Two Wheels

[wino]

Official: Lorenzo to travel to Laguna Seca


Wednesday, 17 July 2013
It has been confirmed on Wednesday that Jorge Lorenzo is travelling to California with a possible view to competing in this weekend’s ninth round of the MotoGP™ World Championship at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Following the dramas of the Sachsenring, when Lorenzo highsided and damaged the titanium plate attached to his already injured left collarbone, the World Champion announced via his personal Twitter account that he would be back for the Indianapolis race after the summer break. Since then, however, erstwhile championship leader Dani Pedrosa has also injured his left collarbone while Marc Marquez won in Germany to retake the lead in the title race.
A Yamaha Factory Racing press release reads as follows:
‘Jorge Lorenzo will travel to Laguna to be with his team as he recovers from a second surgery to his injured collarbone following a free practice crash at last weekend’s German Grand Prix.’
“Finally we have decided to go to Laguna Seca,” Lorenzo comments. “Following the final medical check and after speaking with Doctor Rodríguez, we are going to try. At the beginning I seriously thought that it might have been convenient to take the necessary time to recover and be back at Indy, but over the last two days I have felt much better so now I want to be there, although I will try to not take too many risks.
“I want to be there also for the fans, for the championship but especially for my team that is waiting for me. I want to thank everybody for all of the support I have received so far and I want to say ‘thank you’ to the doctors who took care of me after the crash at the Sachsenring, both at the Clinica Mobile and at the Hospital General de Catalunya, especially Doctors Rodríguez and Cots.”
“Jorge has made the decision to fly to Laguna Seca and, although it will not be easy, he has decided to try - despite the pain and the consequences of the second surgery to his injured collarbone,” adds Team Manager Wilco Zeelenberg. “We have another tough weekend ahead of us, especially because the layout of the track is physically demanding. Now I am just looking forward to seeing him here with the team and then we will set the strategy for the weekend.”
To date, Lorenzo’s sole win at Laguna Seca came in his first title-winning season of 2010. In his first MotoGP™ race at the track in 2008, the Mallorcan suffered a large highside accident at Turn 6.

 

[wino]

 

[wino]

 

[wino]

 

[wino]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=DtNTRXJXn6w&feature=endscreen

 

[wino]

there will only be 1 joey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=OmCYy3gXBIw&feature=fvwp

 

[wino]

dont do it Kal.

MOTOGP »
US MotoGP: Nicky Hayden confirms Ducati exit
18 July 2013

"I'm not coming back to Ducati in MotoGP next year. They have chosen to go in a different way" - Nicky Hayden.

• StumbleUpon

US MotoGP: Nicky Hayden confirms Ducati exit
Nicky Hayden has confirmed that he will leave the Ducati MotoGP team at the end of this season.

During the pre-event press conference for his home US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, the 2006 world champion said:

"I'm not coming back to Ducati in MotoGP next year. They have chosen to go in a different way.

"I really don't know my future to be honest. In MotoGP it doesn't look so good. We don't really know with the new bikes, the new rules, what the possibilities will be. But I do have some options that are interesting.

"I still love racing bikes and still think I have a lot to give. So I'll try to find a new home. It's not the perfect situation but it is what it is. I have to try and land on my feet and make do with it."

Hayden is rumoured to be considering a switch to World Superbikes - where he could try and become the first rider in history to win both the 500cc/MotoGP and WSBK titles - but confirmed he would prefer to stay in grand prix.

"Of course, this is the biggest show in the world. MotoGP is where my heart is, but I don't want to just stay here on a bike and run around trying to get a point here and there.

"So I'll take in all the options, weigh them out and see which I'm most excited about. Which sounds the most fun. If that be MotoGP, sure. But I'm not sure Repsol's going to come and knock on my door for one of those spots!

"It's difficult because there are only so many seats in MotoGP. There are only twelve official [factory/satellite] bikes and most of them are spoken for. It's not an ideal situation. Unfortunately these results the last few years haven't gone how we hoped. No-one likes to get sacked, but that's what happened. See what's next."

Hayden insisted that Ducati's decision will not change his approach during the remaining ten races.

"It's hard enough as it is right now on this bike, so it doesn't really change a whole lot. Once you put the helmet on nothing is really different. Of course we want to finish the year with some good results and that would also help my situation for next year.

"But don't feel sorry for me - it's alright, I'll live!"

A former AMA Superbike champion, Hayden rode for Repsol Honda from his 2002 MotoGP debut until joining Ducati in 2009. He claimed two of his three grand prix wins at Laguna Seca in 2005 and 2006.

The American took a podium in each of his first three seasons with Ducati, with last year his first without a rostrum in grand prix. Hayden is currently ninth in the standings.

MOTOGP »
US MotoGP: Marc Marquez laughs at street bike rumours
18 July 2013

"Maybe they can show me the pictures!" - Marc Marquez.

• StumbleUpon

US MotoGP: Marc Marquez laughs at street bike rumours
Rookie MotoGP title leader Marc Marquez laughed at rumours he has already ridden the Laguna Seca circuit during a secret test on a road bike.

The US MotoGP venue is considered one of the toughest to master due to its undulations and blind turns, headlined by the famous Corkscrew corner.

And unlike all the other grand prix circuits, the Moto2 and Moto3 classes do not attend, meaning Marquez has no prior knowledge of the track on any two-wheeled GP machine.

But other rookies - such as Stefan Bradl last year and Bradley Smith this year - have opted to gain prior experience on a road bike.

Repsol Honda star Marquez admitted such a test was planned, but insisted it never took place and that his first lap of the track will be made in Friday practice.

“I thought about that and I tried to come here with a street bike and everything, but in the end it was not possible. So the first time will be with the MotoGP,” confirmed the 20-year-old. A smiling Marquez, who snatched the title lead with his second victory of the year last Sunday in Germany, added: “There are some rumours that I came here on a street bike - I don't know, maybe they can show me the pictures!”

Some of Marquez's more experienced rivals then cracked jokes when asked to explain the secret to going fast at Laguna Seca.

“If he wants to slow down and wait for me, he is welcome to follow me around!” smiled Nicky Hayden, a home winner in 2005 and 2006 with Honda, but no higher than fifth with Ducati.

“I don't think Marc needs any advice. I'm sure it'll be a tough first session - and if he's fastest then we'll know he came here two weeks ago!” commented Tech 3 Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow.

Seven time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi added: “My advice to Marc is to go very slow in the first year, try to understand corner-by-corner and then push next year!”

Hayden meanwhile also gave a more serious evaluation of the challenge facing Marquez: “It is a difficult track for sure, but it's a short track so he will get plenty of laps in during each session. Turn one and the Corkscrew are the hardest because they are so blind. But the rest is pretty easy, because it's kinda narrow there is only one line.

“It is true that down through Rainey Curve there are quite a few bumps to understand. But I don't think Marquez has any problem going fast. Maybe not the first session, but it won't take him long.”


Racing Numbers: Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix


Thursday, 18 July 2013
Did you know that no MotoGP™ newcomer has ever won at Laguna Seca in their rookie season? It’s time for the latest Racing Numbers ahead of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix…
40 years - On race day at Laguna Seca it will be exactly 40 years since Phil Read won the 1973 Swedish GP at the Anderstorp circuit to win the 500 World Championship title for the first time, at the age of 34.
36 - There have been 36 MotoGP races since an American last won, with Ben Spies having triumphed in the Dutch TT at Assen in 2011.
28 - The win by Marc Marquez at the German Grand Prix was the 28th time he has stood on the top step of the podium in Grand Prix racing. This is just one less win that Loris Capirossi achieved during his Grand Prix career.
28 years - On race day at Laguna Seca it will be 28 years to the day that Freddie Spencer won both the 500 and 250 GP races at Le Mans in France in 1985. This was the last occasion that a rider has won both the premier class and intermediate class GP races on the same day.
26 - There have been 26 MotoGP races without a rider from the USA finishing on the podium, since Ben Spies finished second at the final race of 2011 at Valencia. This is the longest sequence without a USA rider finishing on the podium in the premier class of Grand Prix racing since Kenny Roberts Jr. ended a run of 33 races without a USA rider on the podium at the first race of 1999, in Malaysia.
23 - This will be the 23rd occasion that there has been a motorcycle grand prix held in the USA. The first two events in 1964 and 1965 were held at the famous Daytona circuit. Fourteen GP events have taken place at the Laguna Seca circuit, there have been five held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and one at the new circuit in Austin.
6 - The last six MotoGP races in the USA have been won by Honda riders. The last non-Honda MotoGP winner in the USA was Jorge Lorenzo, at Laguna Seca in 2010.
4 - Marc Marquez won in Germany for the fourth successive year across three different classes; in 2010 he was competing in the 125 class, in 2011 and 2012 the Moto2 class and this year in MotoGP. He is the first rider of the modern era to win at the same circuit for four successive years across three different classes.
4 - Jorge Lorenzo has qualified on pole at Laguna Seca for the last four years. If he is on pole again this year, he will become only the second rider of the MotoGP era to have pole for five successive years at one particular circuit; Casey Stoner is the only other rider to have done this, at his home track of Phillip Island.
2 - With Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo both failing to add to their points total at the German Grand Prix, the only two riders who have scored points at all of the first eight races of the year are Andrea Dovizioso and Aleix Espargaro.
1 - The only Honda rider to start from pole at Laguna Seca in the MotoGP era is Nicky Hayden, in 2005.
0 – No rider has ever won at Laguna Seca in their rookie season in the premier class of GP racing.

 

[wino]

well I'm bored cold and sober so here's some pics from the 88 US Grand Prix

The GP circus returned to America in 1988 after a twenty year gap in the schedule. Held at Laguna Seca, Eddie Lawson won the race on a Marlboro 500. Here he accelerates out of turn 11 past the photographer.

Lawson heads down the hill for the final time.

Schwantz readies the Pepsi Suzuki on the grid. Early GPs at Laguna were about unmanageable horsepower and bales, lots of bales.

500s were push-started in 1988. Rainey pushes off as Lawson swings a leg.

Schwantz monos past the straw bales.

Some from Moto GP 2005

Nicky took the lead from the start and approaching turn 3 on lap 1 already had a gap on the rest of the field

Rossi attacks Bayliss as they exit turn 3 on lap 1

Edwards didn't get a great start and had to battle his way through traffic

Gibernau is stalked by Biaggi

Nicky was never headed all race long

After Edwards made his way to second, he didn't make much impression on Hayden

Towards the end, Rossi closed back up on Edwards

Nicky takes his dad, Earl, for a victory lap

Nicky and Colin react to the crowds chants of USA! USA!

 

[wino]

 

[wino]

Bradl’s first MotoGP™ pole at Laguna Seca


Laguna Seca 2013 - MotoGP - Q2 - Highlights
Saturday, 20 July 2013
Germany’s Stefan Bradl has achieved a first ever MotoGP™ pole position for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. The LCR Honda MotoGP rider will start alongside Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez and GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista. Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa have qualified sixth and seventh, respectively.
Courtesy of a 1’21.176 lap time, Bradl becomes the first ever German to clinch pole in the premier class of the World Championship. Not only is he the second rider to clinch a maiden pole this season, but he has also become the first ever rider to achieve the qualifying top spot at Laguna Seca aboard a satellite machine.
Marquez - whose challenge ended with a crash at Turn 6, four minutes before the chequered flag came out - was 17 thousandths of a second slower on his first weekend at the Californian circuit, having topped three or the four practice sessions, while Bautista starts on the front row for the first time since taking pole position at Silverstone last year. Row 2 is headed up by Yamaha Factory Racing’s Valentino Rossi, ahead of Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow who appeared late in Q2 on his second bike, having crashed his first at Turn 3 during final practice.
Rossi’s teammate Lorenzo, still suffering from a broken and very painful left collarbone and who missed last weekend’s German Grand Prix, will set off from sixth place and the back of the second row. Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa was also absent from the Sachsenring race as well as Free Practices 1 and 3 here; he - similarly suffering with his left collarbone - will head up Row 3, having moved into the shootout from Q1 for the first time, ahead of Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso who jumped ahead of Tech 3’s Bradley Smith late in Q2.
Americans Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards will start tenth and 15th for their respective Ducati Team and NGM Mobile Forward Racing outfits, but compatriot and wildcard entrant Blake Young has withdrawn from the event after damaging his sole Attack Performance Racing APR frame in a crash on Friday. There was also a crash for Randy de Puniet, as the Frenchman - who had reached Q2 for the third time this year - went down at Turn 3. He will start 12th, ahead of teammate Aleix Espargaro who led the CRTs for the ninth time in as many races this season.
In 14th spot will be Ignite Pramac Racing’s Alex de Angelis, making a one-off return to the top class from Moto2™ as a substitute for Ben Spies, who is set to make a comeback at Indianapolis following the summer break. Energy T.I. Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone, who would have been alongside de Angelis in the garage, has not travelled to the USA after dislocating his right shoulder last time out in Germany. Another faller in qualifying was Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing, 19th on grid), who went down and slid across the Turn 10 gravel trap in Q1.
Sunday’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix starts at 2pm local time (GMT -7). The chequered flag will mark the halfway point in the 2013 MotoGP™ season.

 

[wino]

Sykes Will Start Moscow Races From Third Row

WSBK, Moscow, Russia, 20 July 2013
Tom Sykes was looking set for yet another Superpole win as he approached Superpole 3 but a fall deprived him of the chance and he now starts Sunday’s races from the third row of the grid.

Sykes was running a high lean angle as he negotiated the long turn three when he lost the front end and he was unable to make it back to the pits. In the era of single bike rules he had no spare machine to use to get back into contention for the font row, and what could have been his seventh pole in succession. He ended up ninth on the grid.

Tom still leads the overall Superpole count in 2013 by some margin, with six pole positions to his credit.

His misfortune in Superpole today did not disguise Sykes’ sheer pace through qualifying and practice and Sykes is now confident that with two good starts he should be in contention for the top race places as he has been all season long on his Ninja ZX-10R.

Second KRT rider Loris Baz pushed his way to Superpole 2 but was unable to improve his time enough to make it into the final Superpole session and he earned a 12th starting place overall. He is on the fourth row of the grid for Sunday’s two 25-lap races.

Federico Sandi (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) ended regulation qualifying in 16th place, while Lorenzo Savadori (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) will start the races from 18th place in Moscow.

Tom Sykes: “I just lost the front at the very last moment in turn three. It is a shame but sometimes these things happen. It is a small mistake and it means that we will start on row three, so it is a mistake with not a very big consequence. In this respect it is not so bad and tomorrow, in the races, is where you make up points. I am still confident with the settings of the Ninja ZX-10R for this track. I just need to make a clean start each time and continue in a good way. Pace in general has been strong and the lap times are good, which we saw in Superpole 1 when I was using a race tyre. It will be 25 laps each time so there will be long races here. In Imola I dropped to fourth at the very beginning and then had time to react so hopefully we have lots of time tomorrow to make the correction for today’s small mistake.”

Loris Baz: “I used a qualifying tyre to start in Superpole 2 but I had a lot of chatter so I almost lost the front and had to save it on my elbow. I lost time and was not going to make it to the third part of Superpole so I came in and we fitted a race tyre. I did my two best times of the weekend after that, but I could not go fast enough to make it into Superpole 3. Race pace is not so bad but we have a small issue with set-up on corner entry. I am sure we can sort it in morning warm-up. If we do find an improvement I will have to make a good start to be able to get to the front and fight for a top five place again.”



Sykes Re-Signs With Kawasaki Racing Team For 2014

Newsflash, 20 July 2013
Tom Sykes will campaign the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R in the 2014 SBK season for the official Kawasaki Racing Team after signing a contract to continue what has already been a fruitful relationship.

Sykes was runner-up in the championship in 2012 with KRT and currently leads the FIM Superbike World Championship after seven rounds of the season have been completed. Kawasaki is keen to continue this great form and build on it for the future so retaining Sykes was an important part in the winning equation of rider, machine and team. In 2014 Tom will start his fifth straight year with Kawasaki in the Superbike World Championship.

With new initiatives coming into place from SBK rights holders Dorna the 2014 SBK Championship is sure to be followed with keen interest by fans and media alike, making the choice of riders a key element of Kawasaki’s strategy.

Re-signing Tom is also a recognition of the strong part he has played in the development of the on-track capabilities of the Ninja ZX-10R and his continued presence on the official team maintains his contribution to a very positive era in the history of Kawasaki’s overall racing activities.

Tom Sykes: “For me this is an awesome place to be. I have made my feelings quite clear to Kawasaki and all the individual team members and sponsors. I am really happy in my working environment and very relaxed. I am probably at my best in this kind of scenario so the natural thing is to continue for at least another year in SBK. It is a great championship and when you have all the ingredients in place to be fighting at the front every weekend, even at different circuits, it is what you aim for. We have proved that we can do it and had a couple of double wins already. I have a great feeling riding with Kawasaki, so why change that? I am over the moon to stay in the team and the continuity is great. I could not be happier with the people around me. The deal has been done so early in the season, which is an absolute first.”

Ichiro Yoda, KHI Race Planning Manager: “I feel Tom looks like he is going to be ‘Mr Kawasaki’, because after we had great success with American rider Scott Russell we found it difficult to find a new ‘Mr Kawasaki.’ Now it looks like Tom can be this person. We also want to push him to grow up in racing terms even more than he has already and he now realises himself how he can do this job. After his Imola double race win we feel he has understood his real potential and now it looks like he can develop even more quickly. The bike, the rider and the team have all made great progress together and because of this we are very happy.”

Guim Roda, Team Manager: “Tom made incredible job last year and this year is still growing up as a racer. We are really curious to see what level he can final arrive at - that's the main sporting reason we wanted to sign him from our side of things. From a personal point of view we have always found Tom to be a very good team worker, he always has a smile on his face for the Kawasaki supporters and he is a very cooperative rider with the media. He is a good guy who always tries to give his best and really concentrates on his job. I hope this early movement from Kawasaki in re-signing him will give him a calm environment to concentrate on his 2013 season and then work at 105% for 2014 - a season that we expect to be very exciting too. I want to say thanks to Kawasaki for giving us the opportunity to keep Tom in the team for next year."

Steve Guttridge, KME European Race Planning Manager: “It's great news that Tom is confirmed to remain with us in the Kawasaki Racing Team for another season! He's grown into a pure professional and clearly he is the man to challenge for the SBK title with our team and Ninja ZX-10R machine. Both are always developing and improving in every area, every week, in order to reach the common goal, which is to win the FIM Superbike World Championship for Kawasaki. It's a perfect combination so there was no reason to change it from either side, I believe. This early announcement reassures Tom that his immediate future is clear and so I'm sure it will help him relax and focus on our goals right now and within the rest of the season."

 

[wino]

this might be a repost but . . ..

Embedded media from this media site is no longer available

 

[wino]

Condolences To The Family And Friends Of Andrea Antonelli

WSS, Moscow, Russia, 21 July 2013
During the eventually abandoned FIM Supersport World Championship race at Moscow Raceway today, Team Goeleven Kawasaki Rider Andrea Antonelli was involved in an accident and suffered terminal injury.

He crashed on the longest straight and after a collision with another rider’s machine he suffered a fatal cranium base fracture. Andrea was 25-years old, from Castiglione del Lago in Italy.

All in the Kawasaki family and the wider paddock are shocked and saddened by this event and we want to extend our deepest condolences to Andrea’s family, his friends and to all in Team Goeleven after this tragic loss.

After the accident all on-track sporting activity was cancelled as a mark of respect.

Embedded media from this media site is no longer available

 

[wino]

Marquez wins Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix


Laguna Seca 2013 - MotoGP - RACE - Highlights
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Marc Marquez has won Sunday’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, becoming the youngest ever back-to-back race winner in MotoGP™. The Repsol Honda Team rider extended his championship lead while LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl celebrated a first premier class podium finish from pole position. Valentino Rossi held off Alvaro Bautista for the final rostrum spot.
On Saturday, Bradl had stormed to a maiden pole position while Marquez suffered a crash in qualifying. On Sunday, the Spaniard patiently followed the German before pulling off a clean manoeuvre at the end of the 19th lap. Five riders failed to make the distance at the notoriously difficult anti-clockwise circuit, the shortest on the calendar.
Marquez’s third victory of the year equals the sum of reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo. The Repsol Honda rider sank as low as fourth after a poor start, but stayed ahead of Bautista in the early stages and crucially pulled off a confident pass on Rossi at the world-famous Corkscrew corner. He soon homed in on Bradl, overtaking the German and winning by 2.2 seconds. In doing so, Marquez wins for the second time within the space of a week and steals former double champion Freddie Spencer’s record of being the youngest MotoGP™ rider to triumph in consecutive Grands Prix. Furthermore, he makes history by becoming the first rookie rider to win at Laguna Seca.
Bradl’s ride to second was one of calm and composure. A clean getaway allowed the LCR Honda MotoGP rider to head the field from his first ever pole in the top class. The 2011 Moto2™ World Champion was assisted by the fact that those behind him were battling early on, but by the 17th tour had the recovering Marquez only two tenths of a second behind. Once the overtake had occurred two laps later, Bradl comfortably managed a two-second gap back to Rossi to clinch his maiden premier class podium, improving on his previous best of fourth – achieved on three occasions.
Having not finished on the podium until he won Round 7 at Assen, Yamaha Factory Racing’s Rossi has now taken the chequered flag inside the top three for as many races in a row. The Italian, who had famously overtaken Casey Stoner at the Corkscrew five years ago, was this time passed in the same place by Marquez before holding off a significant attack from Bautista over the closing laps; the Spaniard briefly edged ahead before the final corner, but was kept behind. Another third place for Rossi sees him jump ahead of Cal Crutchlow for fourth in the standings.
Laguna Seca had always promised to be a weekend of damage limitation for both Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) and Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team). Both men continued to suffer with left collarbone injuries as they finished fifth and sixth, with Pedrosa having moved ahead of his rival in an overtake at the Andretti Hairpin. The duo finished in front of Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Crutchlow, who on Saturday had been left confused by a crash before taking part in Q2 with his second bike.
The top ten was completed by Ducati Team’s Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso – who during the race made side-to-side contact on the start/finish straight – and Avintia Blusens’ Hector Barbera, who became the first rider other than Aleix Espargaro to lead the CRT runners in 2013. Espargaro crashed at the last corner, while Power Electronics Aspar teammate Randy de Puniet retired with technical problems. Tech 3’s Bradley Smith also stopped with mechanical gremlins, while the first two retirements were PBM’s Michael Laverty and NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Claudio Corti.
In 11th, Ignite Pramac Racing’s Alex de Angelis scored while covering for the injured Ben Spies, while Colin Edwards finished 12th for Forward Racing. The top 15 was completed by Danilo Petrucci (Came IodaRacing Project), Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) and Yonny Hernandez (PBM).
With the first half of the season now completed, MotoGP™ heads into its summer break before returning with the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix in mid-August. Marquez carries a 16-point advantage over teammate Pedrosa and has finished on the podium in eight of his first nine races since joining the premier class as reigning Moto2™ World Champion.

 

[wino]

Casey Stoner to test for HRC


Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Casey Stoner will climb back on a Honda RC213V, for the first time since Valencia 2012, as a test rider for Honda Racing Corporation. The two-time World Champion left the sport at the end of last year and has been linked with rumours of a wild card appearance this season but this is now out of the question.

The Australian rider will do four tests in Motegi in the next few months with Honda Racing's R&D team, working on the evolution of the RC213V and also on the new production racer bike that Honda Racing will sell to selected team next year to race in MotoGP.
Casey Stoner
"It's been almost 9 months now since Valencia and I'm still happy and comfortable with the decision I made to stop racing. Sometimes I miss riding my RCV, so I am happy that HRC asked me to do some tests in Motegi this year. This will allow me to enjoy what I miss: riding a MotoGP bike! I'm looking forward to getting on the bike and see how i t has changed from last year and I'd like to thank Honda for this opportunity"

Shuhei Nakamoto - HRC Executive Vice President
"We are very pleased to have Casey back on a Honda! He knows this machine very well and I'm sure he can help our engineers and technicians with the development of the RC213V. We will also ask him to test the new production racer and give us his initial feedback to assist us in producing the best machine possible"

 

[wino]

 

[wino]

New scan for Pedrosa reveals complete collarbone fracture


Wednesday, 24 July 2013
Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has given details of his physical condition in his latest blog post, stating that a recent medical examination undertaken in Barcelona has revealed a complete collarbone fracture in his injured shoulder.
Pedrosa returned to Europe satisfied with his fifth place finish in Sunday’s Laguna Seca race and now that a complete fracture has been detected his performance in the U.S. seems only more heroic.

The additional medical tests Pedrosa underwent in Barcelona this week have shown that his injury is more severe than first diagnosed, with the rider himself commenting online, “The race was quite unusual for me due to my injury, but anyway my feeling was ok and I finished not too far behind the leaders. The goal I set myself was to finish as close to the front as possible and I managed to do just that.”

“Having put in such an effort it was important to see how the collarbone was affected and the latest test I had was a 3D CT scan, which revealed more than was shown up in my initial tests due to swelling and limited visibility of the injury. The latest scan shows a complete fracture,” Pedrosa explained.

The Spaniard went on to add, “The key thing is that it’s not a displaced fracture and it wasn’t pushed out of shape in the race, so there is no need for an operation. It’s relatively good news and within a fortnight I’ll have another check-up. I’ll do some physio during the holidays in order to recover well in time for Indianapolis.”

Pedrosa currently sits second in the championship, 16 points behind his teammate Marc Marquez at the top of the standings.

Honda’s Nakamoto reviews seasons so far for Pedrosa and Marquez


Nakamoto reviews seasons so far
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
Shuhei Nakamoto, the Executive Vice President of HRC, has spoken to motogp.com about rider performances so far in 2013. He also confirms that an early version of next year’s machine will be used this season, should Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez be happy with it.
During the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix weekend, which marked the halfway point of the 2013 campaign, the HRC boss gave his overview of the season to date in terms of rider and team results.
"We are happy," Nakamoto says at Laguna Seca. "Both of our riders have done a very good job; we are leading the riders’ and the constructors’ standings, but the gap between Yamaha and us is quite small. We are trying very, very hard to win the championship, not only at the circuit but also in Japan. I am very happy."
To date, Marquez has won three races and Pedrosa has two victories to his name this year. Assessing both factory Honda riders individually, Nakamoto continues:
"I am quite impressed by what Marc has done; he is growing a lot and it is much more than I expected. Especially in the second half of last year, Dani was very, very strong. Looking at general characteristics, the Yamaha is strong on some circuits and the Honda is strong on others. In the second half of the season, Dani likes the characteristics of the circuits and they suit both him and the Honda package. We hope and expect Dani to be strong again, like last year."
While testing at MotorLand Aragon in the week that followed the Catalan Grand Prix, a 2014-specification Honda was rolled out and it could make a race debut this year.
"Yes," Nakamoto confirms. "We tested in Aragon. Both riders found positive and negative points. We are now making the next step and we will be able to test again after Misano [post-race test, mid-September]. If the riders are happy, we will start to use (the 2014 machine)."
Repsol Honda have now won the last three races at Laguna Seca, with Casey Stoner having taken the chequered flag in both 2011 and 2012, followed by Marquez’ triumph on Sunday.

 

[wino]

cause u and I know

 

[wino]

 

[wino]

This aint good
WSBK »
BMW announces WSBK withdrawal
24 July 2013

BMW announces it will withdraw its factory support from the World Superbike Championship at the end of the 2013 season.

BMW announces WSBK withdrawal
BMW Motorrad has announced it will cease its factory involvement in the World Superbike Championship at the end of the 2013 season after less than five years in the top flight.

BMW made its WSBK debut in 2009 and has steadily developed into regular front runners, with Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies currently in contention for the 2013 WSBK title with five race wins between them.

The announcement that BMW Motorrad is withdrawing its factory involvement comes after an initial strategic realignment at the end of the 2012 season saw it switch from being an in-house operation to lending full support to the Feel Racing team, which competes under the BMW GoldBet Italia banner.

According to BMW, it is withdrawing from World Superbikes in order to concentrate on its core road bike market, though it does intimate that it will continue to provide support any subsequent customer programmes.

“BMW Motorrad Motorsport will end its involvement in the World Superbike Championship after this season”, said Stephan Schaller, General Director BMW Motorrad, in a statement. “This is consistent with the strategic realignment of our brand. BMW Motorrad will now focus on the further expansion of the very successful product portfolio over 500 cc, the expansion of product segments under 500 cc, e-mobility and the development of market potential in emerging economies like Brazil and Asia.

“Only those who act consistently today are well prepared for the challenges of tomorrow. BMW Motorrad will remain involved in motorsport and in doing so we will focus on the international customer sport in all its facets. I want to thank everybody who has supported us on this long and successful journey.”

Debuting in 2009 with the experienced Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus at the helm, BMW's maiden foray into Superbike racing with the S1000RR showed flashes of pace in the early years, even if it would take until 2012 for the manufacturer to break its victory duck with Melandri at Donington Park.

The momentum of that first win would see Melandri score a further five wins over the course of the season, lifting BMW into the title fight for the first time, though it would eventually finish third overall.

The decision to support the Italian-based Feel Racing team for 2013 appeared to yield few notable issues with new signing Davies scoring a double win at the second round in Aragon, while Melandri has won races at Monza, Portimao and – just this weekend – at the Moscow Raceway this year.