i tend to avoid machines made in italy. they're usually pretty but too much work.
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you worried about electrics ?
here's the newest latest greatest and spose to be the fastest eva, yet again
Jorge Lorenzo Surgery Update
Following successful plastic surgery in Australia, Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo has now flown home to Barcelona for a period of recovery. As already confirmed the Mallorcan rider will miss this weekend’s Grand Prix of Malaysia. A decision on his participation in the final race of the season at Valencia will be made within the next two weeks dependent on the progress of his recovery.
“Casey has had an incredible season with very few mistakes,” commented Jorge Lorenzo. “He has always been very strong and consistent so it has been very difficult to beat him. Congratulations to him, he has been the best this year and deserves his second title, a huge achievement as it comes with a different manufacturer. I would have liked to fight until the end, maybe until Valencia but the accident on Sunday has made it impossible. I am very proud of my team for all the hard work they have put in to take second in the Championship. Now we have to think about next year and work as hard as possible to win again. After the crash I was very worried that I would not have full feeling in my finger again. After the excellent treatment I received I have been assured I will have complete feeling in nerves and tendons. This gives me good confidence; I can’t wait to get back on my M1 again!”
Medical report
Surgeon: John Crock - MB.BS (Melbourne). Dip. Anat. MD. FRACS
Hospital: Knox Private Hospital, Wantirna (Vic)
Operative Diagnosis: Left hand ring and middle finger injuries
Summary of operation: Debride and reconstruct left ring and middle fingers
Duration of operation: 80mins
Operation details:
Middle finger wound: skin loss only, covered with SSG taken from the hypothenar eminence.
Ring finger wound: longitudinal dorsal grinding injury with loss of tip. (…) Distal half of the distal phalanx missing. (…) The extensor tendon was identified and reattached. (…)
Following successful plastic surgery in Australia, Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo has now flown home to Barcelona for a period of recovery. As already confirmed the Mallorcan rider will miss this weekend’s Grand Prix of Malaysia. A decision on his participation in the final race of the season at Valencia will be made within the next two weeks dependent on the progress of his recovery.
“Casey has had an incredible season with very few mistakes,” commented Jorge Lorenzo. “He has always been very strong and consistent so it has been very difficult to beat him. Congratulations to him, he has been the best this year and deserves his second title, a huge achievement as it comes with a different manufacturer. I would have liked to fight until the end, maybe until Valencia but the accident on Sunday has made it impossible. I am very proud of my team for all the hard work they have put in to take second in the Championship. Now we have to think about next year and work as hard as possible to win again. After the crash I was very worried that I would not have full feeling in my finger again. After the excellent treatment I received I have been assured I will have complete feeling in nerves and tendons. This gives me good confidence; I can’t wait to get back on my M1 again!”
Medical report
Surgeon: John Crock - MB.BS (Melbourne). Dip. Anat. MD. FRACS
Hospital: Knox Private Hospital, Wantirna (Vic)
Operative Diagnosis: Left hand ring and middle finger injuries
Summary of operation: Debride and reconstruct left ring and middle fingers
Duration of operation: 80mins
Operation details:
Middle finger wound: skin loss only, covered with SSG taken from the hypothenar eminence.
Ring finger wound: longitudinal dorsal grinding injury with loss of tip. (…) Distal half of the distal phalanx missing. (…) The extensor tendon was identified and reattached. (…)
that zzr looks terrible. almost a 1989 throwback. too bad they wrapped that engine in such a boring looking design.
italian electrics are ok, but it's the mechanicals that just rag out so fast. lambo's, ducs, ferraris are beautiful machines but they fall apart fast. ever notice a lambo's resale value after 5 years and a measly 3000 miles? HALF of the sticker. why? cuz they fall apart like the French in WW2. it's true that ferrari's tend to self-ignite and it's always a guess as to what switch does what, but they are so popular they don't even have to be quality machines anymore.
I like porsches. not the most ground breaking exterior designs but they run forever. and ever. even if they don't have cupholders.
italian electrics are ok, but it's the mechanicals that just rag out so fast. lambo's, ducs, ferraris are beautiful machines but they fall apart fast. ever notice a lambo's resale value after 5 years and a measly 3000 miles? HALF of the sticker. why? cuz they fall apart like the French in WW2. it's true that ferrari's tend to self-ignite and it's always a guess as to what switch does what, but they are so popular they don't even have to be quality machines anymore.
I like porsches. not the most ground breaking exterior designs but they run forever. and ever. even if they don't have cupholders.
the kwak is as ugly as the rest of them know, but I do like it from front on.
I wonder how many more times there is going to be the fastest eva on advertising ? Cause sooner or later there has to be a limit.
Not really fussed about what you brought up about cars they hold very little interest to me at all, unless I can eva afford the 65/66 fastback mustang I have always wanted.
Me and a mate were talking about these the other day, neither of us could remember the last time we saw one on the road or in a concourse event or even for sale.
I wonder how many more times there is going to be the fastest eva on advertising ? Cause sooner or later there has to be a limit.
Not really fussed about what you brought up about cars they hold very little interest to me at all, unless I can eva afford the 65/66 fastback mustang I have always wanted.
Me and a mate were talking about these the other day, neither of us could remember the last time we saw one on the road or in a concourse event or even for sale.
The King of the 800s
by staff
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Stoner's twin titles will forever bookend the 800cc era in GP.
When Casey Stoner won the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, Oct. 16, he more than just clinched his second MotoGP World Championship. He burnished his credentials as the greatest rider of an era of the sport.
There can be zero argument: Stoner is the best rider ever on an 800cc World Championship motorcycle. All hail the king.
The numbers are overwhelming. Stoner has 32 victories from 2007-11. Seven-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi is a distant second, with 21 wins during the 800cc era.
Stoner has won two World Championships on an 800cc bike, the same as Rossi. But Stoner's titles came on two different machines, in 2007 aboard a Ducati and this year on a Honda. Rossi won titles in 2008 and 2009 on a Yamaha and has been lost in the premier-class wilderness this season on a Ducati.
The Australian may not be the warmest, fuzziest character in the paddock. He may appear to be the kind of guy who would complain that he wanted $2 million after collecting a $1 million lottery prize.
But there is no mistaking that Stoner is the best. And it's time that he is placed in the pantheon among the giants of the sport. Early testing indicates Honda could remain dominant in the first year of the 1000cc formula in 2012, so the summit of Mighty Casey's numbers might climb higher into the thin air of the legends.
by staff
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Stoner's twin titles will forever bookend the 800cc era in GP.
When Casey Stoner won the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, Oct. 16, he more than just clinched his second MotoGP World Championship. He burnished his credentials as the greatest rider of an era of the sport.
There can be zero argument: Stoner is the best rider ever on an 800cc World Championship motorcycle. All hail the king.
The numbers are overwhelming. Stoner has 32 victories from 2007-11. Seven-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi is a distant second, with 21 wins during the 800cc era.
Stoner has won two World Championships on an 800cc bike, the same as Rossi. But Stoner's titles came on two different machines, in 2007 aboard a Ducati and this year on a Honda. Rossi won titles in 2008 and 2009 on a Yamaha and has been lost in the premier-class wilderness this season on a Ducati.
The Australian may not be the warmest, fuzziest character in the paddock. He may appear to be the kind of guy who would complain that he wanted $2 million after collecting a $1 million lottery prize.
But there is no mistaking that Stoner is the best. And it's time that he is placed in the pantheon among the giants of the sport. Early testing indicates Honda could remain dominant in the first year of the 1000cc formula in 2012, so the summit of Mighty Casey's numbers might climb higher into the thin air of the legends.
Troy Corser: Respect All, Fear None
by dean adams
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
For what may have been his final WSBK race, Troy Corser's BMW wore crocodile colors.
image thanks BMW
Fresh-faced and quiet, standing in the old Benny Kahn press room at Daytona in 1994, Troy Corser was asked to explain how he could come to a track like Daytona and finish on the podium in his first AMA Superbike event. His finish was amazing given such stiff competition— the names surrounding him on the results sheet were world champions Scott Russell and Eddie Lawson.
Quietly, Corser said, "Respect all, fear none." It was a very profound statement by a somewhat shy if not just private kid from Australia. Longtime Oz writer Mark "Bracksie" Bracks, at the time, summed up Corser by saying, "He's just this really fast 250 kid from the sticks."
The Portugal season finale of the World Superbike championship last weekend was billed as Corser's last race of his career. There was a party and his bike wore a "Croc" color scheme for the races. If Portugal was Corser's final race--and there is a fair bit of skepticism that he will remain retired--Corser's career can be summed up as both remarkable and unique. No WSBK champion can claim to have ridden the variety of bikes that Corser has raced in WSBK. And are we really ready to close the door on the career of a rider who once said "You're never too old if the equipment is good"?
1994, Corser wins his heat race and finishes second at Daytona on the Ducati. He'd never raced on a banked track before.
image by dean adams
The Fast by Ferracci Ducati AMA Superbike machine was a well-honed race and championship winner by the time Corser first rode it at a Daytona tire test in December of 1993. He had won the Australian Superbike title and caught the eye of former world champion Barry Sheene who brought him to the attention of the Castiglioni brothers who then owned Ducati. They funneled him to Eraldo Ferracci and he brought Corser, and Sheene, and of course Nixon, to Daytona for the test.
Corser was fast, doing 1:51s on the first morning on the ex-Polen Ferracci bike. A deal was signed that would see Corser on an FBF Ducati in America in 1994. Corser spoke so quietly in this period one almost had to read his lips as he spoke—after the December tire test at Daytona, multiple press outlets mis-reported that his name was "Tony Corser" because of Corser's penchant to "low talk". By mid-season 1994, though, everyone knew his name.
Corser won the 1994 AMA Superbike title at the final round at Road Atlanta when the EXUP valve on Jamie James' Yamaha seized. No one suggested that Corser hadn't earned it, the season was a tumultuous one with weight being added to the Ducati as Corser continued to win. To this day Colin Edwards still considers his outside pass of Corser in Brainerd's ultra fast turn one a major accomplishment of his early career.
His nine months in America in 1994 gave Corser a solid platform for his career. It also padded his wallet--he was astounded to count up his winnings from the AMA Superbike series after Loudon and realize he'd already won over $50,000--just in purse money alone.
His nine months in America in 1994 gave Corser a solid platform for his career. It also padded his wallet--he was astounded to count up his winnings from the AMA Superbike series after Loudon and realize he'd already won over $50,000--just in purse money alone.
Corser seemed to enjoy his time in America but he had no plans to spend the rest of his career in the US. He booked scene quickly after wining the title--for World Superbike, which at the time he felt was going to be just another stop on his way to 500cc Grand Prix racing.
The Australian would return to Daytona in the mid-1990s for a full-on Promotor Ducati assault on the Daytona 200. It was clear that he was no longer a babe in the woods of America like he had been in December 1993. Asked after qualifying if he was disappointed in not earning the Daytona Rolex watch for pole, Corser sputtered in his signature monotone voice, "I can buy any watch I want. I just wanted to be fastest."
Armed with a Ducati, success didn't come as quickly in WSBK as it had for Corser in AMA. It took until 1996 for him to win the title and that done he and the Promotor squad--a semi-private satellite Ducati team--pulled up stakes and moved the entire operation to Grand Prix.
By '97 Corser had won his first WSBK title and was off to Grand Prix. The team's checkbook death-spinned into the ground, and the team folded and Corser never got paid. Here he bumps a YZR500 to life at Jerez.
image by dean adams
Corser's Grand Prix career only lasted a few races. At Jerez in '97, walking in back of the garages, I peered into each team's transporter. All of the teams had equipment, spares and the like stacked high, outside of what they had inside the garage to run a team. For Corser's team, the Promotor outfit, there was almost nothing in the transporter. Few spares, and few resources. Several races later the team folded. Corser spent the rest of the 1997 season ride-less.
By 1998 Corser was back in WSBK and almost on the cusp of winning his second world title when he crashed at the series finale at Sugo in Sunday morning warm up and damaged his spleen. He was not able to race and did not win the title.
'99 saw Corser again on Ducati with mixed results. Meanwhile the winds of political change were whipping through Bologna. At the end of the season the American owners seemed to think that young Ben Bostrom was a better choice to start the new millennium with on their team. Corser was off the factory WSBK team but quickly found a new home, and in Italy to boot.
Aprilia had already enjoyed a season of WSBK by the time Corser arrived there. Peter Goddard had done a journeyman job of getting the bike back to the garage with a minimum amount of parts not falling off of it, and helping Aprilia get a baseline set up. Feeling hard done by Ducati, Corser was on the gas from the first race. He won five races that season on the Aprilia, including the second race at Laguna Seca WSBK, which at the time Aprilia USA suits said was the most important win ever for the American market. Corser would spend a second season at Aprilia but the championship never came, and he blamed the tires while the team just looked lost.
Corser's retirement from racing ends the reign of a generation of Australian riders--Corser, Mladin and Bayliss. Also, Kiwi Aaron Slight.
image thanks, ducati corse
Corser signed to ride the new Foggy Petronas in 2002, and although the new from the ground up bike was supposed to debut in '02, it didn't. Corser sat out all of the 2002 season waiting for the Petronas to be ready--and legal--for WSBK. Corser would spend a few seasons at Foggy Petronas and seemed to enjoy the challenge of developing a new Superbike. His two Superpoles during this period on the 900cc triple would give foundation to his eventual nickname as "Mr. Superpole". Corser's 250 background helped him a great deal in this situation as the FP1 essentially had no torque, and its strength was mid-corner. "I wouldn't say it's the easiest bike to ride," Corser said at the time. The year spent trying to get the bike ready doomed the FP1 and by the end of 2004 Corser was looking to ride a bike that he could win on.
He found that with the Alstare Suzuki effort. Corser on the Suzuki in 2005 was as close to a perfect season as Corser could hope for. He had good pre-season testing and support, and by the time the racing season started Corser was ready. He dominated the early season championship standings and rode that wave all the way to the end, winning his second title. He raced 2006 with Suzuki as well, but by the end of the season he'd signed with Yamaha to race their R1.
At this point, Troy Corser had won races on the Ducati, Aprilia and Suzuki. He'd set poles and been on the podium on the underpowered FP1 Foggy bike. Thus, no one doubted that he would win races--at least--on the Yamaha.
However, for whatever reason, and after two full seasons, Corser hadn't won races on the Yamaha. And a new offer came in, this one from Bavaria.
Troy Corser, after Daytona, almost dismissed US tracks as 'easy to learn' in 1994. Ferracci's influence on Corser's '94 title cannot be understated. How much was Corser's 955 an ex-Polen bike? Very. Note fairing on this Dec '93 photo.
image thanks, daytona international speedway
It's difficult to remember now, even though it was just last season, but the BMW Superbike in 2010 was very close to potentially winning races. It was on the podium twice and seriously had the attention of the series fans. But as 2010 became 2011 and the Germans took back more control of the team from the grasp of Davide Tardozzi, the potential shown and 2010 momentum slipped through their fingers like sand. The BMW World Superbike team actually looks more lost in 2011 than the Ducati MotoGP squad.
Corser's World Superbike career, if it really is over, ended at Portugal last weekend with a sixteenth place finish in race two. Assuredly Corser enjoyed his retirement party. This is, after all, a man who raced with the word "pussy" on his helmet and has a reputation as someon who knows how to have a good time.
ENDS
by dean adams
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
For what may have been his final WSBK race, Troy Corser's BMW wore crocodile colors.
image thanks BMW
Fresh-faced and quiet, standing in the old Benny Kahn press room at Daytona in 1994, Troy Corser was asked to explain how he could come to a track like Daytona and finish on the podium in his first AMA Superbike event. His finish was amazing given such stiff competition— the names surrounding him on the results sheet were world champions Scott Russell and Eddie Lawson.
Quietly, Corser said, "Respect all, fear none." It was a very profound statement by a somewhat shy if not just private kid from Australia. Longtime Oz writer Mark "Bracksie" Bracks, at the time, summed up Corser by saying, "He's just this really fast 250 kid from the sticks."
The Portugal season finale of the World Superbike championship last weekend was billed as Corser's last race of his career. There was a party and his bike wore a "Croc" color scheme for the races. If Portugal was Corser's final race--and there is a fair bit of skepticism that he will remain retired--Corser's career can be summed up as both remarkable and unique. No WSBK champion can claim to have ridden the variety of bikes that Corser has raced in WSBK. And are we really ready to close the door on the career of a rider who once said "You're never too old if the equipment is good"?
1994, Corser wins his heat race and finishes second at Daytona on the Ducati. He'd never raced on a banked track before.
image by dean adams
The Fast by Ferracci Ducati AMA Superbike machine was a well-honed race and championship winner by the time Corser first rode it at a Daytona tire test in December of 1993. He had won the Australian Superbike title and caught the eye of former world champion Barry Sheene who brought him to the attention of the Castiglioni brothers who then owned Ducati. They funneled him to Eraldo Ferracci and he brought Corser, and Sheene, and of course Nixon, to Daytona for the test.
Corser was fast, doing 1:51s on the first morning on the ex-Polen Ferracci bike. A deal was signed that would see Corser on an FBF Ducati in America in 1994. Corser spoke so quietly in this period one almost had to read his lips as he spoke—after the December tire test at Daytona, multiple press outlets mis-reported that his name was "Tony Corser" because of Corser's penchant to "low talk". By mid-season 1994, though, everyone knew his name.
Corser won the 1994 AMA Superbike title at the final round at Road Atlanta when the EXUP valve on Jamie James' Yamaha seized. No one suggested that Corser hadn't earned it, the season was a tumultuous one with weight being added to the Ducati as Corser continued to win. To this day Colin Edwards still considers his outside pass of Corser in Brainerd's ultra fast turn one a major accomplishment of his early career.
His nine months in America in 1994 gave Corser a solid platform for his career. It also padded his wallet--he was astounded to count up his winnings from the AMA Superbike series after Loudon and realize he'd already won over $50,000--just in purse money alone.
His nine months in America in 1994 gave Corser a solid platform for his career. It also padded his wallet--he was astounded to count up his winnings from the AMA Superbike series after Loudon and realize he'd already won over $50,000--just in purse money alone.
Corser seemed to enjoy his time in America but he had no plans to spend the rest of his career in the US. He booked scene quickly after wining the title--for World Superbike, which at the time he felt was going to be just another stop on his way to 500cc Grand Prix racing.
The Australian would return to Daytona in the mid-1990s for a full-on Promotor Ducati assault on the Daytona 200. It was clear that he was no longer a babe in the woods of America like he had been in December 1993. Asked after qualifying if he was disappointed in not earning the Daytona Rolex watch for pole, Corser sputtered in his signature monotone voice, "I can buy any watch I want. I just wanted to be fastest."
Armed with a Ducati, success didn't come as quickly in WSBK as it had for Corser in AMA. It took until 1996 for him to win the title and that done he and the Promotor squad--a semi-private satellite Ducati team--pulled up stakes and moved the entire operation to Grand Prix.
By '97 Corser had won his first WSBK title and was off to Grand Prix. The team's checkbook death-spinned into the ground, and the team folded and Corser never got paid. Here he bumps a YZR500 to life at Jerez.
image by dean adams
Corser's Grand Prix career only lasted a few races. At Jerez in '97, walking in back of the garages, I peered into each team's transporter. All of the teams had equipment, spares and the like stacked high, outside of what they had inside the garage to run a team. For Corser's team, the Promotor outfit, there was almost nothing in the transporter. Few spares, and few resources. Several races later the team folded. Corser spent the rest of the 1997 season ride-less.
By 1998 Corser was back in WSBK and almost on the cusp of winning his second world title when he crashed at the series finale at Sugo in Sunday morning warm up and damaged his spleen. He was not able to race and did not win the title.
'99 saw Corser again on Ducati with mixed results. Meanwhile the winds of political change were whipping through Bologna. At the end of the season the American owners seemed to think that young Ben Bostrom was a better choice to start the new millennium with on their team. Corser was off the factory WSBK team but quickly found a new home, and in Italy to boot.
Aprilia had already enjoyed a season of WSBK by the time Corser arrived there. Peter Goddard had done a journeyman job of getting the bike back to the garage with a minimum amount of parts not falling off of it, and helping Aprilia get a baseline set up. Feeling hard done by Ducati, Corser was on the gas from the first race. He won five races that season on the Aprilia, including the second race at Laguna Seca WSBK, which at the time Aprilia USA suits said was the most important win ever for the American market. Corser would spend a second season at Aprilia but the championship never came, and he blamed the tires while the team just looked lost.
Corser's retirement from racing ends the reign of a generation of Australian riders--Corser, Mladin and Bayliss. Also, Kiwi Aaron Slight.
image thanks, ducati corse
Corser signed to ride the new Foggy Petronas in 2002, and although the new from the ground up bike was supposed to debut in '02, it didn't. Corser sat out all of the 2002 season waiting for the Petronas to be ready--and legal--for WSBK. Corser would spend a few seasons at Foggy Petronas and seemed to enjoy the challenge of developing a new Superbike. His two Superpoles during this period on the 900cc triple would give foundation to his eventual nickname as "Mr. Superpole". Corser's 250 background helped him a great deal in this situation as the FP1 essentially had no torque, and its strength was mid-corner. "I wouldn't say it's the easiest bike to ride," Corser said at the time. The year spent trying to get the bike ready doomed the FP1 and by the end of 2004 Corser was looking to ride a bike that he could win on.
He found that with the Alstare Suzuki effort. Corser on the Suzuki in 2005 was as close to a perfect season as Corser could hope for. He had good pre-season testing and support, and by the time the racing season started Corser was ready. He dominated the early season championship standings and rode that wave all the way to the end, winning his second title. He raced 2006 with Suzuki as well, but by the end of the season he'd signed with Yamaha to race their R1.
At this point, Troy Corser had won races on the Ducati, Aprilia and Suzuki. He'd set poles and been on the podium on the underpowered FP1 Foggy bike. Thus, no one doubted that he would win races--at least--on the Yamaha.
However, for whatever reason, and after two full seasons, Corser hadn't won races on the Yamaha. And a new offer came in, this one from Bavaria.
Troy Corser, after Daytona, almost dismissed US tracks as 'easy to learn' in 1994. Ferracci's influence on Corser's '94 title cannot be understated. How much was Corser's 955 an ex-Polen bike? Very. Note fairing on this Dec '93 photo.
image thanks, daytona international speedway
It's difficult to remember now, even though it was just last season, but the BMW Superbike in 2010 was very close to potentially winning races. It was on the podium twice and seriously had the attention of the series fans. But as 2010 became 2011 and the Germans took back more control of the team from the grasp of Davide Tardozzi, the potential shown and 2010 momentum slipped through their fingers like sand. The BMW World Superbike team actually looks more lost in 2011 than the Ducati MotoGP squad.
Corser's World Superbike career, if it really is over, ended at Portugal last weekend with a sixteenth place finish in race two. Assuredly Corser enjoyed his retirement party. This is, after all, a man who raced with the word "pussy" on his helmet and has a reputation as someon who knows how to have a good time.
ENDS
Pedrosa completely in charge at Sepang
Friday, 21 October 2011
The Repsol Honda team swept the first day of the Shell Advance Malaysian Grand Prix, with Dani Pedrosa leading by a full eight tenths ahead of Stoner and a further six tenths ahead of Dovizioso.
Pedrosa dominated the MotoGP field on Friday, leading a Honda sweep of the top five positions with a blistering best lap of 2’01.250, a seven tenths improvement over his leading FP1 time and six tenths quicker than the lap record. Casey Stoner followed in second with a time of 2’02.070 with Andrea Dovizioso setting the third fastest time, though a full 1.414 seconds behind the untouchable pace of Pedrosa. The Italian rider was one of only two riders who did not improve on their morning practice times.
San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Marco Simoncelli was fourth with a time of 2’02.823, an improvement of half a second over his morning time, while Hiroshi Aoyama completed a Honda top five lapping one tenth behind his Italian team mate.
Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was the first Yamaha in the timings with a best effort of 2’02.991, improving by a margin of 8 tenths with a lap set halfway through the second practice. Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista followed the Texan by 0.123s to land seventh for the day.
Pramac Racing’s Randy de Puniet was the first Ducati in the timings, the Frenchman’s best lap of 2’03.159 six tenths quicker than his FP1 lap and the final within two seconds of Pedrosa’s flier, followed by Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) in ninth.
Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) completed the top ten of the day with a 2’03.318, one tenth quicker than Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) in 11th and three tenths ahead of the Valentino Rossi’s Ducati in 13th.
Wildcard John Hopkins (Rizla Suzuki) was 14th for the day, 0.016s quicker than Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) while Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar) completed 11 laps, following just four completed in the morning, to land 17th as the Spanish rider recovers from surgery on the fractured collarbone he sustained just two weeks ago in Japan.
Replacement rider for injured Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo, Katsuyuki Nakasuga, started the day strong but crashed in both sessions, ending the day in 18th.
Friday, 21 October 2011
The Repsol Honda team swept the first day of the Shell Advance Malaysian Grand Prix, with Dani Pedrosa leading by a full eight tenths ahead of Stoner and a further six tenths ahead of Dovizioso.
Pedrosa dominated the MotoGP field on Friday, leading a Honda sweep of the top five positions with a blistering best lap of 2’01.250, a seven tenths improvement over his leading FP1 time and six tenths quicker than the lap record. Casey Stoner followed in second with a time of 2’02.070 with Andrea Dovizioso setting the third fastest time, though a full 1.414 seconds behind the untouchable pace of Pedrosa. The Italian rider was one of only two riders who did not improve on their morning practice times.
San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Marco Simoncelli was fourth with a time of 2’02.823, an improvement of half a second over his morning time, while Hiroshi Aoyama completed a Honda top five lapping one tenth behind his Italian team mate.
Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was the first Yamaha in the timings with a best effort of 2’02.991, improving by a margin of 8 tenths with a lap set halfway through the second practice. Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista followed the Texan by 0.123s to land seventh for the day.
Pramac Racing’s Randy de Puniet was the first Ducati in the timings, the Frenchman’s best lap of 2’03.159 six tenths quicker than his FP1 lap and the final within two seconds of Pedrosa’s flier, followed by Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) in ninth.
Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) completed the top ten of the day with a 2’03.318, one tenth quicker than Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) in 11th and three tenths ahead of the Valentino Rossi’s Ducati in 13th.
Wildcard John Hopkins (Rizla Suzuki) was 14th for the day, 0.016s quicker than Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) while Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar) completed 11 laps, following just four completed in the morning, to land 17th as the Spanish rider recovers from surgery on the fractured collarbone he sustained just two weeks ago in Japan.
Replacement rider for injured Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo, Katsuyuki Nakasuga, started the day strong but crashed in both sessions, ending the day in 18th.
Edwards to miss Valencia MotoGP round
Friday, 28 October 2011
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Colin Edwards is recovering well from injuries sustained in the tragic accident that claimed the life of popular Italian rider Marco Simoncelli in Sepang last weekend. However the 37-year-old though will not be fit to ride his YZR-M1 machine in next weekend's Valencia MotoGP round, as he requires surgery on a left arm injury that resulted from a three-rider incident on the second lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Edwards was assessed by orthopedic specialist Dr Henry Small at the University General Hospital in Houston on Wednesday and it was confirmed he has multiple small fractures to the top of his left humerus bone, which connects the shoulder to the elbow.
There is also damage to the cartilage around the tip of the humerus bone, which will require surgery next Tuesday. With a four-week recovery period, Edwards will not be able to take part in the Valencia race on November 6, which was due to be his final appearance for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team.
Edwards also suffered severe bruising and swelling to both wrists and right heel in the accident, but additional checks at the University General Hospital showed no fractures.
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is currently considering replacement options for the Valencia round and an announcement will be made at the earliest opportunity.
Colin Edwards:
“Firstly, I want to thank everybody for all their messages of support since Sunday. The support and love has been overwhelming and it has been a great comfort to me at this difficult time. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Marco and I will miss him a lot, as will the entire MotoGP family. I watched Marco's funeral yesterday and I really wish I could have been there. I wanted to go but unfortunately my injuries meant I was unable to travel. I know Valentino spoke to Marco's family on my behalf and I thank him for that. It was a great service and a fitting celebration of his life. I also wanted to be in Valencia next week to give my support to MotoGP, but it is not going to be possible because of the surgery I need on my left arm. The top of my left humerus bone has got multiple small fractures but the cartilage that is around the top of the bone has been pulled off. The surgery will anchor the cartilage back to the bone but there is no nerve damage, so I should be 100 per cent in about four weeks."
Press release courtesy of Monster Yamaha Tech 3
Friday, 28 October 2011
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Colin Edwards is recovering well from injuries sustained in the tragic accident that claimed the life of popular Italian rider Marco Simoncelli in Sepang last weekend. However the 37-year-old though will not be fit to ride his YZR-M1 machine in next weekend's Valencia MotoGP round, as he requires surgery on a left arm injury that resulted from a three-rider incident on the second lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Edwards was assessed by orthopedic specialist Dr Henry Small at the University General Hospital in Houston on Wednesday and it was confirmed he has multiple small fractures to the top of his left humerus bone, which connects the shoulder to the elbow.
There is also damage to the cartilage around the tip of the humerus bone, which will require surgery next Tuesday. With a four-week recovery period, Edwards will not be able to take part in the Valencia race on November 6, which was due to be his final appearance for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team.
Edwards also suffered severe bruising and swelling to both wrists and right heel in the accident, but additional checks at the University General Hospital showed no fractures.
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is currently considering replacement options for the Valencia round and an announcement will be made at the earliest opportunity.
Colin Edwards:
“Firstly, I want to thank everybody for all their messages of support since Sunday. The support and love has been overwhelming and it has been a great comfort to me at this difficult time. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Marco and I will miss him a lot, as will the entire MotoGP family. I watched Marco's funeral yesterday and I really wish I could have been there. I wanted to go but unfortunately my injuries meant I was unable to travel. I know Valentino spoke to Marco's family on my behalf and I thank him for that. It was a great service and a fitting celebration of his life. I also wanted to be in Valencia next week to give my support to MotoGP, but it is not going to be possible because of the surgery I need on my left arm. The top of my left humerus bone has got multiple small fractures but the cartilage that is around the top of the bone has been pulled off. The surgery will anchor the cartilage back to the bone but there is no nerve damage, so I should be 100 per cent in about four weeks."
Press release courtesy of Monster Yamaha Tech 3
^^ beautiful machine.. and you know, you're right. i haven't seen a laverda in 20 years, maybe more. i think the last time i rode one i was in my 20's..
re: italian machines- understood about the non-interest in cars.. but there is a correlation between the quality of high end cars and motorcycles manufactured in particular country.
I hope that hurt him ^
San Carlo Honda Gresini and Gresini Moto2 will participate at Valencia
Monday, 31 October 2011
The MotoGP and Moto2 teams run by Fausto Gresini will be present and on track this weekend at Valencia, with Hiroshi Aoyama riding in the MotoGP class and Michele Pirro and Yuki Takahashi competing in the final Moto2 race of 2011.
Team owner Fausto Gresini confirmed the participation of both teams in the final round of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship at Valencia, stating the participation of the teams will be tributes to their fallen rider Marco Simoncelli.
“The decision to participate was not an easy one, but we have made this choice as it is what Marco would have wanted,” said Gresini.
“Going out on track at Valencia is definitely the best way to honour him by doing what he most loved to do: Ride and experience the world of MotoGP. This is why I believe that the best show of affection that we can make to Marco is by lining up our teams and riders for this race.”
“‘Super Sic’ will be present in the hearts of Hiroshi Aoyama, Michele Pirro and Yuki Takahashi, and I am sure that they will give him a most fitting tribute with their performances on Sunday,” he concluded.
Josh Hayes to join Monster Yamaha Tech 3 in Valencia
Monday, 31 October 2011
American Superbike Champion Josh Hayes will replace injured Colin Edwards for this weekend's Valencia MotoGP round in Spain.
The 36-year-old has been drafted in by the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad because Edwards is unable to participate in Valencia while he recovers from injuries sustained during the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Sepang on October 23.
Edwards was due to make his final appearance for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit after a long and successful career with Yamaha in the MotoGP World Championship, which started back in 2005.
The Texan though will undergo an operation to repair cartilage damage around the top of the humerus bone in his left arm after he was involved in an incident with Marco Simoncelli and Valentino Rossi on the second lap of the Sepang race. Tragically, Simoncelli succumbed to injuries sustained in the accident.
Hayes, who won his second successive American Superbike crown for the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha Team in a dramatic final round in New Jersey, was due to test the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine the day after Sunday's final race.
Yamaha US and Monster Energy arranged the test appearance to reward Hayes for capturing the American Superbike title for the second year in succession in 2011.
Hayes will now join British rider Cal Crutchlow when practice for the Valencia round gets underway on Friday morning.
Press release courtesy of Monster Yamaha Tech 3
San Carlo Honda Gresini and Gresini Moto2 will participate at Valencia
Monday, 31 October 2011
The MotoGP and Moto2 teams run by Fausto Gresini will be present and on track this weekend at Valencia, with Hiroshi Aoyama riding in the MotoGP class and Michele Pirro and Yuki Takahashi competing in the final Moto2 race of 2011.
Team owner Fausto Gresini confirmed the participation of both teams in the final round of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship at Valencia, stating the participation of the teams will be tributes to their fallen rider Marco Simoncelli.
“The decision to participate was not an easy one, but we have made this choice as it is what Marco would have wanted,” said Gresini.
“Going out on track at Valencia is definitely the best way to honour him by doing what he most loved to do: Ride and experience the world of MotoGP. This is why I believe that the best show of affection that we can make to Marco is by lining up our teams and riders for this race.”
“‘Super Sic’ will be present in the hearts of Hiroshi Aoyama, Michele Pirro and Yuki Takahashi, and I am sure that they will give him a most fitting tribute with their performances on Sunday,” he concluded.
Josh Hayes to join Monster Yamaha Tech 3 in Valencia
Monday, 31 October 2011
American Superbike Champion Josh Hayes will replace injured Colin Edwards for this weekend's Valencia MotoGP round in Spain.
The 36-year-old has been drafted in by the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad because Edwards is unable to participate in Valencia while he recovers from injuries sustained during the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Sepang on October 23.
Edwards was due to make his final appearance for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit after a long and successful career with Yamaha in the MotoGP World Championship, which started back in 2005.
The Texan though will undergo an operation to repair cartilage damage around the top of the humerus bone in his left arm after he was involved in an incident with Marco Simoncelli and Valentino Rossi on the second lap of the Sepang race. Tragically, Simoncelli succumbed to injuries sustained in the accident.
Hayes, who won his second successive American Superbike crown for the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha Team in a dramatic final round in New Jersey, was due to test the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine the day after Sunday's final race.
Yamaha US and Monster Energy arranged the test appearance to reward Hayes for capturing the American Superbike title for the second year in succession in 2011.
Hayes will now join British rider Cal Crutchlow when practice for the Valencia round gets underway on Friday morning.
Press release courtesy of Monster Yamaha Tech 3
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Repsol Honda Team dominate on 1st day of testing at Valencia
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Repsol Honda riders Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa were back in action at Valencia circuit today on the new RC213V. Dani Pedrosa set the fastest lap time with 1'32.186 on his final lap of 40 and Casey Stoner who did 42 laps, finished closely behind him with a 1'32.322, recorded on lap 34.
The 1000cc prototype included some new parts after feedback from both factory riders when they tested the bike in Brno in August. HRC test rider Kosuke Akiyoshi also joined the Repsol Honda riders in a perfect day for testing, with temperatures reaching 20 degrees and no wind.
Dani Pedrosa – 1st 1'32.186
"It's been a good day for testing after so much rain! The track conditions were good which allowed us to work well on the bike and get the first feeling with the new RCV. We made a step forward from August, when I first tried the bike in Brno which is a good thing: we modified the front end a little and I felt the corner entry is better, also under braking. I'm quite satisfied, not because of the lap times but more for the feeling I had. It was a bike test but also a rider test, I feel it's like a schooling for me also and I enjoyed it. Not only the bike is new, also the tyres are different for these bikes, the engine is new, you have more power and more torque. We've been riding 800cc quite a long time and I feel that I need to adapt my riding style a little and it's interesting. It's more fun, in general."
Casey Stoner – 2nd 1'32.322
"Everything has gone pretty well for us we're struggling a little bit with the new tyres, we're finding they are giving us a little bit of chatter on the bike. We compared the bike that we tested in Jerez and Brno to the newer version we have here and we found quite a lot of improvements in some small ways with chattering but we still need to work on this some more. In general it was good to be out there on the 1000 and feel the horsepower, it's a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to feeling it on a lot of different tracks!."
De Puniet impresses at Valencia test
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Rizla Suzuki gave an impromptu test to French MotoGP racer Randy de Puniet and he wasted no time impressing the team onboard the GSV-R
Suzuki gave de Puniet the opportunity to test the 800cc prototype bike at Valencia today to get another rider’s feedback on the machine and the Frenchman responded by recording the fourth quickest time of the day. De Puniet only took a few laps to make himself comfortable aboard the Suzuki GSV-R and continued to improve on his lap-times as the day progressed. His best time of 1'33.544 was recorded on his 35th lap as he ended the day completing 55 circulations of the 4,005m Valencia circuit.
Randy de Puniet
“I am very happy with the job I have done today and would like to thank Rizla Suzuki for giving me this opportunity. One hour before I rode the bike I didn’t know I was going to be on it, so I had to modify old leathers to remove the wrong brands! I had a good day and am very happy with the lap-time and position. The staff are very professional and it has been nice to have this day and to work with them. I was very impressed with the bike and I felt comfortable immediately and enjoyed it a lot. I would like to ride it next year, I’m not the boss, but I hope I did a good job for everybody! I think the bike has good potential and also the feeling with everybody in the team was good and this is the most important thing for me – to feel at home. I would like to say thank-you to my manager for pushing so hard to get me this opportunity, to Pramac for allowing me to take it and to Sahara san, Paul, Tom and the GSV-R for such a good day!”
Paul Denning – Team Manager
“We took this opportunity today to test with Randy because the bike has changed quite a lot over the year, and with John’s bad luck in Brno and Malaysia we didn’t get the chance to get the further feedback from a rider other than Álvaro. With that in mind it was an opportunity to properly test the 2012 Bridgestone tyres and receive detailed comments on the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R from another perspective. Frankly speaking we didn’t expect the result, but we are really pleased to see that Randy enjoyed the bike so much, was able to get a good feeling immediately and was very fast and consistent, as well as giving excellent technical feedback. I would like to say thank-you to him - I was very impressed with what he did today.”
Press release courtesy of Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
Ducati on track with experimental GP12
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Rossi took to the track on day one of the Valencia MotoGP Test aboard a test version of the Desmosedici GP12.
Ducati's Valentino Rossi rode an experimental version of next season’s GP12, equipped with an aluminium perimeter frame, at the Test in Valencia on Tuesday.
In an interview with motogp.com, Ducati Technical Director, Filippo Preziosi, described the Desmosedici test version, but stressed that it is a starting point for developing next year’s bike. “Now we have designed a bike that has different technology for the frame, we would like to make the weight distribution, and everything else, the same as the standard bike in order to do a comparison. Then based on the results of our rider’s comments and data acquisition, we will define the final targets for the design of the next bike for the future.”
Preziosi continued, citing the main advantage of such a frame. “This chassis allows us to put the engine in a different position and change the pivot of the swingarm without producing other engines, which is a problem for the current rule, which says the maximum numbers of engines you can use is just six.”
The Technical Director then acknowledged the sacrifices the riders have made during the season in the name of development. "This is the worst thing you can ask of a rider - They are riders and they want to perform their best during the Sunday race, so asking them to act as a test rider during the entire weekend is something difficult. But Valentino did it and Nicky too, in order to have a better bike for the future.”
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Repsol Honda riders Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa were back in action at Valencia circuit today on the new RC213V. Dani Pedrosa set the fastest lap time with 1'32.186 on his final lap of 40 and Casey Stoner who did 42 laps, finished closely behind him with a 1'32.322, recorded on lap 34.
The 1000cc prototype included some new parts after feedback from both factory riders when they tested the bike in Brno in August. HRC test rider Kosuke Akiyoshi also joined the Repsol Honda riders in a perfect day for testing, with temperatures reaching 20 degrees and no wind.
Dani Pedrosa – 1st 1'32.186
"It's been a good day for testing after so much rain! The track conditions were good which allowed us to work well on the bike and get the first feeling with the new RCV. We made a step forward from August, when I first tried the bike in Brno which is a good thing: we modified the front end a little and I felt the corner entry is better, also under braking. I'm quite satisfied, not because of the lap times but more for the feeling I had. It was a bike test but also a rider test, I feel it's like a schooling for me also and I enjoyed it. Not only the bike is new, also the tyres are different for these bikes, the engine is new, you have more power and more torque. We've been riding 800cc quite a long time and I feel that I need to adapt my riding style a little and it's interesting. It's more fun, in general."
Casey Stoner – 2nd 1'32.322
"Everything has gone pretty well for us we're struggling a little bit with the new tyres, we're finding they are giving us a little bit of chatter on the bike. We compared the bike that we tested in Jerez and Brno to the newer version we have here and we found quite a lot of improvements in some small ways with chattering but we still need to work on this some more. In general it was good to be out there on the 1000 and feel the horsepower, it's a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to feeling it on a lot of different tracks!."
De Puniet impresses at Valencia test
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Rizla Suzuki gave an impromptu test to French MotoGP racer Randy de Puniet and he wasted no time impressing the team onboard the GSV-R
Suzuki gave de Puniet the opportunity to test the 800cc prototype bike at Valencia today to get another rider’s feedback on the machine and the Frenchman responded by recording the fourth quickest time of the day. De Puniet only took a few laps to make himself comfortable aboard the Suzuki GSV-R and continued to improve on his lap-times as the day progressed. His best time of 1'33.544 was recorded on his 35th lap as he ended the day completing 55 circulations of the 4,005m Valencia circuit.
Randy de Puniet
“I am very happy with the job I have done today and would like to thank Rizla Suzuki for giving me this opportunity. One hour before I rode the bike I didn’t know I was going to be on it, so I had to modify old leathers to remove the wrong brands! I had a good day and am very happy with the lap-time and position. The staff are very professional and it has been nice to have this day and to work with them. I was very impressed with the bike and I felt comfortable immediately and enjoyed it a lot. I would like to ride it next year, I’m not the boss, but I hope I did a good job for everybody! I think the bike has good potential and also the feeling with everybody in the team was good and this is the most important thing for me – to feel at home. I would like to say thank-you to my manager for pushing so hard to get me this opportunity, to Pramac for allowing me to take it and to Sahara san, Paul, Tom and the GSV-R for such a good day!”
Paul Denning – Team Manager
“We took this opportunity today to test with Randy because the bike has changed quite a lot over the year, and with John’s bad luck in Brno and Malaysia we didn’t get the chance to get the further feedback from a rider other than Álvaro. With that in mind it was an opportunity to properly test the 2012 Bridgestone tyres and receive detailed comments on the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R from another perspective. Frankly speaking we didn’t expect the result, but we are really pleased to see that Randy enjoyed the bike so much, was able to get a good feeling immediately and was very fast and consistent, as well as giving excellent technical feedback. I would like to say thank-you to him - I was very impressed with what he did today.”
Press release courtesy of Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
Ducati on track with experimental GP12
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Rossi took to the track on day one of the Valencia MotoGP Test aboard a test version of the Desmosedici GP12.
Ducati's Valentino Rossi rode an experimental version of next season’s GP12, equipped with an aluminium perimeter frame, at the Test in Valencia on Tuesday.
In an interview with motogp.com, Ducati Technical Director, Filippo Preziosi, described the Desmosedici test version, but stressed that it is a starting point for developing next year’s bike. “Now we have designed a bike that has different technology for the frame, we would like to make the weight distribution, and everything else, the same as the standard bike in order to do a comparison. Then based on the results of our rider’s comments and data acquisition, we will define the final targets for the design of the next bike for the future.”
Preziosi continued, citing the main advantage of such a frame. “This chassis allows us to put the engine in a different position and change the pivot of the swingarm without producing other engines, which is a problem for the current rule, which says the maximum numbers of engines you can use is just six.”
The Technical Director then acknowledged the sacrifices the riders have made during the season in the name of development. "This is the worst thing you can ask of a rider - They are riders and they want to perform their best during the Sunday race, so asking them to act as a test rider during the entire weekend is something difficult. But Valentino did it and Nicky too, in order to have a better bike for the future.”
Stoner wins dramatic Valencia GP at the line, Dovizioso seals third in the Championship
Sunday, 6 November 2011
World Champion Casey Stoner could not have finished the season any better, after winning the final race of the season in Valencia in spectacular fashion in a race to the line with Ben Spies.
With this podium, Stoner celebrates his 16th podium finish of the year, equaling the record for most podiums in a single season in the premier class, previously achieved by Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.
Alongside Stoner and Spies on the podium was Repsol Honda team mate Andrea Dovizioso, who finished third in the race and also wrapped up third place in the Championship. Dani Pedrosa, who was also fighting for the podium until the last five laps, crossed the finish line in fifth position and finished 2011 MotoGP World Championship in fourth place.
The riders took to the grid with slicks and on the warm up lap, drops of rain appeared, hinting at a potentially thrilling race. Stoner pulled away from the start and at one point had an advantage of nine seconds ahead of team mates Dovizioso and Pedrosa, who were jostling for position until lap 23.
On lap 24, a new race began as it started to rain more heavily. Spies overtook Pedrosa and Dovizioso, and with two laps remaining, Stoner made a mistake after engaging neutral instead of first gear and Spies took the lead. Stoner tracked him closely and then took a slightly different line coming out of the last corner of the final lap, and his Honda RC212V drove him to the finish line first, just 0.015 seconds ahead of the American.
Dovizioso and Pedrosa enjoyed a tough but clean fight however, in the final laps the Andrea adapted to the rain better taking his seventh podium of the year and with it celebrated his best Championship classification in his MotoGP career with third position.
This has been a fantastic season for the Repsol Honda Team who celebrate the 'Triple Crown' after adding the Team Championship (with 528 points compared to Yamaha's 446 points) to the riders' and Constructor's titles already won in Australia. The team will return to the Valencia track on Tuesday in the first official testing day for 2012. Riders Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner will take part in the two day test.
On Tuesday, Stefan Bradl will have the opportunity to ride the World Championship winning RC212V as a gift from HRC for winning the Moto2 Championship. It was planned to invite runner-up Marc Marquez to also ride the bike, but unfortunately due to his injury sustained in Malaysia this is not possible.
Casey Stoner:
"My heart was in my throat! We did such a good job all the race and then it started to rain heavily. Being the first one to arrive to the conditions on the track, I wasn't sure how hard to push so I slowed up to ensure I finished the race and I thought if they come past I can stay with them. Then coming onto the back straight I made a slight mistake when I went into neutral instead of first gear and Ben came past me. I tried to stay with him but he was riding very well, fast and smooth and he looked confident in the conditions, more so than me. In the first half of the final lap he made a nice gap but I knew we were quick in the second half of the lap. I thought to myself, we haven't been able to take any risks all season, this is the time to take one and see what we can do. I knew I had a better exit line out of the final turn and I kept my head down and went for the line. It's amazing to win this on the finish line, I've had it done to me in the past a few times but I've never done it to anyone else! I'm sorry for Ben, he rode a great race, a big thanks to my team for all their hard work this year".
Andrea Dovizioso:
“I’m so happy with third place in the Championship, it’s a great achievement born from a lot hard work throughout the year. Before arriving here I knew I only had a few opportunities to arrive in front of Dani, because he has been always so fast here. Dani was faster than me also in this race weekend so I had to make a good strategy to beat him. Considering that I had a soft front tyre, I knew I couldn’t push hard for 30 laps, I tried to stop him when I was in front of him, then every time he overtook me, I tried to pass him immediately. It was a good battle and with the rain at coming with 7-8 laps to go, I wanted to push harder for the win because I’m good in these tricky conditions however, third position in the Championship was too important so I decided not to take any additional risks. Thanks to my team for these three years spent together, I’m very pleased to finish my career at Honda with third in the Championship, my best result so far in MotoGP. On the final lap I thought of Marco and in the end I succeeded here on a track where I have always struggled. Marco helped me in this challenging mission, Ciao Marco.”
Dani Pedrosa:
"It wasn't an easy race. I did my best, trying hard but I wasn't feeling good on the bike, I was rigid and didn't ride very well. But especially in the end with more water on the track I struggled a lot as in Australia, so this is something I will try to improve with my riding in the future. I had a good battle with Andrea and in the last laps I lost a place to Cal Crutchlow, but I couldn't do any more. Andrea and I were on a soft front tyre and we were maybe struggling a little more than Ben or Cal who were on a hard front, but it's not an excuse. I just want to move forward and think about next year and the test we have on Tuesday. It has been a tough year, but we will try to take the positives from here and be optimistic for the 2012."
Sensational second for Spies in 800cc Grand Prix finale
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Yamaha Factory rider Ben Spies delivered a sensational performance today to take second in the tomorrow’s Gran Premio Gernerali de la Comunitat Valenciana, the final race of the 800cc era and the season closer.
The Texan was quick to tuck in behind the fighting duo of Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa, pacing the two as they fought for position. With seven laps to go he made his move and began to close down race leader Casey Stoner. Capitalising on a small mistake by the race leader, Spies moved to the front and managed to create a small gap. Unfortunately the last corner saw Stoner fight back, charging to cross the finish line just 0.015 seconds ahead.
Katsuyuki Nakasuga put in a brilliant performance today in his first ever premier class MotoGP race. The Japanese rider has faced challenging weather conditions all weekend on his first visit to the Valencia circuit. Faced with a grid of experienced GP riders and hugely changeable track conditions, Nakasuga-san delivered, holding his own and fighting through to take a very respectable sixth place finish.
Today’s Grand Prix at Valencia was not only the last of the season, but also the last of the 800cc era. Although unable to ride for the last two Grand Prix, Jorge Lorenzo has amassed enough points to seal second in the Championship standings with 260. Team mate Ben Spies takes fifth place with 176 points.
Ben Spies:
“The conditions were really tough today, with the rain it was so difficult to know how hard to push so I was just concentrating on bringing the bike home. We were able to follow Dani and Dovi and get past them eventually and then get past Casey when he made a small mistake. When there’s no rider in front of you, you don’t have a judge on how slippery the track is so it’s difficult to judge speed in that last lap. When we came out of the last corner I got the paint sucked off the bike by Casey as he went past! I’m happy enough; we made a huge charge at the end and finished well. Considering how the last month has gone it’s a great way to end. We’ll focus on the test now and aim to be up there and even more competitive next year. A huge thank you to Yamaha and my crew who made sure I had a great bike to ride today. This morning we all came out to make some noise and say goodbye to Marco, I’m pretty sure he heard us and I know he would have approved!”
Katsuyuki Nakasuga:
“I was really surprised with sixth position in the race! In the beginning I was very nervous because of the weather condition so my main target was to complete the race. I am used to Japanese races which only last 30 minutes so I was worried that I might not be able to keep my concentration for nearly double the time. Finally I’m very happy, the last five laps were quite risky because it wasn’t easy to go faster but I had nothing to lose so I wanted to push as hard as I could. It’s been amazing to experiment with a real Grand Prix race, not only can I use this for future development riding but I’m very pleased with the good result. The weather maybe helped me, but I am happy and enjoying the moment.”
Wilco Zeelenberg – Team Manager:
“That was a very surprising race but very exciting as well! We are very happy with the results; Nakasuga-san’s sixth position is fantastic. 30 laps in dry and wet conditions are very difficult when you have to push. To finish in front of regular GP riders is very good. Ben’s podium in between those two competitors was brilliant, a shame we just got passed at the line. Overall we’ve had a great weekend, now we’re going to work hard for the next few days to prepare for 2012.”
Massimo Meregalli - Team Director:
“What a race! For sure it was a really difficult one. Ben did a fantastic job; his reactions to everything on track were great. Unfortunately we lost the race for just 0.015 seconds. It’s very important to me how we finished the Championship and this is a very good starting point for next season. Nakasuga-san achieved a great result; I don’t think we were expecting him to do so well! We have finished our 50th anniversary of Grand Prix racing in a very fitting way. We are going to have two really important testing days now on Tuesday and Wednesday, Ben’s mood is pretty high and he is focused on the test. We’ll keep pushing and working hard to be ready for the next season.”
Yamaha Factory Racing press release
Sunday, 6 November 2011
World Champion Casey Stoner could not have finished the season any better, after winning the final race of the season in Valencia in spectacular fashion in a race to the line with Ben Spies.
With this podium, Stoner celebrates his 16th podium finish of the year, equaling the record for most podiums in a single season in the premier class, previously achieved by Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.
Alongside Stoner and Spies on the podium was Repsol Honda team mate Andrea Dovizioso, who finished third in the race and also wrapped up third place in the Championship. Dani Pedrosa, who was also fighting for the podium until the last five laps, crossed the finish line in fifth position and finished 2011 MotoGP World Championship in fourth place.
The riders took to the grid with slicks and on the warm up lap, drops of rain appeared, hinting at a potentially thrilling race. Stoner pulled away from the start and at one point had an advantage of nine seconds ahead of team mates Dovizioso and Pedrosa, who were jostling for position until lap 23.
On lap 24, a new race began as it started to rain more heavily. Spies overtook Pedrosa and Dovizioso, and with two laps remaining, Stoner made a mistake after engaging neutral instead of first gear and Spies took the lead. Stoner tracked him closely and then took a slightly different line coming out of the last corner of the final lap, and his Honda RC212V drove him to the finish line first, just 0.015 seconds ahead of the American.
Dovizioso and Pedrosa enjoyed a tough but clean fight however, in the final laps the Andrea adapted to the rain better taking his seventh podium of the year and with it celebrated his best Championship classification in his MotoGP career with third position.
This has been a fantastic season for the Repsol Honda Team who celebrate the 'Triple Crown' after adding the Team Championship (with 528 points compared to Yamaha's 446 points) to the riders' and Constructor's titles already won in Australia. The team will return to the Valencia track on Tuesday in the first official testing day for 2012. Riders Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner will take part in the two day test.
On Tuesday, Stefan Bradl will have the opportunity to ride the World Championship winning RC212V as a gift from HRC for winning the Moto2 Championship. It was planned to invite runner-up Marc Marquez to also ride the bike, but unfortunately due to his injury sustained in Malaysia this is not possible.
Casey Stoner:
"My heart was in my throat! We did such a good job all the race and then it started to rain heavily. Being the first one to arrive to the conditions on the track, I wasn't sure how hard to push so I slowed up to ensure I finished the race and I thought if they come past I can stay with them. Then coming onto the back straight I made a slight mistake when I went into neutral instead of first gear and Ben came past me. I tried to stay with him but he was riding very well, fast and smooth and he looked confident in the conditions, more so than me. In the first half of the final lap he made a nice gap but I knew we were quick in the second half of the lap. I thought to myself, we haven't been able to take any risks all season, this is the time to take one and see what we can do. I knew I had a better exit line out of the final turn and I kept my head down and went for the line. It's amazing to win this on the finish line, I've had it done to me in the past a few times but I've never done it to anyone else! I'm sorry for Ben, he rode a great race, a big thanks to my team for all their hard work this year".
Andrea Dovizioso:
“I’m so happy with third place in the Championship, it’s a great achievement born from a lot hard work throughout the year. Before arriving here I knew I only had a few opportunities to arrive in front of Dani, because he has been always so fast here. Dani was faster than me also in this race weekend so I had to make a good strategy to beat him. Considering that I had a soft front tyre, I knew I couldn’t push hard for 30 laps, I tried to stop him when I was in front of him, then every time he overtook me, I tried to pass him immediately. It was a good battle and with the rain at coming with 7-8 laps to go, I wanted to push harder for the win because I’m good in these tricky conditions however, third position in the Championship was too important so I decided not to take any additional risks. Thanks to my team for these three years spent together, I’m very pleased to finish my career at Honda with third in the Championship, my best result so far in MotoGP. On the final lap I thought of Marco and in the end I succeeded here on a track where I have always struggled. Marco helped me in this challenging mission, Ciao Marco.”
Dani Pedrosa:
"It wasn't an easy race. I did my best, trying hard but I wasn't feeling good on the bike, I was rigid and didn't ride very well. But especially in the end with more water on the track I struggled a lot as in Australia, so this is something I will try to improve with my riding in the future. I had a good battle with Andrea and in the last laps I lost a place to Cal Crutchlow, but I couldn't do any more. Andrea and I were on a soft front tyre and we were maybe struggling a little more than Ben or Cal who were on a hard front, but it's not an excuse. I just want to move forward and think about next year and the test we have on Tuesday. It has been a tough year, but we will try to take the positives from here and be optimistic for the 2012."
Sensational second for Spies in 800cc Grand Prix finale
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Yamaha Factory rider Ben Spies delivered a sensational performance today to take second in the tomorrow’s Gran Premio Gernerali de la Comunitat Valenciana, the final race of the 800cc era and the season closer.
The Texan was quick to tuck in behind the fighting duo of Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa, pacing the two as they fought for position. With seven laps to go he made his move and began to close down race leader Casey Stoner. Capitalising on a small mistake by the race leader, Spies moved to the front and managed to create a small gap. Unfortunately the last corner saw Stoner fight back, charging to cross the finish line just 0.015 seconds ahead.
Katsuyuki Nakasuga put in a brilliant performance today in his first ever premier class MotoGP race. The Japanese rider has faced challenging weather conditions all weekend on his first visit to the Valencia circuit. Faced with a grid of experienced GP riders and hugely changeable track conditions, Nakasuga-san delivered, holding his own and fighting through to take a very respectable sixth place finish.
Today’s Grand Prix at Valencia was not only the last of the season, but also the last of the 800cc era. Although unable to ride for the last two Grand Prix, Jorge Lorenzo has amassed enough points to seal second in the Championship standings with 260. Team mate Ben Spies takes fifth place with 176 points.
Ben Spies:
“The conditions were really tough today, with the rain it was so difficult to know how hard to push so I was just concentrating on bringing the bike home. We were able to follow Dani and Dovi and get past them eventually and then get past Casey when he made a small mistake. When there’s no rider in front of you, you don’t have a judge on how slippery the track is so it’s difficult to judge speed in that last lap. When we came out of the last corner I got the paint sucked off the bike by Casey as he went past! I’m happy enough; we made a huge charge at the end and finished well. Considering how the last month has gone it’s a great way to end. We’ll focus on the test now and aim to be up there and even more competitive next year. A huge thank you to Yamaha and my crew who made sure I had a great bike to ride today. This morning we all came out to make some noise and say goodbye to Marco, I’m pretty sure he heard us and I know he would have approved!”
Katsuyuki Nakasuga:
“I was really surprised with sixth position in the race! In the beginning I was very nervous because of the weather condition so my main target was to complete the race. I am used to Japanese races which only last 30 minutes so I was worried that I might not be able to keep my concentration for nearly double the time. Finally I’m very happy, the last five laps were quite risky because it wasn’t easy to go faster but I had nothing to lose so I wanted to push as hard as I could. It’s been amazing to experiment with a real Grand Prix race, not only can I use this for future development riding but I’m very pleased with the good result. The weather maybe helped me, but I am happy and enjoying the moment.”
Wilco Zeelenberg – Team Manager:
“That was a very surprising race but very exciting as well! We are very happy with the results; Nakasuga-san’s sixth position is fantastic. 30 laps in dry and wet conditions are very difficult when you have to push. To finish in front of regular GP riders is very good. Ben’s podium in between those two competitors was brilliant, a shame we just got passed at the line. Overall we’ve had a great weekend, now we’re going to work hard for the next few days to prepare for 2012.”
Massimo Meregalli - Team Director:
“What a race! For sure it was a really difficult one. Ben did a fantastic job; his reactions to everything on track were great. Unfortunately we lost the race for just 0.015 seconds. It’s very important to me how we finished the Championship and this is a very good starting point for next season. Nakasuga-san achieved a great result; I don’t think we were expecting him to do so well! We have finished our 50th anniversary of Grand Prix racing in a very fitting way. We are going to have two really important testing days now on Tuesday and Wednesday, Ben’s mood is pretty high and he is focused on the test. We’ll keep pushing and working hard to be ready for the next season.”
Yamaha Factory Racing press release
MotoGP Test underway at Valencia
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
No sooner has the 2011 season finished and the premier class teams and riders are back on track testing for the 2012 season…
The Ricardo Tormo circuit was filled with the noise of 1000cc engines on Tuesday morning when the MotoGP field began the two-day Official Test, as preparations for the 2012 season continued.
Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa, who have both previously tested Repsol Honda’s new machine, led the way in terms of lap times with the Australian setting a 1’32.779 and his team-mate just 0.160s behind as they pushed on with the development of the RC213V, aided by test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi.
Valentino Rossi was on track testing an experimental GP12 with a perimetral chassis, and he worked away on the progress of the Desmosedici, completing 38 laps by 2pm.
Ben Spies continued his work on the 1000cc Yamaha M1 having previously tested at Brno and Misano, and Andrea Dovizioso got his first taste of the machine as he makes the switch from Honda to the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team in 2012. The Italian’s new team-mate Cal Crutchlow also had his first contact with the increased capacity bike.
Héctor Barberá, confirmed on Monday as a Pramac Racing rider for next season, was riding with his new team, and Randy de Puniet had turned a couple of laps on the 2011 Suzuki GSV-R by 2pm. The team, who is testing only today, handed the Frenchman the opportunity to ride the bike and gain his perspective on its potential. Álvaro Bautista, who rode with the team this season, is currently discussing his options for 2012 and is present at the track.
Moto2 World Champion Stefan Bradl took in his first laps on a premier class machine, riding LCR Honda’s 800cc RC212V, and there were three CRT machines out on track. Iván Silva, testing an Inmotec, Carmelo Morales on a Suter frame with a BMW engine, and Gianluca Nannelli on Italian factory Gapam’s effort.
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
No sooner has the 2011 season finished and the premier class teams and riders are back on track testing for the 2012 season…
The Ricardo Tormo circuit was filled with the noise of 1000cc engines on Tuesday morning when the MotoGP field began the two-day Official Test, as preparations for the 2012 season continued.
Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa, who have both previously tested Repsol Honda’s new machine, led the way in terms of lap times with the Australian setting a 1’32.779 and his team-mate just 0.160s behind as they pushed on with the development of the RC213V, aided by test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi.
Valentino Rossi was on track testing an experimental GP12 with a perimetral chassis, and he worked away on the progress of the Desmosedici, completing 38 laps by 2pm.
Ben Spies continued his work on the 1000cc Yamaha M1 having previously tested at Brno and Misano, and Andrea Dovizioso got his first taste of the machine as he makes the switch from Honda to the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team in 2012. The Italian’s new team-mate Cal Crutchlow also had his first contact with the increased capacity bike.
Héctor Barberá, confirmed on Monday as a Pramac Racing rider for next season, was riding with his new team, and Randy de Puniet had turned a couple of laps on the 2011 Suzuki GSV-R by 2pm. The team, who is testing only today, handed the Frenchman the opportunity to ride the bike and gain his perspective on its potential. Álvaro Bautista, who rode with the team this season, is currently discussing his options for 2012 and is present at the track.
Moto2 World Champion Stefan Bradl took in his first laps on a premier class machine, riding LCR Honda’s 800cc RC212V, and there were three CRT machines out on track. Iván Silva, testing an Inmotec, Carmelo Morales on a Suter frame with a BMW engine, and Gianluca Nannelli on Italian factory Gapam’s effort.
fails comp some old some new and a few balls are made blue
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Suzuki have made a big mistake in letting this kid go . . . .. . . .
Bautista makes Honda debut on RC212V
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
The Spaniard signed with San Carlo Honda Gresini for 2012 on Wednesday, and was immediately out on track with his new team at the Valencia Test.
Shortly after agreeing a deal for 2012 with Team San Carlo Honda Gresini, Álvaro Bautista took to the Valencia circuit on board the Honda RC212V for the first time today (Wednesday).
It was the first session of a winter testing programme that will continue at Sepang from January 31st to February 2nd, when the Spaniard will switch to the 1000cc Honda RC213V – the Japanese factory's new prototype for the new season.
Bautista did 55 laps today with a best time of 1’33.814 as he gained confidence with the Honda and tested two new Bridgestone 2012 tyre options. Not too much should be read into this test but the early signs are positive. The team now takes a much-needed break to recover the necessary spirit and energy to tackle its next challenge.
San Carlo Honda Gresini press release
Bautista makes Honda debut on RC212V
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
The Spaniard signed with San Carlo Honda Gresini for 2012 on Wednesday, and was immediately out on track with his new team at the Valencia Test.
Shortly after agreeing a deal for 2012 with Team San Carlo Honda Gresini, Álvaro Bautista took to the Valencia circuit on board the Honda RC212V for the first time today (Wednesday).
It was the first session of a winter testing programme that will continue at Sepang from January 31st to February 2nd, when the Spaniard will switch to the 1000cc Honda RC213V – the Japanese factory's new prototype for the new season.
Bautista did 55 laps today with a best time of 1’33.814 as he gained confidence with the Honda and tested two new Bridgestone 2012 tyre options. Not too much should be read into this test but the early signs are positive. The team now takes a much-needed break to recover the necessary spirit and energy to tackle its next challenge.
San Carlo Honda Gresini press release
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