StoneBaker Sign Off
13-11-2008
All good things must come to an end it is said, and so it proves to be the case with StoneBaker Racing. If you saw our final race at Portimao (still available for online viewing over at www.worldsbk.com), you'll hopefully agree with us that we saved our best, for last.
Although StoneBaker Racing has drawn to a close, and the team is now in the process of disbanding, we're all parting on amicable terms. There's every chance that some or all of us could work together again on some other project in the future. We shall see.
In the meantime, the website will remain open for the foreseeable future. We've just popped up one last gallery of assorted images from Portimao. If any major news about any of the team members or riders crops up that we're allowed to distribute, then we'll post that up too. You may also like to know that Dan's race in the Macau Grand Prix on Saturday will be broadcast at 7.55pm on the MotorsTV channel on Sunday. We've heard rumours of a live webcast over at www.bikechannel.com as well, but are unable to verify this.
Finally, thank you for all of your emails, calls, texts and visits throughout the year. They were all distributed between the team and although we couldn't reply to every single one, they were all very much appreciated.
2008 - what a great year!
StoneBaker Racing
StoneBaker Win in Portugal to Secure Third and Fifth in Championship
02-11-2008
2008 European Superstock 600 Championship
Rd 10 - Portimao
Race, Sunday 2nd November - 10 laps
Team StoneBaker Yamaha served up their usual dose of thrills and excitement in the final round of the 2008 European Superstock 600 Championship, held at the new Portimao motorsports complex in Portugal. Rider Gino Rea took his first win in the series, finishing six-hundredths of a second ahead of Frenchman Loris Baz (Yamaha), to secure third place in the series. Dan Linfoot crashed out on the penultimate lap whilst lying third but in typical determined style remounted to cross the finishing line 11th and claim fifth position in the series overall.
The StoneBaker boys had dominated Practice and Qualifying over the previous two days with Rea starting from pole position and Linfoot third. It was Rea who got the holeshot at the start of the race, but both riders took turns at leading the pack during the first two laps before Baz moved through to the front on the third.
For a while it seemed the Frenchman could make an escape at the front of the field whilst Rea and Linfoot battled wheel-to-wheel between themselves and the chasing Mathieau Gines (Yamaha). Rea eventually broke away and by the end of lap six had reeled Baz in.
Just a few bike lengths apart on the seventh lap, Gino slipstreamed past Baz along the start straight but couldn't make it stick. He tried the same move on the eighth and this time stayed ahead. With Rea riding defensively to protect his lead, Baz was forced to run wide off the track when he tried to make a pass at the start of the final lap. The Frenchman fought back for one last challenge towards the end, with both riders almost coming together as they approached the finishing line but it was Rea who got there first in a race where the circuit's timing screens had struggled to keep up with all the changes of position.
Under constant attack from Gines throughout the race, Dan Linfoot slid off his machine on lap nine. Immediately remounting, the Yorkshireman rejoined the race in 12th position and made up one place on the last lap to finish 11th.
The race was a fitting end to the Somerset squad's season. StoneBaker Racing has been the only team in the series to placed both its riders on the winner's rostrum this year, taking three victories and four additional podiums between them. The decision to disband after the race was taken months ago, but StoneBaker Racing had most certainly signed off their 2008 season in style.
Gino Rea (Race result 1st, Championship 3rd):
"Unbelievable! I've been chasing that win in this series for that last two years and to do it in the last race of the season - I'm lost for words. For the last three weeks all I've thought about is this race. I've trained harder than I've ever trained before. Andy (Stone) and I did loads of practice laps around this track on the scooter together. It all goes to show that if you put the extra effort in, it really works. When Loris came up on me on the last lap, I thought there was no way I'm letting him through now. I didn't know he'd run off until he told me afterwards. It's been a great end to a great year. Dan's been a really good teammate too, and you don't get that in a lot of teams. I want to say thanks to everyone in the squad for all their help, but especially Andrew Stone, Richard Baker and my mechanic, Andy Williams."
Dan Linfoot (Race result 11th, Championship 5th)
"I feel I could have got past Gino in the early stages, but things didn't go to plan. The back stepped out on lap nine and it was race over. I just have to look back on the year as a whole. It's been a great season with both of us on the podium. Gino's not had a win until now, so good for him - that's the way to end a season, it will stay with him all winter. I must say thank you to everyone in the team - it's been the most enjoyable year I've ever had in racing. It's been nothing like when I was in 250GP - I was the only Englishman in my class then and had no-one to talk to! This has been a great team. I've got on well with everyone and we all work well together. I've loved it!"
Andrew Stone (Joint Team Owner)
"Great race - great year! I want to say thank you to my team partner, Richard Baker, for all his help. I've really enjoyed working with him - I won't be surprised if we do something together again at some point in the future. What we've achieved this year as team, every one of us, is going to be remembered by a lot of people in this paddock for a long, long time. I'm really proud of both the boys this year. I told them to just keep it smooth between them and we could have a one-two in the race. I have to admit I was confident of a one-two going into this. As for what happened - well, I'm gutted for Dan, how could you not be? As for Gino - the result says it all."
2008 European Superstock 600 Championship
Rd 10 - Portimao
Race Result - 10 laps
1. Gino Rea (GBR) - Yamaha: 18:18.478
2. Loris Baz (FRA) - Yamaha: +00:00.060
3. Marco Bussolotti (ITA) - Yamaha: +00:03.161
11. Dan Linfoot (GBR) - Yamaha: +00:24.940
2008 European Superstock 600 Championship
Final Championship Positions
1. Loris Baz (FRA) - Yamaha: 186pts
2. Marco Bussolotti (ITA) Yamaha: 134pts
3. Gino Rea (GBR) - Yamaha: 132pts
4. Patrick Vostarek (CZE) - Honda: 121pts
5. Dan Linfoot (GBR) - Yamaha: 117pts
Front row start for StoneBaker duo at Portimao
01-11-2008
2008 European Superstock 600 Championship
Rd 10 - Portimao
Qualifying 2, Saturday 1st November
After yesterday's cloudy conditions at the new Portimao motorsports complex in Portugal, the sun shone today both on the track and for team StoneBaker Yamaha. Riders Gino Rea and Dan Linfoot qualified in first and third place respectively for tomorrow's final race in the 2008 European Superstock 600 Championship, taking the squad's second pole position in a row.
It was Linfoot who made the early running, heading the timesheets five minutes into the half-hour second Qualifying session. Both riders then made lengthy pit stops to change the wheels on their machines. Taking time to get dialled back in when they returned to the track, Linfoot again led the field on a time of one minute 50.117 seconds with the final third of the session remaining. Five minutes later, Rea got took the top spot and it looked like StoneBaker was set for a one-two starting position, but from the pit lane co-team owner Andrew Stone murmured "There's still a long way to go yet". Sure enough, one minute later French wild card rider Mathieu Gines (Yamaha) slipped ahead by the narrowest of margins only for Rea to immediately reply with a lap of one minute 49.667 seconds, almost five seconds faster than he managed yesterday, to lead the pack home to the finish.
So far this year StoneBaker has been the only team in the series to place both its riders on the podium, but never in the same race. Andrew Stone has made no secret of his desire to see Linfoot and Rea together on the same rostrum and with the way the team is performing at the moment, he may just get his wish in tomorrow's ten-lap race.
Gino Rea (1st - 1:49.667):
"Two poles from the last two races shows I'm coming on strong at the end of the season and I desperately want to finish my year with a win. I really enjoyed that session. I've gelled with this track really well, all the fast sweeping corners suit my style, I don't like tight hairpins. To make sure the new tyres would last and still give good times at the end of the session we decided to use old ones at the start and once I felt comfortable with my pace I came in and changed them over. The increase in speed today came from our set up, which is really good, more track knowledge and no damp patches as well as the tyres. I just want to make a good start to the race, lead the field and get that win."
Dan Linfoot (3rd - 1:50.022)
"I'm not 100 percent happy to be third, but I'm a lot happier than I was yesterday. I was immediately more confident on the track, there was so much more grip on the racing line. I went out on my first flying lap and was two seconds faster than I was yesterday straight away. We made some changes to the suspension and gearing and with a tyre change as well, it all helped. I reckon with the extra heat in the track, more rubber laid down and more circuit knowledge, today's times will be irrelevant in the race - we could see lap times in the one-48's. Qualifying is not my strong point, but this is my best starting position of the year, so that's got to be good for the race. I always go better in the race, but Gino will have something to say about it too so we'll just have to give it our best shot. I just want to win the race and grab second place in the championship."
Andrew Stone (Joint Team Owner)
"I'm happy. You know damn well what's going to happen tomorrow, don't you? We came here to win this race and we've dominated Practice and Qualifying and it's going to go all the way to the wire. I just want to see both riders on that rostrum tomorrow and get the positions in the championship they deserve - and they deserve second and third place in the series. As for which one wins - I don't care, I really don't care. We're going to make some slight changes to the bikes tonight, it will be a gamble but we know there's more speed in them yet. I just want to say goodbye to a fantastic season in style."
2008 European Superstock 600 Championship
Rd 10 - Portimao
Final Combined Qualifying Result
1. Gino Rea (GBR) - Yamaha: 1:49.667
2. Mathieu Gines (FRA) - Yamaha: 1:50.022
3. Dan Linfoot (GBR) - Yamaha 1:50.117
Sponsors
Team Beowulf Racing.
The great race at the new Portimao circuit brings an end to our season in World Superbike Superstock 600, with riders Gino Rea and Dan Linfoot.
The season has been a success with Gino third and Dan fifth in the championship standings following three victories and five additional podiums in total. The results have also acted as a stepping stone to the riders for next season, with both securing high profile, career progressing rides for 2009.
Thank you for all of the emails, calls, texts and visits throughout the year. It has been much appreciated.
