continue down the exhaust track for a while

smacks himself on the head, his mouth widening

longer as I ask why the exhaust plays such an

into a smile: “Of course, of course, you’re

important part of a racing motorcycle. Current

absolutely right. Oof, it’s been a long time since

MotoGP bikes produce between 260 or 270 HP,

then. I had that racing motorcycle at home for a

perhaps even more. With all this power, can the

long time and yeah, it was fitted with an Akrapovič

rider really feel the difference between exhausts,

exhaust. Unfortunately, it was a factory motorcycle

both in power and weight? “Of course.

Ra cin gT ea m

46 47

I remember that Yamaha was making its own exhausts before switching to Akrapovič. They weren’t bad, but they weren’t as good as the ones we have now.

As soon as we got Akrapovič exhausts, it became clear that they are not only as good as Yamaha’s, but that they can even be better. Akrapovič puts a lot of effort into development and every gram is important in MotoGP. Akrapovič exhausts not only weigh less and provide more power, a quality exhaust also helps shape the character of the motorcycle.

It can determine the engine’s power and its power delivery curve, so we can design that delivery to make power available where you need it in the race,” Rossi explains, showing that he has quite a bit of expert knowledge as well. He then gets straight back on his motorcycle with the holy number 46 and returns to the track. The second session follows. Eight laps this time and the boys take them seriously, riding at full power.

A racing classic and romance The scheduled training time passes by quickly again and the motorcycles are soon back in the garage, where they are refuelled and some of them undergo a change of tyres. Continuing our conversation, I turn to his personality, to him being a member of the old guard and a racing romantic. I am interested in his take on the current developments, what he thinks about electric vehicle drives, will we soon be racing with electricity? His response is unequivocal: “Ha, ha, ha... That’s not going to happen, at least not anytime soon. Electricity is wonderful. I believe it will help us save the world, but not in the way we envision it now.

Using electricity for transportation can, in my opinion, be a good alternative for driving short distances in large cities and highly populated urban areas. But I believe that it makes no sense in racing. Motorsport evokes emotions and is created through them. In MotoGP, Formula 1 and other races, the petrol engine, the exhaust and the sound must all remain. I hope that others will see and understand this as well,” adds Rossi.

I push a little bit further by asking whether we will ever see him on an electrically powered MotoE racing motorcycle. “Me? Goodness, no! No way! Not interested in the slightest! I want a classic powertrain.

When I stop racing in MotoGP, I intend to continue having fun in cars. I’m going to race on four wheels, 24 Hours of Le Mans is what I’m after. I’m also drawn to the GT3 car racing series. A racing classic and a romance, that’s my passion. I would like to race in Belgium and Germany, Spa-Francorchamps and Nordschleife at the Nürburgring... Yes, I’d like that.”

48

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44 / 49

30 Years

Rally and road racing The former rally driver seems to have changed his mind and is now devoting his passion to different types of cars and races. How come? “I’m still a rally fan, but I’ve become more attracted to track racing lately. I don’t know why, maybe because I’ve spent my whole life at circuits and feel like a fish in water on the racetrack. That suits me.

My dad raced in rally after he stopped racing motorcycles and I often went to rally races with him. That’s what probably made me an enthusiast.

Later, I always took part at the Monza Rally and drove at three other World Rally Championship races. Rally is a wonderful sport, very demanding, it also takes a lot of time. Preparations, examining the track, the race itself... It takes at least five days. It takes too much time. I prefer to have more free time, so track racing makes more sense. I am more familiar with circuits and racetracks all over the world, I have more experience on them. I think I will do better on closed circuits than in rallies,” concludes Rossi, before again riding off to the track as the golden afternoon sun envelops the surrounding hills and the day slowly dips towards the evening.

For the final session, ranch riders stage a mini race in which Rossi’s half-brother Luca Marini takes the lead and remains in the top spot for most of the race. Valentino Rossi is meanwhile fighting for fourth, overtaking the rider in front of him after a few laps and reaching third. After Marini falls during a scramble for the lead in one of the corners, Rossi finishes the race in second. He rides into the pits and after taking off his helmet, we see a smiling face and a man happy with his performance. As one of world motorcycling’s superheroes, surrounded by younger riders, excitedly exchanging the impressions from the just completed race, is taking off his racing boots and gloves, he exclaims laughing: “Damn! I was so close to winning today.” And now we perhaps better understand why he is called GOAT - the Greatest of All Time.

Racing

Antonio Cairoli - Focus on Winning

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d u M , d e e Sp y r o l G d n a

Article from

No. 07 / 2 010

, g n i h t y r e v e s i g n i n n i W t, n a v e l e r r i pain is ! p u e v i g r e nev

by Peter Kavčič photography Redeye

The words “ Velocita, Fango e Gloria”, which are inked on Antonio Cairoli’s back, say a lot about him.

It’s not some ornamental tattoo made for its own sake. This bold phrase is tattooed in his heart as well.

What separates the best athletes from world champions? Is it luck? Absolutely not! Luck can only play a small role in overall success. The rest is total dedication to the sport. Dedication that makes every breath count towards the supreme goal – winning the world championship title and proving to yourself and your competitors that there is currently no better motocross racer in the world! Tony, as his friends and people in his Sicilian hometown of Patti call him, has bagged a world champion title four times already, with the latest coming at the end of August this year in Brazil – two races before the end of the season. The victory brought his number of titles on par with motocross legends like Harry Everts, Torsten Hallman and Heikki Mikkola and leaves him on track to catch the best rider in the history of the sport – his boss in the KTM team Stefan Everts, who notched up a total of ten titles.

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Photos: Ray

Archer

While this number is undoubtedly a major challenge for Tony, he keeps his feet on the ground and remains humble in his statements.

His thoughts are already on the next season, which will feature an even longer list of competitors itching to take his crown. He surprised everyone this year by opting for the completely new and untested KTM 350 SX-F bike with a 100 cc smaller engine, which compensates for its size by being lighter and boasting a less tiring ride on the bumpy tracks. But his decision was far from rash. After a long and hard winter training session at various secret motocross tracks between Sicily and Belgium, Tony knew he had a winner on his hands even before the season’s opening race in Italy’s Mantova. It’s highly likely that KTM’s amazing and revolutionary motorcycle, which allowed the company to claim the world champion title after a long drought, will see competition from similarly designed bikes in the 2011 season. But at the end of the season, there can still only be one overall winner!

During his nine-year career in the top flight and by the young age of 24, Antonio had already joined the sport’s legends. In 2002, he took part in his first GP race as a 17year old youngster who had been in love with motorbikes since his early years. This love was sparked by his father Benedetto, who ferried the boy around on his Vespa. His first top podium position came only two years later at Belgium’s legendary Namur track, one of the toughest

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circuits around. He finished the 2004 season in third place, drawing attention to his talent and, especially, his dedication to the sport. The next season belonged to him. Despite an injury, the 19-year-old youngster fought his way through tough battles, becoming the youngest Italian motocross rider to be crowned champion in the MX2 class. His exceptional fighting spirit was proven in the following season 2006, when he tenaciously duelled with France’s Christophe Pourcel to the very end, scoring a double victory at the last race of the season, but finishing just short of the title. The determined nature of the fight can also be seen in the standings – the battling duo built up almost a 100-point advantage over the thirdplaced rider by the end of the season.

Tony did not have to wait long for his next title. He had already sealed his second overall victory two races before the end of the 2007 season. He was prevented from repeating that feat in the 2008 season after suffering a serious injury to his left knee during a race in South Africa, forcing him to drop out after only nine races. This was also when he made his decision to move to the MX1 class for the next year. The move to the royal division with its more powerful and heavier 450 cc bikes meant that he had to tone up his muscles. But Tony never had problems with stamina building, as he is a fitness workaholic who still wants to have as much fun as possible between sessions. If he did not have so much fun riding, he would never have been able to achieve such amazing results or be able to finish each of the 40-minute races with the seeming playful and easy-going manner he displays. He became world champion in his first season in the MX1 class in 2009, bringing his title tally to three.

And his overall victory in the 2010 season also broke the ‘curse’ that had prevented him from winning two titles in a row before that, when he had been stopped by injuries. Of course, the next challenge is securing three titles in a row, which means there is no rest for Tony. The preparations for the 2011 season start now and his chase for title number five has already begun.

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// Si

Hitrost, blato in slava

S črnilom zapisane besede »Velocita Fango e Gloria« na hrbtu Antonia Cairolija veliko povedo o njem. To ni le navaden tatu, ki je tam bolj zaradi šminke, tako za okras. Te močne besede so vtetovirane tudi v njegovem srcu! Kaj loči najboljše športnike od tistih, ki na koncu postanejo svetovni prvaki? Sreča? Ne, nikakor!

Sreča je lahko le majhen del uspeha. Drugo se skriva v stoodstotni predanosti športu. V tem, da vsak vdih in izdih pomenita korak bliže najvišjemu cilju, osvojiti naslov svetovnega prvaka in dokazati sebi in tekmecem, da ta trenutek ni boljšega motokrosista na svetu! Tony, kot ga kličejo prijatelji in someščani v domačem mestecu Patti na Siciliji, je z naslovom najboljšega kronal že svojo četrto sezono v motokrosu, nazadnje letos konec avgusta, dve dirki pred koncem na dirki v Braziliji. S tem se je izenačil z legendami svetovnega motokrosa, kot so Harry Everts, Torsten Hallman in Heikki Mikkola, hkrati pa je na dobri poti, da ujame najboljšega vseh časov, svojega šefa v ekipi KTM Stefana Evertsa, ki je v svoji karieri dobil kar 10 naslovov.

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by Gaber Keržišnik photography Archives ACO

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Dirkaški kult v Le Mansu Dirka za 24 ur Le Mansa ni samo dirka z najdaljšo zgodovino med vztrajnostnimi avtomobilističnimi dirkami, temveč ne tvegamo prav veliko, če zapišemo, da je najbolj znana avtomobilistična dirka na svetu. No, seveda mnenja so tu deljena. Francozi se bodo s to trditvijo strinjali takoj, Angleži bodo izpostavili tradicijo dirke formule 1 v Silverstonu, Nemci so prepričani v stari krog na Nürburgringu imenovan Nordschleife in Američani bodo dejali, da

se nič ne more primerjati z zgodovino dirke 500 milj Indianapolisa ali Daytone.

A navsezadnje sploh ni pomembno. Dejstvo je, da o nobeni drugi dirki ni bilo posnetih toliko filmov, dokumentarcev in TV oddaj ali spisanih toliko knjig in časopisnih člankov, kot ravno o 24 urni dirki v Le Mansu.

24 HOURS THE LE MANS RACE IS A RACING ICON

Article from

No. 10 / 2012

IN 1967 THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS WAS WON BY LEGENDARY RACER DAN GURNEY AND CO-DRIVER A. J. FOYT, EVEN THOUGH THE DUO WAS WIDELY REGARDED AS COMPLETE OUTSIDERS. AND BY EXPERTS TOO. A GROUP OF RESPECTED JOURNALISTS, THE ONES WHO WERE THE TOP CAR RACING SPECIALISTS BACK THEN, DID NOT GIVE THE AMERICAN DUO A CHANCE IN HELL TO EVEN COME CLOSE TO THE FINISH LINE IN THIS DEMANDING RACE. BUT THEY SURE DID. AND MORE. THEY BEAT ALL THE COMPETITORS. AND JUST AS GURNEY WAS STANDING ON THE PODIUM WITH THE PERFECTLY CHILLED BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE, HE SPIED THE VERY SAME PESSIMISTIC HACKS WHO HAD PREDICTED DISASTER ALONGSIDE FORD CEO HENRY FORD II AND TEAM OWNER, THE LEGENDARY CAR TUNER CARROLL SHELBY. HE AIMED THE BOTTLE AT THE GROUP, SHOOK IT VIGOROUSLY AND SPRAYED THE SWEET LIQUID AT THE ASSEMBLAGE BELOW, NOT KNOWING THAT HIS MISCHIEVOUS REVENGE WILL KICK START A TRADITION THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS GESTURES IN MOTORSPORTS. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO IMAGINE A WINNER OF A RACE NOT SPRAYING CHAMPAGNE AROUND ANYMORE, REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF THE EVENT.

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But this is just one of the many events from the rich history of the race which later became a permanent fixture in racing. The 24 Hours of Le Mans does not only have the longest history among endurance car races, it is arguably the most famous car race in the world. Well, not everybody might think so.

The French will agree in a heartbeat, the English will point to the Formula 1 tradition at Silverstone, the Germans will bring up the old Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit and Americans will swear that nothing can compare to the history of the 500 miles of Indianapolis and Daytona. But this does not really matter. The fact remains that no other race has been the subject of so many films, documentaries and TV shows or had so many books and newspaper articles written about it as did the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The first 24 hour race was held in 1923, when the mainly city roads near Le Mans were used to test the endurance of individual cars, drivers and, of course, teams. It must be noted that serial production cars for everyday use participated back then, having undergone only minimal changes, one is almost tempted to say weight reduction alone. But as these same mass produced vehicles continued to evolve into proper racing cars, they started to look less and less like their civilian counterparts with the race as we know it today including two categories.

The fastest and the most exclusive are purpose built prototypes, with Audi and Peugeot providing the fiercest rivalry and most competitive models in recent years. The second group still includes cars which bear much closer resemblance to high performance sports cars on sale to the public, such as Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Chevrolet Corvette, Lamborghini and others.

As already stated, the main aim of the race was to test endurance, of both man and machine. Such a long race tested everything. Materials, tyres, oil, fuel, driver, team work and everything else. The main purpose and chief interest of car manufacturers has not changed during the years. It was and is

to examine the materials and equipment that find their way into serially produced vehicles. But it was not only the cars that have changed. The rules have undergone major revisions as well. Did you know that originally there were no regulations on the number of drivers for a car? While most teams used two drivers, there are some known cases when only one driver was behind the wheel for the entire 24 hours in an attempt to shave off the time needed to change drivers. That did not really work out, obviously. Two drivers have been an unwritten rule until the 1980s, when it became obligatory to have at least three drivers per car. Nowadays drivers cannot drive more than four hours consecutively, and no one driver can stay on the track for more than fourteen hours in total. Yep, Le Mans is tough. It can be hell!

The temperature in the closed prototypes can rise to 80 °C during the second weekend of June when the race traditionally takes place and the drivers often complete over 5,000 kilometres in extreme circumstances by day and by night and often in rain. This is the length of 16 average Formula 1 races so there is no wonder that the event presents the ultimate test for both man and machine. It used to be the rule for example that cars were not allowed to add oil or coolant for the first hour of the race, with those that made it past the one hour mark having basically completed the endurance test, even though the race had barely begun. Yep, completing the Le Mans race was a certificate of endurance and quality and not so long ago all who crossed the finish line were counted as having finished. That is why you could often see completely destroyed or heavily damaged vehicles parked for several hours alongside the track or in the pits. At the start of the final lap the drivers tried to start the engines and make it to the finish line regardless of the state the vehicle to at least complete the race. Well, another rules change later and now only the cars that have been actively racing in the last hour before the end of the race and have completed at least 70% of the winner’s distance are now considered as having finished.

1954

Apart from the finish, the race start is very interesting as well. The traditional standing start had cars lined up with their engines switched off.

The vehicles stood alongside the pit wall at the finishing straight, with the drivers running across the track, jumping into their vehicles starting them and pulling off. This inspired Porsche to locate the ignition key switch on the left side of the steering wheel (in a left-hand drive car), which still persists today. And I cannot help but wonder how many Porsche owners starting their car with the left hand know why they have to do it. The obvious answer is so that after running across the track and jumping into the car they can use their left hand to start the engine and their right hand to put the car in gear and pull away. Porsche has thus gained a couple of thousandths over the competition at the start. But the so called Le Mans Start was dangerous as it led to the drivers jumping into their vehicles and more often than not ignoring the warning to fasten up first. They rather tried fastening up their safety belts in the first few laps of the race or sometimes not even fastening up at all, which led to several accidents also caused by the bunched field at the start. Deadly accidents as well. To protest this type of start, which he felt was very unsafe, racing legend Jacky Ickx walked across the track at the start of the 1969 race while his competitors of course ran. Although he was nearly hit by some of those who had already started their cars, Ickx leisurely sat into the vehicle, fastened his safety belt and pulled away far behind the rest of the pack.

Ironically, while racer John Woolfe got killed in the first lap of the race, Ickx went on to win it. >>

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Le Mans is indeed full of coincidences. Or maybe not. It was Ickx’s action that led to the change of the type of the start in 1970. While the cars were still parked along the pit wall, the drivers did not run across the track to get into them. They were already in the vehicles, safely strapped up and would turn on their engines and pull away at the drop of the flag.

But this type of start only lasted for one year, before being replaced with the still used rolling start.

And this final change to the starting rules also brings us to the finish of the race. Changes to the starting rules also led to amendments of the regulations deciding the winner. Since 1971 until today the winning team is the one whose car has completed the most laps and if this number happens to be the same for two teams, the winner is of course the one who makes it past the chequered flag first. Before 1971 it was different. The winner was the team which covered the greatest distance within 24 hours. And, you guessed it, Le Mans rich history has a quirky tale to tell here as well. The Ford team was in a league of its own in 1966. With a dominant 1–2 lead, front runner Ken Miles slowed down in the final lap to wait for the second placed Bruce McLaren. The aim of this stunt was to take a PR photo of both Ford cars crossing the finish line in tow or side by side, with Miles remaining slightly ahead. And that is how it happened. Miles crossing the line first, McLaren just behind him. But wouldn’t you know, the jury gave the winning cup to Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, despite them crossing the line in second place. The surprised “winner” Ken Miles only realised after the race that he gave the victory at the legendary event away after a gruelling 24 hours, because Ford’s second

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Photo: Yoann BOULAY / ACO / Nikon

1967 Dan Gurney started the habit of champagne spraying on the victory podium

Photo: Arnaud CORNILLEAU / ACO / Nikon

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team actually started the race at the back of the pack, while Miles was at the front. This meant that McLaren’s Ford actually covered a larger distance than Miles’s and was therefore declared the winner.

Events like these are labelled as curiosities in the race’s history. Unfortunately there are also numerous events with a much sadder tone. The almost 90-year-old race has witnessed many fatalities, both on and off the track. A total of 21 drivers were killed, more than half at the incredibly fast Mulsanne straight. And that is only the toll for drivers. It does not include track marshals, personnel or spectators. A 1955 accident alone resulted in 83 dead and 120 injured people. This is also where Le Mans, regrettably, holds the record title. It is the place of the worst single accident in the entire history of motorsports according to the number of dead and injured.

The sequence of events that led to it was incredible.

Frenchman Pierre Levegh won fame in his 1952 Le Mans appearance, when he managed to drive for over 23 hours. There was another driver waiting to replace him, but Levegh did not want to switch. He wanted all the glory for himself. And he was in the lead. He would have won easily as well if he had not missed the gear 45 minutes before the end of the race due to fatigue. He wrecked the engine and retired.

His performance was however notable enough that

Mercedes factory team hired him for the 1955 race.

The Mercedes model that year was something else.

It used super light-weight bodywork made from the newly manufactured magnesium-alloy called Elektron. The alloy, notably lighter from the then pervading materials, of course greatly improved the car’s performance. During the fateful race, Levegh hit the back of Lance Macklin’s Austin Healey, a slower competitor, who braked suddenly, causing his Mercedes to fly high in the air. It flew over the track into a crowd of spectators. The vehicle made from the light alloy was torn into pieces with its heavy parts such as the front and back axes and the engine block hitting the stands with huge force. The rest of the flying debris including the light metal bodywork meanwhile sliced through the numerous spectators sitting at the top of the track barrier. But worse was to come. The alloy bodywork caught fire after the accident ruptured the full fuel tank which dropped its flaming contents on the crowd below. The magnesium content in the alloy burned with a white flame and was initially exacerbated by the fire crew’s lack of knowledge of how to put out the burning metal. As was usual they tried to extinguish the searing flames with water, but this only added to the heat and terror of the burning metal. The flames continued to burn for several hours alongside the track…

Such events exact their toll. Mercedes-Benz

withdrew from racing in 1956 and did not return until the 1980s. The same decision was taken by Jaguar, which reappeared over 30 years later. That the accident is still not forgotten can be seen by two events from the recent past. The 1955 Mercedes accident in Le Mans caused the Swiss authorities to ban motorsport round track races where two or more vehicles directly compete against each other.

In 2009 the authorities reopened the debate, after a proposal was filled to lift the ban after all these years. The proposal was rejected.

The second case deals with the December 2011 auction sale of that same Austin Healey race car that was driven by Lance Macklin on that fateful day and which de facto caused Levegh’s accident.

The price? An amazing 843,000 British pounds, reached solely because of the vehicle’s past.

All this increases the race’s value and fame. The large worldwide recognition of Le Mans was also helped by the simply titled film “Le Mans”, made

by Steve McQueen, Hollywood superstar and avid racer, while legendary British carmaker Bentley also greatly honoured the event. Despite the traditional quarrelling between the British and the French, Bentley named some of its most successful models such as Mulsanne or Arnage by places near or at the Le Mans racetrack. <<

Photo: Philippe CHEMIN / ACO / Nikon

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ISLE OF

MAN...

AND MACHINE

Article from

No. 12 / 2012

SITUATED IN THE IRISH SEA, HALFWAY BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, IS THE ISLE OF MAN. THE ISLAND IS HOME TO NATURAL SPLENDOUR, MANX KIPPER SMOKED FISH AND THE TAILLESS BREED OF MANX CAT. THE ISLE OF MAN IS ALSO HOME TO THE SPECTACULAR TOURIST TROPHY MOTORCYCLE RACES AND IS RIGHTLY CONSIDERED THE CAPITAL OF ROAD RACING...

by Trevor Franklin photography Honda TT Legends, www.tgfphotos.com, Profimedia

The Tourist Trophy motorcycle time-trials, where riders and their bikes compete against a stopwatch, are associated with the Isle of Man, but the first motorsport events on the island involved automobiles. This happened after the British Government imposed a 20 mph speed limit on the UK mainland at the beginning of the 1900s. This restriction led to representatives of the Automobile Car Club of Great Britain approaching the Isle of Man (Manx) Government seeking permission to hold unrestricted time-trials on the island’s roads.

Permission was eventually granted in 1904, but motorcycles didn’t compete there until 1905.

Even so, the Snaefell Mountain section of the allotted course proved itself to be too much for the woefully under powered bikes of the day. A hastily rescheduled event took place away from the cattle track-like road leading to Snaefell, the island’s tallest peak at 621 meters (2,036 ft).

It wasn’t until 1911 that the Snaefell Mountain Course was first officially used. The winning machine in the premier Senior Tourist Trophy (TT) race of the time was an Indian, with an average speed of 76.6 km/h (47.6 mph). The Mountain Course has undergone many changes since 1911, but is synonymous with the IoM TT races and is still a breathtaking arena that challenges both man and machine.

In its early days, the TT course was more akin to a farm track where stones and tree roots were common. It was a far cry from the 37.739-milelong (60.74 km) tarmac course used today.

But where the term ‘lap’ is used to describe circumnavigating the Mountain Course, it can never be described as a racetrack in the MotoGP/ WorldSBK sense of the word.

The IoM is the spiritual home to road racing. It’s racing on open roads as opposed to closed road circuit racing on computer-designed circuits where the emphasis is on safety.

Road racing is motorcycle racing in its purest, original and most dangerous form – and the IoM TT is the epitome of this. There are no gravel or concrete run-off areas: only kerbstones and dry stone walls. Trees and hedges block the view ahead, while road signs and telegraph poles provide braking points and perches for birds. Countless front garden boundary walls, grassy banks and front porches become viewing points during the TT Fortnight.

Painted concrete super paddocks don’t exist here: just tents and caravans, while pit lane garages are nothing but awnings and articulated trucks…

In 1949, the IoM TT achieved international status as a venue for the Motorcycle World Championships and with it came the grandmasters of motorcycle racing: Giacomo Agostini, Geoff Duke, Mike Hailwood, Carl Fogarty and many more have ‘run the island.’ The average speed of a TT course lap

also rocketed, leading to the first 100 mph lap by Bob McIntyre on a Gilera in 1957.

The IoM TT also saw the arrival of exotic European and Japanese race machines. Agostini ran with MV Agusta, while Hailwood set Honda on course for island and world domination at the cost of British manufacturers. Benelli, Moto Guzzi, Yamaha, BMW et al. have challenged the TT course and conquered it. Even so, the famed Snaefell Mountain Course is still regarded as the ultimate motorcycle racing challenge. It has created legendary champions such as 26-time TT winner Joey Dunlop, and John McGuinness who, at an average speed of 211.754 km/h (131.578 mph) and a course time of 17 minutes and 12.30 seconds, holds the outright lap speed record.

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TT FORTNIGHT – TWO WEEKS OF MOTORCYCLING HEAVEN AND HELL -> PRACTICE WEEK The Isle of Man TT takes place over a period of two weeks – commonly known as TT Fortnight – and is traditionally held over the last week of May and first week of June. The first week is reserved for TT practice.

With all course roads closed, practice should be a trouble free event, but there still remains one danger and it’s a natural phenomenon: the sun. As it starts to drop in preparation for night time, the setting sun can literally blind riders. Even if the sun’s rays hit the riders’ eyes for a fleeting second, at speeds of 160 mph-plus it can prove to be costly.

Riders start the practice sessions at 10-second intervals, with a starting position by seeded riding number based on previous best lap speeds. For the Saturday practice run, solo and sidecar newcomers get an unhindered, slightly relaxed view of the course with a speed-controlled lap.

Practice week isn’t just about the riders gaining qualification and getting their bearings, or learning a little bit more about the course to up their lap speed, it’s also the first time to give the bike a shakedown run. It’s not just to see if the bike and its ancillaries and fasteners are durable to cover four race laps of the bump-strewn course. It’s also a time to calculate race gearing and fuel consumption – certain sections of the course can see the 1000 cc bikes hit 190 mph.

Smaller capacity machines will literally run flat out for a greater part of the course, so the correct final drive gearing is imperative to achieve decent fuel consumption.

Practice week is also a time to ensure that everything is well oiled and running smoothly. That not only means fuel stops and tyre changes, but everything behind the scenes as well. That includes the course marshals and medical staff, and the many women and men who sacrifice their time to stand on duty in every weather condition.

There are no practice runs on the Sunday of practice week though. Not just because it’s a day of rest, but because the course is handed over to a tradition known as Mad Sunday. This is the day when the island’s ‘visitors’ – fans of TT Fortnight – take to the course and the Snaefell Mountain section runs one-way traffic for the safety of the 10,000 plus motorcyclists riding the course.

-> RACE WEEK Race week begins on the first Saturday of the second week. From as early as 7:00 am, race fans are on the course making their way to the best vantage spot to witness the spectacle that is the Isle of Man TT in full swing. If you haven’t made it to your destination by at least 10:00 am then forget about getting there: the roads literally close to all traffic.

Travelling marshals take to the circuit on bikes, of course, to check if the roads are clear and free of obstructions. The whole island falls silent in eager readiness for the racing, broken only by the sound of radio commentary from the popular TT Radio station.

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D SECON CE I T PRAC < <<

If you sit in the paddock grandstand for the first race, you’ll get an incredible view of the start of the Superbike TT race. The top teams are running bikes comparable to WorldSBK machinery and the noise of these machines being warmed causes hearts and heads to pound. Competitors leave in pairs at timed intervals. To think that from a standing start, on cold tyres and in the space of a few 1,000 yards, the bikes and riders are already hitting 160 mph downhill towards Ago’s Leap, a section where the chassis gets its first taste of serious abuse with a take off and heavy landing…

Out on the course, the race starts to unfold with the help of the radio commentary. Marshals and medics are also in contact via two-way radios.

Then out of nowhere the scream of an engine hits your ears even before the riders come into view. As soon as you clock their race number they’re gone, onwards to the next section. Depending on where

LAXEY WHEEL

you’re sitting, you’ll either see a bike at extreme speed, cornering at an incredible lean angle, putting air between the tyres and road or simply struggling with bumps, braking or both at the same time. And this all happens on public roads!

Meanwhile, the boyscouts and girlscouts are getting ready at the giant lapboard across the road from the grandstand to post the first lap times, including speed information and rider position. The young scouts place the written results on the lapboard for the world to see. Tradition is everything at the TT: digital technology will always take a backseat on the Isle of Man. In a flash, the first bike shoots across the finish line and moves on towards the start of the second lap, this time hitting 180 mph!

The second lap finishes with a pitstop for tyres and fuel. The constant engine and gearbox abuse can

deplete a tank of fuel very, very quickly. Visors get replaced or cleaned. Sometimes helmets are swapped. The riders quickly down a drink before leaving the pit lane at the same governed speed they entered with. Then its race mode yet again for the next two laps…

The big two races – Superbike and Senior TT – run for a gruelling six laps. The Supersport and Superstock run for four laps, while sidecars and Lightweight TT classes compete for three laps. The newest race, featuring the electric machines of the TT Zero Challenge, has just one lap. Even so, every race is close and full of excitement. Simply put: there is nothing like the IoM TT. -

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THE ART OF TT RACE PREPARATION One lap of the Isle of Man’s 37.73-mile-long TT course is a gruelling affair for a motorcycle. One race of four laps is, according to some riders, akin to two years of hard road riding.

To say TT race bikes go through hell during one race is an understatement. The final drive chains get savagely stretched from take off and landings over the worst jumps; suspension fluid gets pummelled to an overheated froth and wheel and headstock bearings are hammered. The vibrations from undulating road surfaces can cause fasteners to unwind on their threads, bodywork to crack and flap loose, brake fluid to cavitate and cables to rub against the chassis.

The best way to understand how a bike is prepared for such abuse is to listen to someone who has years of TT and race experience.

“Experience counts for a lot,” says Adrian Gorst, the Chief Technician for Akrapovič-supported Honda TT Legends. “In the case of John McGuinness’ Superbike, it’s the same chassis spec he’s been using for the past three years. Familiarity doesn’t breed contempt here at the Isle of Man but rather mental comfort. He knows exactly what he’s riding on and how far he can push it.

“The Superbike [Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade] machine is based on a 2008 British Superbike. The main difference is the suspension set-up, where we reduce the spring preload and alter the compression and rebound valving to compensate for the bumps.

Then it’s just a case of dialling in everything to suit tyre construction and whatever John feels he needs balancing to suit the course as a whole.

“The bike is stripped and rebuilt after practices and races. We’re happy that the engine will be fine, but because of the bumps, jumps, savage braking and everything else, we have to check every nut and

1923

Y JOE P LO DUN >>>

bolt, switchgear, sensor, chain, cushdrive, cable… basically everything because the abuse is relentless and unforgiving. We use bigger everything to keep it all together and safety-wired in place. You can’t afford to take chances here.

“Like everything else on the bike, say the brake pads, fluids, suspension and so on, the Akrapovič exhaust is the best you can get for the job at hand.

We’ve never had a problem with the exhaust. It fits perfectly, and delivers the necessary power and torque exactly where we want it, and it lasts. It may be light but it’s durable and fits perfectly no matter how many times we remove and replace it. And it looks and sounds great.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to have a bike that is right for the job and right for the rider – you can’t afford second best. We check and recheck all the time. John is the man who puts the bike across the line. We prepare the bike that will get him there.”

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JOHN McGUINNESS IS THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

THERE MUST BE MORE TO THE TT THAN THAT?

ARE BIKES STILL A PART OF YOUR LIFE, OR IS IT JUST A JOB?

John McGuinness hails from Morecambe, in northwest England and is the current King of the Mountain. He holds the distinction of second highest number of wins at the Isle of Man TT, second only to the late, great Joey Dunlop’s 26 wins. He is also the outright lap record holder with an unbelievable lap time set at the 2009 IoM TT of 17 minutes 12.30 seconds, and the fastest lap speed of 211.754 km/h (131.758 mph) Akrapovič caught up with John during practice week for the 2012 Isle of Man TT.

The Island’s been good to me. I’ve had some fantastic opportunities to ride some fabulous twostroke bikes, big bikes, single-cylinder bikes and now these factory Honda bikes, which can take a beating. It’s also helped to pay the bills. I really love the island for what it is – a quiet, pretty place with history.

No, I’m still passionate about bikes. I’ve got about 34 bikes in my collection. I’ve got a few of my TT winning bikes and all other kinds as well, ranging from scooters, to scramblers, to minibikes and so on. What I want now is a Suzuki AP50 like I had when I was young lad, but they’ve gone berserk price-wise.

YOU ARE HAVING A FANTASTIC TT CAREER, WHAT KICKSTARTED IT?

DO YOU GET INVOLVED WITH MECHANICAL PREPARATION?

When I was a young lad, I came over to the TT to watch the race with my dad. I dreamed then of winning here, although not to the extent that I have. I still dream of winning because that’s how racing here affects you. I feel a little bit lost at the end of TT Fortnight, when we pack up and go home.

No. Not really. When you ride for a team that has as much TT preparation experience as Honda TT Legends you let them get on with it. To be honest, I have very little input because the bike’s almost spot on from the start and doesn’t need any major alterations. It’s more a case of them dishing out the goods and my job being to make the best of it.

WHAT DOES THE TT MEAN TO YOU? It means a lot to me. It’s been part of my life for a long time now. I’ve done 16 TTs and I’m a mad, passionate fan of the Isle of Man – not just the races but the island. It’s a great place to be and I love it. When the sun is out, it’s like a little Mediterranean island…

< < < NNESS McGUI JOHN : E M NA 40 AGE: IONAL OFESS N: PR O I T A OCCUP RACER CYCLE DS MOTOR LEGEN DA TT N O H : 16 TEAM: IDDEN ARS R E Y T T 9 NS: 1 TT WI S) A L P CE DIUM O P 6 (3

“THE MOST DIFFICULT SECTION IS…

“THE SCARIEST PART OF THE COURSE…

…Ginger Hall to Ramsey. Some people think it’s a straight run but there are definitely some bends and areas that are quite physical. You’ve got Ginger Hall then down into Kerrowmoar, which is downhill braking, a left-hander, then a long bumpy righthander, you go over a jump that the bike has to be dead straight for. Then there’s a real high-speed straight line up to sixth gear past the Council Yard and down into the Glen Duff area, which is all one line and you have to be careful and really hold on to the bike and be bang on line because there are bumps all along this part. Next up is The ‘K’ and the kerb… it’s all very physical. By the time you get to Ramsey and hit the brakes for School House, I think to myself that was pretty heavy-going and I take a few deep breaths and relax the hands again before getting hard on the brakes for Parliament Square.”

…for me it’s the first lap from the start and then down into Bray Hill. That’s when the bike’s got a full tank of fuel so it’s at its heaviest, and the new tyres with tyre pressures that aren’t up to spec, and you’re wondering if the brakes will hit operating temperature straight away. But, saying that, it’s not just the first lap: over a six lap race it’s lap one, lap three and lap five: the laps where new tyres and fuel are taken onboard and your concentration has been knocked sideways from being in the pits.”

“DURING THE FIRST PRACTICE… …I actually feel ok. Mentally, I’m just making notes on what might be different from the year before. Are there any road repairs? Any kerbs that have been changed? And so on. Physically, I’m trying to relax to get into the swing of it.

Afterwards it’s different, though – you need to be fit to ride at race pace even though you think you’re race ready. After the first practice session, my lower back, thighs and the front of my legs hurt the most. My neck’s also giving out some pain. It’s all from being tucked in and getting hit by the high speed wind blast when sitting up to brake.”

“THE MOUNTAIN SECTION… …from the Gooseneck to Brandish is all about being smooth and perfectly placed to maintain a good top speed. The trouble is the danger of relaxing too much. You can’t afford to because there are key lines to run through in order to get the next set of lines spot on. It’s always about momentum and the only way to keep it is planning ahead. Because of the importance of top speeds, it pays to get tucked in against the tank and not worry about your aching neck from looking upwards.”

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NGTH, IN LE ) M K 4 E IS (60.7 COURS MILES N I 9 A 3 T 7 .

OST OUN AT 37 AND M MAN M GEST E OF N L O S THE L I N E THE RSE I BT TH U U BY O O C D UT RKED ACE WITHO IS MA OAD R R E S G R N S U CO END , ENGI ORE B H THE CHALL M G U E O R H A RE . ALT ITS ’ THE WORLD S IN ONES, T S O E POINT L I G M N ARE T I 7 C ’3 BRAK ULD O D W N HAT A S RS ITS T TYRE CORNE S ADM MOST S E N N A N H ’ HE D H T cGUI LENGT WHERE OHN M J S E N C E A L . EV AND P COVER TIMES E R A E… THERE SWHER BE EL R E H T RA

AVID N TT GERMA FAN >>>

ING VISIT STARS <<<

SURE AR SIDEC

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Honda Racing BSB Team

AN INJURY-FREE RUN AND SOME GLORY Article from

No. 24 / 2018

by Tony Dodgins photography Honda, Steve Babb

Somewhat incongruously in the quiet Lincolnshire countryside, near Louth, stands Honda UK’s motorbike racing nerve centre. Running operations and acting as our guide to the facility is 54-yearold Havier Beltran, a Honda veteran and the man who helped Akrapovič win its first world champion title.

The fighting mind-set and determination to overcome injury and medical set-backs seem

Colin Edwards, 2000 WorldSBK Champion

First world title for Akrapovič

intrinsic to anyone involved in bike racing but

Havier Beltran has a long association with Igor

Havier Beltran, early on, realised he had more

Akrapovič and was part of the Castrol Honda World

brawn than skill. His parents owned a stud

Superbike 2000 success which featured champions

farm and there was plenty of opportunity to ride

Colin Edwards and Aaron Slight and brought

motocross bikes and get involved with things

Akrapovič its first world title. Says Havier Beltran:

mechanical. His first passion was riding and he

“That was fantastic racing. Colin won at diverse

had some success as an amateur before a racing

places like Kyalami, Monza, Assen, Oschersleben

injury made him reconsider his long-term goals.

and Brands Hatch, narrowly lost the crown to

So he made the decision to abandon competing

Troy Bayliss the following season but won the

and pursue his passion for bike racing through

championship back again in 2002 at Imola’s final

engineering. Honda stalwart Neil Tuxworth’s

race, with a record 552 points for the season! All of

right-hand man for many years, he now manages

those guys were special in their own way, Kocinski,

the Honda Racing BSB Team, as well as assists

Fogarty, Colin, Slight – all very different characters.

with the Isle of Man Road Racing and EWC

Seeing big differences in what motivated them to do

(Endurance World Championship) programmes.

well and be the best, was really interesting.”

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In 2017, early on with the new Fireblade, Honda signed a high-profile Isle of Man TT line-up of 23-time winner John McGuinness and media celebrity Guy Martin.

Playing catch-up

Havier’s passion for bike racing and engineering led him to the Castrol Honda World Superbike Team, where he played a big role in securing the first world title for Akrapovič in 2000.

The new Fireblade arrived quite late for the start of the UK 2017 Superbike Championship says Havier: “We got the bike in February and had to race it in March. We were on the back foot the whole year, trying to race and develop, and it was quite painful for us.” But, by year-end, Yorkshireman Dan Linfoot won at Silverstone and Oulton Park and Aussie team mate Jason O’Halloran set the fastest lap at Brands Hatch.

The team was optimistic for 2018 but then had more setbacks: “We believed we had the combination of riders and machine to chase podiums but in round two at Brands Hatch, Dan broke his neck and then Jason broke his ankle, which totally disjointed the whole programme.

Then Dan came back at Brands and broke his scaphoid. As far as results from the races go, we’ve achieved very little and that’s upsetting and disappointing.”

The Isle of Man pushes riders to another level As well as circuit racing, Beltran enjoys the different challenge and dynamic of road racing and endurance programmes, believing that the Isle of Man in particular, pushes riders to another level. “It’s a different mentality,” he says. “You see a lot of riders who are very good on the roads but there’s very few strong on both roads and short circuits.” Why don’t the respective skills seem to translate, I ask him spontaneously. “It’s a good question. Riders that adapt and get on with tight tracks like Cadwell Park in the UK tend to be good on roads. But riders good at tracks like Thruxton or Silverstone can struggle with Cadwell or Oulton Park. Whether it’s the close proximity of

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the barriers and trees, I’m not sure.”

“Another thing is circuit knowledge at the TT: it takes years. You can go to Cadwell and test three days a week if you want but you can’t do that on the Isle of Man, where one lap is 37 miles. And if you go there as a young hothead, it can be a difficult situation. John McGuinness always says that the key is learning the course and understanding every curve and camber.”

Havier lives local to the Louth Honda base and all the activity keeps his brain churning 24/7.

“It’s certainly different to living in any built-up city area but the people are great and I’ve lots of friends outside racing,” he says. “I bought an old primary school 20 years ago and have been doing it up and renovating it.” Which tells you just how much spare time he hasn’t had! He also believes that with maturity comes an appreciation of what you have. This is a philosophy he applies when it comes to the relationships with his team’s trade suppliers and sponsors.

20 years with Akrapovič

Havier Beltran says that with maturity comes an appreciation of what you have. This is a philosophy he also applies when it comes to the relationships with his team’s trade suppliers and sponsors.

“We’ve been with Akrapovič 20 years this year, winning them that first world title with Colin Edwards. Every year we get asked if we’d be interested in moving. And the answer is, no.”

But there is more about this relationship, as Beltran says: “I know Igor very well and they’ve been incredible to us as a team in a domestic championship where the supply goes through the importer, so we’ve had great support through Performance Parts and Colin Peabody in the UK. The guys bend over backwards to help us and we sometimes push the limit on some of the material. Sometimes in crash damage you might only bend the end can or the link pipe but when you investigate you might have opened up some of the collars further down. Then you’re running the bike and when it’s cold you can hear stuff vibrating and blowing.”

“It’s an expensive system to change all the time but the product has been incredible,” says the Honda BSB Team Manager who also takes his bikes to the Akrapovič factory for a dyno run about once every two years to make sure they’ve got the optimal Akrapovič exhaust. “The fitment and quality is second to none.” But that’s not the only quality he praises a lot: “The other thing I really like is that Igor and the people haven’t changed. They’re still the same whenever I see them and long may it continue!” It seems the only change Beltran would really appreciate right now is an injury-free run in which man and machine can gel healthily and return Honda to former British Superbike glories!

Racing

JORGE LORENZO GUERRERO

A MAN OF HIS WORD

by Gaber Keržišnik photography Yamaha

A small TV screen in my commentary booth above the stands at the start-finish straight shows the riders in the final moments before the start of the race. As the camera passes from one contestant to another it is possible to compare their attitude before the red light goes out. The tension in the air is so dense you could cut it with a knife. You can almost hear the adrenalin flowing above the racetrack. As if you were standing below an electricity pylon and listening to the voltage humming inside the thick wires. Even though the start-finish line and the stands are very noisy and everything is buzzing like a beehive, it seems that absolute silence descends on the track moments before the start of the race. I even think that birds stop singing for a minute or two.

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Article from

No. 8 / 2011

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I watch as the riders recede into their own worlds.

Some are listening to music, others are silently staring into the space ahead. As the camera again pauses at the rider in pole position, he grins lightly.

He lifts his middle and index fingers on his right hand to make the V symbol. V for victory. Even though he is wearing sunglasses, it is obvious that his eyes are focused on something far in the distance. He is looking all the way down the straight to the first corner, where the best motorbike riders of the world will be racing to in a few moments.

Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, the 2010 MotoGP World Champion, is interested only in one thing. Victory.

And by the end of the 2010 season he collected a whooping 35 of them in different categories. He stood on the top step of the podium nine times last season alone and took his tally to a class record breaking 383 points, earning his first world champion title in the premier class and the third world champion title in his career.

“This is a big and very important day. Today I’ve won something I’ve dreamed about all my life,“ he said after coming third in Malaysia last year, thereby sealing his desired title.

This achievement has allowed Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero, born on 4 May 1987 in Palma de Mallorca, to enter the pantheon. At the age of three when his father made his first motorbike and when he took part in the first local minicross race, nobody thought that little Jorge would one day be crowned world champion. Nobody but him. But the first signs of his talent for riding on two wheels soon became apparent. He won the local »Balearic Island« motocross championship title at the age of 14 and then moved to track racing. While his life was naturally full of ups and downs, his path has continued to lead upwards towards motorbike legends, those who have managed to achieve the maximum. To conquer the Mount Everest of track motorbike racing. With a record tally of points and dominating throughout the season, Jorge reached Everest’s summit in 2010 without the need for extra oxygen. This is true despite murmurs by many that his climb was greatly facilitated this year because of the injury of his works Yamaha teammate and 9-time world champion Valentino Rossi.

“Jorge won the title fair and square. Even if I hadn’t had that fall in Mugello, I don’t know whether I

could have beaten him this year. He had a perfect season and done his job with aplomb. He completely deserves the title because he was practically perfect throughout the season. He has grown up to be a great rider and champion,” Valentino Rossi rejected all the speculation regarding Lorenzo’s title when I asked him about that during this year’s ski holidays in Madonna di Campiglio.

It was the comparison between Lorenzo and Rossi that was the most debated topic last season. Two riders on the same motorbikes. Two big names.

Lorenzo, the young and ambitious contender for Spain and Yamaha and the established motorbike legend Rossi, who was saying goodbye to the Japanese team. Could Jorge be the new Valentino?

Could he be the one to take the place of the 9-time world champion when he retires in a few seasons?

Speculation on this topic is usually centred on crowd pleasing, i.e. thinking of and carrying out skits and other “funnies” in the lap following the race. Lorenzo continues the tradition which was most prominently brought to MotoGP by Rossi.

“I don’t want to mimic Valentino, as many people accuse me of. I think it’s fun to celebrate victories with rehearsed skits, they raise the attractiveness of the competition and bring in the crowds. This is good for the popularity of the sport and is part of the show. I’ve been doing the same after victories in the 250 cc class and will continue to do so in the future. For myself and for my fans,” Jorge describes the moments when he jumps into a pond wearing his complete race gear, walks like an astronaut on the lunar surface or performs as a member of The Beatles.

The lollipop man, as called by his fans after appearing at the podium with the said object in his mouth simply because one of the lollipop makers was his personal sponsor, rode his first Grand Prix race in the 2002 season. He joined the GP caravan on the second day of qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, just after reaching the required 15 years of age. He had to forego free practice on Friday, a day before his birthday when he fulfilled the FIM-set requirement. He reiterated his talent and the desire to succeed in Misano in 2007, where his 16th victory brought him the title of the most successful Spanish rider of all times in the 250 cc class, overtaking compatriots Dani Pedrosa and Sito

Pons who notched up 15 wins each.

After winning his last 250 cc World Champion title, Jorge received an invitation that he could not refuse. He was asked to join Yamaha just one year before the enforcement of a rule that newcomers to the MotoGP class cannot compete in works teams.

Jorge was entrusted with a noble task. To defend the blue colours alongside one of the most successful riders in the world. Even though his first few races on the 800 cc bike proved that Jorge can be frightfully fast, his first two racing seasons largely passed in him getting adjusted to a considerably more powerful machine.

“Crashing is learning,” Australian Anthony Gobert said once and this was mainly the way Jorge Lorenzo learnt his trade. This was a period of numerous crashes, with the most memorable ones coming in China and Laguna Seca in 2008 – the latter resulting in a considerable injury. This was a painful period for the young Spaniard as he managed a grand total of seven serious crashes in only three months. But Jorge raced even when injured, thereby proving that pain is temporary but glory is eternal. Who does not remember the picture of his mechanics taking him off his crutches and putting him on his bike after he injured his ankles?

It immediately became clear that Jorge is fast and that he will become a champion, as he took the pole on his first and the opening race of the MotoGP season in Qatar. He managed the same at the following Jerez and Estoril races as well as winning at Estoril for the first time. He thus became the youngest rider in the history of MotoGP to stand on the podium for three consecutive times in his first season. It was immediately clear that changing from a two-stroke to a four-stroke engine will not present any problems for the Spaniard.

“My heart is devoted to two-stroke technology.

This is the real racing concept. But woefully gazing at something that is fading into the sport’s history makes no sense. One should keep the happy memories of the past and focus on the coming technology,” he told me in Valencia in 2007 after saying farewell to the 250 cc class where he had won two world champion titles. I also asked him then whether he feels any emotions regarding the end of the 250 cc class and the arrival of its replacement – the new Moto2 category.

New technology for racing bikes appears at the start of every season. And during the year. Evolution and revolutions. Tiny changes and upgrades. Also for the specially developed Yamaha YZR-M1, Jorge’s weapon in defending his title in the 2011 season.

As it is a rule that you do not radically change but merely upgrade a winning design, the biggest outside change, also visible to the untrained eye, might be a new exhaust system. Apart from their partnership in the Superbike World Championship and numerous other motorsport categories, Yamaha is this season relying on the technical support by the Slovenian Akrapovič company, possibly the maker of the technologically most refined exhaust systems in the world, in the MotoGP class as well.

This has brought the blue team with Jorge Lorenzo another step closer to retaining its world champion title. Jorge is undoubtedly capable of doing that, as proved by winning the title last season. And by doing so he also proved something else. That

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he had grown up. That the last two seasons have transformed him from a boy to a man and a mature rider. He gained experience and reliability and kept the edge that has made him renowned on the track and resulted in fans of many other teams judging him unfairly. Maybe it is his movie-star build, maybe the comedy skits after victories that sometimes look arrogant or maybe his self-confidence and reassuring appearance that makes him look slightly aloof. But only to those not in the know and those who judge him solely from the other side of the fence that separates the paddock and the track. Those of us who meet him every weekend at various tracks around the world hold a different opinion. Despite his successes in the last years, Jorge remains firmly on the ground. He is still the friendly boy who always finds the time to chat or at least answer a question.

He is a racer who knows how to smile for the camera and cordially shake your hand before the interview.

Jorge Lorenzo is one of the more accessible riders and can only say no with difficulty. To both the press and the numerous fans who want his autograph or a group photo.

And, well... it also pleases us, the reporters, when we feel an unexpected tap on the shoulder as we wait to return our keys at the counter of the airport’s rent-a-car shop on the Monday following the race.

“I saw you here and just wanted to say hi,“ he said before continuing on his way with a small suitcase in hand and a friend or aide at his side.

Jorge Lorenzo is a rider with a sense for his

surroundings and other people. A star in the proper sense of the word representing a new generation of riders, who know how important the attitude towards fans, spectators, journalists, cameras and all the rest is. Who realise the importance of image in the media world. This is why he is considered as one of the riders with the most developed sense of communication. He deftly uses the internet to communicate with his fans. He publishes reports on his blog, manages his website and reports on successes, changes and other action by tweeting or posting Facebook updates. But he has another manner to express his principles and emotions.

For example through various motifs on his racing helmet. Do you still remember the one with the colours of the Barcelona football club? This is how Jorge expands his territory. He marks the conquered land after winning the race by putting up a flag saying “Lorenzo’s Land”, which has a while ago become his most visible trademark.

You can also glimpse at how full of surprises he is if you closely watch this year’s season or read his biography, written by Ernest Riveras Tobia.

Yes, I admit... I was a bit sceptical at first as well.

Before I picked it up, I was wondering what can a young man under a quarter of a century old say about his life. I then read the book in one sitting and was simply stunned by the story and the colourful events in his career. And Jorge’s book is not entitled “My Story So Far” just for the kicks. It is crystal clear that he will need at least one follow-up, as the

biggest successes of this young rider, nicknamed ‘Por Fuera’ or ‘X Fuera’ after his daring overtaking on the outside, are still coming. And Jorge foretold them. With his words, actions and results.

If Jorge says something, then it sticks. I know that because I interviewed him on camera in Valencia in 2007 when he concluded his career at Aprilia as the 250 cc World Champion. It was already known then that he would be moving to MotoGP class and Yamaha next year. And you know… it was not the same Jorge Lorenzo that sat opposite me at the table in that tent. I kept feeling that I was talking to a child. A boy in a red shirt and a lollipop in his mouth. My final question was. Now that you have again become the 250 cc World Champion, I would like to know when you intend to win the same title in the MotoGP class? He answered without blinking: “In 3 years!”

Yep, Jorge was a man of his word again.

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Do you feel a difference with a new Akrapovič exhaust system?

Do you prefer a louder bike with no muffler or the opposite?

“There have been many changes to the bike this year so it’s hard to identify a single difference, but the bike is better than last year and has improved.”

“I like the bike to be loud, it’s great to hear exactly what is going on when you are riding.”

// Si

Mož beseda Majhen TV zaslon v moji komentatorski kabini nad ciljno tribuno dirkališča prikazuje dirkače v zadnjih trenutkih pred štartom. Ko se kamera sprehaja od enega do drugega, je moč primerjati obnašanje posameznikov, preden na semaforju ugasne rdeča luč. Napetost v zraku je tako gosta, da bi jo lahko rezal z nožem. Zdi se, kot da je moč slišati adrenalin, kako brenči nad dirkališčem. Kot bi človek stal pod električnim daljnovodom in poslušal pretok napetosti po debelih žicah. Čeprav je na startno ciljni črti in na tribuni zelo bučno in vse brenči kot v čebeljem panju, se po drugi strani zdi, kot da v zadnjih trenutkih pred startom zavlada popolna tišina. Mislim, da celo žvrgolenje ptičev za minuto ali dve izgine.

Spremljam dirkače, kako se umikajo v svoj svet. Nekateri poslušajo glasbo, drugi nemo strmijo predse. Ko se kamera ponovno ustavi na dirkaču, ki stoji na najboljšem štartnem položaju, se ta le rahlo nasmehne. S sredincem in kazalcem desne roke v kamero pokaže črko V, ki simbolizira zmago.

Kljub temu da nosi temna sončna očala, je jasno, da je njegov pogled zazrt daleč naprej. Pogled seže vse tja do konca ravnine v prvi ovinek, kamor se bo že čez nekaj trenutkov zagnala gruča najboljših motociklističnih dirkačev sveta. Španca Jorgeja Lorenza, svetovnega motociklističnega prvaka sezone 2010 v razredu MotoGP zanima le eno. Zmaga.

In teh je do konca sezone 2010 osvojil kar 35, v različnih tekmovalnih razredih. Samo lani je devetkrat stal na najvišji stopnički in osvojil rekordnih 383 točk, kar mu je seveda prineslo prvi naslov svetovnega prvaka v najvišjem tekmovalnem razredu, sicer pa že tretji naslov najboljšega na svetu v njegovi karieri. »To je velik in zelo pomemben dan. Danes sem osvojil nekaj, o čemer sem sanjal celotno svoje življenje.« je dejal po dirki v Maleziji lani, kjer je s tretjim mestom osvojil tako željeno lovoriko.

S tem se je Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero, 4. maja 1987 v Palmi de Mallorci rojeni mladenič, vpisal med nesmrtne.

Racing

Jochen Schmid and K awa s a k i s at G r o b n i k

E V E RY T H I N G IS DIFFERENT,

BUT NOTHING HAS CHANGED Article from

No. 20 / 2016

76

It wa s a p ro m is in g b e aut i fu l autu mn d ay a s daw n st art ed to break ov er t h e m ount ai n s t h at surrou nd the G robnik r a ce t r a ck a b ov e R i j e k a, C roat i a . W h i le t h e n i gh t st i ll h un g ov er t h e t rack an d plac i d silence surround e d t he nu me rous p i ck- up s , c amp e rs an d t rai lers h ousi n g t h e snori n g rec reat i on al an d tra ckd a y riders t hat we r e t h e r e to d r ag k n e e , a w h i t e v an stopped i n t h e c ent re of t h e paddock an d t w o f i gu res step p e d out , t he i r s i l h ou e tt e s at fi rst g l a n c e as cont rast i n g as t h ey com e.

One shorter with dark hair and the other quite tall and blonde. They opened the doors of the van and routinely unfastened the clamps holding a motorcycle, lowered it from the vehicle and pushed the featherweight machine into the pits. Having satisfactorily completed the task, the two men gazed over the paddock.

With the exception of smaller changes, it looked almost the same as it had during their last visit here, almost three decades ago.

German star racer Jochen Schmid, his indispensable technician and tuner Kurt Stückle and their Kawasaki successfully vied with the best Superbike World Championship riders and caused more than just a few grey hairs to their

factory teams. Nobody could figure out how Jochen’s Kawasaki managed to outpace factory machines on the long straights.

“The then boss of the Kawasaki factory team, the legendary US motorbike tuner Rob Muzzy, plucked his majestic moustache in anger as the Hockenheimring straights saw Jochen effortlessly sweep past factory team motorbikes, hidden behind the expansive aerodynamic shell of the Kawasaki ZXR750RR, prepared

by Stückle,” is what one of the German journalists in the MotoGP paddock told me after I explained I was writing a story about Jochen Schmid for the Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine.

“My bike was truly faster than the rest, even though we had no factory support. We raced

under the aegis of Kawasaki Deutschland, the German importer of Kawasaki motorbikes, which fielded its own team at the then open German Pro Superbike series, as did the majority of German importers of Japanese motorbikes. Pro Superbike ran parallel with the Superbike World Championship. The two were almost competing, actually. Its organisation, quality of men and machines as well as TV broadcasts made it the world’s second most important competition. The number of spectators at some of its races in Germany actually exceeded the number at world championship events. We were able to go head to head with the factory teams despite not having a factory team bike but

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by Gaber Keržišnik photography Bor Dobrin

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merely a serial-production machine with the factory superbike kit, which was available to everybody anyway,” Jochen explained as he helped Kurt move the last boxes of equipment to the pits. Tools, air compressor, tyre warmers, electric cables, leather suit, helmet.

“Credit for the speed of our bike must also go to Igor Akrapovič, who was then still becoming recognised on the international stage. What is that, where does it come from, the other riders and technicians asked us as they cast incredulous glances at our exhaust,

as it was plain to see that it was technologically advanced, flawlessly put together and oozed quality. When I first met Igor, he wanted me to test his products. He assured me that his exhaust will increase the speed of my bike.

Well, testing doesn’t cost you superbike points, so I agreed to give it a go. As soon as I completed a few laps on my racing bike, now fitted with an Akrapovič, I realised Igor was telling the truth. The bike accelerated faster and more smoothly and its top speed was higher,” is how Jochen remembers his first meeting with Igor Akrapovič in the early 90’s, before going on to win the 1995 Pro Superbike season, whose crowning achievement for Jochen was undoubtedly the famous Sunday at Hockenheimring, where he stood on the podium at both Superbike World Championship races. Only Carl Fogarty from Britain and Fabrizio Pirovano from Italy bested him in the first race, and only Fogarty’s Ducati was faster in the second. In Jochen’s wake were names like Slight, Edwards, Russell, Corser, Chili, Meregalli, Gobert and other renowned aces.

Day was already breaking over the racetrack, so we had to get to work despite the chilling morning cold. Master photographer Bor Dobrin wiped the dust of his lenses and Kurt Stückle deemed the tyres on the spotlessly polished racing Kawasaki warm enough to bring the middle-aged Japanese gentleman back to life.

All it needed was a few metres’ push and the engine sounded with a sharpness that made my heart sing. In my days I also sat on top of the legendary ZXR750RR, racing around this same track in the Slovenian championship, though I was doing it more for the thrill than for the points. And this is why this bike stirs emotions and nostalgia. The inline 4 hissed as shrilly through the hefty ellipsoid Akrapovič exhaust, as it did 20 years ago, while Kurt routinely

revved the engine to warm it up, causing the analogue tachometer to neurotically jump up and down. What a sound! The sound of the 90’s, when racing Kawasakis still gulped air through a battery of Keihin’s 39 mm FCR flat slide carburettors and the engine’s melody could be enjoyed in stereo. From two different ends. Through the carburettors and the exhaust.

As the bike was warming up, so was the rider.

“ I t ’s st i ll a good bi ke. I t ’s v ery n i m ble, ev en t h ough qui t e bulky com pared to t h e bi kes w e h av e today . I t ’s easi ly st eerable, relax ed an d st able. T h e S h ow a sh ock absorbers are w orki n g w ell. An d i t i s st i ll a v ery f ast bi ke. . . ”

We asked Jochen to bring the original gear to Grobnik along with the motorbike. Because screaming neon colours were the fashion in the 80’s and 90’s, we made a good choice. We only replaced the helmet for a brand new one, for safety’s sake. The first few laps were meant to reintroduce the track to the rider. Grobnik and Jochen Schmid last saw each other in 1990, when the last Yugoslavian Grand Prix was held

here. Jochen finished that particular season as 8th in the 250 cc class. He stayed in the same class until 1993, when he stepped up to Pro Superbike.

After the initial laps on the 1994 Kawasaki, Jochen opened the throttle to the max, showing that both he and the bike were still in excellent form, still full of spark and very

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very quick. “It’s still a good bike. It’s very nimble, even though quite bulky compared to the bikes we have today. It’s easily steerable, relaxed and stable. The Showa shock absorbers are working well. And it is still a very fast bike. Thanks to Kurt’s meticulous maintenance, the engine still produces 160 HP. The engine is working well, because we

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The sun h a s me an w h i l e ma d e i t s p resen c e a bund a nt l y c l e ar ab ov e t h e t r a ck a n d t he f i rst b l e ar y- e ye d v i s i tors to t he paddock m a d e i t to t h e t r ack’s fe n c e to s e e w h o o n e a r t h i s p us h i n g i t to t h e max t hi s e a r ly in t h e mor n i n g . . .

Vse je drugače, a nič spremenjeno Nemški dirkaški as Jochen Schmid ter njegov nepogrešljivi tehnik in tuner Kurt Stückle sta v devetdesetih letih s Kawasakijem mešala štrene najboljšim dirkačem v svetovnem prvenstvu razreda Superbike in povzročala sive lase tovarniškim moštvom. Nikomur namreč ni bilo jasno, kako je lahko na dolgih ravninah dirkališč Schmidov Kawasaki hitrejši od tovarniških motociklov. Dirkal je pod okriljem ekipe Kawasaki Deutschland, torej za nemškega uvoznika Kawasakijevih motociklov, na takratnem odprtem nemškem prvenstvu, imenovanem Pro Superbike. Tekmovanje je bilo vzporedno svetovnemu prvenstvu Superbike, skoraj konkurenca. Po organiziranosti, kakovosti dirkačev, tehniki in televizijskih prenosih dirk je bilo drugo najmočnejše prvenstvo na svetu. Na nekaterih dirkah v Nemčiji je število gledalcev celo preseglo tisto na svetovnem prvenstvu. Da je imel tako hiter motor, se mora zahvaliti tudi Igorju Akrapoviču, ki se je v tistih letih s svojimi izpuhi šele uveljavljal na mednarodnem prizorišču. »Kdo je to, od kod prihaja,« so ga spraševali, ko so gledali njegov izpuh in nejeverno zmajevali z glavo preostali dirkači in tehniki. Toda že na prvi pogled so lahko videli, da je izpuh izdelan tehnično izjemno napredno, natančno in kakovostno.

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keep it running and not have it idle and whittle away in a museum or a private collection.

Such a bike must be ridden. We take it to the track at least twice a year or enrol it as enthusiasts at a classic bikes race or at the very least do a promo ride,” added Jochen while changing from his colourful 90’s racing suit into the newest Alpinestars racing replica in characteristic Akrapovič black to get ready for the next mission.

“I had no idea that the old Kawasaki even existed. When I was asked years ago to attend a Pro Superbike revival race, I accepted the invitation and began looking for my old racing bike. Where did it end up? Who has it? Is it still in one piece or was it scrapped for parts a long time ago? It didn’t take me long to find it.

The first person I called was obviously Kurt, so I asked him whether he knows who took or bought my old racing buddy. Luckily for me, it didn’t go anywhere. Kurt Stückle kept it at home. Workable, original and spotlessly maintained. The winning duo was soon reunited. Bonnie and Clyde, the stallion and the jockey, Jochen and Kawa.”

Time to turn the clock forward nearly two and a half decades, from 1994 to 2016. Jochen Schmid has finished changing and Kurt has

warmed up the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, model year 2016.

The latest in motorcycle technology with all the gear and gizmos that a contemporary supersport-class bike should have. This is the bike whose racing version has reigned supreme in the last few seasons of the Superbike World Championship with Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes.

Jochen put his foot over the bike, mounted, stepped on the lever to put it into first and took off. As he was approaching the track, all I could do was listen to the one litre banging loudly through the carbon muffler of the otherwise titanium Akrapovič exhaust every time Jochen went up a gear without closing the throttle.

Symbolism. On the old bike a moment ago and now straight on to the new. Almost 25 years separate the two. A quarter of a century.

And they allow us to get a visual on what has happened in the past two decades and a half in the year when Akrapovič, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-performance exhaust systems, celebrates its 25th anniversary. Then and now. Still at the very top.

“The difference is immense, of course. The new serial bike is heaps faster than my old racehorse. Everything is different, actually.

Racing

The bike is smaller and more powerful. There is less space for the rider and the technology is way more advanced. Suspension is better and the riding characteristics are incredible.

The tachometer needle has been replaced with LEDs and an LCD screen. The only thing that remains the same is the colour, really. Kawasaki green. But there is one more thing that hasn’t changed. The exhaust.

It is still an Akrapovič, a better, newer and differently-shaped Akrapovič. Some things never change. So if I really think about it, nothing much has changed in these past 25 years either,” added Jochen Schmid, pushed down his visor and took another lap. The taciturn Kurt Stückle remained silent, gazing after his rider and, I think, listening to the sound of the engine in the distance. The same as he used to. As if he wanted to make sure again that everything is in order and working for the approaching race. The sun has meanwhile made its presence abundantly clear above the track and the first bleary-eyed visitors to the paddock made it to the track’s fence to see who on earth is pushing it to the max this early in the morning.

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by Michael Baumann photography BMW Motorsport

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BMW M8 GTE for the endurance races

LIGHTWEIGHT, PERFORMANCE, RELIABILITY AND EFFICIENCY

Article from

No. 23 / 2018

The new BMW M8 GTE has clearly indicated its potential at its first appearances in Daytona and Sebring, announcing Bayern’s re-entry in the world of endurance racing and return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Also involved in the comeback project is a tailor-made exhaust system by Akrapovič.

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One of the stars at the last Geneva Motor Show was undoubtedly the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupé - a marvelous car for the country road.

The technology used in its headlamps that gives it its characteristic four-eyed face, was taken from the BMW M8 GTE endurance race car.

This 5-meter-long and 2-meter wide vehicle has been an absolute star since its launch last year and has fulfilled the high expectations at the already completed races of the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

In its first 24-hour race appearance on the International Speedway at Daytona (USA) in January, the racing drivers’ team of Jesse Krohn, John Edwards, Nick Catsburg and Augusto Farfus finished in seventh place after a grueling 773 laps in the GTLM class. The second car with Alexander Sims, Connor De Phillippi, Bill Auberlen and Philipp Eng behind the steering wheel with 16 buttons and 7 rotary switches meanwhile finished in ninth.

The most reliable GT from BMW The focus during the first appearances of the new GT flagship from BMW was mainly on its reliability.

Both cars did well in this regard, experiencing

raced at Le Mans in 1939, and last in 2011. The

no major technical problems during the 24 hour

team’s final victory to date dates back to 1999,

Daytona event, setting a milestone as the most

when Yannick Dalmas, Joachim Winkelhock and

reliable debut for a GT vehicle in BMW’s history.

Pierluigi Martini raced to the top of the podium in

BMW is a new entrant in the GT professional

their BMW V12 LMR, marking the only victory for

class and is going head-on with the likes of Ford,

BMW at the classic French race.

Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Corvette.

But competing with the best in the business has

BMW Motorsport has a long history and a lot

always been part of the DNA of BMW Motorsport,

of experience with 24-hour races. But what

whose Director Jens Marquardt was well pleased

distinguishes the races in Daytona, Nürburgring

with the effort. His comment after the newcomer’s

and Le Mans regarding vehicle development

first appearance: “Our BMW M8 GTE has

and preparation as well as team presence?

successfully passed its baptism of fire here at

Are there any special features? “Of course the

Daytona. To finish such a tough debut race with

characteristics of the events and racetracks in

both cars after 24 hours without major technical

Daytona, at the Nürburgring and in Le Mans

problems is something we can be more than

are different,” says Jens Marquardt, “but in

proud of. I’d like to highlight the enormous team

general our preparation routine is very similar.”

effort that went into this particular project.”

BMW Motorsport and the BMW Team MTEK are preparing as well as possible for Le Mans.

And indeed, in mid-March, a BMW M8 GTE

The pretesting in Le Castellet (France) and the

managed to make it to the podium at the 12-hour

WEC season opener in Spa-Francorchamps

race in Sebring (USA) to the delight of fans and

(Belgium) will provide important indicators for

the BMW Motorsport team. The second race of

the reliability and performance of the BMW M8

the season saw Sims, De Phillippi and Auberlen

GTE. The return to Le Mans means a lot to BMW

finish second in the GTLM category after 328

Motorsport and the entire team and now the

laps. At times, their BMW even led the race, but

dream of finally returning there is coming true with

had to settle for second in the end, though only

the BMW M8 GTE. Marquardt almost cannot wait.

6 seconds behind the winner. And although the second car had to retire from the race shortly

Lightweight and efficient

before the end, the synergy was better than at the

BMW has developed and built a completely new

debut. Great progress was made in suspension

engine for the new car, which only weighs 1,220

and traction control, which was confirmed by the

kilograms and has a massive rear wing. The basis

feedback from the drivers.

was its BiTurbo series engine with 8 cylinders and direct injection, but reduced to 4 instead

Return to Le Mans

of 4.4 litres. According to Marquardt, among

The highlight of the year, however, will

other things, the crankshaft and the cylinder

undoubtedly be the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which

heads were changed, and numerous hours were

will take place on 16 and 17 June as part of the

spent on bettering the powerefficiency ratio.

FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). By

The casting of the engine block and the cylinder

the time it comes about, BMW wants to have a

heads meanwhile come straight from the serially

go at the top spot with the M8 GTE. BMW first

produced car, as prescribed in the regulations,

“Returning to Le Mans with BMW Motorsport means a lot to the whole team. With the overall victory in 1999, many other glorious hours, and the long history of BMW Art Cars there, Le Mans is a dream of everyone working in our company. Now this dream has come true with the BMW M8 GTE. I can’t wait to finally race there.”

Jens Marquardt

BMW Motorsport Director

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and have not been adjusted. In total, more than 500 engine design drawings and another 500 drawings for the powertrain were created.

But that is far from all. The geometry of the combustion chamber with the intake and exhaust ducts as well as the intake and exhaust system have been reworked. The fuel is burned at a scorching 2,100 °C and the result is the most efficient racing engine ever developed by BMW. Just two more numbers: efficiency exceeds the 40 percent mark and the maximum power depending on the specification – reaches past 600 HP. All this power is transmitted to the wheels with the help of a 6-speed gearbox and this efficiency gives the team a greater flexibility in race strategy. Marquardt: “This is one of the keys to success in a long-distance race.” The goal is also to bring cutting-edge technology to the top international class of GT racing and Marquardt believes that their own requirements for engine

BMW has developed and built a completely new engine for the new car, which only weighs 1,220 kilograms and has a massive rear wing. The basis was its Biturbo series engine with 8 cylinders and direct injection, but reduced to 4 instead of 4.4 LITRES.

and aerodynamics were exceeded.

Partnership with Akrapovič Akrapovič is an important BMW Motorsport partner in the exciting M8 GTE project and this is the third time the two companies are working together, following previous cooperation with the M3/M4 DTM and the M6 GT3. According to Akrapovič CEO Uroš Rosa, BMW Motorsport and Akrapovič began their cooperation in car racing in 2012 with the DTM program. This was the year when BMW returned to the sport after a long absence and won all three titles. BMW Motorsport and Akrapovič have thus extended the partnership for a further year and are also cooperating on the BMW M6 GT3. “Akrapovič and BMW Motorsport have developed a tailormade exhaust system for M6 GT3 as well as for the M4 DTM,” adds Rosa.

And the same applies to the latest project.

“Engineers at BMW Motorsport and Akrapovič began work on the powerful exhaust system for the BMW M8 GTE in March 2017, almost a year before the first race,” continues Rosa. This cooperation was very close. The exhaust system is made exclusively for the M8 GTE to get the maximum performance out of the car. Marquardt adds: “Of course weight plays a crucial role in endurance racing as efficiency is one of the keys to success.” A great deal of carbon was used in the development of the BMW M8 GTE chassis explained Marquardt and added that the focus for the exhaust system was on the highest possible performance and the lowest possible weight. “The Akrapovič system offers both.”

Reduced to the essentials When the BMW M8 GTE was unveiled to the world last year at the IAA in Frankfurt, its innovative design attracted a great deal of attention because, on the one hand, it incorporates the brand’s legendary motorsport and road vehicle heritage, and, on the other hand,

Michael Scully

Head of Design BMW Motorsport

it made a clear statement on modernity. Michael Scully, Head of Design at BMW Motorsport and

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thus the person responsible for the aesthetics of

return to Le Mans brought its very own fascination

the BMW M8 GTE, said at the time: “When a car

for our team.” says Marquardt. However, the most

like the BMW M8 GTE debuts publically before

important factor was that the production model,

a flagship production car such as the BMW 8

the BMW 8 Series Coupé, was developed at the

Series, the continuity of performance and design

same time. “We were given a green light from

character are of heightened importance too.”

the board to develop a thoroughbred GTE racing

For Scully, the BMW M8 GTE is reduced to its

car, parallel with the colleagues in production

essence and is an efficient, competitive machine.

development.” From the very beginning, both

The car has a clearly defined purpose as well

departments worked together to synchronise

as focus and a distinct, dynamic character. “For

the individual steps as closely as possible. “That

me it’s the most elemental, most determined

was a challenge,” explains Marquardt. “When we

car we’ve ever built,” he says, because he

needed the first chassis of the production car,

sees race cars as functionally-driven objects

there simply wasn’t one yet. We were, however,

and is interested not solely in their absolute

able to work with special prototype chassis from

performance but also in what character its

production development.” Things simply had

shape and graphics communicate. The racing

to progress step by step and additionally, there

version was presented to the public prior to

were minor changes to the production model

the production car, an unusual sequence. At

at the beginning of development. However, the

the beginning, in 2015, the aim was to expand

close cooperation between the two sides clearly

the activities in classic motorsport - BMW M

indicates the importance that BMW attaches to

Motorsport - and to position the team more

the M8 GTE project.

Jens Marquardt

BMW Motorsport Director

internationally and “at the same time, the possible

This is the third time BMW and Akrapovič are working together following previous cooperation on the M3/M4 DTM and the M6 GT3.

// Si Lahka konstrukcija, zmogljivost, zanesljivost in učinkovitost BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupé je navdušil obiskovalce zadnjega avtomobilskega salona v Ženevi.

Pet metrov dolg in dva metra širok avtomobil je izpolnil velika pričakovanja tudi na začetku letošnjega prvenstva IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar. Dirkači Jesse Krohn, John Edwards, Nick Catsburg in Augusto Farfus so v prvem nastopu na 24-urni dirki v Daytoni (ZDA) zasedli sedmo mesto v razredu GTLM, drugi dirkalnik so vozili Alexander Sims, Connor De Phillippi, Bill Auberlen in Philipp Eng, ki so se uvrstili na deveto mesto. V projekt je vključen tudi Akrapovičev izpušni sistem.

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by Miran Ališič Photography Ivana Krešić, Audi Motorsport

MIKE ROCKENFELLER driving the Akrapovič Audi RS 5 DTM

88 / 93 Racing

ONE PREFERS TO BE IN A BEAUTIFUL CAR Article from

No. 26 / 2019

Mike Rockenfeller is a veteran on the sports car scene. And this year he can be found in the DTM with a black Audi RS 5 DTM, decorated with a big Akrapovič logo. During the first half of the season he was plagued by bad luck, but things have started to pick up after Norisring.

“It’s always like that when you are in the DTM for quite some time,” Rocky laughs during our talk on the terrace in front of his house right by Lake Constance. “It’s going up and down, the competition in the DTM is tremendous.” Mike has experienced some very tough years, but he was also the 2013 DTM Champion. In his sport it’s just a short trip from hero to dogsbody. But he is convinced that his hero years are not over yet.

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In the afternoon sun he reflects realistically on

Carrera Cup. This was the time when I followed the

his career. “Formula 1 was always my aim, of

success of Michael Schumacher in Formula 1 and

course. But we never had the necessary money.”

he was my biggest idol. My dreams were exclusively

Rockenfeller grew up in his parents’ garage, but

about Formula 1!”

his love for all kinds of moving vehicles developed during holidays with his grandparents. “There, in the

A chance of a lifetime

countryside, I was driving everything available, even

Only in Weissach and during the first test in Misano,

during my very young years: tractors, riding mowers,

when he succeeded against the other candidates,

diggers... At the age of six or seven my parents

he slowly began to realise that this might be the

gave me an old Beetle I could use to drive on a

chance of a lifetime. He didn’t know about endurance

meadow. And I also loved to work on vehicles. This

races then and a Porsche was not a car that could

combination – engineering and driving – has left a

just be found around every other corner back home

deep mark on me.” Later on, karting was his hobby

in rural Neuwied. “Then I successfully participated

for a long time. “I quickly realised that we could

in many endurance races for Porsche, in Europe as

never afford top-level motorsports,” Mike remembers

well as in America, and so I began to dream about

and admits that it pained him when he noticed that

Le Mans. Well, to make this step I had to knock on

his parents had spent their last 1,500 Deutschmarks

the door at Audi.” It was a time when the DTM was

for a few sets of new tyres or a nice engine for his

still a two-class competition and Rockenfeller had

karting races. “Other people went on holidays and

to be satisfied with the latest ex-works cars. “After

my parents spent their last savings for my motorsport

many cups won, the line of successes was suddenly

activities. I didn’t like that.”

broken. With an old car one could finish maybe 10th

Call from Porsche This also explains his long career in karting. Until the age of 16, Rockenfeller was almost exclusively

or 12th, more was impossible. And this lack of success in the DTM lasted for years for me.”

Winning Le Mans 2010

racing in karting. “We didn’t have money. Zero! Even

It was similar in Le Mans, with successes failing to

the karting we did at the lowest level...” But then

materialise. In such a situation one begins to doubt

the fateful change happened. Aged 16 Mike won

his own abilities and question his own qualities. These

a karting series and earned a seat in a season of

doubts began to bite Rocky too and only winning

Formula König free of charge. There he managed

Le Mans 2010 with Audi Sport in an Akrapovič-

to win a few races again, he became “Rookie of

equipped Audi R15 TDI Plus ended this negative

the Year”, but in autumn he was left empty-handed

phase and brought the final breakthrough. The rest

again. “And then this decisive call by Burkhard

is history. Rocky still won the DTM in 2013 with Audi

Bechtel from Porsche happened. They were

and finished 4th three times and 3rd once overall, finally

looking for a new driver for their Junior Team. It was

establishing himself in the DTM family. “The decisive

a selection – seven, eight drivers were invited… I

factor was the change to the Audi Sport Team

accepted because I had nothing to lose anyway,

Phoenix. From my point of view this team simply works

but...” The Audi-driver smiles again and admits: “It

better than several other teams. At Audi Sport Team

was not in my interest to drive in some Porsche

Phoenix I could finally show all my talent in the DTM.”

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“I would like to work with Akrapovič for a couple of years. I want to know the company, its philosophy and the people on top even more, because one loves to identify with one’s car.”

Mike Rockenfeller

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“The new engines have much more power and are quicker around the corners. The tyres are often pushed to the limit, and so you’ve got to develop different driving dynamics to be able to preserve them here and there too.”

Mike Rockenfeller

88 / 93 Racing

Turbocharged engines with additional power This year the DTM ushered in new cars with new turbocharged engines that bring more power and also a new driving feel. “Of course drivers always like additional power and less weight. If it’s a four-cylinder turbo or normally aspirated one with eight cylinders is of no importance for us. The new engines have much more power and are quicker around the corners. The tyres are often pushed to the limit, and so you’ve got to develop different driving dynamics to be able to preserve them here and there too.” Is it necessary to drive these new cars differently then? “Well, not really.” We are around two seconds faster per lap, that’s because of the acceleration, but around the corners everything has remained rather the same, the car’s balance didn’t change. The tyres’ resilience has actually become the decisive factor in the race.”

Today in the Akrapovič Audi Mike Rockenfeller gained a lot of experience and was driving the “Akrapovič Audi” in this year’s DTM. How important is the design of the race car for the driver?

“Not decisive, but not unimportant either,” Rocky answers. Akrapovič was a rather unknown brand for Mike for a long time. “I don’t know much about the company.

But I love the car indeed.” The scene’s veteran gives the partnership some more significance. “I would like to work with Akrapovič for a couple of years. I want to know the company, its philosophy and the people on top even more, because one loves to identify with one’s car.”

While taking a look at his company car, currently still an Audi SQ7, when saying goodbye to Mike Rockenfeller, the father of two explains that he will soon get a new car – an Audi R8. “A good time to think about an Akrapovič exhaust system with appropriate sound, isn’t it?” whereupon Mike smiles but leaves the question unanswered.

// Si Mike Rockenfeller z Akrapovičevim logotipom Mike Rockenfeller je veteran med avtomobilskimi dirkači. Letos je v seriji DTM dirkal s črnim dirkalnikom Audi RS 5 DTM, ki ga je krasil velik Akrapovičev logotip. Podjetja Akrapovič dolgo ni poznal. “Ne vem veliko o podjetju, avtomobil pa mi je resnično všeč,” je med pogovorom dejal Rockenfeller, ki veliko stavi na sodelovanje s slovenskim podjetjem: “Želim si, da bi še veliko let sodeloval s podjetjem Akrapovič ter še bolje spoznal podjetje, njegovo filozofijo in ključne ljudi, ker se človek rad identificira s svojim avtom.”

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by Karin Sturm

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photography Bor Dobrin

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Motorsports must remain close to the No. 25 / 2019 people Article from

He is very much in demand. A few weeks before the start of the new DTM season, there’s quite a buzz in the sacred halls of Audi Sport, where the new cars are being readied. And right there in the middle, always calm and relaxed, masterfully juggling dates and tasks, is Romolo Liebchen, chairman for purchase, quality management and partnerships at Audi Sport. He has only just returned from a very different venue of international motorsport, a Formula E race in Hong Kong, where Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler and its customer team Evasion Virgin Racing are very successful too.

ROMOLO LIEBCHEN, Audi Sport

But at the moment, it’s the DTM that is once again in the centre of attention. The new regulations demanding four-cylinder turbos instead of the outgoing naturally aspirated eight-cylinder engines and many other minor and major changes are providing the engineers with new challenges – and everybody’s hands are quite full accordingly.

But the step was important for several reasons,

“I always said that I never want to work in Formula 1. They are too far removed from reality for me. Motorsports must remain close to

Liebshen emphasises. First there is the new

the ground, close to the people. That’s very important for the DTM

overall direction in motorsports, where the trend

as well. The fans must have the chance to touch the cars and be

is definitively towards the smaller, more energy efficient engines, with manufacturers scrambling

able to approach the drivers – their heroes. And there should be

to include these new tendencies in communication

some connection with the serially produced cars.”

and marketing. “Secondly,” says Liebchen, “the races should become more attractive as a result.

The cars’ performance is much better now. They

Romolo Liebchen

have a higher top speed, lower weight and more torque.” Gerhard Berger, the new head of DTM, seems to have successfully worked with the manufacturers and they have achieved significant progress. And thirdly, the move is also important for the international orientation of the DTM: “With the new regulations in place, the long-considered cooperation with the Japanese supercar series is now becoming an option.”

Racing is just entertainment Liebchen doesn’t think that new elements like the push-to-pass “overtake-button”, introduced to increase the series’ appeal, will make DTM races look too artificial: “I’m quite relaxed about it, and my experience with Formula E has helped here. Racing is just entertainment.”

Turbo is nothing new for Akrapovič The changes also affect important partners like Akrapovič. “Naturally, the exhaust system of a turbo engine is different to that of a normally aspirated one. There are different requirements regarding the temperature, the turbocharger’s incorporation into the system and so on.” Despite the comprehensive changes required for the exhaust, Romolo is not concerned in the least regarding the Slovenian company’s ability to deliver. Turbo is nothing new for Akrapovič. “They have been producing exhausts for many high-performance road cars with turbo engines. I’d say that they have mastered it by now, also due to their extensive experience with and use of titanium, the corrosion behaviour and durability of which meets and exceeds the standards of serial production. This is what makes Akrapovič unique.”

A very innovative and youngthinking outfit It was Liebchen who brought Akrapovič and Audi together around ten years ago – he knew the name because he has been a huge motorcycle fan for a long time. “When I finally got to know the company personally, I immediately understood that this is a very innovative and young-thinking outfit. It’s obvious from the way they present and market themselves – that’s really extraordinary.” Back then, the

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94 / 97 Racing

cooperation was for the Audi Diesel, which was poised to rule the LMP1 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans for years. Liebchen was responsible for the exhaust system in the racing development department. “It was always about weight and Akrapovič was the only company which really knew how to work with titanium. Before that we worked with other suppliers for many years, but from the moment we learnt about the benefits of titanium, we realised that there was only one way – the via Akrapovič. The first matter was the diesel particulate filter, something all experts told us would never work. But it did.”

First contact with Audi Sport Liebchen – who originates from Reit im Winkl close to the Austrian border in Bavaria – met motorsport through the only major event in his neighborhood. It was the Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix at the Salzburgring back in the 1980s. He remembers well his first contact with Audi Sport – on the motorway between Munich and Nuremberg. Telling the story, he can’t keep himself from smiling, the eyes of the true racer beaming brightly: “I was on my way to a schoolmate’s house, passing Ingolstadt, and suddenly an S1 Rally Quattro is going full throttle on the motorway. Bam, bam, bam... Then full brake, then full throttle again. I tried to follow with my motorcycle... That thing was raising hell with its sound – he exited the motorway at Köschinger Forst. That was so around 1984 or 85 – the time of the real, wild group B cars.”

To BMW as an occupation Professionally he didn’t go to Ingolstadt first, but rather to BMW’s motorcycle department in Munich. However, because “the recruitment situation was not to my liking, I applied at Audi as an engine designer. I received an invitation – but during the interview they told me that there were no available vacancies in that department.

But then they told me that they were urgently looking for somebody in motorsports... Soon after I got the job. Then I went back to my friends in Munich and I told them: ‘I am with Audi now.’”

Around 30 years with Audi Originally he planned to stay with Audi for two to three years, but it has tallied up to about 30 years now – and Liebchen’s private bike is also a part of Audi group today: a Ducati... But there was one thing he never chased during all this time: entering Formula 1. Liebchen has his feet planted too firmly on the ground for that: “I always said that I never want to work in Formula 1. They are too far removed from reality for me.

Motorsports must remain close to the ground, close to the people. That’s very important for the DTM as well. The fans must have the chance to touch the cars and be able to approach the drivers – their heroes. And there should be some connection with the serially produced cars.”

R acing

Indian Motorcycle, Randy Mamola and Glemseck 101

Just Like A mad roaring MAN Article from

No. 26 / 2019

by Volker Hirth photography Jure Makovec

98 99

98 / 101

Racing

The formidable machine is parked on the meadow. A monster. Long, filigree and yet somehow menacing. A heavily modified Indian Scout Bobber, powered by a huge V-twin. It’s called Appaloosa and it is competing in the Sultans of Sprint drag racing series. This unique specimen, with its beautifully integrated lightweight titanium Akrapovič exhaust system artfully snaking its way alongside the huge engine block, took more than 700 hours to design and build. The rider is a living legend: Randy Mamola, a 500 cc superstar from the eighties.

98 / 101

Randy is friendly, a typical American. But he

bikes against machines built by the famous

doesn’t want to talk. Not now. He is in the

workshops and sometimes, when no brand can

middle of preparing for the start. The Sultans

be identified, Fantasy versus Utopia.

of Sprint is the centrepiece of the event and the works bikes from Harley-Davidson, BMW

Randy Mamola

Motorrad and Royal Enfield are the opponents.

Then there is Randy Mamola. One of the

A 200 metres straight. With a standing start.

sprint sultans. The pinnacle of the show. His

Clutch, shift the weight to the front, pull back

Indian X Workhorse Appaloosa can be heard

on the throttle and off we go. The engines roar,

loud and clear above the din. It is pushed to

tyres smoulder, the low tones of rock music

the start in no-load. The mechanic is always

boom. The long grandstand on the left is full.

pulling at the throttle. The sound is coming out

People jeer, wonder, whistle, cry. The point of

of its Akrapovič exhaust with a roaring thunder

it all? There is none! It’s pure vitality. One more

as if the last living T-Rex had just walked out of

hour till the start... Time to see, touch, listen

the Leonberg forest. Later on Randy says that

to the atmosphere. From the start the road

it sounds as if “a very mad man was roaring at

continues in a straight line. Leather, tattoos, loud

you”. The short story of his race, though. Randy

rock music. Beer in the right hand, cigarette

didn’t make it to the finals.

in the left. Men don’t wear too much either at 33 °C, except for a full beard and tattoos, as if both were a requirement to enter.

The two-wheeler as a work of art

0 to 200 km/h in five seconds Never mind, the show still delivered in spades.

The 20,000 on the grandstand are howling for the competitors in the final. Philipp Ludwig’s

Glemseck 101 is where we are, the place

BMW is winning. Taking off from the starting

to be for two-wheel freaks with more than

line, it seems as if Baron Münchhausen was

100,000 coming in two days. The road’s

shot out on his cannonball. Acceleration from

short straight stretch is located in a beautiful

0 to 200 km/h in five seconds. It would have

valley, surrounded by forests and meadows.

been a close match for Randy too. Randy is

Small, but still a veritable Mecca for bike

overwhelmed by the mood in Leonberg. It

lovers of a special kind. Hardly anyone dares

is the best event of the three rounds of the

to come here on an unmodified road bike.

Sultans of Sprint. In France he finished third.

Lower, wider, handmade, enlarged, lavishly

“Believe me, it feels as good as any one of

coated. The two-wheeler as a work of art.

my 57 podium finishes during my Grand Prix

And always dust-free, polished to perfection.

time. I’m very impressed with how much the

Pure aesthetics. For this very reason the clear,

motorcycle sport is alive here. Fantastic!”

fine, individual shapes of Akrapovič exhausts

Randy is probably also impressed because

are disproportionally represented here. There

this event seems to be out of tune with modern

is a sprinkling of regular models though. The

sensibilities. Loudness is the main dish here.

manufacturers have long taken note of this

No electric, please! At the Sultans your ears

strip in Leonberg near Stuttgart, Germany, and

receive a beating. And that’s how it should be,

exhibit their latest products, including a strong

Randy says: “Everything in connection with

presence by the established brands like BMW

motorsport needs to sound! Not only to feel, I

Motorrad, Kawasaki, Honda, etc. Brands from

need to hear it. Our Woodstock is the roaring

the US are also here. Several bikes are moving

of a great exhaust system.” A Woodstock

between the strolling customers at walking

near Stuttgart. Just that the stars are not Jimi

speed. But at the track, everybody is permitted

Hendrix, Janis Joplin or Joe Cocker, but Indian

to drag race. Bimota versus Benelli, 6-cylinder

Motorcycle, BMW Motorrad, Royal Enfield,

Kawasaki versus 6-cylinder Honda, homemade

Harley-Davidson and others.

100 101

Racing

Appaloosa is a heavily modified Indian Scout Bobber, competing in the Sultans of Sprint drag racing series. This unique specimen, with its beautifully integrated lightweight titanium Akrapovič exhaust system artfully snaking its way alongside the huge engine block, took more than 700 hours to design and build. The rider is a living legend: Randy Mamola, a 500 cc star of the ‘80s.

Brice Hennebert (Workhorse Speedshop) with his Indian X Workhorse Appaloosa

Randy Mamola

A Woodstock near Stuttgart.

Just that the stars are not Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin or Joe Cocker, but Indian Motorcycle, BMW Motorrad, Royal Enfield, Harley-Davidson and others.

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102 / 105 30 Years

by Miran Ališič photography Saša Hess

SLAVOJKA AKRAPOVIČ – AKRAPOVIČ’S CORPORATE IMAGE DESIGNER

OUTSIDE OF THIS WO R L D Her physical movements in Ljubljana are delineated by an invisible triangle connecting the family house hidden by a large garden in the Rožna dolina neighbourhood, an urban studio in a modern residential building near the old town’s Dragon Bridge and an art gallery on the medieval banks of the Ljubljanica River. You will usually see her on a bicycle, dressed in her own style and with a thoughtful look on her face.

Her spiritual and business world meanwhile revolves around her family, architecture and the Akrapovič company, where she is in charge of its corporate image – in the widest sense of the word.

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The first impression one gets about Slavojka

I do for our company, from buildings, interiors,

She stops and adds that she was lucky to have

Akrapovič is likely to be misleading, as her mild

fair pavilions, exhibition elements, concepts

had the opportunity to develop her talent as

and calm manner masks the mighty energy

of print materials, ideas of some animations,

Akrapovič company accepted her and offered

that bubbles underneath. She has known

advertisements, to a selection of photos is

her every possibility to achieve self-realisation.

Igor since her youth, meaning they’ve been

based on my answers to abstract notions what

An interesting and significant remark that follows

journeying together for a long time. Their story

Akrapovič actually is. And those answers defined

is that this was not always the case with her other

is searching for a common ground arising from

what Akrapovič is – now in all its realisations.”

Slovenian clients, which is why she now only

mutual differences, underlined by an invisible

Slavojka Akrapovič represents a symbol of this

works for herself, as she still has a lot of ideas

bond of respect and understanding, something

uniqueness, which makes the company’s image

and plans, but time often flies by too fast.

that’s immediately noticeable. “The fact that Igor

stand out in the automotive, motorcycle and

included me in his projects allowed me to bring to life my perspective on his story, which, like Igor himself, is really something quite special,” says the architect who entered the family business sometime after 2000, when Igor had already shaped the company and set its basic course of development. “During the first period of the company’s operation, I was primarily a mother, raising two small children, doing my own things, working at various architecture studios.” Later

motorsport circles. “Established companies in the segment had their recognisable and detailed images which they simply added to, upgraded, slightly reshaped. We were just designing our image and we weren’t skilled at it. I wanted us to find our own way. I didn’t want us to build on the ideas of others, though I analysed them in detail and strove to create our own, unique recognisable image,” Slavojka recalls.

Motorcycles, rock and fencing Slavojka Akrapovič was born in Ljubljana, grew up at the seaside, also in the rural world, again in Ljubljana, on motorcycles, at races and around them.

In her youth, rock music played an important role in defining her lifestyle, otherwise imbued with sports, among which the standout was fencing and competing in a female floret at the Yugoslav national level. All this left a huge mark

she realised that Igor’s special and unusual story

Academic approach

needed an image overhaul, something she calls

“I had a more academic approach to it all

to very wild. When you’re on a motorcycle, it can

– I didn’t care whether we were unveiling a

be a very romantic experience, it can be a very

sculpture or an exhaust system.” Her attitude

exciting journey, you can also get caught up in

towards design is equally reflected in different

your imaginary world. You’re here in the present,

environments. “Be it architecture, equipment,

alone, embracing a boyfriend, leaning towards

gardens, gallery presentations, my attitude to

the ground in a corner and a little addicted

without whom there would be no creative ideas

design is the same, at least that is how I perceive

to it all. In particular, I believe in the value of a

and realisations for printed materials, Andrej

it myself.” Akrapovič made waves already with

sense of freedom. Going for a spin with Igor,

Perčič, who excels in design and animation,

its very first own fair booth in 2004 in Munich,

who is truly an excellent rider, was a special

Bojan Perko, as well as in the digital design

where the company garnered attention by

pleasure indeed.” She also remembers how

of many graphics and photo processing, also

standing out and in a way managing to rise up

music formed her personality. “You’re looking

Robert Cankar with video production. Other

to the established global brands. “Our booth

for a special sound and rhythm and Igor and I

designers and photographers in the creative

layouts at fairs have always and with all their

always hit it on in that aspect. We listened to

group are also indispensable for her.

elements reflected a female creative energy in

similar music and attended the same concerts.

“It is a projection of my imagination, so everything

the male world of motorcycle and car racing.”

My favourite was blues, his was symphonic

an entire appearance. She had the good fortune she gathered around her within the company’s internal Akrapovič Kreativa agency with serious talents that she would like to mention specifically – Zdenko Bračevac, an architect and designer,

on her. “It’s a mixture of feelings, from romantic

102 / 105 30 Years

rock, but we clicked perfectly with Queen and

open, the kitchen and living area are centred on

look – a black T-shirt with a red logo. “T-shirts

Genesis. Igor’s motorcycle always had a special

an island around which socialising takes place,

were followed by numerous other garments,

sound, especially without a muffler on, and

as it once did around the hearth. Bathrooms also

we developed company attire for business

I was thrilled when I heard it halfway across

incorporate an increasing number of wellness

occasions and fairs, and to create this attractive

town – like a roar in the wild. I still believe that

elements to soothe an individual after a busy

image I worked exclusively with Slovenian

there is something beautifully exciting, primal, in

day.” When it comes to industrial architecture,

fashion designers. We create our clothes, our

the sound of motorcycles.” Slavojka has always

Slavojka points to Vitra in Weil am Rhein, which

Racing line, in partnership with Alpinestars.”

remained associated with music, her cornerstone

is not just about presenting products, but also

Slavojka loves clothes, she is enamoured by local

and wellspring of expression. Her milieu is the

experiencing different architectures, “thus

designers, but first and foremost she comes

rock milieu, but also baroque and other musical

expressing the intertwining of design with the

from the jeans generation. “We all wore Levi’s

styles, that she discovered while growing up

philosophy of perfect design, technology and

501’s, male, as no others existed in our youth.

by playing the piano and which co-shaped her

functionality. The Vitra Campus is becoming

And men’s shirts. This was the proper attire for

consciousness. “That’s where I want to return to

an adventure park, the Vitra Haus exhibition by

the rock scene. Then black came into vogue and

and all the music that has influenced me so much

Herzog & de Meuron is fantastic, as different

for a time we wore black non-stop. This is still

is simply out of this world. And time.”

parts of the exhibition area reflect the scale

often the case, though I fight it by buying pieces

of the apartment or office space with various

of clothing in other colours. I don’t like fashion

configurations of the equipment they produce.”

trends, or perhaps new clothes simply don’t fit

Futuristic and consumerist direction The Akrapovič corporate image creator is an

me. In the end it’s not about fashion, it’s about

and says that the world of architecture is also

Everything and nothing is fashionable

turning very fast at the moment. There has been a

“Clothes make the man” says a famous proverb

huge amount of change in recent years, she says,

and Slavojka Akrapovič dressed the company’s

with architecture marked by strong personalities

co-workers as well as many fans and brand

Passion for travelling

like Zaha Hadid. Modernism seems to her to be

aficionados around the world. “I’ve been thinking

Long journeys are another passion shared by

concluded, and futurism is drastically changing the

a lot about why people love branded attire. To

both, Slavojka and Igor Akrapovič, as that is when

way we look at architecture. “I see two directions

some people it brings well-being and a feeling of

they can spend most of the time together. They

being indicated – the first, futuristic, brings

being strong, solid, athletic, competitive. But in

do not see a lot of each other during the week

new technologies, which will allow us to model

fact it’s a type of uniform.” Slavojka admits that

as they pursue their own goals and obligations,

buildings, and the second, consumer oriented,

the company has not really thought of designing

and this only changes at the weekends. And

will be made for the mass market and entail sets

its own attire for a long time, as she and Igor

then there comes racing, Igor’s passion. So

of cubes into which it will be possible to insert

simply thought that fashion design does not fall

all they have left are long journeys, where they

functional modules purchased via a catalogue.

within the scope of a technology company. When

disconnect from everyday stress, “which requires

Everything will be adjusted to the surface area

T-shirts and hats with the scorpion logo began

at least the first few days to accomplish. Then

and budget of the buyer. The interior of living

to appear, they changed their minds and a survey

we discover each other again, revive the primary

spaces is also changing. It is becoming more

among brand supporters determined the brand’s

energy that unites us. This is the time we dedicate

architect, one that closely follows global trends

style. Fashion is increasingly devoid of inspiration and elegance. You go shopping, but there’s nothing. Everything and nothing is fashionable.”

to each other, explore cities, visit galleries, architectural sights or just lie on the beach.”

Japanese society and culture impressed Slavojka a lot, especially a Zen Buddhist thought that she read in front of the entrance to the tea pavilion at the Kinkakuji shogun garden in Kyoto, when Igor and she were at the 8 Hours of Suzuka: “I learn only to be contented.” The creator of Akrapovič’s corporate image here adds that we “remain young for as long as we learn, are of an agile mind and receptive to change, development and ideas by the young, who need our experience and prudence as much as we need their youthful freshness and straightforwardness.”

More of a Bohemian Slavojka Akrapovič is still full of ideas, although that might not be immediately noticeable. I am convinced that they definitely include the museum and all else that will go along with it, as described by Igor Akrapovič on pages 10 to 15 of this issue, and where Slavojka will again be able to surprise and impress us in her own

Igor’s motorcycle always had a special sound, especially without a muffler on, and I was thrilled when I heard it halfway across town – like a roar in the wild.

Slavojka Akrapovič

way. She sees herself as more of a Bohemian who prefers to stay in the background and is quite inflexible. “I follow my vision, which in the past was often difficult to realise. I may seem grounded, but on the other hand I am not. I can say about myself that I am outside of this world.”

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Technology

by Gaber Keržišnik photography Alan Cathcart, Britten Motorcycle Company

106

John Britten

T he Last Romantic Tale Article from

No. 13 / 2013

Innovative Genius And it is. Not so long ago we would have been awed by Anthony Hopkins in the biographical film The World’s Fastest Indian, where he played the role of the extraordinary Kiwi Burt Munro, who broke the land speed record on a motorbike made in his own shed. However, only a few of the most avid fans of beasts on two wheels know anything about another, almost identical story.

I have a mate named Peter, whom we’ve jokingly nicknamed ‘Couch Commentator’, because he rarely goes out. He watches motorcycle races from his sofa, checks the internet for daily racing news and regularly devours books and articles about motorbike racing.

We gave him that nickname because he never moves from his sofa, but still knows more about motorbike racing and its history than many long-serving journalists.

Lately, we’ve been discussing two books in particular: Mat Oxley’s “Stealing Speed”, which we agreed reads like a thrilling crime story, and Tim Hanna’s book about John Britten, which we called the last romantic tale in motorbike racing.

The place is the same: New Zealand, more specifically Christchurch, where John Kenton Britten was born in 1950. Even though he started his career in construction, he quickly realised that he was more attracted to machines.

Two wheeled ones, to be more exact. After completing a four-year engineering course at night school, he decided to make his dreams come true. His dream was to single-handedly build an innovative racing motorbike, which would win at big events, thus beating the world’s best factory bikes and their riders.

To make it come true he embarked on his work, utilising his extensive knowledge of motorbikes, mechanics, mechanical engineering, materials, aerodynamics and design as well as a clear goal, strong motivation and a lot of courage. He designed and almost single-handedly built his first racing motorbike.

It wasn’t a bad effort, but there was room for improvement. After testing his creations on race

tracks, usually by hiring riders but occasionally by getting on one himself, he upgraded them and simultaneously developed extraordinary technological breakthroughs, some of which are nowadays wrongly thought of as originating from the big motorbike brands. For example, the MotoGP Championship Ducati, ridden all the way to the champion title by Casey Stoner in 2007, had no frame. The engine was used as the integral part of the motorbike and all other component parts – mainly made of carbon fibre – were attached to it. But this was not a Ducati invention, because Britten successfully employed the same concept on his bikes in the early ‘90s. Britten’s V1000, with only 10 models ever made, was more or less made from carbon fibre. The engine was a fully stressed unit that all the other components attached to. The bike also had carbon double wishbone front suspension and the radiator was tucked under the riders’s seat. Did you know that Britten’s bike was already equipped with an on-board computer? Doesn’t it sound all too familiar? It certainly does… But all of the above started to be used in earnest by the big brands some 10 years after Britten. And he put everything together by himself with the help of some of his friends in his own workshop. All he bought for his bike were the tyres, brakes, shock absorbers and some electric parts. Oh, he also used a Suzuki gearbox as the basis for his own. But otherwise the entire bike was the fruit of his design and labour. The carbon seat base, the carbon wheels, the carbon aerodynamic body, the suspension, the rear swing arm and all

the rest. Another result of his innovative genius was the handmade 1000 cc V-twin engine with 4 valves per cylinder, whose engine block and cylinder heads were manually casted in a backyard kiln. Do the scenes featuring Burt Munro in the fastest Indian ring any bells? It’s interesting that distant New Zealand, not really known as a motorcycle powerhouse, spawned so many technical gurus and geniuses who have shaped the history of car and bike racing.

Apart from Munro and Britten, we have to, at least, point to Bruce McLaren, a former racing driver, champion and the founder of the McLaren car brand, which has been successfully competing in F1 for many years.

Pink?

On a Bike?

Even though Britten only made 10 motorbikes under the name V1000, they made him famous around the world. They looked different from the competition due to their innovative technological design, shape and manner of construction, all of which can be plainly seen in examples found in museums. While they looked different due to design, they also stood out from the crowd due to their colour scheme.

Factory colours used metallic blue for the top part of a Britten V1000, while the lower part was painted in a not-very-racy (or at least quite feminine) pink. The stars and a large Britten signature on the fuel tank made the V1000

look more like a circus prop than a racing bike.

But that was just another element that gave it worldwide recognisability and allowed you to spot it from afar if you were lucky enough to see it in a museum or in a private collection.

But there wasn’t much of a chance of that.

As previously stated, only 10 such bikes were made and every single one is accounted for. One of them was actually housed in the Guggenheim Museum in New York for some time as part of an exhibition entitled “The Art of the Motorcycle.” Three bikes remained in New Zealand and the rest are in Europe and the U.S. One of them, a brand new one, which never took part in a race, was kept in a glass display cabinet by a rich owner from Las Vegas, before he sold it to a Californian museum in 2004. These bikes, labelled from 1 to 10, according to their date of construction, are one of the most desirable items for any motorbike collector. But they almost never change owners. It’s also hard to put a value on them, as the price of any one of them at an auction would probably go through the roof. If it actually appeared at one, that is.

“Only 10 such bikes were made and every single one is accounted for.”

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106 / 111 Technology

108

“The entire bike was the fruit of his design and labour.

The carbon seat base, the carbon wheels,

the carbon aerodynamic body, the suspension, the rear swing arm and all the rest.”

Bonneville and Daytona It’s impossible to do justice to the life, work and genius of John Britten in just a few pages of a magazine, but you can read a voluminous book on him by Tim Hanna or the authorised biography “Dare to Dream” by Felicity Price.

If you are not a person who likes reading, watch an excellent documentary on his work, motorbike development and race successes, which can be found on the internet. Take your time and see for yourself why the story of John Britten is the last romantic tale in motorbike racing.

You’ll also discover numerous breathtaking similarities between him and Munro. Just as Munro lived for and beside his motorbikes, Britten ate, slept and breathed bikes. They both had their Meccas. Their sacred pilgrimage locations. Both of these places were in the USA, which is fitting in that their stories were almost like movies. While Munro travelled to Bonneville Salt Flats in the state of Utah in order to break records, Britten and his friends hoped for success in Daytona, Florida, the craziest oval circuit in the world, where the eponymous race is still being held even though it has lost quite a bit of its sheen. Britten’s bikes were entered into the BOT (Battle of the Twins) class, which was only open to two-cylinder motorbikes. These were mainly Ducatis, with a spattering of Moto Guzzis, tuned Harleys and other exotic brands.

This class, which sadly doesn’t exist anymore, was extremely popular in its heyday and even though it was started as an enthusiast race, it quickly evolved into a proper category of competition, and was seriously eyed by factories with professional teams and well-paid riders. Both Munro and Britten also shared similar careers. After succumbing to some initial technical issues and lack of experience at the start of their careers, they later rose from the ashes to shine victoriously.

Britten was always close to the top, but something always went wrong. His bikes came in 2nd and 3rd at the 1991 Daytona and in 1992 his rider experienced engine difficulties and

had to retire just a few laps before the end of the race, which was a bitter experience for the New Zealand team. But 1994 was finally Britten’s year – he beat all of the competitors and his homebuilt motorbike stood at the top of the podium in Daytona. But there’s more.

That same year saw his bikes coming in 1st and 2nd at the New Zealand superbike national championships, while the year before that they set a new speed record on the Isle of Man race and, on-the-by, broke four world speed records. And, to top it all off, they won victories and championships at almost all the races where they appeared.

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Technology

Immortality Some romantic stories have a happy ending, while others have a more sombre one. Just as his motorbikes were at their peak in 1995 and posed a serious threat to big, established names, designer John Britten fell seriously ill.

He watched as his bikes won the World BEARS Series from a hospital bed. He died way before his time from skin cancer in 1995, just a month after the spectacular international victory. John Britten left this world at the age of 45 and his untimely death was without a doubt a huge loss for the world of motorbikes. His genius would have undoubtedly greatly influenced the development of motorbike technology.

He could have led, worked for, or served as an advisor at any of the best teams in the top flights of motorbike racing.

The man, who was quiet by nature and did not want any extra attention, was accompanied on his last voyage in Christchurch by thousands of fans from all over New Zealand and the world, who basically swamped the city in their desire to bid their last farewell to a man who lived for his dreams. The funeral procession was broadcast live, and the rider at the head of the long line of people through the town was Andrew Stroud, Britten’s favourite racing rider, who was sitting on the first V1000 in its characteristic pink and blue. And with this farewell, John Britten and his motorbikes drove into immortality.

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// Si

John Britten - zadnja romantična zgodba Nova Zelandija, kjer se je leta 1950 v mestu Christchurch rodil John Kenton Britten. Čeprav je začel svoje delo v gradbeništvu, je kmalu ugotovil, da ga privlačijo stroji. Še najbolj takšni na dveh kolesih.

Ko je v večerni šoli opravil štiriletni tečaj iz avtomehanike, se je John Britten odločil uresničite sanje. V domači delavnici je želel

po svojih inovativnih idejah sam narediti dirkalni motocikel, ki bo zmagoval na velikih dirkah, in premagoval tovarniške dirkalnike in najboljše dirkače sveta na njih.

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Technology

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Visiting the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team

MECHANIC’S HEAVEN Article from

No. 10 / 2012

MECHANIC’S HEAVEN

by Primož Jurman photography Bor Dobrin

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Yamaha marked 50 years of World Championship GP racing in 2011. In the five decades since May 1961, when the Japanese company entered the top tier of motorcycle racing, until the 2012 season, its riders won a total of 36 World Champion titles and recorded over 450 individual race victories. Yamaha was the bike of choice for such legends of the top flight of motorcycle road racing as Agostini, Roberts, Lawson, Rainey, Rossi (a few years back) and last but not least Jorge Lorenzo and his teammate Ben Spies. Racing can be found in Yamaha’s genes and its vision. It walks hand in hand with the passion and a continuous desire to prove oneself and win. There can be no compromises – only the winning counts. Akrapovič has been a part of this story for the past two seasons.

As a global corporation with headquarters in Iwata, Japan, Yamaha does business all around the world. Its organisational structure is complex and spread out. Part of its special operations is the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP team, whose strategic arm (development, strategy creation, search and implementation of technical solutions, setting the budget) is located in Japan, while its logistics part and the workshop can be found in Italy. We decided to visit the MotoGP factory team next door to Slovenia which has been using Akrapovič exhausts for the past two years. Not everybody can enter the hallowed territory where strategies are devised and move by the opposing teams in the top tier of motorcycle racing analysed. This is what makes it so interesting to be inside the high-security complex and even more intriguing to have a look into the background of the team’s activities.

The three Slovenians present were me, our photographer Bor and Jurij, a mechanic for Ben Spies, who has been part of the team since 2009 when the American won the World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK) title. “I always wanted to be a part of MotoGP and here I am – MotoGP really is my entire world,” he excitingly tells us, but then immediately returns to reality “Mistakes are simply not allowed here!” The small Italian town of Gerno di Lesmo, a stone’s throw away from the legendary Monza circuit, is where one can find the part of Yamaha’s racing team in charge of administration and logistics. The modernist cubes housing the facility were until just recently home to two teams – the MotoGP and the WorldSBK – but the latter ceased operations at the end of last season.

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In the Centre of Heaven

In the Centre of Heaven We are greeted at the entrance, next to Lorenzo’s motorcycle, by Marco Riva, Yamaha Motor Racing General Manager, Massimo Meregalli Maio, Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director and William Favero, the company’s communications officer. Maio takes us on a tour of the facility, which is separated into the 1064 m² part for the offices and show room and a 1764 m² workshop, a humongous hall, which includes an extra secure zone – the engine room, where the engines are prepared. The facility employs 48 people, with 26 serving in the management and administration and 22 in the racing team. Maio, Marco and William, are all friendly and communicative, like true Italians, but business-like and refined when conversation turns to work. Maio tells us about the team’s background, history, activities and organisation as he takes us through the areas.

All three also continuously stress their love and passion for motorcycles and racing. The building is clean and bright. Managed as a lab at a hospital.

There is no noise or other distractions. In a word, professional. And surprisingly calm. At the end of the enormous garage where four articulated lorries are meticulously parked, I spy a dozen racing Yamahas, carefully covered with sheets – look,

the two-stroke 500 cc bikes of Abe and McCoy, and, oh, there are Biaggi and Checa’s machines.

Welcome to motorcycle heaven!

And the heaven gets another dimension as we step into the workshop, full of hidden motorcycles – could they be for the 2012 season – other motorcycles on display (including the 800 cc ones), tools and carefully packed motorcycle plastics.

One of the bikes being taken apart, Ben’s I think, is being skilfully and taciturnly attended by two mechanics, one of whom is Jurij. Maio explains that during the season motorcycles are not prepared for the races here, but in the factory in Japan, which delivers the bikes to the team prior to every race.

The one exception is the Italian GP in Mugello. We then enter the engine room, which is subject to even more stringent protocols. Four mechanics are there, each working on his own engine, preparing them for one of Yamaha’s sponsored teams. Orderly, clean, notices in Japanese everywhere – one almost feels as if being in a watchmaker’s shop.

Surprise! Upon our exit, we bump into Aldo Drudi, widely acclaimed as the guru of motorcycle helmet design and entrusted with the paintwork by all the top stars. Aldo is also the culprit for Yamaha’s bike design as well as a huge Akrapovič fan! They say that heavens are eternal, but our visit to the motorcycle paradise sure ended way too soon…

Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP team in numbers: 1064 m2: offices and show room 1736 m2: workshop and trailer parking area 22: number of employees in the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP team 22,000 km: lorry trips during racing season 300-350: litres of fuel used by racing bikes for each GP 8 front tyres and 10 rear tyres are used for each GP weekend (in line with FIM regulations) 23/24: weekends in 2012 season the team was not at home 1.5 days: to build a hospitality unit at the track 1.5 hrs: to remove the engine out of the frame 12 tons: the weight of parts & equipment the team brings to European races with 8 lorries (4 hospitality + 2 team + 1 engine department + 1 engineering office) 52: flight cargo cases for races overseas

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Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

,,We always aim to win'' What happened between our visit in 2007 when you managed the WorldSBK team and the 2011 MotogGP season?

In 2009 we won the Word Superbike title with Ben and Akrapovič. That was definitely the best thing. I guess that was of the major reasons that Yamaha asked me in 2010 to move from WorldSBK to my current position at MotoGP. That really made me proud.

If you used a scale from 1 to 10 with MotoGP ranked as 10, where would WorldSBK be?

I’d say 5. The 2011 season convinced me that the gap between the categories is bigger than I previously thought. The structure, the environment, the whole philosophy in MotoGP is on a much higher level than in WorldSBK – of course I’m talking about Yamaha only.

Why did Yamaha choose Gerno, what made it beneficial for Yamaha?

All of us Italians get racing DNA with mother’s milk. Yamaha already managed some teams in other categories: Superbike, Supersport, motocross, so they had decided to set the base for racing activities here. In the past the MotoGP offices – 500 cc category at that time – were based in Holland at Yamaha Motor Europe.

Are you satisfied with the 2011 season?

You know that our goal is always to win. We didn’t win the championship, but considering all the circumstances, I’m quite pleased. Ben won his first MotoGP race, Jorge won 3 races, we had many podium finishes so I’m happy with what we achieved. We had some problems and accidents, so we unfortunately missed some races. We were in the running for the title, but at the end we finished 2nd and 5th.

What is the main difference between WorldSBK and MotoGP? First of all there is much more pressure at MotoGP, there are more people involved… in the beginning this was not so easy for me, since I lacked the confidence. I also needed to see how these things are managed and as soon as I understood the environment, the job got much easier. It took me 6 months to adapt. There is also much more media pressure and a bit more of pressure from Japan at my current post.

The 2012 season will bring the 1000 cc engines and CRT teams to MotoGP. What will be the biggest challenge for you?

There is only one challenge – to win the title. My personal opinion is that MotoGP and CRT are two completely different worlds: MotoGP is a championship for prototypes, it is the pinnacle of the sport. At CRT some parts, like the engine, come from production bikes, which I personally don’t like. There is WorldSBK and there is MotoGP and those two things should be run separately.

Do you think CRT is the result of the economic situation we are facing?

Yes, for sure, but this should have been solved in a different way, maybe by making more factory bikes available, different rules within MotoGP etc. This is of course much easier to say than to do, but this is the direction we should be taking MotoGP in.

What we’re going to see next season will be more riders on the grid, which is nice and good, but there will be a big gap between factory bikes and CRT: around 3 seconds per lap, I’d say.

Moto2 is reality, Moto3 is coming in 2012?

Watching Moto2 from the outside is fun, seeing so many riders on the grid, but I cannot see how riders can learn to find the proper bike setup while also using a sealed production engine. The gap between Moto2 and MotoGP has widened and it might be too much for such riders. The same goes for technicians and mechanics – they cannot learn overnight, the gap is just too wide, for instance in electronics. Regarding Moto3, I was surprised that our bike won the final race last year at the Spanish national championship – the two-stroke era is obviously finished, there are practically no more two stroke road bikes around.

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Marco Riva, Yamaha Motor Racing General Manager

,,Akrapovic is our real partner''

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You have been cooperating with Akrapovič for two years in MotoGP now?

We discussed ways to develop the partnership at the beginning, because we were aiming for a real partnership with Akrapovič and not just sponsorship. For the first year we were in the initial phase, with Akrapovič developing some parts of the system. Having said that, I do want to stress that we achieved all of our targets quickly.

The second season now over, we are drafting plans for cooperation for the coming two years, so it will be a huge step forward. In short, it means Akrapovič will be more involved in our development.

How would you assess the relationship so far?

We have known each other for a long time, since the start of cooperation in WorldSBK. Of course if you want to start with more complex and detailed joint activities, you have to understand how Yamaha operates and consider the fact that our development is in Japan and not here in

Europe where we only perform engine maintenance. We will work on a way to connect our engineers in Japan with those at Akrapovič – we are a kind of a meeting place here, we could meet for discussions and also work on some issues. So far in terms of delivery time, specification and quality of the product we are more than satisfied.

Those are likely what prevailed in favour of Akrapovič, but why did you approach the company in the first place?

The quality of their final product and their development potential. We have an analytical approach to exhausts at Yamaha, but Akrapovič has more practical experience.

What is the goal for the 2012 season?

To maintain the excellent atmosphere within the company but to also be more aggressive in terms of performance. In Japan aggression is the key word in the coming years. I’m sure our riders will do well, and I expect a better general performance.

// Si

V mehaničnih nebesih Japonska Yamaha je v letu 2011 praznovala 50-letnico sodelovanja v svetovnem prvenstvu motociklističnega dirkanja.

V petih desetletjih, od maja 1961, ko je vstopila v svet motorističnega športa najvišjega ranga, pa do sezone 2012, so njeni dirkači osvojili 36 naslovov svetovnih prvakov in zabeležili več kot 450 zmag na posamičnih dirkah. Z Yamaho so bili v kraljevskem razredu cestnega motorističnega športa svetovni prvaki takšni asi kot Agostini, Roberts, Lawson, Rainey, nekaj let nazaj Rossi, zadnji v vrsti pa Jorge Lorenzo. Drugi dirkač v ekipi je Ben Spies. Dirkanje je del genske zasnove Yamahine filozofije, ki hodi z roko v roki s strastjo in z nenehno željo po dokazovanju in zmagovanju. Ni kompromisov - šteje le zmaga. In v zadnjih dveh sezonah je del te zgodbe tudi Akrapovič.

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Technology

A Winning Partnership Audi Sport and Akrapovič

Article from

No. 10 / 2012

by David Carradale photography Audi

Did you know that 2012 could be the year that Akrapovič wins its third 24 Hours of Le Mans race? Well neither did I, or the world for that matter. It was of course Audi Sport who won the race and continue to dominate endurance racing but it’s nice to know that if you are considering buying an Akrapovič exhaust system for your car or

motorcycle, that a system from the Slovene company helped power those Audi race cars across the finish line.

24 hours of continuous very high speed racing at very high temperatures in cars with monstrous amounts of power are

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a pretty stern test for an exhaust, and clearly those Akrapovič pipes went the distance. You could call it the ultimate test drive.

The truth then, as they say, is finally out there. Akrapovič has been the supplier to Audi Sport for exhaust systems since 2009,

supplying an exhaust for the Audi Sport R15 that year and again in 2010.

Last year, Akrapovič supplied a system for the Audi R18 TDI, so it is fair to say the partnership is an enduring one with an Akrapovič exhaust system fitted to the Audi Sport race cars which won the 24 hours of Le Mans in both 2010 and 2011.

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It is fitting then that this season Akrapovič has become an Official Partner to Audi Sport. For 2012, the inaugural year of the newly-formed FIA World Endurance Championship, Akrapovič and Audi Sport will be going full out to secure the championship title – and net a hat trick of wins at the prestigious Le Mans race along the way.

The Akrapovič name is, of course, famous throughout the motorcycling world where the company has helped over sixty world champions win their titles in pretty much every format of two wheel racing. Akrapovič also supports and is partnered with Yamaha Factory Racing at the highest level of motorcycle racing – MotoGP. Then in 2008 Akrapovič entered the specialist car aftermarket with a range of performance exhausts made from stainless steel, titanium and with exquisite titanium carbon fibre tail pipes for many of the world’s top performance cars – including the Audi R8 Spyder and

Coupe, the Audi S5 and Audi TTS. But the 24 Hours of Le Mans – that race is a whole different dimension.

So why did Audi Sport chose Akrapovič? Arguably it is their expertise in materials which keeps them at the forefront of the racing exhaust business – the titanium foundry sits at the heart of the Ivančna Gorica factory and their expertise with this precious material enables wonders to be delivered in terms of reduced weight, power delivery and durability especially at the very high temperatures achieved by endurance race cars.

Visit this facility and the modern carbon fibre facility in nearby Podpeč and you will marvel at the technology employed and the passion shown by each of the 500 employees. This is no metal bashing place, it’s more like a NASA facility.

So there are undoubted technical reasons for Audi Sport’s trust. But there’s more to it than that, something intangible but you feel it when you see it. It’s an intuitive

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sense that the company and its employees understand racing. They just get it. No doubt borne out of over twenty years of developing and supporting racing systems for the major motorcycle teams, the whole operation is geared to designing, producing and testing top quality exhaust systems and frankly, there is very little time wasted at the heart of the Akrapovič factory.

They understand race teams can’t wait and won’t wait.

There’s a start line to get to and a finishing line to cross.

Don’t compromise. Just win.

The exhaust systems for the Audi world endurance series race cars are unique and are specifically designed with Audi Sport’s own engineers from the design phase right through to production, testing and the races themselves. I asked Akrapovič Technical Director Uroš Rosa about the development program with Audi Sport.

“After two successive victories in the 24 Hour Le Mans with Audi Sport, we’re aiming to build on our success in 2012. Our exhaust has been crafted to meet and surpass incredibly high demands of endurance racing.

We’ve worked with Audi every step of the way to develop a system which is perfectly suited to the car’s performance.’’

“A wealth of engineering experience and the very latest technology goes into every exhaust we make. The fact

Audi has chosen Akrapovič once again reflects the performance levels of our products and manufacturing skills of the entire Akrapovič team.“ “We’re proud to be working with Audi again and are confident this dynamic duo will be a force to be reckoned with during the FIA World Endurance Championship.”

The World Endurance Championship is the FIA’s grand plan to really put endurance racing on a global platform.

Of course all racing is a game of high stakes, but for both Audi Sport and Akrapovič it’s an interesting proposition.

For Akrapovič it puts its name, in the form of four nicely designed and placed logo stickers, onto all four Audi race cars and its nice for the company to take a little credit for those prior wins in France.

But, as ever in racing, it’s about the next race not the last one. The WEC series kicks off in March in the US and then the whole circus travels the globe and stops off in most continents with races in Belgium, Great Britain, Germany and Brazil – all natural homes of great motorsport plus some newly emerging places like China and Bahrain.

The high point of course will always be Le Mans and both teams back at the Audi and Akrapovič factories will be up all night watching to see if success will beckon again in rural France. Let’s hope so.

FIA WEC Car Racing Calendar 2012 Race

Date

12 Hours of Sebring - USA

17.03.2012

6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps - BEL

05.05.2012

24 Heures du Mans - FRA

16.-17.06.2012

6 Hours of Silverstone - GBR

26.08.2012

6 Hours of Sao Paulo - BRA

15.09.2012

6 Hours of Bahrain - BHR

29.09.2012

6 Hours of Fuji - JPN

14.10.2012

6 Hours of Shanghai – CHN

27.10.2012

Technology

DUCATI CORSE

BEHIND THAT DOOR Article from

by Primož Jurman

No. 17 / 2015

photography Bor Dobrin

EVERY MAJOR FACTORY, EVERY COMPANY THAT TAKES PRIDE IN ITSELF, NURSES A SPECIAL DIVISION IN ITS HEART. THIS IS THE COMPANY’S ESSENCE, THE CORE, WHERE IDEAS MIGHT BE BORN OR FUTURE TECHNOLOGY MIGHT BE TESTED. IT IS THE APPLE OF THE COMPANY’S EYE, CAREFULLY GUARDED FROM THE UNWANTED AND INQUISITIVE GAZE OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD. AT DUCATI, IT’S THEIR RACING TEAM DIVISION: DUCATI CORSE. AND THERE, IN BORGO PANIGALE, THEY OPENED THE DOOR JUST A BIT AND LET US TAKE A PEEK AT WHAT LIES WITHIN.

Not everybody gets the chance to walk through this mechanical sanctuary of two-wheeled racing, which gives birth to machines that are among the fastest in the world. The photographer and I got stopped at the factory gates by a security guard who put special stickers on our mobile phones and made us sign separate forms. We knew that this was serious business. Just entering the factory requires extra work, as the Corse racing team division is usually off limits to outside visitors. But an exception was made for us and the door separating the public from the privileged was opened.

THE SAME VALUES AND EQUAL PASSION FOR RACING Akrapovič and Ducati have been cooperating in MotoGP since 2014 and in 2015 began working together in the Superbike World Championship.

As we stroll among disassembled racing machines, whose mechanical guts are worked on by mechanics,

I realised that Ducati is, like Akrapovič, very much attached to racing. Photographs from races are everywhere, the employees watch them and follow the sport with their heart and soul. They cheer for their bikes and riders. Basically it all originates from sports.

Both companies share the same passion for racing, from which they draw their energy and desire to win.

Different forms of cooperation between Bologna and Ivančna Gorica originated in racing – but Akrapovič is today also a partner of Ducati Performance. The Corse racing team division was established in 1954 and employs more than a 100 people, about a tenth of Ducati’s entire workforce. It is divided into four departments: R&D, sporting activities, commercial activities and marketing.

DUCATI CORSE & AKRAPOVIC - PARTNERS We spoke about the division’s activities, philosophy, plans and cooperation with Akrapovič to three higher-ups at Ducati: Paolo Ciabatti, Luigi Dall’Igna and Diego Sgorbati. We caught them at their posts, which

we found in the labyrinth of offices, workshops and manufacturing facilities with the help of Julian Thomas, the extremely friendly Ducati MotoGP Press Manager.

Paolo Ciabatti – Ducati Corse Sporting Director Sports and motorcycle racing are in the genes of both companies – now Ducati and Akrapovič have become partners on the track. What is your take on this era of cooperation?

We approached each other many times in the past, but cooperation was impossible for numerous reasons, with one exception – when we used Akrapovič exhausts at the Superstock Cup a few years ago. Now we’re starting our second season together in MotoGP and will extend our cooperation this year to the World Superbike Championship. At the same time, Ducati started working with Akrapovič as an aftermarket exhaust partner for the Panigale. It’s very important for us to have a partner like Akrapovič because of the development support we receive in dealing with exhausts, a key component of a bike’s performance.

Akrapovič is more than just our supplier, we’re

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Paolo Ciabatti

“At Akrapovič, they are very passionate about what they do, as we are here at Ducati, so working with someone and sharing the same passion is a nice working experience.”

Paolo Ciabatti

partners, we share and exchange ideas, and carry out performance tests. The cooperation has paid off so far, as we kicked off the season in Australia by being on the podium twice.

What did Akrapovič bring to the Ducati Corse?

Akrapovič is a leading company in the field of exhaust systems; they are probably the best company in the world working with titanium. Apart from that, they have extensive racing knowledge – they’re involved not only in motorcycle racing, but in car racing as well.

Our engineers have their ideas, but they work closely with Akrapovič engineers and they share notions about what would work best for our bikes. I think that Akrapovič’s knowledge is really beneficial for us.

You now have some experience working with Akrapovič, especially in MotoGP and now extending to Superbike. Are you satisfied with the level of cooperation?

It’s a real partnership, and when you work with a partner, you share information with them.

Sometimes it’s not easy, sometimes our requests are probably very demanding in terms of timing, but the response so far has been fantastic. I must admit this cooperation went beyond our expectations, and we even established close personal relations with some people at Akrapovič. They are very passionate about what they do, as are we here at Ducati, so working with someone and sharing the same passion is a nice working experience. We also did some marketing together and it is a pleasure to work with such company.

Our aim is to be able to fight for the podium very soon and to win at least one race this season. This is quite an ambitious target, since we must beat Honda, Yamaha, and four of the best riders currently in MotoGP. However, I think our two riders are strong and that they can fight their way to the top spots.

Both Andreas are very fast and very determined, so I see no reason why we can’t achieve our target, even if it’s a very ambitious one.

Akrapovič is also partnering with Ducati in the Superbike World Championship this season.

What are your plans for this MotoGP season?

They are quite ambitious, actually. Last year our aim was to close the gap with the fastest guys to 10 seconds or less, which we accomplished in the second part of the season. We just introduced our new bike, the GP15, which has some similarities with the previous model GP14.3 and which took part in the second preseason testing in Sepang. It’s a brand new bike, with a brand new engine, and we had almost no reliability problems, which was the main goal. The bike still needs some refinement and development.

We have aspirations in Superbike as well. We have a new partner and team sponsor and together we would like to win races. We think we are among the title contenders in the championship. We were unfortunate regarding Davide, who was injured and will not be back on the track until Imola. On the other hand, Davies did a good job, and was able to fight for the win. Regarding the exhaust, we did a lot of runs during preseason tests, and we got positive feedback, also from all our satellite teams now using Akrapovič.

Luigi Dall’Igna

race. It won’t be easy, since we’re dealing with strong competition from the likes of Honda and Yamaha.

Are you satisfied with the level of cooperation you get with Akrapovič?

With the new GP15 bike rolled out at the start of the new season, are your hopes high for MotoGP 2015?

How do you see Akrapovič exhaust as a part of the bike?

Well, it’s quite difficult to predict what the season will bring, since we only did 1,000 kilometres with the new bike. We’re at the beginning – the first impressions from the riders were quite positive and the first data we collected points in the same direction. I am quite confident that we have made a giant leap forward, compared with all the issues we faced in the previous season. Naturally, some kinks still need to be ironed out and I hope we’ll be able to do our next batch of improvements soon. The aim for Ducati Corse in this season is to win at least one

I’ve been working with Akrapovič for my entire career dealing with 4-stroke engines, and for me Akrapovič is the best exhaust brand. I have a good relationship with everyone who works there. The exhaust is one of the most important parts of the bike. It’s important when it comes to performance, handling the engine and durability. It’s a difficult part to produce, due to the high temperatures around the engine; it’s a high-temperature part and it’s difficult to manage the heat exchange with the other parts of the bike. It’s really important to get the right shape and the right positioning for the exhaust.

Absolutely. Our joint work is more like a partnership, since we don’t consider Akrapovič to be a mere supplier. Bike exhausts sometimes cause problems with regard to the bike’s design and Akrapovič has a different approach from all other exhaust manufacturers. For that reason, I admire their work.

Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager

“I’ve been working with

“ What we found in this

Akrapovič for my entire

project is something

career dealing with

very special that we only

4-stroke engines, and for

seldom find with our

me Akrapovič is the best

partners: beauty.”

exhaust brand.”

Diego Sgorbati

Luigi Dall ’Igna

Diego Sgorbati – Director of Motorcycle Related Products How did cooperation with Akrapovič begin?

As the person in charge of motorcycle-related products – parts, accessories, apparel, everything that has to do with Ducati – it was a very logical choice to move forward with Akrapovič, especially since our colleagues from Corse decided to join forces with the Slovenian brand. Our goal is to transfer emotion, the Ducati Corse emotion, to our customers. The apex for our brand is when our bike wins the race – that is what Ducati lives for. We want to deliver bits of the genuine Ducati experience to our customers and fans and we want our customers to believe in this experience.

Which projects did you cooperate with Akrapovič in?

We developed a new exhaust for the 1299 Panigale, which defines Ducati better than any other bike.

It is a bike that contains all our commitment and experience. We want to share our racing experience

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Diego Sgorbati

There can be no success without passion

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Technology

as closely as possible with our customers. What we found in this project is something very special that we only seldom find with our partners: beauty. The exhaust that we developed for 1299 is more than just tremendously powerful, its every detail speaks of the special attention paid to its performance and looks.

What do you see as the strongest point of Akrapovič exhausts?

The values of Akrapovič are very close to those of Ducati. We always stress style, personalisation and performance and I think Akrapovič does the same – we’re really aligned with the things we do, so we’re extremely satisfied to have a partner like Akrapovič. I have to say that when we first presented the exhaust to dealers at our dealer meeting last year, we showcased it like a piece of art. Our dealers were very excited about it.

What are your next steps in terms of cooperation with Akrapovič?

Our roadmap of cooperation with Akrapovič involves projects for our future models. In addition, we will try to involve our dealers a little bit more, so that they understand what Akrapovič is and what this partnership between Akrapovič and Ducati means.

We will try to communicate that we are reliable partners and stand strong together. Most of our cooperation with Akrapovič in the future will focus on performance.

Would you say that Akrapovič is beneficial for Ducati and vice versa?

I’m certain that this is true; because we share the basic values of doing things in a certain way, it seems quite clear that both parties will enjoy the advantages of this

partnership. Both brands were bolstered and made sharper. When Akrapovič partnered with Ducati, it became even stronger in terms of style, sophistication and performance. Ducati, on the other hand, quite possibly represents the spirit of Akrapovič more than other brands Akrapovič works with. I must admit that there are only two or three exhaust manufacturers with the same clear brand profile as Akrapovič.

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Bikes for new champions are quietly born in Ducati Corse.

1954 – Ducati Corse established 2003 – Ducati enters MotoGP class 2007 – Casey Stoner becomes MotoGP World Champion on Ducati 1990 to 2011 – 14-world championship titles in WorldSBK for Ducati

/ / Si

Na obisku v Ducati Corse Vsaka pomembnejša tovarna, vsako podjetje, ki da kaj nase, ima v svojih nedrjih oddelek, ki je nekaj posebnega. Je bistvo tovarne, kjer se rojevajo ideje ali preizkuša nova tehnologija za prihodnost. So njena punčica, skrbno varovana pred nezaželenimi in zvedavimi pogledi zunanjega sveta. V Ducatiju je to tekmovalni oddelek Ducati Corse, kjer so nam odškrnili

vrata, da smo lahko poškilili izza njih. Ko se sprehajamo med razdrtimi tekmovalnimi stroji, po katerih mehanskih drobovjih si mehaniki dajejo opravka, spoznamo, da je Ducati, tako kot Akrapovič, zelo navezan na dirkaški šport. Obe znamki si delita enako dirkaško strast, iz nje črpata energijo in motiv za zmagovanje.

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Technology

KTM’s Road into MotoGP

READY No. 20 / 2016

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Article from

TO RACE

by Imre Paulovits photography KTM Images (Marco Campelli, Philip Platzer, Sebas Romero), Imre Paulovits

v vv

KTM’s slogan “Ready to Race” was put to the test in a wonderful manner facing the biggest challenge in the company’s history: entering MotoGP. After just 18 months of preparation, the Austrians are ready to challenge the best in the world in the top division of motorcycle sport.

Orange and blue – that’s how the winning factory racers of KTM are imprinted into our minds. When two bikes in this colour scheme sped down the finish straight of the Red Bull Ring, much faster than their predecessors and with an infernal sound, a new time reckoning began. The Austrians have decided to enter MotoGP. How well-prepared they are, eight months before the planned debut at the world championship opener at Qatar 2017, was shown to the fans in a formidable way at the Austrian Grand Prix with test riders Mika Kallio and Alex Hofmann powering through the demo laps.

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The RC16 is fast. As it turned out during the two test days, alongside the whole MotoGP cream of the crop, even as fast as the fastest on the straights and the lap times only a fraction behind the much more experienced opponents. This is even more remarkable, because the Austrians have chosen their very own path and instead of borrowing the components already tried and tested by their competitors, they brought their very own DNA into the premier class of motorcycle sport.

C O U RA GE O U S DE C IS ION KTM may be the biggest motorcycle manufacturer in Europe, but the decision was made by one man alone: CEO Stefan Pierer. “After achieving the goal we set twenty years ago – to one day become Europe’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer – I realised that such a position also brings a kind of technological responsibility,” Pierer discloses.

“Therefore the decision to enter MotoGP to challenge the best in the world was inevitable for

me. It’s not only a marketing tool. If you want to be taken seriously as a global player, one has to be ready to face the best in competition. So at the end our technology profits from it too.”

Pierer belongs to the group of people who motivate others and push them to achieve the unimaginable.

Attaining success after success would never be possible for KTM if every single person in the company didn’t live the brand and see themselves as part of it and its story of success. One of them, who stands at Pierer’s side as a special ally and who has made it possible for KTM, wherever it appears in motorsports, to end up at the very top sooner or later, is Motorsport Director Pit Beirer. The motocross vice World Champion of 1999 controls the fate of the racing department with the same seemingly tireless energy which pushed him forward as a racer. Due to the decision to enter MotoGP his portfolio has grown to a size never known before.

G O I NG O N E’ S OWN WAY KTM has already had a short MotoGP adventure.

In 2005 they provided Kenny Roberts’ Proton team with a V4-engine developed by Kurt Trieb, but back then the company was simply not yet ready for this category and Pierer stopped the project after divergences appeared with Roberts.

After a decade of additional experience, KTM has now approached the task in a different way.

Just as with the Moto3 project which immediately led to winning the world championship title, they fully rely on their own resources and take their own technological path. While all manufacturers currently compete with an aluminium frame and suspension by the Swedish manufacturer Öhlins, KTM insists on a grid-type tubular frame made of steel, a type of frame they acquired an immense know-how about during the last couple of years. >>

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Pit Beirer, Motorsport Director at KTM

Suspension is provided by the damper specialist WP, which is part of the KTM GROUP. In the meantime Pankl, known for its high-quality conrods and other specialised engine parts at the highest level of motorsports, has also become part of the KTM-empire and this combined in-house technology gave them the confidence to challenge the best in the world.

They only went abroad in search of the exhaust, but for a good reason. KTM relies on the Slovenian manufacturer Akrapovič for all its four-stroke endeavours, making the collaboration on the MotoGP project a shoo in for Beirer and the technicians.

In future the RC16 – the official name of the MotoGP machine – is set to rise above all other MotoGP bikes in a way that follows the principles of KTM in the off-road categories. First there is the works racing bike, then an offshoot for top world-level teams, and finally a simpler version available to everyone, which will be able to be modified to an individual’s liking.

The plan is that the RC16 will be available for hobby riders to sharpen their skills with training sessions on racetracks.

MAGNIFICENT PLACE For the MotoGP-project, the racing department had to be enlarged. It dwarfs all of KTM’s motorsport activities of the past not only technologically but logistically as well. Not only was new staff needed, but also new space. Once Pierer and Beirer agreed on the project, the Motorsport Director became headhunter, head of the organizing committee and project manager, all in one.

Two years earlier, the racing department moved into a nice building in Munderfing, just around the corner

from the WP factory. It turned out to be too small for the needs of KTM’s worldwide motorsport activities and the new MotoGP project. So, without further ado, Pierer decided to use it as the future marketing studio and to order the construction of a far larger motorsport complex. A hypermodern building of about 2.5 acres was drawn up, which was envisaged to contain all motorsport activities and which was constructed in a way that allowed a constant exchange of ideas between various departments. The construction took more than a year and when Beirer was not out at a racetrack or a conference he oversaw every moment of it.

He was all the more proud at the presentation when it was finally ready. This magnificent palace not only stands out from the racing departments of other manufacturers architecturally, it stands for the acknowledgement of motorsport and the future by KTM. It’s also equipped with everything that makes a working environment efficient. All departments are situated radially around a core of stockrooms and test rooms, connected by a round hallway. The MotoGP department is situated in a big open room, together with the motocross department, to enable the technicians to put their heads together in case of problems.

Or they can move into another room nearby to talk it out there. This is so because the electronics department is located just behind the glass wall of the MotoGP workshop. “This department was established for the MotoGP project,” Pit Beirer explains. “But because electronics will be more important in other kinds of motorsports as well in future, we are in perfect shape for this challenge already.”

T HE RI G HT KIN D OF P EOPLE In a bright office on the upper floor overlooking the Alps, a man can be found who is well known in the pits of the motorcycle racing world championship – in different colours though. Former racing rider Mike Leitner was Dani Pedrosa’s crew chief for more than a decade. He became world champion thrice with the little Spaniard before accompanying him into MotoGP, where he learned in detail the technique, the development and organizational structure of a MotoGP project at the powerful Repsol Honda works team. When he parted from Pedrosa at the end of 2014 he was immediately contacted by Pit Beirer and became one of the MotoGP project’s most important persons. Leitner also knows all the important technicians from the MotoGP paddocks and has since recruited the top-class for KTM. So the team which originally consisted of project chairman Sebastian Risse, who earlier led the Moto3 project to winning the world championship title, became a concentrated congregation of the very best in motorsport. But this is only a continuation of the kind of politics championed by Pit Beirer which has led KTM to the top of each motorsport category. He always knew how to get the very best specialists to work on his projects.

PO W ERFU L EN GIN E The concept of the MotoGP KTM was set very early in the planning stage. A V4-engine, again designed

by Kurt Trieb, was to be fitted into the typical KTM grid type tubular frame. The tall Austrian, who once worked for Porsche and BMW in Formula 1 and also designed the cylinder head of the BMW S 1000 RR in his engineering office, works exclusively for KTM. He also designed the successful motocross

four-stroke engines and the Moto3 engine; all of them have won world championship titles.

At the end of June 2015, Trieb’s engine roared to life on the test block for the first time. Four months later, it was installed on the first finished motorcycle during a test, not a single engine failure was reported. All test riders who have tried out the RC16 up to now are united: the engine is the biggest asset of the MotoGP KTM. R E A D Y F O R T H E D AY Soon after the start of the project it was made clear that KTM will not join forces with any existing team in the motorcycle world championship but will build up its own works team for racing. Pit Beirer and Mike Leitner gathered the test teams, which will then turn into the racing team as KTM enters the fray. “There’s no question that this motivates people more than developing a racing motorcycle and having to give it up the moment it’s shipped for racing,” said Beirer with confidence.

Together with Mike Leitner he chose a few testriders who made a name for themselves during other projects. At the beginning German Alex Hofmann, who had worked on Aprilia’s superbike world championship and MotoGP bikes before, did the first tests, followed by Mika Kallio. The Finn is known for his sensitivity and his former crew chief Antonio Jimenez once said about him: “Mika notices every single fly on the aerodynamic devices.” Later Randy de Puniet, who played an important role during the development of the Suzuki-MotoGP-bike, became involved, followed by the former MotoGP rider Karel Abraham and the Swiss Moto2 evergreen Thomas Lüthi. “We had test-riders with different driving styles and body structures, so we should be ready for all riders in the future,” Leitner says.

2016 in Valencia. The rider will be Mika Kallio, this being the climax of his development work.

THE LAST STEP The very next day after the Finn dismounts, the two pilots who will ride for KTM in next year’s world championship will take over: Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaró. In them Beirer found two young and hungry lions able to challenge the very best in the field in the longer run.

At the same moment Stefan Pierer clarifies: “KTM doesn’t only want to participate. My dream is to win in MotoGP and one day become a world champion.” And up to now every single one of his dreams at KTM has been fulfilled.

When the RC16 raced against the competitors for the first time during a test on the Red Bull Ring and clocked brilliant times, another spectacular announcement was made at the same time: premiere on world championship level will not be as originally announced at the opener of 2017 in Qatar, but rather at the world championship final

Pripravljeni na start Slogan podjetja KTM Ready to Race (Pripravljeni na dirko) se je čudovito uresničil ob največjem izzivu v zgodovini podjetja, ob vstopu v MotoGP: po poldrugem letu priprav so Avstrijci pripravljeni nastopiti v najvišjem motociklističnem razredu proti najboljšim na svetu. Zmagoviti tovarniški dirkači KTM so se nam vtisnili v spomin v oranžni in modri barvi.

Ko sta v vročem poletnem dnevu dva motocikla v tej barvni

kombinaciji zdrvela po ciljni ravnini dirkališča Red Bull Ring veliko hitreje kot njuni predhodniki, se je vendarle začelo novo štetje. Avstrijci so se odločili za tekmovanje v MotoGP in kako so pripravljeni osem mesecev pred napovedanim debutom na začetku svetovnega prvenstva v Katarju leta 2017, navijačem nazorno kažejo demonstracijski krogi testnih dirkačev Mike Kallia in Alexa Hofmanna na veliki nagradi Avstrije.

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INTERVIEW WITH KTM MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR PIT BEIRER

One can’t take a team of 40 rookies and a few new trucks full of equipment and go for a grand prix season. In this way the decision was absolutely right.

of experience in the division we haven’t entered yet, and this complements our know-how. Taking all of the above into account, it was a very easy decision.

Is KTM’s MotoGP project on time?

Yes, we are still within the timetable set quite some time ago. Nevertheless there is no reason for euphoria, because we are still trailing our opponents.

But this does not worry us. All our current problems can be solved and therefore I would say that we are exactly on time. We don’t have a major lead. Saying so would be outrageous in the tight time frame of this mega-project. But I think we have chosen the right people for the team and such a project lives or dies with the people and the involved human power. In this I feel we are very well situated. We have a very good team, they are very competent, they know what they do and so it works out as planned. We will be in Valencia according to plan and we will be very well prepared in Qatar as well.

How many of those forty people were recruited by you, how many by Mike Leitner?

I was the first to bring Mike Leitner to KTM. Since then he has been my adviser for all key positions.

Together we organised the project managers for the electronics, the chassis and the engine, and we have chosen them very carefully. Those were at liberty to hire the people they needed for their departments. I didn’t participate in every single interview. But the general framework was chosen by both of us and half of the applicants were checked by me personally.

What are KTM’s aims for the first MotoGP year?

Currently we’re not raising our heads too high, but try to get better in the technical work. But of course, we want to score points, and we want to finish the races. But we won’t specify a certain finishing position; we need to settle in first as a team. To achieve this, our riders should have at least as good a feeling as they had with their former bikes. For now this is the aim for the first third of the season. We hope to move towards the Top 10 after that.

When was it decided to race in Valencia with a wild card?

To be honest, for a long time I wanted to use time for development and wanted us to come out in Qatar.

But our CEO himself told us last fall that he would like to see this project with a wild card on a racetrack sometime in 2016. Saying this he raised the bar even higher for us and looking back we are happy about it. Because apart from the result, which is not so important actually, it is the absolute general rehearsal.

Stefan Pierer, CEO at KTM

Why did KTM choose to work with Akrapovic on the exhaust, although everything else was done in-house?

We have been working satisfactorily with Akrapovič for a very long time and have won all our championship titles with their help. Therefore there is a very close relationship between our development department and Akrapovič and many secrets have been shared. They get our engines – which nobody else does – very early on for work on the dynamometer. Over the years we have built an immense trust. It was obvious that, should we start this huge prestige project, we would only do it with such a well known partner. Additionally, Akrapovič has a lot

When will the RC16 be available for general sale?

Two things are clear already: The works-team will race throughout 2017, and in the year after also a KTM customer team might be added with another two riders. This is one of our aims for 2018. But this is not set in stone, it also depends on how well we do our job and if any team is interested in our bikes.

Wolfgang Felber is responsible for customer sport.

He is currently collecting information about tools and the costs of materials and he is arranging the project, finding out how quickly and for how much money we could produce a replica for sale. I don’t want to name a specific date, we are really trying hard for it to happen soon.

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Eskil Suter

EMOTIONAL PERCEPTION OF RIDING A TWO-WHEELED BEASTNo. 20 / 2016 Article from

text Miran Ališič

photography Bor Dobrin, Eskil Suter Archive

While I was looking him up on the internet, the most succinct

description

of

him I found was simply “a motorcycle rider and constructor”.

But

Eskil

Suter is obviously much more than that. I began to suspect that he really is something extra as soon as I began arranging the visit.

“No

problem,

come

on

Wednesday at 2 pm, as we agreed.

Unless we hear from each other again, it’s set,” was how to the point his assistant was when we agreed on the date of our visit in a 10-second conversation

that

took

place about a month before we spent an afternoon in Turbenthal. Yes, Turbenthal.

Doesn’t sound like it might have much to do with motorsports, does it. But it is not far from Hinwil, where Peter Sauber built his racing empire, which places us squarely in Switzerland. More precisely, in the middle of an idyllic countryside, an hour’s drive from Zürich, deep in the German part of Switzerland. To be honest, without being told how to get here and given the exact address, we would certainly not have been looking for a motorsport factory here. The company is 20 years old, the current factory a few years younger. The Suter company thus succeeds in breaking the stereotype that there are only lakes, mountains, clocks, cows, chocolate and cheese in Switzerland, even though Eskil Suter loves to live exactly like most of his countrymen.

In a wooden house at the edge of a forest, accompanied by a dog and unusual hobbies.

“It would be wrong to think that we are surrounded by a technological wasteland. There are numerous hightech companies in the region, without which we could not have succeeded,” Suter praised the area where he develops motorcycles and many other things. “To guarantee the growth and quality of a company like ours, it is essential to have excellent suppliers nearby.”

So what exactly does Suter Racing Technology (SRT) do? It designed a Petronas motorbike for superbike, prepared and managed a Kawasaki for MotoGP between 2004 and 2006, a bit later collaborated with Mario Illien, another Swiss national and the designer of Mercedes engines for Formula 1, then started the Ilmor X3 project, which was followed by a prototype for BMW as it eyed entering the MotoGP. They also raked up numerous successes in Moto2. They won the

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So what lies ahead? After a lengthy pause Eskil Suter, who found more success in design than racing, replied philosophically: “The future is connected with an emotional perception of riding a two-wheeled beast.”

championship in 2012 with the current top MotoGP star Marc Marquez handling the throttle of an Akrapovič-equipped bike. “We won a total of 32 times in five years in Moto2,” said Suter and immediately moved on to MotoGP. “We thought that BMW would enter the premiere class, we were their partner, but they decided otherwise. You need a lot of money for MotoGP and we cannot finance an assault on the premiere class alone,” his Swiss rationality poured out of him as we drove to his lodge, a half an hour’s drive away. It is the place he goes to for inspiration. I got the feeling that MotoGP was a finished chapter for him.

So what lies ahead? After a lengthy pause Eskil Suter, who found more success in design than racing, replied philosophically: “The future is connected with an emotional perception of riding a two-wheeled

beast.” In his racing career, Suter finished second in Daytona on a 250 cc bike, came in 13th in two world cup seasons of 250 cc class, and scored no points in the 1997 superbike. “It made sense for me to throw my lot in with the constructors. Technology, especially airplanes, have fascinated me since I was little.” There are numerous plane engines in the factory’s lobby, but he “never had enough time to finish a pilot course”.

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As we stroll through the factory downstairs, I spot a fascinating bike near one of the exits. The MMX 500. “Now that’s a beast. Two-stroke engine, 195 HP, 310 km/h... The ratio between weight and power is fantastic. But I’m even more thrilled with the exhaust.”

And off he went, pushing the bike to the parking lot and started warming it up. Then he sat on it and took a few turns on the streets near the factory. Without a helmet. “Hmm… I’m not sure whether Akrapovič will want to print that,” I smiled, requesting another lap, this time with a helmet, please? The response was a thundering laugh by Suter. “If you want to seriously talk motorcycle exhausts, there’s only one place to go. If you want the best, you must go to Igor.” He remembered working with Akrapovič with a smile: “We needed an exhaust for an off-road bike. It was

around the year 2000. We barely convinced Igor to take up the challenge. Well, in the end Akrapovič made an excellent, a fantastic product. And the same goes for the two-stroke bike. Another first and together again.”

This brought him back to his own beginnings. “There were three of us at the beginning. But we grew quickly and the company alongside us. Perhaps I made a mistake by not focusing enough. I wanted to create an entire bike. I’m not sure if I would have made the same decision today. It’s better to be more specialised.” Eskil Suter was enchanted by motorbikes already as a child.

His father owned one and he took it to races and meetings, while brother David Suter began competing in motocross. “I was able to ride a bike when I was seven, but didn’t inherit a lot of money from my

parents. I got a workshop instead. To earn money for my first bike, I worked as a waiter and did other things in a hotel, I washed a lot of dishes.” Eskil started to modify scooters and mopeds in that same workshop aged 14, and business boomed. Also due to his skills.

He began by tuning engines. And made money. He studied the relevant legislation and after the police confiscated these tuned bikes from the youngsters, they had to be made street legal again. So he made more money. That is how he and his brother paid for their racing careers. “My life unfolded in accordance with the learning by doing system.”

But luck also favours the brave. “We did nothing else but work at the beginning, we thought of nothing else.

Later we did come around to insuring the building, the company, the machinery. We signed the insurance

contract and only about 12 hours later, as we were making a magnesium part, there was an explosion and the damage exceeded a million franks. If we hadn’t been insured then, you would not see all this here today.”

So where is SRT today? It employs about 40 people and “there are always many young and motivated workers around, we have no problems getting them.

If you work in motorsport, there’s never any lack of motivation. This is our advantage.” Apart from everything already mentioned, SRT also manufactures clutches for Moto3, has a motorbike assembly plant, designs and manufactures three-valve jet ski engines, produces generators for a German partner which manufactures air defence systems, and has recently opened an office in Berlin. “Switzerland is

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So where is SRT today?

It employs about 40 people and “there are always many young and motivated workers around, we have no problems getting them. If you work in motorsport, there’s never any lack of motivation. This is our advantage.”

too expensive for many things, so we need to look at cheaper but still technologically superb markets, such as Germany.” The company owns four motorcycle testbeds and is a force to be reckoned with in developing software for racing bike chassis.

Eskil loves seclusion. He built the house where he spends most of his time on a high-lying meadow by a forest. It is located almost 1000 metres above sea level just below Schnebelhorn (1290 m), the tallest mountain in the Zürich canton. But he also owns a flat next to the factory for the times when he’s swamped with work or snowed in. He loves to go hunting and collects pistols as a hobby. He owns more than 50 of them. He takes out a Walther, fires a few rounds towards the nearby trees and puts it back in

the drawer, while being lovingly watched by Max, his canine companion. He has been coming here to nature and solitude for ideas and inspiration for a long time.

“I want to start my own product. I want to make my own Suter roadbike. I want to win recognition for my brand. To produce niche products that currently do not exist. The MMX 500 is a case in point, it’s an exclusive motorbike that there is a large enough market for around the world. We hope that we will cooperate even more closely with Akrapovič on this.” At the end of our talk in the fresh air flanked by Swiss forests, Eskil again turns to Igor. “We also built exhausts for two-stroke engines.

But then it ended. The market only wanted exhausts for four-stroke ones. And if you want the best, there is only one place in the world to turn to for those. Igor in Ivančna Gorica.”

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THE SUZUKI – AKRAPOVIČ LINK 138

139

BRIVIO: WE WERE No. 18 / 2015 LOOKING FOR A RELIABLE PARTNER Article from

by Gaber Keržišnik

photography Marc Robinot, Primož Korošec, Suzuki Racing

“WE WERE LOOKING FOR A RELIABLE PARTNER,” DAVIDE BRIVIO TOLD ME. BRIVIO IS AN EXPERIENCED RACING TEAM MANAGER WHO’S LEADING THE SUZUKI TEAM IN MOTOGP THIS YEAR.

THE SURPRISE OF THIS YEAR’S MOTOGP SEASON

Suzuki’s performance in this year’s MotoGP competition certainly came as a pleasant surprise since nobody expected that the brand from Hamamatsu with its young riders Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales would be so successful and competitive in its first season. But there’s more.

Maverick Viñales won the prestigious “Rookie of the Year” award even before the end of the racing season.

“Suzuki already cooperated with Akrapovič years ago when the Japanese brand used the GSV-R

HE SPOKE TO ME AFTER THE JAPANESE MOTORBIKE MANUFACTURER’S DECISION TO RETURN TO THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS CLASS OF RACING ON TWO WHEELS.

racing bike, ridden in its last season by Alvaro Bautista. The exhausts created in Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia, have proven their high quality. Cooperation between Suzuki and Akrapovič was carried out at the highest possible level even then. Akrapovič is the leading brand in motorcycle exhaust systems and I think there is not a team today that wouldn’t want to cooperate with a brand so renowned for its excellence in development and products that offer ‘top performance.’”

Asked why Team SUZUKI ECSTAR only made their cooperation with Akrapovič public in the middle of the racing season, Davide Brivio responded, “We’ve been in contact with the Akrapovič Racing R&D department for a lot longer. We’ve been

talking about cooperation ever since the end of 2014. At first, we planned to start using their services only in the 2016 season, because we thought of 2015 as a testing season for our completely new motorbike. We knew that Akrapovič would be extremely busy and that the racing season had already started, but we were also aware that numerous adjustments would have to be made to our motorbike and the engine throughout the year and that the first year of a comeback would be extremely challenging for us. Because we were basically developing the engine, we didn’t even have a model to give to outside partners to develop various component parts. Of course we had our own exhaust, because you simply can’t develop a motorbike or

make a prototype without it. That’s why we decided at the start of this year’s season to use our in-house development exhaust.

But once the racing season started, we were actually a bit surprised at how much closer to the competition we were than expected. Since it quickly became obvious that we do not need a lot to catch up with the leading teams and riders, we decided to speed up our development process and began to use several new items on our motorbike in the summer part of the season. One of those was, to our great pleasure, an Akrapovič exhaust, which provided some more power and reduced the weight of the motorbike. We were extremely pleased with the results after preliminary testing.”

Davide Brivio

Alojz “Slavko” Trstenjak

“There is not a team today that wouldn’t want to cooperate with a brand so renowned for its excellence in development and products that offer ‘top performance.’”

Davide Brivio, Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Team Manager

OUTSTANDING KNOW-HOW AND EXPERIENCE

In the meantime, Alojz “Slavko” Trstenjak, the Head of Racing R&D at Akrapovič, was sitting at the other side of the table. “Suzuki’s new motorbike has proven itself to be extremely agile and was an excellent starting point for a MotoGP bike,” he says. “Apart from a few other details it mainly lacked some top speed and engine power, so Suzuki turned to us a little bit earlier than expected and started using our exhausts sooner than planned. What probably tipped the scales in our favour was the fact that our company not only delivers exhaust systems but also uses its

know-how, technology and experience to help MotoGP racing teams in their motorbike development.”

Davide Brivio adds: “We always learn something new from Akrapovič.

They have outstanding know-how and tons of experience. Right now, we’re primarily looking for more power from the engine, but an exhaust system is naturally also judged by its power delivery curve and, obviously, weight. It need not be said that material durability also plays an extremely important role and we know that Akrapovič only uses the best materials made especially for them.”

Suzuki made its own exhaust in their development department in Japan and this was used by Akrapovič as a starting point for comparison

testing. Akrapovič then made several changes and created an improved version of the original exhaust. After being notified about that, Team SUZUKI ECSTAR decided to test its motorbike and exhaust on the dyno of Akrapovič’s Racing R&D department.

ALREADY FOCUSSING ON 2016

“After reaching an agreement for testing, we were visited by a team of Japanese engineers. These included Suzuki’s leading MotoGP technicians and project leaders as well as their electronics specialists. We planned our schedule together and successfully carried it out. I must commend the

quality of Suzuki’s efforts, as its motorbike is extremely pleasing to the eye and well-made and even in its smallest details does not fall behind to any of the well established MotoGP factory bikes. In cooperation with Suzuki, we have already thought of several new solutions for its 2016 model, of course taking into account the changes and additions that Suzuki plans for the engine,” added Trstenjak, while I began wondering how difficult it must be to reach an agreement with such an established and renowned brand as Suzuki.

“I think that we were aided a lot by the fact that we are a high-tech and advanced company, specialised in manufacturing motorbike exhausts from titanium and that we possess a

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lot of knowledge and machinery that our competition simply does not have.

You see, only the best is good enough for MotoGP. I also think that our responsiveness is an advantage and I must say that Suzuki was extremely pleased with our cooperation. It took four or five days of testing their bike in our development department for the work to bear fruit. It only took a month to prepare numerous different exhaust configurations according to their wishes. I’d like to mention in passing that both companies were very pleased to have arrived at widely converging results and findings of

testing both at our facility and at their racing department in Japan, using their own equipment,” adds Trstenjak.

So what is the priority in developing a MotoGP racing bike exhaust? Slavko: “Well, it goes without saying that the exhaust must be reliable and made well enough so as not to break down on the track. That’s obvious and is not even discussed with our partners.

Weight also plays an important role in racing, and in Suzuki’s case we also sought to find some extra power in the high revs. But one must know that MotoGP racing bikes are already so well perfected and polished that

it is often quite difficult to create a revolution or even find a detail that hasn’t already been exploited.” My interlocutor pauses for breath, remains silent for a while and then flashes a mysterious smile while adding, “For every motorbike, regardless of its origins, brand or level of perfection, we’ve managed to utilise our knowhow and expertise to squeeze a few more kilowatts from it.”

“Only the best is good enough for MotoGP. I think that our responsiveness is also an advantage as I must say that Suzuki was extremely pleased with our cooperation.”

Alojz “Slavko” Trstenjak, Head of Racing R&D at Akrapovič

“Our company not only delivers exhaust systems but also uses its know-how, technology and experience to help MotoGP racing teams in their motorbike development.”

Alojz “Slavko” Trstenjak, Head of Racing R&D at Akrapovič

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Suzuki in Akrapovič “Iskali smo zanesljivega partneja,” mi je v najinem pogovoru dejal Davide Brivio, izkušeni dirkaški tim menedžer. V letošnji sezoni je vodja Suzukijevega moštva v razredu MotoGP, potem ko se je ta japonski motociklistični proizvajalec odločil, da se vrne v dirkaški svet najbolj elitnega tekmovanja na dveh kolesih.

Izpušne sisteme Suzukiju spet dobavlja podjetje Akrapovič.

Alojz “Slavko” Trstenjak, vodja dirkaškega razvoja v podjetju Akrapovič, je sodelovanje opisal takole: “Pri Suzukiju se je

izkazalo, da je njihov novi motor izredno dobro vozen in da je odlična osnova za dirkalnik razreda MotoGP. Poleg nekaterih malenkosti jim je nazačetku tekmovalne sezone manjkalo predvsem nekaj končne hitrosti in motorne moči, zato so se nekoli bolj zgodaj obrnili na nas. Verjetno pa je jeziček na tehtnici našega sodelovanja pretehtalo dejstvo, da naše podjetje ni samo dobavitelj izpušnih sistemov, temveč s svojim znanjem, tehnologijo in izkušnjami pomaga dirkaškim moštvom razreda MotoGP pri razvoju njihovega motocikla.”

Technology

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EVERY EXHAUST NEEDS ITS OWN SOUND Article from

No. 24 / 2018

Developing the Evolution Line (Titanium) exhaust for BMW M5 with Marco Wittmann

by Primož Jurman photography Uroš Podlogar, Akrapovič

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How can a successful racing driver take part in exhaust system development? Can he perhaps give it a personal note? BMW racing driver Marco Wittmann has already won the DTM series twice, so it was only logical that Akrapovič invited him to help design an exhaust system for the sixth generation BMW M5 (F90), which hit the market in 2017. Working together with the famous driver and Akrapovič Brand Ambassador who also came to test the product, the Ivančna Gorica-based company used all of its technical know-how, experience and processes in its development. We were there to witness it.

Regarding sound, Akrapovič engineers focused on finding a note that would differ from the serial exhaust. The team wanted to transfer as much high-quality sound as possible into the cabin, which is well insulated in the M5, and achieve good alignment of the exhaust sound with the sound generator, which works through the car’s Hi-Fi speakers.

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Marco Wittmann first told us about his role in developing the aftermarket Akrapovič exhaust for the model: “I got the opportunity to take part in the final phase of the development of the BMW M5 exhaust by testing a car fitted with the prototype product. I had a few goals in mind, which were set in cooperation with Akrapovič engineers. I tested the exhaust at low and high revs before sitting down with the boys to check if all was as it should be. The sound, the performance and everything else actually exceeded my expectations. The sound is amazing; it does not have the sharp tone of a competition exhaust, it’s just right for this kind of car but still quite sporty at higher revs.”

Wittmann, the two-time DTM series champion with the BMW M4 DTM, which is fitted with an Akrapovič exhaust, has a wealth of technical expertise.

“I associate the sound of Akrapovič exhausts with emotions. They always paint a large grin on my face, both on the track and also during everyday life. The sound of the racing exhaust is very direct, but I just love it when racing. I also believe that race fans love it, too, and associate competitions with this pure racing sound. Putting it plainly, competitive racing is associated with a specific soundscape and it is the sound that gives the spectators goose bumps.

Our BMW M4s in the DTM series, equipped with Akrapovič exhaust systems, really do play a lovely tune. Cars for everyday use, including the BMW M5, are a different category and they entail certain compromises. Of course I like a great sounding car, but one must not forget that it will be used daily in all types of situations. Just look at the range of BMWs; M4, M5 and M6! All of them can be fitted

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with Akrapovič exhaust systems, but they also have their own and unique sounds, which depend on their use. Let’s take the BMW M4 – it happens that I use a BMW M4 DTM Champion Edition for driving on normal roads – it has a bit more sporty sound, while the other two are more tailored to daily commutes.

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BMW M5 is considered to be a more moderate and more refined sports limo, but its BMW genes, as befits the company’s tradition, give it a certain degree of sportiness. Its buyers use it for business trips, meetings, perhaps family outings, but also love to take it for a more sporty lap or two during their free weekends. This, alongside its visibility and differentiation from the serial exhaust system, formed the starting points when designing the Akrapovič exhaust for the model.”

IN SEARCH OF THAT RECOGNISABLE AKRAPOVIČ SOUND Regarding sound, Akrapovič engineers – project leader Anton Šifrar, Simon Vipavec, Matej Bulc and their colleagues – focused on finding a note that would differ from the serial exhaust. The team wanted to transfer as much high-quality sound as possible into the cabin, which is well insulated in the M5, and achieve good alignment of the exhaust sound with the sound generator, which works

through the car’s Hi-Fi speakers. One of the fundamental preconditions was also getting ECE type approval. In line with the targeted customer profile in this particular market segment, another goal during the design was to achieve certain sound characteristics,

sound and the performance – also throughout

as objectively measurable by devices that

the entire rev range.

record and analyse the exhaust’s frequencies.

We must also mention the technological

This was followed by sound engineers, who

process and technologies, which are imperative

analysed the recorded sounds while focusing

in determining the development and achieving

on frequency analysis and presentation in

the set goals. The use of highest quality

tailored 3D graphs. Akrapovič engineers

materials is of course a given, with titanium

moreover paid attention to the subjective

taking centre stage as the material on which

analysis of the sound. The final product’s tone

Akrapovič built its renown as a leader in

was determined by a combination of objective

technological development. Titanium was also

measurement and subjective yet coordinated

used in the creation of the entire M5’s exhaust,

opinions of the team. Alongside all of the above

including the complex parts which were cast

the engineers naturally wanted to avoid any

in the company’s own titanium foundry. These

other unpleasant accompanying sounds and

include the X connection, the collectors and the

noises – in short, they wanted to create the

housings for both valves. Making the casts from

best possible sound. This was underscored

titanium was not a random decision, however.

by the fact that the era of the V8 is probably

The mechanical characteristics of this metal

coming to a close, making the sound of these

make sure that they play an important role in the

machines even more important.

sound quality and the tune of the exhaust.

Apart from using the highest-quality lightweight

SOUND AND PERFORMANCE – HAND IN HAND

materials in the development of the BMW M5 exhaust system, the team also made use of Akrapovič’s laboratory, which carried out a number of analyses, investigations

While motorsport is dominated by grams,

and comparisons. These were important for

millimetres, performance and the search for

commencing with individual stages of the

that “something extra” that could give racing

development process, a meticulously planned

drivers the edge over their competition, a car

sequence. The result of this kind of approach is

for daily use is a method of transportation,

an exhaust system, which is very different and

where other priorities apply. In the case of the

highly recognisable, a characteristic that also

BMW M5 it was thus important to create a

impressed Marco Wittmann. “Without the use

recognisable sound. Moreover, every selected

of modern technological processes and state-

predefined drive mode needed a suitable

of-the-art technology, the type of development

balance between sounding refined and sporty.

as used by Akrapovič is not possible today. This

While chasing the appropriate melody, the

was also the case during the creation of the

Ivančna Gorica engineers did not forget about

BMW M5 exhaust system as the entire process

performance, where the main aim was to

included numerous hours of testing on the road

reduce backpressure throughout the entire

and in the lab, also utilising microphones and

rev range and for all the modes. Akrapovič

other assorted technology. Real development

also developed a special electronics kit for

requires a lot of know-how and experience,

the BMW M5 exhaust system, which makes

and I can tell you that the guys at Akrapovič

sure that the valves on the exhaust work in

have both. When I visited Ivančna Gorica for

such a manner as to harmonise both the

the first time, I was thrilled by how they can control, weld and bend titanium. Akrapovič

“I tested the exhaust at low and high revs

is the best in the world. If you look at any of

before sitting down with the boys to check

compare it to a work of art. The exhaust for

if all was as it should be. The sound, the

their products, any exhaust system, you can the BMW M5 is no different!”

performance, and everything else actually exceeded my expectations. The sound is amazing; it‘s just right for this type of vehicle but still quite sporty at higher revs.”

Marco Wittmann

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Te chnology

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Stor y

Sabrina the Robot

TIN LIZZIE

Article from

by Gaber Keržišnik

No. 25 / 2019

photography Bor Dobrin

A likeable young lady came in for a job interview at Akrapovič some time ago. The first-ever robot employed by Akrapovič applied for the job of a test rider on the company’s new durability dyno and the quiet Sabrina was immediately accepted by her coworkers. We managed to obtain the transcript of Sabrina’s job interview.

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AKRAPOVIČ’S HIGH-TECH DURABILITY DYNO Akrapovič has expanded its already extensive range of stateof-the-art machines and testing facilities by adding a high-tech feature in the form of a durability dyno. Designed for mileage accumulation under special programmes, this equipment provides improved testing services for advanced exhaust system development. Sabrina is a part of the durability dyno.

Your name?

eight days. I diligently open the throttle, squeeze

rhythm according to a software preset. I can

My creators at first thought of calling me

the clutch and change gears. I can manage

adjust extremely quickly. I am very good at

Valentina, because I’m good at handling

everything except the brakes, but they don’t really

simulating how a bike rides in traffic. I memorise

motorbikes, but they later decided to name me

matter, since I’ll never take to the road.

and record all relevant data, such as engine

Sabrina instead. And I like this name better too.

Weight?

50 kilograms.

What’s your favourite work mode?

Pneumatic!

function, water and oil temperature, oil pressure, exhaust temperature and any other necessary things. I save all the data in my electronic brain and never forget anything.

Place of birth?

What kind of a working environment are you expecting?

I’m not quite sure myself, being a robot. My father

Ventilated in the summer and heated in the

How do you record stuff in your brain when you do not have a head?

and mother are Apicom from Italy and Akrapovič

winter. I want the heat from the exhaust and

I actually don’t need one. All my brains are

from Slovenia, which designed my right hand,

the motorbike to circulate and thereby warm

saved in the electronic circuits in my body.

which I use as the throttle handle. I came to be

up my place of work in an environmentally

I communicate well with the computers that

through the cooperation of those two companies,

friendly fashion. I also want suitable ventilation.

manage the dyno.

which both contributed their knowhow,

I feel good when the speed of the fan and

experience and components.

the air precisely simulate the speed that the

Do you have any unique habits?

motorcycle I’m testing on the durability dyno is

Hmmm… let me think. My male co-workers have

Do you have any brothers or sisters?

travelling at. I will produce optimal results under

been known to say that I’m the only woman who

Not yet. I am currently the only such robot in the

such conditions.

always does what she’s told. Without objecting.

Your working habits?

When can you start?

I accelerate well. I shift between all the gears

Immediately!

world. And a female one to boot.

What is your main skill?

Bike riding. I can ride all day and all night, without

from the third up. I can easily reach 250

breaks. I’m so excited about what I do that I don’t

km/h. I then maintain that speed for some

Excellent. It’s a deal. Congratulations, Miss

need to rest. I can do 10,000 test kilometres like

five minutes. Then I downshift until I hit third

Sabrina. You are employed full-time. You can

nobody’s business – it only takes me some six to

again. And accelerate again. I maintain my

start work immediately.

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AKRAPOVIČ / 30 YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT

INSPIRATION CAME FROM THE EAST Numerous employees left their mark on Akrapovič in the company’s 30 years of existence with each and every one of them contributing their share to its development and growth. The stories of these individuals contain enough innovation, ideas, boldness, passion, and other emotions and values to fill this entire special issue. But when it comes to developing the idea and the company itself, two fitting interlocutors, in addition to Igor Akrapovič, are Alojz Trstenjak, an enthusiastic lover of motorcycles from the times when Igor Akrapovič forged his ideas in a small workshop, and who became the company’s fifth employee, and Akrapovič CEO Uroš Rosa. Uroš joined the team during interesting times when the Slovenian exhaust specialist introduced numerous new activities and established the Akrapovič brand in the world of cars as well. The time when Uroš became part of Akrapovič also coincided with the global financial crisis in 2008. But before talking to them about the milestones, achievements and challenges of a company that strives to create the best products in the world, let us first go over some of Akrapovič’s main turning points in technology and sports.

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by Primož Jurman photography Bor Dobrin, Blaž Zupančič, Branko Cvetkovič, Dragan Arrigler, Uroš Podlogar

The first breakthrough came just two years after the company was founded, when the Slovenians made their debut in the Pro Superbike racing series, followed a few years later by entering WorldSBK. In the second half of the 1990s, the small number of employees, led by Igor, already began considering precious metals and using carbon fibre and titanium for the exhaust systems, initially for sports motorcycles made by Kawasaki and Yamaha, later for other brands as well. Even before the turn of the millennium, they purchased a tube-making machine and began manufacturing their own titanium tubes. In 2000 Colin Edwards (Honda) became the first world champion with an Akrapovič exhaust. Two years later, Akrapovič began equipping motorcycles in the elite MotoGP series, which was followed in the mid noughties by the appearance of the legendary hexagonal exhaust, by which time the Ivančna Gorica factory already employed hydroforming in its manufacture of exhaust systems.

Having thus established themselves in the motorcycle world, the company set its eyes on cars. Winning the 24 Hours of Nürburgring endurance race in 2008 with Manthey-Racing opened the door to the unpredictable world of car racing. Its Evolution Line (Titanium) exhaust system for the Mercedes-AMG S 63 Coupé, was an ultralight exhaust system that weighed in at 47 percent less than the standard exhaust, while its built-in X-connection allowed choosing between different sound profiles of the 8-cyllinder engine.

// SLAVKO ALOJZ TRSTENJAK Befitting his role in the company, the path to Alojz Trstenjak’s office leads past a large collection of engines with Akrapovič exhaust systems and numerous racing motorcycles. Slavko, as he is known to friends, acquaintances and colleagues, is the leader of a team that works with numerous motorcycle teams competing in races, mainly world championship ones. Hailing from the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, Slavko still likes to use up his free weekends – a regrettably small number due to his frequent appearances at races – to drive around in his van and ride on one of his motorcycles. Since he was one of the company’s first employees, we begin by asking him to show us an old photo or two, which quickly starts the trip down memory lane. “In the beginning we were a small team of wellmatched guys, there were no experts for specific fields, our tasks and duties overlapped.” Together with Igor, there were six people on the team – three welders, a metalworker and an assistant who took care of everything else, from preparing the material to cleaning.

This was a garage workshop with ambitious plans. “We decided to start constructing exhaust systems from stainless steel while everybody else was still using iron. We used customised tools and machines, we had very few purpose-built ones. The first tube bending machine was made in Ljubljana according to Igor’s wishes and we used it for the first five years. We switched to larger tube diameters later on and as the original machine became insufficient, we replaced it in 1994 with the first custom-built one, made in Italy, with which we were able to bend larger-diameter tubes.

Equipment was what determined the manufacture of our exhaust systems at the beginning. However, almost nobody knows that Igor bent all the tubes for the manufactured exhausts during our first ten years – this is a job that requires a lot of focus, and Igor usually did it in the afternoon when he was not bothered by

random visitors or other busybodies who frequently peeked into the shop from the pub next door.”

// Important investments Slavko adds that they were determined and committed in both thinking up and realising their ideas, allocating most of their earnings to development and sometimes even for risky equipment procurement. “Later this turned out to be our key advantage.” The Head of Racing R&D at Akrapovič adds that these investments were important in terms of technological progress and independence.

“In 1995 we started using a new material – titanium. I still remember how much we admired a seamless titanium tube that was brought to us by chance by a racer from Eastern Europe. This was a time when titanium was widely used by the Russian military industry, and we were amazed at how light, thin and seamless that tube was. It also delivered a clear message to the entire team – our goal became to switch to titanium exhaust systems.”

They wasted no time in sourcing out suppliers, but also realised that they were quite limited by the dimensions and composition of available material, so they decided in 1999 to buy a machine for making their own tubes. It was a bold and risky move. The machine was 35 metres long, though Igor’s main concern was delivery time. “Soon afterwards, in 2002, we received a series of new CNC bending machines which were also suitable for bending tubes of significantly larger diameters than we were able to do until then.

Before we were limited to diameters of up to 60 mm, but the new machines allowed us to work on tubes with a diameter of up to 105 mm, more than enough for the car exhaust systems that came later. Igor’s philosophy was that Akrapovič must remain completely independent in the manufacture of all its products. So we got to the point where we made everything for exhaust systems by ourselves, except the stickers and springs.”

152 // Exhaust systems for Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Aprilia Racing is part of the company’s DNA, emphasises Slavko, as it is also the background of company founder Igor Akrapovič. “Our beginnings are linked to the TT Championship, which took place at Grobnik and some other tracks near Slovenia. The Alpe-Adria Championship was going strong then and, alongside Slovenians, featured riders from neighbouring countries. Exclusively due to the quality of our products and the option for further development and testing on a dynamometer, a rare piece of equipment in those days, we got noticed by the popular German Pro Superbike Championship. We even had a monopoly there at the end of 1994, as we supplied our exhaust systems to all top-level teams. The logical consequence was that we came to the attention of several factory teams as these championships were their training grounds for the development of new motorcycles and ideas.”

It thus came as no surprise that Akrapovič began developing exhaust systems for Japan’s Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Italy’s Aprilia works teams already in 1998. This was an extremely important recognition for all employees. “We fitted very advanced solutions on some exhausts, while our mastery in handling titanium and a thorough understanding of how four-stroke racing engines work also played an important role. We first used aluminium for the muffler outer sleeves, but we quickly moved on to carbon fibre. But, same as with titanium, we were unhappy with what was available on the market, so we put a lot of effort into testing and tinkering, with the final result being materials significantly more resistant to

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150 / 155 30 Years

high temperatures than those used by our competitors. Many of the companies we worked with wanted us as development partners, and some of our components were even used in the space industry.”

// Scanning technology “During the first years, the company’s product range was relatively modest, though it did include all the sports models then in vogue such as Ducatis 851 and 888, Honda VFR750R, Kawasaki Ninja ZX7R, Suzuki GSX-R and the highly popular Honda CBR600, the bike to beat in the up to 600 cc category. Initially, all our systems were open and suitable for racing, but that began to change, as market demands in the following years dictated that exhaust systems have to be type-approved in order to be allowed on the roads.” The typeapproval process was still quite demanding at that time as Akrapovič had to take each system to Munich, quite a complicated task for a company from Slovenia with all the border controls, procedures and administrative red tape still firmly in place.

Slavko reminded us of another milestone while chatting in his office - a scanning technology that was introduced in the company in 2002 and significantly altered the process of exhaust system development.

But these are not the only differences in the design of today’s exhaust systems compared to the exhausts that buyers were able to get their hands on 20 or 30 years ago. “For the first six or seven years, we used a motorcycle for exhaust system development and selected the optimal configuration based on the results obtained through testing. In 1998, we developed an exhaust system for Honda and had to do it for the first time without having access to a motorcycle for testing and solely on the basis of schematics, delivered on sheets of paper, using advanced and pioneering procedures. Honda was an excellent lesson and it bore fruit very soon, when we produced an exhaust system for a Formula 1 race car in 2003 and 2004 and where all design and development took place exclusively through the use of blueprints.

It was a time of radical changes in design and development as the world experienced rapid digitalisation. Ten years earlier, all designs were still technical drawings made with mechanical pencils, rulers and all the rest. When all this was replaced by computers, the profession of an engineer also changed and subsumed that of a draftsman. Suddenly it was possible to save, change, delete the designs or simply start with a blank slate every time. “If I compare today’s technology with that of thirty years ago, I see a huge difference. We are now developing many exhausts based on computer models. After determining the space available on the motorcycle, we use a computer to define an exhaust system configuration based on experience or suggestions, create templates, followed by the exhaust. We don’t need the motorcycle anymore during this phase of development.”

// Central role of the human factor Slavko, though, is quick to comfort us by stating that using real motorcycles in development is still very much in demand as well as a necessity when working with racing teams, where the decisive role is played by human beings, as computers in this line of work are not yet capable of independent creativity. “Human ideas are the most important when we’re looking for breadth and thinking outside of the box and the result is always better than it would have been if we used a computer. In addition, the shape and design of the exhaust are also important. Until a few years ago, we didn’t have a special

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exhaust designer. We came up with the shape ourselves as a byproduct of our work and, looking back, we were not hurting for good ideas there either and were actually quite successful in determining how exhaust systems should look.”

Since Akrapovič is equipping most teams in various motorcycle racing championships, things can get quite demanding. Firstly because of the amount of work with different teams and even more so because of the constant competition between them. Slavko, though, is unfazed and has an answer ready for that conundrum as well. “Our presence in racing has expanded alongside the growth of the company after 2000. We were never associated with a single team. True, it’s not easy to work with many different teams at the highest level of racing, but there is one solution. We must provide everyone with the best possible support and top-quality products at all times. As the company grew, we came to the conclusion that each partner needed its own caretaker.”

“I still get on a motorcycle and try it out. This motivates me in my daily work. I’m mainly interested in responsiveness, power delivery and, of course, sound. I’ve trained my ears very well in all these years, I hear a lot of things that a normal ear wouldn’t pick up. People with heightened senses experience the world around them differently.”

The last decade has seen major changes in racing exhaust systems, especially in MotoGP and WorldSBK. “Now we have shifted to active exhausts, which do not solely serve to remove hot gases from the combustion chamber, but generally optimise the working of the engine and consequently affect the motorcycle’s character.

Also increasingly demanding is the correct placement of the exhaust on the motorcycle, mainly due to its compact design, centralised weight and increasing tube diameters. Active exhausts, with additional exhaust flaps/valves, generate significantly higher pressures and temperatures in the system, which brings with it another set of challenges…”

// ENTHUSIASM HAS NOT FADED Our perusal of photos and memories is coming to an end and I

// Uroš Rosa

see that Slavko, even after thirty years of work, still remains as

The office of Akrapovič CEO Uroš Rosa differs from the one inhabited

enthusiastic as he was when he started. But before we finish, the

by Slavko. His walls feature art, recognitions, several key exhaust

Akrapovič stalwart had one more thing to say. “I am proud that we

systems, models of cars and motorcycles, and a plethora of business

have managed to turn a small local workshop into a world leader for

and professional magazines and newspapers rests on his desk. He

state-of-the-art exhaust systems, and we are even more proud that

sits behind two computers and, instead of old photos, we start our

we, Slovenians, have done this locally.” Could this pride stem from

conversation by examining the car models, which provide a clue

the fact that the company successfully sources its labour at home, in

as to why the company has expanded to four wheels. “We wanted

the vicinity of Ljubljana and Ivančna Gorica? “Correct, most of our

a greater diversity. The first car product, if I may call it that, was

employees are local youths, despite Slovenia’s lack of concern for

the exhaust system for the 2003 Honda BTCC team, made from

the development of technical culture. We are also thrilled here at

stainless steel. Soon after, Porsche came calling, interested in fitting

Racing R&D to be able to work with riders, teams and the successors

a titanium exhaust system in their 911 GT2. This was an invaluable

of those whom we once idolised on television and in magazines.

experience. We went on to produce many aftermarket exhausts

These people have shaped racing history, and now we can talk to

for different versions of Porsche models as well as successfully

them on an equal footing. The work that we do also helps them to

introduced exhausts for the BMW M3 and M6.” The world of cars

achieve top results and I can say that during the past 30 years I can’t

is completely different, so the company’s wealth of motorcycle

think of any motorcycle manufacturer who has not come calling... It

experience did not really apply. Uroš believes that “the design and

is also important that our employees believe in our story. We are not

size of a car’s exhaust system alone as well as its mounting have

even aware yet of the successes and the many world champion titles

little in common with motorcycle exhausts. Such exhausts respond

that we have helped to create…”

completely differently than motorcycle ones. The sound of a car

150 / 155 30 Years

motorsport. “Visibility through top motorsport series and best brands was important, of course, but also important was the experience of the customers who bought our products for their sports and racing cars.”

Uroš has been with the company for over a dozen years and has thus also seen a fair amount of change. “In the beginning, two of us managed car projects. When I joined up, I became the second project leader for cars and we only had one design engineer. We were able to develop one system a month, meaning ten to twelve aftermarket systems for different cars per year. Back then we worked a lot more according to feeling, but now, backed by years of experience, we decide on the basis of measurements, now less physical and more digital, though the final sound is still approved by humans,” says the company’s top executive who continues testing prototypes from time to time.

Moreover, the first car exhaust systems were simpler, “but now they include absorption-reflective solutions, the valves have become very complex and we manage electronic inputs of these valves through our applications. We want to remain modest, but I can safely say that we are a hit on four wheels as well. Our hexagonal shape is the most copied muffler design in the world of motorcycles, while for cars it’s the carbon fibre tailpipes we introduced in 2010. No one has done this before us and even now they still all look like the ones we designed back then.

Moreover, before we arrived on the scene, nobody was making serial exhaust system tailpipes from Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC), because the technology was considered too exotic and meant for use mostly in space technology.”

Buyers of exhaust systems different greatly from reach other, but are in some ways also similar. They all love to own something special, built from quality materials and with an excellent design, shape and sound. They want to be different from others, love prestige and aesthetics, but also stress the importance of increased power and performance of the car or motorcycle, and above all and always – the sound. Finally, we learn that two thirds is moreover affected by several elements, from vibration transfer

of production is still allocated for motorcycle exhaust systems,

and drone in the cabine to many other influences on the sound. Car

and one third for cars, still the junior partner in the company.

exhaust systems are usually at least three and a half metres long and mainly run on the bottom of the car, so they’re hidden to the eyes,

// An archer in his youth

but we still pay a lot of attention to their design.”

Uroš was an active archer in his youth, who competed for the

Until Akrapovič entered the car market and introduced this level of

national team for seven years and even reached the European

care, no one bothered too much about what was hidden beneath

Championships. “I still have the bow and equipment at home,

the car, but after the company saw an unusual video on the internet,

but don’t have the time to use them at the moment.” Could we

uploaded by one of their first customers, it knew it was on the right

perhaps draw a comparison between archery and running a

track. “A customer who bought an exhaust system for his BMW X5

company like Akrapovič? “In archery you have a limited amount of

M first unpacked it, placed it on his living room sofa, admired it for a

time to shoot three arrows, there are no second chances. Archers

bit, and only then fitted it on his car and drove away. This was proof

draw the string, aim and do the best they can at a given moment.

that we differ from everyone else.”

With each subsequent shot they get more tired, their bodies are tense, they hold their breath, their pulse increases and they must

// A touch of prestige for cars as well

ignore external factors.”

By breathing a touch of prestige to a product such as an exhaust

“In business too there is limited time for decision-making, there are

system, Akrapovič immediately showed how it differs from the rest

no resits, and the leader’s mental abilities, being able to respond

also in the four-wheels category. “The key to success is a positive

appropriately, are extremely important. The toughest decisions

user experience.” In its push into the automotive industry, the

are those that bring a lot of consequences and responsibilities, but

company also followed the path of gaining recognition through

are at the same time necessary and must be taken.”

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G I AC O M O AG O S T I N I

AGO Article from

by Gaber Keržišnik

photography Bor Dobrin, Profimedia

No. 11 / 2012

We were sitting in the Yamaha

hospitality

area

before the MotoGP race for

the

German

Grand

Prix in Sachsenring, when I asked him if and when a photographer and I could visit him at his home in Bergamo. He pulled a small notebook out of his pocket.

It was filled with dense handwriting on every page.

He grew quiet for a moment and then turned a page or two ahead. He flipped some pages back and then forward again. He finally stopped, opened the notebook and said: “I’m still free on Wednesday between 6 and 7 pm or on Thursday between 9 and 10 am. We could meet then. But you have to be on time, because I have to leave just after 10 for a TV interview in Milan.”

Special edition Akrapovič exhaust for Ago’s 70th birthday.

Interview

WHEN THE ASPHALT ALSO MELTED Yes, the 15-time motorbike world champion Giacomo Agostini turned 70 this year. Decades have passed since his retirement from active competition, but his schedule is still as full, or maybe even fuller than it was when he regularly collected chequered flags, world champion titles, and the hearts of fans lining the track. With his thick black locks and looks that could melt asphalt, he was known as ‘the Beautiful Ago.’ A magnet for women. When we shook hands behind the big green doors at the courtyard of his hacienda in Bergamo, I decided to start with precisely that subject.

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Those were the times, eh? Fast bikes, victories and beautiful girls.

As a charming gentleman do you still chase them today with the same zeal as you did before?

Come, come, not anymore. I haven’t for a long time. I’m happily married and have a family. I have a gorgeous wife from Jerez in Spain and children.

And to be completely honest, I wasn’t that much of a chaser. It was more them coming after me. But I was only interested in motorbikes back then. I was not in love with women, I was in love with bikes and had eyes for them alone. The girls sooner

or later wanted me to meet their family and get married. But that was not what I wanted back then.

I wanted to remain free, I simply had no time to be in love. That’s why us racers went through girls so quickly back then.

But you changed them more often than your brands of racing bikes. It seems that it’s the reverse today.

Hmm... you’re right, maybe that’s true. In my career I only raced for Moto Morini, then MV Agusta and finally Yamaha.

-

You won 122 victories and 15 world champion titles. Is it even possible for anyone to match and beat that?

It’ll be difficult for anyone to get close, but not impossible. Somebody could beat me. Valentino Rossi is closing in, but has run into big problems over the past two seasons. There’s nothing wrong with anyone beating my record, but of course I’d like hold on to it for as long as possible. And if somebody does beat me, I hope I’ll at least get invited to the party.

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“What do you mean, put it? I’ll ride it! Better said: I’m already riding it! I sit on a motorbike every day.”

Could Valentino be the one?

Who do you think is the best rider at the moment?

Hmm, there’s plenty of good ones. Valentino is certainly one of them. So are Lorenzo, Stoner, Dovizioso and Pedrosa. There are many good ones, but at the moment Lorenzo and Stoner are surely the best.

What about before? Who was your toughest competitor?

We had our fair share of fast boys back then as well. Mike Hailwood, Phil Read, Jim Redman, Tom Phillis, Luigi Taveri, Kenny Roberts, Barry Sheene and I could go on.

Can we agree that Jim Redman was the toughest nut to crack?

I spoke to him last year at the race in Valencia and he told me

that you always had the best bike but that you never beat him. That you never finished a race ahead of him. Is that true?

Well, that doesn’t pass muster. I often finished ahead of him. Sometimes it was him in the front and sometimes me. I even beat him at my first GP race. I had a 350 cc Agusta at Nürburgring and beat him on his 350 cc Honda.

Well, let’s move away from statistics. It’s all written in the books anyways. What about riding style? It used to be very different from today’s.

Of course. Motorbikes have completely changed, and they require their own riding style. And the tyres are much better today.

Aye, if one of today’s boys would sit on my

motorbikes from back then... Well, you can get used to everything, riding style included.

It’s important that you own body supports you instead of hindering you.

You turned 70 years old this year.

Congratulations!

Yes, that’s true. It’s quite hard to believe. I sometimes wake up in the morning and ask myself: “Am I really 70 already? No, it can’t be true. It must be a mistake.” 50 would be a good number or 60 at most. Sadly, that’s not the case. Time flies.

Your present from Yamaha at the Silverstone race was a beautiful and completely new T-Max, personalised with your former racing livery and equipped with an Akrapovič exhaust. A lovely gesture and

Giacomo Agostini was born on June 16, 1942 in Bresca. He competed in 186 races, and stood on the podium

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a total of 159 times, out of which he won 122 times. He won 15 world champion titles, 8 of them in the elite category. Giacomo Agostini won 10 legendary races on the Isle of Man and beat everybody else at the 200 miles of Daytona, Florida, during his first appearance on a Yamaha. / He quit racing on two wheels in 1977 and then

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tried his luck with car races. He used a Chevron at the European Formula 2 Championship and spent a year in the British Formula 1 championships, racing for his own team in a Williams FW06. / He took over the management of Marlboro Yamaha in the up to 500 cc class and managed the Cagiva factory team in 1992. He turned 70 this year.

a beautiful present. Where will you put it?

What do you mean, put it? I’ll ride it! Better said: I’m already riding it! I sit on a motorbike every day. While I mainly use a maxi scooter, by far the most useful machine for everyday travel, I also have a brand new MV Agusta in my garage. I also have my former racing 3-valve Agusta 500, which rounds up my collection.

Do you ever get the urge to return to the track?

I still race. I love to appear at classical motorbike races, but of course I’m way too old for serious and active racing. Racing is a sport for the young and you have to use the time when you’re in your prime. Later on it’s too late. But I often dream that I’ve started racing again and then I usually wake up with a smile on my face.

ON THE QUEST FOR THE HOLY GRAIL OF RACING Giacomo Agostini and I were chatting during our photo session. Our photographer set up the lights and shades and we positioned a Yamaha scooter and the birthday boy himself in front of Agostini’s garage for our shoot. In the meantime, I kept glancing at the relics inside the garage, where various remains of winning motorbikes hung from the ceiling, while a long glass cabinet was packed to the brim with racing suits brandishing the characteristic tricolore.

Everywhere around the luxurious house there were faded or black-and-white photographs from his victorious racing days.

“He’s crying in this one,” explained a man who was watering the grass in front the house as we arrived.

It was a large photo, likely taken in Daytona, judging by the huge stands and the oval race track in the back.

The home of Giacomo Agostini is a veritable museum.

Apart from the photographs, medals, cups and awards there is an impeccably renovated old motorbike in the middle of the living room. Giacomo was not surprised by my enthusiasm. “That’s nothing. Once we finish the shoot, I’ll show you my museum,” he said while my eyes stopped at a hefty pack of letters at the small front hall table, which the postman had delivered alongside electricity and water bills that morning.

Based on the coloured envelopes and greeting cards, it was clear that they were letters by old and new fans, congratulating the best rider in history on his jubilee.

“I still get stopped on the street occasionally to sign an autograph,” Ago says, as he opens the door to the memorial room. I can only gasp as I behold the richest collection of racing history on the planet.

Glass cabinets lining all the walls, two cabinets in the middle reaching from the floor to the ceiling, filled to the brim with cups, helmets and suits.

Racing relics from around the world. All the races, all the prizes, all the titles. All the tears, wounds, sweat and champagne. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a sight that can only be glimpsed once. And only here. The holy grail of motorbike racing must be in there somewhere, it just needs to be found.

Giacomo reaches for it with a habitual movement and reveals the least impressive of all the shining cups. A mid-sized trophy, completely ordinary in shape and quite dull in colour, with the oxidised metal bearing the brunt of time.

“This is the most precious one. This is my first one,” he says, holding the cup, before carefully placing it back into the cabinet, turning off the lights and leaving the memories to rest in peace.

My short visit, too short by far, to the 15-time champion has left a strong impression. As we are saying goodbye and packing all the photo gear into the car, Ago is putting on his Dainese riding jacket with the characteristic number 1. He was in a hurry to get to the interview in Milan, where he was set to appear on a talk show.

As I shake his hand to say goodbye, he says: “See you tomorrow at the race in Mugello,” and then bursts into a hearty laugh as I shout back through the open car window: “Goodbye Mr. Agostini and

Enzo Ferrari and Giacomo Agostini, Italian Grand Prix, Monza, 8th September 1968

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“If somebody does beat me, I hope I’ll at least get invited to the party.”

have a safe trip to Milan and back. Ride carefully, motorbikes can be dangerous, you know.”

We haven’t even left Bergamo, when an Italian teenager on a souped-up scooter passes us shortly before joining the highway. He was wearing a racing replica of a Valentino Rossi helmet. Just after him, a gentleman on a Yamaha T-Max with a leather jacket featuring the number 1 quickly follows suit. And I start thinking … Who knows whether the lad in front thought for a moment that the 70-year old gentleman wearing an AGV helmet in the three colours of the Italian flag, who overtook him a moment after passing us, was the 15-time world champion and the best motorbike rider of all time?

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/ / Si

Ago Giacomo Agostini, 15-kratni svetovni motociklistični prvak, je letos dopolnil 70 let. In za darilo prejel od Yamahe prekrasnega, povsem novega T-Maxa, obarvanega v njegove nekdanje dirkaške barve in opremljenega z Akrapovičevim izpušnim sistemom. Lepa gesta in lepo darilo. Kam ga boste postavili, smo ga vprašali? “Kako mislite postavil? Vozil se bom z njim. Oziroma se že vozim. Na motorju sedim vsak dan,” je med obiskom na njegovem domu dejal Agostini, slavna italijanska dirkaška legenda. Leta 1977 je prenehal z dirkanjem na dveh kolesih in se poizkusil tudi na dirkah z avtomobili. Z dirkalnikom znamke Chevron je nastopal na evropskem prvenstvu formule 2, v britanskem prvenstvu formule 1 pa je eno sezono vozil za svoje moštvo z dirkalnikom Williams FW06. Leta 1982 je prevzel vodenje moštva Marlboro Yamaha v razredu do 500 ccm, leta 1992 pa je vodil tudi tovarniško moštvo Cagive.

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Walter Röhrl

Article from

No. 14 / 2013

I don’t l i ke heroes

by Michael Noir Trawniczek photography McKlein, Audi, Opel

“Alternating between modesty and a Napoleonic complex” - that’s how Walter Röhrl still describes himself today. The two-time World Rally Champion drove faster than anybody else and survived the crazy era of the group B supercars. But he doesn’t consider himself a hero...

If group B would have continued...

I probably would have continued driving. Those cars were an advantage for me - not because I’m a better driver, but because I have a much better memory. The movie has to play out in front of your eyes. Reading the co-driver is just a confirmation of that.

“I am not the ‘Best rally-driver of the millennium’. It’s all garbage.”

So, from your point of view that’s the main reason why you were so fast?

Exactly. I saw everything right in front of me and for that reason took a smoother line than anybody else. A photographic memory... maybe originating from skiing. Fog worked to my advantage as well. It was a riddle to many, but that’s where all these stupid titles like ‘Best rally-driver of the millennium’ come from. It’s all garbage.

Does one research why one is so fast? Did you ask your best friend, the psychiatrist, for advice?

He would have loved to check my brain. He said: ‘I would like to know what’s happening up there when on a snowy road, 551 feet from the corner, when you touch the brakes seven times for a moment with your left foot and in between always steer with the throttle.’ But I didn’t want to know it exactly.

Some active drivers were displeased when you remarked that today’s WRCs are easy to drive.

I never questioned the performance of today’s drivers. It’s more difficult to win today. But rallying was originally a reliability trial for humans and material. Today there are sprintrallies, which are much tougher on the nerves for sure.

You need to give 100% right from the beginning. On the other hand, I used to drive a tactical rally. There’s also no doubt that current cars are much faster around the comers, have a much more direct response and offer immediate power. In

the past, you lost four seconds in a single comer with every mistake - but you could gain a lot of time, too. It would make me desperate to fight for two- or three-tenths of a second during special stages. I was used to being a minute ahead.

Have you ever tested any of the current World Rally Cars?

No. The most recent one I tried was a Toyota Corolla WRC. I was disappointed with the artificial feeling of the car.

Everything so plastic, like a video game. And the speed was like a sleeping pill.

You work for Porsche as a test driver for road cars – have you tested the LMP1 racecar?

No, that’s another department. I’m happy with the road cars, they allow me to offer my feedback and opinions.

They planned to score a new record for standard road cars on the Nürburgring but I declined. That’s something for the race drivers.

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“McRae or Toivonen were heroes - but neither of them is alive anymore.”

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A rally car is also defined by acoustics...

Although I realise that everything is moving in the direction of electronics, I don’t want to lose that special sound. Today’s rally cars are less attractive when it comes to sound, but still better than those group N Mitsubishis.

That was a nightmare. In Germany, the Porsche GT3s have suddenly brought new fans into the sport, just because of the sound!

Can you identify cars by their sound?

100%. It started with the 911, with the double-tube-exhaust.

Then the Stratos, a great sound. The Fiat had a very unique sound and of course the Audi, the five-cylinder with the typical bypass sound. Today the Carrera GT has the best sound in the world from my point of view... those ten cylinders - when you’re in a tunnel you’ll think the Formula 1 has started. Outstanding! I roll down the windows, go down one gear and kick the throttle once more.

The title “Lord of Rallying”... for many people it’s the highlight of their lives to meet you. How do you manage all this adoration?

It’s inconceivable to me. Some people are so nervous, they don’t know what to say and get sweaty hands. I always say: ‘I’m a totally ordinary person and also try to behave like that - so talk to me normally.’ A little while ago, while visiting my wife, I left the hospital and suddenly somebody was kneeling in front of me, crying: “The Lord of Rallying has come!’ I said: “Oh stand up!’ My face turned crimson.

What a dumbass. It was really awkward.

Are there any people that make you nervous?

In the past, people like Mikkola, Waldegård or Mäkinen were important to me of course. I would have liked to have talked to Franz Josef Strauss. There are some people who

“I was always afraid, careful. But I was braking later, that may be, yes.”

have really pushed things forward, like Ferdinand Piëch.

I feel respect for their performance, but I don’t need an autograph. I had great times with Herbert von Karajan, I always had to drive with him. Once we met an older couple, they practically bowed before us. I thought: ‘These people are all nuts!”

Was Karajan a little crazy too?

100%. At the end he was in bad shape already. He asked me once: ‘I saw you braking with your left foot in a video – can you show me how to do it?’ I said: ‘Herr von Karajan, I do it while driving extremely fast. It only makes sense at the absolute limit.’ But he insisted on it, so we did it. He leaned out of the window to check the traffic. ‘Alright, alright’, he said. So I went with him over the mountains like a mad man. He also wanted to try, but I never went with him.

You are not a good co-driver, are you?

A horrible one! In the past I should have done it, during the presentation of cars, but I always said: ‘Röhrl doesn’t go with anyone!’ I survived 45 years in motorsports and now I should let some jackass jump over a cliff with me? I don’t need that!

On the other hand, fans are crazy about driving with you - do you feel a missionary need to spread the fascination of rallying to people?

No, I only do it for charity reasons.

One organizer told me that people wept after not winning the chance to drive with you.

Of course I’m touched by that. Once, somebody was sitting alongside me in the rally car and said: ‘I’ve waited 30 years for this moment to happen.’ That’s nice. I always tell myself then: ‘It was not in vain that you were here.’

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You once allegedly said: ‘I know that I know something special, but I don’t think I am special.’ However, for many people you are something very special...

Not for me. That won’t change - on the contrary: Now that I’m retired and don’t drive anymore, the self-doubts have returned.

You take care of young German drivers, like Sepp Wiegand, no?

Wiegand has grown up already, he’s already on his own feet. Currently I have two youngsters from Regensburg. But I’ve tried it with a lot already, but always failed. The time is over. I’m also on the ADAC Board of Trustees. I also want to get out of that, nothing comes out of it. They do a talent showing, one of them is good - and then he’s asked to cough up 60,000 Euros. He’s right to tell them: ‘If I had 60,000 Euros I wouldn’t have approached you.’

Does Wiegand have the talent to become an all-time great?

Tough question. Back in the day I used to come to a rally by train, would sit in the Capri, and I was faster than the rest.

Today they always say: “Give him time, he needs to get used to it first.” But I don’t know if it has to be like that. Someone like Loeb used a Citroën and as a reward they invited him to do the Monte Carlo Rally, where he finished second. Those are the real talents.

Jari-Matti Latvala has been learning for ten years already.

When he finished it was like winning the lottery. There is only one acceptable argument as to why VW gave him a contract: To get him off the market. Otherwise it was a stupid thing to do.

What do you think of Mikko Hirvonen?

He doesn’t have the trust anymore. But Latvala doesn’t know how far he can go. I don’t like heroes like that.

Weren’t you a hero too?

No, I was no hero. McRae or Toivonen were heroes - but neither of them is alive anymore. Because they were bonkers.

And the blind flying through the fog? No heroic act?

Yes, alright - but there was nothing: I never had an accident in fog.

For you Robert Kubica is...

Somebody who pushes his limits to the extreme. In February, Alex Wurz called me and said: ‘Are you free?

We’re drifting a little.’ It was not too far away from my Austrian home. When I arrived I saw Alex, Kubica, Susie and Toto Wolff - we drove around a little. On the right side there were blue sticks, and red ones on the left to see where the snow started. I was using a particular Mitsubishi for the first time, and at the same time Kubica was also driving. It took three laps before his rear was in front of me. Afterwards there weren’t any more blue or red sticks.

He cracked them all. I said: ‘Hopefully he doesn’t kill himself!’ But I was impressed what he recently showed in rallying.

There are Kubica videos showing him taking corners at an unbelievable speed and pushing the limits. But didn’t you do the same then? You always braked later than everyone else.

I was always afraid, careful. That’s my opinion. But I was braking later, that may be, yes.

What would you have said in your early years if one of the stars had said: ‘He’ll kill himself!’?

Listen: When I used the 911, it was my fifth rally, I won every special stage from the very beginning. In Bavaria we had a regional star, Willi Berger, and his co-driver was named Tripsbach. I was 23, so he was around 43. He approached me and said: ‘Boy, you are way too fast, that won’t work!’

The very next special stage they crashed, fatally. It made me think a lot. I was impressed that this man was afraid for me - it showed that he was a responsible person. It was a very tough blow for me. _

Interview

CASE Y STO N E R , T WO -T I M E M OT OGP WORL D CHA MP ION

BIKES, FISHING AND LIFE ON THE GOLD COAST Article from

by Colin Young

No. 19 / 2016

photography Lou Martin, Ducati

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Amidst enormous media interest, Casey Stoner, two-time MotoGP World Champion, returned to Ducati this winter as a test rider and clocked many kilometres on a MotoGP bike.

Casey spoke to Akrapovič about his experience on the Desmosedici as well as about car racing and his life outside of racing.

understanding of what the bike is doing. When Ducati approached me last year, I decided that my input would be put to good use of by the Ducati people. Plus, I had good relationship with them. During my previous period with Ducati (2007-2010), I had always got on well with the team, I was just disappointed with some of the decisions they made while I was racing. But now I’ve started a new relationship with Ducati and I really want to help them get back to the front of the MotoGP World Championship. I still want to be involved with MotoGP to a certain extent, but not at the very high level of going to every race and doing everything associated with it full time.

Having returned as a test rider, how and how much have the MotoGP bikes changed in the last few years?

What was the main reason you decided to start cooperating with Ducati again?

During 2015 I was thinking about not working with Honda anymore because I felt they weren’t using my data and input from testing. I know my value as a test rider and have a lot to offer to development engineers, because I can push for faster lap times and have a better

It is hard to compare, because last time I was at Ducati we had a carbon fibre chassis, 800 cc engines and different tyres (Bridgestone). So now it doesn’t feel like you are on the same kind of bike, there is a massive difference. Ducati has a full aluminium chassis, 1000 cc engine and Michelin tyres, all of which makes the bike feel completely different.

Did you have to adjust your riding style when you got back on the current Ducati MotoGP bike?

One of my strengths is that I don’t have a generic riding style, I adapt to each bike as I need to. I think this is why I can ride any bike fast – I can adapt rather than ask for the bike to be changed to suit my style.

The rider has to come some of the way to fit the bike, because you will never find the perfect motorcycle.

How do you see MotoGP now compared to when you were racing? Has it changed and how?

I think there should be a lot more stability in the rules, at least for five to eight years, and this would encourage more factories, like Kawasaki perhaps, to come back to the sport. Every time the rules change it costs a lot of money for the factories to build and develop new bikes, and changing rules doesn’t always make for better racing. The standard ECU and electronics software introduced this year is a step in the right direction, although I think the ECU systems are still way too advanced. From when I last raced the electronics have not changed that much and things like the engine

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“I miss spending time in the paddock mixing with friends and the mechanics I know.

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And being able to do a fast lap in qualifying was a good feeling.”

braking systems are still too sophisticated. And when I test the Ducati now, I still find the wheelie and traction control very restrictive. Who needs wheelie control?

I say take it out and let the riders control it with the throttle and mix the racing up with riders rather than maybe make a few more mistakes.

Which one of the current crop of riders do you respect the most and why?

When respect is concerned I cannot forego Jorge Lorenzo. I raced against Jorge and over recent seasons he has proven to be by far the strongest and most consistent rider. If he is not winning the championship, he is the first challenger to whoever is winning. His title win in 2015 was really impressive. After three races he didn’t have a podium, but he came back to win the championship. There were a couple of wet races when things didn’t go his way, but at the end of the season he didn’t get involved in any silly things like some other riders, and chased down the championship leader (Rossi) to win the title. That was fantastic, you can’t take anything away from Jorge. And I have always had huge respect for Dani Pedrosa who has had more than

his share of bad luck. He is a talented, dedicated and underrated rider.

What are your expectations for the 2016 MotoGP season and who do you think will win the title?

I can’t really say. Jorge is the favourite as the defending champion, but Marc Márquez won the previous two years (2013 and 2014), and Rossi is back in there, plus Dani is always a dark horse. Andrea Iannone did a very good job last year and learnt a lot and if he can get the Ducati running closer to the front he could cause some big upsets. The unknown is who will adapt best to the Michelin tyres and that will be a tough job.

Have you ever considered setting up your own racing team?

Certainly not a team in MotoGP. I’ve thought about other championships, perhaps motocross, but no plans for that.

What is the one thing from the world of racing you miss most?

What about sharing your knowledge with younger riders, perhaps a riding school?

One thing is spending time in the paddock mixing with friends and the mechanics I know. And being able to do a fast lap in qualifying was a good feeling. But I don’t miss the stress of racing and now as a spectator I understand that racing full time takes out a big part of your life.

I’m keeping my eyes open for the right young rider and if the right one comes along I will be happy to give him some advice. But I am not going to start a riding school to search for kids with talent. Having the correct attitude to racing will take you further than raw speed on the bike.

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Who was your racing idol and why?

And road bikes?

Mick Doohan, and not just because of his five world championships. It was more because of what he had to endure to get there. It was amazing how he came back from injury to dominate the sport. I believe he is the greatest rider of all time and it has nothing to do with statistics.

When I have time I love taking my wife Adriana for a ride, just cruising to go out, have breakfast or lunch sometimes while our daughter Ally is at school.

Do you ever take a road or a dirt bike for a spin, just for fun?

I’ve known about the company for many years and they have done some impressive work and something I’m really looking forward to this year is going to their factory to see it firsthand. At Ducati they told me about the high standard of Akrapovič products. And when you look at them you can see the effort they put in, whether it is for road bikes or MotoGP. Their exhausts are works of art.

I take out a dirt bike whenever I can, enduro riding is something I really enjoy; just putting the tent on the back of the bike and staying away for a couple days.

Out on my farm I have a lot of fun riding with friends.

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Do you follow the development at Akrapovič?

What do you know about the brand?

How do you see the role of an exhaust system on a racing bike in terms of speed & feel?

Exhaust systems play a huge part in racing motorcycles.

The exhaust design and the flow of exhaust gases can influence how the bike feels with throttle control, whether it has more torque or more top end power. The technology in exhaust development, even for things like fuel consumption, is a massive part of racing.

What’s more exciting, racing or hooking a trophy catch?

When I started in MotoGP I would have said that catching a special fish was close to the top of my list, because there can be a lot of stress in racing. Later I

“I grew up in the outdoors.

I don’t like big cities and being confined, so being outside has always been a part of my life.”

Casey Stoner – novo poglavje z Ducatijem V letu 2015 je Casey Stoner, dvakratni prvak v razredu MotoGP, razmišljal o prenehanju sodelovanja s Hondo, ki ni upoštevala njegovih podatkov in mnenj na testiranjih. Casey se zaveda svoje vrednosti kot testni dirkač, saj lahko zaradi svoje želje po doseganju kar najhitrejših časov in razumevanju vedenja motorja ob lovljenju stotink tehničnemu osebju posreduje

dragocene informacije. Ko je tako lani stik z njim navezal Ducati, se je nekdanji prvak odločil za sodelovanje z ekipo, s katero ima zgodovinsko dobre odnose. Sedaj je začel novo poglavje z Ducatijem in si resnično želi, da bi se italijanska znamka vrnila na vrh svetovnega prvenstva MotoGP. Casey želi še vedno biti del MotoGP, toda ne na najvišji ravni, ki zahteva popolno osredotočenost in potovanja na vse dirke.

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“It is a nice feeling when you catch a giant trevally – they can snap rods in half, they are really powerful.”

learnt to enjoy and appreciate my racing and victories much more. But you can also have a lot of fun hooking a trophy fish.

Do you have a memorable fishing moment?

Catching my first Barramundi - it was 1.3 metres long - up near Bundaberg in Queensland is certainly one good memory. But probably my favourite challenge was catching a bonefish on the Cook Islands on a fly lure.

So tell us about one of the fishing lures in your collection?

Fishing for the giant trevally is something I really enjoy and I use this lure for that. It takes a big effort and lot of casting with a strong rod and lure. You have to be quick; when it hooks up, a giant trevally will swim straight back to the rocks to try and snap the line and the lure.

You have to pump them and get them in as quick as you can. It is a nice feeling when you catch a giant trevally – they can snap rods in half, they are really powerful.

What is the appeal of being outdoors for you?

I grew up in the outdoors. I don’t like big cities and being confined, so being outside has always been a part of my life.

Apart from being a Ducati test rider, what keeps you busy – work or business?

I’ve got some rental properties and my cattle farm, which keeps me busy, along with being a Ducati ambassador and test rider. It is a pretty full schedule.

Will we ever see you in the role of being a regular MotoGP commentator on TV? No, I cannot see myself doing that on a regular basis.

When you retired from MotoGP at the end of 2012, you did a season of V8 car racing the following year.

How was that and why did you stop?

I did the V8s because I didn’t want to just stop MotoGP and do nothing the next year. And it wasn’t the main V8 championship, so it was only seven rounds and not a full schedule. Unfortunately some things changed, with the races being shorter than planned, and on the promotional side it became very busy with my name and profile being used to promote the series. It didn’t unfold the way I expected, so I took a year off in 2014 and then started MotoGP testing for Honda and now Ducati. I’m still open for car racing if something interesting comes up in the future.

How would you compare racing on two and four wheels? Are there any similarities?

carry over from MotoGP. Very often good bike riders don’t automatically become good car drivers.

Not a lot, really. About the only thing that transfers from bikes to cars is that you have an understanding of tyre speed and grip levels. The braking points and the lines through corners are all different, so there’s very little to

Karting has always been your hobby, is that something you still enjoy?

I have is a lot of fun, it keeps you sharp and fit.

I love going out for track days with a bunch of friends.

And if I go back to car racing, the karting will be good preparation for that.

Yes, I enjoy karting a lot. Especially the shifter kart that

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Inte r v iew

Ryan Dungey

RETIREMENT?

, IT S FROM 100 MPH TO ZERO! Article from

No. 22 / 2017

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Photo: Simon Cudby / KTM Images

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by Pat Borzi photography Carlos Gonzales

Ten years ago, Ryan Dungey, then a teenager, told a newspaper columnist he wanted to be “the next big thing” in motocross. The odds were stacked against him.

Dungey grew up in Minnesota, a state with no motocross tradition or high-end facilities. But by the time he retired last May, Dungey, 27, had won everything there is to win in American motocross and Supercross. The great Roger De Coster discovered Dungey as a 16-year-old and signed him to the Suzuki team. The 2007 Supercross rookie of the year, Dungey went on to win four Supercross and three AMA Motocross championships, plus three Motocross of Nations titles. He’s set a record with 31 consecutive Supercross podium finishes from 2015-16, and his 80 career wins combined AMA Motocross and Supercross rank him fourth all-time.

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We met Dungey at a coffee shop not far from his hometown of Belle Plaine, Minnesota, USA. Dungey and his wife, Lindsay, are buying a house in a Minneapolis suburb not far away. In jeans, a flannel shirt, black sneakers and a camo ballcap, Dungey could pass for a random construction worker, like his father Troy. And that’s fine with him.

You announced your retirement last May. How’s retirement treating you?

It’s been interesting and has its challenges, too. No one really tells you how to prepare for it. I really didn’t have a lot going on during

“Roger De Coster was my team manager for every year but one. He hired me. Nobody really knew who I was.

He gave me a tryout, signed me, trusted and believed in me. I really owe him a lot because he really helped progress my career.”

my racing career other than racing, because I never wanted things to be a distraction. It kind of went from 100 mph to nothing.

It slowed down quite a bit. But one thing I’m certain of, I don’t regret the decision I made. I’m happy. I enjoyed it. If I don’t go to another race again, I’ll be okay with that. But it was time. I don’t have second thoughts. I just have to adapt and go forward. We waited for this time. We waited to have kids. Now that we have that time, we’re working on that. We’re working on buying a place in Minnesota. We’re excited to be home and see what’s next.

Even without racing you’ve been busy the last few months. Fill us in.

Lindsay and I are big supporters of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. We have a St. Jude Ride and 5K Run in Minnesota. It was our fifth year this year. Since retirement we’ve been able to get to St. Jude again, see the hospital in Memphis, have the ride again in July. We’re talking about expanding that into other areas.

So that’s good, being able to do the things that are rewarding and more important. I did stop in the middle of my contract. I opted not to race outdoors, but I went to five of the 12 outdoor races.

Even though I wasn’t racing, I wanted to see Marvin Musquin and the team do well. And we took a little vacation, a week down in Punta Cana. The big thing, which is a lot harder than I anticipated, is trying to find a place (to live). Not to lock us in for a long time, but something to be in for a couple of years.

You could live anywhere. Why Minnesota?

The Midwest is just beautiful. I grew up here. As a kid, it’s what I’m used to. I’m definitely not coming back here for the comfort factor, though it’s nice. Our families are from here. If we’re going to have kids, we want our families to be close by. Family is important to me and my wife. I’ve been around the country, lived

When you announced your retirement, you said you were in the best shape of your life but things had gotten tough mentally. How? It simply got to a point where mentally it was unbearable. The whole season was just tough. I was coming to a point where it was getting hard to focus — not because I didn’t want it, not because I wasn’t in it. I did my best with everything. I don’t know what you want to call it. Like that fire just started to go out. When you’re five years old, winning a race seems like everything in life.

Like my first year, it was all or nothing. It meant everything. It was everything. It had to be everything. And if it didn’t fly with that, I didn’t want to deal with it unless it had something to do with racing. Part of that was, I was so driven. I wanted to do so good.

I was focused. I mean, I was living out in California at 17 years of age in a one-bedroom apartment, by myself. Eat, sleep, ride.

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in Florida, lived in Texas, lived in California. I love it here.

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“There were some good guys I went up against, for sure - James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto. I wouldn’t say I was the best. I was one of the best riders, because the talent some of these other guys had was unbelievable.”

I hardly did anything outside of that. That willpower can only get

Photo: Simon Cudby / KTM Images

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“I loved winning. I loved doing my job.

I loved… I say love, but I really enjoyed all those things. And winning a championship, it’s like…” you so far. Soon enough, you kind of start to feel that burnout phase. I met my wife at the time, and I started to feel there was more to life, more important things in life. My goals in racing — winning races and championships and working hard and getting there — were important to me and I wanted to accomplish those things. At the same time, it wasn’t everything. It was nice to know there were more important things in life.

But isn’t it nice to win, win and win again?

I loved winning. I loved doing my job. I loved… I say love, but I really enjoyed all those things. And winning a championship, it’s like… Somebody from outside thinks, he must sit on that high forever. It must be an amazing feeling. But truth be told, Saturday you win, Sunday you enjoy it, and Monday you’re back to work.

You maybe have an accomplishment behind your name, which sooner or later people will forget, and maybe you have a little bit more money. But those don’t fulfill you. They don’t make you happy. There’s more to life. Does that make sense?

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Photo: Garth Milan / Red Bull Content Pool

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Yes. What you’re telling me isn’t unusual for a highly successful athlete, especially in a sport that’s so physically demanding. You raced without a major injury until last year when you fractured the C6 vertebra in your neck. Is that when you began thinking about retirement?

For sure. I get that question a lot. You have to be so into it

Interview

“Family is important to me and my wife.

I’ve been around the country, lived in Florida, lived in Texas, lived in California.

I love it here.”

mentally. In that race when I broke my neck in Colorado, I was sitting on the gate, and I was so mentally fried. I’m thinking, man, this ain’t good. I’m trying to be into it, I’m trying to be in the groove. I’m tired physically. I couldn’t focus. I got a great start, was running up front, got kicked the wrong way, made a little mistake which led into a bigger mistake. That’s what made my decision.

176 Ten years ago, you wanted to be the next big thing in the sport. Were you?

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In my time, yeah. I wanted to be the best in my era. Obviously that doesn’t happen right off the bat. There were some good guys I went up against, for sure — James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto. I wouldn’t say I was the best. I was one of the best riders, because the talent some of these other guys had was unbelievable. I had some big get-offs, but I always tried to stay within my means. I wasn’t riding over my head. I’m fourth or sixth all-time racing a dirt bike? That’s pretty cool.

When you look back on your career, is there a particular race or championship you’re most proud of?

Oh, man… I think it was the Supercross championship this year.

It was one of the heaviest weeks for me. I’ve had a lot of mentally tough weeks going into the last week with championships on the line, but this was the heaviest. Just being able to win and get the job done was just incredible. I remember watching Ricky Carmichael and Stewart and Chad Reed in 2006. I wasn’t pro yet. I went to Vegas to watch these guys. It was the last race.

They were all within five points. So basically, whoever wins the race takes the championship. And I thought to myself, man. The amount of pressure that is, but to downplay it and still get the job done… It’s a really heavy situation.

Who do you think had the greatest influence on your career?

A fair number, the first being Roger De Coster. He was my team manager for every year but one. He hired me. Nobody really knew who I was. He gave me a tryout, signed me, trusted and believed in me. I really owe him a lot because he really helped progress my career. I could always go to him, which was incredible. And there were some other people, too. I worked with Ricky Carmichael a good bit there. I lived in Tallahassee, rode at his track. He and his family were incredibly generous with their time. I worked with Johnny O’Mara. He made me stronger mentally and physically.

Aldon Baker was my trainer my last three years. That guy is rock solid, just a good, godly man. And probably my dad too, going through it all with him. I’d probably put my dad first ahead of all those guys because he loved it. He had more of a passion for racing than I did. When I retired, it was a sad day for him too. He was like, Are you sure you don’t want to race another year?’ Yeah, I’m sure, Dad. (laughs)

Photo: Simon Cudby / KTM Images

“I always had to trust God has a plan for my life. I’m doing the most with the gifts and talents he’s given me. When I broke my neck, I went into the bank and turned my neck.”

Photo: Frank Hoppen / Red Bull Content Pool

You were the first motocross rider on a Wheaties box.

And you were the first motocross rider to pose for the ESPN Body Issue.

on the level of most of them, but it’s a growing sport. Just that exposure, the dream come true…

(Laughs) Not that it was bad, but I think I might have taken the Body Issue back. It was a cool opportunity, but that was a

Do you feel lucky you got out of your career in one piece?

little bit extreme. It’s great for the coverage, and I tried to see

Absolutely. That weighed on me a little bit. I always had to trust

it like it was artistic. The bodies you see in those issues are

God has a plan for my life. I’m doing the most with the gifts and

years and years in development of that specific sport. I was

talents he’s given me. When I broke my neck, I went in to the bank

like, OK, that’s cool. But in a sense, I’m naked. It’s just kind

and turned my neck. That’s what broke it. When I went in to the

of not my deal. Anyway, the coverage that Red Bull KTM got

doctor, he said, ‘I don’t know if you believe in a higher power, but

was great, and the exposure the sport got was awesome.

if it went a little bit more you would have been paralyzed.’ I cried.

And the Wheaties box was incredible. That was a dream of mine.

My wife cried. It scared us. I thought right then and there, I’m

You know how it is. Probably everybody and their siblings have

done. I’m glad I came back for one more (season), but there’s a

joked: that’s going to be me on that box one day. Our sport is not

risk involved. I don’t miss that risk. I’m glad to walk away.

// SI Ryan Dungey: “Upokojitev? Kot s 100 km/h na nič!”

Pred desetimi leti je najstnik Ryan Dungey časopisnemu kolumnistu povedal, da bi želel postati “naslednja velika stvar” v motokrosu. A ni imel dobrih možnosti. Dungey je odraščal v Minnesoti, državi brez tradicije v motokrosu ali izjemnih priložnosti. Toda do letošnjega maja, ko se je upokojil, je 27-letni Dungey osvojil vse, kar je bilo v ameriškem motokrosu in superkrosu mogoče osvojiti. Veliki Roger De Coster je odkril Dungeyja kot 16-letnika in ga pripeljal v ekipo Suzukija. Najboljši novinec leta 2007 v superkrosu je štirikrat postal svetovni prvak v superkrosu in osvojil tri naslove državnega prvaka v motokrosu (AMA 450). Poleg tega je trikrat slavil v Pokalu narodov in osvojil sedem velikih lovorik AMA. V letih 2015 in 2016 je dosegel rekord z 31 zaporednimi uvrstitvami na zmagovalni oder v superkorsu, z 80 zmagami v motokrosu (AMA 250 in 450) in superkrosu pa je četrti na večni lestvici.

“Nihče vam ne pove, kako se pripravite na obdobje po karieri. Pri meni je šlo s 100 km/h na nič. Moje življenje se je precej upočasnilo,” je v intervjuju povedal Ryan Dungey.

Inter view

Jonathan Rea, three-time consecutive WorldSBK Champion

I’D GLADLY EXCHANGE THREE SUPERBIKE FOR THREE MOTOCROSS TITLES Article from

by Gaber Keržišnik photography Bor Dobrin, Kawasaki

The 31-year-old Jonathan Rea won his third consecutive World Superbike championship title last year, thereby earning a place among the greats of the sport. Known as a pleasant interlocutor who doesn’t just answer with “yes” or “no”, his responses always honestly reflect the character of a relentless racer and warrior thirsty for victory, yet also unveil a gentle and loving father, who still puts his family life squarely before career and success. We were sitting in the pleasant lobby of the Primero Primera hotel in Barcelona on the day Kawasaki Racing Team unveiled its 2018 team and just across the road from the hospital that treated the finger he’d painfully smashed during motocross practice. Did you know that Jonathan is still a big fan of the sport? That he loves mud jumping and racing? That he would gladly swap his three WorldSBK titles for three motocross crowns? No? Read on then...

Photographed at Hotel Primero Primera, Barcelona

No. 23 / 2018

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You’ve had an excellent 2017. You won your third consecutive Superbike World Champion title, which is an immense achievement. I would like to know how you see that title now, after the initial enthusiasm has somewhat subsided.

It feels incredible. Ever since I joined the Kawasaki team, my life has changed immensely. The winning brand and the team allowed me to bring my full racing potential to life. We won the third consecutive world champion title and I still feel like I’m dreaming. To be honest, I never expected that. As a child I always dreamt about becoming a world champion one day, though back then I thought it would be in motocross.

That was my first love. But I never got a proper chance in that class.

I got it in road racing, however, and managed to clinch the world champion title after a few seasons. Winning the first title actually fulfilled my ambitions. Taking two more simply means a huge bonus. I’m aware that I’m also extremely lucky. Mainly because I do what I like doing. But I’m also aware that it’s going to be pretty difficult to remain on top. This is why I’m working really hard now.

The first title must be immensely coveted by all riders, but what about the second, third, fifth, ninth…? Where does the desire and motivation for each following title come from?

best on the market. For example, we use Akrapovič exhaust systems, which are the lightest and most durable as well as provide the optimum power and torque. The partnership between Kawasaki and Akrapovič has almost become a tradition. What I mean is that every part on the bike is top notch and perfected. From the top to the bottom. We are actually very lucky that Kawasaki’s efforts in road racing centre solely on Superbike. Our team receives an amazing amount of support from Japan. I was previously racing for teams who were professional and well-organised, but focused too much on the motorbike. Kawasaki meanwhile places a lot of attention on the rider as well. They invest a lot in me, in my practising, health and well-being. This is something I didn’t have before and something I appreciate very much. The people that I work with in the team are also like a family to me. This is a great feeling to have, because what we do is hard work and it does get a lot easier if your team understands, helps and supports you. I’m happy to be surrounded by great individuals.

Good relations in the team are important. Do they also impact rider motivation?

Of course. We have really become good friends here at Kawasaki.

My crew chief and I became good buddies while signing my contract.

He introduced me to all the members of the team and we have been inseparable since. We do everything together. We race, work, eat, have

I worked all my life for this and wanted to become a champion. So

fun, we also go on holidays together. After winning the title last year, I

once it happened, it was a huge load off my back. Perhaps it’s not

went to Las Vegas with two mechanics to watch the Monster Energy

really about the motivation later on, but rather the desire to remain

Supercross, and after finishing the season, I, my four best friends and all

on top, to fend off the attacks of the rest of the pack. One is most

the mechanics went to Marbella for a weekend. We also went to Ibiza

certainly a lot more relaxed after winning the first title. I think that

together…

what’s been driving me recently is mainly the fear that someone might dethrone me. It’s not about improving the statistics by winning more titles, but rather the fear of not winning any more. But one must be able to calm down. Sometimes the heart wants more than the head allows. Luckily I’ve been surrounded by wonderful people who know how to help me keep my cool. All who are near me refrain from unrestrained euphoria. If I have a good race they are happy but not euphoric, because we are all aware that tomorrow is a new day and that we all have to do the same work again.

You’ve been in the WorldSBK for years and raced for highly organised and powerful teams. What’s different with Kawasaki Racing Team, what makes them suit you so well?

You are known as a family man and an exceptional father. The family accompanies you to the races. How do your sons see your racing? Do you see them as following in your footsteps or would you rather they took up less hazardous sports like tennis or football?

I like the fact that the family travels with me. My sons recently started riding on electric trial bikes and they love it. But I’m not the kind of person to push somebody into a specific sport at all costs. As a father I would never force them to ride motorbikes. If they show interest, great, but there is also nothing wrong if the bikes stay in the garage for a day or two. I’m not sure I want them to be racing riders. I’m aware of the dangers they would be exposed to, but if that’s what they grow up

Everything. Absolutely everything. The biggest difference is that the

wanting, I’ll support them.

team enjoys very good support from the manufacturer. Without factory support it is really hard to achieve the same level of success. We have the best material available. Suspension, wheels, brakes, exhausts. Every

What do you like most about the winter break?

single thing counts. We work with the best companies and best brands.

Testing takes place in November and I can forget about the daily diet

What Kawasaki makes for my bike is the result of top know-how and

then and eat what I like. Testing begins again in December and that

technology. The other partners meanwhile contribute nothing but the

means it’s again time for hard practice and diet to get in shape for the

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first race. This is why a part of me doesn’t want to be a racing rider. But I really shouldn’t complain, I have a wonderful life and a successful career.

Where do you see yourself after finishing your racing career? Do you want to remain a part of the paddock?

The racing world is contagious. You can quickly become addicted to it. It gets under your skin. I wanted to become an engineer, but I dropped out so that I could be a part of the racing circuit, to be a motorcycle racer. And after I became one, I had no more desire to be an engineer. The same is true for most riders. 80 or 90 percent do not complete their studies, so they mainly do not have any other option but to remain in the paddock. Some, moreover, desire that. Some treat is as a hobby, others as passion or a way of life. And still others simply miss the hustle, the crowds, the adrenaline. I have no idea

“As a child I always dreamt about one day becoming a world champion, but back then I thought it would be in motocross.”

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what I’ll do after I finish my career. I’d love to remain connected with racing,

in this as well as the other paddock. But I can honestly say that, deep down

because I sincerely love the sport, but it does consume a lot of time. We have

in my heart, I am very much happy and satisfied. Everything in my life seems

13 races per season, MotoGP has 19. It’s hard to have a normal life with such

good and balanced. Races, team, family. Everything is functioning perfectly

a schedule. Especially if one gets pulled in by stardom. But that is just a mask.

and I don’t really know whether I want a change, whether I want anything more

It’s not real. That kind of life is artificial, because your every day is precisely

than what I already have. I’m not saying that MotoGP isn’t alluring, but to do

prescribed from morning to evening and obligations are listed by the minutes.

it only to be there and share the same paddock as Valentino Rossi and other

I don’t like that. It’s really hard work. At the moment I prefer the Superbike

superstars… That’s just not my goal.

lifestyle much more than MotoGP, because 13 races per season are a lot easier to deal with than 19, especially when accompanied by family.

So you believe you still have plenty of time?

You were nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2017. This is a great honour and recognition. Is fame important?

Yes. It feels like many things are still open. My contract expires at the end of the season and many contracts will expire in MotoGP. It will be an interesting period for the racers, their managers and agents.

Fame means nothing to me. It was actually quite bizarre. A day after the announcement I flew to Australia with my family. That was good because it allowed me to get away from it all. Away from the news, away from the pressure and the phone stopped ringing too. It naturally feels good if you get recognised. I came in second, but I thought it was cool to have finished ahead of such renowned names as F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, cyclist Chris Froome and some others. It seems I have many fans, especially in Ireland. The competition among good athletes is fierce there.

Your family keeps racing on the Isle of Man in high regard. Were you ever interested in taking part in road races, the ones that take place across the Channel?

You were a motocross fan first. Who brought you to the world of road racing?

Yes, true. It’s all the fault of Michael Laverty. I was completely enamoured with motocross. I thought riding on tarmac was boring. Like riding a motocross bike across a meadow without jumps. I come from a working-class family.

We weren’t rich. Father had neither the time nor money to support my racing beginnings. We managed somehow, but it was hard. A mechanic friend told me one day about a call for young racers in road racing. It was the 125 cc British Superbike Championship. I applied without any expectations and actually got selected. Michael Laverty told me then: “You’ll go far in road racing.” I immediately responded that it bored me. I had plan B, I was still riding in the

My father won the TT race on the Isle of Man, but I was never interested in

British Supercross Championships at the time. I thought that should I fail on the

street racing. I was more attracted by motocross.

road I still had my off-road team. I never regretted choosing the career on the asphalt, but I still love both classes.

You appeared as a substitute in MotoGP, but have never raced the entire season. Your testing times at Jerez were good. Do you still feel it would be a challenge to race in that class?

Unless I’m mistaken, you still train a lot on a motocross bike.

Motocross? Yes. Yes, I do. Intensely. I adore motocross. If you asked me who

I still believe that I can be as fast as the fastest guys in MotoGP – with a

won three MXGP titles, I’d have to think hard. In fact, only Everts and Cairoli

properly competitive bike, of course. But unfortunately one does not choose

come to mind, both dominating figures in the sport. You know, I’d swap my

one’s destiny and future. You can’t just get on any bike you want. Opportunity

three Superbike titles for three Motocross World Champion titles in a heartbeat.

either comes your way or it doesn’t and it unfortunately hasn’t come knocking

Without thinking. These are two completely different sports. I also attend a

for me yet. I had a few chances to test bikes, but I never had the chance

10-day motocross camp in Spain every year and I always leave it grinning. We

to ride the whole season on a competitive MotoGP machine. There were a

practise riding technique, stamina, riding while standing, riding without using

few offers, but none enticing enough. This is why I’m completely focused on

brakes so as to take advantage of the racing line… I like it because it is such a

Superbike racing. I want to continue winning. I’m used to finishing first, I’ve

primal sport. I ride my own bike that I have to start by myself. I don’t need two

been winning since the age of six when I was riding a tiny 50 cc motocross

computers and a team of ten simply to start the bike and allow me to ride off. I

bike. I don’t know how it would affect me if I came to MotoGP as a rookie, got

put my motocross bike on a van and go for a ride with a friend. If the family joins

on an uncompetitive bike and then rode somewhere at the back. As one of the

us, the wife does lap times and the children show me the board. We have a

best riders in Superbike I keep in touch with other teams about what they offer

great time, just as if we went fishing, for example.

// Si Jonathan Rea se je že vpisal v zgodovino Enaintrideseletni Jonathan Rea se je z lani osvojenim tretjim zaporednim naslovom svetovnega prvaka v razredu Superbike že vpisal v zgodovino najboljših dirkačev tega prvenstva. Znan kot prijeten sogovornik, ki na vprašanja ne odgovarja samo z da ali ne, je v intervjujih vedno pripravljen iskreno razkriti karakter neizprosnega dirkača in zmage željnega bojevnika, pod katerim pa se skriva nežen in ljubeč družinski oče, ki svoje družinsko življenje še vedno brez razmisleka postavi pred uspehe in kariero. Na dan predstavitve moštva Kawasaki Racing Team v Barceloni sva sedela v prijetnem lobiju hotela Primero Primera, le čez cesto od bolnišnice, kjer so mu pred tem oskrbeli prst, ki ga je grdo zmečkal med treningom motokrosa. Ste vedeli, da je Jonathan še vedno velik ljubitelj tega športa in da ljubi skoke in dirkanje v blatu ter da bi svoje tri naslove svetovnega prvaka v razredu Superbike takoj zamenjal za tri naslove v motokrosu?

“I’m not saying that MotoGP isn’t alluring, but to do it only to be there and share the same paddock as Valentino Rossi and other superstars…

That’s just not my goal.”

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Bernie Ecclestone

by Miran Ališič photography Bor Dobrin, Arthur Thill/ATP

I DIDN’T HAVE A VISION, IT JUST HAPPENED Article from

No. 25 / 2019

“A pretty decent career for a used car salesman,” Bernard Charles Ecclestone once said about himself. He did not want to slow down even at 86, when Liberty Media Corporation, the new owner of Formula 1, asked him to step down as the company’s CEO in January 2017. It was more than just his company, Formula 1 as we know it today is his lifetime achievement. Bernie, as everybody in the Formula 1 paddock calls him, is a billionaire, but money doesn’t mean anything to him. It’s just a tool for measuring success. His office in the basement of a sleek glass tower in London’s Knightsbridge, overlooking Hyde Park, was packed with contracts, although he never needed one. His handshake was all that was required and it worked for him perfectly. Trust and respect was Ecclestone’s modus operandi, as would be agreed by almost everyone who had a chance to deal with him. Bernie says that people misunderstood his words too often and, being British, it would be impolite to just say “no”. “’Let’s see what we can do’ does not always mean yes,” Bernie explains as we meet in his romantic alpine chalet style Hotel Olden in Gstaad, Switzerland.

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You recently moved to Switzerland permanently. Why? Yes, I did. I’ve liked Switzerland for many, many

asked. In Switzerland nobody bothers. You can’t

(pause) You have to be made for politics. You

expect somebody from here to come, knock

need to want it and like it. I never had time for

on our door and ask why not have a race in

that. I had no time to go to a million meetings to

Switzerland.

discuss things. I always liked to think something

years and I wanted to move my business here some 30 years ago. However, people in the company didn’t want to leave London, so we stayed there. But now I’m free and I could finally make the move.

It’s quite strange that you chose to move to the country which banned circuit racing in 1955 after the tragedy in Le Mans. And the Swiss still haven’t changed their mind. Does that bother you?

But now they have Formula E. So, there is no ban anymore.

Perhaps another strange reason for you opting for Switzerland is that in your business life you have always preferred leading with an iron fist over the democratic methods. I’m saying that because debating and consensus-seeking is more or less the norm in Switzerland, the home of direct democracy on all levels, from tiny communities up to the federal government. Do you agree?

I’m not sure if you are right. (pause) You probably are, though, it’s quite democratic here, much more than in many other countries.

That race is an exception, according to the Swiss government.

Look, it happened many, many, many years ago.

Perhaps we would have been able to come here again with Formula 1, but we never asked.

They asked and got permission. We just never

Elsewhere they pretend to be democratic, but they are not. Is America really a democratic

is good or bad and then take a chance. Look what they did in Britain with this European question, they dealt with it in the wrong way. It became too political, they should have said this is what we are going to do and let’s get on with it instead of talking about it at a million meetings without results.

You have been able to see the world change for many years now. Why has politics become so different or let say unpredictable?

It’s a profession now. What upsets me a little bit is that I wonder how these people would get on with the real world out there, as entrepreneurs if you like. They are trained to do things in a

country? I don’t know…

particular way, they don’t care how long it’s going

Have you ever been or are you still interested in politics, I mean do you follow political debates, voting, and the like?

view it’s the wrong way.

to take to get an answer and from my point of

How did you end up with cars and bikes? Why motorsport? You grew up

“Formula 1 should have stayed where it started. MotoGP remained much more like it used to be. And it is successful.”

Bernie Ecclestone

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in a poor suburban family in England, so cars and motorsport were not really an obvious path for you.

I was racing with bicycles. I was always some kind of a racer. Then I switched to motorcycles.

I already had a motorcycle business and moving into cars was the obvious next step. So I got involved in car racing and later I bought Brabham and that’s when the problems started.

Or we could perhaps say that the takeover of Formula 1 started and you then transformed it into the global show business we know today?

When the teams met me back then, they asked if I could run the business for them under certain conditions. They didn’t like this business part of it, they just wanted to race. The teams said ‘You do the rest, run the business, do whatever you like. We don’t want any responsibility.’ I had to guarantee payments for the teams. Personally.

Whether I got the money from the promoters or not, they didn’t really care.

Did cars perhaps have some special meaning for you as a teenager or a young boy? (pause) I suppose the answer is yes, but I don’t remember to what extent.

You have always been regarded as a very sharp, strong, maybe even an impossible person to negotiate a reasonable deal with, although we always maintained fair and straightforward business relations.

Why and how did you get this aura of unpleasantness?

Early in your life as an entrepreneur you have to do things and maybe have some hard arguments and you get a reputation for being difficult or something else and this stays with you all your life. Even more so today, because as soon as something is printed or published online, journalists copy it and it spreads very fast. It became difficult to read some stuff and believe it to be true. And anyway, different people find other people in different ways.

Let’s take a small detour. You are the owner of this charming alpine hotel Olden in Gstaad. How did it happen?

Tell us in a few words how you made this decision some 20 years ago?

I used to come here as a customer. The lady who was running it, Hedi, got into difficulties and was looking for investors. There were six people involved, and as it’s already difficult with two people to agree on something, six would have been impossible. At the end it looked as if the hotel would have to close. That wouldn’t be nice, I thought. So, I agreed to buy it from them. That’s what happened.

A very spontaneous decision?

Yeah. Somebody, a real estate man, was looking for a potential buyer and offered it to me. And I bought it.

Why did you start the Formula 1 Constructors’ Association? Was it to gain power, to make money, to bring Formula 1 more in line with your vision?

I was previously in Formula 1 helping some friends. Stuart Lewis-Evans was the first one, he grew up where I had my business and I knew his father well, so we travelled together and I looked after his business part of racing.

Something similar later happened with Jochen Rindt. But all this FOCA involvement actually started with Brabham after I bought the team in the early ‘70s. I was 40 at that time and I sold all my businesses and focused purely on running a Formula 1 team.

I’m asking it because I would like to know how much of the vision you had

kept secret for a long time. What makes Ferrari so special even 30 years after the death of Enzo Ferrari?

If you go out on the street and ask an average passer-by, not a huge Formula 1 fan, who won the last World Championship, he would probably say Ferrari. And if you asked him who was the driver, the answer would probably be Niki Lauda. That’s about it. The brand is that strong.

Why didn’t you stop the regulation stipulating this extremely expensive system of rechargeable energy that lacks the proper sound? Weren’t you in the dislike group from the very start?

It was Max Mosley’s idea to go with a smaller engine to get more manufacturers on board.

I wasn’t sure it would work. So we asked the manufacturers whether they would join us if we brought in these new engines. They weren’t explicit, but Max was convinced they would as

everything. Had we sat here three years ago and I were to tell you what was going to happen in the world overall, not just politics, you would have probably said, Bernie, you are totally mad... But it happened.

And, I think, it’s going to continue like that.

It’s all changing so fast now, new ideas, communication between people from all over the world in real time. Exchanging ideas became really simple and many people have many ideas they want to share and try them out and this is happening now.

Should Formula 1 have stayed with its roots or continued transforming with the changing world?

It should have stayed where it started. MotoGP remained much more like it used to be. And it is successful.

So you are suggesting to go back to the roots. Formula 1’s history has seen almost 80 teams competing, but now we have an exclusive club of 10 teams with only three of them

“I was racing with bicycles. I was always some kind of a racer.

Then I switched to motorcycles. I already had a motorcycle business and moving into cars was the obvious next step. So I got involved in car racing and later I bought Brabham and that’s when the problems started.”

Bernie Ecclestone for Formula 1 back then can we see today?

None. Zero. I just wanted to run Brabham, that’s all. When we got together with other team owners I realised that things weren’t run properly. Nobody really ran it. Teams used to do deals directly with the promoters, even Ferrari.

they needed a new direction. The problem is not the engine itself, but the way it was conceived and has nothing to do with Formula 1, has nothing to do with anything really.

Do you believe that the sounds and smells are an essential part of motorsport?

capable of winning races. It’s hard to imagine that we could get those entrepreneurs back on board, as was the case in the past.

Let say, you and I would like to start a Formula 1 team now. First we would need an engine.

We would probably opt for Mercedes. The best engine, why not? And then we would

If teams had to win races to get the points, the promoters wouldn’t even pay them because

It’s obviously a competition. But yes, if

be dependent on Mercedes. We wouldn’t

they knew that the teams would have to be at

independent teams get the power back in

like to go against Mercedes at the technical

the track and I thought that was not really the

Formula 1, they would find a way to use

regulation meetings. A person from Mercedes

way to go.

atmospheric V8 or V10 engines again. I also

or any other manufacturer would expect us to

believe that, should you ask the public, they

agree with what they want. So, it’s difficult to

would love to have those screaming engines

do anything.

Your first memory of meeting Enzo Ferrari? Do you still remember it?

A very nice memory. Lovely guy. Very straightforward – when he wanted to be. (smile) We got on very well.

You always said Ferrari was the most important team on the starting grid and “we better keep them happy”. Ferrari negotiated better bonuses with you in the last Concorde Agreement and that was

back. Spectators would love that noise back.

The car as an object of desire or technical innovation is somehow losing its appeal with the young.

Will it affect the future of motorsport?

You have been out of the Formula 1 cockpit for two and a half years. The changes made were rather cosmetic and I didn’t see any new directions.

And you?

I don’t know. What I do know and you are

Let me answer it in an easier way for me. If we

correct with this observation, young people

hadn’t sold the shares to Liberty, what would

aren’t mad about cars anymore. The world

my policies be. I wouldn’t bother the rule with

is going through a complete change of

cost cap, the manufacturers would find the way

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to spend their money anyway. I liked the old F1

know what it bought. American people are not

logo better, but this is not important, I liked grid

mad for Formula 1. They bought a company from

girls too. What I don’t like is Formula 1 races

an octogenarian who ran it for 40 years and

on the telephones and small devices. I believe

were convinced that ‘we Americans’ could do

sport events are much better seen on the big

a better job than he was doing. This is a public

screen. The sponsors don’t like small monitors,

company, so they need to do things. And they

you can’t read their logos on the cars or around

are doing things.

the circuit. They will soon ask themselves why spend so much money on something nobody can really see. And I don’t understand what social media does. I don’t think you can make people more interested in Formula 1 through social media. So, I think Liberty didn’t really

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This interview will be published in a magazine owned by Igor Akrapovič, who has a long relationship with the Grobnik circuit near Rijeka, Croatia. He raced there on his motorcycle and even now, the

company sometimes uses Grobnik for testing and promotions. Your exwife Slavica comes from Rijeka and you wanted to bring Formula 1 to Grobnik in the ’90s. What happened?

Croatian people. They couldn’t make up their minds about what to do and what not to do.

And had they decided to go ahead, how much money should go to them. Whatever anybody offered them wouldn’t be enough, because they would think they were being cheated. But it would be a good place to host a Formula 1 race.

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// Si Bernie Ecclestone: “Nisem imel vizije, vse se je le zgodilo.”

“Precej spodobna kariera za prodajalca rabljenih avtomobilov,“ je nekoč rekel o sebi Bernard Charles Ecclestone. Ni želel upočasniti svojega dela niti pri 86 letih, ko ga je Liberty Media Corporation, novi lastnik formule 1, januarja 2017 prosil, da odstopi s položaja generalnega direktorja podjetja. Bilo je več kot le njegovo podjetje, formula 1, kot jo poznamo danes, je njegov življenjski dosežek. Bernie, kot ga kličejo vsi v formuli 1, je milijarder, ampak denar mu nič ne pomeni. To je samo orodje za merjenje uspeha. Njegova pisarna v kleti elegantnega steklenega stolpa v londonskem Knightsbridgeu z razgledom na Hyde Park je bila polna pogodb, čeprav jih nikoli ni potreboval. Njegov stisk roke je bilo vse, kar je bilo potrebno in je zanj delovalo odlično. Zaupanje in spoštovanje sta bila Ecclestonova načina delovanja, o čemer bi se strinjali skoraj vsi, ki so imeli opravka z njim. Bernie pravi, da so ljudje prepogosto napačno razumeli njegove besede in da bi bilo od Britanca nevljudno, da bi rekel ne. “Poglejmo, kaj lahko storimo, ne pomeni vedno da,” je dejal Bernie, ko smo se srečali v njegovem romantičnem hotelu v alpskem stilu – v Hotelu Olden v Gstaadu v Švici.

Inte r v iew

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Stéphane Peterhansel

by Miran Ališič photography Ivana Krešić, Kico Moncada, MCH Photography, Rally Zone, X-raid team, Yamaha

I PREFER TO RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK Article from

No. 27 / 2020

There are but a few names in motorsport that are as well known and successful as Stéphane Peterhansel. Despite having notched up 13 Rally Dakar victories since he started competing on the African sand back in 1988, he is still trying to beat everybody there over 30 years later. Peterhansel first tried with motorcycles – he is still a biker at heart – and won the Dakar six times on two wheels. After switching to four wheels, the French driver, who now lives between Corsica and Switzerland, added seven more Dakar titles with three different car makes – Mitsubishi, followed

by MINI and Peugeot. What else could he achieve? Perhaps a family victory at the world’s most famous rally? Funny you should ask, as he joined forces with his wife, German rally driver Andrea Mayer, and they planned to take on the rest at the 2020 Dakar in Saudi Arabia. A potential medical misdiagnosis halted their adventure, but Peterhansel exclusively confirmed during our interview that they will definitely try again in 2021.

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I didn’t find many stories about your private life or things you do away from racing either in the archives or while looking you up on the internet.

Have you been around for so long that people have started taking you for granted or do you simply prefer to stay away from the media?

I don’t want to show up in the public. I like the sport, I like racing, I like the challenge, but I’m not a public person just because of my name and my achievements. I don’t need this type of exposure, it’s got nothing to do with my racing. I’m not on social media and in fact avoid media as much as possible. Why should I have to take part only as a VIP? Many people from sport or business have a large ego and feel the need to expose their life to the media. I don’t want too much noise surrounding me and my achievements. I do what I must because of my sponsors and my team, but for me it’s about racing, fighting and winning.

Is it merely a case of belonging to another generation?

No. There are many people from my generation who are far less successful than me and yet pop up everywhere. Somebody perhaps won once and shouts about it from the rooftops, turning this single achievement into a grand narrative. I don’t need that. It’s a question of personality. As we say in French ‘pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés’ (to live happily, live hidden).

You began riding bikes at only eight years old, but stopped soon thereafter and turned your attention to skateboarding, actually becoming a French champion. Why this change, why didn’t you continue with motorcycle racing? Financial reasons?

My father wasn’t rich, but the causes weren’t financial. He could afford my racing at that level, no problem… But in motorsport you need a team or at least a mechanic to go with you everywhere.

Many races take place in different cities or even distant countries and my father had no time for that. With skateboarding it’s just you and the board. The sport had just arrived from the US and became very popular. All my friends were skateboarders, so I became one too. It went on for some years and I even became the French Junior Skateboard Champion.

They are not exactly similar at first sight, bike riding and skateboarding.

Or are they?

They do have some things in common. Balance, for example. On a motorcycle you only have

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“I watched Dakar every evening on TV. The desert, the beautiful landscape and being able to ride a bike full throttle through all those sand dunes, it must have been fantastic. I wanted to do it one day as well.” two wheels and you need to find a balance.

On a skateboard there are four wheels, but you still need balance to stay on it. In those days, skateboards were not the same as today and being on one reminded me of skiing, slalom for example. To clock a good time in slalom, you need a good line. The same is true for skateboards and motorcycles. You need a good line to be fast. Balance and anticipating the line, those are the similarities between these sports.

When you were growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, a lot of kids were really interested in cars, bikes and motorsport. What about you?

Why aren’t kids getting so crazy about motorsport anymore?

What is your first memory of Dakar?

What stuck in your mind?

Because they have so many more options. Back

I was 19 years old and racing in enduro. I

then it was motorsport or soccer and maybe a

watched Dakar every evening on TV and really

few other sports. Now they have a lot of different

enjoyed the fights between Hubert Auriol and

sports, but especially mobile phones, internet,

Cyril Neveu. The desert, the beautiful landscape

games… They live individually today, whereas

and being able to ride a bike full throttle through

with skateboarding we were a big group of

all those sand dunes, it must have been fantastic.

friends and cousins, everybody was doing

I wanted to do it one day as well.

it. Though I still wanted to be the best. That was when it all started for me and this desire remained with me all the way to motorcycles and cars. For most of my friends, skateboarding was just fun and games, whereas I wanted to be the best. So I trained more than everybody

But Dakar back then was a different sport. Firstly, it was more dangerous and adventurous, with no GPS, helicopters, etc. You were on your own. Just you, your bike and the dunes. True?

Mostly motorcycles. Offroad motorcycles. I read

else and this has stayed with me throughout my

all the magazines about motocross, supercross,

entire career. I had a fighting spirit from the very

also some about cars, but not Formula 1, I

beginning. It’s not easy to get to a high level with

preferred rally. I was a big fan of Ari Vatanen and

your body later if you don’t have this spirit from

Yes, of course. It wasn’t the same. There were no

later Colin McRae. And we naturally followed

the start. The skier Luc Alphand has the exact

safety gadgets, we had a compass and that was

Dakar as kids, too.

same spirit as me, for example. I mentioned him

it. And it was a longer race. My first Dakar was

because we were born on the same day, just two

14,000 kilometres long and took three weeks.

hours apart.

Now it’s two weeks and only 8,000 km. On the

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other hand, the idea stayed the same. You want

and the road, not the people around me. I’m

to be fast. I was surprised by the beauty of the

convinced that such competition results in a

landscape and route in Saudi Arabia and I’m sure

better atmosphere between all of us. No doubt

it’s a really good place for the future of Dakar.

about that.

Today you also don’t need to walk for 5 kilometres if you run out of petrol.

You’ve decided to team up with your wife for the Dakar. The two of you haven’t raced there together yet, though you were successful at some other shorter races. You’ve won together as well. Don’t you think such a challenge could ruin a relationship?

(laughter) I remember my first Dakar in 1988 very well, how I used up all my petrol and had to walk at night to get some from the closest village. I finished the stage with a delay of almost a whole day. Yes, very different times back then. But the spirit is still the same and that is what makes Dakar so special and unique. Now everything is also more organised, there are more people around, there’s no risk to get lost, the medical helicopter arrives immediately if you crash or break your arm or leg. Safety improved immensely.

What do you think of the team spirit where everybody stops to help others if necessary and is awarded for doing so, while on the other hand everybody pursues their own success? Is it possible to do both at the same time?

This spirit is very much alive among the bikers at Dakar. You are alone with your machine, fighting with your bike and you know you might need some help from a competitor at any stage of the race. We have great solidarity between bikers.

It goes without saying that if you see an injured or a crashed biker, you stop. You forget about the race and help the guy. It could be you next time round. In the past you would lose the time doing that, but with the tracking system, data recording and equipment in place today, your time spent helping somebody is deducted. It’s less so with the cars, because there are always crewed by two people, who can help each other

No, I never thought it could affect our relationship. I was a little worried about the physical side, but not about the relationship.

As you said, we raced together and had some success, we won the world championship together and I want to say that we feel even closer after this challenge. Because Andrea stopped racing some years ago, it would be difficult for her to return at her age, but she still likes the competitiveness and challenge.

So I said, let’s do it together. It will be a new challenge for me, too.

Last year Andrea had some medical issues and couldn’t do the Dakar as your co-driver in MINI John Cooper Works Buggy of Bahrain JCW X-raid Team. But you can now confirm that you will try again next year?

She was diagnosed with a problem in one of her arteries just one month before Dakar which could have developed into a potential risk during the race, so we decided not to take that chance. She has been checked by six other doctors since and all of them agreed that there was no risk for her to race, so we are now planning another world championship season together and, of course, the Dakar in January.

if necessary.

Did you ever have any problems with your teammates?

No, never. I’ve had quite a few in the past 30 years, but I always got along with them. Maybe it was because we weren’t racing directly against each other. We were racing against the clock. It’s different. When you all start together and need to cross the finish line first, you sometimes need to push somebody off the line, you need to be a little bit more aggressive.

You prefer to race against the clock and not against another person in a direct open fight?

Correct. I started in motocross and had to fight against others all the time. I switched to enduro for that reason. I prefer to race against the clock

Akrapovič exhaust systems have been connected with you for some years. I would hazard to guess that you felt more of a difference with an Akrapovič on the bike, right?

True. Apart from the sound which is like music regardless of what the exhaust is mounted on, one really feels the difference on a bike. More power, more torque in the low rpms, a more linear delivery. Standard motorcycle exhausts are a bit more restricted in these areas. Akrapovič is able to produce the perfect curve.

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“I don’t need media exposure. It’s a question of personality. As we say in French ‘pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés’ (to live happily, live hidden).” // Si Stéphane Peterhansel: “Raje tekmujem z uro.”

V motošportu je le malo tako znanih in uspešnih dirkačev, kot je Stéphane Peterhansel. Čeprav je 54-letni Francoz že trinajstkrat – šestkrat kot motorist in sedemkrat kot avtomobilist – zmagal na reliju Dakar, še vedno poskuša premagati vse tekmece. “Začel sem v motokrosu, kjer smo vedno tekmovali drug proti drugemu. Zato sem presedlal v enduro. Raje tekmujem z uro in progo kot s tekmeci okoli sebe,” pravi dirkač, ki izmenično živi na Korziki in v Švici.

Za reli Dakar se je navdušil, ko je kot 19-letni mladenič vsak večer na televizijskem zaslonu spremljal dvoboje rojakov Huberta Auriola in Cyrila Neveuja: “Puščava, čudovita pokrajina in možnost peljati se z motorjem s polnim plinom po sipinah, to mora biti fantastično. To sem si želel doživeti.” Zelo dobro se spomni svojega prvega Dakarja leta 1988, ko je porabil vso gorivo in je moral sredi noči pešačiti do prve vasi, da ga je dobil malo. “Ko sem se končno pripeljal na cilj preizkušnje, sem izgubil skoraj cel dan. To so bili popolnoma drugačni časi, vendar je duh Dakarja še vedno isti in zaradi tega je tako poseben in edinstven,” pravi Stéphane.

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Interview

MOHAMMED BEN SULAYEM:

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Article from

No. 18 / 2015

I TRULY LOVE MOTOSPORT.

by Tina Torelli photography Cristiano Barni/Rally Zone, Edoardo Bauer/KTM Images/Red Bull Content Pool, Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool, MBS personal archive

As the son of one of the most respected politicians in a newly-created state, he probably shouldn’t be racing – some people thought he should follow in his father’s footsteps without straying off the beaten track and without tempting fate. But Mohammed Ben Sulayem did just that – the apple fell directly under the tree so to speak, at least with regard to the values and passions that have already marked his father’s life. He himself became a pillar and a cornerstone of a country which, in a mere 50 years, has traversed the path from tribes to statehood as well as becoming a place that breaks new ground.

“I basically forced my family to accept my racing,” Mohammed Ben Sulayem says. “I believe that my success was also due in part to the fact that nobody supported me – I was alone in my fight, and the fear of not winning was always my prime motivation.

I’ve achieved more in racing than I could ever have dreamt of. Motorsports has become a national sport in the UAE and I can honestly say that this is, to a large degree, my doing.”

Mohammed Ben Sulayem has himself become a brand through the years and is nowadays simply referred to by many as MBS.

“MY REACTION TIME IS VERY QUICK AND MOTORSPORTS GAVE THAT TO ME. I TAKE THE TIME TO MAKE THE CORRECT DECISION, BUT THEN, LATER, I DON’T LOSE ANOTHER SECOND BEFORE ARRIVING AT THE GOAL.”

The member of the Bani Yas tribe is happiest among the dunes of the Rub al Khali desert, located not too far from the Liwa oasis, the birthplace of his ancestors. It is there, in the most beautiful sand arena in the world, that the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge has been taking place for the past 25 years. The five-day trial, a round of the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup and the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship, is more than just machines and precious hundredths. It is a tale of courage, of exceeding one’s limits and moving the boundaries.

It’s played out every spring in the Al Gharbia area between Tal Moreeb, Liwa and Mezairaa. The demanding terrain requires a healthy dose of awe – not just because of the treacherous dunes but also due to the extreme temperatures.

“Look, that’s Mohammed,” whispers a journalist colleague as a black Rolls-Royce rolls into the parking lot in front of the Yas Marina racetrack’s press centre. Mohammed is the most common name in the Arab world, yet Dr. Ben Sulayem does not need a surname to stand out from the crowd. He’s plush, sure, but his level of charisma cannot be bought. He’s powerful, of course, but the plan he envisaged requires vision as well. Mohammed is painstakingly working on bringing all the popular world motorsport series to the United Arab Emirates.

On the next day, a caravan of drivers and support vehicles stop at the bivouac in the middle of the dunes. The temperature outside is hellish, but the tent in front of Mohammed’s trailer is liveable. He’s sitting cross legged, having flicked off his sandals

and removed his thawb. He is relaxed and in good spirits. In a year that is bursting with obligations, he hopes to use these few days among the racers and ATCUAE volunteers deep in the Rub al Khali desert like a black hole: something he can let himself be sucked into without any remorse. “I’m going to enjoy this rally,” he says. “What would you like to know?” >> Why don’t we start with Igor Akrapovič? I think you two have a lot in common.

I met Igor through a friend of mine. These things happen sooner or later, if you are part of the automobile industry. It’s a big world out there, but at the same time it’s also small when you know people.

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Dealing with things that relate to motorsports or sports equipment, I naturally became interested in high tech engineering, so I went to Slovenia to see the facilities. Unbelievable. What I saw there was the future! What speaks for itself is the trust of other manufacturers in his product. They have certain standards and you have to abide by them – they won’t agree to yours. People might say: Oh, it’s only an exhaust. Sorry, it’s not! There’s the weight, the material, the design and the sound, all put together in the most ingenious way! I know how much work and guts are behind all that. Igor is very dedicated, he is passionate, he always wants to be better...

Just like you?

I like to improve, yes. We are in this world to improve.

OK then - what is the thing that you have to still work on?

Wisdom comes with experience and I noticed only recently that anger really does no good. I think that you actually lose when you get angry. Let’s say I get an email that really annoys me and my natural reaction is to write a very strong-worded reply. Well, I do just that! But after finishing, and a second before clicking send, I say to myself: Stop! When I read the letter the following day, I still have the instinct to send it, although I feel it’s not wise. On the third day I read it again and I say to myself: No way, I couldn’t

have written this – and I laugh. Then I change it with the awareness that I have escaped a serious conflict.

Answering it on the first day would surely change my destiny.

How do you see the relationship between free will and destiny?

Free will is when you make your own destiny.

Something has already been written, of that I am sure, but you can’t reach it unless you try very hard.

Destiny is not for free. If you want to be number one and if you don’t try extremely hard, or you don’t live through painful nights of studying or practicing, you can basically wave goodbye to your destiny. It’s my freedom, my free will, to decide whether I’ll try to fulfil my destiny. And when somebody else tells you what to do, it won’t work out and if you take their path, there is no getting out of it. Every time I’ve taken my destiny into my own hands I have succeeded, and every time I let other people decide for me, I have failed.

I’m sorry but I find it hard to imagine other people telling you what to do.

Well, not telling me, advising me! But it’s never worked, it always failed. Let’s take this rally here, for example: many people wanted to tell me what to do, they urged me to bring in sponsors, to change things... And I said OK, put your money where

your mouth is and let’s see what you can do. And all these good advisors then magically disappeared – I thought they would improve something, I was willing to pay, but I only wasted energy… This is, again, one of the lessons I’ve learned the hard way.

This, to learn the hard way, is obviously my destiny, and to be honest I don’t really mind.

The hard way? The majority of people probably say you were born with a golden spoon in your mouth.

I cannot blame those who can’t see the truth. I am sure they don’t mean any harm. When they get to know you better, see your consistency, see how hard you try, then they change their minds. Even maintaining this event, or my career, has been anything but a fairytale – once you start winning, jealousy appears, and once you have jealousy you have enemies. It’s as simple as that. And if you don’t have enemies, then you’re not any good at what you do.

How difficult is to keep organising this event, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge?

Not easy at all. And it’s getting harder every year. But I can make it easier, thank God I have the resources.

The event wasn’t handed to me on a plate, I created it myself. The ADDC really is a challenge, just like it says in its name. If you don’t ask for very much but deliver a lot, you make other people lose jobs, because they ask for more and deliver less. I’m

“PEOPLE HAVE SEEN ME EXHAUSTED AND SWEATY RETURNING FROM RALLIES AND THEY ASKED ME WHY I KEEP TORTURING MYSELF, WHY I PUNISH MYSELF, AND I TOLD THEM THAT WITHOUT IT I’D SURELY FALL ILL.”

not very popular with certain event organisers. But anyway, this isn’t about spending money, it’s about investing it. I guarantee the budget out of my pocket and don’t worry about the income. In short: it’s hard work. If you come to my house, you will see a sentence from the Quran on the wall that says: You may hate things now that will be good for you later on. I’m a big believer in it, things can change out of the blue, and I know that I must sometimes be patient.

walk on it. I never rely on external help and I don’t mind the pressure. In fact, I love it! I’m good at what I do and I’m happy with this event. It’s enjoyable and I enjoy seeing that the competitors are happy as well. That makes me happy too. It’s satisfying to see all these people trusting you. It’s comforting to know that some things never change and the competitors always find me here. They don’t worry because they know I’ll fix everything.

Is the most important thing in life to have faith then?

Yes and to never to give up. If you keep looking, you will find a better path, you just have to try harder to

This year the rally is being organised for the 25th time. Based on what you’ve said and what I’ve seen – you definitely can’t let it go.

dr. Mohammed Ben Sulayem Ustanovitelj relija Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge je svojo kariero v reliju začel v zgodnjih osemdesetih. Najprej je tekmoval kot Mohammed Ahmed, da ne bi izzival z vplivnim družinskim imenom, a ni imelo smisla, ker je bilo jasno, da je serijski zmagovalec. Kar 15 let je krojil vrh prvenstev Srednjega vzhoda v reliju in zmagoval zunaj meja polotoka. Pobral je 14 naslovov prvaka Srednjega vzhoda, bil prvi Arabec, ki je zmagal na reliju zunaj domovine in utrl pot vsem, ki so prišli za njim. Vmes si je polomil vrat, se sestavil, vrnil na dirkalno stezo, na sipine, brezpotja in zmagovalne odre ter postal nacionalni junak. Mohammed je najpogostejše ime v arabskem svetu in vendar dr. Ben Sulayem ne potrebuje priimka, da bi se ločil od množice.

Ima denar, a karizme tega kalibra ni mogoče kupiti. Ima moč, a načrt, ki si ga

I really can’t. The event also gives me an opportunity to leave the city and come here. You live and you eat with the competitors, you feel for them and, being a driver as well, you understand them and their needs.

We’re not the biggest rally but bigger doesn’t always mean better.

Do you miss competitive driving?

Every day. I feel a pang every time I see a race car and I still dream at night that I’m racing. People have seen me exhausted and sweaty returning from rallies and they asked me why I keep torturing myself, why I punish myself, so I told them that without it I’d

je zamislil, poleg moči zahteva vizijo. V Združene arabske emirate bo počasi pripeljal vse atraktivne svetovne motošport serije.

Potomec plemena Bani Yas je najsrečnejši med sipinami puščave Rub al Khali, nedaleč od rojstnega kraja njegovih prednikov, oaze Liwa, kjer ponoči, ko končno potihnejo vse njegove obveznosti, v soju lune vozi po sipinah. Prav tu, v največji peščeni areni na svetu, vsako leto že 25 let zaporedoma poteka reli Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, katerega ustanovitelj je. Petdnevna preizkušnja, ki tudi šteje za svetovno prvenstvo FIM in svetovni pokal FIA v cross countryju, je več kot zgodba o stotinkah in strojih. Zgodba o srčnosti, premagovanju sebe in svojih meja se vsako leto spiše na območju Al Gharbie med Tal Moreebom, Liwo in Mezairo. Z dr. Ben Sulaymom smo se pogovarjali prav tam, v tisti praznini, kjer postanejo vsi pogovori vsaj malo ... filozofski.

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surely fall ill. But I’m done now. I did take part in a race recently and maybe I’ll do one more soon. But I think that this is the end. I just felt so happy the last time I competed a few months ago.

What’s the main reason that you were so fast?

I was the best because I always gave more than 100%. It’s about commitment and dedication. But otherwise it all depends on what someone wants from motorsports. My secret is that I trained while others were sleeping. You have to be an observer at heart, not just a driver. Even now when I drive normally, I keep looking at what’s going on around me: is it windy, dusty, what’s the surface like…and then I tell myself: Hey, Mohammed, wake up, you’re not racing anymore!

How do you remember your first race?

I won at a local rally. It was very noisy, the co-driver kept yelling at me and I had no clue that I won as I crossed the line. The victory was important, but even more important was that I had fun. The more you enjoy it, the better you are. Racing has always been my temple and my sanctuary. I can still do a few stages now, but what I really miss is the focus, the centeredness of racing. After I started winning and amidst all the chaos that erupted around me, I sometimes wanted to be a nobody, to be an onlooker watching from the sidelines, but I knew the very next moment that I feel best in my skin and that I’m only interested in winning.

What are your main roles in life nowadays?

I’m a sportsman. A sportsman figure. Politics?

No, thanks. I’m not into titles. I am the FIA Vice President in the field of mobility, that much is true.

When people around the world ask me what I do, I tell them I’m in charge of motorsports because I truly love it. I hold many titles, but they hold no importance for me.

I heard people addressing you as prince when talking about you. Do you have any blue blood?

No, I don’t. I come from a political family, we are

tribal, a very small community. We all know each other and don’t stick to protocol among us. I love my independence, my freedom and I attribute my successes in motorsports mainly to the fact that I was always completely independent. I always did what I wanted to do and I never waited for anybody to give me permission to act. It’s simply not who I am. Give me power and freedom to achieve something and if you want to judge my success, do it at the end of the year, not in advance. Otherwise I don’t like bosses – I can’t be number 2 in anything I do and that is why I chose to be where I am.

Have you chosen racing or has racing chosen you?

There was no choice at the beginning, only passion, so racing chose me. Then I chose racing, because becoming successful makes you understand what’s good and bad for you, especially if you’re educated to boot. I think the academic background structures you, as does the environment in which you were raised and the responsibility that was given to you early in life. But I don’t need titles in order to be a responsible person. Here I’m responsible for motorsports, I try to push myself to do the best I can at all times and to maintain what I’ve created.

Motorsport isn’t mine but I fear not having people around me who feel the way I do. In order to feel well, I need to see fresh blood around me. Young, responsible people whom I can rely on.

What makes you happy?

Motorsports, without a shadow of doubt. But otherwise I feel best when surrounded by smart and good people. By honest and true companions.

People who don’t act. I also like to be alone, but that does not mean lonely. If you can be with yourself, it means you love yourself. And when I’m alone, I can be very clear with myself, that’s the fastest way for me to regenerate and return to the limelight. The worst part of today’s fast-paced world is that the majority of people, despite everything that surrounds us, feel lonely and bored. What frightens me most is boredom. You see a family at lunch and they are all staring at their mobile phones. It’s a disaster.

You’ve witnessed enormous changes in your country.

I think the development was too fast, but that’s the way it is. Some things are alright, our system works and I’m proud of that, there is peace, there is safety and we pray to God to keep it that way. You can have the best houses, the finest cars, everything in abundance, tonnes of gold, but if you don’t feel safe, it’s all for nothing.

You are considered a national hero. How does that make you feel?

Responsible. That’s the only way I feel. I never waited on being appreciated. If I did, I’d have quit after two years. I never displayed cups or photographs in my house. I only put them up five years after retiring from racing. I placed them around the house because I had to put them somewhere and because some walls were empty. But a lot was lost. If you’re hungry for racing, you want to race. When you drive, you want to win, because you’re competitive.

But after you keep on winning for two or three years it’s not the desire to win that spurs you on, it’s the fear of losing. I was really afraid of that, it was driven into me by my tribe, by them telling me: take care not to lose, not to disappoint your people, maintain your level. I really hate to disappoint people.

It’s important to be honourable in defeat, both in sports and in life – but how does one have to behave in victory?

It’s very important to see what winning turns you into: Does it make you more humble, because you know you were born under a lucky star, or will you start feeling that you’re better than others? Winning is a double-edged sword. It either spoils you or makes you a better person. If it improves you, then it’s worth winning. You won? Ok, excellent, let’s move on.

Don’t celebrate for too long, because people will soon want another victory, their expectations will grow increasingly large and so will the disappointment if you fail to deliver. Move on with your head held high and never disclose your weakness. I know people who keep complaining – they have a stomach-ache, they can’t work, they’re depressed and can’t leave

The founder of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge began his competitive career in the early ‘80s. He first raced under the name of Mohammed Ahmed, dropping his influential family name. Not that it mattered, because it soon became clear that he was a serial winner. He was at or near the top of rally championships in the Middle East for 15 years and he racked up victories outside of the Arabian Peninsula as well. He became Middle East Rally Champion on 14 occasions, and is the first Arab to win a rally outside of his region. He has forged a path for all who followed. While doing so he broke his neck, pulled himself together, returned to the track, the dunes, the wilderness, the podium and duly became a national hero.

their bed... Could you please just shut up? I’ve been living with neck pain for 20 years.

You’re a hero to many – but who are your heroes?

My biggest hero is my father, because I think he was a very good man. He raised us to be honest people.

He became a politician because he loved his country.

He was simply a good and competent man. He had values and manners, he held life in high regard. Such are the people I seek for my team, because they contribute to the positive energy.

Could you say that motorsports is UAE’s national sport?

It became one. When does a sport become a national sport? When you have a national hero whom people love and consequently love the sport. I’m neither shy nor modest about that, it’s a simple fact. I was Middle East champion 14 times. My country always used my victories as a means if not even as

a weapon of diplomacy. I made everything easier and at the same time harder for all who came after me – we’re a country where everything goes through the government and if I raked in victories, so should somebody else. But it’s not that simple, even less so nowadays. I was able to afford my independence.

I sometimes hear people say: look at Mohammed, look at how everybody loves him. Well, that’s not true. If everybody loves you, you’re either a liar or from a different planet. People think I’m racing and winning still. They think it’s easy for me: I just get in the car, take off, and win.

Then we can create a new generation of managers with an academic background. You can’t just bring a businessman from a different field, sports is not just about competing, it’s about entertainment and that has to be understood. I‘ll be at peace when I know that there are people who can replace me when my time comes.

What else would you like to do for motorsports in your country and abroad?

To sustain it. I want to see serious young drivers, managers, and educated people in sports. We need a scientific approach in order to raise the sport to a higher level. I want people to be able to graduate from sports sciences, from sports management.

You’re a co-driver by day, then.

And a pretty annoying one, too.

“DESTINY IS NOT FOR FREE. IF YOU WANT TO BE NUMBER ONE AND IF YOU DON’T TRY EXTREMELY HARD, OF YOU DON’T HAVE PAINFUL NIGHTS OF STUDYING OR PRACTICING, YOU CAN BASICALLY WAVE GOODBYE TO YOUR DESTINY.”

Emirates are full of speed guns. I imagine that you’re a magnet for speeding tickets.

I only speed off road and at night. I employ a driver at day and he collects the tickets.

Do you have a crazy wish left? To travel to space or something like that?

Not really. My goal is inner peace. This cannot be found, but can be created.

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Dieter Burmester

Article from

No. 07 / 2010

The Essence Lies in the Music Not every wall has its own Picasso and not every living room has its own Burmester.

Those that do, whether it’s a wall or a room, should be considered among the lucky few.

Both are sophisticated masters when it comes to quality, beauty, and perfection...

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by Gregor Šket photography Bor Dobrin

The history of the Burmester brand can be summed up as a giant love for music married to an endless sea of technical knowledge. It began almost by accident, when Dieter Burmester made his first preamplifier for his own use in the mid 1970s. He had no inkling at the time that he would one day play in the top leagues. The banks pretty much laughed at him when he presented his business plan. Because he could not get a loan, he advanced with small steps, learning as he went, and finally reached the top. In 1977, he broke the ice with the 777 preamplifier, his first marketed product. Since then, audiophiles from all over the world have been able to experience the pleasure of using his legendary creations.

His audio systems also delight the drivers of

Bugatti Veyrons and both Porsche Panameras and Cayennes. Burmester is a guarantee, and clear proof, that even tiny steel enclosures can be turned into concert halls with amazing acoustics.

Meeting people like Dieter Burmester is a first-rate pleasure. When his hand touches the massive remote, his face lights up with boyish pleasure and teenage passion. He grew up with rock, as seen by his collection of over 40 guitars. But he does not separate music according to genres – he does it according to quality. It’s quite logical, really, because for a long time he has been a master at distinguishing between good and excellent.

You used to be a professional musician: a rock guitar player. Were you a Beatle or a Stone?

In the beginning I liked the Stones more, especially their early music like Little Red Rooster, Around and Around, and Time Is On My Side. I think their first LPs, when Brian Jones was still in the band, are excellent. They contain a lot of rhythm and blues elements. But we later also played songs by the Beatles.

You probably also listen to classical music?

Of course. I actually listen to all kinds of music: as long as it’s quality.

Do you have a favourite symphony?

Uh. A tough question. I love some of them a lot, for example the Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov. But I prefer chamber orchestras.

That’s why I adore Johann Sebastian Bach or George Philipp Telemann. I’m not really a fan of modern composers, with the possible exception of Estonia’s Arvo Pärt.

Has any musical experience left an indelible mark on you?

I remember a concert where the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra performed pieces by Anton Bruckner. Also incredible was an open-air

concert where pianist Yefim Bronfman played Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.3, which is considered to be one of the most difficult piano pieces there is. I haven’t seen or heard a better pianist since.

How about rock concerts?

I attended them in my youth and I still do so now.

I just recently set up my new band. We stopped performing with my previous group, Past Perfect, three years ago after playing for more than seven years. We had a jam session every Monday and organised about ten concerts a year. That was a bit too much. We mostly play our own pieces with the new band and we will also record a CD. I still play the guitar, but grab the mike sometimes as well.

What brought you to the world of hi-fi?

Was it the love of music or an interest in technology?

Both. I actually think that having knowledge in both fields is one of my comparative advantages.

It’s interesting to note that with me, music and technology always went hand in hand. It started when I was 15 years old, when I started playing in a rock band and also started working as a radio and TV technician. So everything was happening in parallel.

In the beginning, did you think that one

day you would be producing high-end components?

No, not at all. I didn’t give it a second thought, initially. It actually happened by accident. After finishing my electronics studies in 1977, I owned a pretty good hi-fi system. When my preamplifier broke I wanted to buy a new one. But back then the choice was far more limited than today. It was difficult to find a product that would employ the latest technology, select parts, superb materials...

I already had my own engineering bureau then, creating computer interfaces and measurement devices for use in medicine. I had enough knowledge and experience to start working on my own preamplifier. After all, a precise medicinal apparatus and a top-notch preamp aren’t so different fundamentally. That’s how it started.

But back then I was only thinking about making one preamplifier. For personal use. I wasn’t thinking about setting up a company, because that would cost so much, and I simply couldn’t imagine anyone buying my product.

How difficult was it to crack open the audiophile market, then ruled by English and American boutique manufacturers?

At the end of the 1970s, Germany couldn’t really boast of a rich tradition in producing high-end hi-fi components. We had the Braun company, not part of the elite class, but sporting

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very nice designs, courtesy of designer Dieter Rams. On the other hand, mainly UK and US manufacturers such as Redford, KEF, Quad, McIntosh, Conrad Johnson, Mark Levinson, JBL, Marantz and numerous others, were producing first-rate components. I never expected to be competitive on the market with a single product.

But things began moving in the right direction.

I advanced step-by-step and slowly created my brand. The funniest thing about it all is that no bank believed in me in the beginning. They simply couldn’t imagine how I could succeed by selling a single product then priced at DEM 3,500. Because I couldn’t get a loan, I had to fork out the money myself, which was far from easy in the beginning. I sometimes joke that the only reason the idea became reality is because I was working like a horse and living like a student.

How much were you helped by your products carrying the label “Made in Germany” - a pretty important reference for quite some time.

Germany probably has the most demanding customers. They are very critical and have extremely high expectations and standards. All this has its advantages, of course. If you can make it in Germany, you can make it anywhere.

Your products belong to the audiophiles’

most elite group. What are their most important characteristics, what sets the Burmester brand apart from others?

One of my traits is that I was never really interested in what the competition was doing.

I always followed my own ideas and beliefs in what the products should look like. This approach resulted in several items that greatly contributed to the creation of our image. For example, the model 808 was the first modular preamplifier on the market. We’ve been making it for the past 30 years and its shape has not changed at all. Even the very first 808 can be upgraded with cutting-edge technology used in our current line up. A year later, a similar product was made by MBL and Mark Levinson.

I invented Belt Drive CD Technology, and the Balanced Single Pass has been a part of our products since 1983. I made it with my own technology, which then garnered acclaim in audiophile magazines. They, especially, appreciated my different approach.

You probably use only the noblest materials. Apparently the screws alone that hold your components together cost more than 20 euros.

True. You know, if you use a gilded front panel, you cannot use normal screws. The two simply don’t match. So you have to use gilded screws,

but they can’t be bought so you have to make them yourself.

Is it true that, in a way, you combine the most current technology with old-school production techniques and that you swear by extremely precise, even filigree handwork?

Yes, of course. That’s what we call tradition and innovation. Tradition is very important for our customers and they greatly appreciate it. Tradition showcases a company’s stability and while we have to keep producing innovative new products, we always infuse them with all the knowledge that we have gathered in over 30 years of existence.

Do you see yourself more as a musician or an audiophile?

In essence I love music. And audiophilia is often linked with technology. But technology can only be a transmitter, facilitating access to the contents: to music. And if it works well, the access is easier and the pleasure from music greater.

Sometimes audiophiles are regarded as people who are afraid to tell their wives how much their toys cost. What’s your take on that?

It’s the same everywhere.

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You once said that your task as a musician and engineer is to make listeners forget that the music is reaching them through electronic equipment. This seems like a very difficult task.

I don’t agree with those who want to create an approximation of a concert hall in their living rooms.

I personally prefer studio tapes, be it classical or rock music. Especially rock. Concerts are full of various noises, delays and other disturbances, and the 1,000 or 2,000 listeners react differently to the activities happening on the stage. That’s why I prefer chamber orchestras performing in smaller halls. But even more than that, I prefer to listen to pure music in peace. This nullifies the mood factor. How can I tell what mood I’ll be in for the hour or two that the concert lasts? At home I can choose the music to fit my current frame of mind. Of course, people are being advised to attend as many concerts as possible.

But as I said before, that’s a whole different case than enjoying music at home. With concerts, the visual factor, to see the performers live, is very important.

But the emotional moment at such events is actually coincidental. Concerts are planned ahead and the orchestra doesn’t play just for you and only what you’d like. Maybe it’s a rainy evening and you’re in the mood for a piano recital, but the event’s schedule is completely different. All of the above point to the advantages of a quality sound system in your living room, where you can tailor the music to your tastes, mood and surroundings.

Do you always listen to a symphony from the beginning to the end?

I know that audiophiles often look for the parts of a symphony with quality bass, and high or low tones.

But in this respect I’m no audiophile, but rather a music lover. Maybe that’s the main difference. I’m always primarily interested in the music’s contents.

When I listen to it, I let myself go completely. I close

my eyes and get a warm feeling. When I focus on a certain piece of music, I feel like I’m taking part in an autogenic training session. I get very warm, my arms seem a bit heavier, I sometimes get goose bumps, I feel as if I’m in a sort of a daze, but at the same time I dive deep into the music and experience a feeling of complete relaxation.

perform and sound quite differently in concert halls or in the open. But this is more or less trivial, even for my relatively sensitive and fine-tuned ear. I don’t really see it as having that much of an impact. You know, I don’t listen to frequencies, I’m interested in music. My only criterion is the emotion that it awakens.

Which musical genre do you think is the best to highlight the advantages of high-end hi-fi systems?

When you compose your music, do you also think about how it will sound on your system?

Some swear by classical music and jazz. Others say that every genre requires a different system. But I believe that a quality system can reproduce all genres in high fidelity. I believe that a good sound system must flood the space with music, so you don’t have to sit in the same place every time. You can walk around the room and feel that the music is everywhere. However, I have to say that we often carry out certain tests while playing records by smaller bands, for example jazz groups or just a vocalist accompanied by a single instrument. The fewer the number of instruments, the less technology is needed to make the record and the better the human ear can detect the sound’s quality. Larger bands, on the other hand, include more environment noise, which distorts the quality of the record.

Of course. This is very important for me. What I hear when I play the instrument and what comes out of a hi-fi system must sound as similar as possible. And composition is in this sense the ideal test bed, a sort of basis for everything I do...

Is your living room tailored to listening to music?

Well, a little, yes. But I don’t want to see all those sound deadeners that would turn a living room into a studio.

Is it true that high-end hi-fi components are very sensitive devices and that even different weather conditions impact their functioning?

Yes, of course. But a similar claim could be made for the majority of musical instruments, which

What is your take on digital music, all the MP3 players, iPods...?

I grew up in the age of the tube radio. I remain convinced that such a radio from the 1960s sounds better than today’s MP3 players. I wish that the youngsters growing up with these devices would have the chance to listen to a truly high-quality system to feel the difference between high- and low-fidelity reproductions.

Music is much, much more than an MP3 recording, but the young sadly favour thousands of bad records over top-notch high resolution ones. Only good quality sounds normal to the ears and the brain and stirs emotions. MP3s just don’t have the necessary resolution and our ears are finely tuned and are able to detect very small differences. Even a CD-quality record is something completely different and meets my standards; actually the use of the newest recording techniques has brought it quite close to the originals. I very rarely listen to a classical gramophone, which are so beloved by many audiophiles. But I’m sure that digital records are

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better than analogue. You know, with analogue records we actually love their weak points mainly certain noises and lower dynamics, which make such devices seem better tailored for smaller spaces.

You’ve managed to create quite a few legendary components in the last 33 years. Some time ago you ventured into the world of cars as well. How much of a challenge was that for you?

It all started some ten years ago, when we were invited to take part in the Bugatti Veyron project – an invitation we gladly accepted. Some years later we met people from Porsche at a hi-fi fair, who then invited us to take part in a project alongside with the majority of big players.

Following several months of comparison trials, which featured a few hundred people who were unaware of the manufacturer of the sound system they were using, they decided to cooperate with us. We now produce these systems for Panamera and Cayenne. But we don’t exclusively cooperate

with Porsche. We recently signed a contract with another top-tier car brand.

Are Panameras equipped exclusively with your systems?

No, there are three different sound systems available – the standard one, one made by Bose and one by us. I’m convinced that almost everyone who hears our product in the Panamera would be willing to dish out the EUR 5,000 price premium for its exquisite quality - especially since the car itself already costs about EUR 150,000. A Chinese buyer once said that this was the cheapest way to get a Burmester audio system - and you get a car thrown in as well.

How does a manufacturer perceive the differences between car and home audio systems?

I’m often asked about the differences between home and car audio systems. And I always answer that a car cabin is a very gratifying space. We are talking about a very small area

with up to 16 speakers generating over 1,000 watts. If I wanted to create something similar in a room, I’d need between 10,000 and 20,000 watts. It’s not just the power, it’s also the nearness, because in a car you literally feel the music with your whole body. The vibrations are incredible.

With your busy life, how do you find any time for your own musical enjoyments?

I use almost every free evening for listening, playing or composing. I could never give that up.

To somewhat tailor the title of a Rolling Stones song, how much personal satisfaction, pleasure and happiness has your incredible journey given you?

Ah, I often say that I only do it because I couldn’t afford such an expensive hobby otherwise. I hope that others also get some benefits and pleasure out of that, too.

/ / Si

Bistvo je v glasbi Vsaka stena nima svojega Picassa in vsaka dnevna soba nima svojega Burmestra. Tiste, ki jih imajo, tako stene kot sobe, so pravzaprav redke srečnice. A so prefinjene poznavalke dobrega, lepega, vrhunskega ... Zgodba o znamki Burmester je pravzaprav ena sama ljubezen do glasbe, združena z neskončnim oceanom tehničnega znanja. Začelo se je tako rekoč po naključju, ko je Dieter Burmester v sredini sedemdesetih let zase izdelal prvi predojačevalnik. Takrat se mu ni niti sanjalo, da bo nekoč igral v najvišji ligi. V banki so se mu skoraj smejali, ko jim je predstavil poslovni načrt. Ker ni dobil kredita, je napredoval z majhnimi koraki, se sproti učil in prišel na vrh. Leta 1977 je na trg poslal predojačevalnik 777, s katerim je prebil led. Od takrat avdiofili na vseh koncih našega planeta uživajo v poslušanju njegovih legendarnih komponent. Njegovi avdiosistemi razveseljujejo tudi voznike Bugattijevih Veyronov in Porschejevih Panamer in Cayennov. Burmester je namreč jamstvo in dokaz, da tudi male jeklene kletke lahko postanejo koncertne dvorane z neverjetno akustiko. Pogled na ljudi, kakršen je Dieter Burmester, je prvovrsten užitek. Ko se njegova roka dotakne masivnega daljinskega upravljalnika, njegov obraz preplavita deško veselje in najstniška strast. Po duši je sicer rocker, o tem priča zbirka več kot štiridesetih kitar. A glasbe ne loči po žanrih, temveč po kakovosti. Seveda, v razlikovanju dobrega in odličnega je že od nekdaj pravi mojster.

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To m K r i s t e n s e n – M r. V e r s a t i l e

BUSY IN RETIREM

by Peter Nygaard photography Grand Prix Photo

It is difficult for a racing driver - especially for a successful one - to find the right moment to retire. Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen decided to leave the cockpit in 2014 and he has never regretted his decision, though we found out that he still remains deeply involved in racing. We paid him a visit in his hometown of Hobro, an old market town in the north of Denmark, situated at the head of the beautiful M ariager Fjord. Boasting a population of close to 12,000 people, this is the place where he grew up and where he returned to after c alling it quits at the close of the 2014 season. He had lived in Germany, Japan and Monaco but now he resides at No 1 Tom Kristensens Vej (‘Tom Kristensen Street’). Yes, Hobro has honoured its most famous son with his very own street.

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Tom Kristensen won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2013 with teammates Loïc Duval and Allan McNish.

Photo: Audi

Tom enjoyed one of the most successful careers in international motor racing. His nine overall wins at Le Mans is a record which is likely to remain unmatched for a long time while his six victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring are also unlikely to be bested anytime soon. Add an World Endurance Championship, German and Japanese Formula 3 titles and countless wins in touring car series in Germany, Great Britain and Japan and in Formula 3000 in both Europa and Japan and it is clear the Dane is not only ‘Mr. Le Mans’ - he is ‘Mr. Versatile’.

/ / / UNCLE TOM Tom was 47 years old when he decided to stop racing. Not because he was getting slower - he won the World Endurance Championship with Audi in 2013, was fourth in 2014 and finished his last race, the final round of the 2014 World Endurance Championship in Brazil, in third place. It was just that the time was right.

— “When I realised that I was sometimes referred to as ‘Uncle Tom’, I started to think that maybe it was time to retire,” he smiles.

—

part in my last race and be the only one to know. I wanted to share that

“But it was a difficult decision to make. At the time, everything in my

final race with the team, the mechanics and the other drivers. In the end,

career was going well. I was competitive, I enjoyed working with the Audi

Ullrich agreed.”

team and sportscar racing was going from strength to strength. Still,

—

‘Uncle Tom’ sounded somewhat strange…”

“The downside of announcing my retirement was the additional pressure

—

it created in that last race in Brazil. But in the end, it went very well -

“When I grew up in racing, there were certain people I admired. People

we didn’t win but we did finish in the top three. I was happy with my

I wanted to compete with - people who had seats, I wanted. And now

performance that day - I drove a strong race, and that probably helped

I was probably the guy young drivers admired. The guy young drivers

me to accept that I had made the right decision. There are drivers who

wanted to compete with. And ultimately the guy whose seat they

probably hang on for too long and I didn’t want that. But it’s difficult if

wanted,” Tom says.

you still have the passion and the possibility to go on.”

—

—

“I discussed it a lot with Head of Audi Motorsport, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.

Apart from that, Tom also confesses to having felt a bit strange when

He said we should announce my retirement at Audi’s end-of-season

he began attending races with the Audi team in the 2015 season. “I

party in December. But I wanted to make it public before. When the final

sometimes felt a little…can I say ‘out of place’? It took me a bit of time to

decision was taken, I wanted the world to know. I didn’t want to take

find my new role with the team,” he admits.

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/ / / NO REGRETS A lot of great racing drivers have announced their retirement only to return a few years later. But a comeback has never been on Tom’s mind. At least not seriously.

“Sometimes I miss racing so much that it almost feels like a void or an emptiness in my life. It usually only lasts for a few seconds, but sometimes - especially if I am at a racing circuit - that feeling may linger for a little longer. Sure, the thought of making a comeback has entered my head from time to time, but it was never a constructive thought. It is a nice thought, sure, but what you think might happen if you make a comeback and what actually happens are two very different things.”

“

When I grew up in racing, there were certain people I admired. People I wanted

— “After Audi decided to enter marathon rallies, I was asked about doing the Dakar, but as I said - I feel my decision to retire was the right one. But would I like to take on the Dakar in an Audi? Hell yeah…”

— “I have never regretted my decision to stop after the 2014 season and I was happy when the decision was made. But from time to time I still think about what would have happened if I had continued.”

to compete with - people who had seats, I wanted. And now I was probably the guy young drivers admired. The guy young drivers wanted to compete with. And ultimately the guy whose seat they wanted.

Tom Kristensen

/ / / LEAVING ON HIS OWN TERMS Tom’s dad Carl-Erik was a successful racing driver in Denmark in the 1970s. He introduced his son to the sport, gave him his first go-kart and offered moral support throughout Tom’s career. When Carl-Erik died in 2013, a lot of things changed for Tom. — “That’s when I began to think about retirement. Not if but rather when to stop. My friend and co-driver Allan McNish called me in December 2013 and told me he was about to announce his retirement. That sort of accelerated the thought process.”

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Tom’s career could have ended several years earlier. In the opening round of the 2007 DTM series at Hockenheim, the Dane was involved in a high-speed crash which saw Alexandre Premat T-bone his Audi at close to 200 km/h. It was a life-threatening accident which left Tom with severe concussion and headache for several weeks.

— “I never thought about retiring after the accident - not for a second,” Tom says.

— “If anything, the accident made me even more committed to racing.

It was important for me that I make the decision to stop - not external circumstances. I feel very sorry for drivers like Thierry Boutsen or Dario Franchitti, who had their careers cut short by a crash. That must be very painful mentally.”

/ / / A VERY BUSY MAN

“My work for the FIA is a way of giving something back to the sport.

Racing is still my passion - I could never leave the sport completely,”

Ending his active career in 2014 did not mean Tom left motor racing

adds Tom who can still be found at quite a few races every year. Not as

for good. He is still busy, still jetting around the world, still keen to give

a racing driver, of course, but rather as a driver steward at a handful of

something back to the sport he loves.

Formula 1 Grands Prix.

—

—

For several years now he has been the president of FIA Drivers’

“I am also doing TV-commentary for Danish TV. I am their Formula 1

Commission, which was created by Jean Todt and chaired at first by

pundit and I share the job with my fellow-Le Mans winner John Nielsen.

Emerson Fittipaldi. The commission has 16 members including ex-F1

For Le Mans, I work with Eurosport’s international feed and we also

drivers like Derek Warwick (vice president), Jacques Villeneuve and

produce features. For this, I have tested several old Le Mans winners like

Karun Chandhok, alongside Le Mans winners Emanuele Pirro, Yannick

the Matra-Simca MS670 from 1972-73, the Ford GT from the 1960s,

Dalmas and Manuel Reuter.

Ferrari 166 MM from 1949 and even a Bentley from the late 1920s.”

—

—

“We are not a governing body, but we advise the FIA on a lot of things

“I use my experience a lot - both as a FIA Steward and as a TV-commentator.

like safety, track limits, driver licensing etc. We are also involved in the

To do both these jobs, I sometimes have to pretend that I am in the car, and

classification of endurance drivers – sorting them into platinum, gold,

that feeling still fuels my passion and produces a lot of adrenaline.”

silver and bronze drivers - and that takes up a lot of time.”

—

—

“I am an ambassador for Audi and that includes several roles.

“As president of the Drivers’ Commission I also sit on the FIA World

Sometimes I attend new car launches, sometimes we invite journalists

Council. This is where all the big decisions are made,” Tom says.

for hot laps in a sports car or even a racing car, sometimes I go to car

—

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shows. But it can also involve an Audi golf tournament or even the boat event Kieler Woche - it is a very varied job which also allows me to drive some of the historic Audi racing cars at different events like Goodwood in Great Britain or Pebble Beach in the United States.”

— “Every year I am also in charge of Audi’s Fitness and Teambuilding Week for the works drivers.”

— Lately, Tom has been busy with his autobiography. Originally, it was published in Denmark in 2017 and won the Sports Book of the Year Award. An extended, international edition in English titled ‘Mr. Le Mans’ came out earlier this year.

— “I am still busy with many different jobs, but they are all connected to racing and for me it is a privilege to stay in the sport I have been passionate about all my life,” he says.

— His lifestyle remains hectic, but fortunately still leaves time to enjoy life in Hobro. And that’s how it should be: After all, No 1 Tom Kristensens Vej offers the best view in the city.

“

I never thought about retiring after the accident - not for a second.

If anything, it made me even more committed to racing. It was important for me that I make the decision to stop - not external circumstances.

Tom Kristensen

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Colin Edwards today

ASSOCIATED WITH THE BEST It is a warm spring afternoon and from the distance come the sounds of motorcycles revving their engines on the red dirt of the Texas Tornado Boot Camp training facility. Colin Edwards, the Texas Tornado himself, watches for a moment, then glances at his watch and returns to the shop workroom where he spends a lot of his time these days. He is busy building a bike for his son Hayes, a promising 15-year-old motocross rider. A tabloid talk show goes unwatched on the television as Edwards moves back and forth between his work bench and the stand that holds the frame for his bike. A few drawers in his mammoth tool chest are pulled open as the retired two-time Superbike World Champion assembles the engine.

by Randy Jennings photography Rob Greer

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“I was known as a leg-over rider when I was

in racing,” Colin said. “Factory involvement

racing,” Edwards recalls ruefully. “I would just

dictates where the sport goes. We still have

show up, throw a leg over and ride. Other

good racing. The riders are all solid. Maybe not

guys did the stuff behind the scenes. Now I

as crazy and wild as in our day. A little bit more

get to do all of it.” The 47-year-old who knows

refined now.”

what it was like to compete against the best

When he wants to get away for a day, Colin

motorcycle riders in the world and come out on

enjoys taking his boat out on Lake Conroe

top has successfully reinvented himself as an

for family wind surfing. In addition to Hayes,

entrepreneur in the sport. Working on bikes is

Colin has two daughters, Gracie, 18, and

only a fraction of his duties.

Olivia, 11. “We’re just doing 16 km/h surfing

When his riding career was winding down 15

behind the boat. Just playing around. We try to

years ago, Colin’s wife Alyssia asked him what

get out as much as we can, 10 or 15 times a

he planned to do after retirement. From that

year,” he said. If the opportunity arises, he will

question, an idea for a world class motorcycle

occasionally play tennis or golf. He does not

training facility was born. “They say build it and

watch a lot of television and almost no sporting

they will come,” said Edwards. “And they have.

events unless it is with a gathering of friends.

It has been very satisfying.”

Colin became interested in social media in 2009 when he was considering ways to

A playground for motorcycle enthusiasts Edwards found 10 acres near the south shore of Lake Conroe, about 80 kilometres northwest of Houston and has turned it into a playground for motorcycle enthusiasts. The facility, fashioned on a natural slope, has been carved from the heavily-treed land that flanks either side of his property. He has overseen the construction of a variety of tracks including one that is fully covered by a mammoth roof.

Those that sign up for his Texas Tornado Boot Camps can stay in a 460 m bunkhouse that 2

sleeps 30 with all the comforts of home. The facility, financed by Edwards to the tune of around 3 million dollars recently reached its

promote his camps. “My idea was to use it as a tool for business and it used to be kind of fun,” he recalls. “People have changed in how they react. A few write things they would never say face to face,” Edwards said. “Here in Texas, it seems like we are unaffected by most things that happen. We have our own way of doing things. I’ve dealt with a lot of different people in a lot of different countries. It is easy to upset somebody. That’s when you need somebody to have your back. That’s the point of being a family.”

The bikes carry Akrapovič exhaust systems Six years ago, Colin’s hometown honoured

tenth year in operation.

him by adding his mural to a Legends Wall on

The peak season for the bootcamps extends

Main Street in Conroe. To qualify, the subject

from late February to Halloween with about

is required to attain state-wide, national or

half the participants coming from outside

international recognition. Even after retirement,

the United States. Camps vary in length. The

Edwards continued to build on his reputation

optimum number of campers is two dozen,

as a great factory test rider, in part because of

but Edwards has hosted as many as 38 - he

his tireless work ethic.

has 50 bikes at the ready - because he has a

While his racing exploits opened doors, Colin’s

hard time saying ‘No’. A staff of like-thinking

loyalty has led to long business associations.

instructors is on hand but campers also receive

He raced with Akrapovič for many years and

full attention from the head man himself. “It is

won WorldSBK titles in 2000 and 2002. He

my way of sharing the knowledge I’ve gained

has been associated with Akrapovič as a

through the years,” he said.

brand ambassador since 2018. “It has been

During a camp, Edwards arrives early from

awesome in every aspect,” said Colin, pointing

his home a short distance from the facility

out that his bootcamp bikes carry Akrapovič

and does not leave until after midnight. On

exhaust systems. “It is good to be associated

non-camp days, he often begins by moistening

with those that try very hard to be the best.”

the racing surfaces with a water truck and

In 2016, Edwards became part of the British

using another machine to loosen the packed

MotoGP broadcast team. That has helped

dirt. Then it is back to the shop to put on his

him increase his United Kingdom fan base.

mechanic hat. He calls it a day around 6 pm.

“Television came pretty naturally for me,” he

An observer instead of a participant

explained. “I always had fun on TV. I think I am able to add insight. And in doing interviews,

Weekends are set aside for Hayes’ races.

the riders were pretty open with me.”

“My enjoyment is watching my son ride,” said

The current situation has unfortunately left

Edwards, who rarely rides these days. “I don’t

his television gig up in the air and the travel

have to ride anymore. It is not something I

restrictions have greatly reduced his bootcamp

have to do.” Now an observer instead of a

attendance. But retirement and life in general

participant, Edwards is concerned about the

have been kind to Colin, who has remained

future of a sport that opened so many doors for

trim, fit and undaunted. “I’m doing everything

him. “They are still selling bikes like crazy, but

I want to do right here,” he says with satisfied

it is sad to see the brands are not as involved

grin. “We’re in a great spot right now.”

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“They are still selling bikes like crazy, but it is sad to see the factories are not as involved in racing,” Colin said. “Factory involvement dictates where the sport goes. We still have good racing.

The riders are all solid. Maybe not as crazy and wild as in our day.

A little bit more refined now.”

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Around The World

TICKET TO HEAVEN Article from

by Gaber Keržišnik

No. 03 / 2008

photography Bor Dobrin

I drove onto the entry ramp and inserted a ticket worth EUR 20 per lap into the slot. The gates to Heaven opened automatically and my Porsche 911 GT3 RS, rolling slowly on wide racing tyres, went into first gear.

Green Hell I gently caressed the Alcantara-clad stick, grasped the wheel with hand in glove, shifted to second, and pushed my foot flat on the gas. The six cylinders behind me roared through the titanium Akrapovič exhaust system and launched me into a different dimension. I was barely able to glance at the worried faces of the Akrapovič team at the side of the track that take care of the 911. In the German Championships, the car has been successfully driven by 21-year-old Julian Dercks, the German karting champion in 2002 and 2003, the winner of the last race of the season in Oschersleben and the winner of the race in Spa. The only thing my companions wanted for me was to return the car in one piece.

My desires, though, were quite different: primarily, that my day on the legendary Nürburgring racetrack would never end.

Nordschleife is indeed paradise for racers. This track used to be called Green Hell and quite a

number of racers met their ends here. If I were to ask Niki Lauda, who was engulfed in flames inside his racing car here, I’m sure he would convince me that the Nordschleife, as the track is called, is indeed hell. But for the average mortal doing a few laps behind the wheel of a 450 HP race car on a sunny morning, the track seems to be exactly the opposite. Heaven! Green, of course… The colour is indisputable. The entire length of the circuit is surrounded by a thick forest that keeps the circuit in the shade and cool even during the summer heat.

It is the vegetation that makes the morning mist on some parts of the track more of a rule than an exception and thus gives the “Green Hell” its own special charm.

Like Flying…

Tightly strapped in the Porsche’s narrow shell seat by a six-point race harness belt, I naturally

only felt my way through the track on the first lap, trying to get familiar with the legendary parts of the circuit which I had only known from black and white movies, pictures and videogames. I was more determined in the second lap and let the six cylinders fly. The forest became blurred and the graffiti, made by fans on the track, blurred more and more rapidly underneath my Porsche. My heart rate doubled and my breathing became shallow.

At Nordschleife you feel like you‘re flying. The track is very diverse and its numerous rises and descents give drivers the feeling that they’re moving in three dimensions. Not just front and back, left and right, but also up and down through space.

The straights, the corners, braking, acceleration, chicanes, open and closed combinations, hairpins, esses,… Despite completing it several times, you find it difficult to memorise all the parts of the long lap on the legendary track that is daily visited by several hundred cars.

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Nordschleife – they call it the most beautiful country road in the world. Driving through the Caracciola-Karussell turn…

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Adventure for Everyone There are of course no speed limits on the track that, due to its length and placement in the middle of a forest, mostly resembles a regular (albeit one-way) road. It is necessary to follow the rules, but you can floor the pedal as much as the vehicle allows you or as much as you dare. Nearly anybody can take to the circuit.

You can meet a family of four in their fully packed minivan in the middle of the Pflanzgarten chicane or, just as you’re about to enter the steeply banked concrete Caracciola-Karussell carousel turn, you may behold a crashed BMW M3 with two distraught German youngsters collecting the remains of the headlamps and the bumper and already wondering how they will explain to Dad that they didn’t borrow the car to drive to a football match.

The 20.8-kilometre old Nürburgirng track can be an adventure for anyone. Every day, from morning until nightfall, 365 days a year. If you don’t own a car, you can be taken around the track in a racing taxi — for a price, of course. The wider you open your wallet, the more exclusive your ride will be. They range from the Renault Clio to the awesome racing Dodge Viper.

Well, my car had only one mistake. It wasn’t really mine. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS is owned by Akrapovič, overhauled in line with racing standards and mainly used by the company to test and develop its technically complex and superior exhaust systems for cars. The testing had been going on since the company, until recently only known for its motorcycle exhausts, decided to enter the market for exclusive supercars. The GT3 RS is among Porsche’s top models. This beautiful machine, equipped with an engine but no turbo charger, sings its own tune. A sound system is the last thing a driver needs in it. The 911 is also the most common sight among sports cars at the Nürburgring. This is true even though one can see all kinds of Porsches here, both on the track and in the nearby villages where everything bears the mark of the “Green Hell”, the nickname first bestowed on this dangerous and demanding racetrack by racing champion Jackie Stewart.

“Über” Car and “Über” Track

The original team pits.

My lap with the Akrapovič Porsche was of course much slower than the magic 6 minutes 11 seconds and 13 hundredths of a second clocked by Stefan Bellof with the prototype Porsche 956 way back in 1983, but I still had the feeling that I was the fastest by far. At least until noon, when the sky above the Nürburgring slowly grew dark and raindrops started splattering on the asphalt. This is when the “Ring” truly turned into hell — the brutal 911 skidded dangerously whenever I put my foot on the gas and I drove off the track after three wet laps, returning the car’s keys to Wolfgang Dietz from the Foxxpr company which, together with the Wieth Racing team, makes sure to keep the beast well oiled.

Another perfect day was behind me. Well, it would have been even better without the afternoon rain. It truly is an “über” car and an “über” track. Maybe a Daytona in a NASCAR racing car or Le Mans in a super prototype from Manthey’s workshop could equal this experience, but until I try everything I believe that only doing acrobatics in a military jet fighter could bring out more adrenaline.

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The track is marked by various graffiti from fans.

Nürburgring archive

At the start of it all in 1928.

THE RING 1. The Nürburgring is made of two tracks. The new one and the old one. The short and the long.

The modern complex and the new track, today used for Formula 1 racing, were built in 1984.

But this track was of little interest to us during our trip. The old track, called the Nordschleife, is still in good condition despite having been constructed in 1927.

2. A lap around the 20.8-kilometre circuit will cost you EUR 20 but you can buy a ticket for any

number of laps. An annual ticket that gives you unlimited laps between January and December will set you back EUR 995. The Nordschleife has an interesting status. According to German law, a track is almost like a normal regional road and is open to everyday traffic, but without speed limits. Overtaking is only allowed on the left side. The police occasionally control traffic, usually by helicopter. You take to the track at your own risk and every user is also required to pay for any damages that he or she causes to the circuit — including damage to the protective fences, if they manage to careen off of it.

3. It’s worth noting to check the working hours before using the track, as they change often. The circuit is most likely to be open for “tourist rides” towards the end of the week, the weekends or in the afternoons. Races are still held on the Nordschleife. The most well known is the 24-hour race, where 220 vehicles and over 700 drivers from various categories navigate the circuit simultaneously. The event is watched every year by up to 290,000 spectators.

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Air and track temperature and an air pressure meter.

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“At Nord schleife you feel li ke you’re flying.”

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/ / Si

Vozovnica za “Zeleni pekel” “Moja največja želja je bila, da se športni dan na legendarni stezi na Nürburgringu nikdar ne konča. Z roko, odeto v rokavico, sem nežno pobožal prestavno ročico in volan, potegnil v drugo prestavo ter pogumno pohodil stopalko plina. Porsche 911 GT3 RS, bokserski šestvaljnik za menoj, je zatulil skozi Akrapovičev izpušni sistem iz titana in me izstrelil v drugo razsežnost. Nordschleife, stara steza na Nürburgringu (20,8 kilometrov), je zares dirkaški raj. Stezo so nekoč poimenovali Zeleni pekel. No, res je, da je tukaj žalostni konec dočakalo kar nekaj dirkačev, a danes se po njej lahko zapelje vsak smrtnik. Vsak dan od jutra do večera si za 20 evrov na krog lahko privoščite pravo dirkaško avanturo. Če nimate svojega avtomobila, vas bodo za primerno vsoto popeljali en krog z dirkaškim taksijem. Širše, ko boste odprli denarnico, ekskluzivnejši bo avtomobil, v katerega boste sedli. Od Renaultovega Clia do strašnega dirkaškega Dodgea Viperja. No, moj avto je imel samo eno napako. To, da ni bil zares moj.”

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Around The World

THE GREAT AMERICAN RACE

Welcome Bikers Article from

No. 15 / 2014

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DAYTONA OR BUST! The traditional Bike Week is more than just another biker meet, thousands of which happen around the world every weekend. Bike Week in Daytona is a pilgrimage site for every motorbike lover, especially those who eat, drink and breathe chrome, and those who cherish two-cylinder engine vibrations and leather. Daytona’s Bike Week is like the Carnival in Rio. It turns into a holy place for bikers every March. A pilgrimage site.

While speed, adrenaline and knee dragging aficionados are most interested in the happenings at, and next to, the oval racetrack, lovers of tattoos, beer and Harley- Davidson find their “solace” a few miles further down the road, where the sea meets land and noisy Main Street, the centre of all of Daytona’s action, meets the sandy beach. Of course you know the street, where bikes are parked handlebar-to- handlebar with banners stating ‘Welcome Bikers’ unfurled on the street above.

Main Street, usually at sunset, is the focus of every visiting photographer. If you ride a HarleyDavidson, a selfie on Daytona’s busiest lane is just as important as a photograph taken next to the Mona Lisa in Paris’s Louvre is for art lovers. To be there, enjoy the week and have fun in any of the numerous bars with loud live rock music. That’s the aim. The purpose. The point. Daytona or bust!

So we went there as well. Again. Because Daytona is a must-see. However, we relished this year’s

by Gaber Keržišnik photography Bor Dobrin

Daytona on our bikes. The way everybody should.

Our Harleys, a Road King and a 883 Sportster were, of course, equipped with Akrapovič exhaust systems from the new Custom Line, which serves as the Slovenian exhaust maker’s segue into this motorbike segment. Could there be a better venue than Daytona for the spotless chrome-plated double exhaust on the Road King or the clipped and flawlessly black matte coloured dual pipes on the Sportster? It didn’t seem to be; we remained

a centre of attention. V-twin engine lovers just couldn’t get enough of the uniqueness of our products, nor hide their surprise that the Akrapovič brand, highly renowned for its high product quality and successes on the track, made such a bold entry onto the cruiser market.

THE MENACING MORSUS But we got even more attention when we took the brand’s custom Morsus bike from its stand at the

Ormond Beach fairgrounds and rode it through town.

Our aim? To draw as much attention as possible.

That’s what Daytona is all about. The custom bike was produced in Slovenia in cooperation with Dreamachine Motorcycles and Akrapovič and resembles the latter’s beast trademark. Morsus looks venomous. As if it’s readying its deadly sting. Part of the reason for its deadly looks is also the flawless manufacture and the use of state-of-the-art materials such as titanium and carbon fibre.

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Yep, exactly the materials used by the Akrapovič brand for manufacturing exhausts.

Riding on top of the bike, which was created to mark Akrapovič’s entry into the market for exhausts for custom motorbikes and cruisers, made by Harley-Davidson, was none other than Nicole, who owns a Harley in real life as well. We naturally clothed her in fitting black leather and full biking gear.

And we sent her down Main Street. In the evening. Riding in a line of other bikers. It’s quite obvious that the event was captured in its entirety, as an armada of photographers, video reporters and assistants laid in wait besides Daytona’s central artery, taking gazillion of snapshots and videos of Nicole and Morsus hitting the Main Street with a blast.

THE IMMORTAL RACE It all started 73 years ago with a motorbike race on sand. To be more specific: a sandy beach located at a seaside resort in northern Florida. The fame and renown of the race and the place kept increasing as years went by. The 200 Miles of Daytona and the town’s traditional ‘Bike Week’ have, for many years, been at the top of the list of must-go events in all motorbike magazines. This seaside town, located about 250 miles north of Miami and some 60 miles east of Orlando, greets you with: ‘Welcome to Daytona Beach, the World’s Most Famous Beach,’ soon after turning off the highway. America’s youth, who have

Danny Eslick winner of 2014 Dayt

ona 200

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for many years been gathering here, are especially eager for the annual ‘Spring Break,’ which was apparently first marked as a major occasion in this very city. Motorcycle and race lovers will meanwhile try to keep their beating heart still at the sight of the racing complex, probably the best in the world.

The Daytona International Speedway oval racetrack is home to the NASCAR car racing series. Its 500 miles of Daytona, held in February, is the most anticipated event of the series with an immense following in the US. This race’s popularity and media interest is maybe only matched by the 500 miles of Indianapolis.

But Daytona has another trick up its sleeve. Apart from the 500 miles and the legendary endurance race, 24 Hours of Daytona, it also hosts the Daytona 200, the 200-mile long motorbike race and the only such event that takes place on the famous oval racetrack with its steep banks. This unique track, steep banking at the turns and high speeds have made it immortal. Well, the racers also contributed somewhat to that fame, of course.

Numerous legendary names have raced here. Giacomo Agostini, Barry Sheene, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Kenny Roberts, Kevin Schwantz, Colin Edwards, Troy Corser, Miguel Duhamel, Scott Russell, Nicky Hayden, Ben Spies and the list goes on and on. The 200-mile race, which used to take place on Sundays, seems to bring the motorbike carnival in Daytona to an end.

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“DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW THE MORSUS WENT DOWN?” Want to see how bikers’ jaws dropped after a beauty riding a custom beauty rumbled past them? Some things are a little bit more difficult to put into words, so check out the photos in the current issue of the magazine or visit Akrapovič’s website at www.akrapovic.com. And see you at the Daytona 2015 Bike Week!

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During Bike Week, when the town’s streets echo with the rumbles of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the Daytona International Speedway racetrack plays host to a bevy of races in various classes under the patronage of the American Motorcycle Association (AMA). In the past few years, these have become the first races of the season, with the oval racetrack kick-starting the on-road racing season. But that’s not all. A weekend prior, the AMA Supercross Championship takes place in Daytona. This popular event used to be held on the same weekend as the 200 miles, but has recently been pushed forward a week. This seems to have been prompted by the desire of the organisers to extend Bike Week for a few more days, but the majority of the people I spoke with saw it as a bad idea, stating that a single weekend of racing was a lot more focused and allowed the spectators to witness both the Supercross and the 200 Miles of Daytona between a single Friday and Sunday.

The change was of no consequence for this year’s Daytona, which went off without a hitch. The 73rd race saw no hiccups from start to finish, almost a strange occurrence for the event, which has seen numerous interruptions and restarts in recent years, mainly caused by accidents involving several riders. This year, luck was on the side of the competitors and the organisers and we were able to enjoy a tight race, just as everyone hopes for in Daytona: including all the elements of such a long race – pit stops, tyre changes and refueling.

This year’s Daytona was triumphant for Triumph and Akrapovič. The race’s winner, the American Danny Eslick of the Riders Discount team, completed 200 miles (57 laps) faster than anybody else on top of the British bike, equipped with a Slovenian exhaust system.

Daytona’s Bike Week is like the Carnival in Rio. It turns into a holy place for bikers every March. A pilgrimage site.

// Si

Kot karneval v Riu Motociklistični teden (Bike Week) v Daytoni je romarski kraj za vsakega ljubitelja motociklov, še posebej pa za vse tiste, ki so jim blizu krom, vibracije dvovaljnega motocikla in usnje. Bike Week v Daytoni je kot karneval v Riu. Tokrat smo ga užili z motocikla. Tako kot je tudi prav. Naša Harleyja, modela Road King in Sportster 883, sta bila seveda opremljena z Akrapovičevimi izpušnimi sistemi iz nove linije Custom, s katero slovenska znamka izpušnih sistemov vstopa v ta motociklistični svet. Bi lahko lepše preizkusili sijoče

kromiran dvojni izpušni sistem za Road Kinga ali pa kratko prirezan in v brezhibno črno mat barvo obarvan dvojni izpuh za model Sportster kot v Daytoni? Najbrž težko, saj smo bili ves čas v središču pozornosti, ko se preostali somišljeniki in ljubitelji zračno hlajenih dvovaljnikov kar niso mogli načuditi izvirnosti naših izdelkov, presenečeni, da je znamka Akrapovič, sicer znana po visoki kakovosti izdelka in uspehih v svetovnih motociklističnih prvenstvih, vstopila skozi glavna vrata tudi na trg cruiserjev.

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by Miran Ališič photography Bor Dobrin, Porsche Archive

Ta r g a F lorio in a P o r s c he 9 1 1 Tar ga 4 GT S

A MILLION BLISTERS FOR A MILLION THRILLED SPECTATORS No. 18 / 2015 Article from

THERE IS ONLY ONE. THE RACE OF ALL RACES. THE TARGA. EVEN IF YOU LEAVE OUT THE FLORIO, ALL RACING AFICIONADOS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT.

The most unusual race of the previous century lasted from 1906 all the way to 1973. Well, if you keep counting after the departure of the World Sportscar Championship, it actually lasted until 1977. It always took place on the tight and twisty roads of the Madonie Mountains in the north of Sicily.

The greatest number of victories at the race, where the roads were never closed to ordinary traffic, went to Porsche. The racing cars from Zuffenhausen secured a total of 11 wins, two more than Alfa Romeo and three more than Ferrari. This was the reason for taking a Porsche 911 Targa to Sicily, to revive the memory of the Targa Florio!

FLORIO – THE RACE’S FATHER Even today, more than a century after the first race, the road to Targa remains long. From Padua, the seat of the Italian subsidiary of Porsche, it takes more than 15 hours on the

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wide and modern Italian motorways to reach it. That’s without breaks mind you, apart from a quick stop for fuel and an espresso, and also includes the half-hour ferry ride across the Messina Strait. Such a drive across the Italian Peninsula wasn’t even a remote possibility in 1906. The race cars, ten of them, were shipped by boat from Genoa to Palermo. The first race was nearly cancelled due to a strike by the port workers of Genoa. But the cars somehow successfully made it to Sicily and it all began at 6 am on May 6, 1906. The drivers were in for hell. The chosen lap was the long one, measuring 148.8 kilometres on tarmac roads south of the town of Cefalu and the drivers were expected to complete three of them. The winner was Sandrin Cagno from Turin with his Itala. His average speed was quite incredible if you consider the roads of the time – 46.8 km per hour.

While Targa stands for a plate on which the cup for the winners was proudly placed, Florio stands for the event’s father. The Florio family was one of the richest in Sicily and descended from Paolo Florio, who moved to Palermo in 1783, following a catastrophic earthquake in his Calabrian village of Bagnara Calabra. He traded herbs and spices, managed shops, and his business flourished. Paolo died in 1807 and his 1799-born son Vincenzo was too young to take over the company.

This resulted in Paolo’s brother Ignazio coming from Calabria to run the business until his death in 1827. The ownership went to the grown-up Vincenzo, who was able to start developing new ideas. The Vino Marsala wine, for example, but also: a maritime company. The Florio emporium grew and grew.

Vincenzo’s son Ignazio bought two islands and set up a plant to process and can tuna using salt and oil – he was the first person to do so and his products conquered the world.

Ignazio had three children, one again named Vincenzo, who loved splendour, sports and organising large events. He fell in love with cars, the miracle of the early 20th century, and admired the races already being organised by the French, English and Americans. At

the turn of the twentieth century, the Florio family controlled a large part of the tuna and cosmetics industry, managed a fleet of over 100 merchant and passenger ships, produced wine and was the richest family in Italy. Vincenzo Florio believed that by bringing car racing to Sicily, he could turn the island into the economical and technological engine of a united Italy. So he came up with the Targa Florio.

A ONE-DAY UNIQUE RACE Over 100 years after the first race, the situation is very different. A Porsche 911 is not something that can be seen on the island very often and the development gap between Sicily and northern Italy is quite noticeable. The Sicilian roads reflect this: full of potholes, poorly maintained, lacking markings, hard shoulders… Florio constructed stands and garages a stone’s throw away from the sea and called them Florianopolis – these structures still bring back memories of the race today. During the race’s long history, there were three different lengths of laps in different periods – the longest was the 148 km Grande, followed by the 108 km Medio, in use after WWI, and after WWII the 72 km Piccolo circuit, which was used for more years than the other two. The race was 11 laps long.

That’s nearly 800 kilometres, almost three times longer than an F1 race.

Quite a few museums remember this famous event, the first a small and barely noticeable building in the coastal town of Campofelice, while a new museum opened this year in the Florianopolis pits. The largest and most important one is located next to the city hall of Collesano, high in the Madonie Mountains. As I arrive at the museum’s entrance in the Porsche, custodian Giuseppe Valenza immediately remembers the founder of the Stuttgart-based company. “The Austro-Daimler Sascha racing car was made by Ferdinand Porsche and took part in our race in 1922. This small, light and nimble racer had a 45 HP engine and won twice in the 1100 class.” Even though Fritz Kulm won the 1100 class at that race, sitting behind the wheel of one of the Saschas was the

future Mercedes motorsports boss Alfred Neubauer. He finished 19th.

Enzo Ferrari also competed at the Targa that year, coming in at 16th in his Alfa Romeo 20/30 HP. The overall winner that year was Giulio Masetti with a Mercedes GP 4500.

Unfortunately, his luck did not hold and he was the only casualty of the 1926 race, dying after flipping his Delage 2LCV. The relatively low top speeds, or perhaps blind luck, meant that Targa Florio caused a lot fewer casualties than, for example, Mille Miglia. Two years prior to Masetti’s untimely death, in 1924, Ferdinand Porsche had already built the winning car for the race. Sitting behind the wheel of the Mercedes Indy with a compressor-equipped four cylinder engine was Christian Werner. Why was Targa Florio the most difficult race? “The roads had different types of pavement and there were lengthy tarmac sections for many years as well,” Giuseppe explains, as he points to various Targa memorabilia. “The route took the drivers on winding roads filled with bridges, hairpins, narrowings in towns and villages, blind turns and heavy drops.” He is also proud of the spectators.

“Targa was a one-day race, usually taking part in April or May and the roads were flanked by hundreds of thousands, sometimes up to a million onlookers. That, also, is a unique racing story.”

NINO VACCARELLA – THE FASTEST SICILIAN As I navigate the four-wheel drive Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS across the narrow roads, full of potholes, uneven surfaces and broken plates of asphalt, I find it hard to believe that the cars managed a whooping 115 km per hour average speed at the final 57th Targa Florio on the 13 May 1973 – with the roads opened to traffic, no less. Victory went to Herbert Müller and Gijs van Lennep with their Porsche 911 RSR. But two years prior to that it remained in Sicily. Nino Vaccarella and Toine Hezemans drove the fastest car on the track, an Alfa Romeo 33/3, grabbing the second victory for the man from Palermo, who already took the laurels with Lorenzo Bandini in 1965 behind

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the wheel of a Ferrari 275 P2.

The 82-year-old, grey-haired and vivacious gentleman lives in a block of flats in the suburbs of Palermo.

He takes only a glancing look at the sporty Porsche 911 and uses a tiny Fiat to go around the city and its surroundings. “That was a very special and difficult race,” he begins. “I was regarded as a fast driver, the only Sicilian to ever make it far enough to get invited

by Enzo Ferrari to join his team.

But I didn’t go. Well, I did race for him, occasionally. I had a large secondary school right below here with over 300 students and I could only race on the weekends. I didn’t want to become a professional race driver, so my relationship with Enzo Ferrari remained different from the one he had with other drivers. I never lived in Modena or Maranello, I only came for the races. This naturally meant that I never made it to the F1 team.” Vaccarella only

raced in sports cars for Enzo, but he can boast of winning all the races of the then-endurance circuit. “I won at Targa, Le Mans, Sebring, Monza, Spa and Nürburgring, all the classics of endurance racing. That was a big achievement.” However it is Targa that holds a special place in his heart. “Firstly, because this is my country, my land. Here on this island I was never called an Italian – always a Sicilian. This was a race of a thousand turns, it was very difficult to drive, to remain focused for that long. Apart from the long straight stretch at the seaside, the driver had no break, you couldn’t relax for a moment because the turns kept coming at you every second. It really was exhausting.

My hand was sometimes full of blisters from shifting. Targa really was racing hell.”

He stopped competing in 1972 after the birth of his son, but remained

“for a few more years at Targa.

Until 1975.” For the past 40 years Vaccarella has been writing a column for every F1 race for the Giornale di Sicilia daily. “Vedo Rosso is the playful name of my column, because I was constantly teased that I see everything through red-tinted Ferrari glasses. Well, I suppose I do. I am an Italian racing driver, a former Ferrari man after all.”

THE RACE OF ALL RACES Targa Florio has always been a race where the most famous names in racing have tried to prove themselves.

This is as true for its early years with victories from the aces of the period like Felice Nazzaro, Pietro Bordino and Ugo Sivocci, as it is for the period between the two wars, with wins going to Antonio Ascari, Enzo Ferrari, Max Sailer, Giuseppe Campari, Tazio Nuvolari, Christian Werner, Alfieri Maserati, Luigi Fagioli, Louis Chiron, Achille Varzi,

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Vincenzo Florio believed that Sicily could become the engine of a united Italy.

So he came up with the Targa Florio.

“My hand was sometimes full of blisters from shifting, Targa really was racing hell.”

Nino Vaccarella

Targa Samo ena je. Dirka vseh dirk. Targa. Tudi, če spustite Florio, bodo vsi, ki imajo radi dirkanje, natančno vedeli, za kaj gre.

Najbolj nenavadna dirka prejšnjega stoletja. Vse od leta 1906.

Do leta 1973. Po ozkih in ovinkastih cestah gričevja Madonie na severu Sicilije. Priložnost, da smo se po spominih na Targo Florio do Sicilije odpeljali s Porschejem 911 Targa.

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Paul Pietsch, and, with a bit of extra international flair, post-WW2 era with winners like Stirling Moss and Peter Collins. Juan Manuel Fangio and Wolfgang Berghe von Trips raced here, Mike Hawthorn gave it a go, Mexican Ricardo Rodriguez made it here as did the famous Jackie Ickx, the king of Monaco F1 race Graham Hill, the prematurely deceased Rolf Stommelen, skier Jean-Claude Killy...

Some parts of the racing lap of the former Targa Florio have been closed in recent years due to landslides, but you can still do most of the Piccolo and Grande with your car. I have to admit that the Porsche 911 Targa did not aid me much in my attempts to approach the times of brave drivers, who tested their courage and the capabilities of their cars for over 70 years on this unique, unusual and unrepeatable race in the middle of the Sicilian countryside. Perhaps Vincenzo Florio, while plotting the race course some 100 years ago as he drove on the tarmac roads of Northern Sicily through the towns and villages of Cerda, Caltavuturo, Petralia, Castelbuono and Collesano back towards the sea, really did believe that his island would become Europe’s automotive centre. That did not come to pass. But I sincerely doubt that Florio expected his race to remain a test of true courage and racing abilities for more than 50 years after his death. It does seem quite unusual but fitting that after two days of a Sicilian adventure with the Porsche 911, named after this very race, the Targa Florio, last organised over 40 years ago, still holds its place in the hearts of all the inhabitants from all parts of the Madonie Mountains.

Targa was a one-day race with up to a million spectators watching from the roadsides.

That is a unique racing story.

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Around The World K AWASAKI NINJA H2 AND TOM SYKES ON THE REMAINS O F THE HISTORIC ADRIATIC GR AND PRIX

F ro m T h e Pa s t To T h e F u t u re

by Peter Kavčič photography Bor Dobrin,

Article from

No. 17 / 2015

historical photos: Aleksandar Popović (personal archive)

THE ALL- NE W AND DAR ING K AWASAKI NINJA H2 WAS THE R IDE O F CHOICE FOR FOR MER WOR LDSBK CHAMPION TOM SYKES AS HE TOOK TO THE R EMAINS O F THE FOR MER ADR IATIC GP R ACE TR ACK ON A GROUND - BR E AKING SP ORTS MOTOR BIKE , MIXING THE PR ESENT WITH THE PAST ON A CIRCUIT THAT HOSTED SUCH A WE ALTH O F BIG NAMES IN GP R ACING .

Today the street circuit is no longer used as such; actually it has not been since 1978, when the event was moved to the Autodrom Grobnik racetrack. The old circuit, known to locals as Preluk, was abandoned because it could not even meet minimal safety standards. The speeds kept increasing and the road, hedged between crags on the one and precipices and the sea on the other side, became too dangerous. But this was the place where motorbike

history was written by Giacomo Agostini, Angel Nieto, Kent Andersson, Ricardo Tormo, Godfrey Nash and the king of Preluk Dieter Braun, who won here more often than anybody else – five times.

The road, caught between the steep coast and cliffs rising above the blueness of the Bay of Rijeka on the one and rocky crags on the other side, was dangerous already in 1969, when the first Yugoslav Grand Prix,

also known as the Adriatic Grand Prix, was held. But a reminder that the golden age of racing has not been forgotten by all citizens, came in the shape of an older lady who arrived to the bus stop. Mrs. Djurdjica regularly attended races as a young girl and when she saw Tom riding past on the road, the former racetrack, she became emotional.

“Thank you boys for remembering something that spread the fame of our city. I am moved.”

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THE ‘MONTE CARLO’ OF NORTHERN ADRIATIC The long drop and the equally steep climb above the coast presented challenges for the technology, putting loads on both the engines and brakes.

But it did try to make amends with the wonderful vista and the cosmopolitan Opatija, also known as the Monte Carlo of Northern Adriatic. It was this, alongside a rich history of racing, that brought us on this early spring trip, not to mention what it was made on – a uniquely designed motorbike with what every rider wishes for – brutal power! Its appearance, design and power also excited Tom: “I love powerful bikes, I love to feel that power and tame the engine beneath me.” Tom was obviously not racing on that day as he respects traffic rules and speed

limits, but he nevertheless enjoyed riding on his new Kawasaki, despite the restrictions. Down the start-finish straight, pass the stands, one of the few mementos of the town’s racing past, the road gently undulating alongside the coast until a long left turn and two quicker ones bring you to a right hairpin, called the Opatija turn, and the westernmost point of the former track. Then follows a series of quick left and right turns to the highest point and then the descent to what must be the circuit’s most harrowing feature, an S bend at its quickest part. The bravest riders flew through it at speeds reaching 250 km/h! Then sharp braking to navigate the easternmost point of the track, the Rijeka turn, actually a sharp right-handed hairpin that led the riders towards a series of downhill S bends and then to a long right turn leading back to the finishing straight.

The motorbikes that are used by MotoGP and WorldSBK riders today

would make racing on this circuit extremely risky and the tolerance level for errors would be zero!

After taking a look of the track, Tom, who finished the 2013 season as the WorldSBK World Champion and came in second last year, admitted that he did not see himself guiding his Kawasaki between the rocks and the precipices.

“I’ll definitely stay on closed circuits!

I have tons of respect for the guys doing road racing today, especially the races such as the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man. When I thought of TT races I knew they were all mad, but when you see it live, it’s four times as crazy! I stood by the road, right next to the fence and heard an approaching bike. As it sped past me, just a few centimetres from the rails, I got goose bumps. Big respect for the guys on TT races and all who were racing over here.” >>

The track was famous for its long climbs, severely testing the bike.

Descents were not easy either, with cliffs on one, precipice and sea on the other side.

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GIACOMO AGOSTINI VS MICK DOOHAN As the talk turns to idols and racing legends, Tom admits that he is a bit too young to really know the riders who dominated the scene in the seventies and eighties. One of the most successful ones here in Preluk was Italian superstar Giacomo Agostini, who won a total of three

races on these roads. But Tom began to get interested in closed circuit races in the 1980’s and 90’s so his idols were born later.

“In my younger age I was a big fan of Mick Doohan. His style and what he did on the bike was fantastic. I’m also a big Colin Edwards fan, he is one of greatest ever in WorldSBK. So this two had big influence on my racing career.

The former main stand has been overgrown by grass and bushes.

Tom appraises: “I’d ride into the final turn in 4th gear on my superbike... Hmm, that would really be interesting...”

“When I started racing, I discussed former race bike riders with my granddad and he would tell me to try to follow the style of Troy Corser or Max Biaggi, but that didn’t work for me in the end. I still talk races with granddad, he is a fantastic person, always supporting me and giving me his point of view.”

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KAWASAKI NINJA H2 ON ‘PRELUK’ The paddock of the days gone by is a business and industrial zone today and the mechanics readying the motorbikes have been replaced

by MOT tests. There is absolutely no trace that 50 years ago a World Championship race was held here.

The most magnificent reminder of the times when Preluk attracted up to 80,000 people are the stands.

Laughingly small for today’s spectators, but back then they housed the best seats, typically reserved for VIP guests. Today the stones are covered by grass, bushes and thorns, but that did not stop Tom from climbing the fence and sitting down amongst the ghosts of spectators. He was quiet for a few seconds and then exclaimed in his characteristic Yorkshire dialect: “I’d use the 4th gear here in the last corner. It should be very interesting what speed I could carry through it.

Would be definitely surprised. Real shame I can’t push it a bit with Ninja H2 here.”

At the bleeding edge: The new Akrapovič muffler blends in perfectly with the design of Kawasaki Ninja H2.

When the topic shifted to the bike that he used on the former circuit, his eyes shone. He was visibly excited with the Ninja H2. But this story runs deeper than it seems at first sight. Back at home he has the legendary Kawasaki model Mach IV. The two-stroke machine is considered one of the wildest and least tameable bikes and is part of the heritage of Kawasaki motorbikes which had forever etched themselves in the hearts of sports motorcycle fans. Tom’s bike is currently awaiting restoration to make it safe for riding on the road or, occasionally, on the track.

But the Ninja H2, which he checked out for the first time right here at the Opatija Riviera, was love at first sight: “For me it’s a great bike.

Sure I like the design. I have some ambitions and will try to get one. / / Si Z revolucionarnim motociklom kot v starih časih S povsem novim Kawasakijem Ninja H2, drznih oblik, se je po sledeh legendarne dirke za veliko nagrado Jadrana zapeljal nekdanji svetovni superbikovski prvak Tom Sykes in postavil motocikel, ki premika meje v športnem motociklizmu, na prizorišče, kjer so dirkala velika imena dirk GP. Danes se tu ne dirka več, pravzaprav se ne dirka že od 1978, ko so dirko prestavili nekoliko višje na dirkališče Grobnik. Preluk namreč ni več dopuščal vsaj minimalnih standardov varnosti.

Hitrosti so se povečevale in cesta, ukleščena med skale na eni in prepadi in morjem na drugi strani, je postala prenevarna.

Tom, ki je sezono 2013 okronal z naslovom svetovnega prvaka v razredu WorldSBK, priznava, da si ne predstavlja, kako bi s svojim Kawasakijem dirkal med skalami na eni in prepadom na drugi strani. Vendar za lep izlet, kot je bil tale z novim Kawasakijem Ninja H2 z unikatnim Akrapovičevim izpušnim sistemom, si bo še vzel čas.

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In bygone days, the brave riders were cheered on by up to 80,000 fans!

Kawasaki did a great job, they just went right outside of the box with it.

For me this bike is like a sports car.

It’s just more than a normal sports bike. It’s fantastic what they did with speed, with the trellis frame, the design and colour. Man I love that colour, I would love to have this on my race bike. Also the Akrapovič exhaust looks really special, they did this signature series especially for this bike and it fits so well. It gives nice control over engine and response, beautiful! And the sound!

While passing rocky walls beside the road, the echo just pumped up the powerful sound.”

True that! Akrapovič recently unveiled an all-new Slip-On, designed by Igor Akrapovič himself, and the Kawasaki Ninja H2 is the first motorcycle that the new exhaust is already available for.

“I can imagine that the closed circuit Kawasaki Ninja H2R model is even sharper. I’ve heard it sounds just fantastic with its supercharged engine and a more open exhaust. I think it shows the level of engineering capacity Kawasaki put into these two bikes. The ride is radical and talking about adrenaline, well this machine provides tons of it.”

For Sykes, the adrenalin rush is at its highest when crossing the finish line as first, in front of the pack of fellow competitors. But starts are the most nerve-wrecking, tension is the highest then, he says. With more power, winning also gets easier. Sadly Tom cannot place this engine into his WorldSBK spec Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. Kawasaki’s closed circuit bike, the Ninja H2R has a massive 300 HP of power and must be tons of fun.

Sykes already has his plan. “You can

do a lot with that power! Especially with my riding style. I think it would be nice. I can manage power quite well, it fits my riding style. This year new regulations brought in a decrease in power in WorldSBK championship and we are still learning how to use the bike to its utmost.

The Ninja H2 that I rode today has a lot of potential. It’s nice to ride a bike with that much power and supercharger. They did a great job!

I’m really really aching to use all that power and could hardly hold myself back when passing that 40 km/h road sign. I would like to try this on a track with proper race tyres, just to understand its real potential. It’s also way more comfortable than my race bike, with the sitting position and my height feels relaxed. The centre of gravity is low, so handling is nice.

The acceleration is really good.”

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A TRIP TO ADRIATIC RIVIERA... IN THE FUTURE Tom also rides bikes in his free time. Not as much as he would like to, but that is the cost of travelling from one race to another and doing all the testing and preparations of a WorldSBK Champion. His current street bike is the versatile Kawasaki Versys 1000.

Riviera, he admits that he really has no time yet for such a holiday.

Usually he just packs his bags and flies somewhere where he can lay down and relax, a complete change from his racing day. “It would definitely be nice to go for a trip with friends. It’s so pretty here in Croatia, the sun is nice and warm, the sea is clean, you can see the islands in front and snow-covered peaks at the back. The vibe here is relaxed, quite special in fact.”

“It’s perfect for a bit of fun, to go for a coffee or visit my family and friends.”

TOUGH ONE: TEA OR COFFEE?

When asked about vacationing with a motorbike, for instance would he come here to the north Adriatic

Tom enjoyed his ride on a pleasant sunny day and while relaxing on the terrace of Opatija’s finest hotel with

a cup of coffee in his hands, he was presented with a rather interesting dilemma. Tea or coffee?

After a few moments of hesitation, he replied with a Yorkshire man’s typical straightforwardness: “Yeah... It depends on the scenario. If I could only drink one for the rest of my life, I would pick tea! A nice pot of bloody Yorkshire leaf tea!”

After his last sip, he gently put the cup back on the table, stretched his legs and took in the scenery. A Kawasaki Ninja H2 with the new Akrapovič Slip-On exhaust system in the late afternoon sun.

What a view!

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Around The Wo r ld

TORO E Article from

No. 25 / 2019

Lamborghini Urus in Sassi di Matera As you stop in front of a cave in Matera, you are usually greeted by 5-star luxury.

Ambient lighting, air conditioning, designer furniture, chilled sparkling wine as a welcome drink and, of course, Wi-Fi. A night spent in such a cave will set you back 500, 1000 or more euros. In order to visit the third oldest city in the world after Syria’s Aleppo and West Bank’s Jericho, you need a suitable companion. How about the new Lamborghini Urus, the world’s fastest and most capable SUV? With the additional off-road package and an Akrapovič Racing exhaust. The bull and the stone. Time to see if it works out. * The Bull and the Stone

SASSI

*

by Miran Ališič photography Bor Dobrin

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Let’s begin with the stone. “Sassi” is the name of a rocky ridge and part of Matera, where people used to live in caves until the 1960s. For real, without water, electricity, ventilation, in desperate moisture and cold, and together with domestic animals.

Over 20,000 people maintained the ancient tradition of simple yet hazardous cave existence.

Diseases killed them en masse and the infant mortality rate stood at 40 %. To put an end to this public shame, the Italian government eventually managed to resettle the resisting population to modern residential flats, built above the caves.

The relocation was a shock to many. The caves remained empty and deserted. The plan was to fill them in, but because it wasn’t carried out and because children of the former inhabitants returned to the renovated and modernised subterranean dwellings, Matera received the UNESCO World Heritage status in 1993. The town began to fill up again. Caves became bars, hotels, restaurants, galleries, museums… Matera is this year’s

Urus is in many ways a new

European Capital of Culture. In the middle of March

beginning for Lamborghini. This

it was impossible to find a bed in the hotels, even less so in the caves. So, the stones have truly come back to life. What about the bull?

First came the tractors Lamborghini is a source of national pride in Italy. It is the opposite of Ferrari and Maserati. Ferruccio Lamborghini differed from Enzo Ferrari, so his cars always differed too. As did his tractors. Yes, Lamborghini started out by manufacturing tractors, but in 1963 he founded Automobili Lamborghini and in 1966 he created an icon with the

bull is for those with individuality and a select style.

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But saying “sound” doesn’t even begin to describe it. It is a veritable symphony, courtesy of an Akrapovič Racing exhaust.

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Urus is a new beginning in many ways Its engine is a 4-litre V8 bi-turbo, capable of

Over 150 churches The town is home to over 150 churches, a living proof of hope in faith and the afterlife that was often sought by the inhabitants, but

producing 478 kW (650 HP) and 850 Nm of

only a few churches are still active today. On

torque. The eight-speed automatic gearbox

the large square of San Pietro Caveoso in

is precise and responsive. There is always

front of its namesake church, we run into Carlo

enough power. On any surface. On the road

Cannone. The 65-year-old gentleman sells

from Sant’Agata Bolognese near Bologna

books about Matera. For the past 15 years he’s

to Matera, deep in Italy’s south, where we went looking for urban caves and straight country roads, we were introduced to a wealth of driving characteristics in all possible circumstances, be it doing 50 km/h, turning on the slippery stones of Matera’s narrow

been involved in tourism, the town’s largest industry by far. “Only the famous come now.

We’ve hosted all Italian politicians, actors, performers. Well, it’s all the same category,” he laughs after explaining that he came to Matera as a child with his parents. They never lived in the caves. They settled in the new town

Lamborghini Miura. After this legendary model

streets, or tearing down a deserted country

above them. But he remembers those who

from the time when the inhabitants of Matera’s

road in Basilicata’s backwaters. It is also well

lived underground. “It stank to high heavens, I

caves were being relocated, Lamborghini, now

suited to motorways. Especially the German

distinctly remember that. What you’re seeing

owned by Audi, yet again built a very special

ones. It does 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds

today is something completely different, of

vehicle which has already found its place in the

and the speedometer reaches 200 after a

course.” He pointed out two sides of mass

motoring present and is all but guaranteed one

paltry 12.8 seconds. Its shape also stands

in the future as well. Lamborghini Urus looks

out. Individual, but not obtrusive. Futuristic, yet

dynamic, possesses excellent longitudinal

unassuming. It reflects its driver’s character and

and lateral acceleration, is tight and precise

is made for special, rare individuals. You won’t

in handling, hugs the surface superbly and,

be embarrassed driving it though, something

after turning on the “Corsa” setting, also has

that cannot be said for all the Lamborghinis from

the sound… But saying “sound” doesn’t even

the past. Urus is in many ways a new beginning

begin to describe it. It is a veritable symphony,

for Lamborghini. This bull is for those with

observes what they have become with both

courtesy of an Akrapovič Racing exhaust.

individuality and a select style.

excitement and scepticism.

tourism. “I sell books about Matera, but not many people buy them. They take a photo, visit the bathroom and then leave. They don’t even stop for a coffee.” Cannone is also selling photographs of the former life in the Sassi.

“Nobody buys those either. They take a peek and move on,” says the fellow, who’s been living for 50 years beside Matera’s caves and

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Matera is this year’s European Capital of Culture. In the middle of March it was impossible to find a bed in the hotels, much less in the caves. So, the stones have truly come back to life.

What about the bull?

Photo: Henri Cartier Bresson/Magnum Photos

Cockpit reminiscent of a plane

handling is boosted by an electromechanical

at 40 km/h. All this is comfortably done by

active stabilizer with adjustable pneumatic

using the “Strada” mode and utilising different

Urus is a very special car on the inside as

suspension and rear-wheel steering, all

suspension, steering and chassis settings

well. Its cockpit looks like it came from an

controlled by an excellent electronic system.

in the “Ego” mode. Sporting pleasures are

airplane, the levers on the central console

Driving 220 km/h through a long turn feels like

meanwhile provided by the “Sport” and

were inspired by the world of aeronautics. The

going in a straight line. No need to adjust the

“Corsa” modes. These two allow the Urus to

gauges are a screen, obviously, three screens

steering. What about hard acceleration in a

drop the suspension and free all the music of

to be exact. They can change colour while

turn from 80 to 250 km/h? Easily manageable

the Akrapovič, allowing it to sing and boom.

providing info on everything that one needs

by lightly holding the wheel with one hand.

We recommend it to be used in open spaces,

to know about the ride, the car’s condition,

When it comes to braking, the bull is invincible.

during rapid acceleration and hard braking.

navigation and entertainment for all four seats.

22’’ rims, Pirelli P Zero tyres and enormous

The world’s fastest and in all ways superlative

Our Urus comes equipped for four people and

ceramic brake disks work together to bring the

SUV should not be bought without this

with two attractive screens attached to the

Urus from 190 km/h to a halt where most of

aesthetic and musical add-on.

back of the front seats. Back to driving. The

its competition would still be moving forward

Christ Stopped at Eboli The world came to know about Matera at the end of WWII – nobody had cared about the abject poverty of the cave dwellers before.

Italian physician, artist and writer Carlo Levi, who lived in exile in Matera, was horrified by the conditions, which he described in his 1945 biography Christ Stopped at Eboli. The novel and the film awakened and shocked Italy. The town, where time stood still for about 9000 years, was earmarked for destruction, its inhabitants for resettlement. There was neither money nor will to do anything else. Sassi was an Italian disgrace and had to be forgotten as quickly as possible. People who lived there preferred to say that they weren’t born in the area, that they had just moved into the caves.

Of those original cave dwellers, fewer and fewer remain each year. But their offspring still

“Sassi” is the name of a rocky ridge and part of Matera where

remain, especially the children of the relocated

people used to live in caves until the 1960s. For real. Without

in politics, economy and art, felt a need to

cave dwellers who, after making their mark

water, electricity, ventilation, in desperate moisture and cold,

resurrect the caves and did not at all see them

and together with domestic animals.

hotel on the outskirts of the modern Matera, the

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as shameful. As I was leaving a cosy modern

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owner said instead of a goodbye: “They were poor and forgotten, but they were still happy.”

// Si Lamborghini Urus in Sassi di Matera Ko se danes ustavite pred jamo v Materi, vas običajno pričaka udobje petih zvezdic. Ambientalna osvetlitev, klimatsko prezračevanje, dizajnersko pohištvo, ohlajena penina za dobrodošlico in seveda wifi. Za obisk tretjega najstarejšega mesta na svetu za Aleppom v Siriji in Jerichom na Zahodnem Bregu potrebujete primernega spremljevalca, kot je novi Lamborghini Urus, najhitrejši in najbolj zmogljiv SUV s terenskim paketom in Akrapovičevim izpuhom. Štirilitski motor V8 bi-turbo ima 478 kW (650 KM) in razvije 850 Nm navora. Osemstopenjski samodejni menjalnik ne zamuja. Moči je vedno dovolj. Na poti iz Sant’Agate Bolognese v Matero na jugu Italije, kjer smo iskali mestne jame in proste ravnine podeželskih cest, smo spoznali najrazličnejše vozne lastnosti v vseh mogočih okoliščinah. Naj gre za vožnjo pri 50 km na uro, mestno obračanje na spolzkem kamnu ozkih uličic Matere ali ob drvenju po zapuščeni vaški cesti nekje v zakotju Basilicate. Tudi oblika novega Urusa izstopa; je posebna, a ne moteča. Futuristična, a vendarle vsakdanja. Izraža posameznikov značaj in je narejena za posebne, redke ljudi.

Around The World

A red light. The air temperature is 36 °C and I still feel the consequences of a pothole impact a few kilometres back. My body is trying to get rid of excess heat, but the beefy leather of my one-piece racing suit is not exactly cooperating at 0 km/h. The thundering L-shaped four-cylinder is in the exact same situation, though it is equipped with a fan which allows it to dissipate its extra heat much more easily. Start of a race?

Sadly not: instead of Jonathan Rea, I am flanked on my right by an orange Multipla, whose driver is employing typically exaggerated Italian gestures during an apparently exciting mobile conversation, while a local man on a Vespa has managed to snake his way past all the cars and is now on my left – wearing an open jet helmet, shorts, T-shirt and flip flops. He looks at my Ducati, puckers his lips and nods; not bad, not bad at all. I envy him. And I envy “Francesca” in her old airconditioned Fiat even more. Just seven more kilometres to the racetrack, thankfully…

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Everyday Panigale meets the racing Panigale

Article from

No. 26 / 2019

UNDERSTANDING THE DUCATI PANIGALE V4 S

by Matevž Hribar photography Luka Ileršič

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Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team)

I remember being overwhelmed in November 2011 as the hostesses at the Milan Show unveiled the then brand new 1199 Panigale.

This doesn’t happen very often – namely staring at a machine for so long that it makes two or three revolutions on its slowly rotating platform.

Nobody scowls at Ducati’s styling; even riders who swear by Japanese or German bikes agree that sporting Ducatis are simply stunning.

But! I remember explaining to my motorcycle friends ten years ago, after testing the beautiful white 848 at the Jerez racetrack, that this was the best sports bike I had ever been on, while a fellow rider, owner of a CBR954RR, modified for racing, was left completely unfazed by the same machine. It rides strangely, it is skittish, it wobbles too much, in short – it does not suit him. It looks really good, but... There – you see – the perennial but!

From Bologna to Misano This and many other things, including the fact that this is not a touring bike, but rather a SuperSport, not meant for comfortable cruises, were going through my head as I meandered my way towards the east coast of the Italian boot.

Only 135 highway kilometres separate Bologna, more specifically the Borgo Panigale area, where the Ducatis leave their production line, and the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. They are easily navigable in about an hour on the red devil, but it would be a sin to return such a bike showing

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Nobody scowls at Ducati’s styling: even riders who swear by Japanese or German bikes agree that sporting Ducatis are simply stunning.

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Around The World

only two narrow, straight strips along the centre of its tyres. And it doesn’t have cruise control either.

Two kilos less Because I had enough time, I took a more southerly route, just southerly enough to allow me to set my feet on Tuscan soil, but I can now say without a doubt that Emilia-Romagna, to the south of the boring A14, located between Florence and San Marino, is just as worthy of a visit. I was so transfixed by its ancient towns that munching on paninis and croissants and sipping cappuccinos (alongside litres of water) took me so long, that I just barely made it in time for my appointment to visit the backstage of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. My bathroom scale cheerfully informed me that I had lost two kilograms during that scorching weekend.

Add just one kilogram and you have the weight difference between the Panigale V4 S and the sportier (and EUR 11,600 more expensive) V4 R, which serves as the basis for the WorldSBK Championship racing bike.

Akrapovič exhaust The team was doing well at this year’s WorldSBK. While they “only” managed four individual wins last year and the green Kawasaki Racing Team ended the season with 18, it was the red team that dominated the first half of this year’s season with sensational Álvaro Bautista undefeated at Phillip Island, in Thailand, at Aragon, Assen and Jerez. I can see how the Spaniard’s spiderlike physique (169 cm and only 58 kg) helped him win the 2006 GP 125 cc World Championship title, but it is hard to see how he can so precisely control the 173 kW (235 HP) bike that weighs just 168 kilograms. Exactly the one now parked next to “my” serial V4 S, which is only 7 kilograms heavier (without fuel), and has an artfully concealed Akrapovič exhaust below the engine.

Racing is not (moto)tourism The smiling Álvaro joined us for some photos and to show us how the racing model differs from the standard Panigale. The details he mentioned make one realise why some things are designed the way they are and are thus less suitable for a cosy ride around the hills of San Marino. Racing is not (moto)tourism.

Still feeling the racetrack, I allow the four-cylinder to unleash its full power in second gear on the highway between Imola and Bologna. As the engine howls well into third gear, I look down at the digital dashboard – and call it quits.

It is hard to fully grasp how brutally powerful and fast the machines that can be purchased by anyone today can be. Though I admit that I would prefer to sit on the Multistrada for my next similar trip. The Ducati Panigale V4 S is meant for the track. Or the living room.

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The Ducati Panigale V4 S is meant for the track. Or the living room.

Around The Wo r ld

Pikes Peak and Bentley Continental GT V8

THE LAST GOLD MINE IN COLORADO Article from

No. 26 / 2019

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Around The World

We are all quite familiar with Monza, Monte Carlo, Indianapolis, Le Mans... Most of us can also accurately imagine what these racetracks look like. Pikes Peak belongs into same category, many people know the name, but not everybody can imagine it. So we decided to learn more. As this year’s race saw a Bentley Continental GT W12 with a lightweight Akrapovič titanium exhaust system set a new record for production cars, we chose a Bentley for our trip as well. The newest addition to their range to be more precise, a Bentley Continental GT V8 Convertible. With the roof, naturally, lowered, even though the top of this holy Colorado peak only reaches a few degrees above freezing at the close of summer.

by Miran Ališič photography Jaka Vinšek, Bentley Motors, PPIHC Archive

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But our trip begins lower down, on the plains surrounding Colorado Springs. Nowadays, the former mining town is a centre for tourism and digital technology. A majestic hundred-year-old palace in the middle of the town now serves as a hotel, but was once used as a stock exchange and gold and silver storage. The Mining Exchange was indeed a material precursor that gave lovers of fast cars a reason to discuss constructing a road to the top of Pikes Peak even before WWI. Spencer Penrose, a visionary and a mining millionaire who owned goldmines in Colorado and copper mines in Utah, used some of his wealth to construct the road to the top of the 14,115-foot (4,302-metre) mountain in 1916. The dirt road got its name after the mountain which was itself named after American Brigadier General Zebulon Pike, whose expedition made the first, though unsuccessful, attempt to ascend the challenging peak in 1806. Just over a hundred years later, in 1916, the first race took place on the new road, making it America’s second oldest road race, only preceded by a few years by the 500 miles of Indianapolis. The prize money for the winner was 1,000 US dollars, coming straight from Penrose, an amount that compared favourably to the then annual salary of a Colorado worker of around 700 US dollars. The race later hit a rough patch as its expenses always exceeded the income, with organisers having to battle their way through decades of financial drought by voluntary work and renting used or decommissioned equipment from other racetracks. Despite that, none of the world’s top drivers wanted to scratch Pikes Peak off their calendars, perhaps also because this mountain race was staged on a dirt road. That was the case all the way up to 2002, when paving began, half of it finished by 2010 and the rest by 2012, thus completely changing its image and character.

26 overall victories by the Unser family The winners of Pikes Peak include Mario Andretti, Walter Röhrl, Sébastien Loeb, Ari Vatanen and Romain Dumas, but the outstanding heroes of the race must surely be the Colorado racing family Unser.

Louis Unser won the 1934 race and his shoes were later filled by Bobby, then Jerry Unser Jr., Louis J. Unser, Al Unser and Robby Unser, Al Unser Jr. and finally Jeri Unser. In total this family notched up an astounding 26 overall victories. The now 85-yearold Bobby Unser, who was the fastest at 13 races, still remembers the race vividly: “Pikes Peak was a motivation for all we did, not just at the race, but also in life. I’m not a poor man anymore, but I used to be poorer than a church mouse. Sometime around 1959, after the race, my wife and I emptied my pockets and her purse. We counted less than a dollar between us and that was before we had even paid the rent.

But we had a race car. And we won the race that day. The payout was good. I had no idea whether I’d win every single time I took part in Pikes Peak, but I trained harder than anybody else. I obviously wanted that victory more than others.” His desire and will

Spencer Penrose, a visionary and a mining millionaire who owned gold mines in Colorado and copper mines in Utah, constructed the mighty road to the top of the 4,302-metre peak in 1916.

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were so resolute that he even asked a local sheriff in Bernalillo, New Mexico, for help: “We discovered a good road for testing there so I went to see whether we could use it. He said we could do with it whatever we wanted. But suddenly a group of angry boys from the Bureau of Land Management showed up, pointed a pistol at me through the car’s window and things got really heated. The standoff lasted until we spoke to the sheriff, who said he’d send someone over in a few minutes and that if the boys from the Bureau were still there, he would throw them all in jail. They hightailed it out of there immediately, we were allowed to continue testing and the Bureau boys even sent me an apology the next day,” is how Unser was given the all clear to practice for the race. Later on, when he was reselling Jaguars that he had modified, he had to prove to many a customer that they were capable of exceeding 135 mph (217 km/h) on the Pikes Peak road, causing him constant issues with state and local law enforcement.

Road with countless turns Visitors to the road are not immune to potential dealings with the law or the road’s ranger caretakers.

You have to pay 25 dollars to use the road, are warned that you must not exceed 35 mph (56 km/h) and never overtake – even if someone in front of you might be doing less than 10 mph. Should you still want to play by your own rules, you will be met by a ranger at the next checkpoint. If lucky, you will only have to leave the mountain before really experiencing it, but your bravery could also cost you a few thousand US dollars in fines. And do not put your faith in the sheriff from Bernalillo. After all, you are not Bobby Unser and you

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do not have 13 Pikes Peak victories under your belt.

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Do not try to improve on Bentley’s recent record, set

by New Zealander Rhys Millen in his Continental GT W12, either. I doubt you would be able to complete the 12.42 mile (19.99 km) of this mountain road in under 10'18''488.

“This is an amazing finish to a wet, snowy 2019 run at Pikes Peak! We came here with one goal in mind, and that was to be the fastest production car up the mountain and set a new record. It was an incredible week,” Millen enthused after setting the June record.

To conquer the holy mountain, best start your trip in the morning when there is a higher chance of sunny weather, lower your roof and cruise leisurely through the 156 turns of the legendary road. Yes, you read that correctly, there are 156 of them! Mario Andretti told the following tale about what used to happen at the top: “Bobby Unser would offer a glass of whiskey to all the rookies who somehow made it to the finish 4,302 metres above sea level. Otherwise the altitude will get you, said Unser. I always thought that this was a fun gesture.”

The final third is the toughest

To conquer the holy mountain it is best to start your trip in the morning, when sunny weather is more likely, lower your roof and cruise leisurely through the 156 turns of the legendary road.

The new Continental GT V8, which can produce 404 kW (550 HP) from its twin-turbo engine and a torque similar to that of a V12, needs no whiskey and less than 2,000 rpm to cruise to the top. The first part of the road is open. This area of the Rocky Mountains still contains a lot of greenery and coniferous woods

Bentley Continental GT W12

Mario Andretti, J.C. Agajanian and Bobby Unser

Bobby Unser (1968)

As this year’s race saw a Bentley Continental GT W12 with a lightweight Akrapovič titanium exhaust system set a new record for production cars, we opted for the newest addition to Bentley’s range – a Bentley Continental GT V8 Convertible.

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under 3,000 metres, though the treacherous parts already appear in the guise of hairpin bends. The road straightens out again along the tree line and flows in rhythmic fast turns until its final and most breathtaking part. The final third is the toughest to race on. The turns are sharp, the overhangs have no railings, your concentration is dropping and the air is becoming increasingly thin at 4,000 metres above the sea.

Once you are standing at the top, which now hosts a construction site for a new modern building scheduled to be completed in 2021, you have an unrestricted view. As if you were standing on top of the world – well you are, but “only” on top of Colorado. The quicker breathing you experience due to the altitude immediately reminds you of all the races and videos

Once you are standing on the summit you have an unrestricted view on all sides. As if you were standing on top of the world. The quicker breathing due to the altitude immediately sends your mind back to all the races and videos that you’ve seen on YouTube.

you’ve seen on YouTube. Videos of those drivers who raced uphill to reach this very spot while driving on dirt up until 2002. The world certainly still has space for madness and one of its manifestations must have been the race up the unpaved Pikes Peak road. Also unique is the drivers’ return to the valley, driving bumper to bumper back to the start. A sort of parade of heroes, who at this event are not just those that set records but rather all who make it to the top – and back down again. But Pikes Peak is more than just a race. It is one of Colorado’s most visited tourist attractions and the legendary road to its summit hosts over half a million visitors every year, which would undoubtedly have pleased the money and opportunity hunter Spencer Penrose. He would probably have sat in your place in the Bentley Continental GT V8 Convertible, leisurely cruising up the hill while contemplating that a century after its construction his road has become the last successful gold mine in Colorado.

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// Si Pikes Peak in Bentley Continental GT V8 Vsi zelo dobro poznamo Monzo, Monte Carlo, Indianapolis, Le Mans ... Mnogi si tudi dobro predstavljamo kakšna so ta dirkališča. Večina nas je slišala tudi za Pikes Peak. Toda le redki znajo o tej nenavadni cesti in še bolj nenavadni dirki povedati kaj več. Odpravili smo se raziskati Pikes Peak. Ker so na letošnji dirki z avtomobilom Bentley Continental GT W12 z Akrapovičevim izpuhom dosegli nov rekord med serijskimi avtomobili, smo za potovanje izbrali kar najnovejšega Bentleyja iz njihove ponudbe – Bentleyja Continentala GT V8 Convertible. Peljali smo se s spuščeno streho, čeprav je na vrhu te svete gore v Koloradu ob koncu poletja temperatura le nekaj stopinj nad lediščem.

M A R C R O B I N OT – M A ST ER P H OTO G R A P H ER

TO BE PERFECT E m o ti o n s , e m o ti o n s , e m o ti o n s…

T h e y a r e w h a t o n e m a i n l y fe e l s w h e n l o o k i n g a t M a r c R o b i n o t ’s work, his photos of a rider b e fo r e t h e s t a r t , t h e r i d e r’s m o t o r c y c l e, t h e e n ti r e t u r n o r j u s t a p a r t o f i t , t h e d e t a i l s…

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30 Years

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by Bor Dobrin photography Marc Robinot

Danilo Petrucci, Ducati Team, 2019

1 5 Y E A R S O F P H OTO G R A P H Y Marc’s prudence during conversation, learning about

Without all this, he probably would not have been

the backgrounds, motives, thought processes before

able to successfully execute the long-lasting and

and when taking the shots, tell the observer that,

painful metamorphosis of his photographic focus – a

in stark contrast to the rapidly unfolding events on

path he undertook on request by a client – which in

and beside the track, the core elements that give

the end not only allowed him to keep the contract,

quality to his photography emerge much more slowly,

but more importantly gave him the satisfaction with

thoughtfully and from a greater depth. To a certain

both the journey and the result. At the same time,

extent he is, like all of us, inspired by the work of

Robinot has retained that rare ability to remain in

others in his field, but he loves to seek inspiration

vogue throughout his 15 years of photography in

outside the world of photography, including people

contrast to the majority who might be a step or two

like Mike Horn, explorer, adventurer and motivator.

ahead of the curve at the start of their careers before falling behind by just as much a decade or two later.

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Maverick Viñales, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, 2017

Valentino Rossi, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, 2019

M A I NTA I N A D I STA N C E FROM RACING A N D RIDERS Andrea Iannone, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, 2019

The 39-year-old Marc was a diverse sports photographer at the beginning of his career and can attribute his 15 years of work in MotoGP mainly to chance. At first, he refused to work in MotoGP and it was only in the second attempt that a persistent client, who wanted a photographer with a fresh perspective, managed to convince him to embrace the speed and the smell of petrol fumes. He has remained an addict ever since, but still manages to maintain a distance from racing and riders even though they sometimes drink a beer or two together. This distance, he believes, is essential for successful and impartial work and to achieve the perfection he so clearly aspires to.

G R A P H I C C O H E R E N C E, E F F I C I E N CY A N D R E F I N E M E NT -

get the feeling that they step out of the two dimensions of photographic paper. He believes that these photos will in decades to come, present a fitting reflection of a period, frozen in time through his work.

He happily uses the shallow depth of field, a popular tool for photographers in the last decade, while working for sponsors, as the blur allows him to elegantly hide distracting or competing elements in the shot. But that’s just a part of his photographic story. More than the need to tell a bigger story, he has lately focused on graphic coherence, efficiency and refinement of his photographs. While looking at them, we

M A R C R O B I N OT W A S S E L ECT E D A S T H E “ A K R A P OV I Č M OTO R S P O RT P H OTO G R A P H E R O F T H E Y E A R ” I N 2 01 3 .

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Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team, 2018

30 Years

Maverick Viñales, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, 2017

Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team, 2017

Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team, 2019

Scott Redding, Octo Pramac Yakhnich, 2016

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Pol Espargaró, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 2019

Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team and Danilo Petrucci, Octo Pramac Racing 2017

Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team, 2019

THE GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED 2010, SUSSEX, ENGLAND

BEAUTY AND SPEED

by Richard Harfoot

Article from

Paul Melbert

No. 07 / 2010

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It’s the hottest day of the year. Sussex is sweltering; a once peaceful lush field in the Goodwood estate has given up its beauty and mutated into a motoring nirvana. Dust pours through rows of hot metal, white hot rays of light ricochet off every curve and mirror. The air is thick with the scent of dust, fuel and sun cream, a somewhat festive atmosphere, as people flock in the distance, cameras on their shoulders, their faces revealing a nearly unbearable excitement. Only the majestic green domed turrets of the Goodwood House, peeking over the tree line, give a clue as to what is waiting behind the greenery: Something special is going on.

There’s nothing quite like the Goodwood Festival of Speed. You’ll hear this quite often before you go, usually from somebody who found out about it well before Lord March did. You know the type. Tales of 747’s making emergency manoeuvres overhead, bizarre six-wheeled race cars, impossibly styled one-off supercars and legendary drivers... and yet it’s all true.

The Goodwood House was originally acquired by the 1st Duke of Bedford in 1697, the son of Charles II and his French mistress, Louise de Keroualle.

The Duke acquired the House so he could ride with the local hunt. Lying within this vast estate in the downs is a famous race course, the Goodwood race course, which has entertained wealthy socialites and racing fans with regular meetings throughout the ‘flat season’ for nearly 200 years.

Famed around the world is the annual Glorious Goodwood race meeting, first introduced by the 4th Duke of Richmond in 1814, just 12 years after

horse racing originally began here. The Trundle, a 676-foot (206 m) hill crowned by the earthworks of an Iron Age fort, is a natural grandstand from which to watch the Goodwood Races. The West Sussex-based Goodwood Motor Circuit originally opened its gates to the public on September 1948, to host Britain’s very first post-war motor race at a permanent venue. Twelve years earlier, Goodwood’s very first motorsport event was staged when a hill climb meeting was held for a small group of pre-war Lancia enthusiasts, hosted by the 9th Duke of Richmond, Freddie March. The Goodwood House has been lovingly refurbished by the present Duke, the Earl of March, who together with his family has ensured that the mansion is a fascinating place to visit. The Goodwood Festival of Speed started in 1993, capturing the hearts of all that witnessed the spectacle. The 1.16-mile private drive meanders up past the Goodwood House and beyond, a lazy drive that is humble and narrow, perfect for returning calmly to your abode after an evening of fine dining in decadent surroundings. But now, once a year, the surface is smeared a devilish black by 2-foot-wide Pirelli’s, every race car and race bike that you every wanted to see is 6 feet in front of you, over a wooden picket fence. After years of special treatment and comfortable lodgings, racing there is back to what it should be. Heroes of past and present onboard are electrifying the air with the sound of a bygone era, flash-back sponsorships, booze and cigarettes, side burns and attitude.

Wonderful! The festival attracts over 100,000 visitors, which is quite a testament to what a special

place this is. It’s certainly too much to see and do in one day alone; you are constantly spoiled by the array of sights and sounds and smells. With the downfall of the 2010 British Motorshow, the number of manufacturers who see Goodwood as a key date in their event calendar has grown, bringing a strong OEM backbone to the show and now a whole extra day! ‘The Moving Motorshow’ allows you to not only see the cars but to drive them too, a wonderful option for both companies and consumers to revel in the product, in these auspicious surroundings.

Each year there is a different theme and each new event brings a new spectacular automotive sculpture to the front of the Goodwood House.

This year we cry “Viva Veloce!” as we celebrate all that is marvelous with Italian motoring greatness, from MV Agusta to Ferrari, Monza to the Mille Miglia. Alfa Romeo is celebrating their centenary this year and have produced a spectacular display in front of the Goodwood House: a towering iron clad cloverleaf grows from the soil, with each flank holding two classics of their time, a beautiful new 8C Competizione on the right, and on the left something far more special, certainly more than the dull, bruised paintwork suggests - one of only two P2 racers left in the world, the very car that won the first championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925.

Its estimated value is circa £15-£20 million. That’s quite a centrepiece.

“Running alongside the 2010 Festival central theme, Goodwood will also celebrate 60 years of the Formula 1 World Championship, with a gathering of cars and drivers that have shaped the history

Mike Caldwell; opposite side (clockwise): Jochen van Couwenberge, John Colley, Marcus Dodridge, Andrew Hone, Andy Smerdon, John Colley, Andrew Hone

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clockwise: Marcus Dodridge, John Colley, Andy Smerdon

Paul Melbert

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Michel Neven

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of motor sport’s most glamorous series,” says a Goodwood spokesman. “The 60th anniversary of the epic Carrera Panamericana road race, and 50 years since the RAC Rally took to the forests for the first time and the legendary Australian Bathurst race began, will all be marked in true Goodwood style too.” There are many different avenues to explore here. If you are a hardened motorsports fan, you can see enough to fill your head for weeks.

Obviously the Hillclimb is the main event: you’ll take in wonders from the F1 to WRC, Superbikes to Le Mans winners, all in glorious Technicolor, all giving it full throttle up the hill with only a few stricken hay bales between you.

If you are a fan of concourse and very shiny, rare vehicles, the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ concours d’elegance stand offers up some of the finest motor cars on the planet Franco Lombardi’s sublime Maserati A6GCS claimed top honours, narrowly beating the Fiat 600 Multipla Marinella of Heather Fattorini. It’s a beautiful setting with live music and champagne all around.

There is a special rally stage hidden in the woods too that provides a perfect stomping ground for the rally specials from past and present, no need to get

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up at 3 am and battle the elements to find a wet, grassy vantage point to see - not a lot - in deepest darkest Wales. You’re right in the thick of it without even knowing it. Two minutes ago, you were climbing out of an enormous battle tank, playing with the sub-machine gun, thanking God you didn’t actually have to ever use it. Then “Whoosh!” a cloud of dust and stones rises from the back of Loeb’s Citroën and disappears into the woods again.

Behind the noise and prestige of the main attractions lie a host of different stands and stalls, I’ve honestly never seen so many model car stands before! A collector’s dream I think. You can happily stroll through the rows of tents, ice cream in hand, and sample a plethora of miscellaneous marvels, clothing, books, souvenirs and more model cars!

This is a show in and of itself.

Then there’s the action that takes place above your head. Over the years there have been a variety of aviation shows to witness. Obviously Goodwood is steeped in aeronautical history and this plays a key part in making the Festival of Speed so wonderful and unique. There is a regular attendance from the RAF Red Arrows, who manage to make a mockery of physics and give thousands of people a sore neck

all at the same time. Their skill is unrivalled and quite remarkable to behold. Your eyes are spoiled rotten by a swirling dance of attack helicopters and when you think you’ve seen it all, Sir Stirling Moss walks into view… Quick! Think of something clever to say!

“Hello, Sir,” I awkwardly blurt out. “Hello” he replies, looking slightly concerned that I may be a little bit mental. “Are you having a nice day?”

I ask. I’m not really coming over at all well here.

“Oh, yes” Sir Stirling replies, so I quickly shake his hand and smile, then wish him well and walk off, only to realise a few minutes later that my hand feels like I have wrestled a torque wrench. What a legend. In short, Goodwood FOS is an automotive, aeronautical, visual and audio extravaganza!

And much more... And it hits you as soon as your ticket stub parts company with your clammy grip.

Give or take a day (depending on the F1 calendar) The FOS takes place each year around the first weekend of July. If you’ve never been before, you should buy your ticket now and start wondering what will be waiting for you over the treetops of the Goodwood House.

// Si

Lepota in hitrost Zdi se, kot bi bil najbolj vroč dan leta. Sussex se koplje v soncu. Običajno idilično posestvo Goodwood je nekaj dni v znamenju prahu, zloščene pločevine, grmenja motorjev, poželjivih pogledov ...

Angleži pravijo, da se prav nič ne more primerjati z »Goodwood Festival of Speed«. To ponavljajo iz leta v leto. In res, Goodwood je festival hitrosti in vsega, kar se premika in bobni ...

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A K R A P OV I Č ’ S 25 YEARS AND BMW

FA S T B AVA R I A N MAIL Article from

by Andraž Zupančič photography Bor Dobrin

No. 19 / 2016

SPEED, PRECISION, HIGH TECHNOLOGY, TRADITION. ALL THESE NOUNS APPLY TO BOTH AKRAPOVIČ AND BMW. BOTH COMPANIES ARE ALSO CELEBRATING ROUND ANNIVERSARIES THIS YEAR, WITH AKRAPOVIČ MARKING 25 YEARS OF EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL WORK. BIRTHDAYS ARE THE TIME WHEN SOMEBODY REMEMBERS YOU AND BRINGS YOU PRESENTS IN GOOD CHEER, OR FINDS ANOTHER WAY TO WISH YOU ALL THE BEST. SO CAN YOU IMAGINE IF YOUR BIRTHDAY WAS SPICED UP BY A VERY SPECIAL POSTMAN WITH A VERY SPECIAL DELIVERY AND A VERY SPECIAL VEHICLE?

That is exactly what Akrapovič did to BMW Motorrad Motorsport and BMW Motorsport. The role of the rapid delivery man was entrusted to BMW Motorsport factory driver Timo Glock, but instead of using a van or a yellow bicycle, he placed his packages of high-tech Akrapovič exhausts into a BMW Isetta. The same tiny bubble car with four wheels, a steering wheel and a single-cylinder engine that in its own way marked the 1950s. And because, regardless of how odd that may sound, Isetta and Timo’s BMW M4 DTM are relatives, believe it or not, the tiny delivery car also received a paint job from the #yellowbeast, the BMW M4 DTM that Timo uses to chase fastest laps on racetracks throughout Europe.

Akrapovič and BMW cooperate in numerous areas, because they share the desire to be the best, to be perfect and to be where state-of-the-art technology can be found. It should therefore not surprise us that Akrapovič works with BMW’s two- as well as four-wheel departments and that the fruits of this cooperation are the most visible where the hundredths and millimetres count most – in racing.

268 “People who saw me in this tiny vehicle, wearing full racing gear, probably had their own ideas. 80 km/h and wearing a helmet, has this guy completely lost it? But I didn’t mind, I enjoyed it and that’s what matters.

I enjoyed it at least as much as I enjoy racing.” - Timo Glock

Some might roll their eyes seeing the tiny Isetta mentioned in the same sentence as racing, but they would be making an unwarranted assumption of what emotions this car can evoke in the passers-by. And also in the eyes of a racing driver like Timo Glock.

In the early 1950s BMW needed a car that it could sell at a favourable price to as wide a circle of buyers as possible.

This led to a decision to licence a miniature “bubble” on wheels that was originally created by the Iso factory in Milan, Italy. BMW decided to keep the unusual design with the large door on the front and the rear-mounted engine, but replaced the original motor with its own 250 cc single cylinder power plant, originally used in the company’s R 25 motorbike. The engine topped off at 12 HP, the buyers were enthusiastic, and the 10,000 bubbles sold in the first year were proof that the company had made the right choice.

But BMW didn’t rest on its laurels. As the company started manufacturing Isetta for the second year, it replaced its engine with a 300 cc one that had, wait for it, 13 HP. A year after that saw the birth of Isetta export with a slightly modified chassis and a sliding side window on both sides.

The original model was meanwhile designated standard and was manufactured until February 1957. And that is exactly the 300 cc small yellow beast that was handed over to postman extraordinaire Timo Glock. Including the shift stick on the driver’s left-hand side, non-synchronised fourspeed gearbox and a top speed of 85 km/h.

Timo had quite a few urgent packages that ached to be delivered. Akrapovič packages always bring a smile to the recipient as they can only mean one thing – a new step forward in development. Highest-quality exhausts, enriched with the knowledge that they were created from a wealth of experience and knowledge accumulated over 25 years.

The first stop was BMW Motorrad Motorsport. BMW Motorrad Motorsport Technical Director, Berthold Hauser, a man with over 30 years of experience working in the motorbike department and one of the leading experts on racing motorcycles. Berti, as he likes to be called, was more than happy when Timo rang the doorbell. He is bound to remember both, the package and manner of delivery, for a long time: “We have never received a package like that, not to mention the postman. And we had another reason for joy as we looked into the boxes. A real racing exhaust for the BMW S 1000 RR. Just what we need and what our cooperation with Akrapovič is based on. Whatever our development engineers look for and what they want, we always receive a fast and perfect solution. And, what is perhaps most surprising, this has been the norm ever since we started cooperating: we both immediately know what we desire and want to achieve.

We literally read each other’s minds.”

BMW motorbikes are competing in various racing categories and are sold all over the world, which makes it imperative that they receive the best of the best. “We have a great cooperation with Akrapovič, we work together to develop the best.”

Timo would not be a competitive racer if his eyes didn’t wander over the bikes that were crowding the workshop. But as he got on one, he couldn’t figure out how on earth the riders can even stay on it, let alone ride it as fast as they do. Even a pure-blooded racing driver like Timo Glock, with racing experience ranging all the way to Formula 1, who sees motorbikes as something enjoyable to watch and their riders

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as people who must undergo extreme strains and exertions, says, he probably would not get far on a racing bike. The bike from former WorldSBK championship especially seemed to present a puzzle for the German. This is why this delivery duty and a visit to the motorbike department was a new experience for Timo. As it was for Berti Hauser: “We know each other, of course, but we don’t cooperate much, because we race in two completely different worlds. Development, technology, everything is different. BMW and Akrapovič started their cooperation in the realm of motorbikes. It has now been expanded to cars and I have found one common point (between two and four wheels) and it relates to this occasion. Our exhausts were delivered by a DTM driver.”

But time was pressing, as Timo’s minicar contained several other packages calling out to be delivered.

A quick jump into the Isetta and off he buzzed to BMW Motorsport, basically his home, where he handed the second delivery straight to his boss, BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. The latter was obviously quite surprised to have the new exhausts, both for the BMW M4 DTM as for the BMW M6 GT3 racing cars delivered by one of “his” boys.

Naturally he first asked Timo whether he had changed his work vehicle. 13 HP buzzing at the back of BMW Isetta cannot compare with the brutal power of a racing BMW M4 DTM. Marquardt could not help but smile as he saw Timo’s “racing” bubble on wheels. And the grin widened when he saw what Timo had delivered. Exactly what racing drivers need, a top-of-the-line exhaust system: “The DTM championship is so evenly matched that every detail really does count. We know that we have the best possible partner in Akrapovič, because we both pay attention to every last detail. Because we know how they work and develop their products, and because, obviously, we know how we do things, we can reach an agreement very easily. This gives us that bit of an edge over the competition.”

But there was another very special package in the Isetta, the contents of which were strictly off limits. “We are always monitoring with interest what Akrapovič is doing, but this specific package is off limits, it is our joint trade secret,” added Marquardt as Timo jealously guarded its contents.

Such special products are even more important just before

the season starts, because there is not really enough time for major improvements during the season. Improvements are necessary in all areas, and perfecting the form and technology is key.

However, it is not only the DTM race cars that receive Akrapovič products. BMW’s M6 GT3 spits its flames through Akrapovič exhausts as well. The race car, developed completely from scratch, is already taking part in races with no lack of success. “We are extremely pleased with this new race car. Buyer response was exceptional and we have already made the podium with it. Because we can rely on Akrapovič’s technology here as well, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. This is a completely different car than the BMW M4 DTM, as it is more heavily based on serial technology, with the engine that shares 95% of its parts with the road version. And it contains a lot of potential.”

Let us at the end turn to the person who should have been in the limelight from the very start – the special delivery man in the yellow beastie, Timo Glock. Timo is a racing driver who started his career in karting, continued in Formula BMW, the German/European Formula 3 and then made it to the place sought after by all who have a touch of petrol coursing through their veins – Formula 1. He raced for Jordan, Toyota, Virgin and Marussia, was very successful in GP2 and spent one season racing in the North American Champ Car series.

Since getting into the DTM, he has been a part of BMW’s family and will continue to do so this season as well.

But Timo’s day was not quite over even after delivering the final package. Now he could focus his thoughts on his means of delivery: “This has really been an amazing experience.

Sitting behind this particular steering wheel takes you to the past and you cannot do anything else but to enjoy it.

Everything takes place more slowly, it takes time to shift into first or reverse gear, but you relax after a while and start enjoying it. The feelings were also a bit different, because I wore my complete racing gear, even though I couldn’t go faster than 80 km/h. Many who are driving nowadays might

find this strange, but I haven’t enjoyed myself as much as on this trip for a long time.”

Apart from the logos and the colour, Isetta naturally differs markedly from his usual workday vehicle, the BMW M4 DTM race car. “We have to take into account that 60 years have passed between those two cars, the technology was completely different back then, but in no way less fun.”

He noticed one more thing as he was driving around: the sound. As much as he focusses on the sound of the engine in his race car, on the sound of racing that he enjoys as much as the spectators along the track, he also focussed on the sound in the BMW Isetta: “It was a bit different. You can hear the

engine, but as you wait for the traffic lights, you almost don’t know whether the engine is running or not. That’s how quiet it is. The driver does not get a lot of feedback on the state of the car, but he doesn’t need to. Isetta was made for enjoyment.”

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Hitra bavarska pošta Hitrost, natančnost, visoka tehnologija in tradicija. Vse to povezuje podjetje Akrapovič in BMW. Oba letos praznujeta tudi okroglo obletnico, Akrapovič 25 let nadvse uspešnega dela, BMW pa stoti rojstni dan. Rojstni dnevi so seveda tudi čas za obdarovanje. Si torej lahko predstavljate, da vam prav praznovanje rojstnega dne popestri poseben poštar s posebno pošiljko in s prav posebnim prevoznim sredstvom?

Takšno Akrapovičevo pozornost so doživeli pri BMW Motorrad Motorsport in BMW Motorsport. V vlogi hitrega poštarja se je preskusil BMW-jev dirkač v prvenstvu DTM, Timo Glock, namesto kombija ali rumenega kolesa pa je pakete z visokotehnološkimi izpuhi “stlačil” v BMW-jevo Isetto. V tisti mali avtomobil, ki ima sicer 4 kolesa, volan in motorček in je po svoje zaznamoval petdeseta leta prejšnjega stoletja.

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Some might roll their eyes seeing the tiny Isetta mentioned in the same sentence as racing, but they would be making an unwarranted assumption of what emotions this car can evoke in the passers-by.

274 ENORMOUS PERFECTLY SHAPED MUSHROOMS IN UNEARTHLY COLOURS SPROUT FROM THE TWILIGHT OF THE AUDITORIUM. WAS THE INSTALLATION MADE OF TRANSFORMED CLASSIC GRAMOPHONES? UNKNOWN FLYING OBJECTS? OR WAS IT JUST MY IMAGINATION? THEN THERE WAS SOUND. “THUS SPOKE ZARATUSTRA,” THIS IS THE WAY THE GODS ANNOUNCE THEIR WILL, THIS IS HOW YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO ROCK. MOZART SHOULD REWRITE THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT’S ARIA FOR THE TRIO, THE AVANTGARDE TRIO TO BE MORE PRECISE, AND THEN WE WOULD STILL BELIEVE IN THE PIECE’S MAJESTY AND VINDICTIVENESS. WHO COULD POSSIBLY GO TO SLEEP IN A HOUSE IF BREATHING IN THE KID’S ROOM WOULD BE MONITORED BY THE TRIO, SUPPORTED BY A SIXFOLD BASSHORN?

You will never forget the first time you come across speakers made

by Germany’s Avantgarde Acoustic Lautsprechersysteme GmbH. Their design, sound, vibration and feel… You simply have to caress the funnels to make sure that they really do exist, to let your fingers appraise the quality of the expensive varnish.

“What the heck is that?” was the dazed question meant for no one in particular more than ten years ago. “Horns, by the German company Avantgarde. Crazy, aren’t they?” was the smiling reply

by Igor Kante. The auditorium in his shop is not exactly small, but these speakers fill it up to the brim visually and stretch the walls by

several metres with their sound.

What are horns? Trumpets, funnels? The principle behind these speakers is not new; it is as old as Earth, maybe even older. The funnel boosts the sound, it really is that simple, everybody knows that. Your mouth is a funnel, your cupping palms enlarge it, then direct and boost the sound. A palm next to your ear serves as an improvised funnel for focusing and directing sound, allowing you to pinpoint and understand the person you are talking to in a noisy environment. A horn is a horn, it is meant for blowing. It can amplify sound to such an extent as to send both game and enemy running.

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AUDIO FREAKS

HORNS OF PLENTY

Article from

No. 06 / 2010

by Andrej Krbavčič

photography Branko Čeak, Jože Maček

It can pierce a sea fog; it is the loudest instrument in an orchestra.

Funnels have for a long time been used to help the partially deaf.

They allowed a sufficiently deep groove for phonographs and its effective transformation back to sound. Funnels helped speakers put to good use the watt or two that used to come out of early tube amplifiers. Almost all public announcement systems use funnels.

But a horn is, of course, not perfect, as no speaker is. If nothing else, it has to be gigantic and very well designed to play all audible frequencies in high fidelity. A small horn can only reproduce a narrow frequency range faithfully, the lowest tones require its

mouth to be three or more metres in diameter. Some audiophiles build such horns in their newly-built houses, but the rest of us require other ways to get such sound. Funnels have some amazing characteristics, unmatched by any other speaker. They are the most dynamic and responsive speakers, have an exceptional efficiency, do not require powerful amplifiers and almost completely meet the main requirements for high fidelity. No wonder that scientists made extensive research into them, with Paul Voigt and Paul Klipsch being at the fore, prior to World War II. The pair managed to fold a large horn into a still manageably-sized wooden box. Unfortunately

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this resulted in several compromises: sound colourations and uneven dynamics, especially at very low frequencies. Horns also suffer from lower spatial surround than other types of speakers.

Be that as it may, the Klipschorn was for years one of the finest speakers. A certain Holger Fromme bought a pair of Klipschorns in 1983 and crammed them into his 16 m 2 student room. It must have been heaven and hell combined.

Fromme was soon left unsatisfied. You can still read Goethe’s quote on Avantgarde’s website: “When all is in agreement it gives us peace of mind, but the contradiction is what makes us productive.” Fromme wanted an even higher fidelity, but that was not available on the market. So he began to research and develop spherical exponential speakers and even managed, after months of efforts, to acquire several books from Dresden, then in the German Democratic Republic. Based on his studies he then wrote a computer programme for funnel design. He was enthused over the contrast between the primordial principle and the breakthrough innovations he was creating. He made a glass fibre cast prototype of the Trio speakers in 1985. As is evident in the name, this is a three-speaker system that can handle frequencies between 100 and 20,000 Hz. This means that you will have to look for an active subwoofer, preferably the Basshorn. The Trio outputs an astonishing 109 dB (1W/1m), has a nominal impedance of 19 Ohm and therefore requires a measly two watts to generate sound.

Nowadays, demanding exponential funnels are made by injecting ABS resin into precise steel moulds, guaranteeing excellent build quality. The sound expands naturally and accurately from the funnels, resulting in far fewer distortions and defects than from the mainly folded and angular horns found in wooden boxes.

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Fromme was, from an early stage, helped considerably by Matthias Ruff, who already had experience in horn design. The pair soon built speakers for themselves and in 1991 established the Avantgarde Acoustic Lautsprechersysteme GmbH. They unveiled their speakers for the first time at the 1993 Berlin entertainment electronics fair, causing huge ripples among the visitors. The smaller Uno and Duo speakers were unveiled just a year later in Frankfurt. The success quickly exceeded the capacity of the small Walsdorf factory, necessitating a move to a 400 m 2 plant in Bad Camberg. However, even that only sufficed for two years.

The company built a fourtimes larger facility in Lautertal, which sufficed until last year. Avantgarde plans to finish its newest factory in mid-2010, including a top-notch gallery and auditorium – perfect for introducing the company’s products.

Based on popular demand for a small speaker with a big sound, Avantgarde presented the Solo in 2002, a compact device with 119 dB of sound pressure and a frequency range starting at 35 Hz. The stunning Basshorn was introduced in 2003. This modular and active horn subwoofer sports a compact shape and can reproduce frequencies as low as 18 Hz, a feat that had been hitherto impossible. The same year Avantgarde introduced an integrated low power amplifier for its horns, the Model Five, which generates only 1 watt in the A class. The following year saw the introduction of even more high quality electronic components from Series One. Today the company boasts an extensive product range while keeping the quality as high as it has always been. Speakers start with Solo, a favourite for high-quality home theatres, followed by Uno, which is (contrary to its name) a two-speaker system, then Duo, the backbone of the company’s offering in the two-speaker

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range, and finish with the flagship Trio. The company states with amazing sincerity that the Trio is not a necessity – but exists because it represents the limits of what is possible and doable.

Apart from top-quality amplifiers in Series One, the offerings also include the integrated Model Three amplifier. Avantgarde launched a G2 version of its products last year, which include a stiffer supporting frame for the speakers and other minor adjustments.

“Vklop” is far from just a shop and sometimes does not even feel like one. Instead, it seems like a perpetually friendly meeting point run by Igor Kante. However, this is far from just a common meeting point. Its interior is filled with top-notch (and accordingly pricey) products, such as Avantgarde’s. In fact, the shop’s ambience was very aptly described as providing foreplay to sales! You hear a word, you see the sample, hear the praise and a need is implanted.

Renowned B&O designer David Lewis once told me: “Needs have been fulfilled long ago, now we’re making dreams come true.” We could add: “If you have no dreams, we can whisper them into your ear, and create your needs.” And this is what happens when you go to “Vklop”.

Igor Kante is a music aficionado – the highest form of art he says – and a lover of all that is beautiful. He admires Philippe Starck, confirmed in an instant by the Aprilia Moto 6.5, placed just below the ceiling, together with heaps of Starck’s watches and the spidery squeezer. He never forces his views on anyone, but knows why he has them, which makes him convincing and a centre of his circle.

He does not abandon his customers, accompanies them in their metamorphoses and growth, and tries to find what will satisfy them. Well, at least temporarily, because audiophilia is a chronic disease with sporadic bouts. Nothing is so good that it could not be better or at least different and new.

It is not wise to plug in. You must have a strong character to come in, request and pay for a certain item, decline any debate and professed alternatives, walk out and not return until you need to

scratch your next specific itch. “Vklop” is a drug, addictive for most on the first try. The store always has something beautiful, something that sounds good, something outstanding and something out of reach for us weaklings who just wander around, buy this or that knick knack, take a cable or an amplifier home for a few-day trial, or just debate the gulf in prices and quality among video projectors. It is by no means the worst thing in the world to meet interesting fellow sufferers as they include top musicians and audiophiles with extensive experience… as well as scars. “Vklop” is flexible and responsive; if you do not show up for a month or so, you will probably bow down to new idols. There are only a few constants such as the Avantgarde. Audiophile amateurs are bothered by an illogical phenomenon: some people build an entire house that functions as a speaker, but no plastic surgeon offers ear silicon implants to boost higher frequencies. Even “Vklop” does not yet sell a specific audiophile solution for ear cleaning or acoustic duct razors or golden earplugs to fight off the draft. Is the ear not an important part of the Hi-Fi chain?

/ / Si

Rogovi izobilja Prvo srečanje z zvočniki nemškega podjetja Avantgarde Acoustic Lautsprechersysteme GmbH ostane za vedno v spominu; podoba, zvok, vibracije in otip - tiste lijake preprosto moraš pobožati, da se prepričaš v njihov materialni obstoj, da ti prsti potrdijo kakovost dragocenega lakiranja.

“Kaj zlomka je to?” je bilo pravzaprav nikomur namenjeno osuplo vprašanje pred več kot desetimi leti. “Horni so, nemška firma Avantgarde. Čisto noro, ne,” se je smejal Igor Kante. Poslušalnica njegove trgovine ni ravno majhna, toda ti zvočniki jo do vrha napolnjujejo na pogled, zvočno pa raztegnejo stene za nekaj metrov.

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Lifestyle GRE UBE L F OR S E Y - T HE WORL D’ S MO S T UNU S UAL WAT C HMAK E R S

Every Timepi ece has a Unique Sound

by Miran Ališič photography Bor Dobrin, GF

Article from

No. 14 / 2013

T he t own of La Chaux-de-Fonds lies more than 1,000 metres above sea level in a par t of Switzerland where, without watches, almost nothing would exist.

Centuries ago, the fierce, untamed natural surroundings forced people living in towns along the Jura plateau on the border with France to try something special: watchmaking.

Even today, the not-exactly-dazzling town built on a grid street plan (uncommon in Europe) is the watchmaking capital of the world. As you drive through it, signs for Tissot, Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer and many other names flash by. You may start thinking that you actually know something about watches, or even that you own a precious and beautiful timepiece. But your view of the watchmaking world will change forever if you stop in a small parking lot by a narrow path leading to an old farmhouse, which has been transformed into a studio. A slanted, slightly dug-in building adjoins the venerable farm, but its glass and wooden architecture is the least unusual characteristic of this modern creation. The real surprise is on the inside.

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Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey are completely unknown to the wider public. This is understandable, since their company is less than ten years old and the studio opened here just four years ago.

The idea that they’re pursuing is also less than 15 years old, making them newcomers to the watchmaking guild. This despite having been crowned horology innovators of the year three times in the last decade and being amongst the names most coveted by watch collectors.

“We create,” explains co-owner Stephen Forsey. “We aren’t primarily about design.”

We’re chatting beneath centuries-old wooden beams in the former farm.

“It’s also about art,” he continues. “Our watches have to be something special.”

Forsey and Greubel met while working for other watchmakers. The former comes from England, a country not immediately associated with watches. His father was an engineer with a passion for cars.

Tourbillon 24 Secondes (T24S) (left) Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain (right)

Frenchman Robert Greubel was born to a watchmaker in Alsace, close to Switzerland. Watchmaking giants failed to pay attention to the pair’s innovations, dismissing them as too expensive and time-consuming to create.

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“We joined forces, handed in our resignations and founded CompliTime, a company for horologic innovations, before setting-up our own watchmaking company Greubel Forsey.”

“If the secret of an exhaust is in its sound, as personified so magnificently by Akrapovič, then the entire secret of watchmaking is in the assembly and completion, apart from innovating, of course. Well, some of it is in the sound as well.”

Stephen Forsey

But first the datasheet: The company makes about 100 watches a year, priced at between 500,000 and several million euros. It sells five to six different models and annually manufactures around 25 pieces of the cheaper ones and only five pieces of the more expensive ones. The majority of the watches are sold in advance, a fact quickly confirmed by glancing at their catalogue, where at least half of the models made so far have been marked in red – sold out.

“We wanted to change one more thing,” Forsey adds. “Until now such watches were only collected to be kept in display cabinets and boxes. We wanted them to be used daily, despite their price. And we’re pleased that the vast majority of our buyers do use them on a regular basis.”

Completely handmade

Are you currently wondering how on Earth a wrist watch without any precious stones could cost half a million euros? The answer to that question interested us as well.

“Because of the precision of the movement mechanism, which we want to bring as close to electronic watches as possible. Because they are worn in different positions, mechanical watches are almost never completely on time. Our uniqueness lies in new and different movements as well as the manufacture of every part of our watches. This is the secret and uniqueness of Greubel Forsey timepieces.”

Tourbillon is the name of these miracle movements, placed under different angles inside the watch. Furthermore, by placing more of them into a single watch, its precision can be maximised and deviations minimised. Another unique characteristic of their timepieces is that they are completely handmade from parts designed and manufactured in the studio.

“Every component in our products is 10 to 100 times more expensive that a similar part in a different watch,” Forsey says.

“Every watch has between 260 and 590 components and some screws are so tiny that you need a microscope to see them.”

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Quadruple Tourbillon Every watch has between 260 and 590 parts.

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Forsey, also a lover of vintage cars, gave us a tour of the studio and hinted at what may come. The smallest screw has a diameter of 0.35 mm and they are mainly made of steel, nickel or silver.

“But every watch is first conceived in our heads,” Forsey continues. “The design, specifications, diameter, thickness, available volume for the movement, length of operation, what the watch will measure and display, the manner of winding… These come at the beginning. Technology is where I come in. Robert is more adept in strategy, creating, design and takes care of the commercial part of the studio.”

We are told that the designation “studio” fits watchmaking a lot better than, say, company or factory. They make the complicated components by themselves, using special tools and machines, which are sometimes tailor-made for them.

“The quality of material plays a very important role in achieving our goals. This is why we employ extremely stringent triple material control, which requires a very exact and rigorous supervision process.”

Every conceived timepiece is first built as a prototype and only then is a decision made on whether to manufacture it or not.

“All our requirements regarding the control of material quality, component manufacture, assembly and movements are a lot more exacting than those of our competition. We set our own quality criteria and by that I mean 100% quality,” Forsey explains.

The simplest, if such an adjective can even be used for any Greubel Forsey creation, is the Tourbillon 24 Secondes. The most complex one is the Quadruple Tourbillon, while the most unique one is the GMT, closely followed by the Double Balancier 35°, of which only six have been made and, naturally, already sold.

“Timepieces have existed for over 500 years,” Forsey explains, “but physicists, mathematicians and other scientists have only begun paying attention to them over the past 20 years. Only now do we measure, employ specific measuring methods, do material analysis… Our laboratory is unique in the world of horology and an increasing number of other watchmakers come to us to get the know-how and answers to their questions.”

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Every one of their timepieces requires between three and six weeks to assemble, meaning between 500 and 800 hours of manual labour. It also has to pass numerous rigorous tests.

“First we test the components, then the materials, and the assembly,” Forsey says. “We follow-up with the post-assembly control and finish with the most demanding tests, where every single finished product is subject to extreme conditions in special chambers. Only if it passes all of these tests without errors is it delivered to the buyer.”

Delivery in per son

The way the watches are sold is also unique. Regardless of where in the world a potential serious buyer might be, the models on sale are presented in person. Every watch is also delivered in person as well.

The majority of the customers decide to come to the studio for their timepiece, where they can see the manufacturing process and take in the surrounding valley of watchmakers. However, the owners and the general manager do embark on numerous trips as well.

“The three of us, Robert, myself and our general manager, a financial expert who also makes trips to the owners of our watches

if necessary, make several trips a year. It’s not too demanding.”

Forsey is proud of the company’s success since “the watchmaking world didn’t believe we could make it in 1999, saying that the Tourbillon is just a pipedream and potentially a toy that could never achieve perfection. Our uniqueness is in aiming to achieve the impossible. In 2011, we were awarded the innovation Concours de Chronométrie prize, but up until that time, watchmakers and the media said that we were building castles in the sky.”

During the first years of their independent manufacture, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey also often heard that nothing new could be invented in watchmaking – they disproved that notion in the best manner possible.

“If the secret of an exhaust is in its sound, as personified so magnificently by Akrapovič, then the entire secret of watchmaking is in the assembly and completion, apart from innovating, of course. Well, some of it is in the sound as well,” Forsey says, while pressing three different Greubel Forsey models to our ears.

When we noted that each of them had a unique ticking sound, he concluded: “See? Here it’s about the sound as well.”

Every timepiece requires between 500 and 800 hours of manual labour.

“Our laboratory is unique in the world of horology.”

Stephen Forsey

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It is not a company or factory – it is a studio.

Robert Greubel

Stephen Forsey

/ / Si Greubel Forsey - najbolj nenavadna urarja na svetu Robert Greubel in Stephen Forsey delata zapestne ure, ki brez draguljev stanejo pol milijona evrov. “Gre za natančnost delovanja mehanizma, ki ga želimo vse bolj približati elektronskim uram. Mehanske ure zaradi različnih položajev nošenja ure nikdar niso povsem točne. Naša posebnost je v ideji novega, drugačnega mehanizma in izdelave vsake komponente v naši uri. Tu je skrivnost in posebnost ur Greubel Forsey,” odgovarjata urarska inovatorja.

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Lif e style

Article from

No. 26 / 2019

1

AS FAST AS FORMULA

OVER 250 KM/H ON SKIS – BROTHERS SIMONE AND IVAN ORIGONE

by Miran Ališič

photography Bor Dobrin, Serger Briand / TamTam Photo

“Only Formula 1 race cars get from 0 to 200 km/h a tad faster than us,” Simone Origone boldly stated as we met in the alpine village of Champoluc, high above the Aosta Valley and within a stone’s throw of the Swiss-Italian border. The Italian’s tally of crystal globes for winning the Speed Ski World Cup currently stands at eleven, alongside six gold medals from the Speed Ski World Championships and the ownership of three previous world records. But not the current one – that one belongs to his younger brother Ivan Origone. Exactly 254.958 km/h. Reasons enough to visit this interesting family living under Matterhorn.

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Champoluc is crawling with tourists all year

area by Ivan Origone, who takes us to the glass

round, with all the restaurants, squares and

wall with a panoramic view of the Alps. “Back

terraces packed. But our destination lies just

there you can see the Monte Rosa glacier, that

outside the village, a charming and picture-

is where the Kilometro Lanciato started,” he

perfect midmarket hotel called Villa Anna Maria.

informed us of the beginnings of speed skiing

The family started dabbling in tourism after World War II, when grandfather Ivan Origone opened two rooms for guests. Grandmother Anna Maria provided the name for the establishment, father Domenico expanded the venue during the European tourism boom and his wife still helps in the kitchen. The hotel is currently managed by another brother, Jean-Noel, but everyone pitches in. “We are all skiers, naturally,” says Simone, “but we remain amateurs.” So where does the passion for speed skiing come from? We have in the meantime been joined in the hotel’s lounge

under the Matterhorn, which were going on for a few decades – up until 1978. The Italians were permitted to carry out the competitions on Swiss territory, but had to return the concession after the Swiss built a cable car to the Klein Matterhorn in the ‘80s. “I was naturally drawn to the sport by my older brother. I wanted to follow in his footsteps, to beat him,” was Ivan’s reason for going into speed skiing, while Simone began by wanting to break records. “Speed skiing was an event at the 1992 Winter Olympics. It took place at Les Arcs and the record then stood

“We reach 200 km/h in just over 5 seconds. We are just beaten to that mark by Formula 1 race car s,” explained Simone.

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at 179 km/h. I liked it very much, so I began practising. I took part in my first race just two days after my first training session – and won.”

It bears mentioning though that Simone was a downhill and alpine skier before deciding to go solely for speed. “I got a call from the national speed skiing team, wondering if I was interested, if I wanted to join them.”

One chance per year It most certainly looks like a very dangerous sport. “We reach 200 km/h in just over 5 seconds. We are just beaten to that mark by Formula 1 race cars,” explained Simone, adding that “it’s actually less dangerous than it looks.”

Ivan rejoined the conversation, “Not only does

After being asked whether it was possible to reach 300 km/h, Simone was the first to break the silence. “It’s more a matter of a suitable track, not the human body.

With the right equipment this limit can be reached.”

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// Si Na smučeh skoraj tako hitra kot formula 1 Italijan Simone Origone je lastnik enajstih kristalnih globusov za osvojitev svetovnega pokala in šestih zlatih medalj s svetovnih prvenstev v hitrostnem smučanju, ob tem je trikrat zapored postavil svetovni hitrostni rekord. Zadnji rekord, natančno 254,958 km na uro, je uspelo doseči njegovemu mlajšemu bratu Ivanu Origoneju. Simoneja je v to športno panogo pripeljala želja po premagovanju rekordov. “Hitrostno smučanje je bilo na sporedu na olimpijskih igrah leta 1992 v Les Arcsu, takratni rekord je znašal 179 km na uro. Zelo mi je bilo všeč, zato sem začel trenirati. Že dva dni po prvem treningu sem šel na prvo tekmo in na njej kar takoj zmagal,” je dejal Simone, ki je prej seveda že vozil smuk in ostale alpske discipline, preden so ga poklicali iz reprezentance za hitrostno smučanje. Ivana je pritegnilo početje starejšega brata; hotel mu je slediti, ga premagati. “Samo formula 1 je od 0 do 200 km na uro za odtenek hitrejša od nas,” pravi Simone.

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downhill also feature breakneck speeds, it has many

most, there is not a single one,” Simone said

more hazardous elements like turns and jumps, so

dejectedly. “It’s no longer an Olympic sport,

the risks there are actually far greater.” Speed skiing

which means that there is precious little money

equipment has remained unchanged for quite a while.

in it, another important factor for many young

It includes an air-tight latex ski suit, an aerodynamic

skiers.” So one does not really make money

helmet and special aerodynamic boot guards to

doing it, or…? “You can only make some if you

reduce drag. The skis measure 238 cm, about

have a private sponsor, but that’s it. We are all

one cm longer than their downhill counterparts. “Of

amateurs and do other things for living, as you

course their composition is completely different, they

can see,” Ivan, who helps in the family hotel,

are much more rigid, because we don’t need to turn,”

offered with a bitter smile, while Simone does

Ivan added in the equipment room, where at least

his part by working as a mountain guide and

20 pairs of skis waited for the winter alongside a

heli-rescuer, spending the entire summer doing

cornucopia of other gear. Just one factory – Atomic

his job. This fact made agreeing on a date for

– makes them. The special boots require an hour

our meeting quite a bit more difficult.

to put on and the skiers remain in them for at least 4 to 5 hours before the competition. But there is something else that makes this sport unique, pointed

Anyone for 300 km/h?

out the current world record holder. “When going for the record, we need ideal conditions. These

There are two disciplines in speed skiing;

usually appear towards the end of March and when

one includes the Speed Ski World Cup and

we see that the day will be ideal for an attempt,

the Speed Ski World Championships, with

the temperature of the snow becomes vital. We

participants reaching speeds of over 220

only have a 20-minute window between noon and

km/h and competitions being organised by

1 pm. If we fail, we can pack our bags and await

the International Ski Federation (FIS); and the

the next opportunity. Likely in the following year.”

other is trying for the world speed record, which

What is going through the skier’s mind in these

is not recognised by FIS. For the time being,

few seconds? The owner of the largest number of

the Origone brothers are not yet planning to

laurels piped in, “One needs immense focus and

quit. Simone is convinced that he is capable of

impeccable legwork. The smallest skid can be fatal.

staying in the running until he reaches 45, some

Moreover, it’s extremely hard to hold your head up

five years from now, with Ivan saying he had no

while, to put it simply, basically freefalling at 250

plans to keep in contention for that long. “If my

km/h,” Simone Origone detailed the risks. So where

brother quits, I lose my main spur.” Both agreed

are the limits then? “We don’t know that,” grinned

that it was impossible to go for a new record

Simone, adding that this was the most interesting

in 2019, because Vars did not have enough

part. Ivan provided a more realistic assessment. “The

snow in March, but after being asked whether

problem is that there is currently only a single track

it was possible to reach 300 km/h, they both

suitable for attempting a world record run – Vars in

fell quiet for a short time. Simone was the first

France. Up until a few years back we were able to

to break the silence. “It’s more a matter of a

set our records at Les Arcs, but that track has been

suitable track, not the human body. With the

closed. The track at Vars perhaps has a bit more to

right equipment this limit can be reached.” Ivan

give, some 2 to 3 km/h, but that’s it in my opinion.”

jumped in, “We don’t really know where the limit

So this is not a very popular sport then? “Not really,

lies.” And that seems to be the central driving

also because there are not enough tracks. In Italy,

force behind the Origone brothers’ continuing

for example, where we nurtured speed skiing the

attempts to improve on their records in Vars.

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30 Years

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If you look and sound cool, you are

DOING IT RIGHT I can’t remember when I first noticed an Akrapovič exhaust on something but I’ll bet you some titanium it was on a MotoGP bike as I was wandering up a busy pit lane studying each bike at a Friday morning free practice session. I seem to remember saying the name in my head but knowing I’d have it wrong, which of course I did, so I soon learnt the ‘vich’ pronunciation!

Whether it was on the Yamahas or not I cannot recall, but I do certainly remember the appearance of the Ducatis with their slash exhausts to one side of the bike by the foot rests.

Now that was cool… The gauze over the ends of the pipes was something new, but it stopped gravel going back up the exhausts mid-accident if the bike was going through the gravel backwards, as it stopped the stones getting in the exhaust valves. The laser cut hexagon pattern was an art in itself then and still is now.

Working for KTM in their MotoGP team we had guests come round for garage tours and a very special close-up view of the bike, but it was when I handed someone a long piece of titanium exhaust that people gasped. They could never, ever get their head around how light it was, making that instance arguably the real wow moment for each guest. They would always over compensate for its perceived weight when they grasped it, such was the ‘added lightness’.

LIMITED EDITION

My working life takes me to 24 Hours of Le Mans too and there was soon a sticker on the Audi cars denoting they had Slovenian exhausts laid underneath their R18 e-tron quattro hybrid cars at Le Sarthe. Those exhausts were a lot of work for someone to make as they threaded their way back through the car but for someone interested in branding and the building of a globally recognisable name it was a step towards bigger things.

Around that time I’ll never forget the stat that a friend gave me about the sheer size of the operation in Slovenia. “Our new factory will be four times bigger than the one we’ve just left.”

That’s a huge step for any company but it just cemented the direction and decisions made to expand into those big manufacturers with those partnerships. And with this came the other stat of the sheer amount of titanium needed to produce all these exhausts for the rapidly growing market.

Away from works cars with big budgets, me and a friend raced a hill climb car on the odd weekend with a motorcycle engine in the back of a very lightweight chassis. Soon after starting out, we upgraded the engine to a superbly specced Suzuki 600 that revved to 16,500. Naturally we put an Akrapovič exhaust on the back. We did well with that car and set some records with it making some very fine memories.

by Toby Moody illustration Natan Esku

Is Akrapovič the exhaust to have? Is it the one that everyone wants on their two- or fourwheeled machine? Well, many do amongst the myriad of options that people have in the 21st century and that includes me too. It’s those slash exhausts on the MotoGP bikes that in my eyes still look just so achingly cool and if you can make an exhaust sound and look cool, I’d say you’ve done the job right.

It was when I handed someone a long piece of titanium exhaust that people gasped. They could never, ever get their head around how light it was making that instance arguably the real wow moment for each guest.

Toby Moody International motorsport TV broadcaster for both two wheels and four, having commentated on motor sport for 21 years.

Follow @tobymoody / Twitter and Instagram