From Marlboro Ducati
The Ducati Marlboro Team returns from a long September break this weekend ready to tackle the Estoril circuit with Casey Stoner back in the saddle alongside his team-mate Nicky Hayden.
The Italian outfit has been working hard on two fronts since the end of July, on one hand liasing with doctors in Australia monitoring the progress being made by Stoner and on the other continuing exhaustive development of the Desmosedici, on which Hayden has been able to make great strides, culminating with his podium finish at Indianapolis and further signs of competitiveness at Misano before a blameless first lap crash.
During two months away from racing Stoner has undergone a series of exams and special tests.
The results of the tests have excluded pathological anomalies of cardiovascular, respiratory or neurological origins. The exams and inspections also failed to show up any kind of virus or infection.
However, a medical report did reveal low blood pressure levels and a lack of sodium, the two factors that doctors believe were the main cause of the physical problems that interrupted the season for the Ducati rider.
The doctors all agree that overtraining was the most common factor that showed up during the tests and that the after-effects of injuries and surgeries over the last few years were the cause of the physical weakness and exhaustion that the Australian began to suffer a few months ago.
The doctors also unanimously confirmed that their suggestion to stop Stoner from racing at the end of July was absolutely necessary in order to avoid aggravating his physical debilitation.
Following the final medical examination that he underwent last week before leaving Australia, the doctors confirmed that while he was still not completely recovered, he is in better physical shape than he was in July and his weight is back up to 60kg, which is close to his ideal weight.
Stoner will be back on track this weekend despite not being in peak condition and he will remain under medical supervision throughout, with a new sodium-rich diet aimed at raising his blood pressure and muscular functionality.
“I’m definitely looking forward to the race weekend," the 2007 World Champion said. "Having three races off is the biggest period away from racing in my life. It was very difficult to accept the advice of the doctors to stop racing. In the past I have raced even when injured, like in the last few races of the 2008 season when my wrist was broken, but this time it was really not possible and of course I felt very sorry for the team.
"Now I’m looking forward to getting back together with the team and everyone and I hope I’ll be able to be more competitive than I was in the past, but we will have to wait and see. The doctors have put me on some salt tablets to increase my sodium levels but we will have to see if it helps. We will understand more during the weekend.
"Of course it’s going to be difficult: at first we won’t know if it will work because I’ve been off the bike so long that in any case my muscles will take some time to get race fit again. But, as I said, I’m looking forward to getting back and to starting work on the bike, looking towards the future.”
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Stoner back on track in Portugal
Monday, September 28, 2009
Records fall at Bonneville
From the American Motorcyclist Association
PICKERINGTON, OH -- Pending ratification by AMA Racing and the FIM, Chris Carr is once again the fastest man in the world on two wheels, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.
The seven-time AMA Grand National Champion, riding the Denis Manning-built No. 7 streamliner, recaptured the provisional outright world and national land-speed records on Thursday, Sept. 24. Carr's two-pass average of 367.382 mph in the measured mile was set at the AMA-sanctioned Land Speed Shootout at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
The previous record was 360.913, set by rider Rocky Robinson and builder Mike Akatiff in 2008.
"It was a lot of work. This time was hard," Manning said. "We blew up stuff, we got blown off course. It was tough. The thing was, every time we made a run, some part of the run was phenomenal, so we knew we were near. For these runs, we made an eighth-inch change to the aerodynamics and it made all the difference. The data was telling me that the nose was trying to dive, so we raised it up, and it worked."
Carr said that the record run was relatively smooth.
"We had the drama on the out-run," Carr said. "We about cleaned out the side of the course on the run out with the wind blowing, but the run back was great. It actually started to slow down for me. It was not nearly as hectic as 347 (mph) was a couple years ago."
This is the second time Carr has held the record as a rider, and the third time for Manning as a builder. Carr first set the outright land-speed record in 2006. Manning also set the land-speed record in 1970.
The meet where Carr and Manning set the new record came near the end of the season for running on the Bonneville Salt Flats, which most of the year are too wet for competition.
Earlier in the season, Aug. 30-Sept. 3, provisional records in a number of classes were also set at the International Speed Trials by BUB, and they are waiting ratification by AMA Racing. The AMA-sanctioned event, which Manning promotes, is the premier national meet for amateur land-speed racers to attempt land-speed records in classes ranging from 50cc scooters to supercharged sportbikes.
2010 MV Agusta Brutale announced
From MV Agusta USA
Almost a decade has passed since the appearance of the first Brutale, a prestigious, naked motorcycle with fascinating design, power and speed. Its characteristics, unique and unmistakable, have made it famous the world over, enabling it to win coveted prizes as the most beautiful motorcycle of the year.
The Brutale pushes the limits of research and technology in its 2010 models - the 990R and the 1090RR. To achieve these results, it was necessary to replace 85 per cent of the components, but the new Brutale has preserved the significant style features of previous versions. The work carried out on the 990R and 1090RR cannot be defined as mere restyling; rather, it is a silent MV Agusta revolution.
Fifteen thousand, four hundred Brutale units have been sold worldwide, including special versions. Its identity has remained timeless, backed by MV Agusta’s legendary racing heritage. The 38 riders’ world championship titles and 37 manufacturers’ championships - attained with the contribution of motorcycling legend Giacomo Agostini - demonstrate the company’s ability to work under extreme conditions, as well as its great passion for racing.
Ducati dominate at Imola
From the World Superbike Championship
The long-awaited return to Imola for the FIM Superbike World Championship produced a magnificent day of racing in glorious weather conditions in front of 67,000 spectators on Sunday.
The wins went to the Ducati Xerox duo of Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio, with the Japanese rider bouncing back to the top of the table.
The other protagonists in an all-Italian battle for the leading positions were Aprilia, with Max Biaggi and Marco Simoncelli taking a podium apiece.
It was a disappointing day for the former points leader Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike), who managed to limit the damage in the title race. Haga now has a three-point lead, with two rounds remaining and 100 points up for grabs.
Haga won a nail-biting first race of the day, which kept the fans glued to their seats right down to the checkered flag, the Japanese rider taking his first win since Kyalami in mid-May. Four laps from the flag Haga passed Biaggi, who had led since the start, to take the win.
Thanks to this result Haga made up 12 points on championship leader Spies, the American only able to finish fourth.
“This is my first win since Kyalami and I am very happy, I really enjoyed that race," Haga said. "This morning we had a little problem and I thought it would be difficult to make good lap times for 21 laps, so for the race we made a modification for the suspension and things were better. I am really happy for the win because my dad came over for this race and I got the win, so I dedicate it to him.”
There was a terrific scrap for the runner-up slot, which went to Biaggi after the Aprilia rider made a superb move on Fabrizio to pass him at the final chicane.
“I am very happy with the result in the last race in Italy before next year," Biaggi said. "In the tests we suffered a bit more than the others but me and my team worked hard and late afternoon yesterday we improved our set-up. This morning was OK, we made some modifications, still there is room to improve but for sure it was a great result.
"In the final chicane with Fabrizio, I thought ‘you never know’, I saw him there a little bit on the side and I stick in my bike, stayed in there. I could pass him and this is a good result.”
Simoncelli’s WSB debut was an unfortunate one, the Italian crashing out from fifth. That place in the end went to Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who finished ahead of fellow Honda riders Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing) and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate), the latter throwing away any chance of a decent result when he went onto the gravel at the Rivazza while trying an overtaking move.
Broc Parkes was the first Kawasaki runner home in 10th, ahead of Troy Corser (BMW).
The spectacle continued in race 2, but this time Fabrizio was unstoppable and he powered away to take his second win of the season.
“Today I really wanted victory in race 2," Fabrizio said. "In the first race unfortunately I had a problem with my arm, and I just missed out on the win. For race 2 I fixed everything, I changed my arm and I changed Nori and went on to win.
"I am happy for the Ducati Xerox team; today all the Ducati top management were here so Nori and I cut a good figure. For sure I think we deserved the renewal of our contract!”
The Italian finished ahead of team-mate Haga, who with this result moved ahead of Spies in the table.
“Congratulations for Michel for winning and for Marco with his first time in Superbike, third position today," Haga said. "For the race, I changed the bike completely from the first race and in this bike we had a few problems. During the race the bike started moving a lot, after Michel passed me I tried to catch him up but he was quite fast today and I couldn’t find where I could pass him…and then I was dead. I think I need more salt, 1 kilo of salt!”
The Texan rookie was not as incisive as in previous races but in the second race had bad luck on his side as he got caught up in the battle for third with the two Aprilias. While making a move on Biaggi and Simoncelli at the final chicane, he was forced to run off the track to avoid Biaggi. He came back on to finish fifth.
The final podium place went to Simoncelli, who immediately made his name in a championship as hard-fought as Superbike.
“If I finish the race in the first five I am very happy," Simoncelli said. "In the first race I was fifth but crashed, while in this race I started better than in the first and after some laps I keep a very good pace.
"In the chicane with my team-mate I didn’t want to pass him, but I braked too hard and I think ‘either I hit him and we crash or I try to pass’. I succeeded and I am very happy, a big thanks to Aprilia and my team. Today was a great big experience for me here in Superbike.”
Rea had another race full of errors, but partially managed to make up for them with sixth place.
BMW had another difficult race, with a DNF for Corser and Ruben Xaus returning after injury to finish 13th.
The battle for the World Supersport title has been thrown wide-open again as a result of a crash by points leader Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport), while he was heading towards his sixth win of the season.
The British rider crashed out at the Acque Minerali, and his lead in the table is now two points over Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), who finished runner-up.
The win went to Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) for the third time this year, while the final podium slot went to Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport), who closed up on Laverty in the final stages but was unable to take away precious points.
Chaz Davies put in an excellent performance on his Supersport debut with Triumph, bringing the British three-cylinder machine home in fourth place in front of team-mate Garry McCoy.
After taking the pole, wild-card Ayrton Badovini (Aprilia) went on to repeat the same form in the Superstock 1000 race, taking a lights-to-flag victory. In post-race scrutineering however all the Aprilias were found to have a technical irregularity and Badovini was disqualified.
As a result the win went to Xavier Simeon (Ducati Xerox), his fourth in a row, and the Belgian is now easily on the way towards the title.
The Supersport 600 battle remains to be decided after Danilo Petrucci (Yamaha Trasimeno) wasted a chance to clinch the title. The Italian was in the lead at the final chicane, but came under attack from Eddi La Mara (Honda Lorini), who took his first win, and also from Gino Rea (Ten Kate Honda) and Marco Bussolotti (Yamaha Trasimeno), who finished on the podium.
Superbike Race 1 Results
1. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 38:32.199 (161.388 km/h)
2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +2.074
3. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R +2.190
4. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +5.438
5. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR +14.470
6. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR +14.685
7. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR +26.822
8. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R +32.694
9. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF-R1 +33.817
10. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R +34.801
11. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR +35.286
12. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR +36.442
13. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 +38.698
14. Baiocco M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R +42.147
15. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 +46.510
16. Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R +46.628
Superbike Race 2 Results
1. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 38:23.143 (162.023 km/h)
2. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R +3.592
3. Simoncelli M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +6.510
4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +7.445
5. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +14.678
6. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR +16.396
7. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R +17.110
8. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR +22.502
9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R +25.268
10. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR +30.203
11. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R +32.589
12. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF-R1 +36.243
13. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR +36.368
14. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 +38.809
15. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R +42.435
16. Baiocco M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R +49.349
World Superbike Points (after 12 of 14 rounds)
1. Haga 391
2. Spies 388
3. Fabrizio 330
4. Rea 263
5. Biaggi 257
6. Haslam 219
7. Checa 183
8. Sykes 176
9. Smrz 155
10. Byrne 149
Sterilgarda stays with Yamaha WSBK team
From Yamaha Racing
Resulting from a successful partnership this season with the Yamaha World Superbike Team, Italian food brand Sterilgarda has confirmed title sponsorship for the 2010 race season. Sterilgarda came on board with Yamaha early in the 2009 race season and shared in the success of the team as rookie rider Ben Spies made his debut in the championship. As of 2010 the team will be known as the Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team.
Sterilgarda is a food production company based in Italy, providing products for over 40 years and today producing over 1200 tons of foodstuffs daily. Core product lines include cheese, milk, yogurt and fruit juices.
“We’re delighted that Sterilgarda has decided to stay with us for the 2010 season,” said Laurens Klein Koerkamp, Racing Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe. “2009 has been and continues to be a very successful year for us in racing. From the time Sterilgarda came on board we have enjoyed working closely together and developing a relationship that goes beyond simple sponsorship. They have become part of our team. It was always our intention to continue developing the partnership through to 2010, we look forward to enjoying further success together next year.”
“This agreement is the fruit of a collaboration that from the Monza race this year gave us an insight into the professionalism of the Yamaha team,” said Fernando Sarzi, CEO Sterilgarda. “We recognised the team as a group who work with a passion to reach clear goals. It is the same passion that has led Sterilgarda to strive for perfection and quality for many years. The agreement that from today transforms the Yamaha World Superbike Team to the Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike team is the natural conclusion of a winning partnership.”
For further information on the Sterilgarda brand please visit www.sterilgarda.it.
Hall of Fame Banquet almost sold out
From the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame
MARKHAM, ON -- With a month to go, the fourth annual Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Reunion is almost sold out. At the time of writing, there are less than a dozen seats left.
And if you're holding off, better not wait any longer. After Oct. 2, tickets are $150 each - if there are any left.
The Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame 2009 Induction Banquet and Reunion, sponsored by the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC) will be held Saturday, Oct. 24, near Toronto's Pearson International Airport. MCC is a founding patron of the Hall of Fame, and administrator of the Foundation that is home to the Hall of Fame.
Ticket prices are $125 ($110 for MCC Members) until Oct. 3. If you don't buy and pay for your tickets by Friday, Oct. 2 seating is not guaranteed and ticket prices go up to $150.
This Year's inductees are:
Carl Bastedo - Chatsworth, ON (Motocross Competitor, Organizer, Contributor)
CRCA - Canadian Race Communications Association - Shannonville, ON (Celebrating 50 years of supporting safe motorcycle racing with marshalling services)
Bar Hodgson - Ashburn, ON (Contributor, Competitor, Organizer, Show Producer, Collector)
Ivor Lloyd - West Hill, ON (Competitor - International and Canada)
Duane McDaniels - Commerce Township, MI (US Competitor)
Don McHugh - Brampton, ON (deceased) (Legendary Dirt Track Racer)
Ken Morgan - Battersea, ON (Contributor, Course Developer, Trainer, Advocate)
Jimmy Sehl - Stoney Creek, ON (Competitor, Team Member, Mechanic)
Steel City Riders - Hamilton, ON (Celebrating over 60 years of motorcycle racing)
John Williams - Markham, ON (North American and World Hillclimb Champion)
Founded by Bar and Hedy Hodgson in 1999, the Canadian International Motorcycle Heritage Museum Foundation exists to preserve and protect Canadian motorcycle history for the benefit of the motorcycling community. They founded the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2005, with the first inductions made in May of 2006.
Prochnau honoured as CEC champ
From World Enduro Canada
The first year of the Royal Distributing Canadian Enduro Championships is in the books and everyone involved has deemed it a success.
At the final awards ceremony in Parry Sound, ON the series awarded the Overall Pro Championships, the Inside MotoX & Off Road Magazine Eastern Amateur Championships as well as the Overall Amateur Championships.
Here is the rundown of the Final Awards.
PRO CLASS
Overall Top Pro - Bobby Prochnau (BC) KTM
E1 - Patrick Beaule (Quebec) KTM
E2 - Bobby Prochnau (BC) KTM
E3 - Jason Schrage (Alberta) KTM
Inside Motorcycles Top Pro Junior
Ryan Graffunder (BC) Suzuki
Overall Amateur Championships
A - Stephen Shannon (BC) Gas Gas
B - Mike Dobovich (Alberta) KTM
C - Ben Riviere (Alberta) KTM
Vet - Dave Sheridan (Alberta) KTM
Vet Pro - Mark Cahill (BC) KTM
Super Vet - Ron Schlosser (Alberta) KTM
Women - Victoria Hett (BC) KTM
Inside MotoX and Off Road Magazine Western Amateur Champions
A - Dillon Bucknell
B - Cedric Peters
C - Ben Riviere (Alberta) KTM
Vet - Dave Sheridan (Alberta) KTM
Super Vet - Ron Schlosser (Alberta) KTM
Women - Victoria Hett (BC) KTM
Inside MotoX and Off Road Magazine Eastern Amateur Champions
A - Adam Millson (Ontario) Yamaha
B - Mike Dobovich (Alberta) KTM
C - Connor Brogan (Ontario) KTM
Vet - Dave Sheridan (Alberta) KTM
Super Vet - Ron Schlosser (Alberta) KTM
Women - Victoria Hett (BC) KTM
Each of the Overall Pro and the East & West Amateur Champions will recieve a set of tires courtesy of Metzeler.
In addition World Enduro Canada wants to recognize the riders who competed in all rounds or in rounds on both sides of the country as some riders could not complete the entire eight-event series due to injury. The series counted 29 riders from five provinces who competed on both sides of the country:
Jason Wiesner - ON; Marc Zimny - ON; Bruce Moffat - ON; Andre Ferraton - QC; Simon Ferraton - QC; Chris Martin - ON; Guy Giroux - QC; Any Lavoie - QC; Victoria Hett - BC; Steve Shannon - BC; Dave Sheridan - AB; Ben Riviere - AB; Jake Stapleton - ON; Micheal Dobovich - AB; Karine Geoffrion - QC; Pat O'Neill - ON; Alex Conti - ON; Shane Cuthbertson - AB; Ryan Graffunder - BC; Nick Graffunder - BC; Trevor Blysma - ON; Tyler Linton - ON; Brian Marshall - ON; Mark Cahill - BC; Patrick Feal - MB; Brian Wojonarski - ON; Keith Billings - ON; Ron Schlosser - AB; Mark Dzikowski - ON
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Fabrizio grabs first ever Superpole
From the World Superbike Championship
One of the most exciting World Superbike Superpoles of the season saw Ducati Xerox’s Michel Fabrizio power to his first ever career success at the Imola circuit in Italy.
The man from Rome clinched the pole on Saturday with a time of 1 minute 47.735 seconds on the final lap of the session, taking it out of the hands of Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike), quickest until then, by just 0.043 of a second.
“I’m really happy," Fabrizio said. "I wanted this Superpole at all costs, and it’s even more satisfying to get it at home. Maybe I should only do the Italian championship as I got my first win at Monza and my first pole here. In any case tomorrow it’ll be a great battle between us young guys, because our race pace is pretty similar, so I feel sure we’ll have some fun tomorrow.”
“It was a good session for us but I kind of blew it in the last section," Spies admitted, "making a big mistake and that cost us. But I’m on the front row which is where we need to be. All the top guys are on the front row, which is how it should be, none of us will be hanging around so let’s hope we have some fun tomorrow.”
The first row was completed by two of the other championship front-runners, Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), with the gap between the four (0.150 secs) one of the smallest in WSB history.
“The pace there in the afternoon was fast and we just missed out a little," Rea said. "In the last session and the last qualifier made a big mistake and didn’t quite resurrect that so there wasn’t enough time left. Anyway we’ve got a good race set-up tomorrow, I’m really happy, the guys have done a marvelous job, we’ve got so many new things to try and every week the package is getting better and better.”
The second row sees Jakub Smrz (Guandalini Ducati) in fifth, followed by Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing), while Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) was in seventh ahead of Marco Simoncelli (Aprilia Racing), the Italian taking his RSV4 machine to a brilliant eighth place on his WSB debut.
Troy Corser (BMW) will start from row 3 in ninth after being eliminated from Superpole 2 by a fraction. Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Ducati) looked promising on the third row, while Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) could only manage 13th.
It was a negative day for Suzuki Alstare Brux with both riders Yukio Kagayama and Karl Muggeridge starting from row 5.
Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) continues to dominate Supersport qualifying, the Coventry man taking his ninth pole of the season. The championship leader was one of the only riders to lap under 1:51, and he put in his quickest lap three minutes from the end of qualifying.
Crutchlow, who was also the only rider to crash in the session, was more than half a second quicker than second placed Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), while the other two front row men, Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) and Massimo Roccoli (Intermoto Czech Honda) were third and fourth but over one second off the pace.
Garry McCoy (Triumph 675) again went well for the ParkinGo BE1 team, the Australian qualifying fifth quickest ahead of two of the other championship front-runners, Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) and Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport).
Britain’s Chaz Davies put the second Triumph BE1 machine on row 3, in 11th place, on his debut.
Pole position in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup went to wild-card entry Ayrton Badovini (Aprilia), the erstwhile Superbike rider obtaining the satisfaction of finishing ahead of two championship contenders, leader Xavier Simeon (Ducati Xerox) and Claudio Corti (Suzuki Alstare), who were separated by half a second. The third title contender Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Honda) qualified on row 2.
Five Italians line up in the first five positions in qualifying for the European Superstock 600 race, with points leader Danilo Petrucci (Yamaha Trasimeno) starting from pole.
Superbike Qualifying Times
1. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1:47.735
2. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:47.778
3. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR100RR 1:47.834
4. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1:47.885
5. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1:48.156
6. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1:48.665
7. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1:49.092
8. Simoncelli M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1:49.338
9. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1:48.971
10. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:48.992
11. Lanzi L. (ITA)Ducati 1098R 1:49.060
12. Nieto F. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1:49.105
13. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1:49.168
14. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1:49.340
15. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1:49.641
16. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:49.681
Friday, September 25, 2009
Two more years for Rea with Ten Kate
Jonathan Rea and his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team have agreed renewed terms to keep the 22-year-old on a Honda CBR1000RR in the World Superbike championship for the next two years.
The partnership was confirmed a year ago at Vallelunga in Italy when Rea moved up from the Ten Kate team's World Supersport effort to a fully-fledged debut World Superbike challenge. However, this new agreement, which runs until the end of the 2011 season, is seen as a fine-tuning of that earlier arrangement.
With three rounds to complete in the 2009 championship, Rea sits in fourth place in the points table, with two wins and a further three podium finishes to his name. In his rookie year and as the youngest World Superbike competitor, the Northern Irishman is also the highest-placed Honda rider.
"As everyone knows, we started this season pretty slowly and I take my share of the blame for that," Rea said. "But I think we've shown that we have been able to turn the Honda CBR1000RR into a race-winning package in the face of some stiff competition. Now the challenge for me is to help to turn it into a championship-winning package.
"I'll admit that I've had some flattering distractions to think about recently but, with this revised agreement, I can now just concentrate on the job and the future. The changes to the contract have simply made some things clear that weren't clear before. We had a three-year plan, including the first year in Supersport, but not really a fixed deal. Now we've come to a good decision together and I'm looking forward to the rest of this season and the next two years with this strong and professional team."
"We already had an ongoing two-year agreement with Jonathan from last year, but it was just at a basic level," added team manager Ronald ten Kate. "It needed an upgrade, so we now have a fine-tuned version after his impressive results this season.
"We are delighted to continue with the plan which brought Jonathan from British Superbike, through our own World Supersport squad and on to his World Superbike challenge. He has grown up a lot this season, both as a rider and as a person, and he is an absolute joy to work with. I believe we are just beginning to see the great potential that Jonathan has."
Fabrizio leads Imola practice
Track action on the opening day of practice for the 12th round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at Imola was delayed for four hours on Friday due to the request by a number of riders to clean the surface, which they considered to be slippery.
The session had been red-flagged after just five minutes when Yamaha World Superbike rider Tom Sykes crashed on his first lap, without any major injury.
After consulting the riders Claude Danis, the FIM safety officer, together with the circuit organizers and the race direction, decided to clean and dry the track, despite several riders and team managers maintaining that it was only necessary for the riders to stay out on the track to continue to lay down rubber.
When Supersport and Superbike action resumed at 4:30, it did not substantially modify the surface condition, which was confirmed by the times subsequently obtained, in line with July testing, and by the fact that no crashes were recorded in the two sessions.
Fastest time in SBK went to Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), who was the only rider to dip under the 1m50s mark with a time of 1 minute 49.895 seconds. Hannspree Ten Kate Honda man Carlos Checa was next up, just a couple of tenths behind, with points leader Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) third and fourth.
Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) made a major step forward from the July tests to slot in fifth place, while stand-in 250 cc world champion Marco Simoncelli eased into Superbike with 12th quickest time. Japans's Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) was one place behind in 13th.
In World Supersport action, Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) waited until the track had improved grip in final 20 minutes of the free practice session before going out to make his mark. The points leader set a time of 1:52.751 to put almost half-a-second between himself and the next man, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda).
The other two top championship contenders, Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) and Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) were next up in third and fourth.
Britain's Chaz Davies made an encouraging start to his World Supersport career, the ParkinGo Triumph man ending up 10th quickest on his 675 machine, six places ahead of team-mate Garry McCoy.
Due to the delay Superstock 1000 and 600 free practice did not take place, but Saturday's schedule will remain unchanged.
Superbike Practice Times
1. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1:49.895
2. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1:50.125
3. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:50.213
4. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:50.308
5. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1:50.515
6. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 1:50.516
7. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:50.716
8. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1:50.801
9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1:50.806
10. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1:50.876
11. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1:51.003
12. Simoncelli M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1:51.090
13. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1:51.112
14. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1:51.333
15. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 1:51.527
16. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1:51.769
Barkley sets new Canadian record
From EB Speed
Ethan Barkley ran a big number at BC's Mission Raceway Park Aug. 22-23.
The "stock wheelbase" quarter mile ET record of 9.43, held by Cory Lacroix, had stood for quite some time. In years past Barkley had been very close to breaking it, running as quick as 9.44 on a 2006 Suzuki GSX-R1000.
That all changed Saturday morning when Barkley posted a 9.390 @ 152.3 mph. Never satisfied, Barkley dropped a bomb with a 9.343 @ 152.2 during the Sunday morning test session.
Competing in the CMDRA's Mission Springs Brewing Co. Street Series, this 2009 Hayabusa nicknamed "Snow White", has only minimal mods. A Brock/Hindle exhaust system, lowered stance, Brock's Performance ultra-lite clutch mod, Dynojet Power Commander, -1 rear Vortex sprocket, BMC filter and short velocity stacks. Running on pump fuel and foot shifted, this 'Busa is a true streetbike.
Ride for Sight moves to Mosport
From the Ride for Sight
The Ride for Sight has announced that its new home for the 2010 Ride for Sight is Mosport International Raceway. The 2010 event will be held June 25-27.
Mosport International Raceway is Canada's largest motorsports complex. This 750 acre, multi-track facility is located within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), north of Bowmanville, ON.
Mosport has everything Ride for Sight participants have come to love, all contained within one large area without any major restrictions. The Ride will be taking over the entire park and more major details will be announced in the coming weeks.
This is not part of a race weekend at Mosport. It’s an exclusive weekend dedicated to Ride for Sight participants only. All the traditional favourites will be part of the weekend, plus many more cool highlights will be added.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
No replacement for Hopkins at Imola
The Stiggy Racing Honda team will cut its four-rider line-up to two entrants for the last three rounds of the 2009 World Superbike and Supersport Championship starting at Imola this weekend.
A combination of economic issues and rider injuries have forced the team to take some rigorous decisions in order to secure the team's continuation in this year's championship.
Superbike rider John Hopkins, who suffered serious injuries after crashing out in Germany three weeks ago, will not be replaced for the remaining three rounds, and the team will only bring Leon Haslam to the Superbike grid at Imola.
Meanwhile Gianluca Vizziello has also been forced to step down from the World Supersport Championship due to the economic situation of the team combined with the fact that he has failed to deliver the expected results, leaving Anthony West as the singleton team Supersport rider.
Team manager Johan Stigefelt explained, "After long discussions with our partner S2 Racing, who are the financial provider for the team, we have finally decided to let Gianluca go. We need to do everything we can to survive the remaining three races and had no other option then to cut the costs dramatically.
"This is by far the worst year for me as team manager in the five years I have been active in this championship. I know a lot of the teams out there are struggling due to the global economic crisis, but it is never easy to tell a rider that he will have to stay home. I know how much they want to be out there and do what they like doing best. As a rider, I have been through it myself and know how tough it is.
"I wish Gianluca all the best for the near future and hope he can ride the last races in another team and find himself a good ride for next year."
Simoncelli to make World Superbike debut
Aprilia Racing has announced that it will come to the Imola WSB round with reigning 250cc World Champion and Metis Gilera Team rider Marco Simoncelli lining up alongside Max Biaggi on the RSV4 usually ridden by Shinya Nakano.
The Japanese rider is still out of action with the neck muscle problems that prevented him from taking part in race 2 in Germany.
Simoncelli prepared for his Imola WSB debut with two days of testing at Mugello Wednesday and Thursday, where he lapped with a best time of 1 minute 53.55 seconds, completing 91 laps.
"I am very satisfied with this test," he said. "I was quite quick and together with the bike managed to improve a lot. We worked to find the right base setting for Imola, where it will be important to find a good set-up as quick as possible, which will make things much easier.
"I'd like to thank Aprilia for this great opportunity, I will be making my debut in a category and on a track that are completely unknown to me, the level of our rivals is very high and it won't be at all easy to obtain a good result."
Canepa retains Ducati seat
Niccolò Canepa will continue with the Pramac Racing MotoGP squad until the end of the season according to his team and the Italian youngster is looking forward to getting back on his Ducati satellite machine in Portugal after speculation that Aleix Espargaró could take his place was ended.
Canepa told motogp.com, “It has not been an easy time. People have been talking about me a lot and I read the newspapers every day. There was a meeting with Ducati to clarify the situation, which the team owner Paolo Campinoti attended. Now all I can say is that I am happy I will be finishing the season on my bike.”
He continued, “No-one asked me to win the World Championship at the beginning of the year. I don’t think I have been as disappointing as people have said. I’ll finish the season and I am happy to be able to do so.”
It appears that Canepa is unlikely to continue in the premier class of MotoGP next year as he admits himself, “I don’t think I will be back in MotoGP. Riders such as Alex de Angelis and Toni Elías, who have been on the podium this year, still don’t have their rides for 2010 sorted, so I think that makes it even harder for me. Riding again in MotoGP is my dream for the future but maybe now it wouldn’t be bad to ride in another championship to gain more experience and fight for podium places.
“I have some serious offers for Superbikes and Moto2 but nothing has been decided. Pramac aim to be in Moto2 but at the moment we are still making plans for the future.”
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Alberta cops show Race City support
CALGARY, AB - Friday night at Race City law enforcement officers from Edmonton and the Calgary area will compete for the title of “Alberta’s Fastest Cop” to help publicize the perils of illegal street racing.
The impending closure of the Calgary motorsport facility will mean the end of the Friday Night
Secret Street program, which for many years has provided a safe and legal outlet for drivers wanting to race their street cars.
The Motorsport Council of Calgary (formerly the Calgary Motorsports Association) and Race City Motorsport will host “The Battle of Alberta, Law Enforcement Style” at 7:00 p.m. at
Race City.
The Blue Line Racing Association, a volunteer group of officers from the Edmonton Police Service and teams from the Alberta’s Sheriff Department and the RCMP will compete against each other and talk about the dangers of street racing and the likelihood that it will grow with the closure of Race City.
The City of Calgary claims Race City defaulted on its lease in 2000 when it was several weeks late providing a notice of renewal, which is required every five years. The City has told Race City it must vacate the property by March 31, 2010. The City plans to use the 160 acres to expand the Shepard Landfill.
In addition to the demonstration races by law enforcement officers, the weekly Friday Night Secret Street program will be run. The event sees over 175 racers and hundreds of their friends fuel their passion for racing in an alcohol and drug free environment.
Other members of Calgary's diverse racing community of drag racers, oval racers and road racers will show their cars along with businesses from the automotive aftermarket.
Gates open at 6:00pm. Action gets underway at 7:00pm and admission is $5.00.
Three winter tests for MotoGP
While there are still four races to go in the 2009 MotoGP World Championship, the teams are already looking towards 2010.
The usual Valencia test, to be held right after the final race of the 2009 season, should provide the first opportunity to see riders make their maiden runs with their new teams or new rides, but the 2010 pre-season will only start in earnest in February 2010 with the first of three official testing sessions.
A favourite destination for testing due to the favourable weather, the Sepang International Circuit will host the first 2010 test from Feb. 3-5, with the first day being reserved solely for test riders as a "private test" - whilst the official MotoGP riders will have the two subsequent days of work at the Malaysian venue.
Three weeks later, from Feb. 24-26, the MotoGP teams will head back to Sepang for another “1+2”-day test, before a final pre-season test to be held at the Losail International Circuit from March 17-19, just three weeks before the inaugural race of the 2010 season at the Qatari venue.
Three tests should also be scheduled for Moto2 and 125cc teams over the February/March period, with sessions planned at the Jerez and Valencia circuits.
De Puniet stays with LCR Honda
Randy de Puniet will ride with LCR Honda again in the MotoGP premier class next year - for the third consecutive season - with the support of HRC, who have renewed their co-operation with the team and manager Lucio Cecchinello for a fifth successive year.
Cecchinello commented, “We are very happy to work with Randy again next year. He still has a lot of potential and our aim was to continue the project we started together in MotoGP in 2008. I am very confident about what we can achieve in 2010. We will work with the same style and with the same determination to take a step forward in the quality of our organization and our on-track performances.”
De Puniet added, “The 2010 season will be my fifth year in the MotoGP class. Honda are working hard to improve the machine and the LCR team is very professional. They are like a family to me. We have got the potential to get positive results and we will be trying our best again next year.”
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Hayden Indy helmet goes on the block
From Ducati North America
CUPERTINO, CA - Ducati North America, Nicky Hayden and the Make-A-Wish Foundation have announced a charity auction for the helmet Hayden wore en route to a podium finish at the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix.
Two weeks ago, at Hayden's first Indianapolis race aboard a Ducati, he unveiled this special helmet to celebrate what would be a historic moment. With his home crowd cheering him on, Hayden took his first podium of the year and his first podium while riding for Ducati.
The entire race weekend saw crowds cheering for Hayden at every turn and now he is offering the helmet he wore during the race to help the Make-A-Wish foundation enrich the lives of children during their greatest moments of need. This hand painted helmet is signed by Hayden and comes with a letter of authenticity from Starline Designers.
"I was really proud of how the helmet turned out for Indy and the vibe that it got," he said. "It was truly a very special helmet and it was an honour to wear. I know how lucky I am and feel that it's my duty to try to give something back when possible. What better way than by helping make kids' dreams come true.
"It’s great to be part of Make A Wish. I've been a part of their team for five years and have done some neat things which always puts smiles on faces."
In honour of the new Nicky Hayden Edition 848, the opening bid on the helmet will be $848. The link to the auction is: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160364486964
Ducati North America has held Make-A-Wish auctions at each of this year's MotoGP Ducati Islands. Over $23,000 has been raised to date with all proceeds going directly to Make-A-Wish.
OFTR and UCPR commit funds to trials
GOODERHAM, ON -- The Ontario Federation of Trial Riders (OFTR) announced on Tuesday that has entered into a partnership with the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) to invest $81,200 in improvements to the trail systems and signage in the Larose Forest.
The UCPR and the OFTR have a stewardship agreement that allows OFTR members to ride off road motorcycle (ORM) trails in a designated area of the Larose Forest.
The UCPR committed $81,200 in real dollars for other improvements and the OFTR has matched the amount through the National Trails Coalition (NTC) Stimulus Program (www.ntc-canada.ca).
The OFTR and its affiliated clubs have been working with the UCPR since 2006, when there was a proposed ban on off-road motorcycles in Ontario’s second largest municipal forest (28,000 Acres). The OFTR has since entered into land use agreement for a designated riding area for ORMs.
The Bytown Motorcycle Association (BMA) performs stewardship duties on behalf of the OFTR.
The project will involve trail improvements, signage and mapping.
For more information about the Larose Forest and UCPR visit www.prescott-russell.on.ca.
For more information about the Bytown Motorcycle Association (BMA) visit www.bytown-motorcycle-assoc.ca.
The OFTR (www.oftr.ca) was formed in 1992 and adopted the shared use mandate and a vision to be ‘the Voice of Off -Road Motorcyclists in Ontario.