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Motorcycle News collected from around the world. Everything you need to know about AMA, MotoGP, etc.
MICHELIN'S MotoGP MEN MAKE FAST START TO 2008
Pedrosa and Lorenzo placed first and second after first four races
Michelin's MotoGP riders have made a superb start to the 2008 season. After the first four rounds of this year's World Championship, Michelin men Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin) and Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) are first and second in the points chase with a win apiece. In total Michelin riders have scored four pole positions, won two race victories and filled seven of 12 podium places at the first four events of the 18-round series.
Spaniard Pedrosa took the series lead with a superb home GP victory at Jerez, while dazzling rookie Lorenzo went equal on points when he took his debut MotoGP win at Estoril, Portugal. Lorenzo has been the find of 2008 - the double 250 World Champion made history by scoring pole position at each of his first three MotoGP events and may have continued that form if he hadn't crashed during Chinese GP practice, breaking a bone in his left ankle and wrenching his right ankle. Lorenzo proved his mettle by riding through the pain barrier to take fourth at Shanghai while Pedrosa retook the series lead with a fine ride to second place.
Other star Michelin performers at the first four races have been long-time Michelin man Colin Edwards (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) who took pole in China, rookie James Toseland (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) who qualified on the front row for his very first MotoGP race in Qatar and another rookie Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V-Michelin) who has also showed serious speed and great promise for the future.
Michelin's big step forward into the 2008 season has been the talk of the paddock. During the off-season Michelin's MotoGP chemists and engineers focused on three main performance factors: edge grip, warm-up and operating range...
TROY BAYLISS AND THE DUCATI XEROX TEAM TAKE THEIR SECOND POLE POSITION OF THE SEASON AT MONZA
Monza (Italy): Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) was the only rider to lap in under 1m45 in this afternoon's Superpole, a result that rewarded the Australian rider with his second pole position of the season for tomorrow's races at the Monza Autodromo, one of his preferred tracks. The hard work that the Ducati Xerox Team put in during the preceding sessions paid off and Troy, having qualified eighth for Superpole, was able to complete a flying lap on board his Ducati 1098 F08.
A more problematic day for Michel Fabrizio and his team who had difficulty finding the right set-up for Sunday's races. Losing valuable tenths at certain points of the track, such as the Parabolica curve, continued to be an issue today and the team will make further modifications to the Italian rider's F08 machine in preparation for tomorrow.
Troy Bayliss 1m44.9s
"It's been a mixed weekend, and we've struggled a little bit but now it's all come good today after a lot of hard work and we're going much more consistently fast. I feel good riding with the race tyre and I was pretty happy with my Superpole lap time today although I thought that Nori and Max may have gone a little faster than they did. I made a tiny mistake, as did they,...
Chinese GP Debrief: Q+A with Tohru Ubukata
Bridgestone saw the hoped-for return to winning ways at the Shanghai International Circuit in China last weekend with Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi scoring an impressive first victory of the season and his first using Bridgestone tyres. Rossi set the fastest lap of the race, a record-breaking 1m59.273s, on lap 18 of 22.
Ducati's Casey Stoner also made a solid return to the podium with a third-placed finish, making it the second Chinese Grand Prix in succession with two Bridgestone-shod riders on the podium.
A total of six riders on Bridgestone tyres were able to claim top ten results in Bridgestone's most competitive showing of the season so far. Other notable performances came from Marco Melandri, who finished fifth for Ducati, Toni Elias in eighth for Alice Team, Loris Capirossi in ninth for Suzuki and Shinya Nakano tenth for Honda Gresini.
Q+A with Tohru Ubukata - Bridgestone Motorsport - Manager Motorcycle Race Tyre Development
Were the Chinese GP race results a good morale boost for Bridgestone?
"We have always been able to enjoy strong results in China, even though the track itself is very challenging. We never head to a grand prix venue expecting to get podiums or victories because the competition is very tough, but Valentino's win, Casey's third place and top ten results from several of our other teams certainly showed that our tyres worked well in Shanghai again. After a couple of difficult races, it was nice to see our riders in competitive form right from the very first practice session and able to be on the pace throughout the entire weekend."
Were you surprised by the lap times in the race?
"The lap times of Valentino and Dani were very fast in the final part of the race, and even quicker than the practice times. I was pleasantly surprised that our tyres were able to perform so strongly right up to the end of the race, and this is a testament to the work of our development engineers in Japan. In the fastest lap classification, Valentino was quickest, but with Casey third for Ducati, Toni fifth for Alice Team and Loris sixth for Suzuki, we were able to see competitive lap times by many of our teams."..
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Villopoto Finishes Supercross Season with Runner-up Finish
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto finished second in the season finale Dave Coombs Sr. Memorial Lites Shootout at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. Villopoto's teammates Brett Metcalfe and Austin Stroupe finished seventh and tenth while Branden Jesseman did not race after crashing during the first practice. Monster Energy Kawasaki's Travis Preston led teammate Timmy Ferry to the finish line at the supercross class finale finishing eighth with Ferry ninth.
Nearly Perfect
Villopoto shot out of the starting gate to earn the holeshot for the East/West shootout and led 14 of the 15 laps in the main event. From the beginning, Villopoto rode a tremendous race building a large lead over the entire field with the exception of one of the riders. On the final lap, Villopoto came up on lapped traffic and had to change his line, taking him out of the lead and relegating him to a second-place finish.
"When he got close there were only two laps to go," said Villopoto. "I made a couple of mistakes and he got really close and then we caught up to a lapper. I had to take a different line. I just rolled it on the outside and he passed me right before the finish line. It was a good race, and it's disappointing to finish second."
-credit: kmc-usa
PODIUM JOY FOR ELLISON AT OULTON
Hydrex Bike Animal Honda rider James Ellison recorded his and the team's best result with a superb second place at the Bennetts British Superbike Championship meeting held at Oulton Park today.
The 27 year old from Kendal in Cumbria qualified on row three of the grid and after weather conditions intervened in the opening race causing a red flag, he eventually posted eighth position to add to his two sevenths at Thruxton in the previous round.
But with a completely dry track for the second race in front of yet another massive bank holiday crowd, Ellison circulated with the leading pack in the opening stages as he battled with Leon Haslam, Cal Crutchlow and Tom Sykes and looked set to claim a good top five position.
However on lap eleven Haslam and Sykes collided leaving Ellison to climb the order and when Crutchlow crashed as well that elevated him to second position and as a result he maintains his fifth position in the Championship with the runner up placing.
For team mate Guy Martin it wasn't such a good weekend and after falling off in qualifying injuring his wrist he managed twelfth in race one, but in race two he encountered a problem which caused him to retire on lap seven leaving him in fourteenth position in the Championship.
The next round of the Championship takes place next weekend at Brands Hatch on 10th and 11th May.
James Ellison: "I'm really happy. We've worked hard all weekend and just got better and better and we've now reached that extra level. We plugged away and we improved in certain areas and we put it all together in the race. I still have some small problems which we'll get ironed out for Brands. When Shakey passed me he dragged me back up so I think I definitely had the pace to finish second. It was nice to finish where we did and I'm looking forward to Brands Hatch as the bike is working well."...
For the first time this season someone other than Jorge Lorenzo has taken a MotoGP pole. The American Colin Edwards put in a blindingly fast lap at the Shanghai Circuit to clinch the top spot for Tech 3, continuing Yamaha's perfect record for pole positions in 2008. Lining up alongside him are rivals Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner. As seen in the first three rounds Michelin has a slight edge over Bridgestone in qualifying, claiming four consecutive honors at the head of the pack. Lorenzo will start fourth on the second row, a remarkable effort considering his broken ankle from yesterday's nasty spill during practice.
For Edwards the pole position comes as a just reward for all his qualifying efforts already seen this season. The Texan seemed off the pace Friday but after the team got their heads together, a new radical setup was created that obviously seemed to give the Yamaha a needed edge. Edwards hasn't been able to translate a front row start into a podium yet for the year but the magic eight ball says his outlook in China looks good.
"We made a big change to the bike to get some weight on the rear and it worked," explained Edwards. "It was a great team effort and it definitely worked because when I went out this morning I was a second faster instantly. And it felt easy because I had no issues from the front like yesterday and my comfort level went up from 50 per cent to 95 per cent.
"Everything was pretty calm and collected and the Michelin qualifier is awesome. It is going to be a tough race. I haven't done a 59 yet on a race tyre and Casey and Valentino look to be doing consistent 59s. I just got to get a good start and hang in there," added the Texan...
Jorge Lorenzo took a nasty flip during the opening practice in MotoGP's fourth round of competition. Tied in the points standings, the Spaniard lost control of his Fiat Yamaha 800cc on the Shanghai International Circuit in this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix. He had clocked an early lap of 2:02.480 prior to sailing through the air as the bike did a free-fall on its own, landing not far from Lorenzo.
What started as a dream season for the twice 250cc champion for his debut in the top pinacle MotoGP series could be over with a possible fractured ankle when he landed on the ground feet first. With three poles and one race win, the 20-year-old may now miss Sunday's race.
Lorenzo was transported to a local hospital for further medical evaluation and possible treatment. Some riders can wear a splint and still compete, the decision will be made after further tests are taken to the extent of his injuries.
The incident started when Lorenzo moved from the right to the left in the chicane exiting the first turn when the rear wheel of his Yamaha M1 appeared to lose grip, launching him. After his flight which included a somersault ended, he appeared to hit the ground feet first.
"It's a great pity this has happened, right at the start of Jorge's weekend; we were focused on his arm following his recent operation and we were quite confident that he could ride as usual," said Fiat team manager Danielle Romagnoli. "It was a very bad crash and it is not clear yet what happened because we lost all the data when the equipment was damaged at the time. As far as we can see from the TV,...
A Proper street sleeper is a bike that appears stock at first glance but ultimately shows that it's anything but when the wick is turned up. A blue and white 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 is nothing unusual, but how about one that's had some serious engine and suspension work done specifically to make it a stronger street runner? That's right-you might not initially notice because there aren't any fat tires or turbo dump pipes to grab your attention. Instead, there are insanely lightweight wheels, a sick brake set-up from top to bottom, and a fuel-management system that would make World Superbike racers envious. Over the next several months, SSB will show you how to transform your stock ride into a true street killer using high-performance parts that add an element of bling no piece of chrome or airbrushed plastic can compete with. This month the motor gets a boost with Bazzaz Performance's ultra-trick fuel-management, tractioncontrol and quickshift system partnered with a full exhaust from Micron.
To handle the GSX-R's sophisticated fuel injection we chose the only system we could find that was capable of controlling all eight fuel injectors independently-the Bazzaz Performance Z-FI TC. The Z-FI TC is Bazzaz's flagship product, and we found out that it's far from simply a fuel-control box. The full system includes traction control and a quickshifter that are both tunable per gear, rpm and throttle position. Although quickshifters are nothing new, traction-control technology is a first for us street riders and starting to become a necessity with power levels nearing the 200-hp-per-liter mark.
You say traction control on the street is pointless? Say that after a coldmorning wet spot spits you off or a dirty corner causes a highside. Traction control is a "smart" device and can help eliminate the dangers of these unforeseen obstacles.
We spent a day at Bazzaz Performance to get the Gixxer set up with the Micron Serpent header and MotoGp Ti cans, the Z-FI TC and a BMC air filter. A quick run on the dyno for some stock hp and torque numbers gave us a baseline, then off came the stock parts. Installing the pipe and filter was pretty straightforward,...
Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) powered to his second double of the year with two convincing wins at the Assen TT Circuit in the Netherlands in the fourth round of the HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship front of 75,000 spectators.
Race 1: Bayliss powered to his fifth win at Assen in the opening race after a mistake by early leader Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki) on lap 12 left him with a gap at the chicane. The Australian then increased his lead over the following riders in the final laps to win by a margin of 2 seconds. Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) took the runner-up slot, in a sprint to the finish with Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare). Kagayama took fourth from Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB), both riders holding off a late charge by Jakub Smrz (Ducati Guandalini). Seventh and eighth went to Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Tamada (Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse), who faded after a good start. Tenth went to Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Ducati). A clash in the opening laps eliminated two potential winners, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) and Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati).
Troy Bayliss: "I'm very happy with the way it turned out of course, but all the other guys were riding really well today. I made a really good start, pushed reasonably hard but Yukio was riding good and when he passed me, I thought I'd follow him for a while. He made a little mistake finally and I thought it was time to put my head down. I was turning round a bit, more than normal, but just wanted to keep an eye on how fast Carlos was coming through basically."
Carlos Checa: "I thought many times about Valencia and didn't want to make the same mistake twice, but Max slowed down a little before the end and when I saw clear road I passed him. He was behind and it was very close but it was nice to fight until the end and get onto the podium."
Max Neukirchner: "It's been a long time since I've been on the podium, the last time was in 2005 and I'm so happy right now to ride for the Suzuki factory team and it's a fantastic podium for me. I did a good job for this race, and also my team, and we worked really hard for this result...
Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport Team) set a new track best at the 4.555km Assen circuit to take his first pole of the year, despite riding with a broken metacarpal bone in his left hand, sustained after a first day practice crash. Parkes set a 1'40.895 in what was a close final qualifying session, with a further 10 riders within one second of his new track best.
Parkes' team-mate Fabien Foret will line up on the front row also, having set fourth best time in the last qualifying session, only 0.293 seconds from Parkes. Foret had reverted to his pre-Assen testing set up to earn his best time of the weekend, with a 1'41.188. Both Yamaha World Supersport team riders have now set pole positions on the all-new Yamaha YZF-R6 machine, with Foret taking his pole prize at the opening round in Qatar.
Should raceday rain appear at Assen, all 36 riders in the WSS class will have some idea of the settings to use in wet conditions, as the unofficial practice session proved to be wet this morning. Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) was the next best placed R6 rider, pushing his machine into the top ten, even though he was not completely confident in his front end set-up during the dry final qualifying session.
Yamaha Spain riders Angel Rodriguez and David Salom were 12th and 13th respectively, with Rodriguez now on the third row of the grid and Salom the fourth.
Broc Parkes (1st - 1m 40.895 - Yamaha World Supersport Team)
"I was happy to be on top yesterday and today it is a bonus again. The team had the bike absolutely right so I just rode it as well as I could. Tomorrow will be a different story maybe, as I have to do 21 laps with a broken hand, but we will see how it goes. I know I can ride,...
2006 WORLD CHAMP HAYDEN TO RIDE AROUND IMS OVAL ON INDY 500 RACE DAY
INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, April 25, 2008 -- 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden will ride on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval shortly before the start of the 92nd Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25, demonstrating to a huge crowd the exciting MotoGP machinery that will compete at IMS for the first time in September.
Hayden, from Owensboro, Ky., and the rest of the elite MotoGP field will race in the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sunday, Sept. 14 on the new 2.620-mile road course at IMS.
Approximately one hour before the start of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," Hayden will ride around the famous 2.5-mile IMS oval aboard the 2007 Repsol Honda RC212V/Michelin on which he competed in the 2008 season-opening Grand Prix of Qatar on March 9. The Indianapolis 500 is the world's largest single-day spectator sporting event.
"What an opportunity for the sport, my sponsors and most of all, for me!" Hayden said. "This is going to be cool, to do a lap in front of such a huge audience live and on TV on what is arguably the most famous track and race in the whole world. I hope the fans like what they see and hear, and hope they plan on coming back in September when the bikes roll out at IMS for the first time in a long time.
"I just need to get it straight with the officials that I don't mind rolling round in second gear waving to the fans, but when I come off Turn 4, the Pace Car needs to hold its line because as I head toward the bricks, I plan to open that baby up a little and blow out the cobwebs a little."...
The Starboyz stunt team has been the face of the stunt world since a couple U.K. mags put the stunt scene in the public's eye. Their first DVD, rebelliously named FTP, hit the shelves in 1997 and sparked a revolution in the way sportbikers treat the streets.
What started as a gang of reckless riders from Ohio throwing it down on clapped-out beaters has evolved into a clever group of businessmen with ventures in stunt schools and entertainment.
Throughout their storied history, the Starboyz have received both praise and hate from the motorcycle community. Many of their rivals have told them that they'd never make it-that stunting will never take off and that there's no way to make a living pulling wheelies. Starboyz' Scott Caraboolad recalled, "After Kevin (Marino) and I were first featured in magazines I'd get phone calls and e-mails about how beat up our bikes were. Nothing about what we were doing, just how shit our bikes were. It was frustrating as hell."
But those sentiments didn't discourage the Starboyz; rather it lit a fire under their asses and gave them a reason to step up the game-a reason to show the world, especially the haters, that the Starboyz are legit.
They've gone beyond merely proving their critics wrong; they went big this year and got one of the most respected names in custom bikes to trick out their Chicago Cycles-sponsored Suzuki GSX-R1000s. McCoy Motorsports of Pikeville, Kentucky, has been pumping out some of the sickest bikes around for years, and though the McCoys are best known for their wild Yamahas they can make damn near anything pop. The Starboyz' Suzukis are another rolling demonstration of McCoy Motorsports' supreme customization skills.
The Starboyz have turned the redheaded stepchild of motorcycling into a profitable business while maintaining their roots,...
AMA Superbike Championship: Suzuki Superbike Challenge, Auto Club Speedway
PICKERINGTON, Ohio - Just one week following the second round of the 2008 AMA Superbike Championship at Barber Motorsports Park, the series resumes at the third stop of the season on April 25-27 with the Suzuki Superbike Challenge at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
California Speedway Gets a New Name
In February of this year the circuit announced a new partnership with the Automobile Club of Southern California, the nation's largest member of the AAA federation, and unveiled a name change from California Speedway to Auto Club Speedway.
Home Track
Considering that many of the Superbike teams' race shops are located nearby in Southern California and that Auto Club Speedway is one of the favorite testing venues on the tour, it's not surprising that the Fontana round is viewed by many as their home round.
Location, Location, Location
Auto Club Speedway is located in Fontana, Calif., about 50 minutes east of Los Angeles. The region is one of the largest sportbike markets in the world.
The track is just 10 minutes from Ontario International Airport, which makes it easy to access even for fans flying in from across the nation.
AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY PARTS UNLIMITED
On a Roll
Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin has scored the maximum number of points in the season's first three races, claiming three race wins, three points for most laps led, and both poles. The six-time AMA Superbike champion has looked dominating while doing so, boasting a combined margin of victory of over 27 seconds in the first three races of the year.
Dating back to 2007, the Australian has won nine of the last ten AMA Superbike races.
His rivals shouldn't expect him to back off now; Auto Club Speedway is one of Mladin's best tracks on the tour as he's won a full half of the AMA Superbike races ever held there, winning six times in 12 contests, including the most recent race held in 2007.
Role Reversal...
Windham Closes in on Reed's Points Lead as Monster Energy® Supercross Heads To Seattle's Qwest Field
AURORA (April 21, 2008) -- In one of the most dramatic Monster Energy® Supercross, an FIM World Championship, seasons in history the fate of Chad Reed's championship season hangs in the wind as he battles injury this Saturday at Seattle's Qwest Field Saturday. In the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class a champion will be crowned this weekend.
The AMA Supercross will air on SPEED Sunday, April 27 at 6:00 p.m., and the AMA Supercross Lites class race will air on SPEED Saturday May 3 at 3:00 p.m. EST.
Last weekend at St. Louis' Edward Jones Dome, Torco Fuels Honda's Kevin Windham, of Centerville, Miss., picked up his third main event win of the season and tightened the championship race between he and Team San Manuel Band of Mission Indians' Reed in the before a crowd of 48,698.
Reed, of Tampa, Fla., took over the lead on the opening lap but would give way to the hard-charging Windham, who steadily pulled away for the win.
Windham, who entered tonight's race trailing Reed by 16 points, cut the deficit to 13 points with two races remaining. Reed, who is riding with a cracked shoulder blade, turned in a valiant ride to earn second. Red Bull Honda's Andrew Short, of Smithville, Texas, finished third.
Bayliss ready for another surprise party
Runaway world Superbike leader Troy Bayliss is banking on another “pleasant surprise” when the championship reconvenes at the iconic Assen circuit in Holland this weekend.
The Australian, who holds a whopping 48pt lead after just three rounds, has already benefited enormously from the all-new and torquier Ducati 1098 in 2008, and he hopes the bike will continue to hold its own at “The Cathedral”, one of the truly great motorcycle racing circuits.
“The (old Ducati) 999 always went well at Assen, and so far the 1098 has been consistently better than the 999, so I hope we’ll have a pleasant surprise at Assen,” said Bayliss.
The dual world champion is a big fan of the technical and twisty Assen layout, although it does leave precious little room for error, as evidenced by a number of high-speed crashes over the years.
Assen was originally over 7km long, but recent alterations, which included removal of the “Northern loop”, have brought it back to 4.555km. Bayliss is a fan of the shorter layout.
“I like the track how it is now. Before it was more flowing and a lot more physical, and this track now is less so, so I can say I actually prefer it now,” said Bayliss. “I don’t normally mind a hard workout but hey, maybe that’s me getting older!
“Assen has always made for great racing, on the old and new track. I’ve had some good battles there. It’s also a track where tyre issues come into play. You can afford to sit back and wait but it depends on the day,...
TBR - MV Agusta Racing Team has continued its 2008 Australian Superbike and Nakedbike Championship chase with mixed results at round 2 of the Australian Superbike Championship, held in fine and warm conditions at South Australias Mallala Raceway April 17 -20.
Riding the 2008 MV Agusta F4 1000 R 312 Superbike, Kevin Curtain had a hectic meeting, with the team making major changes to the bike setup from Friday right through to the second race on Sunday. This was mainly due to the new forks and shock that have been fitted to the bike since round 1 at Eastern Creek.
Race 1 saw Curtain sitting comfortably in 7th but unfortunately some suspension issues prevented Curtain from being able to push any harder.
Race 2 was a similar story with Curtain pushing as hard as he could to finish a very creditable 8th position right on the back of a freight train of factory team regulars.
Curtain clocked a 1:07.215 sec lap time in race 2 which is only .9 of a second behind the fastest lap of the race.
Its hard to come to a track we have never been to on the MV and expect to be competitive straight up against the other factory teams who have been coming here for years and have good base settings to work with. The team has been working really hard to improve the bike with the new suspension we have fitted since Eastern Creek. But it seems until Qualifying session 2 we were not really improving the bike that much, as we corrected one problem it created another. Anyway thats development and I feel we are definitely are going forward all the time and thats so important. I was really happy to be able to run right with the front guys for a few laps in the second race, it goes to show things really are heading in the right direction. I am confident that if we continue to improve the bike as quickly as we have so far, we will be running right up the front in no time flat...
Shane Byrne and Cal Crutchlow were the race winners as the Bennetts British Superbike Championship began for real at Thruxton, and with them each taking a second place, they left the Hampshire circuit as the joint leaders of the series, ahead of the rejuvenated Michael Rutter who took a brace of third placings.
Byrne, riding the Airwaves Ducati, had repeated the pole starting ride of the snow aborted Brands Hatch opening round, but he was out-started by Leon Haslam and Michael Rutter, before Cal Crutchlow swooped ahead to lead at the end of the opening lap.
The Coventry rider, who had joined the HM Plant Honda team this season, held off the early challenges of his team-mate Haslam, before Byrne moved into second and began to challenge. Crutchlow held him at bay until the thirteenth lap when Byrne found a way through at Seagrave.
Once through, Byrne dictated terms from the front, winning comfortably by over two seconds, and he reflected: “We’ve come a long way to get running, and Cal was really going for it but I got through and it all worked out. The team has done a great job, but we had to look at what everyone else was doing and then do it for ourselves.”
Crutchlow was equally delighted: “Shane was keeping me on it – I just kept plugging away but when he came past, I couldn’t match him but it was a good race.” Rutter, who had started from the front row for the first time in two years, the podium finish aboard the NorthWest 200 Ducati, enthused: “Brilliant, I couldn’t dream of this. It is like Christmas again.”...
For the second meeting in succession the weather played a vital part in qualifying for round two of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Thruxton in Hampshire today.
After the weather-affected first round at Brands Hatch two weeks ago, everyone was hoping for dry conditions but yesterday's cool and blustery weather gave way to showers and heavy rain, none more so than just before the important fifty-minute qualifying session this afternoon.
With some radical changes and alterations to both of the HRC-backed Hydrex Bike Animal Honda Fireblades, riders James Ellison and Guy Martin were hopeful going into the session but at the end, just as the track dried up, Ellison's best time put him on row four of the grid with Martin joining him one row further back.
However, with drier and warmer conditions hopefully forecast for tomorrow, the team is hopeful of a good result in both twenty-lap races.
James Ellison: "It's turning into a difficult weekend again. We're still trying to find a good setting and I'm not comfortable on the bike just yet but we're not too far away. It's a fast pace out there so we need to be on the money to get some good results. I'm hoping for a dry race tomorrow as we've still got a lot of work to do with the settings, but we're getting there."
Guy Martin: "I'm still struggling with the front end and I've got not a lot of confidence in the bike at the moment, especially in the wet. We're trying to get a better feeling in the forks but we can't do anything drastic. We missed the first session on Friday due to a misfire but good things come to those who wait and it will come."...
Portuguese GP Debrief: Q+A with Tohru Ubukata
The third round of this season's 18-event championship took place at the Estoril Circuit in Portugal last weekend with Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi scoring a second consecutive podium result on Bridgestone tires, finishing in third place after a tough 28-lap grand prix.
Other strong performances from John Hopkins and reigning world champion Casey Stoner made it three Bridgestone-shod riders in the top six, but it was not an easy weekend for the tire manufacturer, with uncharacteristically unsettled Portuguese weather adding to the difficulties over the three days.
All eleven Bridgestone-supported MotoGP riders stayed on for one day of intensive post-GP testing on Monday and obtained positive results from qualifying and race tyre evaluation which will now be transferred into tyre development for the next championship round, the Chinese Grand Prix, which will take place in Shanghai at the beginning of May.
Q+A with Tohru Ubukata - Bridgestone Motorsport - Manager Motorcycle Race Tire Development
Were you disappointed with the overall results from the Portugal weekend?
"I think the end results from Portugal were actually better than we expected at a circuit that has not been favorable to us in recent years. However we are not satisfied with the performance level of our tires, especially in comparison to that of our rivals, so we must work harder. Valentino, John and Casey did a great job on Sunday to salvage some strong results from the tough weekend with Valentino taking his second consecutive podium on our tires."
Was the weather a contributory factor?...
Points Leader Reed Fights Through Pain to Salvage Monster Energy® Supercross Championship
St. Louis' Edward Jones Dome to Host Round 15 This Saturday
AURORA, Ill. (April 15, 2008) -- The Monster Energy® Supercross, an FIM World Championship, story line took an interesting turn last Saturday night at Detroit's Ford Field, and this Saturday night St. Louis' Edward Jones Dome could play host to the most influential race of the season.
AMA Supercross class points leader Chad Reed, of Tampa, Fla., suffered a horrific crash in practice, forcing him to use an AMA Provisional, which allows for a rider within the top 10 in points to advance directly to the main, where he would eventually finish in 12th place. Coming into the race Reed, who has eight wins this season, had a 27-point lead over Torco Fuels Honda's Kevin Windham. Heading into St. Louis Reed is now only 17 points ahead of Windham.
The Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites class also took an interesting turn as points leader Trey Canard, of Elk City, Okla., came into Detroit with a 17-point lead over Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., and after finishing 10th-place in the main event, his points lead dwindled down to just three points. This weekend is the culminating round of the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross championship, and a champion will be crowned...
Fiat Yamaha Team's rookie star Jorge Lorenzo is recovery from surgery performed Monday on his right arm. The current co-points leader in MotoGP has completed in three events this year, landing all three poles and one win, and never complained of the pain to the press or the fans.
"I was a little bit scared before the operation but today I'm very happy because it seems that everything has gone as well as we could have hoped! It was a hard decision to make but I think it was the best one for us because China is close, but not too close and we have time to recover," said Lorenzo at today's press conference. "I have had pain at all three races, including Portugal, and at times it was very hard to ride the bike at the maximum, so we knew that the operation was the right course of action."
At the age of 20 and with two 250cc championships under his belt, he had what is commonly referred to as "Arm Pump" which affects the muscles most used by riders in competition.
Compartmental syndrome is a condition that affects the muscle(s) when the thick tissue (fascia) that surrounds the bones. The tissue lifts away from the bone and encircles a muscle while at the same time lifting back down to the bone. It is common for athletes and those who are physical active. It causes swelling and pain...
DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM END PORTUGUESE VISIT WITH A DAY OF TESTS
The Ducati Marlboro Team ended a four-day spell at the Estoril circuit today with a testing session that took place in warm and sunny conditions, with track temperatures reaching 40C. Stoner worked hard all day and ended the session satisfied with his progress after setting a consistent pace in the 1'37s on race tires and concluding an intense program of development in positive fashion. The World Champion now returns home to Australia for a well-earned rest before heading on to China for the fourth Grand Prix of the season on May 4th.
Melandri also spent a long time on track today, making the most of the time available to work on his GP8 and choosing not to try out any qualifying rubber as he focused exclusively on improving his race setting.
Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team), fastest lap on race tires: 1'37.613; fastest lap on qualifying tires: 1'37.333 (77 laps)
"I'm happy with the work we've done today. We modified a few things that made the bike a little less nervous over the bumps and allowed me to lap in 1'37s with more consistency than I managed yesterday. We also tried a few new tires and found some interesting things. At the end of the day I tried two qualifiers but I preferred not to try a third one because it had been a long day and it was pointless taking risks when I was tired...
The maiden victory for Jorge Lorenzo has been expected since the pre-season testing. The rookie for the Fiat Yamaha Team in the MotoGP series has been hot since he first jumped from the 250cc bikes to the powerful 800cc ones. His learning curve was impressive and in the first three rounds on the 2008 calendar, he has snatched the pole from the MotoGP veteran riders. Today, on the Estoril circuit, he scored his first career victory in the Continental Circus.
"I feel like I'm in heaven! First of all I have to say thank you to Yamaha and to Fiat because without their confidence in me I wouldn't be here now," exclaimed a very happy winner. "I can't believe it and it's really impossible for me to describe my feelings, I'm so happy for everyone!"
The 250cc champion had never landed the pole or the win in Portugal but that changed with his impressive run in the Portuguese Grand Prix. Lorenzo has now tied Daniel Pedrosa in the championship standings with 61 points each. The two Spaniards have, thus far, been the show of the new season.
"I'm so proud of everyone, to be here after just three races and at the top of the championship as well is something that I could never have even dreamed of," Lorenzo said. "We can't afford to relax now however because Pedrosa and Rossi are here as well and they are two very fast and clever riders. I had some pain again in my arms today so tonight we will make a decision about whether or not I will have the operation before China, but for now I'm just going to enjoy this moment!"
Lorenzo had his best start, the only thing that has been a bit harder to come by for the rookie this year. Alongside him on the front row was Repsol Honda's Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi,...
Fiat Yamaha's rookie is fast becoming the qualifying star in this year's MotoGP competition. The young lad again snatched the pole away from the veteran riders. Jorge Lorenzo flew around Circuit Estoril with a hot lap at 1:35.715, nipping Dani Pedrosa by 0.233 seconds.
It was the Spaniard's third career pole in the hotly-contested Continental Circus, and also only the third round on the 2008 calendar. It is an impressive start for Lorenzo after moving up as the 250cc champion to make his debut in MotoGP.
"Each pole position has felt like a dream and I can't believe I am here again! I am very proud to have a record like this and in fact I'm especially happy to have qualified in front here because this track has always been quite difficult for me and I've never been on pole at it before," expressed Lorenzo.
The weather today was vastly improved over Friday with plenty of sunshine, allowing the riders to learn what setup they needed and what times they expected after the morning practice. Lorenzo is fast, there is no denying that fact, but he has yet to get off to a good start. The standing start needs to be not only clean but powerful to allow him to land his first win.
Tomorrow he will again have two experienced riders next to him on the front row, with one being his teammate. With two podium finishes, Lorenzo may taste the possible victory but he also shows the maturity and patience, realizing that points are more important. Obviously, the win will come in due time.
Unsettled weather makes for tricky start in Estoril
Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi was the highest placed Bridgestone-shod rider in today's free practice sessions at the Estoril Circuit. Rossi finished the day in second place just 0.040s from lead rider Dani Pedrosa, as unsettled weather conditions interrupted initial preparations for Sunday's Portuguese Grand Prix.
Three further Bridgestone riders frequented the top ten in this afternoon's classification with Ducati's Casey Stoner in seventh, Honda's Gresini's Shinya Nakano in eighth and Kawasaki's John Hopkins in tenth position.
The morning practice was held in damp conditions after early morning rain, but continued to dry throughout the hour, as eight Bridgestone users made the top ten using wet weather tyres. Track conditions were still tricky for riders this afternoon as they carried out an initial evaluation of the slick tyres at their disposal for Sunday's race. With limited dry practice time today, Saturday morning's hour-long session will be important for riders to hone their bike set-up and to conduct more detailed analysis of the tyre specifications.
Track temperatures were significantly lower than last year's Estoril practice, which was held in September, and lap times were accordingly slower with Pedrosa and Rossi's leading pace today six-tenths slower than last year's practice best, and a full second off 2007's fastest race lap. Estoril has been one of Bridgestone's most challenging race venues in recent years since the partial resurfacing of the track back in 2006.
ELIAS WANTS TO WIN AGAIN AT ESTORIL AFTER HIS 2006 VICTORY. GUINTOLI IN PORTUGAL FOR THE SECOND TIME .
Great anticipation for the third round of the MotoGP World Championship at the Estoril circuit in Portugal. Situated just a few kilometers from the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, and not too far from the Atlantic coast, the circuit is characterized not only by a long straight and wide turns, but also from the varying weather conditions. In fact, also for this weekend of racing, the weather forecast seems to foresee rain until Friday morning, sunshine for the qualifying day and, again, some stormy clouds for Sunday. The circuit, today called Fernando Pires da Silva, was built in 1972 and has been part of the MotoGP World Championship since 2000.
The Alice Team is looking for redemption after the first, not too exciting, two rounds in Qatar and in Jerez de la Frontera. The Portuguese circuit hasnt brought much luck to the Italian-Hispanic Team last year, as both riders on the Ducati GP7 Sat couldnt finish the Grand Prix. Instead, Spanish rider Toni Elias, has great memories related to this track. In 2006 he managed to finish in front of everyone Valentino Rossi after an exciting battle in the last turns with a gap of two thousandths of a second. Second appearance for the other rider of the Alice Team, Sylvain Guintoli, who, after becoming a father for the second time last Friday, can completely focus on improving his Ducati Desmosedici GP8 Sat with Bridgestone tires. At his first appearance in the premier class on the Estoril circuit, the French rider concluded the race in fourteenth position.
It has been just over half a year since the Estoril circuit last played host to a MotoGP world championship event but significant improvements in bike, tyre and riding performances over the winter will make for an even more competitive Portuguese GP this weekend.
Anticipating the race to April gives Estoril a spring-time calendar slot for only the second time since its first MotoGP race back in 2000, the last occasion being back in 2005. This year's event will be the ninth Portuguese GP, a race weekend that has traditionally not been easy for Bridgestone, although Makoto Tamada took pole position and scored a podium finish in 2004, which marked the first European podium result for a rider using Bridgestone tyres.
Improvements were also seen in last year's race with Ducati champion-in-waiting Casey Stoner taking a well deserved third place, crossing the line just 1.5s from the race-winner. Fellow Bridgestone users Marco Melandri and John Hopkins also took impressive top six results in 2007 for their respective Honda Gresini and Suzuki teams.
Estoril is one of the most technically demanding circuits on the calendar, putting all aspects of the bike-tyre-rider package to the test. At this earlier time of the year, the weather could also play a contributory role with conditions likely to be cooler and more unsettled than last season...
Lastly, this is the fourth part on How to Stunt a Motorcycle and features even more variations of the wheelie to help you out:
5. Frog
This is for experts only. This is similar to High Chairs but you sit like a frog. You get on the tank and clutch the bike up. You also need to be smooth when pulling the bike up since your weight is in front, and you are not holding on to anything. This might make your body fall back and cause you to squeeze on the handlebars which may make you give more throttle. The toughest part on the Frog is to let your bike down because your weight will be thrown forwards and you have to maintain balance to avoid tank slapper and crashing.
6. No-Hander
In a Standup No-hander, you are standing up the bike at 12 oclock poition with your feet on the pegs. Your idle is turned up enough to have the bike run smoothly by itself in first gear, and you only got your feet to balance the bike since your hands are up in the air. You control the height with the front tire and by modulating the rear brake.
Sit-down No-handers are harder because there is no leverage on the foot to balance the bike. Here, the idle is also turned up. You get the bike up to around 11 o'clock by letting go of the bars and leaning back. You control the height of the front tire with a combination or rear brake and leaning back...
Haga wins and Corser scores a podium
Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team rider Noriyuki Haga could not have had two bigger contrasts in his raceday at Valencia, taking a superb win in the second 23-lap contest, but crashing out of the opener at high speed. His team-mate Troy Corser was rewarded for a consistent first race ride with a podium finish in third, and then went on to score a fighting fifth in race two.
Corser's podium came in a race where 20 riders finished and there were many high profile incidents. Corser was a lonely third eventually, some seven seconds from the win. Haga crashed out of race one, losing the front at the first corner on lap four as he tried to make up for qualifying 10th in Superpole.
In race two Haga led for the second half of the race, and his margin of victory over championship leader Troy Bayliss was 1.551 seconds. Corser, who had been pushing hard throughout and got tangled up with Ruben Xaus for some time, found it impossible to keep his early pace and finished eight seconds from his team-mate.
Shinichi Nakatomi secured a fine 11th place in the incident-strewn first race, then finished 16th in race two. David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) followed up his qualifying place of 14th with a point for 15th place, while his team-mate Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) was involved in a three rider crash on lap two of race one and did not start race two, as he only had one machine at his disposal here.
BAYLISS AND THE DUCATI XEROX TEAM TAKE SECOND PLACE TWICE OVER IN VALENCIA
Australian Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) increased his championship lead today in Valencia after taking an impressive second place finish in Race 1 and then repeating that performance again in Race 2. Towards the end of Race 1 Troy was lying in fourth place but due to the unexpected crash between frontrunners Neukirchner and Checa in the very final stages, he took a very useful 20 points. In Race 2, a strong start put Bayliss immediately ahead of the pack but a hard battle against Haga ensued and ultimately Bayliss relinquished the win to the Yamaha rider.
Race 1 proved more difficult for team-mate Michel Fabrizio who, after a less than perfect start, quickly managed to move up several places but then pushed too hard in his efforts to pass Biaggi and came off in lap four, unable to get back on track. Fabrizio subsequently completed Race 2, fighting hard throughout, but had difficulty moving up through the ranks and problems with grip which meant he ultimately finished in thirteenth place.
Bayliss, the current championship leader, now has 128 points and a 48 point advantage over second-placed Nieto while Fabrizio lies in ninth place with 37 points...
BAYLISS SECURES FRONT ROW START FOR TOMORROW'S RACES AT THE RICARDO TORMO CIRCUIT IN VALENCIA
Valencia (Spain): Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) faced stiff competition in this afternoon's Superpole in Valencia but succeeded in snatching a place on the front row of the grid for tomorrow races. Bayliss will start from third place while team-mate Michel Fabrizio also fought hard to take eleventh place. With many riders all lapping within a second of each other, it was not an easy day for the Ducati Xerox Team who have had to work hard on both riders' 1098 F08 machines in order to optimize the bike set-up ready for the races tomorrow afternoon.
Troy Bayliss 1m33.9s
"I have to say it was very competitive out there today with the first ten riders all within a second of each other. I was pretty satisfied with my Superpole lap but it has been a bit of a struggle over the last two days. We have had a few little problems which we've had to try and resolve by trying different things and we'll continue to work before tomorrow's races in order to hopefully be a bit more consistent in competition. There are a lot of strong riders starting from the front couple of rows tomorrow so it will be difficult but I'd say there's a very good race in store for the crowd."
Michel Fabrizio 1m34.7s
Spanish GP Debrief: Q+A with Tohru Ubukata
The second race of the 2008 MotoGP world championship took place in front of a rapturous 130,000 strong Spanish crowd at the Circuito de Jerez last week. Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi scored his first ever podium using Bridgestone tyres with a competitive second place, trailing race winner Dani Pedrosa by just 2.8s and clear of his third-placed team-mate Jorge Lorenzo by 1.5s.
A further three Bridgestone-equipped riders finished in the top ten with Loris Capirossi superbly guiding his Suzuki to fifth place, John Hopkins in seventh for Kawasaki and Shinya Nakano in ninth for Honda Gresini.
Most riders stayed on in Jerez for a post-race test session on Monday with Suzuki and Kawasaki also spending an extra day at the track on Tuesday. As Bridgestone spent time evaluating rear race rubber, as well as new qualifying tyres, there were encouraging performances as Bridgestone prepares to tackle another of its more traditionally challenging circuits in Estoril, Portugal next week.
Q+A with Tohru Ubukata - Bridgestone Motorsport - Manager Motorcycle Race Tyre Development
Were you satisfied with the outcome of Sunday's Spanish GP in Jerez?
Behold the daddy of the daddies of all street freestyle stunts...the wheelie! Now, with the wheelie, you can perform the simplest to the most complex tricks. The basic sit-down wheelie, the high chairs and no handers are just some of the tricks you can try to do. Here are some how to's on doing wheelies.
1. Basic Sit-Down
The basic sit down is one of the easiest to do but hard to explain since different techniques can work well for different riders. There are two kinds of wheelies, the power-up and clutched wheelie. With the power-up wheelies, the bike's motor is used to get the front wheel up. You rev up near the bike's peak torque and twist the throttle to get your front up. With power wheelies, you deal with more power and there is higher possibility of looping your bike.
On the other hand, clutched wheelies require you to pull the clutch in just enough to get the rpm to rise up to the peak of the torque and quickly let it go. Then pull the clutch in slightly. When the revs rise for a split second, drop your clutch and back off the throttle when your front starts to come up. Remember that the higher your front wheel is , the less throttle you will need to keep it up. Either way, keep your arms stiff, jam your legs on the tank and cover the rear brake.
Here is a continuation of the stunts discussed in the previous article:
3. One-Hander
First step is to do a normal endo and when you reach your balance point, let go of your left arm while keeping your right arm stiff on the handlebar to prevent steering on any place. The key here is to make sure that your right arm is straight stiff and will not move or else. Aside from this, you should use your lower body to support your body weight since your arms cannot really do this at the moment. To do this, move all your weight to the tank and lock your knees into the tank to hold you up.
4. High chair
This is for experts only. The hardest part of this is getting up on the tank and moving your feet to the front of the bike. They key is to move into position as quick as you can. You can do this by putting one hand on the windscreen, then jump straight up and forward then kick your legs out as you come across. Your one hand on the windscreen will be the gauge on how far forward you can jump. Once you're up and about, hold on to the handlebars and settle on the tank and brace yourself against the windscreen.
You need less initial brake to pull this off since the back end comes up quicker. All your weight is already in the front wheel so no worries on weight transfer. Your balance point will be lower for the high chair. Feet-over-the-front endos are shorter in distance because of the harder steering of the back end. You always want to have a little speed left to not stall while rolling back...
There's nothing more spectacular and sensational than seeing people perform stunts that we deem impossible for the human body to do. What's more amazing is how people use machines to further enhance their stunt skills. Undoubtedly, you can't help but let your jaw drop when you see pro stunters do motorcycle stunts. Stoppies, endos and wheelies are the most popular motorcycle stunts out there today.
We can usually see these stunts performed in street freestyle competitions. Not only will you be in awe when you see such stunts, but you will surely feel the adrenaline rush just through watching them. We all know how dangerous these stunts are and just watching them can make our stomachs cringe in anxiety as to what will happen. For all the motorcycle stunts enthusiast out there, this article will share the how to's in motorcycle stunting. Just make sure to practice with complete safety gear and caution. Otherwise, enjoy and good luck!
1. Basic Stoppie
The most important thing to remember in basic stoppie is to keep your body at the dead center of the bike with your head straight, arms stiff and shoulders squared. Placing your body at the center is what will cause the back wheel to kick up. Now, once you have speed and your body properly placed, pull the clutch in and brake. The initial break should be about 80% of a full brake. While doing this, make sure you transfer your weight to the front of the bike with your arms stiff so there won't be any unintentional steering.
Motorcycle stunt riding is a growing sport in the United Kingdom and the United States. However, United States law prohibits "stunting" motorcycles on public roads and it can even get you in jail quickly.
If you're buying a second-hand motorcycle, check if the bike has been stunted. Check for flat spots on the front tire which shows you that the bike has done some wheelies and also check for scratches which could have resulted from a crash. Stunting can trash engines, transmissions and the suspension, so beware unless you intend to use your bikes in the same way, as a stunt bike.
Robert Craig Knievel, Jr. is probably the most famous American motorcycle daredevil. Now considered as both an icon and a legend, he started his career as an entertainer somewhere in the late 1960s. He performed numerous motorcycle jumps which are televised in the entire country. His attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon located at Twin Falls, Idaho back in 1974 was among the most watched (it ranks number 4) event in ABC's Wide World of Sports up until this date. He died last year, November 30 at age 69.
Some Motorcycle Stunts & Drill Teams in the US include the South Florida Bike Crew, D-Aces Stunt Riders Motorcycle Team (Wasau, Wisconsin), TenNinety6 (Kalamazoo, MI) and the Hardly Angels (a Women's Motorcycle Drill Team).
Bob Duffey, a professional Motorcycle Jumper was dubbed as "The Fastest Man on Two Wheels Backwards". He's got an ET of 11.71 seconds and a trap speed of 122 mph. The man is untouched on the dragstrip riding backwards. This record was done on a 1979 stock Kawasaki Z1R-TC, his favorite bike, at an IDBA (International Drag Bike Association) sanctioned event.
Motorcycle Riders or simply "bikers" has come a long way from being associated as the road's "bad boys". Gone are the days that guys in bikes are seen as "show-offs" and tagged as notorious gang members. After-all, history has proven that those stereotypes are total products of purely exaggerated minds.
But now that those reel images are starting to fade from the public's general perception, it seems that a new generation of riders had emerged on the motorcycle scene, fueling a new height of sometimes what is considered a public nuisance, so as many people say. Just as any stereotype, sports bikes now represents danger and terror in two wheels.
At any rate, there are only a few of the so called "riders" who are what we now refer to as rebel bikers. Often, these riders are composed by young and aggressive individuals powered by the mile high rush of adrenaline and the toughness of their steel steed. They maneuver in and out of traffic, steering dangerously close to other road vehicles. Not only that, they also often do public performance of mean & equally dangerous motorcycle tricks referred to as motorcycle stunting or simply "stuntz" by the younger crowd. High powered and high speed, riders perform the wheelie, coasters, flamingo and standie, all of which are foreign,...
So you have a motorcycle and driving it the normal way is not "cool" enough for you? You discovered that there's a daredevil spirit inside you that's been screaming to get out. Your need for adventure is getting harder and harder to contain. You consider Evil Knievel as one of your heroes and you see it as a tragic loss now that he's gone from this world. Well, welcome to the world of motorcycle stunting! If you are wondering whether you are built for this kind of thing, you should seriously consider following these points first:
1. Stunting is not for the faint of heart. Many people attempted to do all kinds of stunts but few were able to do so, successfully. Its a no-brainer that safety should always be the number one priority, otherwise, you may be gone even before you had the chance to perfect your choice of stunt. Invest in some good quality safety equipment. Leathers from head to toe will be a good idea. Make sure that you have spine protector and most of all get the best helmet your money can afford. You'll be needing motorcycle gloves, boots and also a fire resistant equipment if you will be venturing into any kind of fire-related stunts.
2. Practice in dirt. It hurts less to fall on dirt than on pavement. Do your routines first in this kind of environment.
2. Practice in dirt. It hurts less to fall on dirt than on pavement. Do your routines first in this kind of environment.
3. Don't do everything by yourself, especially if you are a novice. Get supervision from an expert on this field, something like a mentor, if you want to call it that way. Not only that you can ask them for proper tips, you are also set in improving yourself more. And if you are really serious about motorcycle stunting,...
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP is on its way to Jerez in Spain for the first European Grand Prix of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship, looking to put the tough opening round in Qatar firmly behind it.
Loris Capirossi fought to a well-earned eighth place at Losail earlier this month, whilst team-mate Chris Vermeulen was forced to pit and finished just outside the points. The two Rizla Suzuki racers will be planning to try to emulate Capirossi's performance at the Spanish GP in 2006, where the experienced Italian won the race after starting from pole position.
Jerez is the first of three rounds held in Spain during the championship, but the only one that carries the name "Spanish Grand Prix". The huge, passionate crowd at trackside makes this race one of the events of the year and is regarded by many as the 'real' start to the season. Nearly a quarter-of-a-million fans crammed around the 4.4km circuit over the event's three days last year, making the Jerez GP one of the highest attended of the season, and a similar -- if not larger -- crowd can be expected this year. The Jerez track is one of the best spectator circuits on the calendar due to its numerous grandstands providing near perfect viewing facilities over its undulating layout, so fans get the chance to see the riders go through a series of hard-braking corners, endless camber changes and high-speed straights.
What does Evil Knievel, Antonio Carlos AC Farias, Jason Britton, and Anthony D'Orsi have in common? Well, apart from the fact that the four of them are all high-testosterone pumping members of the male community, they are also some of the highly successful motorcycle stunt riders the industry has come to know. But what does it really take to be a good stunt-rider? Why are they willing to risk their lives & limbs just to make everything happen? For only a few seconds of glory, are the perks worth it?
Often times, in order to perfect your abilities in the world of motorbike stunt racing, you have to sacrifice most of what you have; your time, your money and most of all your relationships (even when sometimes you don't want to). Interviews with popular stunt riders concluded time and again that most if not all of them suffered the same painstaking losses, not to mention the excruciating physical, emotional & mental bruises they've dealt with at the beginning of their careers.
If it is such, then why do these people chose to go on with it, to think that most of the populace don't even consider motorcycle stunting a valid kind of sport and just a mere form of displaying someone's machismo. Its not even a venue for generating loads of money since money-making stints are reserved for very few exceptions. Now we question, what drives these people to keep on going with the game? Here are some of the most popular answers:
Freestyle Motocross is also known as FMX. In FMX, riders perform jumps and stunts to impress judges. They go on a series of jumps and perform tricks alphabetically. Although these tricks are the bread and butter of FMX riders, they are sure treats to the eyes of astonished watchers. Watching FMX is heart raising and gut quenching. This article will provide you a list of FMX tricks & stunts to help you identify what they are and how to do them.
1. Can Can: The trick consists of getting one leg to go over the other side of the bike. End result will have both legs on one side. Higher points are given when riders land on a Can Can position.
2. Cliffhanger: The rider stands up straight in the air with toes on the underside of bars. Hands are above the head like a roller coaster position.
3. Coffin: Legs are extended below the handlebars and rider lies on the seat as far as possible.
4. Lazy Boy: Similar to the coffin, but arms and legs are extended more for higher points.
MotoGP Riders Help Launch Bridgestone Hypersport Tyre In Jerez
Six Bridgestone-shod MotoGP riders took an active role in launching Bridgestone's latest sporty road tyre, the Battlax BT-016, at the Circuito de Jerez last week after performing demonstration laps with the new tyre in front of some 130 attending journalists from all over the world.
Fresh from his Qatar GP win, Ducati's Casey Stoner and his team-mate Marco Melandri both attended the week-long event on Wednesday, Kawasaki's Anthony West joined Suzuki's Loris Capirossi on Thursday, while Honda Gresini's Alex de Angelis and Alice Team rider Toni Elias attended on Friday, all in all representing one-third of the grid from Qatar just over one week ago.
Each of the riders got a first-hand taste of the BT-016 under the guidance of former GP rider Jeremy McWilliams, who was working for Bridgestone during the week to set up the bikes at the track, and all seemed impressed with the agility and handling of the new Hypersport tyre, which uses tyre technology derived from MotoGP.
The BT-016 is an advanced Hypersport tyre designed to maximise the performance of sport bikes on the road. Bridgestone has combined MotoGP construction technology with its latest multi-compound technology to produce a tyre that gives high-level grip performance in braking,...
Motorcycling, for its many enthusiasts, is considered to be one of life's many pleasures. It also launched the careers of men and women, many of which are now part of the motorcycling world's hall of fame. This article will feature some the sport's most famous people and their claim to fame.
Robert Craig Knievel or better known as Evil Knievel. Who could ever forget this so called legend, the "King of the Daredevils". He became the world's most famous motorcycle jumper and has inspired too many people to follow the road he's taken. He began his career in the late 1960s and had set multiple entries in the Guinness Book of World Records in the entire duration of his career. He passed away November 30, 2007.
Roger Lidell of Martinsville, Indiana a.k.a. Mr. Backwards. His claim to fame would be backward motorcycle jumping. Doing this earned him a spot at the Guinness Book of World Records and was even featured on the hit television show "Ripley's Believe it or Not. His latest world record was jumping across six cars backwards.
Super Joe Einhorn claim to fame: jumping his Triumph 650 over 20 cars back in 1971. He suffered many accidents during his career but the one that triggered his retirement was a terrible accident back in 1976 which left him partially brain damaged.
Valencia, Friday 14th March 2008
MUGGERIDGE SETS RECORD TIME FOR DF RACING HONDA AT VALENCIA TEST
Record times were set in two days of official SBK testing at Valencia in preparation for the third round of the championship here on April 6th. Australian Karl Muggeridge surprisingly took the top slot on his DF Racing Honda CBR1000RR machine, leaving the unofficial circuit record at 1’34.252, a fraction quicker than the mark set yesterday by Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati), who was not present today.
"This bike has got a lot of potential " said a delighted Muggeridge, former World Supersport champion. “I didn’t go as well in race set-up but for the Spanish Round we’ll have some new electronic parts so I’m feeling confident. The DF Racing guys are doing a great job and I think we’re going to get some good results this season”.
In the absence of Ducati Xerox’s Bayliss and Fabrizio, the Ducati attack was in the hands of Xaus yesterday and Lorenzo Lanzi, who was quickest for much of today. "We sorted out the problems that slowed us at Phillip Island", said the RG Team rider "and now we’ve got an improved engine I can be up there with the other guys."
Monster Energy® Supercross Returns to Metrodome for the First Time Since 2004
AURORA, Ill. (March 11, 2008) -- Monster Energy® Supercross, an FIM World Championship, returns to Minneapolis' Metrodome for the first time since 2004 this Saturday. During the 11 races inside the Metrodome, spanning from 1994-2004, the event averaged 50,000-plus fans. The supercross fan four pack -- four $20 tickets all for just $45 at www.Ticketmaster.com has been added this year.
Media day will be held on Thursday, March 13 from Noon-2:00, featuring Monster Energy Kawasaki's Tim Ferry and Travis Preston as well as Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto and Branden Jesseman.
The AMA Supercross class race will air on SPEED Sunday, March 16 at 6:00 p.m. The AMA Supercross Lites class race will air on SPEED Saturday, March 22 at 6:00 p.m.
Last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, Torco Fuels Honda's Kevin Windham, of Centerville, Miss., made history when he passed Team San Manuel Yamaha's Chad Reed, of Tampa, Fla., on the race's last lap for the AMA Supercross class win. It was Windham's first race win at Daytona International Speedway.
"Tonight was definitely a race of different elements with the rain and what not, but it still lived up to the brutal Daytona deal," said Windham. "I think it was the most brutal race I have been in in my entire life."
*Canadian roadracer Misti Hurst First Woman to Qualify and Race AMA 600 Supersport at Daytona International Speedway *
March 6th 2008, Daytona International Speedway- Canadian roadracer and California Superbike School coach Misti Hurst enjoyed an outstanding debut race at Daytona International Speedway last Thursday during the AMA 600 Supersport race.
According to all available sources, Hurst made history during qualifying on Wednesday when aboard her Slednecks Racing, Etechphoto supported Kawasaki ZX6, she became the first and only woman to ever make an AMA 600 Supersport Grid at the famous Daytona International Speedway. After only an hour of practice on the track she qualified 44th out of 51 riders with a time of 1: 48.93. "I'm so stoked that I qualified!" said an excited Hurst "With all that has gone wrong this week, this is amazing! Thank you to EVERYONE that helped out."
Hurst arrived at Daytona Feb 26th in order to get some practice time on the unfamiliar Daytona speedway during the local CCS races. Unfortunately, after only three sessions her connecting rod broke, pierced the starter, and destroyed her motor. She was on the banking doing approximately 160 mph.
Can anyone including MV Agusta mounted Kevin Curtain stop Jamie Stauffer and his potent blue Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1 from making it three Australian Superbike titles in a row in 2008?
That’s the question race fans are asking as the opening round of the 2008 Australian Superbike Championship gets ready to blast off at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway on March 14-16.
If the season-opening non-championship Australian Superbike support races at the recent Phillip Island SBK round on March 1-2 are any guide, then there are challengers aplenty in 2008.
There’s certainly enough talent in Australian Superbike ranks to stop Stauffer’s run - and enough variables and factory involvement to make for an intriguing season ahead.
At the SBK meeting the three Superbike races were decided by a combined winning margin of just 0.159sec, with Team Joe Rocket Suzuki rider Shawn Giles taking two wins (by 0.134sec and 0.011sec) and Stauffer the other (by 0.014sec).
Toyota AMA Arenacross Series' Final Round Heads to Green Bay's Resch Center
Wisconsin native Chad Johnson (Rhinelander) is leading the points and favored to win the overall Toyota AMA Arenacross Championship at the Resch Center
Local Wisconsin pro motocross racer Chad Johnson (Bad Boy/TUF/Honda) enters the final round of the 2007-'08 Toyota AMA Arenacross Series with a commanding 30-point lead in the overall title points chase and will look to clinch his second Toyota AMA Arenacross Series title this weekend at Green Bay's Research Center (March 14-15).
"I can't think of a better situation -- having the points lead and the support of my home state fans," said Johnson, who won the 2005-'06 Toyota AMA Arenacross Series title. "I'm really looking forward to the racing next weekend in Green Bay. There's a lot at stake and I know the competition's going to be fierce, but the Bad Boy/TUF/Honda team has put together a great season of racing and we're confident we can meet our goal of winning the title at the Resch Center."
What: 2007-'08 Toyota AMA Arenacross Series final round of the season.
It didn't take long for Casey Stoner to get his Ducati back at the top of the podium. The 2007 MotoGP champion claimed round one of the new season at the first night race in series history. The floodlights around the Losail Circuit in Qatar lit the path for the Aussie to make his way to the front after starting in the second row. The rookie Jorge Lorenzo who started on the pole had a great race but wasn't able to keep a veteran like Stoner behind him. Still Lorenzo was able to keep his Yamaha in second, showing the world he can keep his quick pace going for a full race distance. Dani Pedrosa finished third after starting in eighth, a nice surprise to the Repsol Honda team.
Hanging back for a bit after the start, Stoner watched as riders around him banged into each other for position. He just needed to hold on until his Bridgestone tires got warm enough to grip in the low night temperatures. Once the bike was stable the champ was looking for the perfect opportunity and sprang into action the moment an opening came into view. Stoner was then able to control the rest of the race to the checkered flag, setting the fastest lap along the way.
"That was a fantastic race and I really enjoyed it," exclaimed Stoner, "it was like being back in 125s! The first few laps were really hectic, there were guys bashing fairings and I just tried to stay out of the way. When I got my chance to get through I took it and from there I just focused on setting my pace. Jorge rode brilliantly - it wasn't an easy race by any means, especially at the start...
It's two rookies on the front row after the MotoGP teams qualified tonight under the lights at the Losail Circuit, in Qatar, for the first round of the 2008 season. The riders have had plenty of laps after testing here a week ago and three practice sessions this weekend. Reining champ Casey Stoner looked strongest in practice, but it was the fastest man from last weekend, Jorge Lorenzo, that laid down the flying lap for tomorrow's pole. This rookie is certainly fast, tomorrow the world will see if he can translate that into his first MotoGP victory.
"Only in my dreams did I imagine being on pole at my very first MotoGP race," beamed Lorenzo, "I can't believe it! This is something great for all of Yamaha; there are three Yamaha riders on the front row and this shows how hard they have been working. Tonight my M1 was working very well and with the Michelin qualifying tires it was excellent, but also our race pace is very good.
"Tomorrow will of course be very difficult; it's my first MotoGP race so there is a lot to think about, but I am excited and of course we will try to do our best and see what happens! The team and Michelin have done a great job over the winter so this is a thank you to them. I will try to get a good start and I will have to concentrate very hard on the first lap when the tyres are cold, and then we'll see what happens...
The 2008 MotoGP season officially started tonight, under floodlights at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The weekend makes history as the first night event for the series, 5.4 million watts worth of lighting turned night into day as the teams prepared their new bikes for qualifying tomorrow. Temperatures dropped as the sun set, by the second practice grip levels were low but most riders shaved off a few tenths from their earlier runs.
At the top after day one sits reigning champ Casey Stoner. In testing Stoner wasn't always the fastest man out but when it counts, the Aussie is showing he is still the man to beat. Dominating the time charts in both sessions he looks ready to put his new Ducati on pole for this year's first event. Stoner, the team and Bridgestone will use tomorrow's practice before qualifying to dial in the bike for the low grip.
"Finally the first race is here and it feels good to get out there and see what everybody is really capable of," said Stoner. "I've been looking forward to today for a while because to be honest I've got a bit sick of testing. Anyway, it was good to get going - the bike itself felt good from the start but for some reason the overall feeling wasn't as good as it was at the test and I'd put that down to the slightly different track conditions.
BRASELTON, GA - Road Atlanta has undertaken a major improvement project that will create an Auxiliary Turn 12 primarily for motorcycle competitors offering a safer and slower transition to the start-finish line straightaway.
[turn-12-sm.gif] In addition, the project includes paving a new section of asphalt on rider's right at the entry into the Esses, creating a 200-foot long chicane that results in a different line and additional runoff room.
"We are excited about making these improvements to preserve our long-standing place on the AMA Superbike Championship Series calendar and our position within the top levels of motorcycle racing," says Road Atlanta President Geoff Lee. "The Road Atlanta doubleheader has been a favorite of riders and fans for many years. We expect these changes will not only improve rider safety but will also offer some new challenges and create even more exciting racing."
Designs for the new Auxiliary Turn 12 and improvements in the Esses were made with the input of two engineering firms that have designed numerous improvements at Road Atlanta, along with AMA officials and representatives from the Rider Safety Council.
The first round of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship takes place this weekend and the Kawasaki Racing Team is ready to launch itself in to the new season with a new rider and an updated Ninja ZX-RR.
Qatar's Losail circuit will host the inaugural round on Sunday 9th March and will do so, historically, at night. The track got the go ahead last year to erect a lighting system the likes of which the sporting world has never before seen and, when the whole circuit is illuminated, it uses up a mammoth 5.4 million watts of power to light its 16 corners.
All the teams spent two days last week testing in preparation for the forthcoming race and Kawasaki's John Hopkins and Anthony West are ready for the challenge, despite a few setbacks.
Hopkins, who will be racing the 800cc Ninja ZX-RR for the first time, is still suffering the after-effects of a crash at Phillip Island last month. Muscle damage in his groin is still causing the 24-year-old Anglo-American some discomfort but he's making a rapid recovery now and is sure he'll be fit enough to give it his all come Sunday night.
West, meanwhile, has been making great headway on his newly-updated machine but has doubts about the effect the cold, desert night conditions may have on his Bridgestone tyres. The 27-year-old Australian was one of many crashers during last week's test as temperatures at the circuit drop considerably as evening falls,...
Gentlemen start your engines! JiR Team Scot is ready for the new 2008 season!
The 2008 Grand Prix season starts this weekend on the 9th March with the Grand Prix of Qatar in which JiR Team Scot is involved in two classes: the premier MotoGP class and 250cc GP. In the premier class, JiR Team Scot is running Italian talent Andrea Dovizioso on a Honda RC212V and in the quarter litre class is the Japanese rider Yuki Takahashi on a Honda RS250RW. This will be a season rich in emotion in which JiR Team Scot wants to be a major player and challenge for both titles. It is a gruelling 18-round calendar this year with a second race in the USA at Indianapolis making its debut, in addition to the established Laguna Seca round. The 2008 season will be a long one, in which the team will be absolutely focussed on each and every event, and determined to succeed. For the first time in the history of a motorcycle World Championship the desert race in Losail will take place at night under floodlights making this a unique event in MotoGP's 60-year history.
Gianluca Montiron - Director JiR Team Scot
"This is the beginning of an exciting championship! We want to be competitive from the very start and we have grown together in the premier class. We've dedicated all our winter time to building up our two teams, which are especially focussed around our riders. Andrea and Yuki will both reap the benefits of this. We have a team,...
FIRST NIGHT RACE IN MOTOGP HISTORY OPENS 2008 SEASON IN QATAR
Just a few days after completing their preseason testing schedule in Qatar, the Ducati Marlboro Team return to the Losail International Circuit this weekend to begin their defence of the MotoGP World Championship. Sunday 9th March 2008 will go down in history as the date that a Grand Prix took place at night for the first time ever.
The riders have already had the opportunity to get accustomed to the peculiar conditions that will greet them at the circuit thanks to two days of tests at the end of February, when they rode their MotoGP machines under artificial lighting for the first time. Casey Stoner adapted quickly to the unusual surroundings whilst Marco Melandri made small but constant steps to improve his feeling with the bike and circuit.
The same could be said for the entire winter testing programme for the Ducati Marlboro Team, with the defending World Champion on top form and satisfied with the job done on the GP8 and with the Bridgestone tyres in all conditions at all of the circuits in Malaysia, Australia, Spain and Qatar. Melandri, meanwhile, has been focused on finding his own way forward, concentrating on setting a consistent pace on race tyres as opposed to worrying about a hot lap on soft rubber. He now feels confident that he is ready for the start of the season.
MICHELIN MEN SHINE IN COOL, MOIST NIGHT TEST
Michelin riders completed MotoGP's first-ever night-time test session on top in Qatar on Friday and Saturday, with rookies Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat-Yamaha Team-Michelin) and James Toseland (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) first and second fastest, just ahead of established MotoGP star Randy de Puniet (Honda LCR RC212V-Michelin). Colin Edwards (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin), Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V-Michelin) and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC212V-Michelin) confirmed Michelin's strength in depth by setting the fifth, sixth and seventh fastest times.
Conditions were tricky -- with a cool and moist track surface -- which highlighted the recent progress made by Michelin in tyre warm-up and operating temperature range.
"The tests were certainly different," said Jean-Philippe Weber, Michelin's director of motorcycle racing. "Fortunately the track wasn't so bad when we started the tests, because we were a little concerned about sand blown on to the surface. During the tests we had to deal with track temperature falling as the evening went on. To start with the temperature was about 23 or 24 degrees, but by the end of the session at midnight it had cooled to only 18 degrees. Also, the moisture level changed a lot...
Aprilia USA Wins SunTrust MOTO-ST Series Season Opener at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Aprilia USA/Lloyd Brothers Motorsports remains the team to beat in the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series following their second straight victory in the Daytona 300 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.
Ty Howard of Weatherford, Tex. and Mike Himmelsbach of Quakertown, Penn. rode the No. 1 Aprilia Tuono 1000R to a 4.573-second victory over the No. 75 Touring Sport Ducati 848 of Camarillo, Calif.'s Doug Polen and Columbia, S.C. racer Peter Friedland in the 108-lap race around Daytona's 2.90-mile road course.
The Aprilia USA/Lloyd Brothers Motorsports team won the Buell Motorcycle Company SuperSport Twins (SST) Team championship in last year's SunTrust MOTO-ST Series. Although the team also won the Daytona season opener, Howard was not part of the winning crew.
"I've been here so many years and it seems I've always been the fastest guy, but I never seem to finish up front," Howard said. "It's great to finally be here in victory lane."
The No. 4 BMW Motorcycles of Atlanta BMW R1200 of Englishman Richard Cooper and Marietta, Ga.'s Nate Kern finished third overall and in SST.
Troy Bayliss grabbed his first Superpole of the year at the end of an eventful day for the 38-year-old Australian at Phillip Island. The Ducati Xerox rider crashed three minutes before the end of the morning Q2 session after setting the quickest time, earning himself eight stitches in his left elbow in the process, then he smashed the circuit record at the end of second free practice. Finally in Superpole he shaved a further three-tenths off that time to take the pole away from his fellow Aussie Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB), leaving the mark at 1 minute 31.493 seconds. Young Italian Michel Fabrizio was next up for the Ducati Xerox Team, edging out Carlos Checa (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) for the final front row slot.
"It has been a bit eventful but I'm sitting here on pole and that makes me feel good about tomorrow's race" declared Bayliss. "Deep down I knew Troy was the man who I was going to have to beat. We always end up fast here and it was pretty close and I'm sure it's going to be a good race tomorrow. I did a long-run yesterday and planned to do another one today but the crash put paid to that. I did quite a few laps and I'm reasonably happy with the tyres and I feel sure the first few laps will be decisive up to about lap 8 and then it's definitely going to get slower and a lot harder for the rest of the race."
The opening race for the 2008 MotoGP Continental Circus will be a first, the riders will compete for the first time at night under floodlights on the Losail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar on March 9th.
On Thursday and Friday night, the final preseason tests for the series were held at the same venue to allow the world's top riders acclimate themselves to the conditions they will face next weekend.
Fiat Yamaha Team's rookie Jorge Lorenzo has already proved his skills over the Winter testing but tonight, he topped the speed charts to set the fastest time overall. The Dutchman was clocked at 1:54.552 on the 5.4 km (3.375 mile) circuit.
"I am very happy because we have done two days of testing with a very good rhythm throughout. Our performance has been consistent, which is very important after the trouble we had at the last test and this makes me confident for the first race," said Lorenzo.
Lorenzo's time was faster than the 2007 pole time set by his teammate Valentino Rossi (1:55.002), the first year of the 800cc bike. Modifications were made over the off-season by the MotoGP teams and obviously Lorenzo was pleased with the performance with his Yamaha M1.
MORE ACTION EXPECTED AT PHILLIP ISLAND FOR SUPERBIKE ROUND 2
The second round of the 2008 HANNspree Superbike World Championship takes place this weekend at the Phillip Island Circuit in Australia, just one week after a spectacular start to the season in Qatar.
Thrilling racing was seen in both World Superbike and World Supersport and more of the same is expected this weekend for round 2. Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) took the first win of the year at Losail, and the first win for the Ducati 1098, after an exciting battle with Max Biaggi on an identical Sterilgarda Go Eleven machine, while Fonsi Nieto swept to his maiden Superbike win on the powerful Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 in race 2. In Supersport Fabien Foret gifted the win to his Yamaha World Supersport team-mate Broc Parkes after running out of fuel on the final lap.
With plenty of Australian riders fighting for contention in both categories, above all Bayliss and Corser in Superbike, a large partisan crowd is expected this weekend at the splendid Phillip Island track.
Form Guide
The first race winners of the season were Ducati's Troy Bayliss and Suzuki's Fonsi Nieto. The two riders' respective team managers Davide Tardozzi and Giacomo Guidotti, gave their view on the opening races.
Corser comes home as Haga heals
Only a week after the 2008 World Superbike season kicked off at Losail with a podium for Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italy WSB Team) the second round approaches at Corser's home circuit, Phillip Island (PI), this coming weekend. After the Saturday race in the Middle East, normal Sunday service will be resumed from this weekend, with raceday at PI coming on March 2.
Both Corser and his team-mate Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italy WSB Team) have taken part in a successful pre-season test at the 4.445km circuit, setting faster lap times on their YZF-R1s than they had ever done before in Australia Corser is not only a double World Champion and the most experienced rider ever in World Superbike, he is something of a virtuoso performer at Phillip Island, having won six races in front of his adoring home fans; the most recent was in race one, 2006. Based in Europe for most of the racing season, Corser relishes putting on a show in his native country and will be all out to add to his Qatar podium - ideally with his first WSB race win in Yamaha colours.
Haga is nursing a battered and bruised body in the run up to the Australian round, after one heavy fall in qualifying at Losail and another in race one, but he is determined to ride at his normal level this weekend to get his championship challenge back on track. He has won with Yamaha at the Phillip Island circuit before, way back in 1998 on a YZF750SP; one of his 26 total career wins so far.
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP is on its way to Losail in Qatar for the first running of MotoGP bikes under floodlights during the two-day IRTA test later this week.
The 5,380m long Losail International Circuit will be illuminated by thousands of high-tech light bulbs as Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen take the track for the last test before the start of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship -- at the same venue - next month.
Capirossi has already experienced riding at the desert circuit under floodlights, as he was one of the chosen MotoGP stars to test out the feasibility of racing at night when he tested the new system last year on a Suzuki road-bike.
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP still has some important work to conduct during the two-day test to ready itself for the first race a week later, and will be hoping that Capirossi and Vermeulen will get up to speed and adapt to the totally new conditions quickly.
The Losail track will also provide a lot of new set-up questions for both the crews and for Bridgestone, as they try to come to terms with the colder night-time temperatures that can be experienced in the desert of Qatar.
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP begins its test at 17.00hrs local time (14.00hrs GMT) on Thursday 28th February, with both days of testing going on until mid-night local time.