6/10/2008 WORLD SUPERSPORT VALLELUNGA MAGNY-COURS
2008 Supersport World Championship
Round 12, France
Sunday 5 October 2008
Track length: 4.411 km
Weather: Dry 17°C

In front of 76.000 people the Supersport race started at 13.23H for 22 laps. Gianluca had a nice start en finish the first lap at the tenth place, Jesco was counting the 20th place. The Honda bike with the Italian helmet 105 was fitting with a group off riders to stay at the top ten. But the France track has lot off technical and hard breaking corners so in the last lap he was overtaking by Rea and finishes the race at the 11th place. Jesco also was involved in a group to fight for a place just out off the championship points. Jesco finish the race at the 18the place.

Gianluca Vizziello – place 11
“ My shoulder is so painful, the hard braking corners are so difficult at the end off the race, that’s the reason i lost contact with front group and Rea past me. Now I’m going the have a injection for the pain.”

Jesco Günther – place 18
“ The start was not good and with the crash off Praia, I have to brake and lost some places. The bike is fast, but I have to work about the exit off my corners.”

With the best regards,
Benjan Racing Team

20/09/2008 WORLD SUPERSPORT VALLELUNGA SATURDAY
2008 Supersport World Championship
Round 11, Vallelunga, Italy
Saturday 20 September 2008
Track length: 4.110 km
Weather: Sunny – 21°C

After a rainy start it was nice to see the sunshine on Saturday, but all the works the team as done on the first day was waste. They have to start looking for the best set-ups on the Honda’s on a dry track.

Gianluca Vizziello: 18th place
“The bike is good but there is a little problem on the back with the suspension, its was very slippery. So I make a crash and hurt my shoulder, so I go to the Clinica Mobile the let take a XR.”

Jesco Günther: 28th place
“ The morning we had a technical problem with the bike, so this was my first practice in the dry. This is not a good place to start, but I feel confident for the race.”

Milan Milovanovic – Team manager

“ We found a good chassis setting this morning for the bikes, but we went the wrong way this afternoon. So we now what to do on the warm-up.

With the best regards,
Benjan Racing Team

09/09/2008 WORLD SUPERSPORT DONINGTON RACE
2008 Supersport World Championship
Round 10, Donington, United Kingdom
Race Sunday 7th September 2008
Track length: 4.023 km
Weather: Could en dry

It was A very difficult weekend of uncertain weather conditions. Today's race was dry, so it was even a bigger challenge for the Benjan Racing Team to give the Honda bikes a good set-up. But at the start Vesa and Jesco were confident after de warm-up lap. So when the lights turn off for the race.
Vesa took a real good start and was in the leading group. A 7th place so more then a nice place, but Russel Holland ho was behind Vesa, break to late and hit Vesa bike from behind. Without a warning hi landed in the gravel. Totally surprised en made that the have to end at this way. Jesco ho was in
15th position had technical problems in the second lap en have to retired.

Jan Breedveld - Chief Mechanic
“ Its sad, Vesa had a good start and no chance to let see of what hi is able to do. End Jesco’s bike brook, so why have to see what’s the problem in the workshop. It was a difficult weekend that why have to forget quickly and look forwards to Vallelunga.”

With the best regards,
Benjan Racing Team

04/09/2008 WORLD SUPERSPORT DONINGTON PREVIEW
2008 Supersport World Championship
Round 10, Donington, United Kingdom
Preview 5, 6 and 7 September 2008
Track length: 4.023 km

After a small Sumer break Vesa Kallio end Jesco Günther are delight to find back there Benjan Racing team at the track in Donington.

Last year both riders have raced on this track, Jesco finish 21 end Vesa did not finish, but then it was on the 1st April and it was very cold, 13 degrees windy en rainy, not the most ideal conditions to have on a race day.

Now it’s September but the weather forecast is not so much better, rain and 16°C. But as why all now, Vesa and Jesco are real race man, so the target is to return from Great Britain with World Champion points.

The Donington Park circuit is situated near Castle Donington and is one of Britain's most famous and popular motor racing circuits. The original track was opened in 1931, and initially used for motorcycle races, but was then closed in 1939 due to World War 2. In the early 1970s the circuit was bought by Tom Wheatcroft, who founded the rebuilding of the circuit, which was re-opened in 1977. The Melbourne Loop was built in 1985 to increase the lap distance to 4.023 km and allow the track to host Grand Prix motorcycle races. In recent times Donington has held World Superbike, MotoGP, British Touring Car Championship and British Superbikes, as well as the 1993 F1 European Grand Prix.

With the best regards,
Benjan Racing Team

04/08/2008 WORLD SUPERSPORT BRANDS HATCH RACE
2008 Supersport World Championship
Round 9, Brands Hatch, United Kingdom
Sunday August 3rd
Track length: 3.703 km
Temperature: Mix dry and wet

The incident-packed race was run in two parts after rain caused the exit of early race leader, Robbin Harms.It was in the second part of the race, that Craig Jones crashed heavily on lap sixteen, causing the race to be stopped again.

Jan Breedveld - Chief Mechanic
“It’s was the thoughest weekend from this season. At the first training we were complete lost in the set-up off the bikes, from that moment on you already have a delay. And on Saturday we had some rain, you can’t do anything about these things. But the results are not so bad, without the restart, Vesa might have had a better result.”

Vesa Kallio – 13th
“The first part was OK, I make good progress but after the restart I tried hard to ride better lap times, but I made a mistake by overtaking Fujiwara and had to come back again. I’m not happy with the result, but it’s my first finish in the UK.”

Jesco Gunther – 20th
“I’m sorry for the team but today I didn’t feel the same like yesterday on the bike end I was looking forwards to get a good result.”

With the best regards,
Benjan Racing Team

View Brands Hatch pictures

21/07/2008 WORLD SUPERSPORT BRNO RACE
2008 Supersport World Championship
Round 8, Brno, Czech Republic
Race, 20th July
Conditions: Dry, Air: 25 C
Track length: 5.403 kms

Mixed fortunes for team Benjan Racing team at Brno.

This is one off the favourite tracks off Vesa Kallio, end that hi already let see in the beginning of the practices on Friday end Saturday. So on Saturday evening the team is very happy with the 8 starting place off Vesa on row 2 end Jesco Günther make good progress as new rider in the team on a Honda. Hi will start from the 6 row on place 24.

The day start with a nice sunshine en a large crowd with is taking lots of pictures from the bikes end the workshop.

After a warm-up off 20 minutes Vesa en Jesco are ready to race in the afternoon.

At 13.00H everybody is on the startingrid end Vesa as a beautiful umbrella girl to put him out off the sun. This attract the television end lots of photographers, watts always good for the publicity. The start is not so successful for Vesa but much better then for Jesco.
Jesco is involved in a crash with Gowland end Praia, the race is over for the German rider, hi is unhurt en the Honda is not to badly damaged.
Vesa struggles a little bit in the begin off the race, but after a few laps hi makes an incredible effort, lap by lap, Vesa work his way up through the field to take the 11 place on lap 9. There hi as to struggle with Roccoli but Vesa is maybe small, but very quick, so hi battled until the last meter to keep this 9 place.

With this place Vesa collects 7 points for the World Championship, this is the best result until now. The total points are 20 points.

Next race for the World Championship Supersport will by at the historic Motor race place off Brands Hatch at the UK on the weekend off 1 – 2 end 3 August.

With the best regards,
Benjan Racing Team

View Nurburgring pictures

15/06/2008 SIXT ROUND NÜRBURGRING RACE

The sixth round of the Supersport World Championship at the Nürburgring Benjan racing start with just one rider because Graeme Gowland decide to change team and we didn’t find replacement for before the race.

It was hard job to find settings on a new track but for the race Vesa and the team did good job with set-up and he finished season best on 10th place. It was result well needed for both Vesa and the team and we are looking forward for the next round in Misano Italy.

View Nurburgring pictures

13/05/2008 GOWLAND TAKEN OUT, KALLIO IN THE POINTS AGAIN

It was a race of highs and lows for the Benjan Racing Team at the fast and furious Italian circuit of Monza in the 5th round of the World Supersport Championship as Graeme Gowland was down and out at turn one through no fault of his own whilst Vesa Kallio added more points to the scoreboard.

Gowland, who had qualified in 27th out of a strong 37 rider field, got a good start when the lights went out for the 16 lap race but at the tight first turn chicane he was taken off his Honda CBR600RR by an out of control Triumph ridden by Ruggero Scambia. Gowland was unable to rejoin the action as he suffered an arm injury in the accident and was taken to the medical centre.

Kallio added two points to his tally after crossing the finish line in 14th after a race-long battle with wildcard Cristiano Migliorati. Kallio now lies 21st in the World Supersport Championship with a total of 7 points.

Gowland: "I got a good start but then in the first turn Scambia didn’t even brake and his bike was just a missile in the air and swiped me and Garry McCoy off our bikes. I have rubber on my helmet from his front tyre. I was in a lot of pain at first and the doctors thought I may have a small fracture but I had an x-ray which did not reveal any fractures so it looks like some muscle damage."

Kallio: "I am really happy to be in the points again and it was a good race as I was in a battle throughout."

View Monza pictures

10/05/2008 ROUND 5 – MONZA – DAY 2

The World Supersport Championship contesting Benjan Racing team headed to Italy for the fifth round of the series at the fast Monza circuit.

26/04/2008 DIFFICULT WEEKEND FOR THE BENJAN BOYS

The Dutch round of the World Supersport Championship at the Assen circuit has been difficult for the Benjan Team with technical issues and changeable weather conditions hampering their progress.

Tomorrows 21 lap race sees Vesa Kallio and Graeme Gowland line up on the 6th and 7th rows of the grid in 21st and 27th position respectively after both riders made improvements on their lap times from the previous day in the final qualifying session which was held in dry conditions after the earlier downpour of rain before the mornings free practice session.

Graeme Gowland: "It has just not really come together for us as we have been plagued with problems on my number one bike all weekend. I am really disappointed with the qualifying position and I have a lot of work to do in the race in order to score points."

Vesa Kallio: "I am happy with the lap time I did but I am not happy with the grid position as I wanted to be higher. I feel confident I can get into the points once again and maintain my 100% points scoring record so far this season."

06/04/2008 GOWLAND RUNS TOP 6 AND KALLIO IN THE POINTS

Brit Graeme Gowland proved his talent in the World Supersport race today at the Valencia circuit after running in the top six before a mechanical brought an end to his day whilst his Benjan Racing team mate Vesa Kallio once again scored valuable points.

Gowland produced a good start on his Honda CBR600RR when the lights went out and moved into 10th position. Gowland stayed in the top 10 in the early laps before moving up to 6th after overhauling Katsuaki Fujiwara and then fellow Brit Jonathan Rea. Gowland was on the pace and began to gap Rea and close in on 5th place man Gianluca Nannelli. However as Gowland braked for the final corner on the 9th lap he realised there was fluid on his rear tyre and he headed for the gravel and out of the race.

Kallio did not make as good a start and was in 25th place at the end of lap one but he pushed hard and was up to 21st by lap 4. Kallio relegated Miguel Praia on lap 11 to move into the points and when the chequered flag was waved Kallio was up to 14th and grabbing 2 more world points. 

Gowland: "I felt really comfortable and was really beginning to reel in the guy in 5th but then as I braked into the last turn the rear end came round on me and I knew I definitely had some fluid on the tyre as I had had a few other moments so I had to go into the gravel and put it on its side. I am gutted that I had to retire but it was just one of those things which was nobody’s fault as it was a clip which had broken."

Kallio: "I am happy to get more points on the board and I feel it was a good result considering I was down in 25th on lap one."

05/04/2008 BEST WORLD QUALIFYING FOR GOWLAND

Benjan Racing riders Graeme Gowland and Vesa Kallio secured third and sixth row grid positions for tomorrows 23 lap race at the Spanish Valencia circuit after improving their lap times in the second and final qualifying session.

The reigning Spanish Supersport Champion Gowland finished the session just over one second off the pole position time set by Australian Andrew Pitt with the 12th fastest time of after slashing half a second off his first qualifying session lap time.

Finland's Kallio ended the 45 minutes session in 24th with a lap time of 1:38.580 which was less than two seconds off Pitt's pole time.   

Gowland: "I felt like my old self again in that final session and I am feeling a lot happier now. I am really happy with 12th and also the times that I set in that session which show that my race pace is good. We have totally transformed the bike so it is more like the bike I rode last year in the Spanish Championship and this obviously worked."

04/04/2008 GOWLAND AND KALLIO HOPE FOR HIGHER

The end of the opening day in the third round of the World Supersport Championship at Valencia sees the Benjan Racing's Graeme Gowland and Vesa Kallio provisionally line up in 15th and 21st respectively on the grid for Sunday's race.

Gowland is less than 1.5 seconds off pole setter Andrew Pitt with a 1:38.255 lap time whilst Kallio posted a lap of 1:38.659, although he set a faster time of 1:38.503 in the earlier free practice session.

Gowland: "We still have a few set up problems to work on but the changes we have made so far have worked well and I feel we are make good progress. This is the circuit in the calendar that I know the best after competing in the Spanish Championship last season so 15th is a good start but I will be looking to improve tomorrow."

Kallio: "I am happy with the lap times but I am having some problems with the brakes. I think I will move up the time sheets in tomorrow's sessions once the brake issue is resolved."