After a test at the same Czech circuit after the Assen round of the championship a few weeks ago, the rookie 2018 Triple M Honda team had useful data to work with on the first day of free practice. Unfortunately they found three different sets of weather or track conditions on that opening day, from fully wet to warm and sunny.
Having been 20th going into Superpole 1 at the end of play on Friday, Jacobsen qualified 17th on the grid for race one on Saturday.
PJ was in a points scoring position for some of race one, but he finished 16th, and just a fraction of a second from the rider in front. Race one was eventually run over 16-laps, not the planned 18, after a red flag incident and then a false start, due to a fault with the startline lighting system.
Race two at Brno went the scheduled 18 laps, and was held in warmer air and track conditions than race one. PJ moved up to 13th place by lap 14 and stayed there until he took the chequered flag. This was his eighth points scoring finish of his and his team’s maiden season in WorldSBK.
Jacobsen remains 18th in the championship table thanks to the three points he scored today in the Czech Republic. A special race is coming up for PJ, as he returns to home soil in America for the Laguna Seca round of the championship, on 23 and 24 June.
PJ Jacobsen 99
We got some points today and it was an OK race, but 13th is still not where I want to be. We had some quite different temperatures here at Brno from when we tested, and the race today was extremely hot. It seemed nobody had much grip. We just have to keep improving everything, and each time we go out we find something. We will just keep improving. It is my home race next. I have not been to Laguna Seca in a long time, since 2011 I think. I will try my hardest there try to and get a good set-up with the bike.
Manuel Cappelletti
On Friday things were not consistent because the condition of the track was completely different to the test we did here one month ago. We scored three points today and until the middle of the race the three Hondas set the same rhythm. Our target, honestly, is a top ten and PJ did a good job. His lap times were consistent and we found something good for him in the bike in qualifying. Today we made another step. For us, it is our first season and we still have to learn. PJ was happy about the behaviour of the bike and we look forward in a positive way to Laguna Seca. It is his home race and he is going to give 200% to be near the front.
Czech RoundAutomotodrom Brno, Czech Republic
WorldSBK 2018, Round 7
- Air Temp: 27°C
- Humidity: 50%
- Ground Temp: 43°C
| # | Rider | Num | Nationality Nat. | Points Pts. | Team | Constructor Constr. | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Lowes | 22 | GBR | 25 | Pata Yamaha | Yamaha | 36’23.516 |
| 2 | Michael van der Mark | 60 | NDL | 20 | Pata Yamaha | Yamaha | +2.167 |
| 3 | Chaz Davies | 7 | GBR | 16 | Aruba.it Racing | Ducati | +7.649 |
| 4 | Eugene Laverty | 50 | GBR | 13 | Milwaukee Aprilia | Aprilia | +9.422 |
| 5 | Lorenzo Savadori | 32 | ITA | 11 | Milwaukee Aprilia | Aprilia | +9.716 |
| 6 | Michael Rinaldi | 21 | ITA | 10 | Aruba.it Racing | Ducati | +12.967 |
| 7 | Leon Camier | 2 | GBR | 9 | Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team | Honda | +17.341 |
| 8 | Xavi Fores | 12 | SPA | 8 | BARNI Racing Team | Ducati | +20.293 |
| 9 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | 54 | TUR | 7 | Grillini Racing Team | Kawasaki | +23.613 |
| 10 | Román Ramos | 40 | SPA | 6 | Team Go Eleven | Kawasaki | +24.670 |
| 11 | Loris Baz | 76 | FRA | 5 | Althea BMW Racing Team | BMW | +25.106 |
| 12 | Jake Gagne | 45 | USA | 4 | Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team | Honda | +25.212 |
| 13 | PJ Jacobsen | 99 | USA | 3 | Triple M Honda World Superbike Team | Honda | +28.172 |
| 14 | Yonny Hernandez | 68 | COL | 2 | Team Pedercini | Kawasaki | +31.659 |
| 15 | Marco Melandri | 33 | ITA | 1 | Aruba.it Racing | Ducati | +32.407 |
| 16 | Tom Sykes | 66 | GBR | 0 | Kawasaki Racing Team | Kawasaki | +36.305 |
| 17 | Leandro Mercado | 36 | ARG | 0 | IodaRacing Team | Aprilia | +39.367 |
| 18 | Ondrej Jezek | 37 | CZE | 0 | Grillini Racing Team | Kawasaki | +44.976 |
| NC | Jordi Torres | 81 | SPA | 0 | MV Agusta Reparto Corse | MV Agusta | DNF |
| NC | Jonathan Rea | 65 | GBR | 0 | Kawasaki Racing Team | Kawasaki | DNF |
