News

In the break between Spain and the Czech Republic rounds Sofuoglu flew to Turkey to have a knee operation following the injury picked up in a crash at Imola in early spring. The two-times champion is fine and will be back on track this weekend. Lowes is now in a position to strike back, and so is his team-mate, Frenchman Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) who is currently third, 33 points behind Sofuoglu. This year's sensation threw away a possible win when he crashed out of the lead at Aragon. Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Intermoto Step) and Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda) are also notching up the points, hoping to capitalize on any mistakes by the men up front. Meanwhile the Brno race will see the return of fast Frenchman Florian Marino to the scene, as he lines up with a promising new Indian-backed Kawasaki squad called MSD R-N Racing Team India.

Superstock 1000

In the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup the man at the front Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) has just one point's lead over Eddi La Marra (Barni Racing Team Italia Ducati) and 8 over another talented young Italian Lorenzo Savadori (Barni Racing Team Italia Ducati). The under-26 category, which reaches its sixth round of ten, has so far been full of action and surprises. Barrier has won three times but two errors have kept his closest rivals, who are simultaneously developing the new Ducati 1199 Panigale machine, within shouting distance.

Also in with a shot at the title are Lorenzo Baroni (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet), fourth and 19 points behind Barrier, and Australian Bryan Staring, who has finally got the Kawasaki sorted as a race-winning machine after his triumph at Aragon.

Superstock 600

Riccardo Russo (Team Italia FMI Yamaha) leads the way in the European Superstock 600 standings for under 22 year-olds with six points' advantage over Dutchman Michael van der Mark (EAB Ten Kate Junior Team Honda). These two have dominated the season so far, winning three and two races respectively and are looking to be the likely candidates for the eventual title win.

19 year-old Russo also heads the Italian domestic CIV standings, while in the sixth round at Brno his Dutch rival will have a new team-mate, another 19 year-old Italian: Ferruccio Lamborghini, who replaces Switzerland's Bastien Cheseaux.

With three podiums in five races, MTM Racing Yamaha's Gauthier Duwelz is rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with, while other youngsters to watch include Italian Christian Gamarino (GO Eleven Kawasaki) and seventh-placed Australian Adrian Nestorovic (MTM Yamaha).

KTM European Junior Cup

The European Junior Cup category for under-19s on identical KTM Duke 690 machines directly supplied by the Mattighofen manufacturer in Austria moves into its second half of the season. Round 5 at Brno will see Spain's Javier Orellana leading the way thanks to a win in his home race at Aragon. After a slow start to the season Orellana, born on 27 July 1997, has now worked his way to the top. He lies just one point ahead of Austrian Lukas Wimmer, who won at Misano, while the only female rider in the category, Spain's Victoria Alcala is still searching for her first points.

Coppa dei Due Paesi (Two Nations Cup)

Brno is the venue for the second round of the Coppa dei Due Paesi, the promo series for Superstock riders from Italy and Russia. The first round at Misano was dominated by Leonardo Biliotti, a rider who is also rapidly emerging on the domestic scene with his domination of the one-make Yamaha R6 Series. A healthy entry list of 22 riders will line up in the Czech Republic with the Russian representatives out for revenge. In 2011 the Coppa dei Due Paesi was won by Russia's Vladimir Leonov, who currently races in World Supersport. The series concludes on August 26 at Moscow Raceway.