Source: http://sportbikeblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/wsbk-monza-and-kyalami-2009-highlights.html
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Why We Ride… Even in the Winter
Check out this excerpt from the Motorcycle Superstore blog section, from author Graham H:
Living and riding in the Pacific Northwest is amazing for so many reasons. We’ve got twisty mountain roads, no traffic, fresh air, beautiful panoramas, amazing communities of riders and enthusiasts, and so much more. Riding year-round in the Northwest can be brutal though, when winter weather rolls in.
So far this has been a pretty cold winter here in Southern Oregon, and as someone who prides himself on riding to work and working to ride, I had to endure almost two months off of my bikes this winter, with below-freezing temperatures, freezing fog, ice and frost on the roads and the resulting red rock gravel all over the roads, dumped by the plows.
Itching to get some time out of my cage and on the throttle, I jumped at the first opportunity I had to ride! I woke up last Thursday and saw a temperature of 36 degrees out, so I geared up, unplugged my battery tender and warmed up my bike. What an amazing feeling to shoot to work on my Husky Supermoto, wind whistling through my helmet, the big-bore single-cylinder engine roaring, smelling the crisp morning air, ahhhhhh… stress was flowing behind me out of the exhaust vents of my helmet and combining with the exhaust from my bike.
My cold morning commute reminded me of one of my absolute favorite passages about riding I’ve ever read, so I figured there have got to be some fellow cold-weather soldiers out there who would appreciate this short essay by moto-blogger Dave Karlotski. It’s an oldie but a goodie:
Season of the Bike
By Dave Karlotski
"There is cold, and there is cold on a motorcycle. Cold on a motorcycle is like being beaten with cold hammers while being kicked with cold boots, a bone bruising cold. The wind's big hands squeeze the heat out of my body and whisk it away; caught in a cold October rain, the drops don't even feel like water. They feel like shards of bone fallen from the skies of Hell to pock my face. I expect to arrive with my cheeks and forehead streaked with blood, but that's just an illusion, just the misery of nerves not designed for highway speeds.
Despite this, it's hard to give up my motorcycle in the fall and I rush to get it on the road again in the spring; lapses of sanity like this are common among motorcyclists. When you let a motorcycle into your life you're changed forever. The letters "MC" are stamped on your driver's license right next to your sex and height as if "motorcycle" was just another of your physical characteristics, or maybe a mental condition.
But when warm weather finally does come around all those cold snaps and rainstorms are paid in full because a motorcycle summer is worth any price. A motorcycle is not just a two-wheeled car; the difference between driving a car and climbing onto a motorcycle is the difference between watching TV and actually living your life. We spend all our time sealed in boxes and cars are just the rolling boxes that shuffle us languidly from home-box to work-box to store-box and back, the whole time entombed in stale air, temperature regulated, sound insulated, and smelling of carpets.
On a motorcycle I know I'm alive. When I ride, even the familiar seems strange and glorious. The air has weight and substance as I push through it and its touch is as intimate as water to a swimmer. I feel the cool wells of air that pool under trees and the warm spokes of sunlight that fall through them. I can see everything in a sweeping 360 degrees, up, down and around, wider than PanaVision and higher than IMAX and unrestricted by ceiling or dashboard.
Sometimes I even hear music. It's like hearing phantom telephones in the shower or false doorbells when vacuuming; the pattern-loving brain, seeking signals in the noise, raises acoustic ghosts out of the wind's roar. But on a motorcycle I hear whole songs: rock 'n roll, dark orchestras, women's voices, all hidden in the air and released by speed.
At 30 miles an hour and up, smells become uncannily vivid. All the individual tree-smells and flower-smells and grass-smells flit by like chemical notes in a great plant symphony. Sometimes the smells evoke memories so strongly that it's as though the past hangs invisible in the air around me, wanting only the most casual of rumbling time machines to unlock it.
A ride on a summer afternoon can border on the rapturous. The sheer volume and variety of stimuli is like a bath for my nervous system, an electrical massage for my brain, a systems check for my soul. It tears smiles out of me: a minute ago I was dour, depressed, apathetic, numb, but now, on two wheels, big, ragged, windy smiles flap against the side of my face, billowing out of me like air from a decompressing plane. Transportation is only a secondary function. A motorcycle is a joy machine. It's a machine of wonders, a metal bird, a motorized prosthetic. It's light and dark and shiny and dirty and warm and cold lapping over each other; it's a conduit of grace, it's a catalyst for bonding the gritty and the holy.
I still think of myself as a motorcycle amateur, but by now I've had a handful of bikes over a half dozen years and slept under my share of bridges. I wouldn't trade one second of either the good times or the misery. Learning to ride was one of the best things I've done.
Cars lie to us and tell us we're safe, powerful, and in control. The air-conditioning fans murmur empty assurances and whisper, "Sleep, sleep." Motorcycles tell us a more useful truth: we are small and exposed, and probably moving too fast for our own good, but that's no reason not to enjoy every minute of the ride."
Personally, I can’t read this without getting goose-bumps and itching for the rumble of an engine beneath me. Thank you Dave, for putting the intangible joy of riding into words so eloquently. For more of his work, just google Dave Karlotski.
Here at Motorcycle Superstore, we’ve got all the gear you need to stay warm and safe, even through a winter on two wheels. Check out our huge selection of heated gear, waterproof gear, heated grips, full-face helmets, balaclavas, and so much more.
Or click here for huge savings on everything you need to extend your riding season: www.motorcycle-superstore.com/692/MNGR/Extend-Riding-Season-with-Cold-Weather-Riding-Gear-from-Motorcycle-Superstore.aspx
By Graham H.
You can keep up with the staff of fellow riders at Motorcycle Superstore in our blog section. Check back weekly for new posts: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/Blogs.aspx
Why We Ride… Even in the Winter
Living and riding in the Pacific Northwest is amazing for so many reasons. We’ve got twisty mountain roads, no traffic, fresh air, beautiful panoramas, amazing communities of riders and enthusiasts, and so much more. Riding year-round in the Northwest can be brutal though, when winter weather rolls in.
So far this has been a pretty cold winter here in Southern Oregon, and as someone who prides himself on riding to work and working to ride, I had to endure almost two months off of my bikes this winter, with below-freezing temperatures, freezing fog, ice and frost on the roads and the resulting red rock gravel all over the roads, dumped by the plows.
Itching to get some time out of my cage and on the throttle, I jumped at the first opportunity I had to ride! I woke up last Thursday and saw a temperature of 36 degrees out, so I geared up, unplugged my battery tender and warmed up my bike. What an amazing feeling to shoot to work on my Husky Supermoto, wind whistling through my helmet, the big-bore single-cylinder engine roaring, smelling the crisp morning air, ahhhhhh… stress was flowing behind me out of the exhaust vents of my helmet and combining with the exhaust from my bike.
My cold morning commute reminded me of one of my absolute favorite passages about riding I’ve ever read, so I figured there have got to be some fellow cold-weather soldiers out there who would appreciate this short essay by moto-blogger Dave Karlotski. It’s an oldie but a goodie:
__________________________________________________
Season of the Bike
By Dave Karlotski
"There is cold, and there is cold on a motorcycle. Cold on a motorcycle is like being beaten with cold hammers while being kicked with cold boots, a bone bruising cold. The wind's big hands squeeze the heat out of my body and whisk it away; caught in a cold October rain, the drops don't even feel like water. They feel like shards of bone fallen from the skies of Hell to pock my face. I expect to arrive with my cheeks and forehead streaked with blood, but that's just an illusion, just the misery of nerves not designed for highway speeds.
Despite this, it's hard to give up my motorcycle in the fall and I rush to get it on the road again in the spring; lapses of sanity like this are common among motorcyclists. When you let a motorcycle into your life you're changed forever. The letters "MC" are stamped on your driver's license right next to your sex and height as if "motorcycle" was just another of your physical characteristics, or maybe a mental condition.
But when warm weather finally does come around all those cold snaps and rainstorms are paid in full because a motorcycle summer is worth any price. A motorcycle is not just a two-wheeled car; the difference between driving a car and climbing onto a motorcycle is the difference between watching TV and actually living your life. We spend all our time sealed in boxes and cars are just the rolling boxes that shuffle us languidly from home-box to work-box to store-box and back, the whole time entombed in stale air, temperature regulated, sound insulated, and smelling of carpets.
On a motorcycle I know I'm alive. When I ride, even the familiar seems strange and glorious. The air has weight and substance as I push through it and its touch is as intimate as water to a swimmer. I feel the cool wells of air that pool under trees and the warm spokes of sunlight that fall through them. I can see everything in a sweeping 360 degrees, up, down and around, wider than PanaVision and higher than IMAX and unrestricted by ceiling or dashboard.
Sometimes I even hear music. It's like hearing phantom telephones in the shower or false doorbells when vacuuming; the pattern-loving brain, seeking signals in the noise, raises acoustic ghosts out of the wind's roar. But on a motorcycle I hear whole songs: rock 'n roll, dark orchestras, women's voices, all hidden in the air and released by speed.
At 30 miles an hour and up, smells become uncannily vivid. All the individual tree-smells and flower-smells and grass-smells flit by like chemical notes in a great plant symphony. Sometimes the smells evoke memories so strongly that it's as though the past hangs invisible in the air around me, wanting only the most casual of rumbling time machines to unlock it.
A ride on a summer afternoon can border on the rapturous. The sheer volume and variety of stimuli is like a bath for my nervous system, an electrical massage for my brain, a systems check for my soul. It tears smiles out of me: a minute ago I was dour, depressed, apathetic, numb, but now, on two wheels, big, ragged, windy smiles flap against the side of my face, billowing out of me like air from a decompressing plane. Transportation is only a secondary function. A motorcycle is a joy machine. It's a machine of wonders, a metal bird, a motorized prosthetic. It's light and dark and shiny and dirty and warm and cold lapping over each other; it's a conduit of grace, it's a catalyst for bonding the gritty and the holy.
I still think of myself as a motorcycle amateur, but by now I've had a handful of bikes over a half dozen years and slept under my share of bridges. I wouldn't trade one second of either the good times or the misery. Learning to ride was one of the best things I've done.
Cars lie to us and tell us we're safe, powerful, and in control. The air-conditioning fans murmur empty assurances and whisper, "Sleep, sleep." Motorcycles tell us a more useful truth: we are small and exposed, and probably moving too fast for our own good, but that's no reason not to enjoy every minute of the ride."
__________________________________________________
Personally, I can’t read this without getting goose-bumps and itching for the rumble of an engine beneath me. Thank you Dave, for putting the intangible joy of riding into words so eloquently. For more of his work, just google Dave Karlotski.
Here at Motorcycle Superstore, we’ve got all the gear you need to stay warm and safe, even through a winter on two wheels. Check out our huge selection of heated gear, waterproof gear, heated grips, full-face helmets, balaclavas, and so much more.
Or click here for huge savings on everything you need to extend your riding season: www.motorcycle-superstore.com/692/MNGR/Extend-Riding-Season-with-Cold-Weather-Riding-Gear-from-Motorcycle-Superstore.aspx
By Graham H.
You can keep up with the staff of fellow riders at Motorcycle Superstore in our blog section. Check back weekly for new posts: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/Blogs.aspx
Source: http://www.esportbike.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145322&goto=newpost
EBC Brakes at MotoSport.com
Riding season is just around the corner for some of us, get your ride ready for the year with a new set of EBC Brake Pads.
EBC Brakes are a great way to increase brake performance or simply replace your worn OEM brake pads.
Below are a few of our featured EBC brakes pad sets!
EBC HH BRAKE PADS - FRONT
Price: $34.99 - 59.99
Product Description:
-EBC Has set the bar high for brake pads by developing the HH sport bike pad. earning the highest rating with no brake fade.
-The EBC HH brake pads are constructed using a high quality sintered process in their USA plant, providing high friction and long lasting durability for your motorcycle.
-EBC uses copper plates with perforated stainless steel braking plates (when applicable) which help reduce heat transfer into the caliper to ensure braking performance stays consistent between both pads and caliper.
-Reducing heat from the brake pads also keeps the brake rotors performing at their best.
-Includes two brake pads, enough for one caliper.
EBC V-Series Brake Pads - Rear
Price: $33.99 - 59.99
Product Description:
-Heavy duty long life organic material for heavier touring bikes.
-Being a semi-sintered pad containing 30% copper by weight, the V-Pad combines the benefits of the "feel" of an organic pad plus the low heat generation and rotor galling features that organics have with the lifetime of a sintered pad.
-E391 is an asbestos free, organic-molded friction material designed for use in heavy-duty motorcycle applications.
-30% copper by weight added makes this a high copper pad close to sintered durability levels.
-A medium-high coefficient of friction which retains a highly effective rbaking performance over a wide range of operating temperatures.
-This material offers stable braking with minimal pad and rotor wear, and minimal dusting of wheels.
-Wear rate / Projected street miles: 0.75 grams equivalent to 42,800 miles.
-Includes two brake pads, enough for one caliper.
Not sure if you need new brakes? Make sure you check your owners manual for brake pad maintenance and for instructions on how to replace your brake pads if needed.
EBC Brakes are a great way to increase brake performance or simply replace your worn OEM brake pads.
Below are a few of our featured EBC brakes pad sets!
EBC HH BRAKE PADS - FRONT
Price: $34.99 - 59.99
Product Description:
-EBC Has set the bar high for brake pads by developing the HH sport bike pad. earning the highest rating with no brake fade.
-The EBC HH brake pads are constructed using a high quality sintered process in their USA plant, providing high friction and long lasting durability for your motorcycle.
-EBC uses copper plates with perforated stainless steel braking plates (when applicable) which help reduce heat transfer into the caliper to ensure braking performance stays consistent between both pads and caliper.
-Reducing heat from the brake pads also keeps the brake rotors performing at their best.
-Includes two brake pads, enough for one caliper.
EBC V-Series Brake Pads - Rear
Price: $33.99 - 59.99
Product Description:
-Heavy duty long life organic material for heavier touring bikes.
-Being a semi-sintered pad containing 30% copper by weight, the V-Pad combines the benefits of the "feel" of an organic pad plus the low heat generation and rotor galling features that organics have with the lifetime of a sintered pad.
-E391 is an asbestos free, organic-molded friction material designed for use in heavy-duty motorcycle applications.
-30% copper by weight added makes this a high copper pad close to sintered durability levels.
-A medium-high coefficient of friction which retains a highly effective rbaking performance over a wide range of operating temperatures.
-This material offers stable braking with minimal pad and rotor wear, and minimal dusting of wheels.
-Wear rate / Projected street miles: 0.75 grams equivalent to 42,800 miles.
-Includes two brake pads, enough for one caliper.
Not sure if you need new brakes? Make sure you check your owners manual for brake pad maintenance and for instructions on how to replace your brake pads if needed.
Source: http://www.esportbike.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145193&goto=newpost
IODA Press Release: CAME IODARACING Launch 2013 MotoGP And Moto2 Teams
With launch season in full swing, the next team to kick off their 2013 campaign was the CAME IODA Racing project. The team, run by former Aprilia supremo Giampiero Sacchi, will field two riders in MotoGP and one in Moto2. In the premier class, Danilo Petrucci returns to the team once again for his second year. He will be joined by former 250cc man Lukas Pesek, the Czech rider having found the prerequisite funds to secure a slot alongside Petrucci. Frenchman Johann Zarco will contest the Moto2 season for the team. All three riders will be using Suter chassis, Petrucci and Pesek on Suter BMW machines, using the spec Magneti Marelli electronics, while Zarco has the championship-winning Suter Moto2 chassis used by Marc Marquez in 2012.
Below is the press release issued by the team:
CAME IODARACING TEAM TAKES ITS COVER OFF ITS 2013 MOTOGP CHALLENGE
CAME and IODARACING PROJECT unveiled their team to take part to the MOTO 2 and MOTOGP classes of the 2013 World Championship at their factory in Dosson di Casier on Wednesday 30th January. .
The partnership between the company based in Veneto, a leader in automation systems and access controls, and the factory in Terni continues in the best possible way. Both enterprises will face together the most important motorcycling world championship. A Made-in-Italy challenge.
Year:
2013 
Moto GP 06 Discount,Looking for great deals
Do you looking for Moto GP 06. Congratulation !!! You have got best price for Moto GP 06. Discover the secrets of the price of product. Moto GP 06 Make sure you only buy from this website. I hope you still get the best price..
*Attention , This Special Price on product available for a limited period only*
Product Info Moto GP 06 :
- Features the new 2006 season bikes, riders and tracks — as well as the full 2005 season
- Extreme mode tracks increase speed and raceability
- Race on the new Shanghai, Laguna Seca, and Istanbul circuits
- 17 Extreme Mode street tracks, including the new Monterey Costal Highway
- Superb online racing, with up to 16 riders per race, plus Spectator & Commentator Mode
Info : The majority of buyers to verify that the condition Moto GP 06 is a excellent product. They are also satisfied with the price offered. Therefore, Moto GP 06 is a product that I recommend to you immediately have!!
Post Tag : Best Price Moto GP 06, Moto GP 06 Best Offer, Moto GP 06 for SALE, Only on this site the secret price for Moto GP 06 here.
DISCLAIMER : This Site/page is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to (amazon.com, or endless.com, MYHABIT.com, SmallParts.com, or AmazonWireless.com).
Thank you for visit us and good decision to buy Moto GP 06 !!!
Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/DVTRTCeGN8W/Moto+GP+06+Discount+Looking+great+deals
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Eric Swahn Racing
For the 2013 season, I've decided to create a Facebook page for my racing. I'll be posting race & practice videos, pictures, results, and other important information regarding my season. I'd like to extend an invitation to anyone who is interested to like my page.
http://www.facebook.com/EricSwahn
-Eric Swahn
http://www.facebook.com/EricSwahn
-Eric Swahn
Source: http://www.esportbike.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145217&goto=newpost
Original New Unlocked Apple iphone 5 32GB...$475 onlinestoreltd@outlook.com
Original New Unlocked Apple iphone 5 32GB...$475
Skype...onlinestoreltd
you can also contact us for more mobile phones such as Nokia,Samsung,Apple tv,ipads,Blacberries..etc
Thanks
Skype...onlinestoreltd
you can also contact us for more mobile phones such as Nokia,Samsung,Apple tv,ipads,Blacberries..etc
Thanks
Favourite Seasons! (can also include JWRC/PWRC etc as I really like those!)
Howdy.
This thread is to nominate your favourite seasons ever in the WRC.
The best one I have ever known is my first full one - 2001. That had everything, and just look at the lineup of drivers and cars: 8 different winners in 5 different cars; 14 different podium finishers; Schwarz's performances in Monte Carlo, Safari and Britain; Rovanpera's sensational win on his Peugeot debut (and almost repeating it next time out in Portugal); young guns P.Solberg and Martin getting a full season in a top team; improved performances from Francois Delecour and Freddy Loix; the 4 way title showdown in GB - the aniticipation was unlike anything I can remember in motorsport - possibly including F1. The fact that it was a bit of a damp squib as 3 of them retired early on didn't really spoil things for me; and of course there was the amazing debut of a certain Sebastien Loeb.
My favourite PWRC season was without a doubt 2004 - that was like the above season, and I was relishing the prospect of all these top drivers going against each others. Just look at this juicy entry list:
SUBARU
Toshihiro Arai - the established best GrpN driver, but look at the competition he had now!
Alister Mcrae - a bona fide recent WRC driver and was my tip to take the title.
Mark Higgins - Bound to be quick
Niall McShea - Came real good at the end of his first season. Looking good to challenge the top guys.
Nasser Al-Attiyah - his consistency and ability to always get a result enabled him to shine.
Marcos Ligato - fast Argentinian driver. Never high in the points table but thereabouts on every event.
PROTON
Karamjit Singh - the 2002 champion, and still a competitive driver.
MITSUBISHI
Daniel Sola & Gianluigi Galli - official drivers in the official team!! Wow were these drivers quick - especially Galli, who I knew little about before this season.
Manfred Stohl - 2001 GrpN Champion, and Niall McShea's tip for the title.
Jani Paasonen - mega quick. Guaranteed to be right around the top.
Xavier Pons - not much expected, but he made the most of his opportunities. If only he'd chosen Sweden, not Australia as his round to miss!
Fumio Nutahara - strong driver
Tomasz Kuchar - had driven WRC fairly well, and at this level could shine pretty well.
The other 5 were Sergio Lopez-Fombona, Ricardo Trivino, Georgi Geradzhiev, Joakim Roman and Fabio Frisiero. Sadly Martin Rowe wouldn't be taking part due to lack of funds.
By my reckoning any one of eight drivers could have taken that title, and I had no idea who. First I was convinced Daniel Sola would run away with it. Then it looked like Jani Paasonen. When he was excluded in the final round, Alister Mcrae took the lead to my great excitement as he was the driver I was supporting. I stayed up till 4am following the results on teletext (they only listed top 10 - that was always frustrating, the lack of detailed information). I finally went to bed knowing there were only stages 23-26 to run after a service, relaxed and confident it was all finally going right for Alister. I got up later that day joking with my mum about him having retired at the end after all that's happened, while fully expecting him to have won it. I switched the TV on and waited for the teletext page to load up. When it came up, I was in disbelief as I saw the top 10
1.S Loeb Citroen (usually spelt Citreon)
2.H Rovanpera (Peugeot)
3.F Duval (Ford)
4.M Hirvonen (Subaru)
5.C Atkinson (Subaru)
6.X Pons (Mitsubishi)
7.C Crocker (Subaru)
8.T Arai (Subaru)
9.N McShea (Subaru)
10.I actually can't remember
But understanding the points situation and seeing that Arai and McShea were on the page and Alister was gone, I knew that Alister was now not the champion. I was absolutely dismayed having joked about him retiring by the end, on his way to the title having led all this way - and here it was actually having happened. I realised that Niall McShea had won the title, which was some consolation.
Being new to the PWRC I hadn't really grasped the reality of it. I thought the ex WRC drivers would absolutely win by miles and that Arai wouldn't have a chance with all these big names. As it turned out, Arai did very well, and Alister actually was about the 4th quickest driver.
My favourite JWRC season was a 2003 marginally ahead of 2004, as there were more cars represented in 2003. 2004 was also very competitive though. I was impressed with all the Suzuki drivers, Kris Meeke's performances in a car not on the level of the best, including his last stage podium snatch in Monte-Carlo.
This thread is to nominate your favourite seasons ever in the WRC.
The best one I have ever known is my first full one - 2001. That had everything, and just look at the lineup of drivers and cars: 8 different winners in 5 different cars; 14 different podium finishers; Schwarz's performances in Monte Carlo, Safari and Britain; Rovanpera's sensational win on his Peugeot debut (and almost repeating it next time out in Portugal); young guns P.Solberg and Martin getting a full season in a top team; improved performances from Francois Delecour and Freddy Loix; the 4 way title showdown in GB - the aniticipation was unlike anything I can remember in motorsport - possibly including F1. The fact that it was a bit of a damp squib as 3 of them retired early on didn't really spoil things for me; and of course there was the amazing debut of a certain Sebastien Loeb.
My favourite PWRC season was without a doubt 2004 - that was like the above season, and I was relishing the prospect of all these top drivers going against each others. Just look at this juicy entry list:
SUBARU
Toshihiro Arai - the established best GrpN driver, but look at the competition he had now!
Alister Mcrae - a bona fide recent WRC driver and was my tip to take the title.
Mark Higgins - Bound to be quick
Niall McShea - Came real good at the end of his first season. Looking good to challenge the top guys.
Nasser Al-Attiyah - his consistency and ability to always get a result enabled him to shine.
Marcos Ligato - fast Argentinian driver. Never high in the points table but thereabouts on every event.
PROTON
Karamjit Singh - the 2002 champion, and still a competitive driver.
MITSUBISHI
Daniel Sola & Gianluigi Galli - official drivers in the official team!! Wow were these drivers quick - especially Galli, who I knew little about before this season.
Manfred Stohl - 2001 GrpN Champion, and Niall McShea's tip for the title.
Jani Paasonen - mega quick. Guaranteed to be right around the top.
Xavier Pons - not much expected, but he made the most of his opportunities. If only he'd chosen Sweden, not Australia as his round to miss!
Fumio Nutahara - strong driver
Tomasz Kuchar - had driven WRC fairly well, and at this level could shine pretty well.
The other 5 were Sergio Lopez-Fombona, Ricardo Trivino, Georgi Geradzhiev, Joakim Roman and Fabio Frisiero. Sadly Martin Rowe wouldn't be taking part due to lack of funds.
By my reckoning any one of eight drivers could have taken that title, and I had no idea who. First I was convinced Daniel Sola would run away with it. Then it looked like Jani Paasonen. When he was excluded in the final round, Alister Mcrae took the lead to my great excitement as he was the driver I was supporting. I stayed up till 4am following the results on teletext (they only listed top 10 - that was always frustrating, the lack of detailed information). I finally went to bed knowing there were only stages 23-26 to run after a service, relaxed and confident it was all finally going right for Alister. I got up later that day joking with my mum about him having retired at the end after all that's happened, while fully expecting him to have won it. I switched the TV on and waited for the teletext page to load up. When it came up, I was in disbelief as I saw the top 10
1.S Loeb Citroen (usually spelt Citreon)
2.H Rovanpera (Peugeot)
3.F Duval (Ford)
4.M Hirvonen (Subaru)
5.C Atkinson (Subaru)
6.X Pons (Mitsubishi)
7.C Crocker (Subaru)
8.T Arai (Subaru)
9.N McShea (Subaru)
10.I actually can't remember
But understanding the points situation and seeing that Arai and McShea were on the page and Alister was gone, I knew that Alister was now not the champion. I was absolutely dismayed having joked about him retiring by the end, on his way to the title having led all this way - and here it was actually having happened. I realised that Niall McShea had won the title, which was some consolation.
Being new to the PWRC I hadn't really grasped the reality of it. I thought the ex WRC drivers would absolutely win by miles and that Arai wouldn't have a chance with all these big names. As it turned out, Arai did very well, and Alister actually was about the 4th quickest driver.
My favourite JWRC season was a 2003 marginally ahead of 2004, as there were more cars represented in 2003. 2004 was also very competitive though. I was impressed with all the Suzuki drivers, Kris Meeke's performances in a car not on the level of the best, including his last stage podium snatch in Monte-Carlo.
Villopoto reigns again
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., raced to his second-consecutive Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, 450SX Class Main Event win at O.co Coliseum before a record crowd of 46,896. Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen, of Germany, won his first Western Regional 250SX Class race of the season, snapping Eli Tomac's three-race win streak. Villopoto jumped out to an early lead, scoring the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award. JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha's Justin Brayton, of Cornelius, N.C., and Rockstar Energy Racing's Davi Millsaps, of Murrieta, Calif., followed Villopoto in second and third, respectively. A huge crash in turn two collected TwoTwo Motorsports' Chad Reed, Yoshimura Suzuki's James Stewart and Team Honda/Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia. Stewart and Reed re-entered the race near the back of the pack and Barcia was forced to withdraw from the race. By Lap 3, Villopoto established a 7-second lead over Millsaps, who passed Brayton for the number-two position on the same lap. Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., passed Brayton for second place on Lap 11. Millsaps finished second and Dungey finished third. "The points race is what we are going after, and winning the holeshot gives you a great advantage," said Villopoto. "We made some changes to the bike today that I think really helped us out there tonight, so hats off to my team. It is a long season, and we are going to keep plugging away." 450SX Class Results: Oakland 1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki 2. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki 3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM 4. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda 5. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Fla., Suzuki 6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda 7. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., KTM 8. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki 9. Vince Friese, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Honda 10. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C., Yamaha 450SX Class Points 1. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki – 85 2. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda – 78 3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 77 4. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 68 5. Chad Reed, Australia, Honda – 65 6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 56 7. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 47 8. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C., Yamaha - 42 9. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda – 41 10. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., KTM – 39
Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1359277781-villopoto-reigns-again/
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Brivio Plays Down Suzuki MotoGP Link
Reports yesterday linking Davide Brivio to running Suzuki's 2014 MotoGP effort appear to have been premature. Less than 24 hours after reports first emerged on Italian TV, and were later picked up by other outlets, including this one, Brivio has issued a clarification on his Twitter page.
Brivio wrote: "Suzuki contacted me for MotoGP but I'm just talking and I'm not the only one. They have not yet decided yet about 2014 but only testing 2013."
Wolff gets expanded Williams role
Williams have confirmed that Susie Wolff will continue in her role as the team's development driver during the 2013 season. The 30-year-old British racer will have an increased programme in the team's simulator and a greater amount of in-car testing...
More...
Go to the Formula 1 forum to discuss this story.
More...
Go to the Formula 1 forum to discuss this story.
Source: http://www.motorsportforums.com/formula-1-news/156973-wolff-gets-expanded-williams-role.html
MotoGP: Davide Brivio Plays Down Suzuki Link
Reports linking Davide Brivio to running Suzuki’s 2014 MotoGP effort appear to have been premature. Less than 24 hours after reports first emerged on Italian TV, and were later picked up by other outlets, including this one, Brivio has issued a clarification on his Twitter page. Brivio wrote: “Suzuki contacted me for MotoGP but I’m just talking and I’m not the only one. They have not yet decided yet about 2014 but only testing 2013.” The clarification suggests that...
...
...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/BaXPKNeqsNg/
Villopoto reigns again
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., raced to his second-consecutive Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, 450SX Class Main Event win at O.co Coliseum before a record crowd of 46,896. Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen, of Germany, won his first Western Regional 250SX Class race of the season, snapping Eli Tomac's three-race win streak. Villopoto jumped out to an early lead, scoring the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award. JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha's Justin Brayton, of Cornelius, N.C., and Rockstar Energy Racing's Davi Millsaps, of Murrieta, Calif., followed Villopoto in second and third, respectively. A huge crash in turn two collected TwoTwo Motorsports' Chad Reed, Yoshimura Suzuki's James Stewart and Team Honda/Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia. Stewart and Reed re-entered the race near the back of the pack and Barcia was forced to withdraw from the race. By Lap 3, Villopoto established a 7-second lead over Millsaps, who passed Brayton for the number-two position on the same lap. Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., passed Brayton for second place on Lap 11. Millsaps finished second and Dungey finished third. "The points race is what we are going after, and winning the holeshot gives you a great advantage," said Villopoto. "We made some changes to the bike today that I think really helped us out there tonight, so hats off to my team. It is a long season, and we are going to keep plugging away." 450SX Class Results: Oakland 1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki 2. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki 3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM 4. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda 5. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Fla., Suzuki 6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda 7. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., KTM 8. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki 9. Vince Friese, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Honda 10. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C., Yamaha 450SX Class Points 1. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki – 85 2. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda – 78 3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 77 4. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 68 5. Chad Reed, Australia, Honda – 65 6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 56 7. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 47 8. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C., Yamaha - 42 9. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda – 41 10. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., KTM – 39
Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1359277781-villopoto-reigns-again/
Grosjean says he’s better prepared for second season | 2013 F1 season
Grosjean says he’s better prepared for second season is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Speaking at the launch of the team’s 2013 car Grosjean admitted he found his first year tougher than he expected:
“You start your career in Formula 1 thinking ‘Okay, that’s a new challenge, a tough challenge’ but then you work into the season and you think ‘Whoa! This challenge is even bigger than I thought!’
“All the elements of a Formula 1 season including the travelling – energy-wise, managing the jet lag – the media and marketing stuff, the physical demands and preparation for driving the car are quite something. I know what I need much better now and that’s what I’ve learned from last year.”
Asked how he’s changed since last season, Grosjean said: “Well first of all I’m older!
“No, it’s clearly different for me this year. I have much more experience in Formula 1 and even if I knew the team before, I now know how to work with the engineers much better on the technical side.
“I also know all the tracks and understand better the various challenges of a season. Generally things worked out pretty well, although some things didn’t always turn out as good as we wanted. It’s going to be very interesting to start the new season.”
Grosjean and team mate Kimi Raikkonen are starting their second season with the team and Grosjean believes that means the new car will suit them better:
“All through last year, the feedback given about the E20 was interpreted by the development team for the E21. This means there’s a lot of information from me and Kimi which went into this car.
“It’s difficult to say after the season ‘we would like this or that’ for next year. I think it’s more about the work done during the whole season; discussing this or that, or an idea about this or that. After twenty races you know more-or-less what has been good with the car and what hasn’t. Hopefully we’ve made the right calls for this year.”
See pictures of the new Lotus E21:
2013 F1 season
- Lotus to continue work on Double DRS with E21
- Raikkonen: Lotus has potential to win championship
- Grosjean says he's better prepared for second season
- Boullier: Grosjean must be more "effective" in 2013
- Allison expects rivals' cars to have stepped noses
Browse all 2013 F1 season articles
Image © Lotus/LAT
Grosjean says he’s better prepared for second season is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/YVPjGc47_nk/
Monday, January 28, 2013
Repsol Honda Team Launch, 2013: Pedrosa and Marquez Presented, Suppo Elevated To Team Director
Repsol Honda has unveiled the new livery they will be wearing for the 2013 MotoGP season. In a ceremony at Repsol's Madrid headquarters, Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez revealed the new color scheme the Repsol Honda team will be running. It is somewhat of a departure from recent years, the basic red, white, orange and black colors remaining, but with white playing a much more prominent role in the color scheme. The paint job also contains a few neat details, such as the black and white stripes under the seat, which form part of the Honda wing logo.
Both Marquez and Pedrosa were optimistic about their chances during the event. HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto was especially bullish, telling the meeting that the performance of Honda's RC213V during the latter half of the 2012 season gave him good hope for 2013, especially as the factory had had a much greater lead time to deal with the extra 3kg weight imposed for the 2013 season. The jump from 153kg to 157kg had caused HRC many problems during the first part of 2012, as they struggled to find a place to locate the weight.
Arai Corsair-V Nicky Hayden GP "Easy Rider" Limited Edition Helmet
Saying that Nicky Hayden’s helmet from the 2012 Indianapolis GP turned some heads would be an understatement. In fact, it was so popular that Arai decided to produce a small run for sale. With less than 200 of these available in the US, the Nicky GP “Easy Rider” edition of the Corsair-V is a true limited edition.
The design of the helmet pays homage to the American flag half-helmet worn by Peter Fonda in the film Easy Rider. The lower front even has Nicky’s nose, mouth and chin, giving the illusion that it actually is a half-helmet. At the rear, a caricature of Hayden is seen sporting his signature smirk while cruising Route 69 on a chopper.
If you would like to add the Arai Corsair-V Nicky GP to your collection, just give Brad a call at 866.931.6644 810 or get in touch with him through the forum. Is email more convenient? Feel free to send those to FORUM at RIDERSDISCOUNT dot COM and we’ll get right back to you!
The design of the helmet pays homage to the American flag half-helmet worn by Peter Fonda in the film Easy Rider. The lower front even has Nicky’s nose, mouth and chin, giving the illusion that it actually is a half-helmet. At the rear, a caricature of Hayden is seen sporting his signature smirk while cruising Route 69 on a chopper.
If you would like to add the Arai Corsair-V Nicky GP to your collection, just give Brad a call at 866.931.6644 810 or get in touch with him through the forum. Is email more convenient? Feel free to send those to FORUM at RIDERSDISCOUNT dot COM and we’ll get right back to you!
Source: http://www.esportbike.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145169&goto=newpost
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)