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Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Buchanan ‘super happy' with second top-10 finish
There are plenty of positives for Cormac Buchanan after his latest Moto3 World Championship finish. The Southland motorcycle racer clinched his second top-10 finish — just 1.7sec from the winner — yesterday to record his best performance of the season. The undulating challenges of Spain's Motorland Aragon proved a happy hunting ground for the Kiwi teenager, confirming his evolution in the sport in partnership with the Denssi Boe Motorsports team. "I'm really happy to finish in the front group and with the smart race I rode," Buchanan said. "Obviously, a bit disappointing because there was a lot more potential than 10th there. But I guess to not be over the moon with 10th place just shows how much we've progressed. "The weekend as a whole I was super happy with how we worked." Securing his second top-10 finish in a race marked by high temperatures and the demanding degradation of the tyres, Buchanan managed each phase with intelligence. Mid-race, when many began to struggle, Buchanan increased his pace, closing the distance with the head group until finally placing only 1.7sec from the Spanish winner, David Munoz. Buchanan planned to ease into the race to not wear his tyres out early after watching others opening with gas. " ... knew that would destroy the tyres before the end of the race". His patience paid off. "With about six laps to go, I saw that my tyres were good compared to the others around me so I knew that was my moment to go for it. "I got to the front of the second group then just tried to do my own pace. I had been practising all weekend and was able to bridge quite a big gap to the lead group. "I was in the front group with about four laps to go which was a pretty cool feeling to be there for the first time in the world championship. "I made my way up to about sixth or seventh, but unfortunately a bit of contact bumped me back again. We could have fought for the podium so it was a bittersweet feeling." Buchanan's performance was notable for his speed, racing at the same pace as the leaders and exceeding his classification time marked on Saturday. He walked away feeling "very positive" about the weekend. "We had a process that we wanted to work on which was focused on working alone without the slipstream or the reference to prepare for the race," he said. "We were riding every single session, including the qualifying, thinking about yesterday's race and doing laps alone to make sure I improve and develop a good feeling by myself." — Marc Marquez proved once again that he is the master of MotorLand as the Ducati rider won the Aragon Grand Prix from pole to extend his lead in the championship yesterday. Marquez's brother, Alex, finished second for Gresini Racing while Marc's team-mate, Francesco Bagnaia, came third as Ducati bikes swept the podium. Marc had completed the perfect weekend last year to win his first race in 1043 days at the same circuit, and he repeated his feat as the pole-sitter and sprint winner claimed a record-extending seventh MotoGP victory at the track. Such was Marc's dominance he became the first rider in 10 years to lead every session — including warmups, practice and qualifying — since he did it himself at the German Grand Prix in 2015. — APL/Reuters
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Hakim Danish clinches first win of season in Aragon
f KUALA LUMPUR: Motorcycle racer Hakim Danish Ramli did his chances of securing a seat in Moto3 next year no harm after emerging victorious at the Aragon leg of the Red Bull Rookies Cup today (June 8). Hakim, who finished second in race one yesterday (June 7), went one better in race two today, taking the flag ahead of Spanish duo Brian Uriarte (+0.188s) and David Gonzalez (+0.195s). It was Hakim's first race win of the season - he had placed second in his first five races - and further consolidated his position atop the championship standings with 125 points to his name. It was a commendable achievement for Hakim, who started from seventh on the grid, which is likely to boost his chances of moving up to the Moto3 World Championship next year. Last month Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif disclosed that Hakim essentially has a seat waiting for him in Moto3 next season but must first prove himself worthy of the slot. Hakim is a product of SIC's two-wheel talent development programme which is run by ZK Racing. Mugello will host the next round of the Red Bull Rookies Cup on June 21-22.
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Two points cap ‘positive' weekend
Cormac Buchanan in action during round seven of the Moto3 World Championship at Silverstone in the UK. PHOTO: DAST MEDIA A valuable points-scoring finish capped off a 'positive' weekend for Southland racer Cormac Buchanan in the Moto3 World Championship in the United Kingdom. The Invercargill teenager bagged two highly sought-after championship points after finishing 14th in a demanding race at Silverstone yesterday. Windy conditions added a degree of complexity to the race itself, thwarting Buchanan's impact on the official scoresheet. However, he rated round seven as a success overall. 'The weekend as a whole was a positive one. I felt really strong from the first session and we were able to consistently build on that momentum,' Buchanan said. 'Motorsport has a way of dishing out the highs and lows in pretty quick succession at times. You just have to roll with the punches and that's what we did.' Racing for Denssi Boe Motorsport in his rookie year, Buchanan continues to demonstrate his potential, particularly given his penchant for working solo in a field where the most miniscule margins can have a massive influence. 'We missed out on going directly to Q2 by less than half a-10th of a second again which was disappointing, especially given we hit traffic on our last time attack lap,' he said. 'But the best thing for me was to be able to spin laps alone and feeling the best I've felt all season and that just shows our evolution and proves our work is paying off.' Squally conditions were soon thrown into the mix and never relented. 'It was wet on Saturday morning and we put together a really good FP2 where I sat inside the top two for the whole session. We didn't switch to the dry tyres for the last laps so I had to settle for P6, but we banked a lot of information on the wets about the longevity of them,' Buchanan said. 'In the qualifying we did our work alone again despite the windy conditions not being the best without a slipstream. After the first run I was sitting second but I knew I had to improve to pass to Q2. 'I went with the group for the last flying lap and in the first sector alone I was up by three-10ths of a second, but I had a high-side at turn seven and that was my session over. It was a pretty bad crash, and I got banged up with lots of bruises and cuts.' The notorious UK weather continued for Sunday's battle. "I made a decent start to stick with the front pack so I knew if I just stayed there I would be able to make strong progress. With the wind it proved difficult and quite treacherous,' he said. 'I got blown off the track heading into turn six and I lost the group at that point which was annoying because we could have fought for the top places. Once I lost that slipstream it was impossible to catch them with the wind. 'On the next lap exiting corner five my front wheel got lifted up by the wind and when it came back down with a thud it bent my handlebar, so I had to ride with that from lap four onwards which was obviously not pleasant, especially given my physical condition wasn't flash after the crash. 'We save face by getting two points so I'm happy about that, but I know more is possible. "OK, it's not my best result on paper but the pace and everything we're doing now is a lot better than at the start of the year." — APL
Otago Daily Times
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
‘Massive honour' to win awards: Buchanan
Cormac Buchanan made his Moto3 World Championship debut in Thailand earlier this year. PHOTO: MANU TORMO Southland rider Cormac Buchanan scooped two big awards at the Motorcycling New Zealand awards in Wellington on Saturday. Buchanan, who is currently competing in the Moto3 World Championship, was named male rider of the year and best up and coming road rider at the awards. Southland rider Jack Symon was also a finalist. Buchanan's two awards are testament to his breakthrough year in 2024 where he successfully defended the 600 SuperSport Championship title at NZSBK before returning to Europe where he claimed three podiums and a pole position at the FIM JuniorGP world championship, ultimately earning him a Moto3 contract. "It's a massive honour to win both of these awards," Buchanan said. "When you look on the Male Rider of the Year trophy and see your name now engraved beside riders like Jake Lewis and Shane Richardson, it is really humbling. "I've been lucky enough to learn from both of them, not only as a racer but as a person." It was a big night for the Southland Motorcycle Club, which was named club of the year for delivering the Burt Munro Challenge. "It was proud night for the club and fantastic to see everyone's hard work recognised," president Bill Moffatt said. "Like the majority of sporting clubs throughout New Zealand, ours is run by passionate volunteers and this award is a credit to them and the countless hours each puts in so our riders can do what they love. "Cormac and Jack are both incredibly talented racers who represent our club in their respective disciplines with a high degree of professionalism and we are naturally proud of their latest achievements." First staged in 2006, the Burt Munro Challenge has established itself as the largest motorcycle rally in the southern hemisphere. Last year, a round of the New Zealand Superbike Championship (NZSBK) was incorporated into the mix, adding another element for the club to run successfully. Buchanan has acted as an ambassador for the Burt Munro Challenge for the past six years. "Regardless of where I'm racing around the world, I just have to glance down at that Burt Munro logo on my leathers for a little piece of home so it's amazing to have their support throughout this journey," Buchanan said. "The Southland club has played a massive part in my racing — they were the first to encourage me on to the track and have been right behind me ever since. "I'm an incredibly proud Southlander." — APL
Otago Daily Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Buchanan stays on two wheels to bag points at Le Mans
Southland racer Cormac Buchanan has bounced back in style to bank valuable Moto3 World Championship points at the Le Mans circuit in France. Buchanan, 18, finished 14th in the 20-lap showdown yesterday to add another two points and take his rookie season tally to 11. It was a confidence-boosting performance for the teenager and his Denssi Racing Boe crew after a setback at the previous round last month in Spain, where he finished 19th after a crash. "For me the goal was just to finish the race and see the chequered flag, ideally in a points position," Buchanan said. "Overall, it was a great weekend for me. "After having crashes in the last two races, we lost all of our momentum and, honestly, a little bit of confidence, so this result helps build that up again for the coming races. "It's a base that we can build on now and it's a great result considering our qualifying position of P19. It's a step forward with more points. "I'm now looking forward to the next round at Silverstone where we will focus on putting another brick in place on this foundation we're creating." Adding Le Mans' unpredictable weather into the equation, there was an air of uncertainty right up until riders made their way to the grid and opted for slick tyres. "We went out on the sighting lap and the track was more or less dry, despite it raining quite heavily in the morning, although there were quite a few wet patches which made it a bit sketchy." Continuing his impressive race starts, Buchanan gained six positions in the opening lap and stuck comfortably with the main group. In the latter stages, the pace improved in front and the group started to break apart. "I get pretty good starts and this race was no different, going up six places and getting myself into a great position and battling in the group," he said. "It was a bit difficult because some hairy moments on the track made me lose touch with the group at times and I found myself yo-yoing back and forth to them. I had to work hard to get back within touching distance and then struck some late grip issues. "I had to ride within myself. Not wanting to throw away a good result I had to play it safe a little bit to bring the bike home." Buchanan also showed a good pace in free practice before narrowly missing promotion to Q2 by a frustrating 0.015sec. "The margins are so tight when it comes to qualifying, but I can be satisfied we gave it a strong nudge despite working alone and in windy conditions." He will be back in action for the next round at the Silverstone circuit, in the United Kingdom, on May 23-25. — APL
