Monday, December 31, 2012

Video: Building the MV Agusta F3

Have you ever wondered what the backstory was to building a motorcycle? Perhaps no greater version of that story exists than the rebirth of MV Agusta from the hands of Harley-Davidson, and the building of the company’s supersport model, the MV Agusta F3. Making an appearance on National Geographic‘s “Mega Factories” show, the doors of MV Agusta were opened up to the film crew’s cameras, and a fairly candid look at what is behind the curtain ...

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/o7XCaz67xEA/

George Andrews Luigi Anelli

Storm In A Tea Cup: How A Recycled Interview Reignited The Rossi vs Stoner Wars

There is no rivalry in MotoGP more bitter than that between Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner, more bitter even than the one between Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz. It has been a constant element in their relationship since Stoner won his first MotoGP title in 2007 (ironically, Stoner named Rossi as one of his heroes on the t-shirt he wore to celebrate that championship), though hardly a surprise, as the two men are polar opposites in almost every respect, except for their prodigious talent. The rivalry has intensified over the years, stoked by a series of incidents (nicely outlined by the peerless Italian website GPOne.com recently), including the booing of Stoner by Rossi fans at Donington in 2008, the epic battle at Laguna Seca in 2008, and the war of words between the two in 2010, ahead of Rossi's move to Ducati.

The rivalry does not just polarize the two riders, it also polarizes their fans. The comments section of almost any news story featuring the two men is riddled with posts by people blinded by fanaticism, with logic and calm consideration nowhere to be found. This polarization leaves the media with a dilemma: on the one hand, events concerning the two, and verbal exchanges between them need to be treated as newsworthy, and due consideration given to covering them as such. On the other hand, the media operate in the certain knowledge that covering the dispute is sure to sell more newspapers and magazines, generate more traffic to a website, and grab more viewers for a TV show. Reporting on these stories leaves journalists open to charges of sensationalism, but not reporting on them means they can be accused of not doing their jobs.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/nvGwOqTP6ZA/storm_in_a_tea_cup_how_a_recycled_interv.html

Romolo Balbi Jean François Balde

Pits to victory for Pedrosa at Valencia

Dani Pedrosa won Sunday's Valencia MotoGP season finale from a pit lane start, after a dramatic accident for race leader and newly crowned double champion Jorge Lorenzo.

Yamaha test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga finished in a shock second, while Casey Stoner hunted down Alvaro Bautista to snatch a podium place in his final MotoGP appearance before retirement.

Lorenzo had been one of the few riders to correctly choose slick tyres for the drying conditions, alongside Nakasuga and Stefan Bradl.

Pole sitter Pedrosa realised his wet tyre error on the warm-up lap and was joined by Nicky Hayden, Cal Crutchlow and Alvaro Bautistato in pulling into the pits to change bikes, meaning an end of pitlane start.

Slick tyres soon began to pay off with Lorenzo rising from eighth to first in the space of four laps, as more and more wet-tyre riders peeled into pitlane.

Once all were on dry bikes, Lorenzo was leading by three seconds from title runner-up Pedrosa, with Bradl third, Nakasuga fourth and Cal Crutchlow fifth. Bradl crashed out soon after.

Pedrosa caught Lorenzo after ten laps, but then ran wide and lost five-seconds.

However Lorenzo then got into a tank-slapper while trying to lap James Ellison, just before the halfway mark of the 30 laps - which turned into a massive highside on corner exit.

The Yamaha star was left fuming but lucky not to be hurt as he trudged through the gravel to only his second non-score of the year.

The incident left Pedrosa with a huge lead over Crutchlow - who also started from pit lane - but the Englishman then crashed with seven laps to go, ending his hopes of rising higher than seventh in the standings.

Nakasuga, who impressed with sixth in last year's damp Valencia race, thus secured a shock second place in only his sixth grand prix appearance!

Meanwhile Stoner - well outside the top ten early in the grand prix – got ever faster and passed Gresini Honda's Bautista to claim the final podium place with two laps to go.

27-year-old double champion Stoner waved to his Repsol Honda team, who were hanging off the pit wall and holding a pit board saying "Going Fishing", as he took the flag for the final time in MotoGP.

Stoner was the highest ranked rider to swap bikes during the actual race.

Fifth for Gresini's Michele Pirro was the best ever result for a CRT rider, while Andrea Dovizioso (Tech 3), Karel Abraham (Cardion), Danilo Petrucci (Ioda) and Ellison (PBM) followed.

Valentino Rossi's last Ducati ride ended in tenth place and one lap down, while team-mate Hayden was an early faller.

Pedrosa concluded the season 18 points behind Lorenzo and with a best ever seven wins, one more than Lorenzo this year. Third in the standings Stoner took five wins, but missed three races due to ankle surgery.

Dovizioso was the top satellite rider with fourth overall in this year's championship, with Bautista's Valencia performance confirming a career-best fifth from Rossi and Crutchlow.

Riders and teams now have just one day off to celebrate before preparations for the 2013 season begin in earnest with a post-race test at Valencia on Tuesday and Wednesday - without Casey Stoner.


Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/HM4afUVCioJ/Pits+victory+Pedrosa+Valencia

Christian Bourgeois Philippe Bouzanne

2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R photos

Source: http://sportbikeblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/2011-kawasaki-zx-10r-photos.html

Jean Pierre Bayle Len Bayliss

Confirmed: Marc Coma to Miss 2013 Dakar Rally

As expected yesterday, KTM made an official announcement today regarding the participation of Marc Coma in the 2013 Dakar Rally, and simply stated that the three-time winner of the race will be unable to compete due to injuries he sustained to his shoulder in the Rally of Morocco. The news leaves KTM’s Cyril Despres as the runaway favorite for winning this upcoming edition of The Dakar. “We worked really hard with the doctors and the ...

...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/HTwJK3eYtH0/

Jaime Alguesuari Julien Allemand

World Superbike: Online WSBK Assen 2009 Videos

Source: http://sportbikeblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/world-superbike-online-wsbk-assen-2009.html

Luigi Ancona Bob Anderson

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Teknic Violator Gloves - New For 2013

Teknic chose to redesign their Violator gloves for 2013, and the result is a solid pair that offers a whole lot of bang for the buck. In fact, these are the gloves that Josh Hayes chose to wear during his dominant, championship-winning 2012 season.

The Teknic Violators wrap your hands in durable cowhide that is doubled up in high-risk areas like the base of the palm, pinky, thumb, and wrist. These reinforced areas are made of large cuts of leather with minimal stitching in order to maintain as much of the original strength as possible. Knit kevlar is found between the two leather layers at the base of the palm, as well as running up the side of the hand and into the pinky for extra abrasion resistance.

The palm has been changed to sheepskin for 2013, which gives them a very supple feel with great feedback. It features the same scaphoid sliders as the Xcelerators and they protect your wrists from the all too common palm first landing, without interfering with your control of the bike. Additional molded protectors are found at the wrist, side of the pinky, and across the knuckles. All of these molded pieces have integrated air intakes that work together with the perforated leather sections to help keep your hands cool and comfortable. This is not the only comfort feature found on the Violators, however.

A combination of accordion stretch segments in the first two fingers and thumb, the sheepskin palm and Kevlar stretch panel on the back of the hand make them extremely flexible right off the bat. The Violators also feature a pre-curved shape to the fingers, which helps eliminate the bunching of material in the palm. This bunching is not only uncomfortable, but can also cause blisters to develop.

Overall, we think Teknic did a great job on the redesigned 2013 Violators. There are a lot of gloves to choose from in the sub-$200 category (which these come in well under), but these are definitely one of the best values available. If you’re interested in a pair of your own, feel free to get in touch with Brad through this forum or by calling 866.931.6644 ext. 810. Is email more convenient? You can send those to FORUM at RIDERSDISCOUNT dot COM and we’ll get back to you right away!

Teknic Violator gloves come in two color options. Black..


and White/Black.


Scaphoid sliders help protect you from your own instinct to put your hands out in the event of a fall. They keep your hands sliding, rather than catching the pavement and sending the impact force through the hand, wrist, arm and shoulder.


Molded knuckle protectors are backed by high density foam for impact protection, while also allowing air to flow through the vents.


The pinkies are guarded by secondary leather wrap with a Kevlar lining.


An abrasion resistant Kevlar knit stretch panel surrounds a vented portion on the back of the hand, providing both flexibility and cooling.


Vented knuckle protectors help to protect and cool the fingers.

Source: http://www.esportbike.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145019&goto=newpost

Brian Adams Duilio Agostini

Kawasakis Still Suck

Source: http://sportbikeblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/kawasakis-still-suck.html

Romolo Balbi Jean François Balde

Ben Spies 2009 World Superbike Champion

Source: http://sportbikeblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/ben-spies-2009-world-superbike-champion.html

Albert Bertholet Guy Bertin

Analyzing MotoGP's New Rules: The Marquez Penalty Points, Price Caps And Dashboard Lights

The meeting of the Grand Prix Commission last week was primarily aimed at doing a little housekeeping, and tidying up a few loose ends. What emerged from that meeting, and from the previous one held at Valencia a month ago, turned out to be a little more than that. Among the many changes announced were a few that point to the series turning down a new, and more sustainable path.

On reading the rule changes, it is hard to escape the conclusion that the official FIM press release containing the minutes may as well have been subtitled "MotoGP Regulations: The Marc Marquez Edition." Though Marquez is not yet twenty years of age, he has already left his mark on the rulebook, many of the new regulations appearing to have been drawn up in response to controversies emerging (rightly or wrongly) from Marquez and his Monlau Competicion Moto2 team.

The biggest change to the rules is the introduction of a penalty points system, aimed at bringing some clarity and consistency into the way that repeat offenders are treated. The rules arose from the debate generated by the treatment of Marquez throughout the year. The Spaniard received a number of warnings for incidents during the 2012 season, starting at Qatar, and his maneuver which forced Tom Luthi off line, passing through his collision with Pol Espargaro at Barcelona, a collision with Mika Kallio at Motegi, and ending with a penalty for an incident with Simone Corsi at Valencia, where he was forced to start from the back of the grid (the penalty did not slow him up much, he still came through most of the field on the first lap and went on to win the race).

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/Q8g_U4kPT0o/analyzing_motogp_s_new_rules_the_marquez.html

Raffaele Alberti Josef Albisser

Pedrosa wins 2012 finale, Stoner third in his last race

Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa Parc Ferme Valencia 2012

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) scored a masterful victory in today’s Valencia grand finale, winning an incident-packed race that started on partially damp and very unforgiving track. The Spanish hero was joined on the podium by third-placed Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda RC213V), riding his last race before retirement.

Morning rain had left the slow-drying track still wet in places, despite the earlier Moto2 and Moto3 races, so there were plenty of deliberation about tyre choice before the start. Some riders chose slicks, others rain tyres. Pedrosa was one of several riders who started the warm-up lap on rain tyres, then decided to change, rushing into the pits and swapping to their slick-equipped spare bikes. According to the rules, Pedrosa started the race from pit lane, after the main pack, his RC213V fishtailing as he launched, its slick tyres struggling for grip on still-soaking pit road.

Pedrosa took care in the first few laps, working hard to get heat into his tyres and stay on the narrow dry line. At the end of lap one he was 20th, but by lap three he was up to 11th and the fastest man on the track, making good progress over rivals who had started on rain tyres.

However, Pedrosa was not the only man on slicks. Recently crowned World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) and a few others had started the race on slicks from the grid and it was not long before Lorenzo was in the lead. Pedrosa moved into second just before one-quarter distance and then began to whittle away his compatriot’s advantage. He had got the gap down to just one tenth of a second when he found a false neutral and ran off the track at turn ten which put him four seconds behind. The very next lap Lorenzo crashed at the same right-hander that had nearly claimed Pedrosa.

The vast majority of the eight crashes during the race round this anti-clockwise circuit where in right-handers, the riders struggling to get enough heat into the right side of their tyres.

When Lorenzo tumbled, Pedrosa inherited a 22 second lead over Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow (who later crashed) and from then on his main challenges were maintaining concentration and staying on the narrow dry line. At the finish he was a gaping 37.6 seconds ahead of Katsuyuki Nakasuga (Yamaha), substituting for the injured Ben Spies. This was his seventh win of the year – a MotoGP record for the 27-year-old.

Stoner was one of the majority who started the race on rain tyres, the 2011 World Champion soon deciding he needed slicks and pitting at the end of lap four to change to his ‘dry’ bike. Next time around he was 16th and 31 seconds outside of a podium finish. His advance from that position was impressively determined as he passed other riders and made up a few more places as others fell by the wayside. He moved into third with two laps to go, giving him the opportunity to mark the end of his glittering career with a podium finish.

Nine years ago Stoner won his first GP victory – in the 125 class – here at Valencia. Today the Australian hangs up his leathers as one of the sport’s all time greats, with two MotoGP World Championships and 45 Grand Prix wins across all three classes.

The final victim of Stoner’s career was Bautista who nonetheless had good reason to be happy with his fourth-place finish. Like Pedrosa, Bautista also changed his mind about tyres during the warm-up lap, swapping bikes in pit lane and starting from there. He worked his way through from 19th on the first lap, riding well in the unforgiving conditions.

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: race winner
“After Marquez's race, I thought I should do something similar! But seriously, I'm really happy with this win. It was very difficult at the start to make the decision with tyres. I saw Jorge on slicks on the grid and I was pretty sure with my decision, but standing there the track was drying up very quickly and before the start I didn't know if it would be better to forget about the pole and start from the pits or go out on wets and stop after four or five laps. In the last corner of the sighting lap, the instinct told me to get in immediately. I started from the pit lane and I managed to be fast from the beginning. I caught Jorge and then I made a mistake and lost three seconds again, but one lap later he also made a mistake and crashed out. From this point another race began for me. It was tough to maintain concentration with such conditions and a big advantage, so I planned the second half of the race like a practice session, taking the corners, the lines, lap by lap. It's a great end of the season and I'd like to thank all the Repsol Honda Team!”

Casey Stoner, Repsol Honda: 3rd
“Considering everything that happened today, we're very happy with a podium. My motivation wasn't particularly high as I haven't wanted to push in the wet and haven't felt comfortable on the bike. I just didn't want to take any risks of crashing and damaging my ankle again so I was very cautious and this isn't how I like to ride. Even with the choice of going with the wets, not the slick tyres at the beginning of the race, I took the easy option, which really isn't me. When I saw the slicks had a big advantage, we came in and changed bikes and went back out and pushed as hard as we could, without taking unnecessary risks. In the end we were able to chase down Alvaro and take the last spot on the podium in our last race. My team are like my second family, we've been through a lot of ups and downs together and it's going to be difficult not to see them every week. I'm sorry for them and for everyone who has supported me for so long but this is the way it is and it's time to say goodbye. Thank you to all the people who have supported us over the years and all our sponsors, and to everyone in the Repsol Honda Team.”

Repsol Honda Press Release

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Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/Gr8Od6f90q9/Pedrosa+wins+2012+finale+Stoner+third+last

Artie Bell Carlos Bellon

Josh Sheehan triumphs in World Championship finale

All hell broke loose on Saturday in Bulgaria's capital Sofia as the freestyle motocross riders came together in the Armeec Arena for the final competition in this year's NIGHT of the JUMPS / FIM Freestyle MX World Championship series. The FMX riders fought it out for the last time this year in front of more than 9,000 fans. Twelve riders from seven nations went head to head in qualifying. Moore was back on the World Championship circuit for the first time in ages. Unbelievable but true, the Australian did not make it through to the finale (#7), despite producing 360 ​​and Volt on the Run. Hannes Ackermann (Germany), Brice Izzo (France), Petr Pilat (Czech Republic) and Jose Miralles (Spain) suffered the same fate, even though they also achieved good runs in qualifying. Only Bianconcini (Italy) totally blotted his copy book, ruining his chances of a place in the final with a dead sailor. Rankings were introduced for the first time ever in the NIGHT of the JUMPS this 2012 for Maxxis Highest Air contest. Bianconcini dominated the competition, securing 10 out of 12 victories on the day and a TAG Heuer winner's watch. However, Maikel Melero beat him in Sofia by 20 centimetres. Luc Ackermann, who is only 14 years old, also beat Bianco this year, winning in Basel. His recompense, number two slot on Maxxis Highest Air podium at the close of the season. The motocrossers once again dug deep into their repertoire of tricks in the final contest of the year. David Rinaldo executed a Double Seatgrab Flip, but even that was only enough for sixth place. Maikel Melero performed the same trick on his run, but with more style, to finish fifth. After his barrage of tricks, Javier 'Psy' Villegas did the Gangnam Style, which certainly impressed the fans but not the members of the jury, who placed him fourth. Podmol (Czech Republic) took the top spot in qualifying, but could not repeat his form in the final, finishing third. Josh Sheehan and Remi Bizouard traded tricks for ultimate victory. The Frenchman pulled off Ruler Flip, Cliffhanger Flip and Hart Attack Flip. Australian rider Sheehan replied with Lazy Flip, Tsunami Flip Indy and 360 to finally triumph in the skies of Sofia with a three-point lead. And so, a spectacular season dominated by the formidable Remi Bizouard came to an end. He certainly deserves this third world championship title. Libor Podmol took second place from David Rinaldo, who finished third overall. NIGHT of the JUMPS wishes fans everywhere a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Riders will be in Linz / Austria for the season opener of the 2013 NIGHT of the JUMPS in just four weeks time. Results NIGHT of the JUMPs – Final 1. Josh SheehanAUSMA Honda406 Points 2. Remi BizouardFRARFMEHonda403 Points 3. Libor PodmolCZEACCRYamaha401 Points 4. Javier VillegasCHLFMCYamaha394 Points 5. Maikel MeleroESPRFME KTM391 Points 6. David RinaldoFRAFFMYamaha375 Points Results Qualification 1. Libor PodmolCZEACCRYamaha335 Points 2. Remi BizouardFRARFMEHonda332 Points 3. Josh SheehanAUSMA Honda323 Points 4. David RinaldoFRAFFMYamaha322 Points 5. Javier VillegasCHLFMCYamaha320 Points 6. Maikel MeleroESPRFME KTM319 Points 7. Clinton MooreAUSMAYamaha311 Points 8. Brice IzzoFRAFFMYamaha278 Points 9. Jose Miralles ESPRFMEKTM300 Points 10. Petr Pilat CZEACCRKTM292 Points 11. Hannes AckermannGERDMSBKTM292 Points 12. Massimo BianconciniITAPZMKTM209 Points Results Whip Contest 1. Remi BizouardFRARFME Honda 2. Josh SheehanAUSMA Honda 3. Javier VillegasCHLFMCYamaha 3. Massimo BianconciniITAPZMKTM Results MAXXIS Highest Air 1. Maikel MeleroESP10,20 Meters 2. Massimo BianconciniITA10,00 Meters 3. Luc Ackermann GER 8,00 Meters FIM Freestyle MX World Championships Overall Ranking (after 12th contest) 1. Remi BizouardFRARFMEHonda 210 Points 2. Libor PodmolCZEACCRYamaha 188 Points 3. David RinaldoFRAFFMYamaha 148 Points 4. Brice IzzoFRAFFMYamaha 139 Points 5. Hannes AckermannGERDMSBKTM 102 Points 6. Maikel MeleroESPRFME KTM 100 Points 7. Massimo BianconciniITALPZMKTM 82 Points 8. Javier VillegasCHLFMCYamaha 81 Points 9. Jose MirallesESPRFMEKTM 61 Points 10. Josh SheehanAUSMAHonda 56 Points 11. Petr Pilat CZEACCRKTM 48 Points 12. Clinton MooreAUSMAYamaha 43 Points 13. Lukas WeisGERDMSBSuzuki 38 Points 14. Ivan ZucconiITAPZMKTM 37 Points 15. Martin KorenCZEACCRKTM 29 Points 16. Aleksey KoleshnikovRUSMFRYamaha 27 Points Maxxis Highest Air Overall Ranking (after 12th contest) 1. Massimo BianconciniITAPZMKTM 54 Points 2. Luc AckermannGERKTM 13 Points Maikel MeleroESPRFME KTM 13 Points 4. Lukas WeisGERDMSBSuzuki 10 Points 5. Ivan ZucconiITAPZMKTM 8 Points www.NIGHToftheJUMPs.com

Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1355649511-josh-sheehan-triumphs-in-world-championship-finale/

Hans Bartl Harald Bartol

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Emma Bristow is joining the Sherco team

It was a very exciting time in December 2012 for Ladies Vice World Champion Emma Bristow as she announced that she would be leaving Ossa to join the Sherco Team for an assault on the 2013 trials season.  Emma Bristow "I am very happy to be joining the Sherco team for the next two years where I shall be competing once again at the top level of the sport in the World Trials Championship, Scottish Six Days, British Trials Championship and the Scott time and observation trial plus other selected events"."At the world championship events I will be supported by the Sherco factory team and in the UK at the other events I will receive support from the official Sherco importers Malcolm Rathmell Sport"."The move from Ossa to Sherco was taken after much thought and consideration but I could not be happier with how things have worked out for me. The decision was more or less made for me when I witnessed the commitment from Sherco and in particular its World Championship contender Albert Cabestany. The company has demonstrated to me its commitment to achieving my ultimate goal of Ladies World Trials Champion and for this real life changing opportunity I would like to thank them. This is where I need to be and who I need to be with"."I will based in Spain for 2013 where I will start training with the factory squad in January having spent the last few weeks in December 2012 getting to know the new machine and the personnel I will be dealing with. Albert works very hard and every day we are training on the Sherco then cycling or in the gym, I just cannot believe how much tuition and support I am getting from him"."Whilst I am elated at joining Sherco I must acknowledge the support I received from the Ossa Factory and in particular Nigel and June Birkett. They gave me 100% and without their generous backing and support I would not be in the position I am today in trials, I would like to thank them for this"."Before I sign of for 2012 I would also like to thank everyone who has supported me, all my sponsors, team and friends, it has been very much appreciated and kept me very focussed, a big thank you to you all"."Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" - EmmaCommunication Emma Bristow Media Service

Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1355998801-emma-bristow-is-joining-the-sherco-team/

Brian Adams Duilio Agostini

World Superbike 2009: Donington Highlight Vids

Source: http://sportbikeblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/world-superbike-2009-donington.html

Jacques Bolle Pierre Bolle

Alpinestars Monster Gloves

What started as a limited run of just a few items last year has been expanded into a full line of Monster gear for Alpinestars. We’ll be giving you a detailed look at the gloves in this thread over the next week or so - starting with the Monster GP-M.

The Alpinestars GP-M gloves are essentially the previous model of the ultra-popular GP-Plus in a unique set of colors. This means that they still have all the same features that made the original so good, but at a lower price, and with the addition of a Monster logo on the cuff and green TPU finger sliders (on the white/black only).

Brad is here to help you out if you are interested in this, or any other pair of gloves, so feel free to give him a call at 866.931.6644 ext. 810. You can also send a message through this forum or an email to FORUM at RIDERSDISCOUNT dot COM and we’ll get back to you right away!

The Alpinestars Monster GP-M gloves are available in two color variants. White/Black,


and a more subdued black.


Bright green TPU finger sliders give the white/black version a bit of extra flair. The black gloves come with black finger sliders.


The only Monster branding on the gloves is a TPR patch on each cuff.

MSRP $199.95

Source: http://www.esportbike.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145010&goto=newpost

Manfred Baumann Alvaro Bautista

Emma Bristow is joining the Sherco team

It was a very exciting time in December 2012 for Ladies Vice World Champion Emma Bristow as she announced that she would be leaving Ossa to join the Sherco Team for an assault on the 2013 trials season.  Emma Bristow "I am very happy to be joining the Sherco team for the next two years where I shall be competing once again at the top level of the sport in the World Trials Championship, Scottish Six Days, British Trials Championship and the Scott time and observation trial plus other selected events"."At the world championship events I will be supported by the Sherco factory team and in the UK at the other events I will receive support from the official Sherco importers Malcolm Rathmell Sport"."The move from Ossa to Sherco was taken after much thought and consideration but I could not be happier with how things have worked out for me. The decision was more or less made for me when I witnessed the commitment from Sherco and in particular its World Championship contender Albert Cabestany. The company has demonstrated to me its commitment to achieving my ultimate goal of Ladies World Trials Champion and for this real life changing opportunity I would like to thank them. This is where I need to be and who I need to be with"."I will based in Spain for 2013 where I will start training with the factory squad in January having spent the last few weeks in December 2012 getting to know the new machine and the personnel I will be dealing with. Albert works very hard and every day we are training on the Sherco then cycling or in the gym, I just cannot believe how much tuition and support I am getting from him"."Whilst I am elated at joining Sherco I must acknowledge the support I received from the Ossa Factory and in particular Nigel and June Birkett. They gave me 100% and without their generous backing and support I would not be in the position I am today in trials, I would like to thank them for this"."Before I sign of for 2012 I would also like to thank everyone who has supported me, all my sponsors, team and friends, it has been very much appreciated and kept me very focussed, a big thank you to you all"."Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" - EmmaCommunication Emma Bristow Media Service

Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1355998801-emma-bristow-is-joining-the-sherco-team/

Pierre Audry Karl Auer

PRE-WAR GRAND PRIX GRID CONFIRMED FOR 2013 DONINGTON HISTORIC FESTIVAL

The Historic Grand Prix Association (HGPCA) is to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first car race at Donington Park in 1933 by bringing a pre-War Grand Prix grid to the 2013 Donington Historic Festival (May 3rd, 4th, 5th), ensuring even more on-track excitement and in-paddock appeal for this ever-popular international event, and giving yet another reason why Festival tickets are the ideal Christmas gift for historic motorsport fans.
The races now confirmed for the event (with news of yet more due early in 2013) are guaranteed to provide spectacular entertainment for visitors:
  • HGPCA pre-War Grand Prix cars
  • Group C sportscars
  • JD Classics Challenge for 66 to 85 Touring Cars
  • HSCC Historic F2
  • ‘1000km’ challenge for pre-72 sports-racing cars
  • U2TC pre-66 under two-litre Touring Cars
  • Masters pre-66 GT Gentlemen Drivers
  • Masters pre-66 Top Hat Touring Cars
  • Pre-63 GT
  • Stirling Moss Trophy for pre-61 sportscars
  • Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy for pre-56 sportscars
As well as the racing, there’s a host of other activities to keep spectators busy, from historic rally car live action and classic car club displays to the trade village and the open paddock.
Grand Prix glory
The early days of Grand Prix racing hold a very special, almost mythical, place in motor racing history. Thoughts of legendary marques such as Alfa Romeo, Alta, Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, ERA, Frazer-Nash, Maserati, MG and Talbot-Lago – all of which are likely to appear at the Festival – and of drivers such as Nuvolari, Seaman, Lang, Bira, Rosemeyer, Chiron, Varzi and Caracciola still send shivers down the spines of racing enthusiasts to this day.
From the 1920s to the late 1930s, works teams and private entrants would compete against each other on the race circuits of Europe. Racing was fast and furious and careers – and lives – all too frequently short-lived. And, as the world headed towards war, it was Germany that would dominate the final days of Grand Prix racing in that era, with the unbeatable Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz cars, the Silver Arrows.
Donington Park saw its own share of this excitement, including the Alfa Romeo P3 of Richard ‘Mad Jack’ Shuttleworth, taking victory there in 1935, followed by Richard Seaman and Hans Ruesch’s Alfa 8C in 1936. The 1937 and 1938 Donington Grand Prix races would be two of the biggest motor racing events ever staged in Britain, with the Silver Arrows of Bernd Rosemeyer and Tazio Nuvolari simply obliterating the competition. The HGPCA plans to award a Tazio Nuvolari Trophy to the winner of the Festival’s Sunday pre-War Grand Prix finale race.
Now Donington Park is set to relive those legendary days over the weekend of May 3rd, 4th and 5th 2013, as the types of racing machines that the Silver Arrows came to dominate take to the track once more.
And visitors can indulge their love of historic GP cars even more over the weekend; Festival ticket holders are entitled to two-for-one entry to the Donington Grand Prix Collection – the largest showcase of Grand Prix racing cars in the world.
Tickets on sale in time for Christmas
Advance ticket prices start at £12 for the Friday, £20 for Saturday or Sunday and just £36 for a three-day weekend ticket. On-the-gate prices will be £15 for Friday, £25 for Saturday or Sunday and £45 for the three-day weekend. Children aged under 16 are admitted for free. There are also special discounts for members of car clubs that have registered with the Festival (so please contact your car club official to make sure they’ve registered…).
Tickets can be bought via www.doningtonhistoric.com and through the 24-hour ticket hotline 0844 873 7355.
To learn more about the Donington Historic Festival, please visit www.doningtonhistoric.com.

Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/O2rdWnLZcLF/PRE+WAR+GRAND+PRIX+GRID+CONFIRMED+2013+DONINGTON

Hector Barberá Fabio Barchitta

Crutchlow and Dovizioso star in dramatic Valencia race

Andrea Dovizioso Valencia 2012

The 2012 MotoGP World Championship concluded in dramatic fashion for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team this afternoon after Cal Crutchlow fell out ofsecond position and Andrea Dovizioso secured a hard fought top six in an incident-packed Valencia race.

Officials declared the 30-lap encounter a wet race but new asphalt was already drying up when the action got underway in front of almost 62,000 fans.

Crutchlow was one of four riders to opt to switch to slick tyres ahead of the start, which meant the British rider joined Dani Pedrosa, AlvaroBautista and Nicky Hayden in starting from th e pit lane.

Crutchlow's decision immediately paid off with a clear dry line appearing right from the opening lap. He brilliantly built up his pace and needed only five laps to surge from the back of the field into the top five.

Crutchlow then moved into the top three on lap 13 and he found himself promoted into second position when Factory Yamaha rider and new World Champion Jorge Lorenzo crashed unhurt out of the lead on lap 14. The 27-year-old streaked away from Japanese replacement rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga, but just as he looked poised to score a career best second place and third rostrum of 2012, he crashed out on the approach to the final corner on lap 23.

Dovizioso's farewell appearance with the French-based Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team ended with a sixth place finish, but the Italian was left to rue his decision to start the race on Bridgestone's rain tyres.With section s of the track still damp, Dovizioso seized the lead from Aleix Espargaro on lap three, but he quickly realised that he would need to pit and switch to his YZR-M1 fitted with slick tyres as track conditions continued to improve.Dovizioso switched to slick tyres as he was about to complete the fifth lap, which dropped him out of the top 15. He lost time in the pits when he stalled his YZR-M1 machine before embarking on a brilliant recovery to score his 15th top six finish in 18 races.

Andrea Dovizioso 6th - 218 points:
"It is a pity that I could only finish my last race with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team in sixth position. I'm sorry because I selected the worst strategy possible with the tyre choice and I'm disappointed. Normally I am always very strong at interpreting the conditions in the right way but this time I chose to start on the wet tyres and it was clearly the wrong decision. The o ther decision that compromised my race was I stayed out too long before coming in and changing to slicks. I didn't have a reference because I was in the lead but when I saw Jorge I understood it was already too late. But I still came in to change to slicks. I then stalled the bike, so I lost more time. I didn't give up and found a good rhythm so I get back into the top six which is at least decent finish. It has been a fantastic season with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and I have enjoyed the experience a lot. The Team is incredibly professional and it has been an honour for me to ride with them and achieve a lot of success together."

Cal Crtuchlow DNF - 151 points:
"Obviously I am very disappointed to finish the season like that. I wasn't sure whether to start on wet tyres but I saw Dani pit and just followed him. Going to slicks was obviously the right choice but although there was a dry line, in some places it was so narrow that you couldn't go off line to overtake because it was way too risky. Dani got through the pack quicker than me but once I got into a fast rhythm I felt really at ease. I had a comfortable lead over third and it was looking good for me to get my best MotoGP result when I hit the smallest wet patch going into the final corner. It just flicked the bike enough to throw me off the left side and I was actually lucky not to get tangled up with the bike. It is a shame because I wasn't pushing that hard, but in those conditions we saw loads of people getting caught out. But once again I showed I was really fast and we take a lot of positives from the second half of the season. I've been on the podium twice and in the last races I've been right in the battle for the podium. I'd like to have had a few more finishes but I've shown my potential this year and that I am good enough to fight with the best in the world. I can now look forward to 2013 with a lot of confidence."

Herve Poncharal - Team Manager:
"That was an incredible way to finish the season and the excitement in the first laps when Cal was on slicks and Andrea on wets was really compulsive viewing. Nobody really knew what to expect because the conditions were so tricky but Cal was doing a brilliant job. He had built up a big lead over third place and with only a few laps to go we were getting more confident that he could he get his best result in MotoGP and the best result of the season for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. Unfortunately a small damp patch caught him out but I don't think the punishment fitted the crime.  Cal has enjoyed a fantastic second season and shown the form that we all knew he could after 2011. We are already really looking forward to 2013 and I am convinced that he is only going to be an even bigger threat. Andrea did another good job in his f inal race for us but it was a pity that he stalled the bike when he came in to change to slick tyres. That lost him a lot of time but the decision to start on wet tyres compromised his hopes of ending a memorable season with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team on the podium. I have to say huge thanks though to Andrea. He has been amazing in 2012 and he has become the most successful rider we have ever had in MotoGP with six podiums. He finished fourth in the World Championship and he was key to helping us take third in the Team World Championship. We only finished behind Yamaha's Factory Team and HRC, so that is a great achievement for a non-factory squad."

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/WovBJIpNeQl/Crutchlow+Dovizioso+star+dramatic+Valencia

Franz Aschenbrenner Stuart Aspin

Friday, December 28, 2012