Friday, May 29, 2009

Gran Premio d’Italia Alice Racing Numbers

Some key numbers ahead of round five of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship.

996 - Following his 12th place finish at Le Mans, Nicky Hayden has a career total of 996 points. A top twelve finish at Mugello would make him the 16th rider of all-time to reach the milestone of 1000 career points in the premier-class.

343 - The highest recorded maximum speed at Mugello is 343 kph (213.1 mph) set by Alex Barros on a factory Honda during the race in 2004.

24 - This is the 24th occasion that a GP has been held at Mugello, including 19 consecutive years from 1991.

16 - Valentino Rossi’s 16th place at Le Mans is the first time that he has ever finished last in a Grand Prix race and the first time he has ever finished a race outside a point scoring position.

13 - There has been at least one Italian rider on the podium in the premier-class at Mugello for the last thirteen years.

8 – The last eight riders who have started from pole position across all three classes have failed to convert the pole into a race victory. In fact from the last eight poles only two riders have finished on the podium – Rossi in Japan and Dani Pedrosa at Le Mans.

4 – The first four races of the year in the 250cc class have been won by four different riders (Héctor Barberá, Álvaro Bautista, Hiroshi Aoyama and Marco Simoncelli) which last occurred in 1999 (Loris Capirossi, Shinya Nakano, Valentino Rossi, Tohru Ukawa).

4 – Mugello is one of just four circuits on this year’s calendar where Ducati have not had a MotoGP win. The others are Indianapolis, Estoril and Le Mans.

3 – Last year at Mugello Italian riders won all three GP races: Rossi, Simoncelli and Simone Corsi. This was the first time that Italian riders won all these three classes at the same GP event on home soil since 1975 at Imola.

3 – For the first time in the 60-year history of Grand Prix racing, all three championship classes currently have Spanish riders topping the championship standings

Sources: www.motogp.com

MotoGP World Standing

Sources: www.motogp.com

Mugello Welcomes MotoGP Riders

With an exceptionally close situation at the top of the MotoGP World Championship standings, the premier class riders could be forgiven for focusing exclusively on their immediate rivals.

Mugello is a special track for the 800cc competitors and merits added attention from them, as five of them explained on Thursday ahead of the Gran Premio d’Italia Alice.

The pre-event press conference for the Italian round brought five riders out of the pleasant sun present at the track and inside to face the gathered media. Sat at the centre of the table, World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo was flanked by teammate and Mugello dominator Valentino Rossi, former titlist Casey Stoner and local stars Marco Melandri & Niccolò Canepa.

The quintet had unanimously positive opinions of the track, noting the impressive atmosphere and enjoyable layout. Despite this, nobody was making predictions on a final result for Sunday.

“We recovered 24 points in one race at Le Mans, with perhaps a bit of luck. To get a podium here would be great; to fight with Valentino would be amazing, but it’s not my objective,” said Lorenzo, leader of the series by a single point. “I want to finish races and improve my result from last year. I will try not to repeat what happened at Jerez (where he crashed out whilst fighting for the rostrum) but who knows? It could happen.”

Lorenzo was justified in his citing Rossi as a key rival on Italian soil. His Fiat Yamaha teammate has won the past seven visits to Mugello, and always has extra motivation for his home round.

“This Grand Prix is, from one point of view, more important than the others,” admitted reigning World Champion Rossi. “It’s Italy, there’s a huge crowd and a great atmosphere. “But there are 25 points available like at any other race.”

Ducati rider Stoner dismissed any hopes of Rossi buckling under pressure by stating that “he normally performs,” before saying that he is, “confident of a good race –even if a win might be another matter.”

Expectations were left at the door for Melandri and Canepa, both hoping to spring a surprise at tracks where they have much experience. Pramac Racing rookie Canepa has more experience than anyone of the track over the last twelve months from his time as a Ducati test rider but, whilst he has the track knowledge, things haven’t been all good at Mugello. He reminded the media that the last time that he tested at the track, he left with two broken ankles and a broken elbow.

Sources: www.motogp.com

Monday, May 18, 2009

Suppo: “Riders Made The Choice To Come In”

Ducati MotoGP Project Manager reviews tricky Le Mans race.

The decision of when to change bikes was a personal one for Ducati’s factory riders Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden, although a particular plan had been put in place by the team beforehand to give the duo the best chance of a good result. Stoner was one of the last to come in, and placed fifth despite some difficulties early on.

“I think that maybe we should come here in June or July, because every season it’s a gamble,” said Livio Suppo, Ducati’s MotoGP Project Manager. “Unfortunately Casey didn’t feel comfortable with the wet setup, and that was a pity because usually in those conditions he is very fast. On the dry setup he also had to work on the steering damper when he was very slow on the straight.

“After that he was fast, and I think that he did the second best lap of the race. We have to be positive; last year I think that after Le Mans we were -40 from the front, and now we are -1 from the leader. There will be better circuits for us, so we’re thinking positive,” he added, drawing upbeat conclusions from a race that still keeps Stoner very much amongst the title contenders.

“We agreed with the riders beforehand that we would show on the pitboard if any rider had put in a very quick lap with the slick tyres. It was basically their decision, and they are the ones with the experience of what it is like out there.

”Now we are looking forward to Mugello. We’ve never won there, but it is our home track and we’ve just had a good test there with Troy Bayliss and Vittoriano Guareschi. Vitto got his best lap ever there, which was a good one for a test rider, and Troy was also fast, so we’re looking at a track that for sure better suits our bike.”

Sources: www.motogp.com

Complicated Day For Rossi

A crash, a ride through penalty, three bike changes and no points at Le Mans left Valentino Rossi with plenty on his mind.

It is hard to imagine how World Champion Valentino Rossi could have had a more complex race to deal with at the Grand Prix de France on Sunday.

The Fiat Yamaha rider went into pit lane on four separate occasions at Le Mans, three times to change bikes and once for a ride through penalty, after he got his strategy wrong for once and suffered a costly fifth lap crash having made an early switch onto slicks.

A fortnight ahead of his home race at his beloved Mugello circuit the Italian star slipped to joint second in the standings as his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo snatched top spot in the championship race by one point, with an accomplished win.

Reviewing Sunday’s proceedings, Rossi commented, “I had difficulties from the start and I really could not ride my bike to its best. By the fourth lap I felt that I was quite slow and that I couldn’t ride as I wanted. I decided to change bikes early because usually this strategy pays off. I knew that I had to warm the tyres up a little bit but I crashed anyway in that corner because at that point the track was still wet and I just didn’t ride into it in a calm enough manner.”

He continued, “Luckily I was able to make it back to the pits and then later I changed again, but the rule says that if you change the bike again then you have to use one wet tyre, and so this is what we did. When I started that time, the pit-limiter on my bike was not on and so I was given a ride-through for speeding, but by that time it was too late for our race anyway.”

Summarising the round four results overall, Rossi added, “We’ve had problems throughout the entire weekend with the set-up of the bike and I was just hoping that I could stay with the riders in front and get some important points for the championship. Now we go to Mugello, my home GP, where I will perhaps be even more motivated than usual!”

Sources: www.motogp.com

Big Achievement For Melandri & Hayate




Back on the podium for the first time since 2007 Marco Melandri was a happy man after MotoGp race at Le Mans.

Although Sunday’s MotoGP race at the Grand Prix de France was an unusual contest, the riders changing from wets to slicks midway through on a wet-drying track, Marco Melandri fully deserved his second place at Le Mans.

Before the season few would have predicted that four races into the championship the Italian rider would have achieved three consecutive top tens, his first podium since 2007 and fifth place in the standings with the newly formed Hayate Racing team.

On a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR which was updated over the winter, after John Hopkins and Anthony West both struggled on the 2008 version of the prototype, Melandri has stepped up results on the machine despite the difficult circumstances he face over the winter – as he dealt with uncertainty about his MotoGP future.

On his achievement at the fourth round of 2009 Melandri stated, “It is awesome to be back on the podium. One month and a half ago, to imagine tasting the champagne again would have been so difficult, so it is one of the best feelings I have had in my life. I had a very difficult 2008 season and now I am working to get my speed back.”

Talking through the French race he explained, “It was tough because at the beginning my wet tyres were probably a bit too soft for the conditions that we had and every lap I wanted to change the bike, but it was still too early. When I changed the bike maybe I should have done it a lap later, so I just tried not to make any mistakes and just keep the pace. In the end I managed to have a really good race.”

Looking ahead to his home race next time out in Italy, he added, “I know it will be tough at Mugello but I just want to enjoy today. I must say thanks to my team and to Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna CEO) who helped me to come back in after Kawasaki pulled out. It would be a dream to get a good result in Mugello, so I hope to get into the top ten there.”

Sources: www.motogp.com

Lorenzo Dramatic Victory At MotoGP De France

In a hectic French MotoGP race, which started on a wet surface and was completed on slicks, Jorge Lorenzo judged conditions perfectly to take his second win of the year.

Spanish star Jorge Lorenzo found the perfect remedy for his Jerez frustrations at Le Mans, bouncing straight back from his DNF in Spain with a brilliant win at the Grand Prix de France in highly difficult conditions - to return to the top of the standings.

Lorenzo took the lead on the first lap and shot away at the front, building up a big advantage on wet tyres as the track dried quickly, eventually being the last rider to change onto slicks in his first ever ‘flag-to-flag’ contest and riding superbly on both sets of tyres to win by a 17 second margin.

Another brilliant effort by Hayate Racing’s Marco Melandri saw him cross the line second for his first podium since 2007, having been unsure of his MotoGP future over the winter.

Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa hunted down his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso on the final lap for third place to secure his third consecutive podium result.

A nightmare for Valentino Rossi saw him slip from first to joint second in the standings after a chaotic race. The World Champion swapped bikes three times, suffered a crash and was given a ride through for speeding in pit lane before eventually finishing last.

Australians Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro) and Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki) were fifth and sixth respectively, with Stoner drawing level with Rossi in second place in the championship.

Veterans Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), who mounted a comeback from sixteenth early in the race, and Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) would have ultimately hoped for better than their seventh and eighth places.

A solid performance for James Toseland (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) saw the Englishman take a step in the right direction in ninth and Toni Elías (San Carlo Honda Gresini) completed the top ten.

Lorenzo's advantage at the top of the standings is just one point, ahead of title favourites Rossi and Stoner who sit jointly in second position with 65 points each. Mugello, one of Rossi's favourite venues and his home circuit, will host the next round, the Gran Premio d'Italia Alice, the fifth date on the 2009 MotoGP World Championship calendar.

Sources: www.motogp.com

MotoGP De France Race Day Result


Pos. Points Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Total time Km/h Gap
1 25 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 47'52.678 146.848
2 20 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 48'10.388 145.948 17.710
3 16 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 48'12.571 145.838 19.893
4 13 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 48'13.133 145.810 20.455
5 11 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 48'23.217 145.303 30.539
6 10 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 48'30.140 144.957 37.462
7 9 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 48'32.869 144.822 40.191
8 8 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 48'38.099 144.562 45.421
9 7 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 48'42.985 144.320 50.307
10 6 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 48'45.896 144.177 53.218
11 5 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 48'46.228 144.161 53.550
12 4 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 48'49.325 144.008 56.647
13 3 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 48'49.366 144.006 56.688
14 2 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 49'03.977 143.291 1'11.299
15 1 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 49'08.063 143.093 1'15.385
16
46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 49'28.685 131.949 2 Lap
Not classified


36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 20'47.302
17 Lap

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Pedrosa In Pole Position For Grand Prix De France

Repsol Honda rider heads the grid at Le Mans after an exciting MotoGP qualifying session at Le Mans.

In-form Spaniard Dani Pedrosa snatched his first pole position of 2009 right at the death of Saturday afternoon’s MotoGP qualifying session at the Grand Prix de France as the riders got the chance to give it full gas on a dry track.

With Le Mans typically experiencing four seasons in a day morning rain gave way to afternoon sunshine, with provisional pole changing hands several times, before Pedrosa made it his own with a best effort of 1’33.974 on his final lap, to take first spot by a 0.005s margin.

The factory Honda rider who appears to be getting stronger every time he gets on his RC212V at present, following an injury plagued winter, will be joined on the front row by fellow Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha) and Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro).

Valentino Rossi made improvements as the session went on, his final position of fourth being a significant step forward having lapped eleventh fastest on Saturday morning.

Rossi’s compatriot Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) and his former team-mate Colin Edwards, who briefly held provisional pole in the session, will line up behind him on the grid.

The third row will feature Rizla Suzuki pair Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi who both qualified within a second of Pedrosa, at a track where Vermeulen took victory in 2007.

The top ten was rounded off by Italian competitor Marco Melandri (Hayate Racing) and home rider Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) who both bounced back from crashes in the hour-long session.

The weathermen have suggested that there is an 80% chance of rain on Sunday at the time of the fourth MotoGP race of the year.

Sources: www.motogp.com

Bridgestone Bring In Tyre Markings For Softer Compound

From the Grand Prix de France onwards the softer slick Bridgestone offering will be marked by the Japanese tyre suppliers with a white stripe around the sidewall.

Bridgestone have officially introduced sidewall markings to their softer compound slicks at Le Mans, after testing during the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.

The marked sidewalls make it easier for those watching to keep track of the compound combinations that the riders use.

Hiroshi Yamada, Bridgestone’s Motorcycle Sport Unit manager stated, “We trialed tyre markings in Jerez with some different methods of tyre marking and after that weekend we decided to apply a white painted stripe to the tyre sidewalls. This will allow spectators, photographers, TV crews and anyone watching MotoGP to distinguish between the harder and softer compound Bridgestone slick options.”

“We have experience of doing this in Formula One, where Bridgestone is also the Official Tyre Supplier, and the feedback we have from that series has been very positive. Now four races into our first season as MotoGP’s Official Tyre Supplier, we have implemented a system that lets us transfer this experience to our MotoGP tyres, and I hope it will be just as well received in this paddock.”

Sources: www.motogp.com

BMW S1000 RR Superbike


It's gone from fantasy to concept to official announcement . . . all the way to a real product. BMW's first real superbike, the inline-four-powered S 1000 RR, made its debut to the world press at the Monza round of the World Superbike Series in Italy last weekend. The bike, which weighs in at 455 pounds full of fluids and makes a claimed 193 hp, will be in U.S. dealerships in the fourth quarter of 2009, but BMW of North America has yet to announce pricing.

We've already told you a lot about the S 1000 RR. Here are some more details. The engine uses F1 trickery, like individual (and teeny) cam followers and titanium valves to boost rpm and power output. Redline is at 14,200 rpm (compare a typical redline of 13,000 rpm for a Japanese superbike), and the claimed peak torque output of 82.5 lb.-ft. comes at 9,750 rpm. There are butterfly valves in the stainless-steel exhaust system to boost mid-range performance. A "race" ABS system (which adds only 5.5 pounds to the bike), quickshifter and dynamic traction control ("DTC") are all optional.

The internet forums are already packed with comments griping about the bike's unconventional styling. This is after months of criticizing the bike (in WSB race form) for looking too much like a Japanese superbike. Particularly vexing to the conventional are the asymmetrical headlights and delicate taillight. One more for the "you can't please everyone" file.

But those who do like the bike, and who crave the long list of standard and optional features along with what may be the best power-to-weight ratio in the class, may be very pleased with the bike's rumored low MSRP. I was told last year the bike would be priced within 10% of its Japanese counterparts, which has been borne out by the European bike's pricing: 15,150 Euros, just 255 Euros more than a Euro-spec Yamaha YZF R-1. It'll be offered in four color schemes: grey, silver, green and a race-replica.

Sources: www.motorcycledaily.com

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Rossi First Win Of The Year

A crowd of more than 120,000 fans at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit witnessed a victory for Valentino Rossi in the first European race of 2009.

Valentino Rossi took his first victory of the season at the Gran Premio bwin.com de España on Sunday, beating Dani Pedrosa to the line by a 2.7s margin in front of a huge Spanish crowd in Andalusia.

Sources: www.motogp.com

Rossi Comfirm Visit To Isle Of Man TT

MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi has confirmed that he will make his first visit to the Isle of Man TT races in June this year.

Valentino Rossi is to attend the Isle of Man TT races in June with Dainese, who are the Official Safety Partners of the event. Dainese founder and CEO Mr Lino Dainese will accompany Rossi and Italian MotoGP Legend Giacomo Agostini on the historic visit.

Rossi is to attend the Dainese Superbike Race on Saturday 6th June with Agostini, who raced on the famous Mountain Course between 1966 and 1972, winning 10 TT races, which then held World Championship status.

Fiat Yamaha star Rossi will complete a parade lap of the 37.73 mile (60.7 km) circuit before the start of the six-lap Dainese Superbike race. He will ride behind the course car on a 2009 Yamaha R1, flanked by eight of the famous Travelling Marshalls, who will be riding similar machines.

“I am fascinated by all sorts of motorsport and the Isle of Man is a destination and a race I have wanted to experience for a long time,” commented Rossi. “The MotoGP schedule is always very busy around this time of year, but this time the TT has moved dates a little and there is a week gap between Mugello and Catalunya, so now at last we have the opportunity.”

“I have seen many famous images from the TT races,” he added, “and of course I’ve heard so much about it from Giacomo (Agostini) and Mr Dainese who enjoyed the experience so much last year.”

After the Dainese Superbike race there will be a press conference involving Rossi, Agostini and TT Dainese rider Guy Martin (pictured with Rossi above) outlining Dainese’s future commitments to further improving safety for people who love active sports.

Sources: www.motogp.com

2009 Brisbane Hot Rod Show Part 5





2009 Brisbane Hot Rod Show Part 4





2009 Brisbane Hot Rod Show Part 3





2009 Brisbane Hot Rod Show Part 2





2009 Brisbane Hot Rod Show Part 1





2009 Brisbane Hot Rod Show




Paint Job For This R1 Will Cost Around AUD 7500
With this price you can get another 2nd Hand R1 Haheha
Excellent paint job n surely a show stopper
Wish to get this paint jobs for my bike too.