Two Wheels

[wino]

Stoner return confirmed for Motegi


Wednesday, 3 October 2012
On his Blog on Repsol.com, Casey Stoner has announced he will return from injury for the MotoGP™ race in Motegi in just under two weeks time.
The Australian wrote: "It's been another quiet week here in Australia, I've been resting, having some physio and following doctor's orders to recover. The good news is that I feel I can race in Motegi and will be re-joining my team next week and I can't wait to get back on track!
"This weekend I'm off to the V8's at Bathurst, I was lucky enough to go there last year also and it is truly one of the greatest motorsport events of the year, so I'm really happy to be going again this year.
"Thanks for all the kind messages on this blog, I look forward to return in Motegi in front of all the Honda home fans!"
The Repsol Honda rider has not contested a GP since braving the pain in Indianapolis, where he severely injured his right ankle in a big highside. He subsequently had surgery in his native Australia and has been resting there since, while WSBK rider Jonathan Rea has filled in for him in the last two races.
Stoner’s record stands at one win and three podiums at the Motegi circuit. He no longer has a mathematical chance of winning the championship, though will undoubtedly be aiming to win every one of the last four races before hanging up his leathers for good at the end of the season.
TAGS Japan Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team

 

[Killy]

Needs less eurobeat and more engine sounds.

 

[wino]

FIM releases updated provisional 2013 MotoGP™ calendar


Tuesday, 16 October 2012
The FIM has released an updated provisional calendar for the 2013 MotoGP™ World Championship with a total of 19 races taking place.
The updated version sees the confirmation of the U.S. race in Texas to be held at the new Circuit of the Americas, as well as the shift of the Sachsenring race to the 7th July.
31 March – Qatar* Doha/Losail
14 April – TBC TBC
21 April – Americas, Austin
05 May – Spain(STC), Jerez de la Frontera
19 May – France, Le Mans
2 June – Italy, Mugello
16 June – Catalunya, Catalunya
29 June – Netherlands**, Assen
7 July – Germany, Sachsenring
21 July – United States***, Laguna Seca
18 August – Indianapolis, Indianapolis
25 August – Czech Republic, Brno
01 September – Great Britain, Silverstone
15 September – San Marino & Riviera di Rimini, Marco Simoncelli Misano
29 September – Aragón, Motorland
13 October – Malaysia, Sepang
20 October – Australia, Phillip Island
27 October – Japan, Motegi
10 November – Valencia, Ricardo Tormo-Valencia
* Evening Race
** Saturday Race
*** Only MotoGP class
STC (Subject to the Contract)
TBC (To be confirmed)

 

[wino]

the 2 unlucky guys of Moto atm

 

[sincisor]

april 21 man... photos to come.

 

[wino]

april 21 man... photos to come.

you think your excited ? I'm off here 2 weeks

 

[sincisor]

lol i'm not excited YET. you have a reason to be.

 

[wino]

Rossi back to Yamaha fuck that made me happy I just hope he is still as hungry to win as he once was fingers crossed.

Great thread bye the way.

 

[wino]

found out the camera I bought for just such events is useless for . .. . . . ... . well for just such events, so here's a few pics from Casey Stoners last rampage. Did the young fella prove a point. YES HE FUCKIN DID.

 

[dankhead]

What kind of cam did you get, im thinking of either getting a GoPro, or the new Sony

http://gopro.com/cameras/hd-hero3-black-edition

 

[wino]

this one, nothing wrong with the camera itself but I could not see fuck all trying to take pics with the LCD screen. I just gotta buy the next model up with a view finder is all. I dont wanna spend all my time at a meet takin pics but I do know the kinda pics I wanna take, at every corner. The link above is irrelevant for the static pics i want to take, but a 2nd hand one might come in hand for saturdays/sundays and track days.

 

[wino]

so the first pics here are of the very first time I saw this thing IRL and it's a real good looking thing up close. Meet the guy who owns this one in the main street way off the circuit. Once I got past how small it was and the pipe work, I noticed the wear on the front and back tyres. So I asked the question how long you had the bike bloke ( expecting to hear just a few weeks as the reply ) he said 4 months. !!!!!! I was polite and rolled the eyes behind the sunnys 'm mate snorted n' laughed so loud I think the owner might have noticed his digust. The 2nd pics are some off the supplies we took with us to make the trip 5 days to try and remember. Fuck drinkin the mid strength beer and the syrup spirit they sell around the track. The only regret I do have is not taking pics in the campsite, I was sick to fuck of the walking stick and the foot to go with it saw some great bikes and as usual met and forgot since some great people. How a guy I met put a CanAm/Spyder on its roof will always be a mystery to him and me it seems.

 

[wino]

broken Attachments 2wice is D.O.A in the background or Sandy is back ?

 

[wino]

IMS bringing MotoGP experience to fans at bike shows across US


Saturday, 3 November 2012
Motorcycle racing fans across America can get closer than ever to the exotic machines and glamour of the MotoGP World Championship through the MotoGP Experience sponsored by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the largest-ever off-track collection of MotoGP bikes.

The MotoGP Experience sponsored by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway also includes a sweepstakes with an exciting grand prize of a trip for two to the 2013 Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP race at IMS, along with VIP access and other great perks.

More than 10 race bikes from all three World Championship classes - MotoGP (1000cc), Moto2 (600cc) and Moto3 (250cc) - will be on display on a MotoGP starting grid at each of the 13 Progressive International Motorcycle Shows between November and February from coast to coast in the United States.

"The Red Bull Indianapolis GP has brought the unique thrills of MotoGP to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for our fans to enjoy over the last five years," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway chief executive officer. "We're happy to help bring that excitement on the road across America with this impressive display of the most sophisticated road-racing machines on Earth."

Fans can get their pictures taken with the bike and a beautiful umbrella girl, just as they appear on the MotoGP grid, at the MotoGP Experience sponsored by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Attendees at each of the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows will receive a free commemorative photo of themselves next to an official MotoGP bike on pole position of the grid.

The 2012 bikes of all three newly crowned World Champions will be included in the display: The Yamaha M1 of Jorge Lorenzo (Spain), the Suter-Honda of Marc Marquez (Moto2) and the KTM of Sandro Cortese (Moto3). Other featured machines are the Ducati and Suter-BMW of American stars Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards, and many more.

Fans also can enter the Ultimate MotoGP Experience of a Lifetime Sweepstakes at the MotoGP Experience sponsored by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at any of the 13 Progressive International Motorcycle Shows or online now at www.motorcycleshows.com (no purchase necessary to enter). The winner will receive:

•Two three-day reserved seats to the Corner 9 Club Stand at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 16-18, 2013 at IMS.
•Domestic round-trip airfare for two to Indianapolis for the race
•A three-night hotel stay on race weekend
•An exclusive breakfast for two in the MotoGP garage
•Lunch for two in an IMS Pagoda suite Saturday, Aug. 18
•A one-year supply of Red Bull
•A one-year MotoGP online video subscription
•A VIP Friends & Family 4 Pack admission to any 2013-14 Progressive International Motorcycle Show

All fans who download their free photo from the MotoGP Experience sponsored by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at any Progressive International Motorcycle Show will get an opportunity for a bonus entry in the Ultimate MotoGP Experience of a Lifetime Sweepstakes.

"MotoGP is one of the premier race series in the world, and aligning the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows with both MotoGP and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will provide riders with an exciting on-site experience - to see and touch the largest-ever collection of MotoGP bikes ever assembled outside the racetrack," said Danny Phillips, executive vice president, Advanstar Communications. "And they'll do it among the largest collection of new bike models in the United States. We are looking forward to ways in which the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway can continue to provide unique experiences for race fans and motorcycle enthusiasts across the nation, both on and off the track."

The schedule for the 2012-13 Progressive International Motorcycle Shows:
Nov. 2-4 Atlanta
Nov. 9-11 Dallas
Nov. 16-18 San Mateo, Calif.
Dec. 7-9 Long Beach, Calif.
Dec. 14-16 Seattle
Jan. 4-6 Washington
Jan. 11-13 Minneapolis
Jan. 18-20 New York
Jan. 25-27 Cleveland
Feb. 1-3 Novi, Mich.
Feb. 8-10 Chicago
Feb. 15-17 Indianapolis
Feb. 22-24 Charlotte, N.C.

Visit www.motorcycleshows.com/motogp-experience for more information about The MotoGP Experience sponsored by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The MotoGP World Championship will feature three American rounds in 2013, culminating with the sixth Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 16-18 at IMS. Other American rounds will take place April 21 at Austin, Texas, and July 21 at Monterey, Calif.
any of this gonna be neat anyone ?

 

[sincisor]

that red duc is pure porn.

 

[Killy]

I got some new grips and a handlebar and then promptly low sided while turning in to my apartment's parking lot. I was only going ~15mph so the damage wasn't too severe to me or the bike.

The bike went down on the left side and slid about 5 feet. You can't really tell from the picture but the left side of the bar is bent about 30* inward and the left grip is completely FUBAR.

Here's a gash in the engine case. It's only cosmetic as far as I can tell.

The kick stand dug in to the swing arm pretty deep. It doesn't look like it will cause any problems but I'm keeping a close eye on it.

This was the worst of the road rash I got on my right elbow from instinctually rolling as soon as I touched the pavement. It wouldn't have happened if I would have had my jacket on. I only went maybe three blocks to Taco Bell so I figured I would be OK to go in a T-shirt. That's what I get for being too lazy to walk and forgetting ATGATT.

 

[Killy]

I forgot to mention I also installed an R6 throttle tube. It made the bike feel like a completely different motorcycle for only $20. The throw from idle to WFO is about 1/5 of the distance and it fits a lot tighter so the side to side play the stock tube had was eliminated.

 

[wino]

Sorry to hear ya fell off the bike Killy, no major damage thankfully. Atleast you were smart enough to be wearing shoes mate.


Racing Numbers – Valencia


Thursday, 8 November 2012
As the MotoGP™ contingent heads into the last race of the season at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana, motogp.com brings you some interesting trivia to whet your appetite.
299 – Marc Márquez has already attained a total of 299 points in the Moto2 class this year and a victory in Valencia will give him a record highest points’ total in the intermediate-class of Grand Prix racing, a record that is currently held by Daijiro Kato who scored 322 points in winning the 250cc world title in 2001.
98 – Jorge Lorenzo’s second place finish in Australia was the 98th time he had stood on the podium in Grand Prix racing, the same number of podium finishes six-times world champion Jim Redman had during his GP career. One more podium finish for Lorenzo will take him equal with Loris Capirossi in the all-time list of GP podium finishers.
38 – Casey Stoner’s win at the Australian Grand Prix was his 38th win in the premier-class, which is one more victory than Mike Hailwood achieved. Only three riders have more premier-class GP wins than Stoner; Valentino Rossi with 79, Giacomo Agostini (68) and Mick Doohan (54).
33 years – At the Australian Grand Prix there was home representation in each of the three classes podiums, with Casey Stoner winning the MotoGP race, Anthony West finishing second in the Moto2 race and Arthur Sissis coming third in the Moto3 race. The last time that there was Australian representation in the three classes was 33 years ago at the Belgium Grand Prix in 1979 when Barry Smith won the 125cc race, Murray Sayle was third in the 250cc class and Kenny Blake was second in the 500cc class.
16.811 seconds – Pol Espargaró took the lead of the Moto2 race in Australia on the third lap and then extended his lead on every lap throughout the race to win by 16.811 seconds. This is the largest margin of victory in the Moto2 class since it was introduced to the world championship series at the start of 2010.
14 – Sandro Cortese’s victory at the Australian Grand Prix was his 14th podium finish in 2012. This equals the record for most podiums in a single season in the lightweight class of Grand Prix racing, set by Álvaro Bautista in 2006 and equalled by Nico Terol in 2010 when he finished second in the world championship.
11 – This will be the eleventh successive year that Valencia has hosted the final race of the season – no other circuit has hosted the final event of the Grand Prix season on more occasions. The Valencia circuit is named after Spanish Grand Prix racer Ricardo Tormo who won the 50cc world title riding for Bultaco in 1978 and 1981. In addition to his 15 Grand Prix victories in the 50cc class he also had 4 wins in the 125cc class. His career ended in 1984 due to leg injuries suffered in a crash whilst test riding. Tormo died from Leukaemia in 1998.
6 – Since the introduction of the four-stroke MotoGP formula in 2002, Honda has been the most successful manufacturer with six victories at the Valencia circuit, both Ducati and Yamaha have had two wins.
5 – At the Australian GP Casey Stoner became the first rider in the MotoGP era to qualify on pole at a Grand Prix for five successive seasons at the same circuit. He could equal this record in Valencia, where he has had pole for the last four years.
5 – Dani Pedrosa is the most successful rider at the Valencia circuit with five wins; twice in the MotoGP and 250cc classes, and once in the 125cc class. No other rider has had more than three GP wins at the Valencia circuit.
4 – The premier-class race at Valencia has been won four times by Spanish riders; Sete Gibernau won the 500cc race on a Suzuki in 2001, Dani Pedrosa won the MotoGP race in both 2007 & 2009, and Jorge Lorenzo won in 2010.

 

[wino]

2013 MotoGP™ season gets underway at rain-hit Valencia test


2013 Pre-season gets underway at Valencia
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Valentino Rossi made his long-awaited re-emergence on a Yamaha today at the rain-hit first 2013 season test in Valencia, as the MotoGP™ grid had to cope with difficult conditions on its first day of 2013 season testing.
Yamaha Factory Racing’s Rossi went out for an initial shakedown in the morning when it was still dry, but very cold. He then set out putting in more laps once the rain had arrived, ultimately finishing the day in sixth. His teammate Jorge Lorenzo opted not head out on track in the unfavourable conditions. Yamaha has since confirmed it will not take part in tomorrow’s test in Valencia, opting instead to test in Aragón. Repsol Honda Team’s hotly anticipated debutant Marc Márquez was another rider not go out on track, with the youngster instead waiting for a dry track for his MotoGP™ debut. This was also the case for Dani Pedrosa, who was set to evaluate the 2013 model against the machine he raced with last weekend.
Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso caught the last bit of dry track in the morning to make his first outing on the Italian machine, finishing the day in third, and stating that his initial impressions were good. His teammate Nicky Hayden did not step out until 2pm, deciding to wait for the track to be completely wet before setting a time. He was working on his suspension and briefly tried a new chassis, although stated that in the wet conditions it was tough to judge progress. His time saw the American in fifth place on the timesheet.
Pramac Ducati’s Andrea Iannone, who was also making his debut in the premier-class, only did one out-lap before returning to the pits in the morning. Like Márquez, he was waiting for better conditions to start his MotoGP™ career, however decided to take the plunge in the afternoon, ultimately finishing 13th, after completing the second most laps with 40. Standing in for the injured Ben Spies and also taking his first spin on the Ducati was Michele Pirro, who ended the day in 7th.
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 was also to see new-boy Bradley Smith head out on track for the very first time on a MotoGP™ machine, however MotoGP™ veteran Loris Capirossi jumped on his bike first in the morning to set some laps in the dry. This was part of Capirossi’s job as MotoGP™ Safety Officer, meaning he has now tested the majority of bikes on the grid. Smith however, opted to stay in his box, although stated if tomorrow is wet from the start he is likely to head out. His teammate Cal Crutchlow, nursing a broken bone in his hand from the weekend, decided not head out, hoping for improved weather tomorrow.
LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl was given the 2013 Honda to try for the day, yet posted his initial time this morning on his current machine. Ending the day in second, the German did not go out in the wet, putting in only five laps. GO & FUN Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista was the first to put the hammer down this morning, topping the timesheets for the first part of the day with a five-lap stint. This was however all the Spaniard did, as some new parts from Honda were not testable in the wet, meaning he is hoping for dry weather tomorrow.
Cardion AB Racing Karel Abraham took his first outing on his new ART machine, having switched to the CRT bike from the satellite Ducati. Abraham was hesitant to head out once the rain came, yet ultimately put in 27 laps for the day to get used to his new bike. NGM Mobile Forward Racing was pitching its Suter against two Kawasaki-powered FTR machines, with Claudio Corti lapping on both early on, and Edwards heading out on the FTR just before lunch in the wet. Edwards stated that he was very content with the FTR and would make it his motorbike of choice. Edwards ended the day in 11th and Corti in eighth.
Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaró was continuing work on his new chassis, whilst teammate Randy de Puniet was working with a new swingarm among other upgrades. Both were left frustrated by the weather, yet will continue their test work tomorrow even if it rains. Avintia Blusens’ Hiroshi Aoyama was one of the early ones out on track with the team’s BQR-FRT, with Héctor Barberá also familiarising himself with his new machine. Aoyama ended the day in fourth [dry time] and Barberá in 14th.




Stoner named as the 20th MotoGP™ Legend


Sunday, 11 November 2012
Two-time MotoGP™ World Champion Casey Stoner was nominated as a MotoGP™ Legend on Sunday in Valencia, right after making his final appearance in the premier class before retiring from the sport.
The Australian becomes the 20th MotoGP™ Legend, joining an exclusive club, whose members are: Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan, Geoff Duke, Wayne Gardner, Mike Hailwood, Daijiro Kato, Eddie Lawson, Anton Mang, Angel Nieto, Wayne Rainey, Phil Read, Jim Redman, Kenny Roberts, Jarno Saarinen, Kevin Schwantz, Barry Sheene, Freddie Spencer, John Surtees and Carlo Ubbiali.
Stoner concluded his career at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana taking third position in a thrilling race ran in mixed conditions, five and a half months after announcing his decision to retire at the end of this season.
Big things were heralded for Stoner when, as a 15 year-old, he made his World Championship debut as a 125cc wildcard at Donington Park in 2001. Having graduated through the same academy system that also produced his future factory Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa, Stoner fully capitalised on the bold move made by his family of moving to Europe to further his fledgling career.
A full time Grand Prix career started in the 250cc category under Lucio Cecchinello’s guidance in 2002, but it was a step down to the 125cc class the following season that saw Stoner’s talent begin to fully flourish with four podiums and a first victory in the final round of the campaign. In 2004 he challenged for the title, taking KTM’s first ever Grand Prix win and ending the season fifth overall.
A step back up to 250s with Cecchinello’s team in 2005 produced a thrilling battle with Pedrosa for the title as Stoner amassed five wins on the Aprilia, and the next year he and the LCR team debuted in the premier MotoGP class on board a Honda as the Australian displayed flashes of brilliance – which included a pole position in only his second race at Qatar and second place in Turkey – mixed with a few disappointing crashes, all part of the learning experience. He had shown enough to encourage Ducati to make an offer to ride on their factory team the next season, and what followed was a stunning campaign.
A maiden MotoGP victory in the first race of 2007 at Qatar was a self-confessed surprise for both rider and team, but once he followed this up with wins at Turkey and China a title challenge became a more than realistic target. His standout performance at Catalunya, where he battled toe-to-toe with five-time champion Valentino Rossi will go down as one of the great races in history, whilst he dominated the mid-season with pole-to-flag victories at three consecutive races at Laguna Seca, Brno and Misano. Stoner went on to secure the title with four rounds to spare, and ended 2007 with a total of 10 wins, 14 podiums and 5 poles.
Defending his title in 2008, Stoner fought rival Rossi intensely as the pair crossed swords on a number of occasions, their duel at Laguna Seca still being talked about as one of the greatest battles of recent years, and the Australian eventually ended the season runner-up to his Italian adversary despite taking 6 wins and 9 poles in a strong second campaign on the Desmosedici.
2009 did not run a smooth course for Stoner, a mid-season three-race break due to fatigue uncovered a lactose intolerance that had affected his physical condition on the bike, and he ended the season 4th overall in the standings. 2010 was to prove not much easier as he took only three wins – all in the final third of the season – on an increasingly hard to tame Desmosedici. By that stage it had already been announced that Stoner would ride for the factory Repsol Honda team in 2011.
The switch proved a resounding success as the 2007 World Champion displayed the same kind of dominant form that delivered him his first title four years earlier. Pole position and victory in the opening round in Qatar was a sign of things to come, and by the time Stoner won the race in Phillip Island to clinch the title with two more rounds to spare he had already taken nine victories. Added to that race success was an incredible consistency, which saw him finish off the podium just once – in the second round at Jerez where he crashed out through no fault of his own. Winning his home race in Australia for a fifth consecutive season handed Stoner not only his second World title, but his 32nd career MotoGP victory, as he took victory from another pole position – his 11th of the season; this represented a new record for the most poles in one season in the MotoGP four-stroke era.
Stoner went into the 2012 season as clear favourite after his dominance in 2011, however the first races revealed that Jorge Lorenzo would prove a much tougher challenge than the year before. In addition to this, rumours about his retirement had been rife from the second race in Jerez, which the Australian ultimately confirmed in Le Mans. His year was cruelly interrupted by a nasty injury obtained in a crash in Indianapolis, which saw his fracture his right ankle and damage his ligaments badly, keeping him out for three races. He came back from injury in Japan, yet it was not until his final home race in Phillip Island that he once again showed his true colours, with one of the most dominant performances of the year. He bowed out in the final race in Valencia with a podium finish, taking third in the championship with five wins, ten podiums, five pole positions and ten front row starts.
Stoner retired at the age of 27, having amassed two MotoGP™ World Championships, 45 Grand Prix victories, 89 podium finishes and 43 pole-positions.

 

[wino]

Valencia test ends on a high as Márquez shines on debut


Wednesday, 14 November 2012
The second day of testing got off to a slow start as a wet track stopped the majority of the grid heading out, yet with two hours left a dry enough line had formed for Dani Pedrosa to set the fastest time of the day and for all MotoGP™ newcomers to make their debut.
Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Márquez, one of the most hotly anticipate switches this year, made an instant impact on his first ever outing on a MotoGP™ machine, as he set the seventh quickest time of the day, just over one second off the top. His teammate Dani Pedrosa, who was the first out on track with slick tyres, was evaluating the 2013 Honda against the one he raced with last Sunday. He topped the day with the fastest time of 1.32’322.
Ducati Team’s new-boy Andrea Dovizioso continued to familiarise himself with the Desmosedici on day two, finishing sixth, whilst teammate Nicky Hayden carried on his work evaluating new parts and chassis settings and ending the session in fourth. Pramac Ducati’s Andrea Iannone had been one of the riders to brave the wet track in the morning, yet continued with his familiarisation process in the afternoon, ending the timesheets in ninth. New Ducati test rider Michele Pirro, in for the injured Ben Spies, was well on the pace once the track dried out and finished in eighth place.
Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Bradley Smith was the first Rookie out on track this morning as he made his debut on the M1 Yamaha. The Brit looked pleased with his first outing, and ended the afternoon in 11th, just over two seconds off the front. His teammate Cal Crutchlow, still nursing an injury in his hand from his crash on the weekend, took to the track with just under an hour remaining to evaluate some minor upgrades on his Yamaha, finishing in second place overall.
Go & Fun Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista was pleased the track dried out in time, as the Spaniard set out evaluating his 2012 machine against an upgraded version with some new parts. LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl on the other hand was lapping on a similar machine to Pedrosa, the new 2013 model, where the only significant difference is the electronics package. It was however announced today that the German will continue with his team in the 2014 season as well, although the bike will be a "full factory" version. Bautista was fifth fastest and Bradl third.
Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaró, who was one of the busiest riders out on track in the morning, put in a number of laps early on, whilst teammate Randy de Puniet was more active in the afternoon in the dry, as both continued work on their respective chassis. Espargaró ended the day in 15th and De Puniet in 10th. Came IodaRacing Project’s Danilo Petrucci was able to start work on his new Suter chassis for the final few hours, though commented with the introduction of standard electronics available from next year, the team may switch to those in future tests. Petrucci was 13th fastest at the conclusion of the test.
Avintia Blusens’ Hiroshi Aoyama decided to sit out the day and will return in Jerez with the team for a test later this month, while Héctor Barberá kept putting in the laps to familiarise himself with his new BQR-FTR machine. His time saw him end the day in 14th. NGM Mobile Forward Racing riders Colin Edwards and Claudio Corti decided not to go out on track.
Elsewhere, the Yamaha Factory Racing duo of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi had a difficult session at their test in Aragón, which was marred with rain and a crash for Lorenzo. Lorenzo was fortunately unhurt in the crash. Rossi commented afterwards that he was happy with the bike, and that apart from the increase in power, not much had changed from the last time he rode the 800cc bike in 2010.


Bradl to ride "factory supported" Honda in 2014


Wednesday, 14 November 2012
The LCR Honda Team has announce that Stefan Bradl has signed an agreement with Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) to line up as a Honda “factory supported” rider competing for the LCR Team in the 2014 MotoGP™ World Championship.
For the next two years the LCR Team and the German rider, with direct support from HRC, will continue the productive collaboration, which began this year and saw Bradl taking the “Rookie of the Year” Award.

Shuhei Nakamoto, HRC Vice President
“Stefan, in his first season in the premier class, has demonstrated high skills, motivation and professionalism exceeding our initial expectations. We are happy to have fixed this deal to work with LCR and Stefan through to 2014.”

Stefan Bradl, LCR Rider
“HRC’s support was extremely important for me in my first season in the premier class and riding for the LCR Team has been a very positive experience for me: I am happy to continue with Lucio’s Team and HRC for the next two years!”

Lucio Cecchinello, LCR Team Manager
“Being a part of HRC’s program and continuing our sport project with Stefan through to 2014 make us very happy and very proud because this deal gives us the chance to better plan our job aiming to close the championship in the top positions. Stefan has amazed everybody at his debut in 2012 and I am sure the best is yet to come.”
Press release courtesy of LCR Honda Team




Casey Stoner bids farewell to MotoGP™


Wednesday, 14 November 2012
With his final entry on his Repsol blog, Casey Stoner bids farewell to his team and fans alike, as he moves on to a new chapter in life away from the track.
"I'm sending this blog from Valencia, we've just packed up the truck and motorhome and preparing to leave for Switzerland this afternoon. Putting away all the pole watches and trophies from 2012 and sorting out my suits and boots etc has made it sink in a little more that I'm leaving. I'm not a very emotional person, but I'm definitely feeling it a little now. My team have been like my second family and the race track like a second home since I can remember, so it's going to be weird not to be around this week when they are testing for 2013."
"The race weekend was pretty frustrating, I wish we could have had nice dry conditions for my last race, but I guess we used up all our luck with the weather in Phillip Island! I really didn't' want to go out and race in the wet conditions here in Valencia and I am pretty pleased to have taken a final podium in my last race. We had some good friends over from Australia for the race and also Chaz (Davies) and his girlfriend came to visit. Even if on-track the race weekend wasn't ideal, it was nice to have some mates around and come to the awards ceremony on Sunday night with us. I miss quality social time and it's something we're definitely looking forward to having more of!"
"It's been a very long few weeks and I'm relieved that the season has come to an end and I've escaped damaging my ankle any further. I am disappointed that I wasn't in the championship fight until the end, due to my injury, but this is the way it happens sometimes and I have to live with it. It's just unfortunate it had to happen to me in my final year in MotoGP."
"Now we're heading home, I'm going to unpack my bags and I'm just looking forward to being at home and spending some time together as a family."
"This is my final blog entry on the Repsol site and I appreciate all your comments and the Tweets I receive. Thank you all for your kind support over the course of my career and thanks also to all the people and sponsors who have made it possible. I'm sure I'll be back to visit a race or two next year, maybe I'll chose a wet and cold race so that I can enjoy watching all the riders line up for the race, whilst I'm sipping on a nice cup of tea in the back of the garage…"
Courtesy of blogs.repsol.com



Crutchlow second, Smith makes MotoGP debut in Valencia test


Wednesday, 14 November 2012
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team ended a successful 2012 on a high note today after Cal Crutchlow and squad newcomer Bradley Smith were able to complete a brief but positive test session in cool and cloudy conditions at the Ricardo Tormo track in Valencia.
Cold temperatures and intermittent rain meant Crutchlow and Smith didn't even complete a single lap yesterday when preparations for the 2013 MotoGP World Championship got underway.

The weather played a pivotal role again today after to rrential rain overnight soaked the Ricardo Tormo track, which was slow to dry despite glorious sunshine and a strong breeze this morning. It looked like there would be no opportunity to test on Bridgestone's slick tyres as heavy cloud cover descended over the track in the early afternoon.

Forecast rain though never materialised and the asphalt dried sufficiently for testing to begin in the final two hours, with Crutchlow completing a 28-lap stint to finish second fastest on the timesheets. The British rider was able to check the strength in his left hand, which suffered a small fracture after he fell out of second position in Sunday's season finale in Valencia. He ended with a best time of 1.32.671 to finish behind Sunday's race winner Dani Pedrosa.

Smith was able to get his first taste of the YZR-M1 machine when he was one of only five riders to lap on Bridgestone 's wet weather tyres earlier in the day. He completed 16 laps in tricky conditions before returning later to get his first chance to ride on Bridgestone's slick tyres with carbon brakes.
The 21-year-old completed an additional 27-laps and declared himself satisfied with 11th place on the leaderboard, as he impressively got to grips with the heavier and more powerful MotoGP machine to set a best time of 1.34.538.

Cal Crutchlow 2nd 1.32.671 – 28 laps:
“It was good to finally get out on track after a frustrating first day. I thought today was going to be the same but the track finally dried and I could go out. I only did 28-laps but I was able to gather some information for Yamaha on a couple of set-up options and it was nice just to get back out and do some good laps. I didn't want m y last memory of 2012 to be crashing out of second in the race on Sunday, so now I can go into the winter in a positive frame of mind. I'm happy too because I could check my left hand that I injured in the race. I have a small fracture on an old injury but it didn't feel too bad. Now I am looking forward to a good winter break, training hard and being ready to see what Yamaha brings out for 2013 in Sepang next February."

Bradley Smith 11th 1.34.538 – 43 laps:
“Today was a fantastic moment in my career and it is great to finally get chance to test the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 bike. Today more than made up for yesterday's disappointment when I couldn't ride because of the weather and it actually worked out great for me because I rode in the wet and dry, and this is brilliant to help me build up m y experience. Obviously the bike is completely different to anything I have ridden before, but it is an unbelievable machine. The power is incredible and in the dry when I came on the straight for the first time, I just had a huge smile. The level of technology is really impressive but I was able to consistently improve my time with every run and I am leaving very satisfied with my performance and confident in my potential for the future. Cal followed me for a couple of laps and gave me some tips and I really appreciate that. Cal had a fantastic season and I know I can learn a lot from him. I can go into the winter break now knowing what I need to work on in the future and I am glad we have plenty of testing ahead of us because there is so much to learn.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager:
“It is a shame that the weather played such a big part here because everybody had a lot of anticipation and excitement ahead of the first test for 2013. We certainly did because we have been keen to let Bradley begin learning about the YZR-M1. He did a few laps in the wet in the early part of the day and that would have given him some confidence because he has so much to learn about the tyres, power and electronics. It couldn't have been easy making his MotoGP debut on a wet track but he looked immediately at home on the bike. I'm pleased that he could get some time on slick tyres and carbon brakes, so at least he knows what to expect when we resume testing in Sepang next February. He has a big challenge ahead of him but today was a very promising start. We were doubtful the track would be dry enough for Cal to go out on slicks but the rain stayed away and it was good for him to do a few laps and get his confidence back after the crash on Sunday. It has been a long but incredibly successful season for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and now we are looking forward to a thoroughly deserved winter break before we return refreshed and raring to go at the next test in Sepang in February.”

Press release courtesy of Monster Yamaha Tech 3