17 Dec 2014 ZIC Superbike 3 Hours Endurance Race - Race Report

14 October 2014, today Zhuhai International Circuit continues to enjoy very good weather with clear sunny skies but low temperatures. This is a big challenge for ZIC Superbike 3 Hours Endurance race participants as they are going to need more time to get the race tyres up to operating temperature.

At the start, #71 Dan Kruger/Karl Roe attacks immediately and in 3 laps has extended their lead over #15 Chow Ho Wan/Hu Zhao-Neng to over 10 seconds. #71 is also the only bike on track that can complete a lap within 1:40 seconds. On lap 12, it also sets a fastest lap of 1:37.567 and its advantage is as big as 40 seconds.

In class 2, #99 Ou Yang Fu/Deng Yuan Hong leads initially, but their advantage is not so clear cut. #21 Shen Xi/Ma Sai/Liao Peng have been in hot pursuit and the two teams are seperated by just 2 seconds after a full 20 laps.

Around lap 20, race leader #71 Dan Kruger/Karl Roe pits for rider and bike change. After that its advantage stabilizes to about 30 seconds over the #15 entry. In class 2, #99 and #21 swap places on lap 24, but unfortunately #21 ran out of fuel on the track just before its scheduled pit stop, the rider has to push the bike back into the pits and that costs the team a lot of time. #99 easily returns to the lead.

On lap 30, #15 Chow Ho Wan/Hu Zhao-Neng closes the gap to leader #71 Dan Kruger/Karl Roe to 22.5 seconds. It seems the race will not be a walkover as it first appeared. On lap 32 #71 pits again to change riders, giving up the race lead to #15, who now leads the race for the first time. But with ace rider Dan Kruger back on track, he immediately takes a 4 second dent on #15's lead. In class 2, #99 continues to lead #21.

On lap 37, both class leaders #15 and #99 pits for rider change. #71 therefore regains the lead with a 48 seconds advantage. Dan Kruger then proceed to set the fastest lap of the race, 1:37.401. Meanwhile #99 continues to lead Class 2.

#71 pits again on lap 51 when it is enjoying a massive 1:29 seconds lead. As it rejoins the race and completes lap 52 the clock also ticks at 1 hour 30 minutes, exactly half distance. This means if the team keep going uninterrupted, they maybe able to break the 103 laps distance record set by Dan Kruger himself and his former teammates in 2011. In class 2, #33 Du Yu-Ming/Mai Gong-Hua are up to second place. #21 seems to suffer from some mechanical problems and have dropped down to 9th place.

After two hours of racing, #71 Dan Kruger/Karl Roe have completed 69 laps with #15 Hu Zhao-Neng/Chow Ho Wan in second place, 40 seconds behind. #99 is third overall and leading class 2. #21 has fought its way back to second place but is 7 laps behind #99. They will need #99 to struck some serious bad luck to have any chance of taking the class lead.

At around the 2 hours 10 minutes mark, an accident happens at turn 12. #32 Guang Ming-Hui/Huang He's bike falls over and marshals are required to show yellow caution flags and assist in removing the bike from the area.

#71 Dan Kruger/Karl Roe make another fastest lap 1:36.961 on lap 79. After that no significant change of positions happened except that, with 10 minutes to go, #99 rises up to second place overall. Although #15 hasn't lost its position in its class but is only third overall now.

With two minutes of the race to go, #71 has completed 103 laps and will be creating a new race distance record. Meanwhile #15 is fighting back and is just 1.5 seconds behind #99.

In the end, #71 Dan Kruger/Karl Roe wins the race with 105 laps completed, breaking the 2011 record of 103 laps. #15 Chow Ho-Wan/Hu Zhao-Neng completes their overtaking move on the last lap to take back overall second place from #99 Ou Yang Fu/Deng Yuan-Hong. #99 wins class 2 and #6 Adrien Macera/Fan Zhong-Ming takes third place in class 1.