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oopps here's the rest
The QMMF Moto2 bikes caught our eye at Austin. If you're not familiar with the QMMF bike--it's the Moto2 bike with the carbon fiber swing arm. We were able to spend some time with the bike and this photo essay is the result.
Here the carbon arm is shown in all its glory. We requested that they remove it from the bike for closer inspection and photos but they decided it'd be less work to just throw us out of the garage if we said one more word on the subject.
West photobombs while we shoot an image of the Speedup chassis. Note the carbon air snorkel, titanium exhaust and Ohlins forks. The Ohlins gas-charged forks are similar to the Ohlins SBK forks but have very thin walls for more flex, lighter weight and also have special valving. The LED leads above are for shift lights and other rider awareness gizmos.
The carbon arm is a piece of art. Small steel (full floating) disc on OZ magnesium wheel inside it.
Speedup/FTR chassis made from extruded aluminum pieces welded in place.
We arrived just in time for the QMMF crew to do some clutch maintenance on West's Honda. FCC slipper clutch with the usual 'Australian rider' level of abuse quite evident. Same old AMB transponder like those used in 1997 AMA Superbike racing.
More clutch parts.
Titanium exhaust, titanium springs, also carbon radiator shroud.
A closer look at the carbon snorkel, the back of the 2D dash, Speedup frame and custom made clip ons.
Ohlins rear shock with high and low speed damping adjustments. Andreani Group is the Italian company that does much of the Ohlins service in Moto2. Also, potentiometer, ride height adjuster on shock.
Brembo brake assembly. Double endurance-style folding lever assembly, also, note freeplay adjuster.
Ohlins forks, Brembo mono block radial brakes. These have ceramic pistons in the calipers.
Rules-mandated engine cover protects the CBR600 engine.
Note the very trick steering head on the Speedup/FTR chassis. Also note the $8000 2D dash assembly. Note the talented machinist who made the clip-ons 'signed them'.
Degrees of Relativity
by staff
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Youch! The x-ray from Leon Haslam's broken leg, suffered in practice at Assen WSBK, is an ugly reminder that broken tib-fib isn't always a minor injury.
image thanks leon haslam
When Valentino Rossi broke his tibia in 2010, the surgeon who fixed it said the Italian's injury was the worst he'd ever seen. Rossi suffered a displaced and exposed fracture of his lower leg.
It's a good thing Rossi's surgeon didn't see Leon Haslam's broken leg, then.
The PATA Honda World Superbike rider crashed in practice at Assen last weekend and like Rossi suffered a break of his lower leg. Similarities between the two injuries probably end there.
Haslam's leg was caught by the bike as he crashed and the incident basically split his tibia near the top of the bone, and broke the fibula as well.
You'd probably have to go back to Aaron Yates' crash at Fontana, Wayne Gardner's 1989 USGP crash and resulting broken leg or Michael Doohan's infamous Assen crash to get in the same "ghastly leg injury" neighborhood as the one Haslam suffered.
His injured leg ballooned up with swelling, making it impossible for the Dutch surgeons to operate on Haslam. He was flown home to the UK and later underwent surgery there, where surgeons re-set the bones and installed a rod to help stabilize the leg. Haslam was cracking jokes on Twitter afterward.
Rossi made a comeback worthy a Hollywood movie from his broken leg. Yates sat out almost two years and is now racing again. Gardner and Doohan almost saw their careers end because of their injuries. Sports medicine has advanced from the days when King Kenny Roberts' sole strategy to repair broken bones was to drink as much carrot juice as he could without turning orange. Haslam? Sooner than later, we bet.
by staff
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Youch! The x-ray from Leon Haslam's broken leg, suffered in practice at Assen WSBK, is an ugly reminder that broken tib-fib isn't always a minor injury.
image thanks leon haslam
When Valentino Rossi broke his tibia in 2010, the surgeon who fixed it said the Italian's injury was the worst he'd ever seen. Rossi suffered a displaced and exposed fracture of his lower leg.
It's a good thing Rossi's surgeon didn't see Leon Haslam's broken leg, then.
The PATA Honda World Superbike rider crashed in practice at Assen last weekend and like Rossi suffered a break of his lower leg. Similarities between the two injuries probably end there.
Haslam's leg was caught by the bike as he crashed and the incident basically split his tibia near the top of the bone, and broke the fibula as well.
You'd probably have to go back to Aaron Yates' crash at Fontana, Wayne Gardner's 1989 USGP crash and resulting broken leg or Michael Doohan's infamous Assen crash to get in the same "ghastly leg injury" neighborhood as the one Haslam suffered.
His injured leg ballooned up with swelling, making it impossible for the Dutch surgeons to operate on Haslam. He was flown home to the UK and later underwent surgery there, where surgeons re-set the bones and installed a rod to help stabilize the leg. Haslam was cracking jokes on Twitter afterward.
Rossi made a comeback worthy a Hollywood movie from his broken leg. Yates sat out almost two years and is now racing again. Gardner and Doohan almost saw their careers end because of their injuries. Sports medicine has advanced from the days when King Kenny Roberts' sole strategy to repair broken bones was to drink as much carrot juice as he could without turning orange. Haslam? Sooner than later, we bet.
aint easy to beat the Turk, but this Brit kid did well done Sam . .. 
Old sckool Kal . . .. . Micky D DOOHANN
the leg . .. AARGGHH . . . .
the leg . .. AARGGHH . . . .
^ 'Doohann's treatment had included radical surgery, sewing both his legs together and transplanting muscle tissue from his torso to his calves, to help get the dying muscles become oxygenated by the living tissue.'
The actual leg break wasn't that bad funnily enough, but they screwed up the early treatment of it. He nearly had to have it amputated
The actual leg break wasn't that bad funnily enough, but they screwed up the early treatment of it. He nearly had to have it amputated
and then returned to finish the last race in 5th and loose the championship to Rainey by 2 points if I remember. But I think he got his own back.
Marquez describes clash with Lorenzo
Marquez says he learned from videos of past incidents
Sunday, 5 May 2013
Marc Marquez has shared his view of the final corner collision with Jorge Lorenzo which resulted in the Repsol Honda Team rider stealing second position in the Gran Premio bwin de España.
Ironically, the clash came at the newly-named Jorge Lorenzo corner, already the scene of a number of infamous moments over previous years. On this occasion the duel was for second place, occurring as Dani Pedrosa took the chequered flag.
After the race, Marquez explained his version of events to motogp.com:
“We had a very, very good race. I pushed all race-long, 100%, never giving up and always trying to stay close to Jorge to try and attack him over the last laps.
“On the last lap I was closer. I tried to pass him, but ran wide. However I had seen many videos of the last corner - of Valentino (Rossi), Pedrosa and others - and knew that it was possible to pass there. I learned from those. I’m sorry for Jorge, because you never want that (a collision), but I think the most important thing is that both of us finished the race and for the fans it was a very nice last lap.
“At first, I said to myself that I would finish third. I thought he would close the corner off a little bit more than he did, but I noticed that he had opened the door so I tried to pass him. When I saw in those last metres that I might touch him, I released the brakes a bit to make sure the touch was going to be a bit softer. The most important thing is that we both finished and I just hope that our relationship will get a bit better after a few days.
“If somebody did that to me…for sure, I would be angry - not because of the moment but because I would have lost a place on the podium. I can understand that but, anyway, I have said sorry.”
Marquez remains the championship leader after only three races in the premier class, but he is no longer on the same points total as Lorenzo who falls to third overall.
Lorenzo: "I should have closed the door"
Lorenzo: 'A mistake to leave the door open'
Sunday, 5 May 2013
Jorge Lorenzo was annoyed with himself following Sunday’s Gran Premio bwin de España in Jerez, having clashed with Marc Marquez at the final corner.
After losing the lead to Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa in the early stages, Lorenzo held second place for the whole race with the exception of a minor swap with Marquez. That was until the last corner - now ironically named after the reigning World Champion - where the 2013 rookie dived through, making contact.
"I was second all race and lost it at the last corner," Yamaha Factory Racing’s Lorenzo explained to motogp.com in an exclusive video interview. "Anyway, our bike was not very competitive compared to the Hondas. I think we did a good job and the team did a good job to make the perfect Yamaha for today.
"I had a very consistent race, just making two mistakes: I started very badly and didn’t close the door enough at the last corner.
"Le Mans is quite similar to Jerez, also with a lot of chicanes and corners, so in theory it’s a good track for Yamaha and hopefully for me too."
Lorenzo has now dropped to third place in the riders’ championship, with today’s winner Pedrosa having moved up to second position. After the race Marquez was also interviewed by motogp.com in relation to the last-corner coming together.
“If somebody did that to me…for sure, I would be angry,” Marquez said. “Not because of the moment but because I would have lost a place on the podium. I can understand that but, anyway, I have said sorry.”
GRAN PREMIO bwin DE ESPAÑA
MotoGP Race Classification 2013
Jerez de la Frontera, Sunday, May 05, 2013
Pos.PointsNum.RiderNationTeamBikeKm/hTime/Gap
1 25 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 158.1 45'17.632
2 20 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 158.0 +2.487
3 16 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 157.8 +5.089
4 13 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 157.6 +8.914
5 11 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 157.4 +12.663
6 10 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 157.3 +15.094
7 9 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 156.7 +25.632
8 8 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 155.7 +41.881
9 7 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Power Electronics Aspar ART 155.6 +43.812
10 6 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 155.6 +44.461
11 5 51 Michele PIRRO ITA Ducati Test Team Ducati 155.5 +45.974
12 4 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Blusens FTR 154.7 +59.859
13 3 70 Michael LAVERTY GBR Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 154.2 +1'09.743
14 2 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Came IodaRacing Project Ioda-Suter 153.7 +1'17.813
15 1 5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 153.7 +1'18.177
16 67 Bryan STARING AUS GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda 153.7 +1'18.928
17 71 Claudio CORTI ITA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 153.7 +1'19.307
18 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Avintia Blusens FTR 153.7 +1'19.457
Not Classified
6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 155.1 24 Laps
29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati 154.3 24 Laps
52 Lukas PESEK CZE Came IodaRacing Project Ioda-Suter 150.8 24 Laps
14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Power Electronics Aspar ART 151.2 25 Laps
68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Paul Bird Motorsport ART 148.9 25 Laps
Marquez describes clash with Lorenzo
Marquez says he learned from videos of past incidents
Sunday, 5 May 2013
Marc Marquez has shared his view of the final corner collision with Jorge Lorenzo which resulted in the Repsol Honda Team rider stealing second position in the Gran Premio bwin de España.
Ironically, the clash came at the newly-named Jorge Lorenzo corner, already the scene of a number of infamous moments over previous years. On this occasion the duel was for second place, occurring as Dani Pedrosa took the chequered flag.
After the race, Marquez explained his version of events to motogp.com:
“We had a very, very good race. I pushed all race-long, 100%, never giving up and always trying to stay close to Jorge to try and attack him over the last laps.
“On the last lap I was closer. I tried to pass him, but ran wide. However I had seen many videos of the last corner - of Valentino (Rossi), Pedrosa and others - and knew that it was possible to pass there. I learned from those. I’m sorry for Jorge, because you never want that (a collision), but I think the most important thing is that both of us finished the race and for the fans it was a very nice last lap.
“At first, I said to myself that I would finish third. I thought he would close the corner off a little bit more than he did, but I noticed that he had opened the door so I tried to pass him. When I saw in those last metres that I might touch him, I released the brakes a bit to make sure the touch was going to be a bit softer. The most important thing is that we both finished and I just hope that our relationship will get a bit better after a few days.
“If somebody did that to me…for sure, I would be angry - not because of the moment but because I would have lost a place on the podium. I can understand that but, anyway, I have said sorry.”
Marquez remains the championship leader after only three races in the premier class, but he is no longer on the same points total as Lorenzo who falls to third overall.
Lorenzo: "I should have closed the door"
Lorenzo: 'A mistake to leave the door open'
Sunday, 5 May 2013
Jorge Lorenzo was annoyed with himself following Sunday’s Gran Premio bwin de España in Jerez, having clashed with Marc Marquez at the final corner.
After losing the lead to Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa in the early stages, Lorenzo held second place for the whole race with the exception of a minor swap with Marquez. That was until the last corner - now ironically named after the reigning World Champion - where the 2013 rookie dived through, making contact.
"I was second all race and lost it at the last corner," Yamaha Factory Racing’s Lorenzo explained to motogp.com in an exclusive video interview. "Anyway, our bike was not very competitive compared to the Hondas. I think we did a good job and the team did a good job to make the perfect Yamaha for today.
"I had a very consistent race, just making two mistakes: I started very badly and didn’t close the door enough at the last corner.
"Le Mans is quite similar to Jerez, also with a lot of chicanes and corners, so in theory it’s a good track for Yamaha and hopefully for me too."
Lorenzo has now dropped to third place in the riders’ championship, with today’s winner Pedrosa having moved up to second position. After the race Marquez was also interviewed by motogp.com in relation to the last-corner coming together.
“If somebody did that to me…for sure, I would be angry,” Marquez said. “Not because of the moment but because I would have lost a place on the podium. I can understand that but, anyway, I have said sorry.”
GRAN PREMIO bwin DE ESPAÑA
MotoGP Race Classification 2013
Jerez de la Frontera, Sunday, May 05, 2013
Pos.PointsNum.RiderNationTeamBikeKm/hTime/Gap
1 25 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 158.1 45'17.632
2 20 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 158.0 +2.487
3 16 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 157.8 +5.089
4 13 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 157.6 +8.914
5 11 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 157.4 +12.663
6 10 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 157.3 +15.094
7 9 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 156.7 +25.632
8 8 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 155.7 +41.881
9 7 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Power Electronics Aspar ART 155.6 +43.812
10 6 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 155.6 +44.461
11 5 51 Michele PIRRO ITA Ducati Test Team Ducati 155.5 +45.974
12 4 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Blusens FTR 154.7 +59.859
13 3 70 Michael LAVERTY GBR Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 154.2 +1'09.743
14 2 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Came IodaRacing Project Ioda-Suter 153.7 +1'17.813
15 1 5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 153.7 +1'18.177
16 67 Bryan STARING AUS GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda 153.7 +1'18.928
17 71 Claudio CORTI ITA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 153.7 +1'19.307
18 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Avintia Blusens FTR 153.7 +1'19.457
Not Classified
6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 155.1 24 Laps
29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati 154.3 24 Laps
52 Lukas PESEK CZE Came IodaRacing Project Ioda-Suter 150.8 24 Laps
14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Power Electronics Aspar ART 151.2 25 Laps
68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Paul Bird Motorsport ART 148.9 25 Laps
I have all these races on the old VHS but for the life of me I dont remember this move on Rainey by Schwantz no way the Suz has the power the corner speed he must have gathered thru the essess . . . . . @ 3:15
Riders react to dramatic final turn in Jerez
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
With the dust settled at Jerez after a dramatic race-day, marked in particular by the last corner incident between Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo, motogp.com caught up with some of the riders in a slightly more relaxed environment at the Monday post-race test to gauge their opinion on the move.
Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team
“It’s the final lap, it’s an aggressive move obviously. I guess if they hadn’t touched Marc would run out of track. So it means he was a little too late on the brakes. But you know - they touched in this certain point of the corner. It was kind of similar to turn one at the start in Austin, but I had time to see him coming. Just hope it doesn’t come again in the next ones.”
Colin Edwards, NGM Mobile Forward Racing
“It’s racing motorcycles isn’t it? You know, any time you’ve got this amount of people and you’ve got the passion….and especially Marquez. We’re in Spain! That kind of thing happens around here, it happens anywhere in the world. It doesn’t matter whose side you’re on – take it or leave it – that’s racing motorcycles.”
Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team
“I think Marquez was quite aggressive, but I don’t think it was over the limit. But sure we have to just speak in the Safety Commission about that, just to be clear about the rules. I mean, everybody has to know how we can fight. But anyway, it was hard, but I don’t think over the limit.”
Valentino Rossi, Yamaha Factory Racing
“It’s a hard attack for sure, and a hard overtake from Marc. He touched Jorge, but it’s the last lap, the last corner, and sure the guy behind tries something. Jorge kept the door open and Marc went inside, so I think it’s something that can happen in racing. “
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
With the dust settled at Jerez after a dramatic race-day, marked in particular by the last corner incident between Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo, motogp.com caught up with some of the riders in a slightly more relaxed environment at the Monday post-race test to gauge their opinion on the move.
Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team
“It’s the final lap, it’s an aggressive move obviously. I guess if they hadn’t touched Marc would run out of track. So it means he was a little too late on the brakes. But you know - they touched in this certain point of the corner. It was kind of similar to turn one at the start in Austin, but I had time to see him coming. Just hope it doesn’t come again in the next ones.”
Colin Edwards, NGM Mobile Forward Racing
“It’s racing motorcycles isn’t it? You know, any time you’ve got this amount of people and you’ve got the passion….and especially Marquez. We’re in Spain! That kind of thing happens around here, it happens anywhere in the world. It doesn’t matter whose side you’re on – take it or leave it – that’s racing motorcycles.”
Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team
“I think Marquez was quite aggressive, but I don’t think it was over the limit. But sure we have to just speak in the Safety Commission about that, just to be clear about the rules. I mean, everybody has to know how we can fight. But anyway, it was hard, but I don’t think over the limit.”
Valentino Rossi, Yamaha Factory Racing
“It’s a hard attack for sure, and a hard overtake from Marc. He touched Jorge, but it’s the last lap, the last corner, and sure the guy behind tries something. Jorge kept the door open and Marc went inside, so I think it’s something that can happen in racing. “
34x34: Shutting The Door Vs. Blasting It Off The Hinges
by kevin schwantz
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
First, congratulations to Dani Pedrosa for winning the Grand Prix in Spain.
Last lap, last corner with a foot open on the inside? I've been there.
image by lefty hempstead
But of course what's on everyone's mind is the last-lap collision between Lorenzo and Marquez. I go back to Rossi and Gibernau in '05, and my take is still the same. If you're going to slam the door, you've got to be ready to suffer the repercussions, but you've got to be smart sometimes, too. You don't want to shut the door if it's just going to get blasted off the hinges. And that's what happened. Back then Sete knew going from the two corners before that, because Rossi passed him, he passed Rossi, and he was now leading.
A rider's plan then is pretty simple: Either you get inside and you get defensive and you worry about the run off the corner and hope the guy doesn't beat you to the finish line; or you stay outside, you sucker the guy in, and as you go to commit to close the door, you stand the thing up, come to a stop, and you square it off and you drive right by him on the exit.
I watched Marquez versus Lorenzo again on replay over lunch. It looks to me that Marquez was in, and doing a pretty good job of keeping the thing in control ... he was going to drift up a little bit. He wasn't going to completely blow the corner. Then Lorenzo kind of hesitates and thinks about it. In the pictures I saw, it looks like it's as much Marquez running into Lorenzo as it is Lorenzo turning down into Marquez.
But as they came together, it looked a little bit like Marquez just about had the thing stopped, and it was more the two of them connected, but not just because of Marquez being in and being a little bit out of control.
Whereas I think the Rossi-Gibernau collision, I don't think Valentino could've got the thing stopped before the gravel. They've added some extra space out there in that corner since 2005. There's some paved runoff, maybe an extra 10 or 20 feet, in that corner, and that's what Lorenzo ended up using.
I've been in that situation myself. Back up to 1991 and we can go Hockenheim when Rainey and I were going at it. Fortunately, I came out on the good end of that one. Wayne, I think, saw that I was having some issues getting the bike slowed down, and I think at one point he said to me, "I was intrigued enough with watching you try to control what it was that was happening underneath you, that maybe I got just a bit enamored by it, and didn't stay as aggressive as I should have." He said, "But I also thought you maybe weren't going to make the corner, and I didn't want to be on the outside of you if you came scuttling in and took me out."
There's a point where you've got to ... as a racer, you've been racing the guy the whole race, you've got an idea of what's happening. Maybe you haven't seen much of him. You've only seen his front wheel a couple of times. But you've got to have a feel, and I think the best thing to do there is not give him the opportunity, and just go get defensive, and remember that when you get into the center of the corner, you've got to turn that thing and try and get back on the gas, because he's probably squared up pretty well, and he's going to be driving out of the corner a little better than you.
Maybe Lorenzo was in that deep, and as he grabbed the front brake and went to tip it in, his focus has now gone to Marquez. It looked like Jorge was having some issues with the front end; maybe not all race, but there were definitely some points where he was really wide in corners, and looked like he was maybe having a problem steering the bike. So maybe Lorenzo made a little mistake getting in there, trying to get in too deep, to try and keep Marquez at bay. That made him run wide, he had to slow him down a little bit more, and then at the last minute, tried to turn it back, yet Marquez is still there.
So there's lots to stand around and talk about, what happened, why did it happen. "I can't believe you did that." But as a racer, you're doing everything you can with that bike to get it and put it where you can to make it as wide as you can, to be defensive. I just think Lorenzo may have slipped up a little bit trying to get in, because on the brakes, most places, it looked like when he and Marquez were running nose to tail, it looked pretty close.
Marquez got close to him a couple times, but it looked like Marquez had to be on the verge of out of control, off the back straightaway a couple of times. He'd get right in close behind him and then the bike would wiggle a little bit and he'd run wide.
Lorenzo must've been frustrated. The race wasn't going the way he'd envisioned, and he's back there trying to salvage something. Watching practice, and listening, and reading notes, Lorenzo was the most consistent, he was fastest, he was the fastest man of the weekend, pre-race. He was the benchmark all weekend. The problem is, everybody gets to work on them ?til race day. You make some changes in morning warm-up, and then, maybe the weather's slightly different, the temperature's hotter. But as a racer, you started on pole, you've watched a guy pass you and go to the front, and you haven't been able to do anything with him. Now you've got this young kid that is just hounding you, and the last thing that you can stand to do, especially at your home Grand Prix in Spain, is let this kid beat you. There's a lot that you're trying to process. There's, especially at Jerez, there's a lot of opportunities to make mistakes. It's not a real simple track. It's really technical.
That's one of the things that makes good riders great riders, is a really strong mental demeanor. You've got to be able to win from the front and win from the back. The problem is, winning from the back, I always thought, was a little bit easier, because I could follow. There comes a point when you've got to decide, "I've tried to shake this guy for ten laps and I haven't shook him yet, so I'm going to let him lead me around a little bit." But you've also got to be ready when he comes by, that he might just check out on you, too, and now what are you going to do? So you've got to be able to be strong mentally, and to know, "Man, this guy's come from nowhere, and he's continuing to pressure me.
An example for me would've been Jerez in '93. Rainey and I both get good starts. We're out front racing each other, thinking nobody's coming to get us. And Alex Barros runs us down in about five laps from I think my boards said four seconds back. I guess Wayne and I are both in a pretty similar position, in that we know this guy's not a championship contender, at least not right now. It's still pretty early in the season. It's race four. But when he gets to me, I actually move out of the way and I wave him by. I'm like, "Man, I want to see what's going on, because how is he finding that much time on us?" I felt like we were kind of pushing the envelope. And when he came by me, I jumped right on his rear end, and he actually drug me away from Wayne. And then he made a mistake and fell off.
It didn't quite work out for him. It could have, had his pit board been coming from somewhere really close, because I made a big mistake in the last, fast right-hander before the hairpin, which is where you come onto the front straightaway and get your pit board. I had gone in, pushed the front, ran off the track. I was in the grass. Got back on just in front of Wayne, but still far enough in front of him that he wasn't really a threat to beat me. It was that lap that Alex crashed, because his pit board said +0, whereas in reality, when he fell off, he was probably four seconds in front.
It's all part of racing. It's part of trying to win championships, is you've got to make sure that you make the most of every opportunity you have to score points. If it's second instead of third, you've got to make sure you get that. But I think the championship is still way up for grabs.
I think Marquez has shown a lot of composure. He's won, he's been beat, he's been outrun. It looked like in this race that maybe he wasn't even going to be a contender amongst the front couple, but as the race came to a close, he was right there to try and pick up second place points, because he had ridden a really good race. He'd had a bit of a battle with Rossi, finally got away from Rossi, and got to Lorenzo with about six or eight to go. Made a few mistakes, got back to him right at the last lap. Congratulations to all three of those guys for finishing that race, because there was definitely an opportunity for a couple of bikes to be down in that last turn.
I think any rider that you ask will say the same, that final corner incident is just part of racing. You leave a third or two thirds of that inside open going into the last corner, I'm going to do whatever I can to get there. And you would probably fire the kid - you may not fire Marquez, but if you were a team owner, you'd fire a rider if he didn't try. Especially as close as he was.
I think Cal Crutchlow would be somewhat disappointed with his fifth place result but it was a good result with everything that had happened. Racing while beat up like that is never easy. I think he proved in the first two rounds that he's got the opportunity, got the ability to run with Rossi. In Texas, he made a mistake, Valentino got to him, and then he rode back away from him again. I think Cal's riding well. I think he struggled a little bit at Jerez, but that doesn't mean that that's going to be what's happening the rest of the season. Cal is really strong on the brakes--he was at Qatar. Maybe the French GP a place where he gets back in and can make up a bunch of time on the brakes and be able to stay with the Hondas, and maybe even race the 46 again?
I think Valentino realized they were racing in Spain and it was best to get a safe finish. I might remind you that we were in Spain last weekend. The Spanish riders are almost like the Japanese riders were at one time, in that anywhere else in the world, they're 10th place, maybe 5th to 10th; at their home Grand Prix, whether it be Japan or Spain, there's extra motivation, there's extra incentive. And you'd see guys who you would never expect to see at the front at other races, whether it's Suzuka, whether it's Motegi, whether it's Jerez, whether it's Jarama, wherever it might be. Of course Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Marquez are fast everywhere but for their home round they bring their A game.
I think Valentino needs to maybe not dwell on that too much, because in a couple weeks, a couple, three or four weeks, he'll be back at his home Grand Prix in Mugello, and maybe we'll get to see the 46 with a little home field advantage then.
I think Nick Hayden rode a great race, especially given the condition of his wrist. We didn't see much of him on the TV, so we didn't really see how it went, but we just kept scrolling down the results. He had the best of Dovi by a decent margin. They finished nose to tail in Qatar, and then I think Dovi had a bit of an advantage on him in Texas. But it was good to see the result reversed again. I think Nicky's still showing that he's got the want, he's got the desire, and being the best Ducati out there may not be exactly what Nicky wants, but it's good job security right now, that's for sure.
It's unfortunate, and disappointing for me, to see that Ben Spies is going to miss Le Mans as well. But like I've said in the past, we know he's good. We know he's fast. He's just got to be fit to be fast.
I'll be talking more about my Suzuka 8 Hours plans in my next column.
ENDS
by kevin schwantz
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
First, congratulations to Dani Pedrosa for winning the Grand Prix in Spain.
Last lap, last corner with a foot open on the inside? I've been there.
image by lefty hempstead
But of course what's on everyone's mind is the last-lap collision between Lorenzo and Marquez. I go back to Rossi and Gibernau in '05, and my take is still the same. If you're going to slam the door, you've got to be ready to suffer the repercussions, but you've got to be smart sometimes, too. You don't want to shut the door if it's just going to get blasted off the hinges. And that's what happened. Back then Sete knew going from the two corners before that, because Rossi passed him, he passed Rossi, and he was now leading.
A rider's plan then is pretty simple: Either you get inside and you get defensive and you worry about the run off the corner and hope the guy doesn't beat you to the finish line; or you stay outside, you sucker the guy in, and as you go to commit to close the door, you stand the thing up, come to a stop, and you square it off and you drive right by him on the exit.
I watched Marquez versus Lorenzo again on replay over lunch. It looks to me that Marquez was in, and doing a pretty good job of keeping the thing in control ... he was going to drift up a little bit. He wasn't going to completely blow the corner. Then Lorenzo kind of hesitates and thinks about it. In the pictures I saw, it looks like it's as much Marquez running into Lorenzo as it is Lorenzo turning down into Marquez.
But as they came together, it looked a little bit like Marquez just about had the thing stopped, and it was more the two of them connected, but not just because of Marquez being in and being a little bit out of control.
Whereas I think the Rossi-Gibernau collision, I don't think Valentino could've got the thing stopped before the gravel. They've added some extra space out there in that corner since 2005. There's some paved runoff, maybe an extra 10 or 20 feet, in that corner, and that's what Lorenzo ended up using.
I've been in that situation myself. Back up to 1991 and we can go Hockenheim when Rainey and I were going at it. Fortunately, I came out on the good end of that one. Wayne, I think, saw that I was having some issues getting the bike slowed down, and I think at one point he said to me, "I was intrigued enough with watching you try to control what it was that was happening underneath you, that maybe I got just a bit enamored by it, and didn't stay as aggressive as I should have." He said, "But I also thought you maybe weren't going to make the corner, and I didn't want to be on the outside of you if you came scuttling in and took me out."
There's a point where you've got to ... as a racer, you've been racing the guy the whole race, you've got an idea of what's happening. Maybe you haven't seen much of him. You've only seen his front wheel a couple of times. But you've got to have a feel, and I think the best thing to do there is not give him the opportunity, and just go get defensive, and remember that when you get into the center of the corner, you've got to turn that thing and try and get back on the gas, because he's probably squared up pretty well, and he's going to be driving out of the corner a little better than you.
Maybe Lorenzo was in that deep, and as he grabbed the front brake and went to tip it in, his focus has now gone to Marquez. It looked like Jorge was having some issues with the front end; maybe not all race, but there were definitely some points where he was really wide in corners, and looked like he was maybe having a problem steering the bike. So maybe Lorenzo made a little mistake getting in there, trying to get in too deep, to try and keep Marquez at bay. That made him run wide, he had to slow him down a little bit more, and then at the last minute, tried to turn it back, yet Marquez is still there.
So there's lots to stand around and talk about, what happened, why did it happen. "I can't believe you did that." But as a racer, you're doing everything you can with that bike to get it and put it where you can to make it as wide as you can, to be defensive. I just think Lorenzo may have slipped up a little bit trying to get in, because on the brakes, most places, it looked like when he and Marquez were running nose to tail, it looked pretty close.
Marquez got close to him a couple times, but it looked like Marquez had to be on the verge of out of control, off the back straightaway a couple of times. He'd get right in close behind him and then the bike would wiggle a little bit and he'd run wide.
Lorenzo must've been frustrated. The race wasn't going the way he'd envisioned, and he's back there trying to salvage something. Watching practice, and listening, and reading notes, Lorenzo was the most consistent, he was fastest, he was the fastest man of the weekend, pre-race. He was the benchmark all weekend. The problem is, everybody gets to work on them ?til race day. You make some changes in morning warm-up, and then, maybe the weather's slightly different, the temperature's hotter. But as a racer, you started on pole, you've watched a guy pass you and go to the front, and you haven't been able to do anything with him. Now you've got this young kid that is just hounding you, and the last thing that you can stand to do, especially at your home Grand Prix in Spain, is let this kid beat you. There's a lot that you're trying to process. There's, especially at Jerez, there's a lot of opportunities to make mistakes. It's not a real simple track. It's really technical.
That's one of the things that makes good riders great riders, is a really strong mental demeanor. You've got to be able to win from the front and win from the back. The problem is, winning from the back, I always thought, was a little bit easier, because I could follow. There comes a point when you've got to decide, "I've tried to shake this guy for ten laps and I haven't shook him yet, so I'm going to let him lead me around a little bit." But you've also got to be ready when he comes by, that he might just check out on you, too, and now what are you going to do? So you've got to be able to be strong mentally, and to know, "Man, this guy's come from nowhere, and he's continuing to pressure me.
An example for me would've been Jerez in '93. Rainey and I both get good starts. We're out front racing each other, thinking nobody's coming to get us. And Alex Barros runs us down in about five laps from I think my boards said four seconds back. I guess Wayne and I are both in a pretty similar position, in that we know this guy's not a championship contender, at least not right now. It's still pretty early in the season. It's race four. But when he gets to me, I actually move out of the way and I wave him by. I'm like, "Man, I want to see what's going on, because how is he finding that much time on us?" I felt like we were kind of pushing the envelope. And when he came by me, I jumped right on his rear end, and he actually drug me away from Wayne. And then he made a mistake and fell off.
It didn't quite work out for him. It could have, had his pit board been coming from somewhere really close, because I made a big mistake in the last, fast right-hander before the hairpin, which is where you come onto the front straightaway and get your pit board. I had gone in, pushed the front, ran off the track. I was in the grass. Got back on just in front of Wayne, but still far enough in front of him that he wasn't really a threat to beat me. It was that lap that Alex crashed, because his pit board said +0, whereas in reality, when he fell off, he was probably four seconds in front.
It's all part of racing. It's part of trying to win championships, is you've got to make sure that you make the most of every opportunity you have to score points. If it's second instead of third, you've got to make sure you get that. But I think the championship is still way up for grabs.
I think Marquez has shown a lot of composure. He's won, he's been beat, he's been outrun. It looked like in this race that maybe he wasn't even going to be a contender amongst the front couple, but as the race came to a close, he was right there to try and pick up second place points, because he had ridden a really good race. He'd had a bit of a battle with Rossi, finally got away from Rossi, and got to Lorenzo with about six or eight to go. Made a few mistakes, got back to him right at the last lap. Congratulations to all three of those guys for finishing that race, because there was definitely an opportunity for a couple of bikes to be down in that last turn.
I think any rider that you ask will say the same, that final corner incident is just part of racing. You leave a third or two thirds of that inside open going into the last corner, I'm going to do whatever I can to get there. And you would probably fire the kid - you may not fire Marquez, but if you were a team owner, you'd fire a rider if he didn't try. Especially as close as he was.
I think Cal Crutchlow would be somewhat disappointed with his fifth place result but it was a good result with everything that had happened. Racing while beat up like that is never easy. I think he proved in the first two rounds that he's got the opportunity, got the ability to run with Rossi. In Texas, he made a mistake, Valentino got to him, and then he rode back away from him again. I think Cal's riding well. I think he struggled a little bit at Jerez, but that doesn't mean that that's going to be what's happening the rest of the season. Cal is really strong on the brakes--he was at Qatar. Maybe the French GP a place where he gets back in and can make up a bunch of time on the brakes and be able to stay with the Hondas, and maybe even race the 46 again?
I think Valentino realized they were racing in Spain and it was best to get a safe finish. I might remind you that we were in Spain last weekend. The Spanish riders are almost like the Japanese riders were at one time, in that anywhere else in the world, they're 10th place, maybe 5th to 10th; at their home Grand Prix, whether it be Japan or Spain, there's extra motivation, there's extra incentive. And you'd see guys who you would never expect to see at the front at other races, whether it's Suzuka, whether it's Motegi, whether it's Jerez, whether it's Jarama, wherever it might be. Of course Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Marquez are fast everywhere but for their home round they bring their A game.
I think Valentino needs to maybe not dwell on that too much, because in a couple weeks, a couple, three or four weeks, he'll be back at his home Grand Prix in Mugello, and maybe we'll get to see the 46 with a little home field advantage then.
I think Nick Hayden rode a great race, especially given the condition of his wrist. We didn't see much of him on the TV, so we didn't really see how it went, but we just kept scrolling down the results. He had the best of Dovi by a decent margin. They finished nose to tail in Qatar, and then I think Dovi had a bit of an advantage on him in Texas. But it was good to see the result reversed again. I think Nicky's still showing that he's got the want, he's got the desire, and being the best Ducati out there may not be exactly what Nicky wants, but it's good job security right now, that's for sure.
It's unfortunate, and disappointing for me, to see that Ben Spies is going to miss Le Mans as well. But like I've said in the past, we know he's good. We know he's fast. He's just got to be fit to be fast.
I'll be talking more about my Suzuka 8 Hours plans in my next column.
ENDS
BMW's Melandri Fastst In First Qualifying At Monza
by staff
Friday, May 10, 2013
Pos.RiderTeamBikeTime
1 Marco Melandri BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBKTeam BMW S1000 RR HP4 1:42.883
2 Jonathan Rea Pata Honda World Superbike Team Honda CBR1000RR 1:43.157
3 Sylvain Guintoli Factory Aprilia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 1000 1:43.510
4 Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:43.521
5 Davide Giugliano Factory Althea Racing Aprilia RSV4 1000 1:43.623
6 Michel Fabrizio Factory Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 1000 1:43.849
7 Eugene Laverty Factory Aprilia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 1000 1:43.956
8 Loris Baz Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:43.961
9 Leon Camier Fixi Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:44.106
10 Jules Cluzel Fixi Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:44.466
11 Carlos Checa Team Ducati Alstare Ducati Panigale 1199R 1:44.763
12 Ayrton Badovini Team Ducati Alstare Ducati Panigale 1199R 1:44.823
13 Chaz Davies BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team BMW S1000 RR HP4 1:44.992
14 Max Neukirchner MR-Racing Ducati Panigale 1199R 1:45.855
15 Federico Sandi Pedercini Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:46.336
Session declared wet.
Chaz Davies crashed, rode the bike back to the garage.
Akiyoshi, 17th fastest, 1:47.201.
WTF ?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cant be true . . .. .
Crutchlow Already Out At Tech 3 For '14?
by staff
Friday, May 10, 2013
Reportedly, Cal Crutchlow feels he may already be out of the running for his Tech 3 Yamaha ride for next season.
Yamaha are reportedly either trying to sign Moto2 rider Pol Espargaro--or already have done so. Moreover, with Lorenzo, Rossi and Bradley Smith all under contract through 2014, Crutchlow senses the writing may already be on the wall for his current ride.
Given his standout performance in 2012, and his continuing if not improving on that thus far in 2013, it's interesting that Yamaha do not have Crutchlow locked into a long term deal.
Could it be that Crutchlow's frank manner of speaking--he has criticized Yamaha this year and at times refused to use the word "Yamaha" when speaking about his team--has doomed his chances at Brand Y?
Even given Yamaha's sensitivity to criticism, it seems odd that they would bet on Pol Espargaro, who has never ridden a MotoGP bike, or would even consider keeping Bradley Smith while jettisoning Crutchlow. It's still early chapters for Smith's MotoGP dalliance but he has thus far not put in rides which would make any analyst consider keeping him and firing Crutchlow.
As asinine as it may be, the reality is that the silly season in MotoGP starts at the second race of the season now. Yamaha will have to make a tough decision if they sign Pol Espargaro and want to put him in MotoGP next season. Where does that leave Crutchlow?
His contract talks with Ducati last season reportedly did not end well. However, it may be a key point that former CEO Gabriele Del Torchio--who at one point was handling rider negotiations--is no longer with Ducati. Nicky Hayden's current Ducati contract ends at the culmination of the 2013 season.
Crutchlow's options may be limited in MotoGP simply based on the number of riders who are signed through 2014.
Afterward, Crutchlow denied the reports via Twitter, blaming the press for taking things he'd said out of context.
If anything Bradley Smith should be worried.
by staff
Friday, May 10, 2013
Pos.RiderTeamBikeTime
1 Marco Melandri BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBKTeam BMW S1000 RR HP4 1:42.883
2 Jonathan Rea Pata Honda World Superbike Team Honda CBR1000RR 1:43.157
3 Sylvain Guintoli Factory Aprilia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 1000 1:43.510
4 Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:43.521
5 Davide Giugliano Factory Althea Racing Aprilia RSV4 1000 1:43.623
6 Michel Fabrizio Factory Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 1000 1:43.849
7 Eugene Laverty Factory Aprilia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 1000 1:43.956
8 Loris Baz Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:43.961
9 Leon Camier Fixi Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:44.106
10 Jules Cluzel Fixi Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:44.466
11 Carlos Checa Team Ducati Alstare Ducati Panigale 1199R 1:44.763
12 Ayrton Badovini Team Ducati Alstare Ducati Panigale 1199R 1:44.823
13 Chaz Davies BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team BMW S1000 RR HP4 1:44.992
14 Max Neukirchner MR-Racing Ducati Panigale 1199R 1:45.855
15 Federico Sandi Pedercini Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:46.336
Session declared wet.
Chaz Davies crashed, rode the bike back to the garage.
Akiyoshi, 17th fastest, 1:47.201.
WTF ?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cant be true . . .. .
Crutchlow Already Out At Tech 3 For '14?
by staff
Friday, May 10, 2013
Reportedly, Cal Crutchlow feels he may already be out of the running for his Tech 3 Yamaha ride for next season.
Yamaha are reportedly either trying to sign Moto2 rider Pol Espargaro--or already have done so. Moreover, with Lorenzo, Rossi and Bradley Smith all under contract through 2014, Crutchlow senses the writing may already be on the wall for his current ride.
Given his standout performance in 2012, and his continuing if not improving on that thus far in 2013, it's interesting that Yamaha do not have Crutchlow locked into a long term deal.
Could it be that Crutchlow's frank manner of speaking--he has criticized Yamaha this year and at times refused to use the word "Yamaha" when speaking about his team--has doomed his chances at Brand Y?
Even given Yamaha's sensitivity to criticism, it seems odd that they would bet on Pol Espargaro, who has never ridden a MotoGP bike, or would even consider keeping Bradley Smith while jettisoning Crutchlow. It's still early chapters for Smith's MotoGP dalliance but he has thus far not put in rides which would make any analyst consider keeping him and firing Crutchlow.
As asinine as it may be, the reality is that the silly season in MotoGP starts at the second race of the season now. Yamaha will have to make a tough decision if they sign Pol Espargaro and want to put him in MotoGP next season. Where does that leave Crutchlow?
His contract talks with Ducati last season reportedly did not end well. However, it may be a key point that former CEO Gabriele Del Torchio--who at one point was handling rider negotiations--is no longer with Ducati. Nicky Hayden's current Ducati contract ends at the culmination of the 2013 season.
Crutchlow's options may be limited in MotoGP simply based on the number of riders who are signed through 2014.
Afterward, Crutchlow denied the reports via Twitter, blaming the press for taking things he'd said out of context.
If anything Bradley Smith should be worried.
Not far off now . . . .. beauty . . . .
I have a link for a live feed, which is well worth it.
Hhhmmmm when I find it again
I have a link for a live feed, which is well worth it.
Hhhmmmm when I find it again
Rainey Honored At Quail Motorcycle Gathering
by staff
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Wayne Rainey and his '91 YZR500.
image thanks, Yamaha
Yamaha Legend And Three-Time World Champion Wayne Rainey Honored At Quail Motorcycle Gathering
Cypress, CA May 9, 2013 - This past Saturday, May 4, the Quail Lodge Golf Club in Carmel, CA, held its 5th Annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering. To commemorate the special occasion, the event featured honored guest and three-time Yamaha 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Wayne Rainey.
As part of the fifth anniversary of the Quail Motorcycle Gathering, a new feature called "Legends of the Sport" was introduced to honor a key figure in the history of motorcycling each year. And, who better to begin the tradition with than one of motorcycle road racing's all-time greatest champions? Wayne not only won three 500cc Grand Prix World Championships in a row, but he was also AMA Superbike Champion in 1983 and 1987, and he was a multi-time race winner in the rough-and-tumble world of U.S. flat track motorcycle racing, as well.
Wayne was accompanied at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering by one of his #1 Championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 500cc Grand Prix machines, specifically the 1991 YZR OWD3 on which he won his second consecutive World Grand Prix title.
Commenting on the event, Wayne said, "I'm honored to be the first recipient of "Legends of the Sport" at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering! It's been 20 years since my last race, and to be recognized with this award reminds me of the many great memories I've had throughout my racing career. Also, having my '91 YZR500 Yamaha there made the event that much sweeter! I'd like to thank Gordon McCall and everyone at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering for putting on a really awesome show."
Bob Starr, General Manager of Communications for the Motorsports Group at Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., said, "We're so proud that Wayne Rainey, one of Yamaha's and America's greatest motorcycle racing champions, was honored at this year's Quail Motorcycle Gathering. Wayne is an iconic figure in the sport, a beloved member of the Yamaha family, global ambassador for the Yamaha brand, and one of the nicest, most decent people you will ever meet."
Launched in 2009, the annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering honors both pre- and post-war-era sports and racing motorcycles. The event is held each May at Carmel's Quail Lodge and Golf Club, which reopened its hotel and unveiled a $28 million resort-wide renovation on March 26, 2013.
ENDS
by staff
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Wayne Rainey and his '91 YZR500.
image thanks, Yamaha
Yamaha Legend And Three-Time World Champion Wayne Rainey Honored At Quail Motorcycle Gathering
Cypress, CA May 9, 2013 - This past Saturday, May 4, the Quail Lodge Golf Club in Carmel, CA, held its 5th Annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering. To commemorate the special occasion, the event featured honored guest and three-time Yamaha 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Wayne Rainey.
As part of the fifth anniversary of the Quail Motorcycle Gathering, a new feature called "Legends of the Sport" was introduced to honor a key figure in the history of motorcycling each year. And, who better to begin the tradition with than one of motorcycle road racing's all-time greatest champions? Wayne not only won three 500cc Grand Prix World Championships in a row, but he was also AMA Superbike Champion in 1983 and 1987, and he was a multi-time race winner in the rough-and-tumble world of U.S. flat track motorcycle racing, as well.
Wayne was accompanied at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering by one of his #1 Championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 500cc Grand Prix machines, specifically the 1991 YZR OWD3 on which he won his second consecutive World Grand Prix title.
Commenting on the event, Wayne said, "I'm honored to be the first recipient of "Legends of the Sport" at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering! It's been 20 years since my last race, and to be recognized with this award reminds me of the many great memories I've had throughout my racing career. Also, having my '91 YZR500 Yamaha there made the event that much sweeter! I'd like to thank Gordon McCall and everyone at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering for putting on a really awesome show."
Bob Starr, General Manager of Communications for the Motorsports Group at Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., said, "We're so proud that Wayne Rainey, one of Yamaha's and America's greatest motorcycle racing champions, was honored at this year's Quail Motorcycle Gathering. Wayne is an iconic figure in the sport, a beloved member of the Yamaha family, global ambassador for the Yamaha brand, and one of the nicest, most decent people you will ever meet."
Launched in 2009, the annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering honors both pre- and post-war-era sports and racing motorcycles. The event is held each May at Carmel's Quail Lodge and Golf Club, which reopened its hotel and unveiled a $28 million resort-wide renovation on March 26, 2013.
ENDS
Sykes Sets A New Track Best To Win Superpole
WSBK, Monza, Italy, 11 May 2013
KRT rider Tom Sykes posted a new track best at the ultra-fast Monza circuit to win his third Superpole contest in succession for the Kawasaki Racing Team. His team-mate Loris Baz was 11th.
In dry conditions Sykes and his crew got the very best out the race spec Ninja ZX-10R around the 5.777km Monza circuit, with Sykes taking a narrow but deserved Superpole win after a strong late push.
Eugene Laverty had scored a new best lap just before Tom completed his final run to pole but eventually Tom’s 1’41.223 lap time was enough to give him the honour of being fastest ever at this historic circuit. This was his 14th career Superpole win and his third in succession this season.
A wet start to the weekend robbed all the competitors of some clear track time but it proved to be dry on the second day allowing good work to be done in preparation for Superpole and for race day.
Loris Baz proved to have good race pace on race tyres in practice and had qualified eighth going into the Superpole contest. On qualifying tyres and for a single lap he could not break into a fast enough pace to challenge into the last part of Superpole and dropped to 11th on the grid.
Fabrizio Lai (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) went 14th in Superpole and Federico Sandi (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) was 15th, meaning both riders will start from the fifth row at their home round.
Tom Sykes: “I did not know the time Eugene had set but I knew that the Aprilias would be fast here. I am looking forward to tomorrow because we all have good race pace. In some areas we have an advantage and we got a new circuit record in Superpole, and the ideal starting position for tomorrow. I am looking forward to two exciting races. I like racing at Monza because the spectators are crazy like me! The fans are very enthusiastic and Monza is a very fast circuit. I hope to be very strong tomorrow.”
Loris Baz: “We are not going so fast in a single lap and when you know what the problems is then OK, but right now we do not really know why. We are fighting and working hard. This morning was OK, with race tyres it was OK, but we need to make a step in qualifying to move up to the front. My regular pace is OK but we need to find some speed. We will try to find something in morning warm-up as well. We have good stability in braking and good grip but maybe manoeuvrability is the key because although the bike is working well I cannot go any faster. My top speed is not so far behind Tom, even here.”
WSBK, Monza, Italy, 11 May 2013
KRT rider Tom Sykes posted a new track best at the ultra-fast Monza circuit to win his third Superpole contest in succession for the Kawasaki Racing Team. His team-mate Loris Baz was 11th.
Eugene Laverty had scored a new best lap just before Tom completed his final run to pole but eventually Tom’s 1’41.223 lap time was enough to give him the honour of being fastest ever at this historic circuit. This was his 14th career Superpole win and his third in succession this season.
A wet start to the weekend robbed all the competitors of some clear track time but it proved to be dry on the second day allowing good work to be done in preparation for Superpole and for race day.
Loris Baz proved to have good race pace on race tyres in practice and had qualified eighth going into the Superpole contest. On qualifying tyres and for a single lap he could not break into a fast enough pace to challenge into the last part of Superpole and dropped to 11th on the grid.
Fabrizio Lai (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) went 14th in Superpole and Federico Sandi (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) was 15th, meaning both riders will start from the fifth row at their home round.
Tom Sykes: “I did not know the time Eugene had set but I knew that the Aprilias would be fast here. I am looking forward to tomorrow because we all have good race pace. In some areas we have an advantage and we got a new circuit record in Superpole, and the ideal starting position for tomorrow. I am looking forward to two exciting races. I like racing at Monza because the spectators are crazy like me! The fans are very enthusiastic and Monza is a very fast circuit. I hope to be very strong tomorrow.”
Loris Baz: “We are not going so fast in a single lap and when you know what the problems is then OK, but right now we do not really know why. We are fighting and working hard. This morning was OK, with race tyres it was OK, but we need to make a step in qualifying to move up to the front. My regular pace is OK but we need to find some speed. We will try to find something in morning warm-up as well. We have good stability in braking and good grip but maybe manoeuvrability is the key because although the bike is working well I cannot go any faster. My top speed is not so far behind Tom, even here.”
Sykes Takes Two Podiums And The Lap Record At Monza
WSBK, Monza, Italy, 12 May 2013
KRT rider Tom Sykes left the Monza race weekend with a second and a third place finish, new track and race lap records and third place in the championship after two blistering displays of fast riding.
Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) could not find his ideal set-up in the races and finished with two strong top ten finishes, so he is still sixth place in the overall standings.
Sykes was so close to the win in the first race that the gap at the flag was only 0.085 seconds and he was delighted to be able to race hard right to the end on his Ninja ZX-10R. A last lap manoeuvre on an inside line at the classic Parabolica final corner took him past Eugene Laverty but not quite to the win itself.
In race two he had to fight hard all the way and scored a third place, only 0.725 seconds from the win. Tom’s new lap record is 1’42.229 seconds, set on lap five in the first race. In the championship Tom is third, on 119 points, 18 points off the lead.
Baz was seventh in race one, improving on his qualifying position of 11th, as he gathered more important points. In race two he had to start from the very back after he stalled his machine on the line but battled through to finish eighth.
Fabrizio Lai (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) and Federico Sandi (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) each scored points in race one, Lai for 13th and Sandi for 15th.
The Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race delivered a 1-2 for Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R riders, with Lorenzo Savadori (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) winning by 0.402 seconds from Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki). No fewer than six of the bikes in the top nine places were Kawasakis. Guarnoni is fourth overall in the championship, only eight points from the leader.
Tom Sykes: “Today I put it all out there for everybody to see. I could not give any more. Race one was a great race, a great battle although I was like a sitting duck at the back for a time. I was waiting to see where those guys were strong, and they have some speed, so I used that to my advantage and it led to a very exciting last lap. I tried to lead after lap 15 and pull a gap but it was not to be, because they reeled me straight back in. The last lap was great, it was almost a third to first run from the last corner, but I did not want to do anything stupid, so to have the Kawasaki working like that here makes me very motivated. Monza was going to be one of the most challenging circuits we would visit this season but we have come away with pole position, a new circuit record, a lap record and two podiums, so I am happy!”
Loris Baz: “We knew it was going to be a hard raceday for us but in race two we understood a lot and I think we know which direction we have to go at this track. I am confident for the next races and on from here with sixth place in the championship. The bike stalled on the grid when I put it through first gear so I think I did not give enough gas, so I had to start from pitlane, I think I could have been sixth maybe in that race and not eighth, as I was not pushing at the end. Some other riders did not score.”
great race
WSBK, Monza, Italy, 12 May 2013
KRT rider Tom Sykes left the Monza race weekend with a second and a third place finish, new track and race lap records and third place in the championship after two blistering displays of fast riding.
Sykes was so close to the win in the first race that the gap at the flag was only 0.085 seconds and he was delighted to be able to race hard right to the end on his Ninja ZX-10R. A last lap manoeuvre on an inside line at the classic Parabolica final corner took him past Eugene Laverty but not quite to the win itself.
In race two he had to fight hard all the way and scored a third place, only 0.725 seconds from the win. Tom’s new lap record is 1’42.229 seconds, set on lap five in the first race. In the championship Tom is third, on 119 points, 18 points off the lead.
Baz was seventh in race one, improving on his qualifying position of 11th, as he gathered more important points. In race two he had to start from the very back after he stalled his machine on the line but battled through to finish eighth.
Fabrizio Lai (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) and Federico Sandi (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) each scored points in race one, Lai for 13th and Sandi for 15th.
The Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race delivered a 1-2 for Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R riders, with Lorenzo Savadori (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) winning by 0.402 seconds from Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki). No fewer than six of the bikes in the top nine places were Kawasakis. Guarnoni is fourth overall in the championship, only eight points from the leader.
Tom Sykes: “Today I put it all out there for everybody to see. I could not give any more. Race one was a great race, a great battle although I was like a sitting duck at the back for a time. I was waiting to see where those guys were strong, and they have some speed, so I used that to my advantage and it led to a very exciting last lap. I tried to lead after lap 15 and pull a gap but it was not to be, because they reeled me straight back in. The last lap was great, it was almost a third to first run from the last corner, but I did not want to do anything stupid, so to have the Kawasaki working like that here makes me very motivated. Monza was going to be one of the most challenging circuits we would visit this season but we have come away with pole position, a new circuit record, a lap record and two podiums, so I am happy!”
Loris Baz: “We knew it was going to be a hard raceday for us but in race two we understood a lot and I think we know which direction we have to go at this track. I am confident for the next races and on from here with sixth place in the championship. The bike stalled on the grid when I put it through first gear so I think I did not give enough gas, so I had to start from pitlane, I think I could have been sixth maybe in that race and not eighth, as I was not pushing at the end. Some other riders did not score.”
great race
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