Source: http://sportbikeblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/ama-results-from-2009-laguna-seca-round.html
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Phillip Island WSBK Test Day 2: Biaggi Fastest Again
The weather finally turned halfway decent for a test, with the sun out and temperatures rising for the World Superbike test at Phillip Island in Australia. The improved conditions saw Max Biaggi once again top the - admittedly very limited - timesheets with a lap of 1'32.3, but 2010 World Superbike champion - out on an Aprilia bearing the #1 plate - was only a couple of tenths faster than both Yamaha's Eugene Laverty and Biaggi's Aprilia teammate Leon Camier. Slowest man of the day was Laverty's teammate Marco Melandri, but even Melandri was just three tenths off Biaggi's fastest .
Biaggi and Camier spent the day testing the 2011 Ohlins forks once again, as well as a new swingarm, fuel tank and engine update, aimed at smoothing power delivery. The pair also tested new Pirellis, though whether those tires will be ready for the season opener on February 27th remains to be seen.
The day was spoiled by a couple of crashes, both happily ending without serious injury. Marco Melandri crashed and hurt a finger, though that did not slow him down, while Leon Camier came away from his crash unhurt, only to suffer a bird strike, the Englishman hitting one of Phillip Island's ubiquitous seagulls at high speed. That incident was painful enough for Camier to call an early halt to the test, after Camier suffered swelling in his arm
Hernan Holder Francis Hollebecq Toshihiko Honma John Hopkins
Yamaha primed for 2011 Dakar
The 33rd Dakar Rally draws ever closer and the 2011 edition of the historic and daunting event will begin in Buenos Aires on new year?s day with Yamaha hopeful of further good results in the motorcycling category thanks to the excellent support of Yamaha Motor France and their potent Team Yamaha Racing France Ipone.
For the third year in a row the Dakar will remain in South America. The two week contest covering more than 9000km starting from the Argentine capital crossing the Andes into Chile, the longest country in the world, through the Atacama desert and traversing a wide range of topography and climates. Over 180 bikes and 30 quads fill an entry list that sees more than 430 participants from 51 different countries set to attempt the distance. The competitors have already sailed from Le Harve to Argentina and will undergo technical control on the last two days of the year.
In Team Yamaha Racing France Ipone colours will be recent Rally of Morocco runner-up Helder Rodrigues, Spaniard Jordi Viladoms, France?s Olivier Pain and David Barrot filling an important supporting role. Hopes are high for Portugal?s Rodrigues who was 4th overall in the rally in 2010 and in currently in decent form on the adapted Yamaha WR450F. 31 year old Rodrigues ? 2010 European Enduro Champion no less - was 5th in the ?09 Dakar and breached the top four ten months ago so is now optimistic of reaching the final podium in one of the toughest rallies in the world. To add to his pedigree the rider has not finished off the podium in the four major international events he has contested in 2010. The motorcycle class boasts a full entry with 200 competitors and will use new regulations for the first time limiting all bike sizes to 450cc. This will suit the WR that won the previous 450cc section of the Bikes division in 2004, 2005 and 2007.
Viladoms is also buoyant for January 1st and the 30 year old has a best result of 7th at Dakar as well as being a stage winner. ?We have a great bike for the Dakar,? he recently posted on his Twitter account. ?We made a two day test in Morocco recently for the engine and suspension and every time we rode the bike felt better; the team are really motivated!?
Pain is one of France?s top Enduro riders and finished 9th at last year?s Dakar meaning that the French team have three top ten racers in their ranks and enter the meeting as one of the strongest crews on the starting list.
Yamaha have a fantastic record in the rally with nine overall victories stretching back from 1979 and six successes thanks to Dakar ?legend? Stephan Peterhansel. Frenchman David Fr�tign�?s first effort in 2004 saw the introduction of the famous ?2-Trac? mono WR450F and he won three stages against the might of the twin cylinders. Yamaha now stand an excellent chance of further distinction on this highest of levels for Rally. 4.1 million spectators took to the countryside to watch the 2010 edition and with the Dakar now embedded in South America the following is increasing.
?We have worked with and developed the WR450F in rallies since 2004,? explained Alexandre Kowalski, Marketing Director of Yamaha Motor France. ?We have a lot of faith in the light chassis and the reliability of the four-stroke 450cc WR motor which deals aptly with the long and difficult races.?
Yamaha also will also have a strong presence in the Quad category with the Argentine Patronelli brothers, Marcos and Alejandro, having dominated the competition in 2010 on their Yamaha Raptors. This time the formidable family partnership will count on increased technical back-up from Yamaha Motor Argentina and are clear on their goals. ?The support from Yamaha during the rally means we can be more relaxed and organised for the race in 2011,? said last year?s winner and recent Rally of Pharaons victor Marcos, ?we can use the stops for more rest and recuperation and these are two fundamental aspects for the Dakar. The Raptor is a powerful and reliable vehicle so we are optimistic.?
Of the 13 entered females in the 2011 race one will be Yamaha Quad pilot Camelia Liparoti. The former Quad Cross country World Champion will be blogging the experiences of her second Dakar and her endeavours can be seen on www.facebook.com/yamaharacingcom. Helder Rodrigues will also be providing updates online.
Concerning the route itself perhaps the hardest part will be the second half in which the intensity of the schedule and distances increase after the rest day on January 8th. In fact the longest Special takes place on the 9th with a mammoth 631km to be covered in the fastest way possible. The latter section of the rally also means the drop down through Chile and the dune and desert landscape more familiar with the veterans of the African Dakar. The Atacama is said to be one of the driest deserts in the world but generally the layout will involve a wide variety of terrain with the routing touching the borders of several countries including Bolivia and Peru; a truly encompassing voyage.
Source: http://www.fim-live.com//en/media/news/news-detail/article/1292923182-yamaha-primed-for-2011-dakar/
Larbi Habbiche Ron Hackett Gerhard Haeberle Bernard Haenggeli
Ratthapark Wilairot Seriously Injured In Road Traffic Accident
Ratthapark Wilairot, the Thai rider who raced for the Stop&Go Moto2 team in 2010, has been seriously injured in a road traffic accident in his home province of Chonburi, Thailand, according to reports from StayOnTheBlack.com. Wilairot was reportedly traveling as a passenger on a motorcycle piloted by a friend, when the pair crashed at 3am on Monday morning. The accident proved fatal to the rider, while Wilairot was taken to hospital in Bangkok with serious injuries, though the precise extent of his injuries are not known at this time.
The Thai rider is being kept in intensive care, but StayOnTheBlack.com is reporting that Wilairot has now regained consciousness and has spoken to doctors. Doctors at the hospital are expected to issue a statement on Tuesday.
Michael Doohan Bill Doran Stefan Dorflinger Andrea Dovizioso
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Ben Spies Replica RPS-10 Helmets Now Available!
We just got these in today and only 1,000 have been made! Get your hands on this Limited Edition Ben Spies Replica helmet before its too late!
Call TJ at 866.931.6644 ext. 817 to order. Currently, we have all sizes in stock and ready to ship. Call before supplies run out!
Each helmet comes Pinlock ready and includes a fog-resistant insert.
Ben Spies replica helmets come with a registration card which can be submitted so you can receive a certificate of authenticity from HJC helmets.
Every Ben Spies replica helmet is individually numbered and unlike those sold in Europe, this helmet comes with the Texas Terrors signature as part of the factory paint scheme.
Source: http://www.esportbike.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144066&goto=newpost
GP Commission: FP3 Reinstated, GPS Banned in MotoGP, Traction Control Allowed In Moto3
There's good news and bad news for the opponents of electronics in motorcycle racing from today's meeting of the Grand Prix Commission, held in Madrid in Spain. MotoGP's rule-making body met to discuss changes to the regulations for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and electronics was one of the subjects under discussion.
But the first order of business was to rearrange practice. The changes made in the cost-cutting frenzy between the 2008 and 2009 seasons have finally been scrapped once again, and the four-practice schedule used by MotoGP for so many years before makes a welcome return. The schedule had been partially reinstated at the end of the 2010 season, with four sessions of 45 minutes replacing the three one-hour sessions which had been used for the past two seasons. Though the reception was overwhelmingly positive, the one complaint that riders had being that the 45 minute sessions left little time to make changes during the session.
That problem has now been solved, as the GP Commission has agreed to return to four one-hour sessions for the MotoGP class from 2011. The Moto2 class will see four sessions of 45 minutes on each race weekend, while the 125cc class will have two sessions of 45 minutes on Friday and Saturday morning, and two sessions of half an hour in the afternoons.
Laverty Fastest On Final Day Of Phillip Island WSBK Test
The rain that had been hanging over the World Superbike test for the first two days finally came on the third and final day. But the factory Yamaha and Aprilia squads were still lucky, with the rain only starting to fall late on Thursday morning at Phillip Island, before disappearing again in the afternoon, giving the riders a couple more dry sessions at the Australian circuitl. It was Eugene Laverty who made best use of the session, putting on a set of soft tires to set the fastest time, with a lap of 1'31.5. The Yamaha rider finished ahead of Max Biaggi, once again the fastest of the two factory Aprilia riders, while Laverty's teammate Marco Melandri matched the pace of Aprilia's Leon Camier,
The rain did not go to waste, however. Marco Melandri took the opportunity to get some time on the Pirelli rain tires, having no experience on the Italian rubber, after having spent his career in the Grand Prix paddock racing Dunlops, Michelins and Bridgestones. His teammate Laverty was the only rider to test the softer tires, the two Aprilia riders using the harder race tires.
Richard Petty and Investors Take Control of RPM From George Gillett Jr.
Filed under: A.J. Allmendinger, Petty Enterprises, Sprint Cup, NASCAR
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Richard Petty will once again run his race team and participate in day-to-day operations as chairman of the new ownership group that was announced Monday.The assets of Richard Petty Motorsports have been sold from George Gillett Jr. to an investment group that consists of Petty, Medallion Financial Corp. and DGP Investments.
"Today is a great day for me, my family, our fans and our wonderful sponsors," Petty said in a statement that listed 10 partners that "have supported me through thick and thin and I thank them from the bottom of my heart."
RPM will field cars for AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose in 2011.
The transfer of assets has been in the works for several weeks because of Gillett's ongoing financial problems. Debt-laden English soccer club Liverpool recently was sold despite the objection of Gillett and business partner Tom Hicks. And a U.S. hedge fund is suing Gillett over what the firm says is more than $117 million in debt he racked up investing in Liverpool.
Another Moto2 Withdrawal: Holiday Gym Team Withdraws, Simeon Jobless
Ever since its introduction, the Moto2 class has been oversubscribed, with more teams wanting places than were available on the grid. Last year, over 40 riders regularly raced in the class, and there were 40 entries for the 2011 season.
Natural attrition is starting to take its toll on the Moto2 grid, however, After the announcement that the Jack&Jones By Antonio Banderas team had withdrawn - reportedly leaving a trail of unpaid bills behind them - another team has abandoned the series. The Holiday Gym team, which had entered Belgian rider Xavier Simeon for the 2011 Moto2 season aboard a Moriwaki, has decided to pull out of racing altogether.
This time, the problem was not one of money. Luis Guerra, owner of the Holiday Gym chain of fitness and spa centers, had set up the team to back his son Yannick's racing ambitions. After a spell in World Supersport, Guerra switched to Moto2, partnering Fonsi Nieto in the Holiday Gym G22 team run by Pablo and Gelete Nieto.
Giuseppe Matucci Cromie McCandless Garry McCoy Niall Mackenzie
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