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Cross-channel run for Ducati Xerox
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Tuesday, 27th July 2010, 13:04 GMTThe Ducati Xerox Team heads to the UK or, more specifically, to Silverstone, the only "new" track to feature on this year's World Superbike calendar, after a two year absence. The upcoming tenth round is also the last event before the championship's traditional month-long summer break. The historic Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire, UK, has undergone some major restructuring during recent months and the track layout is now very different to that on which the Superbikes last raced in 2007. The last time Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio visited the English circuit, they experienced some particularly bad weather that resulted in the cancellation of Race 2. Race 1 went ahead as planned but heavy rain conditioned the outcome and while Noriyuki finished on the podium behind Troy Bayliss (race winner on the Ducati), Michel unfortunately crashed out. Haga has raced at Silverstone on five previous occasions, and has achieved seven podium finishes over nine races, an impressive record. Michel is yet to celebrate a podium finish at this particular circuit but he, Noriyuki and the entire Ducati Xerox Team are looking forward to the challenge that the new look track will present. Noriyuki Haga has scored some impressive results at the British track in the past. "We haven't been to Silverstone for a few years but we've heard that they've made some great track modifications and I'm looking forward to going back there. I've had some good results there in the past, quite a few podiums from what I remember and it was always a track that seemed to suit my riding style. We'll have to wait and see just how much it's changed but I'm looking forward to the event and hope we can do well." While Michel is also looking forward to riding the new-look track. "I've raced at Silverstone before of course but my results were nothing to write home about. With the changes to the track layout it will be interesting to see how everyone goes, I guess we'll all be starting on a level playing field, and so I am confident that we can put together two great races. I hoped to do better at the recent Brno round and so will try my best to take as many points as possible this weekend to improve my position in the overall standings." Read article
Surgery sidelines Crump from Speedway World Cup
Source: Motourage - Thursday, 15th July 2010, 20:51 GMTAustralia’s three-time World Speedway Champion, Jason Crump has announced from his English base today that he has regrettably withdrawn himself from Australia’s 2010 Speedway World Cup team. Despite being comfortable in the chase for the 2010 Speedway Grand Prix title, the current World No 1 has confirmed that he will undergo further surgery on his left [...] Read article
ACU career boost for young road racers
Source: Latest News Articles from ACU.org.uk - Thursday, 8th July 2010, 17:09 GMTIF you are a young road racer who has talent and dream of being a future World Champion then the ACU is urging you to enrol for one of five fully funded places in the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) for a career boost. The course has been established by the ACU and MSA jointly with Loughborough College and is designed for 16-18 year-olds (some exceptions apply up to 24-years of age). It is designed to give elite road racers with potential grounding in skills needed to help them succeed on and off the track including vehicle dynamics, sports science, human performance, engineering and management. Running since 2004 the most notable athlete to take the course is double swimming Olympic Gold medallist Rebecca Addlington. Students will work for two qualifications that will help their racing and be transferrable to other careers in the future, they are: Level 3 NVQ in Sporting Excellence and alongside this they can study for a BTEC National Certificate or National Diploma in Sport (or continue with regular A-levels). A recognised coaching qualification is included in the BTEC/Diploma. Applicants must have five GCSEs, grade A-C, including grade C in Maths and English and be competing at national or international level already. The course will be based largely at the student’s convenience and accommodating their sporting commitments rather than on site at Loughborough College and lasts for 15-months, starting in August 2010. ACU Business Development Manager Dave Luscombe said: “This is a fantastic course that gives aspiring young racers a credible educational qualification while at the same time helping them to focus on their career and maximise their chance for success. Everything from sports nutrition to mental skills, physical conditioning and how to plan and manage your lifestyle and career are included – it is a fast forward button for any racer’s career. “Not only will these skills be useful – critical – to the rider’s race career, they will also stand in good stead if they have to go into the general employment market at some stage in the future, giving recognised educational qualifications.” There are five fully funded places for road racers being offered through the ACU (similar programmes for riders from other disciplines are being explored) and interested racers should apply in the first instance by 23rd July 2010 to: Dave Luscombe ACU Academy ACU House Wood Street Rugby CV21 2YX. dave@acu.org.uk Read article
Cal and James set for a scrap once again
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Thursday, 8th July 2010, 10:10 GMTFor different reasons, the Yamaha Sterilgarda riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland are looking to get back into the top finishing positions at Brno this weekend. Each tested at Imola after the Misano round, like many of their peers, with Crutchlow fastest of all. Crutchlow is out to take the kind of result that eluded him on his only previous visit, in the Supersport class, while Toseland is looking forward to revisiting another track that he has won at in his previous WSB career, and believes this one will be a good venue for him. For Toseland, there is one major obstacle in the way for all riders this weekend, a rider who has won at Brno in almost every imaginable class and form of racing - Max Biaggi. "I'm looking forward to the weekend," said the double world champion. "Brno is a track I've always had good results on. Everyone knows its Max Biaggi's favourite circuit so it's going to be difficult for everyone here as it's probably going to be a strong weekend for Aprilia. Having said that, we worked hard at last week's test in Imola so I'm looking forward to getting out on the track on Friday to see where we stand." For Crutchlow, the 2009 Supersport World Champion, Brno was a race he should have won, but for some unexpected bad luck. "I've got unfinished business at Brno," said the other English rider. "I had a really strong qualifying there in Supersport last year and was only two laps from winning the race when an unfortunate mechanical issue forced retirement. I love the track; it's fast and flowing and should suit our bike really well." Read article
Crutchlow leaves Imola with best time
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Wednesday, 30th June 2010, 17:02 GMTCal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda) was in dazzling form in the final session of testing at Imola, posting the fastest time of 1'47.478 to beat the previous track best from last year's race. The English rider used a race tyre to set his best time. The next three riders who were fastest over the two days of the tests had to rely on earlier lap times to take their places in the final rankings, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) second, on a 1'47.854 that he set this morning. Crutchlow declared: "I got through a bit of stuff today. It was a good enough job and we strung quite a few good laps together and did 30-odd laps on one of the new tyres. So all-in-all, not too bad. We will keep going and see what we can do in the next races." Leon Haslam (Alstare Suzuki) had two big crashes today, the second a collision with his fellow Briton Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati), with Shane cutting his hand and suffering a suspected broken second metacarpal bone. Haslam was still third fastest overall, but was reliant on his day one best time. Jonathan Rea was faster today than yesterday on his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR, and the last rider with a time inside the 1'47s. A somewhat rejuvenated Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) was fifth, heading off third place rider in the overall championship standings, Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati). Ruben Xaus was fast in the morning session today, going seventh overall in the standings, but stopping early to rest the leg he hurt in a collision with another rider at Misano on Sunday. Before his late session fall, Byrne had done enough to secure eighth place, one up on championship leader Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia). Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) rounded out a top ten of great variety, with all seven competing manufacturers represented. In the Supersport division, which was scheduled alongside the Superbikes for two days, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was the fastest, with a 1'51.572 lap from this morning. In yesterday's session for the Superstock 1000 runners the rankings were headed by Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia STK) who recorded a lap time of 1'52.375. From the start of July pre-sales will be getting underway for the Imola round of the Superbike World Championship on September 24-26. For further information, go to www.ticketone.it. Read article
Weise Rainmeister oversuit
Source: Insidebikes | Carole Nash » New Products - Monday, 28th June 2010, 8:20 GMTYes, we know there’s been a heat wave lately, but on average up to ten inches of rain falls in Britain every summer, with localised thunderstorms increasing the prospect of any biker getting caught in a downpour. So the Weise Rainmeister one-piece oversuit can provide practical insurance against getting soaked. Strong, light, portable and completely waterproof, the Rainmeister is as easy to transport as it is to put on and take off, making the perfect riding companion for the English summer, or long distance continental tours for the more adventurous. Manufactured from lightweight nylon with taped and welded seams, the Rainmeister is designed to keep the water on the outside. Meanwhile on the inside there is a mesh lining in the body and arms, making it easy to pull the Rainmeister over leather jackets and jeans. A full length YKK® zipper runs from the thigh to the collar, reducing the amount of bending and stretching required to get into and out of this one-piece oversuit and, with long zippers at the ankles, the Rainmeister slips smoothly over chunky motorcycle boots. Adjustable popper-retained straps on the chest and arms allow the wearer to create a snug fit and the adjustable belt incorporates a stowaway bag into which the suit can be folded for carrying when not in use. Finishing touches include a soft lined collar and reflective strips on both arms and legs for safety in poor visibility. Available in sizes XS – 5XL and priced at £79.99 including VAT, further details on the Rainmeister and the complete 2010 WEISE® range of rider apparel can be found at www.weise-clothing.co.uk or call 0117 971 9200. Read article
Video: Ben Spies Talks About His Silverstone Podium
Source: MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks - ... that fast is exactly what a MotoGP circuit should be - Wednesday, 23rd June 2010, 20:06 GMTAs usual, the guys at OnTheThrottle.tv catch up with Monster Tech 3 Yamaha's Ben Spies after the race at Silverstone. In this episode, Spies talks to OTT's Dave Williams about his podium at Silverstone, his crash, the problems that the cool English weather caused for the tires, and the difficulties of trying to spot a pitboard when you're sliding out of a corner and firing off towards Turn 1. Here's what Spies had to say for himself: read more Read article
MotoGP stars have a very English experience
Source: News RSS on motogp.com - The Official MotoGP Website - Wednesday, 16th June 2010, 15:00 GMTThere was a sight to behold ahead of the AirAsia British Grand Prix as Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo and American star Nicky Hayden tried to master the game of cricket at Lord’s in London. Read article
Kawasaki working hard to find more improvements
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Thursday, 10th June 2010, 11:15 GMTThe effort put in by all involved in the Kawasaki Racing Team has been obvious to see for those working in the WSBK paddock in 2010, with more personnel involved in the background and an extensive programme of development taking place since the very first winter tests. At Miller last time out the team beat its 2009 performance standards, proving that progress is being made, but it has been a tough season on many occasions - particularly since new signing Chris Vermeulen hurt his right knee badly in a Phillip Island race crash. Team regular Tom Sykes has impressed many times, particularly at Monza when he finished a season best fifth in race two, but the English rider knows that Miller did not go to plan. "We started the weekend in good shape but although we were consistent with lap times and we improved on last year's times, it was still not fast enough." Bad luck has struck Sykes more than once in 2010, and it affected his final result in race two. "I had a decent launch in both races but in race two I got tangled up with a Ducati rider and lost a few places, which put us in a disastrous 19th place. Middle race distance we struggled with handling into the long left-handed corners but I fought back as hard as I could to finish within the points. I guess that is a positive from the weekend. I'm sorry for the boys but I did the best I could and I look forward to getting things back on track and running nearer the front at Misano." Vermeulen has been frustrated in his much-lauded return to WSBK racing, but for the first time this year he scored in each race once he had completed his day's work at Miller, "A difficult weekend but we scored points in both races. It was my first time here and we improved the bike all weekend," said Chris. The British-based team is now making preparations for the next challenge ahead, Misano. Both riders are keen to get recent injuries cleared up during this period of the year, when there are three free weekends between the American and San Marino rounds. Read article
All grist to the Miller for Haslam
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Wednesday, 26th May 2010, 13:26 GMTAfter a tough year at Miller in 2009 championship leader Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) is looking to turn around his luck at this big, fast venue near Salt Lake City. Having ridden two brilliant races at the previous round at Kyalami last time out, Haslam increased his championship lead to 15 points over Max Biaggi (Aprilia). The English rider has had a stellar first half of the season, but he may still find Miller a tough challenge, as the last Suzuki to get on the podium there was Max Neukirchner's in 2008. Haslam has specialized in exceeding expectations of man and machine in 2010 already, no matter the circuit, bringing a large dose of consistency as well as his obvious pace and determination into play. Said Haslam on the eve of the seventh round, "Kyalami was a tough one and I'm looking forward to Miller because it is an easier circuit to deal with. Having said that, the altitude will make our bikes feel slow and we need to get them dialled in as soon as we can for the track and then push hard. Last year Miller was not such a good event for me, so I am really looking forward to showing what I and the Suzuki can do and hopefully get another couple of podiums. Max (Biaggi) is a threat and I want to make sure I either beat him or at least leave USA still in the championship lead. May is a busy month for us, with three races on three different continents, so it will be good to end it on top of the standings (with a good lead maybe?) and have a good break before the next round." Read article
