From Hyosung Motors USA
NORCROSS, GA - Hyosung Motors America has formally announced the release of its 2010 GT250, GT250R and GV250 motorcycles.
The latest models feature a number of improvements over last year - most notable is the addition of fuel injection.
“Since being introduced to this market, Hyosung 250cc motorcycles have consistently been technology and performance leaders,” said Brian Rose, Western Regional Manager. “The bikes’ looks, warranty and V-twin performance have always made them attractive. With more fine-tuning and the addition of fuel injection, we’ve made the decision even easier for 250cc sportbike and cruiser buyers.”
Other functional and cosmetic upgrades include a redesigned tail section on GT models and a strengthened frame on the GV. All Hyosung 250cc motorcycles will continue to feature fuel gauges.
More details, images and a dealer locator page can be found at www.hyosungmotorsusa.com.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Hyosung adds fuel injection for 2010
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Inside Motorcycles columnist earns award
From Bridgestone Canada Inc.
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON – The story of a special performance driving school's annual ladies-only day at Race City in Alberta has earned journalist Greg Williams the 2009 Julie Wilkinson Motorsports Award presented by Bridgestone Canada Inc. (BSCA). The prize, which comes with a $500 cheque, was awarded at Wednesday's annual dinner held by the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).
The Calgary-based writer's winning entry detailed the events of a special October day when the BMW Clubs of Alberta turned over their Advanced Driving School to a group of 25 women because, as Registrar Patti Duddridge Riegert said, "there are more women buying powerful cars and they quite simply don't know what their cars are capable of doing." The winning story recounted the classroom and track lessons and exercises that put the ladies and their cars through their paces on a heavy information day.
"After taking the course, you will be safer on the roads because you will have learned the limits of your own car, and yourself," she said, an opinion shared by the students of the day.
Williams is a regular contributor to Inside Motorcycles. His Western Perspectives column appears in each issue and last year he began writing an Inside Vintage feature. He is also a columnist for the Calgary Herald.
The 2009 submissions were judged by Patrick Carpentier, veteran Canadian ChampCar, IRL and NASCAR driver, Cindy Hackelberg, managing consultant of Global Services, and Charles-André Marchand, sports journalist and the "voice" of the F1 Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. The evaluation criteria included writing style, success at educating, passion imparted and entertainment value.
The Julie Wilkinson Motorsports Award, which BSCA began sponsoring a decade ago in 1999, is presented each year in memory of Julie Wilkinson, the Vancouver Croft House School graduate who undertook a distinguished career as a driver in several series and, later, was an automotive journalist who traveled internationally writing about motorsports.
Rea ends test on top
After two days of intense World Superbike testing at Portimao on Tuesday and Wednesday records lay in tatters as several riders improved massively on their best lap times from last weekend's season finale at the Portuguese venue.
Even some new bike and rider combinations were in on the superfast act.
Up front was Jonathan Rea, determined to be quickest in each session, as he left the tests with a best lap of 1:41.878, closely followed by another top WSB talent, Michel Fabrizio.
After winning the WSS title on Sunday, Cal Crutchlow proved equally adept on a Superbike machine, and despite a heavy fall on the first day, he secured third best time of 1:42.115.
Another British rider, Leon Haslam, on another machine new to him, set a highly impressive 1:42.251 while running a transponder on his machine, and his team claimed he was even faster than that.
Aprilia riders Max Biaggi and Leon Camier did not run transponders, but were next fastest along, just a 10th or so from each other as Biaggi set a 1:42.7 on new suspension and new electronics packages.
Carlos Checa's first taste of Ducati power was a sweet one as he rode to a mid 1:43 time.
With team-mate Rea fastest, Max Neukirchner was also impressive in his comeback ride in a new team at Hannspree Ten Kate, as the German rider also set a mid 1:43 time.
Another rider to have missed much of the season through injury, albeit a BSB season, is new Alstare Suzuki pick Sylvain Guintoli and he was also impressively quick.
Tom Sykes had his first taste of Kawasaki power in this test, despite still suffering from a shoulder injury, and Regis Laconi, who was so seriously injured in South Africa in the springtime, returned to action for a day on Tuesday, on a DFX Ducati.
Combined Test Times (Unofficial)
Superbike
1. Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) 1:41.878
2. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 1:41.992
3. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Superbike) 1:42.115
4. Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) 1:42.251
5. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) 1:42.71
6. Leon Camier (Aprilia Racing) 1:42.79
7. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) 1:43.098
8. James Toseland (Yamaha World Superbike) 1:43.147
9. Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) 1:43.425
10. Max Neukirchner (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) 1:43.549
11. Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare) 1:43.612
12. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki WSRT) 1:43.902
13 Javier Fores (Kawasaki WSRT) 1:44.413
14. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki WSRT) 1:44.9
15. Vittorio Ianuzzo (Suzuki) 1:44.908
16. Alex Hofmann (Aprilia test rider) 1:45.5
17. Regis Laconi (DFX Ducati) 1:46.458
Supersport
1. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) 1:44.329
2. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki WSS) 1:44.619
3. Michele Pirro (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) 1:44.999
4. Broc Parkes (Kawasaki WSS) 1:45.0
5. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki WSS) 1:45.875
6. David Salom (Kawasaki WSS) 1:46.2
7. Gino Rea 1:46.423 (Yamaha WSS)
Hatton still going strong in Morocco
Don Hatton is still going strong after stage four of the 2009 Morocco Rally.
“Don had a good ride today,” his wife Natalie Hatton, commented on Wednesday.
The race has been gruelling. Stage 4 was treacherous enough for the organizers to issue a warning to the racers regarding unmarked holes in the course.
Attrition among the competitors is rising. Hatton’s team-mate and fellow Canadian rider Rick Hatswell is out of the race with a broken leg suffered during stage 3 of the rally. Another of his team-mates, David Dickinson is reported injured in stage 4 with a broken sternum.
Stage 3’s extremely high heat along with the extensive racing in sand dunes caused Hatton to have heat stroke. Although it did not require medical attention it caused a delay as the Duncan, BC rider sought relief from the heat by using his KTM 690 for shade from the hot Moroccan sun.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Rea leads opening day of test
The first day of 2010 World Superbike season testing got underway in dry and warm conditions at Portimao, with many new faces and rider combos in view.
It was an existing bike and rider combination which set the fastest time, when Jonathan Rea made a best of 1:42.156, closely followed by Michel Fabrizio on a 1:42.362. Cal Crutchlow set a blistering 1:42.795 to go third fastest in his first Yamaha WSB experience.
The riding line up featured some riders who are testing with their new teams for the first time, and several other riders either ‘auditioning’ for a ride in 2010, or having a ride to help gather data for off-season development.
The fastest rider on show early on was Rea, with WSS regular Joan Lascorz fast on the official Kawasaki, despite a fall midway through the day.
Double World Superbike Champion James Toseland got to grips with a Superbike again, alongside his Yamaha YZF-R1 team-mate Crutchlow, who was himself moving to a new class after winning WSS on Sunday.
Max Neukirchner had his first taste of Honda power for a couple of years in the Ten Kate Honda pit, and was quick after his recent recovery from injury. Leon Haslam was also fast on his first Suzuki ride ever.
Tom Sykes rode a Kawasaki Superbike on Tuesday, with an injured shoulder, while Regis Laconi and Javier Fores tried out their DFX Ducatis for size.
The Althea team took its first Ducati footsteps, with its new signing Carlos Checa.
Not all riders had transponders fitted to their machines, therefore the times below are not official, but gathered from a number of sources. The tests continue for one more day, on Wednesday.
Superbike
1. Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1:42.156
2. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) 1:42.362
3. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) 1:42.795
4. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) 1:43.098
5. Leon Haslam (Suzuki) 1:43.300
6. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) 1:43.400
7. James Toseland (Yamaha) 1:43.700
8. Max Neukirchner (Honda) 1:43.810
9. Leon Camier (Aprilia) 1:43.900
10. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) 1:43.902
11. Carlos Checa (Ducati) 1:43.951
12. Javier Fores (Ducati) 1:44.413
13. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1:45.500
14. Regis Laconi (Ducati) 1:46.458
Supersport
1. Kenan Sofuoglu (Honda) 1:44.580
2. Broc Parkes (Kawasaki) 1:45.000
3. Michele Pirro (Honda) 1:45.323
4. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki) 1:45.875
5. David Salom (Kawasaki) 1:46.200
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Hatton fifth in Morocco
Don Hatton will be starting fifth in the Enduro class out of approximately 50-plus motorcycle competitors on the second day of competition in the 2009 NPO Shamrock Rally de Maroc (Shamrock Rally of Morocco).
“Rocks, rocks and more rocks. And we are not talking pebbles here,” Hatton said of the course conditions. Due to the rough terrain he has re-injured his hand and twisted his knee. He has been cleared by officials to continue racing.
The Duncan, BC racer is being challenged by both the terrain and some teething problems on his KTM 690 Enduro race bike. His bike has had some recurring electrical gremlins associated with the installation of the navigation equipment and with the suspension set up during day one. But the team mechanics are working hard to correct the problems.
As Hatton is competing in the Enduro class his bike must remain as close to factory stock condition as allowed under the NPO rules. That poses some limitations on components such as the suspension and engine as compared to a race prepared Dakar KTM.
For additional information please visit http://www.destinationdakar.ca.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Perseverance pays for Williams
TORONTO, ON -- On his way to five World Hillclimb Championships and 10 Canadian titles, perhaps the greatest quality shown by John Williams was his ability to persevere despite facing the longest of odds.
Williams recalled that dogged determination as he was inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame on Saturday night along with nine other legends of the sport.
The Markham, ON resident won just a single race in his first 10 years of competition, yet refused to give up the sport. He singled out his wife Marilyn for supporting him through those difficult early days.
"Not once did she tell me to quit," he said in an entertaining and engaging acceptance speech at the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel.
"I learned one thing in this sport," he added. "If you're not living on the edge you're taking up too much room."
A diverse range of individuals and clubs were welcomed into the Hall. Joining Williams were fellow racers Ivor Lloyd, Don McHugh and Duane McDaniels.
A native of Wales, former road racer Lloyd was present for the indicution but did not speak, although his sons Irv and Glenn both paid tribute to their father's accomplishments.
McHugh, a flat track legend and stunt rider from Brampton, ON, died in 2001 at the age of 70. His widow Shiela accepted on his behalf and admitted her only regret was that he wasn't alive to receive the induction himself.
Although a native of Michigan, McDaniels was a star of the Canadian road race scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s, winning three consecutive number one plates.
"It's truly an honour to receive this recognition for competing in a sport I loved," he said.
Jim Sehl of Stoney Creek, ON entered the Hall of Fame thanks in large part for his expert work in tuning bikes for a number of flat track legends, including his brothers Dave and Doug.
"Excellent riders make average bikes look good," he said modestly. "It's been a great ride."
Carl Bastedo of Chatsworth, ON was inducted after a varied career as a motocross competitor, organizer and contributor. His efforts included promotion of the Toronto Supercross and managing Canada's Motocross of Nations teams.
Ken Morgan of Battersea, ON was recognized for his service in improving rider training efforts across Canada in the 1970s and '80s.
"In the 1970s the idea that motorcycling could be made safer through organized rider training was viewed with some skepticism, and that's being polite," he pointed out in his induction remarks.
Motorcycle event organizer, show producer, competitor and collector Bar Hodgson was inducted after many years of participating in the development of motorcycling in Canada.
"I feel uniquely blessed to share this moment with such a successful group of individuals," he admitted.
Two groups, the Steel City Riders of Hamilton, ON and the Shannonville, ON based Canadian Race Communications Association were also inducted into the Hall. Current Steel City Riders president John Varga accepted on behalf of the club while Marty Cooper did the same for the CRCA.
In addition to the 10 Hall of Fame inductions, George David, Graham Oates, Bill Sharpless, and Ron and Eve White were made 'Historic Inductees' and the Bar & Hedy Hodgson Award went to the Vintage Road Racing Association, with Tom Faulds accepting on behalf of the group.
The Ontario Volunteer Co-Ordinator Award was presented to Dave Hall.
Pat Gonsalves hosted the evening, which attracted many key players in the Canadian motorcycle industry, including six-time Canadian Superbike Champion Jordan Szoke.
Triumph adds Winnipeg dealer
From Triumph North America
Triumph has announced the addition of Wildwood Sports in Winnipeg as the latest addition to the Canadian Triumph Motorcycle family.
Paul Germain and his team have been in the motorcycle business in the Winnipeg market for over 30 years. Wildwood currently sells BMW, Ducati and Yamaha motorcycles and with the addition of Triumph joins a growing team of Euro Power Houses across Canada.
Germain is a consummate businessman, enthusiast and active racing professional, striving for victory at road race and dirt track events across North America. Wildwood has a team of seasoned motorsport veterans ready to provide Triumph owners with an outstanding experience.
For more information about Triumph Motorcycles visit www.triumphmotorcycles.com.
Stoner dominates Sepang; Rossi wins title
Valentino Rossi finished third behind Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa at a rain-soaked Sepang to take the 2009 MotoGP World Championship title on Sunday.
Stoner’s second successive win was impressive enough, as was his astounding 14.666-sec. margin of victory in the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. But it was the Italian’s result that secured his ninth world title – a seventh in the premier class – as he defended his 2008 crown, with Dani Pedrosa finishing second with his 78th career podium across all classes.
“It’s a great achievement, and for me it’s the ninth championship, the seventh in MotoGP," said Rossi after his 12th podium finish of the season. "I have to thank all the guys from Yamaha, who are great, and all the Fiat Yamaha team, from Jeremy (Burgess, chief mechanic) and all the mechanics to all the guys that work for me, and all my friends. All the people that helped me with this great achievement.”
Second place at Portugal for Casey Stoner on his comeback after a three race absence due to illness has been followed up by two brilliant successive wins from the factory Ducati rider at Phillip Island and Sepang in the space of seven days – as he puts his mid-season difficulties behind him.
Stoner adapted most efficiently to the wet weather on Sunday afternoon.
“The conditions were the same for everyone today and none of us had tested at this track in the wet for quite a long time," he admitted. "So the early laps were a bit tentative and going into turn one I didn’t get a good start and a few people came past me.
“I slotted into fourth place coming out of turn two though and then when I got into the lead I thought I’ll just test the track condition for a few laps and I never expected to pull out the gap that I did. After that I just decided to keep going hard for at least half race distance and once I got a gap I was happy with I started to back off the pace.”
The race started on a wet track after a 35-minute delay due to rain, and there was drama from the off. A problem during the sighting lap with his machine for Jorge Lorenzo meant that failure to join the starting grid in time resulted in relegation from second to the back.
It made little difference to the Spaniard however as he flew up to overtake Rossi, who dropped to 10th after a sluggish start from pole position. Lorenzo eventually finished in fourth position.
“We tried to start the race with bike number one, but it wouldn’t start so we took the second bike but we lost a few minutes. We thought it was possible to do two (sighting) laps like the other riders, but the time was finished so we had to start the race in last place,” said Lorenzo.
“I started very well and overtook eight or nine riders in the first lap and I was feeling okay, but at the middle of the race the rear tire started to spin and it was impossible to follow Vale and Dani to finish second. Fourth place is okay and we just have to get the points in Valencia to ensure second place in the championship.”
Randy de Puniet had a very early nasty high-side which fortunately resulted in no injury for the Frenchman, as Stoner established a four-second lead at the front over Pedrosa after just two laps.
Nicky Hayden was dogged in his attempt to hold off Lorenzo in fifth place, but the Fiat Yamaha rider managed to pass the Ducati Marlboro man before Rossi passed both to move into fourth spot after eight laps.
Shortly after, Stoner’s lead at the front had grown to a huge 15 seconds, but there was no such deficit between Pedrosa in third and his Repsol Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, who diced for second spot. Disaster struck for the Italian however, as on lap 14 he succumbed to the wet conditions and slid off, allowing Rossi to move up to third and target Pedrosa.
The Spaniard was out of Rossi’s grasp for the remainder however, but third was one place higher than he required to take the title (had Lorenzo won the race), and a characteristically flamboyant celebration followed involving a chicken dressed in the Italian’s blue and yellow colours.
“Today’s race went a bit like how the season has gone, because we were so fast on the dry tires, but right before the start of the race it started to rain so we had to go out on the track without any wet setting,” said Rossi.
Having been pushed throughout the season to retain his crown by team-mate Lorenzo, Rossi paid special tribute to the 22-year-old Spaniard’s efforts.
“Throughout the season I had great rivals, at the end especially Jorge my team-mate, who stayed very close to me, and we had some great fights. He’s a great rival so congratulations to him,” said Rossi. “But we are on the top and now we’ll relax and try to take in this achievement. The ninth championship is great – I’m so happy.”
After Lorenzo took fourth spot he duly handed hearty congratulations to Rossi.
“We tried to the end to beat him, but I think he was the number one this year because he’s been faster than us in almost every race. He was more consistent than us and he was more clever, so he is the winner,” concluded Lorenzo.
Hayden equalled his second-best result of the season in fifth. Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki), Toni Elías (San Carlo Honda Gresini), Marco Melandri (Hayate Racing), Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) and Mika Kallio (Pramac Racing) completed the top 10.
Elsewhere, Aleix Espargaró impressed with an 11th-placed finish in his third MotoGP race of the campaign for Pramac, while Monster Yamaha Tech 3 pair Colin Edwards and James Toseland both struggled, finishing in 13th and 15th respectively.
The 15th round of the 2009 250cc World Championship in Malaysia saw Hiroshi Aoyama prevail after an absorbing battle with Marco Simoncelli, who placed third after a photo finish was required following Héctor Barberá’s surge.
Crossing the finish line with a 6.397-sec. advantage, Aoyama extended his lead at the top of the championship standings to 21 points over Simoncelli. The result leaves Aoyama needing a 10th-placed finish or better in Valencia to secure the 2009 title ahead of Simoncelli.
World Champion Julián Simón won his sixth 125cc race of the season on Sunday with victory in Sepang. A close battle between Simón and Bradley Smith was won by the freshly-crowned World Champion, as he beat his Bancaja Aspar team-mate in a final-lap fight.
The duo, who battled closely at Phillip Island last weekend, again crossed swords as Simón held Smith’s challenge off on the last corner of the Sepang circuit. The Brit’s placing secured second position in this year’s World Championship as well, despite a broken metatarsal bone in his right foot from a qualifying crash on Saturday.
MotoGP Race Results
1. Casey STONER (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 47:24.834 (147.435 km/h)
2. Dani PEDROSA (SPA) Repsol Honda Team Honda +14.666
3. Valentino ROSSI (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha +19.385
4. Jorge LORENZO (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha +25.850
5. Nicky HAYDEN (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati +38.705
6. Chris VERMEULEN (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki +41.061
7. Toni ELIAS (SPA) San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda +48.555
8. Marco MELANDRI (ITA) Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki +55.557
9. Loris CAPIROSSI (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki +1:00.303
10. Mika KALLIO (FIN) Pramac Racing Ducati +1:00.440
11. Aleix ESPARGARO (SPA) Pramac Racing Ducati +1:01.655
12. Alex DE ANGELIS (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda +1:01.847
13. Colin EDWARDS (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha +1:10.778
14. Gabor TALMACSI (HUN) Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda +1:15.851
15. James TOSELAND (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha +1:50.672
Not classified
Andrea DOVIZIOSO (ITA) Repsol Honda Team Honda +7 Laps
Randy DE PUNIET (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP Honda +20 Laps
MotoGP Point Standings
1. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha) 286
2. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha) 245
3. Casey STONER (Ducati) 220
4. Dani PEDROSA (Honda) 209
5. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda) 152
6. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha) 148
7. Marco MELANDRI (Kawasaki) 108
8. Loris CAPIROSSI (Suzuki) 108
9. Alex DE ANGELIS (Honda) 105
10. Toni ELIAS (Honda) 105
11. Chris VERMEULEN (Suzuki) 105
12. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda) 101
13. Nicky HAYDEN (Ducati) 93
14. James TOSELAND (Yamaha) 88
15. Mika KALLIO (Ducati) 64
16. Niccolo CANEPA (Ducati) 38
17. Gabor TALMACSI (Honda) 19
18. Aleix ESPARGARO (Ducati) 13
19. Sete GIBERNAU (Ducati) 12
20. Yuki TAKAHASHI (Honda) 9
Blazusiak wraps up Endurocross title
KTM Enduro Factory Team / Red Bull rider Taddy Blazusiak is the 2009 US Endurocross champion.
Dominating the series since its start back in late June, the Pole secured his first AMA Endurocross title with yet another winning result in Denver last weekend.
Posting the fastest time in the event’s Hot Lap qualifying session before going on to win his heat race, Blazusiak then won the penultimate round of the series to put his name to the prestigious title.
Starting well in the main event, Blazusiak spent the opening lap battling with Geoff Aaron before making a pass over the tire section. Then pursued by Colton Haaker, Blazusiak stuck to his game plan and maintained a pace he was comfortable with.
Edging ahead of Haaker as the race progressed Blazusiak kept himself out of trouble and claimed his fourth win of the season. In doing so he became the ’09 AMA Endurocross champion.
“I think this was the best race of my life," the new champ said. "It went better than I even hoped it would. From setting the fastest Hot Lap to winning my heat to getting the win in the main, just about everything went perfectly.
"It’s a massive relief to have secured the title before the final in Vegas and I’m so pleased the championship’s mine. Getting the holeshot in the main was exactly what I wanted to do. The track was pretty fast so it was important to be up front early on.
“Colton Haaker was riding really well and was with me for a few laps after that. I could see exactly where he was and just kept my own pace. The track was great fun, not too technical and quite fast.
" I’m so pleased that the championship’s mine. The pressure is off now, which is great because I can really focus on the Indoor Enduro World Cup race this coming weekend now, as well as going to final round of the Endurocross championship in Vegas and just going for it. If I win there I’ll get $50,000, which would be a great end to the series."
Portimao tests attract the top teams
From Team Suzuki Alstare
Suzuki Alstare has opened up its two-day tests in Portimao this week and most of the top teams will now be in attendance.
It will be a chance to see many, if not all, the new riders working with their new teams for the first time in the first of pre-2010 season tests and so far, 22 riders have signed up for the two days.
Already confirmed for Tuesday and Wednesday this week in addition to Sylvain Guintoli and Leon Haslam for Suzuki Alstare are Aprilia (with three riders), Ten Kate Honda (two riders in WSBK and two in WSS), Yamaha WSBK (two riders, including former champion James Toseland), Ducati Xerox (two riders), Kawasaki WSBK (three riders), DFX Corse (one rider), Althea Honda (one rider), plus one more from WSBK and three from WSS.
Spies is World Superbike Champ
From the World Superbike Championship
Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) won the first race and then controlled the situation in race 2 to take his and Yamaha's first ever World Superbike Championship title in front of a crowd of 86,000 in the final round of the series at Portimao on Sunday.
Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), points leader going into the decider, crashed out in race 1, making things easier for the Texan, who was fifth in the second race.
"First I've got to thank Yamaha for giving me everything I needed to win," the new champion said. "It was really good, we did what we had to do and it was difficult to do that because the pace was quite fast and I saw that there were a couple of people behind me. I knew that if Nori won I had to be sixth, so I tried to stay out of trouble.
"It was spectacular, I can't thank Yamaha enough and everyone who's been behind me for my first year here. It'll sink in in the next couple of days!"
"This weekend we had a problem with the rear tire and in the first race we made a mistake with the tire choice and I crashed," Haga admitted. "Second race was quite good, I was worried for the tire life, but I started to push and I am happy for second position. Unlucky for today for the title but I try to do my best for next year and congratulations to Ben for the world title."
Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) took the win in race 2, while Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) were the other podium finishers.
Race 1 was dominated from start to finish by Spies, who took his 14th win of the season and overhauled Haga in the title chase. The Texan, who rocketed away from the line, comfortably held off any attempts at an attack from Biaggi, then upped his pace to go on to take a solitary chequered flag.
With this result Spies now had a 15-point advantage over Haga, who lost the front and crashed on lap 7 while making up time in fifth place.
"It was actually a really tough race," Spies said. "At first I was just going for the win, getting to the front and not worrying about anything. Then when Haga was out I had to win to get as many points as possible for race 2. Once you have a gap, you don't want to be stupid and throw it all away."
The runner-up slot went to Rea, who got the better of Biaggi after a terrific duel.
"It took a little bit of time for my tires to get right in but when they did they were good until the end," Rea said. "The team and the bike have been working really good and I can't thank them enough. It's the first time I've ever had such a result in race 1 and I'm sure in race 2 I'll be strong again."
The best Ducati rider to the line in fourth place was Shane Byrne, in one of his best races of the year, while fifth went to Fabrizio, who compromised his race with a bad start.
Leon Camier had a good run to sixth for Aprilia, while Ruben Xaus finished eighth on the first BMW.
Both Suzukis failed to finish, Yukio Kagayama crashing out and Sylvain Guintoli was forced to retire.
Spies monitored Haga all the way in race 2 to take the fifth place that was enough to give him the 2009 title. The American only had to finish sixth, but he preferred to shy away from any direct confrontation and together with Haga's second place, the result gave him the title by six points.
Fabrizio scored his third win of the season after a terrific scrap with Rea, who took the final podium slot, while Byrne was again a protagonist of the race and finished fourth.
"Both Jonathan and I showed that we're going to be up at the front next year and we're going to do a lot of these battles," Fabrizio said. "I really wanted that win; Johnny made a mistake here at the last curve, maybe a gear slipped or something, and for me it was all OK. Just as well because otherwise it would have been difficult to overtake him."
Biaggi looked spectacular on the track, but the Italian made several errors and could only finish in sixth, while team-mate Camier ran another convincing race in seventh, ahead of Jakob Smrz (Guandalini Ducati) and Troy Corser (BMW), while this time both Suzuki riders Guintoli and Kagayama finished in the points.
It was mission accomplished for Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) in the World Supersport Championship. Thanks to a fourth place in the final round, the British rider took the 2009 title in his debut year in the championship.
The race win went to title rival Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), who did what he had to do. The runner-up slot went to Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who finished the championship in third place, a result that was made easier by the retirement of his chief rival Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com).
It was a good day also for Triumph, who saw Garry McCoy step onto the podium for the second time this year, and Chaz Davies finish in seventh.
Xavier Simeon (Ducati Xerox) crowned the Superstock 1000 title he won at Magny-Cours in the best possible way by going on to take a dominant win in the final round at Portimao. For the Belgian rider, who has always been on the podium this year, it was the fifth win in 10 races.
Claudio Corti (Suzuki Alstare) did everything possible to keep up with the pace of the new champion, before settling for second place a couple of laps from the end. Third went to Javi Fores (Kawasaki Pedercini), who beat off René Mahr (TKR Suzuki) in a sprint finish.
The European Superstock 600 Championship battle had a terrific ending as Britain's Gino Rea (Ten Kate Honda) scored a third place finish in the race to take the title by just one point from Marco Bussolotti (Yamaha Trasimeno), winner on Sunday ahead of Vincent Lonbois (MTM Yamaha), who finished third overall in the standings.
The race revolved around the duel between these three riders, who repeatedly exchanged positions and the result went right down to the line.
Superbike Race 1 Results
1. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF-R1 38:15.390 (158.442 km/h)
2. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR +1.697
3. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +2.113
4. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R +2.757
5. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R +14.753
6. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +20.044
7. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR +25.634
8. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR +31.104
9. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR +36.689
10. Baiocco M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R +39.331
11. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R +41.827
12. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-10R +41.882
13. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R +54.967
14. Checa D. (ESP) Yamaha YZF-R1 +1:38.533
15. Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R +4 Laps
No other finishers
Superbike Race 2 Results
1. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 38:19.654 (158.148 km/h)
2. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R +1.195
3. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR +1.494
4. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R +5.553
5. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +5.842
6. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +7.374
7. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +9.658
8. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R +10.434
9. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR +17.010
10. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 +24.509
11. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 +27.195
12. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R +34.825
13. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR +35.135
14. Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R +1:01.842
15. Checa D. (ESP) Yamaha YZF-R1 +1:09.782
16. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-10R +1:30.818
Final Superbike Points
1. Spies 462
2. Haga 456
3. Fabrizio 382
4. Biaggi 319
5. Rea 315
6. Haslam 241
7. Checa 209
8. Byrne 192
9. Sykes 176
10. Smrz 169
Ice battle set for Michigan
From the American Motorcyclist Association
PICKERINGTON, OH -- AMA Racing's first champions of 2010 will be crowned next Jan. 23-24 following some of the most intense competition you'll find on two wheels: the 2010 AMA Racing Ice Race Grand Championships, taking place at the unforgettable Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, MI.
"Last year was one of the best ever for the AMA Racing Ice Race Grand Championships, and we're looking forward to building on that success in 2010," said American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Director of Racing Joe Bromley. "As we see every year, while the racers always have tough competition in each other, they also battle the extreme winter weather that always provides an extra challenge for both competitor and machinery."
The AMA Racing Ice Race Grand Championships, which are promoted by Baja Acres MX, feature riders from four years old to 50-plus competing on bikes that range from lightly modified off-road machines to full-on, purpose-built ice racers. Riders will battle for AMA Racing National No. 1 plates in a number of classes.
"We are very excited to be hosting the 2010 AMA Racing Ice Race Grand Championships for the second year in a row at the beautiful Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, MI," said Baja Acres MX's Patrick Grzebinski.
The top riders at the event also will compete for the AMA Racing Ice Racer of the Year award, given to the most impressive rider on the ice, while the youth riders will chase the honour of AMA Racing Youth Rider of the Year.
To learn more about the event, see BajaMX.com or call the Baja MX office at (989) 871-3356.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Spies takes 11th Superpole
From the World Superbike Championship
The final Superpole session of 2009 went the same way as 10 others this season as Ben Spies made it 11 out of 14 for the Yamaha World Superbike team, an outright record for the series, at the Algarve Circuit in Portugal.
The Texan’s lap time of 1 minute 42.412 seconds was almost one second under last year’s best lap set by Troy Bayliss. Spies thus becomes the number one favourite for the race wins tomorrow, seeing as his chief rival for the title, points leader Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) will only start from row 3 of the grid with the 10th quickest time, after not making the cut in Superpole 2.
“We’ve been working under the radar all weekend on a lot of different things," Spies said. "Superpole was good for us, we kept pushing as hard as we could. Unfortunately Nori is back on the third row but we need anything we can get for track position. But it’s not just about me and Nori tomorrow, there are other guys, we’ll just run our own race and give it everything we’ve got to try and win both these things.”
Partial consolation for Ducati came from the performance by privateer Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) and Haga’s team-mate Michel Fabrizio, who were in second and third place respectively. The front row was completed by Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda).
“I’m delighted to be back on the front row, it seems like it’s been forever," Byrne said. "We actually used both of our qualifying tires before the last section and then a 42.99 came up on my dash and I was so tired that I closed the throttle on the straight and I had one more lap to go! Hopefully we can have a good weekend here and see what happens for next year.”
Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) overhauled Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) at the end of the session to take an excellent fifth place, after the Italian had crashed out in the pre-Superpole free session. Fonsi Nieto (DFX Ducati) and Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad) will line up alongside on the second row, while WSB newcomer Sylvian Guintoli made an excellent debut with 11th place on the Suzuki Alstare machine.
Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) scored the first pole position of his Supersport career at the Portuguese team’s home circuit. The Irish rider needed to put together a blistering lap to keep Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) at bay, and he did just that with a time of 1:44.836, a new circuit record.
The points leader however was less than a tenth behind the man he will be trying to outpace tomorrow for the title.
Italian Michele Pirro (Yamaha Lorenzini) put in a great run for third on the grid, his second best result of the season following pole at Misano. The front row is completed by Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who held off Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) by just four-thousandths of a second.
Once again Garry McCoy produced another positive performance, taking the Be1 Racing Triumph to the second row, which also includes home favourite Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda) and Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport).
With a new lap record of 1:46.316 seconds, Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Honda) clinched the pole position, his second of the season, in the Superstock 1000 qualifying session. The Frenchman managed to hold off the attacks from the newly-crowned champion Xavier Simeon (Ducati Xerox), who was just 56/1000ths off the pace.
In Superstock 600, Marco Bussolotti (Yamaha Trasimeno) and Vincent Lonbois (MTM Yamaha) will start from the front row, with the other title challengers Gino Rea (Ten Kate Honda) on row 2 and Danilo Petrucci (Yamaha Trasimeno) on row 3. These four riders will fight it out for the European title on Sunday.
Pole position, the first of the season, went to Eddi La Marra (Ten Kate Honda), while fourth place went to Norway’s Fredrik Karlsen (VD Heyden Yamaha).
Superbike Qualifying Times
1. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:42.412
2. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1:42.996
3. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1:43.015
4. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:43.126
5. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:43.523
6. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1:43.526
7. Nieto F. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1:43.553
8. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1:44.719
9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1:43.240
10. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1:43.377
11. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 1:43.406
12. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1:43.461
13. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1:43.671
14. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 1:43.717
15. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:44.050
16. Baiocco M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1:45.439
Record lap gives Rossi Malaysia pole
Valentino Rossi will start the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix in pole position, as he bids to secure the 2009 World Championship at Sepang on Sunday.
A best lap of 2:00.518 in MotoGP qualifying secured Rossi pole position with Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa completing the front row.
The Italian broke his own previous pole record at the circuit – recorded on a 990cc machine in 2006 – by 0.087 secs. and lapped 0.569 secs. faster than his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Lorenzo.
“It’s great to get the record because we worked so hard in practice and I’m very happy with the setting we have,” said Rossi. “My target was to try and go under 2:01, because in the winter test here I got to around that pace, but I managed to go even better and beat my own time from 2006 with a 990cc bike and qualifying tires. It was a great lap.”
The 30 year-old is also pleased with the set-up of his YZR-M1 bike ahead of the race.
“My Yamaha is working so well here and it’s a great track," he added. "We worked very well with Bridgestone to have a good strategy for the session and we are in the best position for starting the race tomorrow.”
With a 38-point lead over Fiat Yamaha team-mate Lorenzo, Rossi knows he could end the title battle this weekend.
“This is the target,” he said. “We have to work as though it is just a normal race and go for the victory, because we are good here. But the first objective is to get on the podium. With these three other guys who are so strong at this level, if you don’t go at 110 per cent you risk starting fourth so the way we have worked this weekend has made a difference and I think we are ready for race day.”
Lorenzo struggled in the Saturday morning practice and at the start of qualifying, spending much of both sessions outside the top four, before a change to softer Bridgestone tires allowed him to record his lap of 2:01.087, which secured second on the grid.
At over half a second off Rossi Lorenzo is aware that the race pace will be demanding on his tires.
“This practice for us was not so easy; we struggled a lot with the hard tire but fortunately at the end of the practice with the soft one we made a big step forward and we were able to finish second,” said the Spaniard. “I think it will be important to improve our pace with the hard tire if we want a good result on Sunday, but we are still not ready so we have to fight. It will be difficult because we just did a fast lap on soft tires and the race pace will be 2:01.5.
“The conditions are basically the same as yesterday so I can't blame them, but we just don't have the same levels of grip and confidence that we had before and it's hard to understand why. Now we all need to study the data and work out what we can do for the warm-up tomorrow. I am happy that we were able to be back on the front row as this will be important, now we will just try our best to be in better shape for the race. It won’t be the easiest race for us in theory but it is still possible to win.”
Lorenzo, who crashed on his MotoGP race debut at the track last season, was followed onto the front row of the grid by Pedrosa.
The Repsol Honda man had been the fastest in practice, but was unable to match the blistering pace set by Rossi, finishing a further 0.167 secs. behind Lorenzo.
“I’m happy to be on the front row again because, as always, this gives you a clear getaway when the start lights go out," Pedrosa said. "I think we’ve got a good machine setting for the race tomorrow and we just need to adjust it a little bit during the warm up.
"At the end of the qualifying session I didn't make a very good job of it with the last soft Bridgestone tire so my lap time doesn’t reflect our full potential this afternoon. First I made a couple of mistakes and then I had some traffic which caused me to lose a little bit of the concentration you need to go at maximum pace at this moment. Anyway, I’m happy to be on the front row again.
"It will be a very tough race, very demanding for sure, but we always look for the win and we will give all we have to make it happen. I'm very motivated for this race.”
Casey Stoner, who won the race at Sepang in 2007, will head up the second row after lapping at almost a full second slower than Rossi, while Loris Capirossi secured fifth spot on the grid on his Suzuki GSV-R.
Toni Elías (San Carlo Honda Gresini), Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro), Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda), Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) all came through inside the top 10 as well.
Hiroshi Aoyama set a new 250cc pole position lap record of 2:06.767 at Sepang as he secured front spot on the grid in qualifying.
Having posted the fastest times in both practice sessions, the Scot Honda rider was 0.332 secs. clear of Jules Cluzel (Matteoni Racing), with Mike di Meglio (Mapfre Aspar) and Héctor Barberá (Pepe World Team) completing the front row.
Metis Gilera rider Marco Simoncelli qualified in eighth spot, coming in 1.149 secs. off the pace set by his title rival Aoyama.
Marc Márquez topped qualifying in the 125cc class on Saturday, recording a best lap of 2:13.756 to secure pole position on the grid for the second time this season, and in his career.
Julián Simón secured second spot with a final lap which was 0.055 secs. off Márquez’s time, while Bradley Smith (Bancaja Aspar) and Sandro Cortese (Ajo Interwetten) completed the front row.
MotoGP Qualifying Times
1. Valentino ROSSI (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 2:00.518
2. Jorge LORENZO (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha +0.569
3. Dani PEDROSA (SPA) Repsol Honda Team Honda +0.736
4. Casey STONER (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati +0.937
5. Loris CAPIROSSI (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki +1.198
6. Toni ELIAS (SPA) San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda +1.400
7. Nicky HAYDEN (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati +1.462
8. Randy DE PUNIET (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP Honda +1.580
9. Colin EDWARDS (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha +1.677
10. Alex DE ANGELIS (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda +1.756
11. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (ITA) Repsol Honda Team Honda +1.844
12. Mika KALLIO (FIN) Pramac Racing Ducati +1.917
13. Aleix ESPARGARO (SPA) Pramac Racing Ducati +2.341
14. Chris VERMEULEN (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki +2.514
15. Marco MELANDRI (ITA) Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki +2.570
16. James TOSELAND (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha +3.010
17. Gabor TALMACSI (HUN) Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda +3.356
Rea leads first day in Portugal
From the World Superbike Championship
Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) set the quickest time in Friday’s opening World Superbike qualifying session at the Portimao circuit in Portugal.
The Northern Ireland youngster grabbed the provisional pole from Jakub Smrz in the final stages of the session, with a time of 1 minute 43.786 seconds, eight-hundredths faster than the Guandalini Ducati man.
Third quickest time went to Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) who was four tenths quicker than his title rival Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), only ninth fastest.
The provisional front row was completed by Rea’s team-mate Carlos Checa, while the first two slots on the next row went to Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) and Fonsi Nieto (Ducati DFX) in an overall result that saw the private Ducatis lap quicker than the factory machines.
Seventh place in fact went to Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), just four-hundredths ahead of fellow Italian Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing).
Things looked positive in Suzuki Alstare, with Yukio Kagayama up amongst the front-runners for much of the session and Sylvain Guintoli less than one second away from his team-mate on his WSB debut.
The two BMWs of Ruben Xaus and Troy Corser were 12th and 13th respectively, with the two Kawasakis of Broc Parkes and Makoto Tamada making up the top 15.
Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was quickest in Friday’s Supersport free practice session, the Turkish rider going to the top of the timesheets right at the very end with a time of 1:45.355.
The two contenders for this year’s title, Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) and Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) were right behind, with the opening salvo going to the points leader, just a fraction ahead of his rival.
Mark Aitchison (Honda Althea) was fourth quickest and the only other rider to lap under the 1:46 mark.
The opening Superstock 1000 free practice session saw two riders hit the top, newly-crowned champion Xavier Simeon (Ducati Xerox) and Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Honda). Both men exchanged a sequence of fastest laps throughout the session, the Belgian getting the better over his French rival in the final stages with a time of 1:47.588 over Berger’s 1:47.642.
Italian riders took the top three places in the opening free practice session for the final round of the European Superstock 600 Championship, but the title challengers were some distance away from each other. Best time went to Marco Bussolotti (Yamaha Trasimeno), with Eddi La Marra (Honda Lorini) three-tenths off the pace.
Danilo Petrucci (Yamaha Trasimeno) was over one second behind, Vincent Lonbois (MTM Yamaha) 1.6 secs. back and points leader Gino Rea (Ten Kate Honda) almost 2.5 secs. behind in sixth.
World Superbike Times
1. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:43.786
2. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1:43.866
3. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:43.870
4. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1:43.945
5. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1:43.947
6. Nieto F. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1:44.005
7. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1:44.154
8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1:44.210
9. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1:44.254
10. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:44.324
11. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 1:44.674
12. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1:44.822
13. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1:44.830
14. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:44.963
15. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:44.977
16. Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:45.077
Friday, October 23, 2009
RACE adds Ninja 250 class
SHANNONVILLE, ON -- To better meet market demand for more entry level classes in regional racing in Ontario, RACE and its sponsors will introduce the Kawasaki Ninja 250 category for the 2010 racing season.
In addition to improving opportunities for younger riders, this class also encourages support of Canadian companies in a cost effective manner.
"RACE Events Inc. is pleased to provide a second entry level class to meet the growing demand created by younger riders who are experiencing the thrill and excitement of road racing in Canada," said Chris Chapelle, Director of Competition, RACE Events Inc. "Not only are we building the future of road racing, but we are supporting Canadian companies in the process."
In 2008, RACE introduced its first entry-level class, the Honda CBR125 Cup that has seen continued growth through the 2009 racing season.
"We are still committed to encouraging young new riders to start their road racing adventures on the CBR and will continue to do so over the next few years," Chapelle added. "However as part of our young rider development program we need the next logical step in this process. The introduction of the Kawasaki 250 Ninja class will give these riders an easy transition to move up in bike size with a reasonably cost effective budget.
"We’re looking at making this a basically stock class with little to no modifications. We feel that the 250 Ninja Class will be the stepping stone for riders to move up to the Kawasaki 650 Twin or perhaps the Suzuki SV650 Twin prior to the move onto a inline four-cylinder 600."
"The rules and regulations are being developed along with several sponsors and will be available in the next few weeks."
The 2010 information and applications can be picked up at the RACE booth at both the December Bike Show in downtown Toronto as well as the January Show at the International Centre.
Cardenas to race World Supersport
Martin Cardenas of Team M4 Suzuki will race in this weekend's Supersport World Championship finale in Portimao, Portugal for the RES Software Veidec Racing Team.
Cardenas, a former Spanish Superstock Champion who spent two years in 250cc Grand Prix, will replace the injured Danish rider Robbin Harms.
“We think the world of Martin and his ability and we're glad to see him get this opportunity,” said Team M4 Suzuki crew chief Keith Perry. “He's been in that environment before when he raced 250cc Grand Prix and we know he'll be able to perform well.
"Martin was quick in the 8-Hour race last weekend at Daytona and the hand injury he had at the end of the AMA SportBike season shouldn't be an issue. We're confident he's healed, and he really wanted to ride on the track at Portimao so we agreed to this outing.
"The team is really looking forward to working with Martin next year and we're all for him getting this opportunity. We wish him the very best this weekend and we'll be watching intently to see how he does.”
Cardenas won seven AMA Pro Daytona SportBike races for Team M4 Suzuki, finished on the podium a total of 10 times and remains contracted to Team Hammer, Inc., which currently races as Team M4 Suzuki.
At the 8-Hours of Daytona race last weekend, the 26-year old Colombian set the quickest time of the race with a lap at 1:50.8 on a detuned GSX-R600 built to Moto-GT dyno limits.
Spanish MotoGP project takes shape
Inmotec Consultora Técnica, a Spanish company which currently backs the Inerzia-Inmotec team in the Spanish national championship (CEV Buckler), has announced details of its ongoing MotoGP project with a view to participate in the World Championship in 2010.
The firm has been developing its own 800cc prototype, the Inmotec GPI 10, which it intends to present at the end of the current MotoGP season at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana.
The group of engineers and designers managed by Oscar Gorría and based in Pamplona, Navarra (northern Spain), count amongst them several individuals with experience of road racing competition, including former Team Roberts engineer Nicolas Reyner and experienced mechanic George Vuckmanovich, who has worked with the likes of Freddie Spencer, Randy Mamola and Max Biaggi.
Inmotec currently successfully compete in the Spanish national championship in the Extreme category with Iván Silva riding a Kawasaki ZX-10.
The MotoGP prototype has recently been tested on a private track in Navarra by test rider Silva, who commented, “In terms of the engine the bike has shown itself to be highly powerful and it is quite easy to ride, especially considering it has not yet reached its full potential. The frame is really stable and the bike is fast on changes of direction, it’s agile and rigid.
"I can’t wait to get back on the machine again and push it even closer to the limit at the next test, just to see how it responds.”
Lorenzo edges Stoner in Malaysia
A margin of 0.064 secs. separated Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner in Free Practice 1 of the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix weekend, as the Fiat Yamaha rider recorded the quickest time in the opening MotoGP session on Friday.
On the weekend in which Valentino Rossi could seal the 2009 World Championship title, it was his team-mate – who trails the Italian by 38 points in the standings – who set the pace in humid conditions, with the ambient temperature reaching an energy-sapping 31°C.
Lorenzo set a best lap of 2:02.180 in a tight session, with the top four riders – including Rossi – breaking the 2:03 barrier. It was the perfect start to the weekend for the Spaniard, whose crash at Phillip Island last weekend all but ended his hopes of wrestling the title from Rossi.
“I’m straight back on form, I’m comfortable on the bike and I feel great at this circuit right from the beginning,” stated an upbeat Lorenzo after the hour-long practice session. “Normally you have a bit of a doubt when you first arrive at a track but now I feel quick on the bike and my lap times were quite fast. It’s always good to start well on the first day.”
Contrasting the sweltering heat and humidity of the South East Asian venue with the conditions experienced last weekend at round 15, Lorenzo added, “Compared to Phillip Island the weather is the opposite. It was almost icy in Australia and now we have tropical weather so it is crucial to keep drinking water and energy drinks to be hydrated for the race.”
The talented Spanish youngster did add one note of concern however, as he revealed, “Unfortunately I have some pain in my finger where I hurt it on last weekend, it's not too bad but the cut is right on the knuckle, so it's a bit painful when I have to bend it to brake. Anyway, like I said on Sunday it could be a lot worse.”
Stoner followed Lorenzo closely, with Dani Pedrosa just over half a second further down at third in the order as Rossi came in fourth, registering a time 0.684 secs. off Lorenzo’s.
“I’m very happy with the way things have gone this weekend. Since the first session in Portugal we’ve basically been in the top two every time,” Stoner told motogp.com. “Today we started off a little bit weak, we weren’t feeling very good on the bike, but we slowly improved it as the session went on and everything started to feel a little bit more comfortable. Hopefully we can continue the rest of the weekend like this, but everyone else is going to be pushing real hard, that’s for sure.
“We’re struggling a lot with rear grip again, the same as we have been all year. Again the bike’s turning brilliantly, but we still need to work on that a little bit. We’re having some chattering problems which we really need to improve. With the rear grip, on the edge of the tire when we’re on full lean angle, we’re really struggling. We’ll see if we can improve that a little bit tomorrow and we should be quite happy if we can.”
Despite not being overly satisfied with his ranking in the session Rossi felt good on his bike, and was able to identify what needed fine tuning ahead of Saturday’s second practice and qualifying.
“The position is not fantastic. It’s because we worked with all the tires – we decided to do it like this, to try to understand the amount of grip after a lot of laps,” explained Rossi. “With this temperature the tire is under a lot of stress. We are quite happy with the setting and now we have to find some extra rear grip, especially for Sunday, when we have to do 22 consecutive laps.
“This weekend the training we do during the year will be very important. From now until the race we have to relax and drink a lot, because if on Sunday the temperature is more than 40°C it will become difficult.”
Pedrosa’s Repsol Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso completed the top five with a best lap of 2:03.142, while fellow Italian Loris Capirossi was just over 0.1 secs. behind him.
Toni Elías (San Carlo Honda Gresini), Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro), Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki) were all inside the top 10.
Hiroshi Aoyama was the pace man in the 250cc class at Sepang on Friday afternoon, setting a fastest lap time of 2:07.875 in the first practice at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
After the frustration of a seventh-placed finish in the red-flagged race at Phillip Island, the Scot Honda rider received a confidence boost as he bids to hold on to top spot in the World Championship standings.
Alex Debon (Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens) was fractionally slower than Aoyama, with Ratthapark Wilairot (Thai Honda PTT SAG) riding a great practice to finish a further 0.039 secs. behind with the third-quickest time.
The action commenced at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix on Friday with Bradley Smith setting the best time in 125cc Free Practice 1.
His time of 2:14.895 set the standard ahead of next quickest rider, Marc Márquez (Red Bull KTM), with Smith’s Bancaja Aspar team-mate and new World Champion Julián Simón third – a further 0.106 secs. behind Márquez.
MotoGP Practice Results
1. Jorge LORENZO (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 2:02.180
2. Casey STONER (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati +0.064
3. Dani PEDROSA (SPA) Repsol Honda Team Honda +0.578
4. Valentino ROSSI (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha +0.684
5. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (ITA) Repsol Honda Team Honda +0.962
6. Loris CAPIROSSI (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki +1.073
7. Toni ELIAS (SPA) San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda +1.114
8. Nicky HAYDEN (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati +1.246
9. Colin EDWARDS (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha +1.559
10. Chris VERMEULEN (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki +1.583
11. Mika KALLIO (FIN) Pramac Racing Ducati +1.605
12. Alex DE ANGELIS (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda +1.862
13. Marco MELANDRI (ITA) Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki +2.094
14. Randy DE PUNIET (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP Honda +2.484
15. James TOSELAND (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha +3.038
16. Gabor TALMACSI (HUN) Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda +3.109
17. Aleix ESPARGARO (SPA) Pramac Racing Ducati +3.156
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Canepa sidelined for Sepang
Aleix Espargaró will ride for Pramac Racing in place of the injured Niccolò Canepa at Sepang this weekend.
After a medical examination at Melbourne hospital on Monday, Canepa has been forced to withdraw from this weekend’s Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
The Italian rider, who had a skin graft following his crash during Friday’s practice at Phillip Island, is unable to ride in this weekend’s GP while his injured arm heals.
Espargaró will ride in his place, having already raced twice for Pramac Racing at Indianapolis and Misano this season. Earlier this month the Spaniard signed a contract to ride in the premier class with the team for next season, and he will have the opportunity to further familiarize himself with its set-up at Sepang.
“I am very surprised and happy to be back in MotoGP so soon, even if I am always sad when a colleague gets hurt," Espargaro said. "I hope Niccolò gets well as soon as possible and is at his best for the Valencia race.
"I will use this weekend as a pre-season test. I have a lot to learn and this will be a great chance for me. After my last race in Misano I have trained constantly and I am certain to be in good physical condition, even if in Sepang it is always very hard due to the high temperature and humidity.”
“I am very sorry I’m unable to ride in Malaysia," Canepa stated. "The team was working very well together and in the last few races I wanted to secure a good place. The doctors have recommended that I don’t take any risks as the cut isn’t looking too good, and therefore I will be taking a break to ensure I’m at my best in Valencia next month.
"I still feel a lot of pain but now the worst has passed. I hope that Mika (Kallio) and Aleix will be able to secure good results for the Pramac Racing Team.”
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Gimbert takes French title
From Yamaha Racing
Sebastien Gimbert stepped up last Sunday to take the victory and the title in the 2009 French National Superbike Championship.
Gimbert was on track for success from the beginning of the weekend, claiming his fourth pole of the season, nearly a second faster than the closest competition at the Albi circuit.
Gimbert took the title with 195 championship points, 14 ahead of rival Vincent Philippe on 181.
"Yamaha could not have built me a better motorcycle,” said Gimbert. “This new R1 is the perfect fit for me, combining performance and pleasure.
"I want to thank my mechanics and the entire GMT 94 team for their hard work this year which has allowed me to run a fantastic season with multiple wins and pole positions. I am also very happy for all our partners who have been supporting us for a long time and are enjoying this moment with us."
"I am very happy for Sebastien who really deserves this title,” said Christophe Guyot, Yamaha France GMT94 IPONE team manager. “Our Yamaha R1 is a great motorcycle. With such a combination, we knew that the title was within our reach this year and we clinched it at Albi, which represents the rebirth of a French championship on the rise with media coverage and a deep field of competitors. Spectators are now coming in ever increasing numbers and the competition level is very high."
Sykes and Vermeulen for Kawasaki
From Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team
Following on the recent announcement that Chris Vermeulen will race a factory-backed Kawasaki in next season's World Superbike Championship, team owner Paul Bird has announced that Yorkshireman Tom Sykes will partner the Australian aboard the works Ninja ZX-10Rs.
Having been awarded the official contract to run the works Kawasaki team in WSB at the end of last year, the Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team has enjoyed its first year association with the factory this season despite riders Broc Parkes and in particular, Makoto Tamada suffering an injury-ravaged season.
Parkes has been a regular points scorer throughout the season and with on-going development work over winter, the team expects to be challenging for podiums and race wins in 2010.
Whereas Vermeulen, the 2003 World Supersport Champion and winner of the 2007 French MotoGP, is linking up with maverick Cumbrian businessman Bird for the first time, it will be Sykes' second spell with the team having raced in British Superbikes in 2007 where he was a regular podium finisher.
During his WSB career, the 27-year-old Vermeulen has racked up 10 race victories and was runner-up in the 2005 World Superbike Championship.
"I'm very happy and excited about this," Vermeulen said. "I spoke with Kawasaki and they told me they were prepared to put in large amounts of resources and attention into winning the World Superbike Championship. That is what I want, to challenge and to win races. I know Paul from my time racing in the UK, and I know that he runs a great outfit, and I'm really looking forward to working with the team."
The 24-year-old Sykes made his full-time WSB debut this season, scoring a best result of fourth at Assen to add to his wild card podium at Donington in 2008.
"The team has big plans for World Superbikes next year so I'm really looking forward to being part of them," Sykes said. "The big factor for me was that I have worked with the team before and know how good they are, they're one of the best teams I've ridden for and I'll have the same crew chief as I had in my rookie season in BSB. I've learned a hell of a lot this year and the intention is to put that experience to good use and I've every confidence that the package will be very competitive in 2010."
The team will also be announcing further details in due course of a new title sponsor which will back the team for the next two years.
"I'm absolutely delighted that we have managed to sign both Chris and Tom, as they are both fantastic riders and I know they'll do a great job for us next season," said team owner Paul Bird. "Chris has proved how competitive he is on a Superbike as his results demonstrate and I've always rated Tom highly, that's why I handed him his first proper Superbike ride back in 2007.
"The team has made huge strides forward this year and we can now put into practice what we have learned and I fully expect us to be challenging at the sharp end in 2010. I'd like to take this opportunity to say a special thanks to both Broc and Makoto for their hard work, professionalism and dedication during the past season and myself and the whole team wishes them both well for the future."
Waters and Maxwell split Aussie wins
From Team Suzuki News Service
Team Joe Rocket Suzuki rider Josh Waters has moved to within two points of the championship lead after executing a last-gasp pass to take a 0.024-sec. victory in the second race at the sixth round of the Australian Superbike Championship at Victoria's Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit last Sunday.
Run as a support event to the 2009 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, the 22-year-old thrilled the Sunday crowd of over 50,000 as he battled with race-one winner Wayne Maxwell over the six-lap journey before timing a slipstream pass to perfection in the run down Gardner Straight to the checkered flag.
"Turns 11 and 12 are my favourite corners on the circuit and I knew I had to get drive out of them to have a chance of pulling off the pass," said Waters.
Waters, who finished second in the opening eight-lap Superbike race behind Maxwell by just 0.166 secs., has now moved to 251 points in the seven-round series, just two points behind defending champion Glenn Allerton.
Allerton finished third in each of the two championship races, with the 2009 title to be decided at the final round at Phillip Island on Nov. 27-29. Just nine points separates the three riders, setting up a thrilling finale.
Waters' Team Joe Rocket Suzuki team-mates Shawn Giles and Robbie Bugden rounded out a great day for the team with fourth and fifth placings overall, giving the new 2009 GSX-R1000K9 three of the top-five positions in only its fourth race meeting.
Bugden, the reigning New Zealand Superbike Champion, got the better of Giles by just 0.053 secs. in the opening eight-lap race to claim fifth place, with the three-time Australian Superbike Champion reversing the result in race two and finishing 0.044 secs. ahead of two-time champion Jamie Stauffer and Bugden seventh.
Waters recorded the fastest lap of race two with a 1:32.622 on his final lap as he set up for his pass on Maxwell, but the 22-year-old Superbike 'rookie' saw his national Superbike lap record of 1:32.471 fall to Maxwell in race one when the latter recorded a 1:32.316.
Waters, in his first season of Superbike racing, had entered the round 11 points adrift of Allerton and eight ahead of Maxwell, with Maxwell's bonus point for pole position giving him the overall round win from Waters.
"It's been a great day to be only two points off the championship lead - I'm looking forward to Phillip Island in a month's time," said Waters. "That win in race two is so important for the championship. Wayne is riding so well I knew it would be difficult to get past, but I knew where he was strong - and where I was too. I'd had a go at him in an earlier race, but made a small mistake and couldn't close down the gap. I knew I had to get good drive on to the straight to have a chance in that final race, but I really like those last two corners and everything worked as planned."
With one round remaining, Allerton leads on 253 points to Waters' 251. Maxwell lies third on 244 with Giles fourth (196pts) and Bugden fifth (184pts).
Superbike Overall Results
1 Wayne Maxwell; 2 Josh Waters; 3 Glenn Allerton; 4 Shawn Giles; 5 Robert Bugden; 6 Jamie Stauffer; 7 Jake Holden; 8 David Anthony; 9 Kevin Curtain; 10 Jordan Burgess
Superbike Championship Points (after 6 of 7 rounds)
1. Glenn Allerton 253; 2 Josh Waters 251; 3. Wayne Maxwell 244; 4. Shawn Giles 196; 5. Robert Bugden 184; 6. Jamie Stauffer 163; 7. Craig Coxhell 163; 8. Dan Stauffer 140; 9. Kevin Curtain 138; 10. Chris Trounson 104
Supersport Overall Results
1. Bryan Staring; 2. Jamie Stauffer; 3. Shannon Johnson; 4. Ben Attard; 5. Scott Charlton; 6. Troy Herfoss; 7. Christian Casella; 8. Brodie Waters; 9. Mitchell Pirotta; 10. Cameron Keevers
Supersport Championship Points (after 6 of 7 rounds)
1. Bryan Staring 275; 2. Jamie Stauffer 258; 3. Ben Attard 189; 4. Shannon Johnson 177; 5. Troy Herfoss 155; 6. Scott Charlton 155; 7. Christian Casella 141; 8. Chris Quinn 126; 9. Cameron Keevers 123; 10. Jed Metcher 114
Seeley takes Irish Superbike title
From Team Suzuki News Service
This year's British Superstock Champion Alastair Seeley added the Irish Superbike title to his list of achievements at last weekend's end-of-season Sunflower Trophy Races in Northern Ireland.
The Relentless Suzuki rider, on a run of 12 successive Irish Superbike wins, brought a 45.5-point lead into the final two races at Bishopscourt. In race one, Seeley shadowed his team-mate Ian Lowry across the line to take second place and 20 points to secure the title, before winning race two. It was a phenomenal achievement for both Relentless Suzuki and Seeley, who missed 12 races during 2009 due to British Championship commitments.
Seeley will now join team-mate Ian Lowry in an end of season holiday race in Perth, Western Australia at the beginning of November: a prize offered as part of the ISB champions' package for 2009.
Seeley also claimed an international win at the North West 200 back in May and the Mondello Masters title just last month - increasing his win tally in Relentless Suzuki colours to 27 in 2009.
"It's been a dream year for me in Relentless Suzuki colours and a lot of credit must go to the team," Seelley said. "You only understand how professional the set-up really is at TAS Racing when you become part of it, and I have a lot to be thankful for. I've ridden really well this year and gained a new focus in my racing."
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Arnold wins Supermoto finale
From Team Machine Racing Troy Lee Designs Supermoto
SHANNONVILLE, ON -- Canada’s Supermoto faithful gathered on a brisk fall day at Shannonville Motorsports Park to close the book on 2009 with a blowout event that had racers utilizing the larger “Nelson” road race circuit, metal ramps and a flat-track style dirt section.
In lieu of a traditional awards banquet, series organizers 408Racing.com felt hosting a low-pressure, stand alone event was the best place to hand out series awards while giving riders a chance to throw it sideways one last time in 2009. The racers agreed.
Team Machine Racing / Troy Lee Designs had a fantastic showing as current Canadian National Champion Dave Arnold used Bondi Engine power and sticky Dunlop tires to cross the line some 15 seconds ahead of 2009 Provincial Champion Yves Lagace (Suz).
Former Pro motocross racer and guest rider for the Machine-TLD team Todd Townend rounded out the podium, grabbing third in an impressive Supermoto debut.
“We threw some wheels and Moto Master brakes on my stock, LGS suspended ’09 CRF450R and gave Todd a couple of chances to practice before lining him up in a race. Next thing you know he’s not far off the lead pace and on the podium grinning from ear to ear. I’m pretty impressed with that,” said team owner Arnold.
Townend commented on his first Supermoto race: “Wow, it’s just incredible how much fun you can have by just adding slicks to a motocross bike. The sensation of doing 90mph and sliding sideways into corners on asphalt is just something I had to try after seeing it on TV and watching Dave ride.”
Fortunately Supermoto in Canada has found a much needed permanent residence at Shannonville Motorsports Park. In 2008 the facility paved a new skid pad for cars, which also doubles as a parking lot style Supermoto track with a permanent clay dirt section. 408racing.com announced the 2010 schedule will see a mix of events using the skid pad and the road race course, giving the racers both high and lower speed configurations to compete on.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Pollards take another AMA win
From Pollard Nitrosports
DORCHESTER, ON – Already with one AMA Drag Bike national event victory to its credit in 2009 the Pollard Nitrosports team added to its stellar season with a victory during the Track or Treat Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH Oct. 10-11.
The team took advantage of the new match race format for the Top Fuel Motorcycle division at AMA events when it posted the best average elapsed time over four runs against fellow competitor, legendary rider and close friend Larry McBride. With an average elapsed time of 6.526 seconds and a single run best of 6.14 seconds the team took the title over McBride’s average elapsed time of 7.167 seconds.
“This was another big step in our learning curve this year, we had never raced in temperatures that cold,” said Greg Pollard. “After a good 6.14 run Saturday evening the temperatures turned colder on Sunday. Tony Williams, who handled the track prep, surprised everyone with some magic on Sunday morning and we took too much power out of the bike which made it a little lazy in the 1/8th mile on the way to a 6.19 sec run. We stepped it up for our last run Sunday afternoon and shook the tire hard. The bike went to the wall and Geoff was off the throttle at 2.5 sec. for a 7.03 finish.”
With their second win of the season in the books, the Pollards shift their focus to the final AMA national event of the season in Valdosta, GA Nov. 13-15. The National Finals presents an opportunity for the family run operation to challenge for second place in the AMA point standings.
“If you had asked me what our chances were at the start of the season to be competing for a #2 plate in the AMA series this year with a new bike and very little tuning data I wouldn’t have given us the best odds,” said Greg Pollard. “But with the hard work our entire crew has put in this season and the help from Steve and Larry McBride we have been able to put together a very successful 2009 season.”
“We’ve have a great opportunity in front of us to really put our team on the map with a second place points finish this season,” added Geoff Pollard. “It’s been a long season and without some financial help from a sponsor or two for the final event it’s doubtful that we’ll be able to make the haul all the way from Ontario to Valdosta.”
For more information about Pollard NitroSports visit www.pollardnitrosports.com.
Guintoli to make Portimao debut
From Team Suzuki Alstare
Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli will make his Team Suzuki Alstare debut in the last round of this year's Superbike World Championship at the Autodromo Algarve in Portimao this weekend.
Guintoli has already finished his season in the British Superbike Championship and joins the Suzuki Alstare this week as a replacement for the injured Max Neukirchner, and will begin his preparation for next year's Superbike World Championship with the team. It will be Guintoli's first time at the technically difficult and demanding circuit and so he will start the weekend learning the track and working with his new team.
Portimao will be Yukio Kagayama's last race for Team Suzuki Alstare after five years of loyal service. The popular Japanese rider is returning to the British Superbike Championship in 2010.
It's hard to describe my feelings about racing for a factory team like Suzuki Alstare next weekend," Guintoli said. "Originally, I thought that I would be carrying on with Suzuki in the British Championship, but then an offer came along, at the last minute, for me to race in the Superbike World Championship and I just couldn't say no. It is a fantastic opportunity and I would like to thank Francis (Batta), Suzuki Japan, Suzuki GB and all concerned for giving this great chance.
"I have seen on TV how competitive World Superbikes is and I am really looking forward to this challenge. The series is exciting and very tough and I think it is going to be a big, but wonderful challenge, for us all."
Stoner takes third straight home win
Casey Stoner’s dominance of his home circuit continued on Sunday as the Australian won at Phillip Island for the third year in a row, leading Valentino Rossi over the finish line by a margin of 1.935 secs.
In his second Grand Prix back after a three-race absence, the 24-year-old celebrated his birthday weekend with an impressive win from pole position, his third race victory of the season, which took him to third in the championship standings.
Having struggled with his endurance and requiring a three-race break, Stoner returned to action at Estoril where he secured second spot, before his third win of the season on his home track on Sunday.
“It’s not been our year to challenge for the championship and that’s a little bit disappointing, but at least we’ve had a good run and learnt a lot of things. So it’s definitely not all bad,” said Stoner. “To come back in Portugal was a really nice result for us. Jorge (Lorenzo) was too quick on the day but we almost had the pace to win the race, and we’re very proud of the team to have come back that quickly. This race, after the warm up in Portugal, was just a run off of that.
“We struggled all weekend with rear grip and were trying to get the bike hooked up a little bit better out of turns, but I think everybody was suffering from similar problems. So we did the best we could for the race, and the bike was working pretty well.
“Physically, I was able to do the same from start to finish, and I was just really happy with the way everything was working. Especially with my body; every lap I kept going past the point where I used to just hit my wall. It made me smile, and I enjoyed each lap after that.”
A frustrating weekend for Jorge Lorenzo was compounded when the Spaniard crashed out at turn 1 of the first lap after touching bikes with Stoner’s Ducati Marlboro team-mate Nicky Hayden. Having struggled through the practice sessions and qualifying with both rear-grip issues and illness, Lorenzo was unable to continue after sliding off, although Hayden climbed back aboard his Desmosedici GP9 to finish 15th.
“I made a good start but I was very close to Nicky and didn’t expect him to brake so quickly, so I touched Nicky and I couldn’t stay on the bike,” explained Lorenzo. “My front brake broke and I couldn’t brake on the corner. I had two options; to go straight or try to take the corner, I tried to take the corner but I didn’t have a brake and the rear tire didn’t stay so I crashed. I have a little damage on my nose and finger, but it could be worse.”
Rossi’s second place opened his lead at the top of the championship to 38 points over Fiat Yamaha team-mate Lorenzo with two races remaining, after it had been cut down to 18 following the latter’s win last time out at Estoril.
“I read on my board that Lorenzo was out, so I tried for the victory," Rossi said. "Casey set a good pace, but my bike setting was good so I tried to follow him at 100 per cent, but also had to remember not to make any mistakes for the championship after Lorenzo’s crash. It was a great battle. I tried, at one part of the race it was possible to attack, but at the end it was too risky and anyway Casey had a great race.
“These 20 points are so important for my championship. I have to thank Yamaha and all the guys in my team because we worked well this weekend and now we have a 38-point advantage with two races to go and we will try to do better next week in Sepang.”
Dani Pedrosa secured his first podium at the circuit in the MotoGP class but came in 22.618 secs. adrift of Rossi, while Alex de Angelis’ fine weekend was completed with a fourth place classification.
Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) took fifth spot from fifth on the grid, and Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) overcame his worst qualifying position since Germany – 10th – to take sixth place.
Marco Melandri (Hayate), Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda), Mika Kallio (Pramac Racing) and Toni Elías (San Carlo Honda Gresini) all also finished inside the top 10.
Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) came in 12th after being demoted to the back of the grid after his team was penalized for using an extra engine outside its allocation.
Marco Simoncelli narrowed the gap on Hiroshi Aoyama in the 250cc World Championship to 12 points with a win at Phillip Island, as the Japanese rider was classified in seventh position when the race was red flagged.
Roberto Locatelli’s high-side crash which resulted in him lying stricken on the track brought the action to a premature end.
Simoncelli assumed the lead early on and the Italian maintained that for the remainder of the race, until a red flag on the 18th lap handed him the win, with Héctor Barberá in second and Raffaele de Rosa in third.
Locatelli suffered bruising to his lower back but escaped without serious injury, while Simoncelli’s win was the 200th for an Italian rider in the 250cc class.
Julián Simón was crowned the 2009 World Champion in the 125cc class on Sunday afternoon as the Spaniard clinched victory on the final lap of the Iveco Australian Grand Prix, which brought with it the world title.
With the rain which had hung over the weekend absent, calm winds and a cold temperature, a fantastic duel between Simón and his Bancaja Aspar team-mate Bradley Smith was played out, with the new title holder sealing the win and vindicating his decision to take the step down from 250cc for this season.
MotoGP Race Results
1. Casey STONER (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 40:56.651 (175.989 km/h)
2. Valentino ROSSI (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha +1.935
3. Dani PEDROSA (SPA) Repsol Honda Team Honda +22.618
4. Alex DE ANGELIS (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda +32.702
5. Colin EDWARDS (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha +35.885
6. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (ITA) Repsol Honda Team Honda +38.482
7. Marco MELANDRI (ITA) Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki +44.461
8. Randy DE PUNIET (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP Honda +44.941
9. Mika KALLIO (FIN) Pramac Racing Ducati +54.345
10. Toni ELIAS (SPA) San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda +1:01.205
11. Chris VERMEULEN (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki +1:05.417
12. Loris CAPIROSSI (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki +1:05.950
13. Gabor TALMACSI (HUN) Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda +1:17.951
14. James TOSELAND (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha +1:17.985
15. Nicky HAYDEN (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati +1 Lap
Not finished 1st lap
Jorge LORENZO (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha
MotoGP Point Standings
1. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha) 270
2. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha) 232
3. Casey STONER (Ducati) 195
4. Dani PEDROSA (Honda) 189
5. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda) 152
6. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha) 145
7. Alex DE ANGELIS (Honda) 101
8. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda) 101
9. Loris CAPIROSSI (Suzuki) 101
10. Marco MELANDRI (Kawasaki) 100
11. Toni ELIAS (Honda) 96
12. Chris VERMEULEN (Suzuki) 95
13. James TOSELAND (Yamaha) 87
14. Nicky HAYDEN (Ducati) 82
15. Mika KALLIO (Ducati) 58
16. Niccolo CANEPA (Ducati) 38
17. Gabor TALMACSI (Honda) 17
18. Sete GIBERNAU (Ducati) 12
19. Yuki TAKAHASHI (Honda) 9
20. Aleix ESPARGARO (Ducati) 8
