2012 PATA Racing sign Zanetti

Lorenzo Zanetti will step up to World Superbikes in 2012 after PATA Racing confirmed the Italian's signing. 

Zanetti, who shone in last season's Superstock 1000 championship, will replace Noriyuki Haga and ride an Aprilia RSV-4.

PATA ran a bike for the Japanese rider in 2011 but have opted to go with Zanetti this time out after the 24-year-old won his first race in Superstock at Monza and impressed on his way to a third-placed finish overall.

Haga remains just one of two full-time WSBK competitors without a ride for 2012.

Eurosport

Bimota Motor set to Re-launch racing plans

In the early days of WSBK racing Bimota was a famous name with many victories to their credit thanks to Davide Tardozzi, Giancarlo Falappa and Stephane Mertens, and the most recent being with Anthony Gobert in a wet race at Phillip Island in 2000. Launched in the 1970s, the brand has always been a protagonist introducing new technologies that were later incorporated into the design of its own models.

Bimota today has officially set up the Bimota Research Development Department, thanks to a joint venture with EDO Racing that will manage the marketing and development area. This is a first step for what concerns the SBK project as well, since the brand is willing to work on a World Superbike machine in the near future and is absolutely open to the possibility that in the not too distant future, the bike could arrive at one round. Obviously the Rimini-based company must first reach the production numbers stipulated in the FIM regulations and request homologation. 

WSBK legend and recent competitor Ruben Xaus is the new team manager, and he said of the whole initiative, "I've been part of Bimota for a few months and I'm trying to bring my whole experience as a world-known rider. I decided to create a development project, a joint venture with Edo Racing that could allow more flexibility and a faster service so the company can fully concentrate on the planning and prototyping. SBK is at its beginnings. In our recent test at Almeria, we just had to check different solutions about the chassis and from the next step forward we'll get to know better which is our project-competitiveness level."　　　www.worldsbk.com

Lorenzo boss: ‘＃27 Stoner took Honda to another level’

The talent of Casey Stoner lifted the performance of Honda’s factory RC212V machine to a new level in 2011, according to Jorge Lorenzo’s Yamaha boss Wilco Zeelenberg.
Zeelenberg reckons Honda’s 2011 bike changed very little from the RC212V that ended the 2010 campaign but it was the Australian’s skill and raw speed that made the HRC contender the dominant force last season.

Stoner won his second premier class world title with 10 race wins and frequently outclassed Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso, who were riding identical machinery.
In a recent interview with MCN, Spaniard Lorenzo explained the three main reasons he felt had contributed to him surrendering his world title in 2011.

He said: "The first one is that Honda made a big step at the end of last season (2010) and this year they have this new gearbox system, which makes them very competitive. Then Honda took Casey and I can't say anything new that I have not said about him. He is very talented and he can ride the bike to the limit in every situation.

"Casey's presence made all the other Honda riders stronger because the limit they must reach is now higher. There is more pressure so they get faster. Yamaha made a big effort to improve the bike but we couldn't improve so much, so these three things makes us a little bit slower with less options to win races."

Zeelenberg though believes Stoner’s impact at HRC was pivotal and he told MCN: "The big change was that Casey on the Honda took it to another level. We knew the Honda had made a step last August in Brno because Jorge even then was saying ‘mayday, mayday’ and urging Yamaha to make a step. To make that step we have our own philosophy and you can’t change too much otherwise you’re jumping in the same boat as Ducati. We didn’t want to jump in that boat so it looks simple that we didn’t do enough work.

"But that is not the case. The bike was still capable of fighting for the championship but sure the Honda was strong this year with Casey. For me at the moment the two guys that are a step up from everybody are Casey and Jorge. Dani sometimes is spectacularly fast but the two guys for me in MotoGP are Casey and Jorge. That’s quite clear and with the difference in our bikes, Jorge is able to beat the rest."        www.motorcyclenews.com

THE LITEUL TOURIST TROPHY

Repsol Honda Toni Bou changes to four wheels

The Repsol rider unveiled today the car he will use to participate in the Endurance Spanish Championship in Alcañiz

Toni Bou, who yesterday won the Spanish Trial Championship, will be part of the Repsol team that will participate in the Alcañiz 500 kilometres race next December at the Motorland Aragón Circuit.

It is one of the toughest endurance race in Spain due to its length, the low temperatures and the bad weather. Repsol will debut in this competition with the first racing car modified in Spain to run with AutoGas. Bou will drive a Fiat 500 with 205cv power that runs with alternative fuel which helps improving the quality of the air due to minimum emissions and also offers an economical advantage for the users compared to traditional fuel due to its higher efficiency.

That is the reason why three riders of different disciplines have been chosen: Dani Solá (Junior World Rally Champion), Toni Bou (Trial World Champion), both making their debut in circuit, and Jaime Hernández (driver and journalist specialist on circuits). In brief, a pioneer event, both for the use of AutoGas, a fuel used by 5.000 vehicles in Spain and more than 8 millions around the world, and for the driver line-up.

On the occasion of this competition, today the car that will be driven by Toni Bou was unveiled. It is a vehicle adapted to work with Spanish technology provided by Difisa, the biggest Fiat dealer in Cataluña. Several journalists had the privilege to accompany Bou as codrivers in a short stint near Palau Sant Jordi

Furthermore, Takahisa Fujinami, Bou's team mate at the Repsol Montesa Honda Team, also attended the event to support the rider from Piera. The Japanese rider had a ‘duel’ with Bou, making some impressive jumps and tricks with his bike.

Toni Bou:

"After a fantastic season, for me it is a prize that Repsol gives me the opportunity to run the Alcañiz 500 km in a circuit such as Motorland, which is amazing. The car I will drive has special features. It works with a fuel named AutoGas, which contributes to improve the quality of the air and has a much lower consumption. This will allow us to do more laps and to be more competitive".    www.fim-live.com

Super moto out of control

Crescent Suzuki to get Yoshimura power

Crescent Suzuki will be teaming up with the Japanese Yoshimura tuning company brand as it enters its first year of World Superbike action. Yoshimura will build, supply and develop the engines for the Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 that will participate in the 2012 championship, as well as supplying race performance exhausts. The Yoshimura engineers have already spent some time at the Crescent race headquarters in Verwood and evaluated the development that the team have already made with the 2011 engine. The Japanese company will work alongside Crescent to develop the motors further and make them as competitive as possible in time for the start of the 2012 season. Crescent Suzuki SBK - powered by Yoshimura - will begin testing later this month with Leon Camier who was recently named as the first racer to join the team. His team-mate will be announced soon, as will further sponsorship and partner agreements. The 2012 World Superbike championship kicks off at Phillip Island in Australia in February.

Fujio Yoshimura (Owner, Yoshimura Japan): "We at Yoshimura greatly appreciate this collaboration and it will be our highest priority. Thanks to Paul (Denning) and Crescent Suzuki for trusting our engine tuning capabilities and our passion towards competing at the front of the 2012 WSBK Championship Series. We believe Crescent Suzuki has a record of structuring the best racing team in the BSB championship series, with very dedicated technical and supportive team members presenting the most competitive machinery and riders at all races. We hope that the partnership between Yoshimura and Crescent Suzuki will be the most perfectly matched racing team on the WSBK circuits!"

Paul Denning (Crescent Suzuki Team Principal): "When Fujio and Yohei came to see me at the Japanese Grand Prix to discuss this partnership, it was clear that their passion and enthusiasm to work with Crescent Suzuki on the global stage was genuine and something they felt strongly about. For us as a team it is a significant level of assistance and a substantial boost to our performance potential. The Yoshimura company was built on engineering the best possible performance from engines and exhaust systems, and that principle has never changed. It is also very pleasing that the whole attitude to the project is of open communication and using the best combination of Yoshimura's own concepts and ideas and those which already exist in the Crescent developed engine. Yoshimura is a global household name in the motorcycle industry and we are very proud that they have shown such trust in the Crescent Suzuki World Superbike team to partner us so closely, and for us to uphold their honour on the world stage."  SBK.com

8 Hours Endurance Suzuka 2011 - Highlights

Latest World SBK News : Qatar Test Castrol Honda Hiroshi Aoyama

The Castrol Honda World Superbike team has concluded its 2011 on-track activities with a three-day test at the Losail circuit in Doha, Qatar.

Jonathan Rea was joined by his 2012 team-mate, Hiroshi Aoyama, for the test with the riders completing differing agendas at the 5.38km desert circuit. Both used the 2011 version of Honda’s CBR1000RR Fireblade, which will be comprehensively updated next season with a 20th anniversary edition of the iconic sportsbike.

Rea, who missed four rounds of the 2011 season after wrist surgery following a crash at Misano, Italy in June, used the Qatar test to try a new swingarm, Ohlins suspension and other chassis components, which can be utilised on the new machine.

Aoyama, meanwhile, joined his new team for the first time in Qatar after completing the 2011 MotoGP season with Team San Carlo Honda Gresini. The Japanese rider spent the three-day test getting comfortable on the CBR machine and testing Pirelli tyres for the first time.

With a new testing ban from 1 December to 15 January imposed by World Superbike championship organizers, InFront Motorsports, the team will next be together for a private test at Phillip Island in Australia in January 2012.

Jonathan Rea

We’ve got through a lot of work these three days and ended with two long runs today, which was pretty tough in the heat. We’ve tried heaps of stuff and, like the last couple of tests, we ended up running out of time. But it’s still been really productive and I’m looking forward to starting the next test on my favourite combination of components because we weren’t able to finish on that today. We’ve been making some quite big changes to the bike, just to feel the difference between the various set-ups and everyone has been working really well. It was good to be back at this circuit too; I like it here, and I’m really looking forward to getting back on the bike again in January.

Hiroshi Aoyama

I got food poisoning before I left Spain to go for the test so I was a bit uncomfortable to start. Also, my leather suits didn’t arrive in time so I was forced to use an old one. But it was a very interesting test and a good opportunity for me to meet my new team and spend some time getting used to the new bike and the tyres. We still have some work to make the bike more comfortable for me to ride so I was not able to push really hard. I don’t know much about the bike yet and there is still a lot to discover, so I will continue to learn, little-by-little. But the test has been really good and I hope we’ll get some new materials for the next time I ride the bike.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

We set ourselves a lot of goals for the development of the bike for next season and we have managed to tick a lot of boxes during this test, so we can start putting the 2012 bikes together now. One of the other objectives we had was also to find a fast team-mate for Jonathan and we have definitely ticked that box too! Both riders were under the lap record here and it’s been very hot, with track temperature above 50 degrees. Jonathan has worked on chassis parts for the 2012 machine and we introduced ride-by-wire electronics for the first time for on-throttle riding. Before we have only used it on corner entry, but now we have been working on corner exit, too. The results of this have been very positive and clear. Hiroshi has obviously been getting used to the machine and, because of his size and weight, we need to make some new parts to make him really comfortable on the bike. Despite these problems, we’re still very satisfied with his times and looking forward to making further progress with both riders early next year.     castrolhondasbk.com

Ant West Returns To MotoGP With Speed Master CRT Entry 2012

Ant West is to make a return to MotoGP in 2012, racing with the Speed Master team, which has entered the class under the new CRT rules. West made the announcement on his Facebook page - a small irony, as the last time he switched to MotoGP (with Kawasaki in 2007) he also announced the move using Social Media ahead of an official press release, at that time on his MySpace page.

Full details of the deal are yet to be ironed out, but it appears that West will be riding an FTR chassis with either a Honda or an Aprilia powerplant. MotoMatters.com understands that the deal is for one year only, but by signing a deal to ride a CRT machine, West hopes to gain important experience for 2013 and beyond.

West is the second high-profile rider to sign with a CRT entry, after Colin Edwards made the biggest splash at Misano announcing his move to the NGM Forward Racing team. Recent pronouncements from Carmelo Ezpeleta, that the CRT rules are the future of the class and that the playing field will be leveled between the factory machines and the CRT bikes in 2013, including a spec ECU and a rev limit, encouraged West to take the plunge, and by entering early, West positions himself better when the rules are equalized in 2013. With many of the names being linked to CRT rides being less experienced names such as Yonny Hernandez or riders racing in the Spanish CEV championship such has Carmelo Morales and Ivan Silva, having more familiar names on CRT bikes is crucial to Dorna if the CRT concept is to succeed.

West spent the last two seasons riding for MZ, first aboard the abandoned steel trellis chassis built and designed by Martin Wimmer, and from earlier this year, aboard a 2010 FTR. West struggled to score points, but the arrival of veteran Australian crew chief Warren Willing helped turn his fortunes around, Willing providing the stability in the garage that is crucial in a class that depends upon set up. West scored his best ever Moto2 result at Valencia, finishing 4th, just a couple of seconds short of the podium    motomatters.com

Ducati #69 NIcky Hayden undergoes wrist surgery

Ducati Team rider Nicky Hayden underwent surgery on Monday, 14 November,  to speed up the healing process on his right wrist, which was injured in a crash at the November 7 Valencia Grand Prix. During the operation, which was carried out at the Fremont Sports Therapy and Surgery Center in Fremont, California, USA, Dr. Arthur Ting placed a small screw in Hayden’s fractured scaphoid. The radial styloid, which is also fractured, was not treated.

“Everything went pretty smoothly,” Hayden said shortly after the operation. “The scaphoid is a slow-healing bone, so you don’t want to wait, only to find out in January that it’s not healing correctly. I’m happy to get it fixed right so that I’ll be ready to go when I need to be.”

After wearing a brace and using a bone stimulator for four weeks, Hayden will have his wrist X-rayed again to assess its status. He is confident of being at full fitness before his return to the track for the first day of the 2012 testing season on January 31 in Sepang, Malaysia.
www.fim-live.com

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Loris Capirossi appointed in advisory role to Moto GP

Loris Capirossi has been appointed in an advisory role to assist the with matters of safety of in the MotoGP World Championship.

After a 22-year Grand Prix career in which the Italian rider started 328 races, won three titles and finished on the podium 99 times, Dorna Sports is delighted to be able to call upon Capirossi’s extensive experience and knowledge as a former rider who has competed in the 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP categories.

With an exciting new chapter in the history of the World Championship commencing with the introduction of the 1000cc capacity machines, the new CRT rules and the new Moto3 category for the 2012 season, Capirossi’s insight will provide a highly valuable input as MotoGP welcomes important and significant changes to the sport.

Calling upon his understanding of the needs and requirements of riders and his vast experience of a range of different machines, Loris Capirossi will offer the MotoGP World Championship advice on matters relating to safety, the new regulations, the competition in general and the homologation of new tracks.

In recognition of Capirossi’s outstanding contribution to the sport throughout his career, Dorna has also made the request to the FIM that his number 65 be retired from use in the MotoGP World Championship. FIM.com

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2012 Moto GP CRT's don't interest #27 Casey Stoner

With Dorna veering heavily away from the classical prototypes that have been the story of MotoGP racing so far and pushing to pump up the dwindling grid with CRT’s and eventually have them completly take over the series as soon as 2013, 2011 World Champion Casey Stoner says he doesn’t like the idea at all.

The outspoken Stoner who has already said he won’t stay in racing for a long time (no way as long as veteran and now retired Loris Capirossi did) has criticized the upcoming change, finding the change disappointing from his personal viewpoint.

“I think if we kill prototypes then we may as well be racing touring cars,” said Stoner in an interview with eurosport.com “It’s no different to this. It’ll definitely take everything out of the racing for me. I won’t find the same interest to the point where you can maybe get a street bike, put a different chassis on it, a bit of suspension and this and that, and have a competitive bike.” 

“This (prototype rules) is the way it’s been for so many years. There have been a few things recently about costs, which have definitely increased, and the amount of personnel needed to run these bikes. They’re definitely more complicated than the old 500cc. But if it does change like that [to more production-based rules] then it’s definitely going to be disappointing for me and I don’t know if I’d want to be a part of it.”   www.twowheelsblog.com

Ducati Moto GP 2012 GP12

Ducati's Valentino Rossi rode an experimental version of next season’s GP12, equipped with an aluminium perimeter frame, at the Test in Valencia on Tuesday.

In an interview with motogp.com, Ducati Technical Director, Filippo Preziosi, described the Desmosedici test version, but stressed that it is a starting point for developing next year’s bike.
“Now we have designed a bike that has different technology for the frame, we would like to make the weight distribution, and everything else, the same as the standard bike in order to do a comparison. Then based on the results of our rider’s comments and data acquisition, we will define the final targets for the design of the next bike for the future.”

Preziosi continued, citing the main advantage of such a frame. “This chassis allows us to put the engine in a different position and change the pivot of the swingarm without producing other engines, which is a problem for the current rule, which says the maximum numbers of engines you can use is just six.”

The Technical Director then acknowledged the sacrifices the riders have made during the season in the name of development. "This is the worst thing you can ask of a rider - They are riders and they want to perform their best during the Sunday race, so asking them to act as a test rider during the entire weekend is something difficult. But Valentino did it and Nicky too, in order to have a better bike for the future.”  www.motogp.com

2011 MotoGP Post-Season Valencia Tests - Tuesday Times:

1. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) 1:32.186
2. Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda Team) 1:32.322
3. Ben Spies (Yamaha) 1:33.226
4. Randy De Puniet (Suzuki) 1:33.544
5. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) 1:33.652

Suzuki Moto GP 2012

Suzuki is close to confirming it will stay in the MotoGP world championship in 2012 to end months of speculation about the future of the British-based team.

The Japanese factory will remain with at least one factory GSV-R machine, with talks on-going about an expansion to a two-rider effort, which was first reported by MCN from last month’s Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island.

Suzuki will start the 2012 season campaigning its current 800cc GSV-R machine before pondering a switch to its new 1000cc bike later in the season.

Japanese test rider Nobuatsu Aoki confirmed to MCN at the recent Twin Ring Motegi round that he had commenced shakedown testing of the new bike.

MCN understands the current plan is for the new bike to be tested by its contracted riders immediately after the Estoril round in Portugal in early May.

Suzuki will almost certainly remain in 2012 after sources confirmed to MCN in Valencia that the factory team will stay in Spain to take part in a two-day test at the Ricardo Tormo circuit next Tuesday and Wednesday.

They will test the new 2012 Bridgestone tyres and a range of updated electronics on the current 800cc GSV-R.

Current rider Alvaro Bautista is also expected to commit his future to Suzuki, even though he has been offered an LCR Honda rider with Lucio Cecchinello’s squad.
He has also been linked with the Gresini Honda ride following the tragic death of popular Italian Marco Simoncelli in Sepang 12 days ago.

Bautista has made no secret of his desire to remain with Suzuki, despite his reluctance to begin the inaugural 1000cc world championship riding a current 800cc machine.

He told MCN recently: "I would like to race with the same bike as the other riders because I think a 1000 bike will be stronger than 800. The other factories are testing right now so even if Suzuki came with a 1000 in the third or fourth race it will be a difficult situation."

If Suzuki does commit to a two-rider effort, then British Superbike championship runner-up John Hopkins is hotly-tipped to fill the second spot.

HRC NSF250R for Sale Price

NSF250R Special price

EUR : 17.500

We will sell the engine separately on the condition that you purchase the machine.

Launch of the NSF250R Commercial Road Racing Machine.

TOKYO, Japan, June 2, 2011 ? Honda Racing Corporation will launch the NSF250R, a newly developed machine for the Moto3 class that will be added to the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix (WGP) in 2012. Sales of the new vehicle are planned to start in December 2011.

It is in the store here !

All Japan Road Race Championship 2011 Suzuka

All Japan Road Race Championship 2011
Suzuka GP, Race 1

01- Kousuke Akiyoshi – F.C.C. TSR Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – 15 giri in 35’30.580
02- Katsuyuki Nakasuga – YSP Racing Team with TRC – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 3.931
03- Akira Yanagawa – Team Green – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 15.212
04- Yukio Kagayama – Team Kagayama – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 23.797
05- Takumi Takahashi – MuSASHi HARC-PRO Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 39.102
06- Tamaki Serizawa – Trick Star Racing FRTR – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 49.591
07- Osamu Deguchi – Trick Star Racing FRTR – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 52.927
08- Takuja Fujita – Dog Fight Racing Yamaha – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 1’19.107
09- Ikumi Shimizu – Honda Takasaki B’WISE – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1’23.148
10- Kazuki Tokudome – Honda Suzuka Racing Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1’24.395
11- Isami Higashimura – RS Itoh & Asia – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 1’28.226
12- Hayato Takada – Team Tras & 8810R – BMW S1000RR – + 1’30.194
13- Masao Kuboyama – Honda Hamayukai Hamamatsu – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1’30.598
14- Yoshihiro Konno – MotoMap Supply – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 1’33.068
15- Mitsuhiro Yoshida – Honda Ryokuyokai Kumamoto – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1’46.772
16- Yoshiyuki Sugai – Team Sugai Racing Japan – Ducati 1098R – + 2’05.365
17- Kohji Kitaguchi – Crown Life Guard Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 2’07.358
18- Sadahito Suma – Confia H.M.F. – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 2’16.477
19- Takashi Toda – G-TRIBE – BMW S1000RR – + 2’16.506
20- Tomomasa Nakamura – Team Tomomasa – Honda CBR 1000RR – a 1 giro
21- Kazuma Tsuda – Keihin Kohara Racing Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – a 1 giro
22- Takeshi Tamura – Take Up OIRF – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – a 1 giro
23- Daigoro Suzuki – KTM Racing – KTM RC8R – a 1 giro
24- Motoaki Sawamura – Iwata Racing Family – Yamaha YZF R1 – a 1 giro

All Japan Road Race Championship 2011
Suzuka GP, Race 2

01- Kousuke Akiyoshi – F.C.C. TSR Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – 12 giri in 27’58.151
02- Yukio Kagayama – Team Kagayama – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 15.568
03- Takumi Takahashi – MuSASHi HARC-PRO Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 19.030
04- Tamaki Serizawa – Trick Star Racing FRTR – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 22.755
05- Osamu Deguchi – Trick Star Racing FRTR – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 26.432
06- Akira Yanagawa – Team Green – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 49.020
07- Isami Higashimura – RS-Itoh & Asia – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 1’16.952
08- Ikumi Shimizu – Honda Takasaki B’WISE – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1’20.415
09- Hayato Takada – Team Tras & 8810R – BMW S1000RR – + 1’21.833
10- Takuja Fujita – Dog Fight Racing Yamaha – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 1’25.468
11- Masao Kuboyama – Honda Hamayukai Hamamatsu – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1’29.632
12- Yoshihiro Konno – MotoMap Supply – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 1’34.158
13- Kazuma Tsuda – Keihin Kohara Racing Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1’46.580
14- Kazuki Tokudome – Honda Suzuka Racing Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1’46.727
15- Yoshiyuki Sugai – Team Sugai Racing Japan – Ducati 1098R – + 1’48.375
16- Mitsuhiro Yoshida – Honda Ryokuyokai Kumamoto – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1’55.359
17- Kohji Kitaguchi – Crown Life Guard Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 2’04.057
18- Takashi Toda – G-TRIBE – BMW S1000RR – + 2’09.996

Free style Red Bull Night Tracks

Next MotoGP Testing Limits To Be Abolished For 2012

Testing for the MotoGP class is set to undergo a radical shake up for 2012, with the current restrictions on tesTesting for the MotoGP class is set to undergo a radical shake up for 2012, with the current restrictions on testing to be abolished. According to both Italian magazine website MotoSprint and the Italian sports daily Corriere dello Sport, the Grand Prix Commission will approve a plan to scrap the testing limits imposed after the global financial crisis in 2008, and allow MotoGP riders to test the bikes as often as they like, within a few set limits.

The testing changes are a response to the cold hard reality that the testing limits have done nothing to cut costs. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta told Corriere dello Sport's Paolo Scalera at Phillip Island that the limits, introduced to cut costs, had done "precisely the opposite." While contracted riders - that is, riders currently racing in MotoGP - are restricted to a very limited number of test days, the factories are free to test as much as the like, with the proviso that Bridgestone is only prepared to provide them with 240 tires (equivalent to 120 sets of tires) each year to test with. So the factories go testing almost as much as they did in the bad old days, only they are having to pay extra to contract test riders, and the feedback they are getting is not of the same quality as the MotoGP riders can provide, the test riders being at least two to three seconds off the pace of the factory men.

Two factors have made the situation even more glaringly obvious: the first is the return to a maximum capacity of 1000cc for 2012. With Honda, Ducati and Yamaha all having built new bikes to campaign in 2012 - whether they are using the full capacity or not is unknown - the factories were allowed an extra 8 days of testing ahead of next season. But while the main development has largely been done early on, the real work of refinement will take place over the winter, and it is that process that will gain the final few tenths that mean the difference between victory and defeat. That process really needs the speed and finesse of the factory riders to complete, as they are the only people fast enough to fully test the parts being tested.

The second and most blatant problem with the current testing limits has been apparent from Valentino Rossi's utter failure to get to grips with the current iteration of the Ducati Desmosedici. As early as the first race at Qatar, Rossi's crew were talking about treating the rest of the season as a test, working on developing the bike for 2012. But that approach has also not met with much success, as the limited time on track - less than four hours of practice plus the race - during a weekend has left little time to test parts fully. When parts have been taken from the testing done on the 2012 bike, that, too has not provided much benefit. The difference in engine characteristics between the larger engine which Rossi tested for next year and the 800cc engine used in the GP11.1 has meant that any improvements have not been apparent for the 800s, and the data has not transferred well between the two engine capacities. Rossi, along with all of the Ducati riders, has continued to struggle in 2011.

The proposal to be adopted at Valencia removes the restriction on factory riders testing. The tire limits will remain in place, and according to MotoSprint, each factory will be allowed to nominate a track at which it will be allowed to test as often as it wants with factory riders. This means that instead of Yamaha sending Katsuyuki Nakasuga to Sepang and Ducati sending Franco Battaini to Mugello, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi can go in their places. The riders and factories can test all they want, until the tires run out. The proposal came from the factories, with Ducati pushing for the change with the full support of Honda, and though the change has to be formally approved by the Grand Prix Commission, which contains representatives of Dorna, the FIM and the teams, as well as the manufacturers, it is customary for the rest of the GPC's members to accept what the MSMA propose.

But Dorna is fully behind the change to the testing rules. At Phillip Island, Carmelo Ezpeleta told the Corriere dello Sport that it was absurd that MotoGP was "the only sport where the athletes cannot train, cannot improve." But the move may also prove to be a tactical one, giving the factories something they asked for just before the looming conflict over the Claiming Rule Teams breaks loose.ting to be abolished. According to d the Italian sports daily Corriere dello Sport, the Grand Prix Commis

motomatters.coms

ion will approve a plan to scrap the testing limits imposed after the global financial crisis in 2008, and allow MotoGP riders to test the bikes as often as they like, within a few set limits.

The testing changes are a response to the cold hard reality that the testing limits have done nothing to cut costs. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta told Corriere dello Sport's Paolo Scalera at Phillip Island that the limits, introduced to cut costs, had done "precisely the opposite." While contracted riders - that is, riders currently racing in MotoGP - are restricted to a very limited number of test days, the factories are free to test as much as the like, with the proviso that Bridgestone is only prepared to provide them with 240 tires (equivalent to 120 sets of tires) each year to test with. So the factories go testing almost as much as they did in the bad old days, only they are having to pay extra to contract test riders, and the feedback they are getting is not of the same quality as the MotoGP riders can provide, the test riders being at least two to three seconds off the pace of the factory men.

Two factors have made the situation even more glaringly obvious: the first is the return to a maximum capacity of 1000cc for 2012. With Honda, Ducati and Yamaha all having built new bikes to campaign in 2012 - whether they are using the full capacity or not is unknown - the factories were allowed an extra 8 days of testing ahead of next season. But while the main development has largely been done early on, the real work of refinement will take place over the winter, and it is that process that will gain the final few tenths that mean the difference between victory and defeat. That process really needs the speed and finesse of the factory riders to complete, as they are the only people fast enough to fully test the parts being tested.

The second and most blatant problem with the current testing limits has been apparent from Valentino Rossi's utter failure to get to grips with the current iteration of the Ducati Desmosedici. As early as the first race at Qatar, Rossi's crew were talking about treating the rest of the season as a test, working on developing the bike for 2012. But that approach has also not met with much success, as the limited time on track - less than four hours of practice plus the race - during a weekend has left little time to test parts fully. When parts have been taken from the testing done on the 2012 bike, that, too has not provided much benefit. The difference in engine characteristics between the larger engine which Rossi tested for next year and the 800cc engine used in the GP11.1 has meant that any improvements have not been apparent for the 800s, and the data has not transferred well between the two engine capacities. Rossi, along with all of the Ducati riders, has continued to struggle in 2011.

The proposal to be adopted at Valencia removes the restriction on factory riders testing. The tire limits will remain in place, and according to MotoSprint, each factory will be allowed to nominate a track at which it will be allowed to test as often as it wants with factory riders. This means that instead of Yamaha sending Katsuyuki Nakasuga to Sepang and Ducati sending Franco Battaini to Mugello, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi can go in their places. The riders and factories can test all they want, until the tires run out. The proposal came from the factories, with Ducati pushing for the change with the full support of Honda, and though the change has to be formally approved by the Grand Prix Commission, which contains representatives of Dorna, the FIM and the teams, as well as the manufacturers, it is customary for the rest of the GPC's members to accept what the MSMA propose.

But Dorna is fully behind the change to the testing rules. At Phillip Island, Carmelo Ezpeleta told the Corriere dello Sport that it was absurd that MotoGP was "the only sport where the athletes cannot train, cannot improve." But the move may also prove to be a tactical one, giving the factories something they asked for just before the looming conflict over the Claiming Rule Teams breaks loose.

All Japan Suzuka SBK Final Round Live Ustream !

ALL Japan Suzuka SBK Final Round 2011 Ustream

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/road-race

Schedule

29/Oct/2011 (Japan time)

08：30～09：00 GP-MONO   Q
09：15～09：55 ST600         Q    
10：10～10：50 J-GP3         Q
12：10～12：50 J-GP2         Q

13：05～13：45 JSB1000   Q1
13：55～14：10 JSB1000   Q2
14：20～14：35 JSB1000   Q3

15：05～　　　　　GP-MONO Race 10laps
16：15〜　　　　　Pit report
                                                                    

30/Oct/2011 (Japan time)

08：00～08：15 ST600       warm up
08：25～08：50 JSB1000    warm up
09：00～09：15 J-GP3        warm up
09：25～09：40 J-GP2        warm up

10：10～ 　　　　ST600          Race  12laps
11：10～ 　　　　JSB1000      Race1 15laps
12：15～ 　　　　J-GP3          Race   12laps
14：15～ 　　　　J-GP2          Race    15laps
15：20～ 　　　　JSB1000      Race2   15laps

#58

                                              Grazie mille. ciao.

#93 Marc Marquez To Remain In Moto2 For 2012, Despite MotoGP Option

Marc Marquez is to stay in Moto2 for another year. After all of the recent speculation, the 18-year-old Spaniard told the media at Sepang on Thursday that he had decided against switching to the MotoGP class after reviewing the options on offer to him. He will race for the Repsol-backed Catalunya Caixa Moto2 squad run by his mentor Emilio Alzamora aboard a Suter for 2012.

Marquez admitted that he had been surprised at the speed of his own progress. "This is my first year in Moto2, and my level is much better than i expected at the beginning of the season," he told the MotoGP.com website, and that had caused him and his manager Alzamora to explore the options available to him. In the end, though, he felt it was better to remain in Moto2 for another year, to gain more experience before stepping up to the premier class. "At the end of the season, it was time to check all the possibilities, and I think the best one is to stay one more year in Moto2, because every race I learn something new," Marquez told MotoGP.com. "It was a difficult decision, but I think we took the right one."

Two possible scenarios were possible for Marquez' ascent to MotoGP, and discussions about the two had been going on since Misano. One possibility was to take the remaining vacant seat at the LCR Honda team, while the other was that the Monlau Competicion organization which runs the Catalunya Caixa team would move up as an independent entity and be run as a separate and new team. In both cases, Marquez would have had a factory Honda RC213V and full factory support for the bike - the so-called Rookie Rule merely prevents newcomers from entering factory teams, not being supplied with factory equipment - though Alzamora's preference was believed to have been for Marquez to be in his own team. The funding for both options had been available, though with the precarious situation that the Catalunya Caixa bank finds itself in - it has just been nationalized by the Spanish Central Bank pending restructuring - meant that extra funding from the bank became impossible.

The bigger problem for Marquez was Repsol, however. As explained in detail by Spanish website Motocuatro, Repsol stood to lose a lot of marketing exposure if Marquez moved up to MotoGP. Marquez was on screen in one form or another some 80% of the time during the Moto2 broadcasts, and with Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa monopolizing the MotoGP broadcasts, the Spanish petroleum giant was getting wall-to-wall coverage of its brand in Spain. Having Marquez in MotoGP would add very little exposure in the premier class, while losing a huge amount of coverage in Moto2. With Marquez staying in Moto2, Repsol have the added benefit of seeing the #1 plate on its bikes in both the MotoGP and Moto2 classes, with Stoner having wrapped up the MotoGP title at Australia and Marquez still the favorite for the Moto2 crown, despite the fact that the Spaniard still trails championship leader Stefan Bradl by 3 points.

Though Marquez will remain in Moto2 for 2012, he is widely expected to make the step up in 2013.
http://motomatters.com

2011 BSB Highlights

Katsuyuki Nakasuga to replace Lorenzo for Malaysian Moto GP

Yamaha YZR-M1 test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga has been drafted in to replace injured Yamaha Factory Racing star Jorge Lorenzo for this weekend’s Grand Prix of Malaysia.

Reigning World Champion Lorenzo received an injury to the ring finger of his left hand during the Sunday morning warm up session prior to the Grand Prix of Australia. He has since received surgical treatment and is now recovering at home in Barcelona.

30yr old Nakasuga-san is a current Japanese Yamaha test rider with an excellent working knowledge of the YZR-M1 and Bridgestone tyres. He is also competing in the 2011 All Japan Road Racing Championship, JSB1000 class, and is currently third in the standings.

A decision on Jorge Lorenzo’s participation in the final race of the season at the Grand Prix of Valencia will be made within the next two weeks.

Rider Profile

Name: Katsuyuki Nakasuga

Date of birth: 9/08/1981

Age: 30

Nationality: Japan

Place of birth: Fukuoka

Team: YSP Racing Team with TRC (current ranking 3rd - Series not yet complete)

Championship series: All Japan Road Racing Championship, JSB1000 Class

Career:

- 2000/2004: All Japan RR GP250 class (best ranking 5th)

- 2005/present: All Japan RR JSB1000 class (2008/2009 Champion, 4th in 2010

---

2011 Japan Road Race Championship In Okayama R7 Highlights

２０１１ ＷＳＢＫ Ｒー１３

Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) and Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) traded wins at the final round of the championship in Portugal in a day that promised and delivered close racing in hot weather conditions in front of an 86,000 crowd. Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati rider Sylvain Guintoli almost gave the new-for-2011 team its first race win in race one, but Checa prevailed at the end.

Checa’s championship season win tally now ends on 15, part of a total of 21 podiums in 26 races, with six pole positions and 11 fastest laps. His points total reached over the 500 mark today, with his final tally 505 – the second highest ever in a single WSBK season.
Behind Carlos, the fight for second had already been already decided in Melandri’s favour but his determination to succeed in race two underlined how much his presence has brought to the series this year. He has now scored four race wins in his rookie WSBK season, as part of a total of 15 podium places.

The fight for third place looked set to swing in favour of Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) when Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) qualified only 17th, but after Laverty no scored in race one the 2010 champion did just enough today to secure third, on the same 303 points as Laverty, but with better results in the count back of podium places. They had tied on race wins, having scored two each, but Biaggi had far more second places than Laverty – nine to Laverty’s three.

Tissot-Superpole winner Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) continued his remarkable turnaround of late season form with two third places today and ninth overall. Leon Haslam had a tough final day for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team, scoring ninth and 15th places, but still ending up fifth in the championship, the top S1000RR rider of the year. Leon’s team-mate, WSBK legend Troy Corser signed off his career today, riding a specially painted racebike to signify this momentous day for the former double champion.

Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) was on good form and equalled his season best finish of fifth in race one, then scored eighth place to finish top Kawasaki finisher, 11th overall. Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare) went 11th and 14th in Portugal, and was 12th in the championship standings.

Race 1 It took Checa some time to get on terms with the long time leader Guintoli but he made a final pass with only a couple of laps go, and took a final advantage of 2.860 seconds at the flag. Third went to early leader Rea while a remarkable comeback from 17th on the grid meant that Biaggi overhauled the ever-improving Lascorz to take fourth place after 22-laps of pure effort. Melandri faded in the later stages to go sixth, while a brilliant ride from privateer Maxime Berger (Supersonic Ducati) put him seventh, his best single result of the year.

Carlos Checa: “It was not easy at all, at the beginning I was struggling because we made a difficult choice about the hard tyre. We knew we would be more consistent at the end, but it was also difficult to overtake Marco and then Johnny, and to catch Guintoli was not easy at all. The win is because we made the right choice, and a good job. I want to dedicate this victory and the championship to Genesio and all the team because they deserve the victory.”

Results: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 38'13.293 (158,587 kph);
2. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 2.860;
3. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 8.481;
4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 11.963;
５. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 13.333;
6. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 18.960;
7. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 20.489;
8. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 25.320;
9. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 26.695;
10. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 26.801;
11. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 27.115;
12. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 28.563;
13. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 31.765;
14. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 31.822;
15. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 31.866;
16. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 47.694; etc.

Race 2
Melandri and Laverty gave their official Yamaha squad a 1-2 finish in the final race of the 2011 season, with Rea posting third place after his late attack on Laverty was rebuffed. The top three were separated by only 1.363 seconds. Checa held off the resurgent charge of Guintoli to take fourth place in the 22-lap race. Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) and his team-mate Biaggi went sixth and seventh, Lascorz eighth.

Marco Melandri: “After race 1 I was a little bit disappointed because we had a tyre problem, so in race 2 I was stronger at the beginning when I saw Eugene in front I tried to catch him and wait a bit because I wasn’t fast at the beginning. It’s been a great season for me, and to give Yamaha a win in the last race is awesome. I just want to say a big thanks to Maio Meregalli, Marco Riva, all my team and all the Yamaha guys, they did a great job, especially when they knew we were pulling out at the end of the season.”


Results: 1. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 38'11.326 (158,723 kph);
2. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 1.075;
3. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1.363;
4. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 2.648;
5. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 3.355;
6. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 4.709;
7. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 6.514;
8. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 14.441;
9. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 19.128;
10. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 25.527;
 11. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 26.400;
12. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 26.646;
13. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 26.963;
14. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 30.209;
15. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 30.951;
16. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 31.057; etc.

Final points: 1. Checa 505; 2. Melandri 395; 3. Biaggi 303; 4. Laverty 303; 5. Haslam 224; 6. Guintoli 210; 7. Camier 208; 8. Haga 176; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 529; 2. Yamaha 450; 3. Aprilia 422; 4. BMW 275; 5. Kawasaki 228; 6. Honda 194; 7. Suzuki 169.

World Supersport
Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO) scored his sixth win of the year, from the closing David Salom (Kawasaki Motocard.com) and one-time second place rider James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda). The top three were within 1.415 seconds of each other. Luca Scassa (Yamaha ParkinGO) slotted his R6 into fourth place, 5.522 seconds from his team-mate and the 2011 champion Davies. Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) and Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com) no scored after a crash for Lowes and a collision with Gino Rea (Step Racing Honda) for Parkes. Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) finished 12th, and thus Salom finishes second in the championship on the day he celebrated his 27th birthday. The final points read Davies 206, Salom 156, Foret 148 and Parkes 136.

Results: 1. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 35'31.062 (155,145 kph);
2. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1.253;
3. Ellison J. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1.415;
4. Scassa L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 5.522;
5. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 21.658;
6. Tamburini R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 24.490;
7. Roccoli M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 25.506;
8. Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 32.271; etc.

Final points: 1. Davies 206; 2. Salom 156; 3. Foret 148; 4. Parkes 136; 5. Scassa 134; 6. Lowes 129; 7. Ellison 99; 8. Marino 89; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Yamaha 251; 2. Honda 230; 3. Kawasaki 197; 4. Triumph 36.
Superstock 1000
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Ducati) secured the final win of the year in a race shortened to 11 laps after a technical issue with the starting lights. A distant second place went to Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) after a close fight with Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki Lorenzini by Leoni) and fourth placed Bryan Staring (Kawasaki Pedercini Team). The absence of champion Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) - who stepped up to the Superbike class today - means that Giugliano finishes his stellar year with an unchanged 171 points, Petrucci now has 169, Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) 148 and Barrier 132.

Results: 1. Petrucci D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 19'31.819 (155,18 kph);
2. Barrier S. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 8.019;
3. Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 8.115;
4. Staring B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 8.364;
5. Zanetti L. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 9.354;
6. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 9.466;
7. Baz L. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 9.664;
8. Massei F. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 16.030; etc.

Final Points: 1. Giugliano 171; 2. Petrucci 169; 3. Zanetti 148; 4. Barrier 132; 5. Canepa 109; 6. Antonelli 77; 7. Baroni 74; 8. Reiterberger 69; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 240; 2. BMW 193; 3. Kawasaki 99; 4. Honda 85; 5. Yamaha 16.
Superstock 600
Dutchman Michael vd Mark (Ten Kate Honda Junior Team) did all he could to win the championship at the final round, but despite his race victory Australian Jed Metcher (MTM-RT Motorsports Yamaha) secured his first title in this division, finishing fourth in today’s contest. Second in the race and the championship was American rider Joshua Day (Revolution Racedays Kawasaki), with van der Mark finishing third in the final points, with only one less than Day. Tomas Krajci (TK Racing Slovakia Yamaha) was a fighting third taking the final podium place and Riccardo Russo (Trasimeno Yamaha) was fifth. The final points scores are Metcher 150, Day 138 and van Der Mark 137.

Results: 1. Vd Mark M. (NED) Honda CBR600RR 18'11.759 (151,418 kph); 2. Day J. (USA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 3.787; 3. Krajci T. (SVK) Yamaha YZF R6 9.180; 4. Metcher J. (AUS) Yamaha YZF R6 11.700; 5. Russo R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 11.919; 6. Lombardi D. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 15.560; 7. Morbidelli F. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 18.821; 8. Vitali L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 20.194

Final Points: 1. Metcher 150; 2. Day 138; 3. Vd Mark 137; 4. Lanusse 101; 5. Lombardi 96; 6. Russo 94; 7. Duwelz 67; 8. Covena 50; etc.

2012 WSBK calender

2012 World Superbike and Supersport Championship calendar

1.February 26 – Australia, Phillip Island
2.April 1st – Italy, Imola
3.April 22 - The Netherlands, Assen
4.May 6 – Italy, Monza
5.May 13 – Europe, Donington
6.May 28* - United States, Miller Motorsport Park
7.June 10 - San Marino, Misano
8.July 1st – Spain, Motorland Aragon
9.July 22 - Czech Republic, Brno
10.August 5 - Great Britain, Silverstone
11.August 26 – Russia, Moscow Int. Raceway
12.September 9 – Germany, Nürburgring
13.September 23 – Portugal, Portimão
14.October 7 – France, Magny-Cours
* Monday race and WSBK only.

BACK-TO-BACK FLYAWAYS IN AUSTRALIA AND MALAYSIA FOR DUCATI GP TEAM

The Ducati Team is headed to the first of two overseas races that in the space of two weeks will take the Italian team first to Australia and then to Malaysia. The Phillip Island Grand Prix is one of the most popular rounds among the MotoGP riders because the circuit that twists along the Bass Strait features an old-style layout that is fast and flowing, and spectacular to ride.

Apart from 2006, when their best result was fourth place, the Ducati Team has always finished on the podium at Phillip Island. As for Valentino Rossi, he has enjoyed no fewer than seven victories there in his career, plus another six podium finishes. On Friday, the Italian will be testing the readiness of the hand that he injured in the crash in Japan, and he’ll also try continue the good progress he made there with the GP11.1’s setup.

Nicky Hayden is also a great admirer of the Down Under circuit, where he owns the lap record (2008), and where he will be celebrating his 150th Grand Prix this weekend. He has climbed the podium three times at Phillip Island, and he finished fourth last year with the Ducati.

VALENTINO ROSSI, Ducati Team
“At Motegi, despite the outcome of the race and what the consequences of the crash turned out to be, there were a number of positive aspects. We worked well on the bike’s balance and setup, and in the end, from that point of view, we had one of the most positive weekends of the season. Phillip Island is another track where the Ducati has always gone well, as have I, so we hope to be able to work as well as we did in Japan. As far as my hand is concerned, the swelling is reduced, and we still have a couple of days before we go on the track. We just have to wait for Friday morning to see how it reacts.

NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Team
“Phillip Island is definitely one of the highlights of the year, because everything about it is special. It’s fast, flowing and really fun to ride. The big question mark is always the weather. We can get rain, wind, cold and sun, all in the course of one race weekend. Casey has won a lot of races there for Ducati, and I should have been on the podium there last year, except that I left the door open for Vale to beat me. It’s a good track for me, and although I know it won’t be easy, I really hope we can do well. I’ve got Simoncelli coming for me in the points, but I’m not really thinking about that. I’d just like to try to get a good result on Sunday, when it counts.”

VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager
“Phillip Island is one of the circuits where our bike has always gone well, and it’s one where Valentino has posted many wins. Nicky also loves the track, so our goal is to be able to continue the good work we did in Japan with both riders. We’ll have the unknown of Vale’s hand injury, but he was able to rest and recuperate over the past few days, so we hope it won’t give him any problems.”

PHILLIP ISLAND CIRCUIT RECORDS

Circuit Record: Nicky Hayden (Honda – 2008), 1:30.059 – 177.803 Km/h
Best Pole: Casey Stoner (Ducati – 2008), 1:28.665 – 180.598 Km/h
Circuit Length: 4.448 km
2011 MotoGP Race: 27 laps (120.096 km)
2011 MotoGP Schedule: 4:00 p.m. Local Time

2010 PODIUM: 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd Valentino Rossi
2010 POLE: Casey Stoner (Ducati – 2010), 1:30.107 – 177.708 km/h

DUCATI TEAM’S BEST RESULTS AT PHILLIP ISLAND
2010: 1st (Stoner)
2009: 1st (Stoner)
2008: 1st (Stoner)
2007: 1st (Stoner)
2006: 4th (Gibernau)
2005: 3rd (Checa)
2004: 3rd (Capirossi)
2003: 2nd (Capirossi)

Suzuki Moto GP #19 Bautista: a decision in Australia

Suzuki will make a decision about its 2012 plans in time for the Australian Grand Prix. Saying so was Lucio Cecchinello, owner of Team LCR, who has put the Spanish rider at the top of his wish list for next season.


"Left hanging" by Andrea Dovizioso, after the Italian signed with Team Tech 3 Yamaha, the team owner is now running out of time to find another option.


"I was really hoping that Andrea would make a different decision, but I respect his choice - Cecchinello told GPone.com - now we will decide on our rider within a week.  Our preference is for Alvaro Bautista, but he won't decide until he hears from Suzuki.  Carmelo Ezpeleta told me that we'll learn of Suzuki's plans at Phillip Island, so a solution isn't far off."


Obviously Alvaro would prefer to stay at Suzuki where he is their top (and only) rider, but an offer to ride a Honda could be quite tempting, especially depending on the type of support available from HRC.


"As alternatives we have maintained contact with John Hopkins and Randy De Puniet, but Bautista is our first choice," Cecchinello concluded.
Bautista also received an offer from Ducati to rider one of their satellite machines
www.gpone.com

Motorcycle Eye training

Driver training in the past has dictated that scanning the road in front of us is good. But how rapidly should it be done? What are we scanning to find? 

What do we do with it once we’ve found it?

Our instinctual visual system is geared to spot danger. Any unpredictability about where we are now, and where we will wind up, triggers our survival instincts. Reaction times to recognize a situation are typically in the .35-second range. In near-panic, that same visual instinct commands us to look at what will happen in that same period of time and space. Target fixation can be the unwanted, negative result.

There may be rare exceptions, but riders don’t target-fixate on things that are out in the distance. Our survival instinct wants to know what is going to happen within the bounds of its minimum recognition time to a danger. Unfortunately, target fixation isn’t really looking; it’s more of a hypnotic transfixing. At 30 mph we travel 44 feet per second (fps). That .35-sec. is 15 feet, or about two bike lengths, ahead of you. 

 That isn’t enough time or space to make an intelligent evaluation and initiate effective corrective actions. Concurrently, we often lose our peripheral field of view which gives us vital information on our speed and is essential to our depth perception.

To combat these problems, you can experiment with ways to retrain the system and gain positive control over it. This will help you establish a “scan rate” to improve your visual comprehension of the space in front of you.

Practice finding a scanning rhythm before you even get on your bike. You can set a rhythm using your heartbeat or pulse rate as a timer for each shift of your eyes. 1) Move your eyes and refocus at another location in time with each beat. 2) Linger on the object just long enough to access your peripheral view. Even though our peripheral field is always alive, it takes a little internal “mental nudge” to switch it on. 

Don’t try to identify details, just have an awareness of it. 3) Once the wide view fills in, move on to the next object, and the next, etc. You can also refocus every two heartbeats to find the scope of what seems to give an optimum rate of eye movement and wide-view access. That establishes your optimum resting scan rate. When driving or riding, use that same rhythm as best you can.

Consciously look ahead and consecutively spot objects to the right, left and straight ahead of you: painted lines, parked cars, telephone poles, discolorations on the road’s surface—anything that catches the eye. Don’t make this complicated; just look forward and think “there, there, there” as you sequentially choose objects that border the space you are in. Once you’ve got something spotted, linger on it just long enough to allow your peripheral awareness to open up.

Overly rapid eye movements defeat the purpose of doing the exercise—it isn’t a contest to see how many places you can locate per second. Just move on to the next one in a leisurely manner. Find a timing for your eye movements that suits you.

In tight, blind corners, this drill becomes more difficult. The eyes automatically scan along, tracking the curvature of the corner in quick stops and starts. In most cases, you won’t be able to hold each stop long enough to allow your peripheral awareness to fill in. At this point, do your best to hold some peripheral awareness as your eyes do their natural scan.

www.motorcyclistonline.com