Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/xOnAb1iNogM/
Junya Arai Toshiyuki Arakaki Fernando Aranda Takeishi Araoka Adrian Araujo
Saturday, March 31, 2012
MAG Acquires Motorcycle Superstore
The Motorcycle Aftermarket Group (MAG) continues to be a force of acquisition in the motorcycle industry, as the group has announced its purchase of Motorcycle Superstore. Forming from the purchase a Death Staresque retail group with Motorcycle Superstore and J&P Cycles, MAG has added one of the largest online retailers of sport, street, & off-road motorcycle products to its existing interest in the largest online v-twin parts and accessories retailer. “Since founding Superstore 14 years ago, ...
Q&A: Alastair Fisher
Story from www.wrc.com
*Congratulations on your second WRC Academy win, following your success in France last year. How much confidence does...
*Congratulations on your second WRC Academy win, following your success in France last year. How much confidence does...
Source: http://www.motorsportforums.com/wrc-news/151960-q-alastair-fisher.html
Luigi Anelli Marcel Ankone Hans Georg Anscheidt Alessandro Antonello Haruchika Aoki
SS16: More frustration for Solberg
Story from www.wrc.com
*Stage data: SS16, Loule 2 (22.57 kilometres)*
*Stage description:*
By WRC Team MINI Portugal...
*Stage data: SS16, Loule 2 (22.57 kilometres)*
*Stage description:*
By WRC Team MINI Portugal...
Source: http://www.motorsportforums.com/wrc-news/151950-ss16-more-frustration-solberg.html
František Bartoš Günter Bartusch Eric Bataille Norick Abe Hubert Abold
Saturday SWRC wrap: Al Rajhi getting closer
Story from www.wrc.com
With one day remaining, the Saudi Arabian driver is now close to eight and a half minutes ahead of second-placed Maciek...
With one day remaining, the Saudi Arabian driver is now close to eight and a half minutes ahead of second-placed Maciek...
Source: http://www.motorsportforums.com/wrc-news/151955-saturday-swrc-wrap-al-rajhi-getting-closer.html
Javier Arumi Sadao Asami Giuseppe Ascareggi Franz Aschenbrenner Stuart Aspin
Interview: Lucio Cecchinello – The Man Behind LCR Honda
Former GP racer Lucio Cecchinello is a Honda man through and through. Team owner and principal at LCR Honda (the ‘LCR’ standing for Lucio Cecchinello Racing), Cecchinello started his racing career on a Honda NS125R, and worked his way up to the GP ranks, where he spent most of his time on a Honda RS125 (he finished his career on an Aprilia though). In 1996, Cecchinello started LCR, making him both the team’s rider and its principal director, an ...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/JmTUK7FvmDc/
Javier Arumi Sadao Asami Giuseppe Ascareggi Franz Aschenbrenner Stuart Aspin
Improving the look of the 2012 F1 cars | F1 pictures
Improving the look of the 2012 F1 cars is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Scrap the stepped noses, sort out the wings and clean up the liveries - and suddenly the 2012 F1 cars don't look so ugly.
Improving the look of the 2012 F1 cars 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/R-ZSYyvopPs/
Kunihiro Amano Daniel Amatriain Dario Ambrosini Ray Amm Luigi Ancona
Smrz leads first qualifying session
Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Effenbert Ducati) took provisional pole position in the first qualifying ...
Hubert Abold Karel Abrahám Brian Adams Duilio Agostini Felice Agostini
Ben Spies: Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP could still be a mainstay of 2012
After undergoing a pre-season trial twice at the Sepang Circuit, Malaysia and one in the Jerez Circuit, Spain, Yamaha Factory Racing Team rider, Ben Spies claimed that Yamaha YZR-M1 is a very competitive bike.
Riders from the United States to end the pre-season testing at Jerez last as the fastest rider in the 4th and the fastest Yamaha rider to-2.
Although still 0.7 seconds slower than the fastest rider at the time, Casey Stoner, Spies felt that he was ready for the first MotoGP race of the season at Losail Circuit, Qatar.
“I am satisfied with the course of this trial. I and Jorge Lorenzo worked very hard to try a variety of different methods, and I think we are happy that finally the motor can go to Qatar with us,” said the World Superbike championship in 2009.
“Several years ago the area that seems problematic now been improved. We can not say that the problems are completely gone before we were on the track longer, but we liked the balance of this bike and I think we have a very competitive bike for the season 2012, “added the rider nicknamed the Texas Terror.
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Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/sh4t4-f4E8-/Ben+Spies+Yamaha+YZR+M1+MotoGP+still+mainstay
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2012 IRTA MotoGP Jerez Test Day 3 Press Release Round Up
Press releases from the MotoGP teams after the last day of the IRTA test at Jerez:
Year:
2012
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World Superbike returns to Imola with Biaggi as leader
Following the opening round of the season at Phillip Island in Australia, the FIM Superbike World Championship arrives in Italy for its first appearance on European soil at Imola, one of the most spectacular circuits on the calendar. For the production-based racing series it is also the first of three rounds to be held in Italy this year: Monza on 6 May and Misano on 10 June are the other two. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) scored a win and a second place in the first round and comes to the Enzo & Dino Ferrari circuit as leader on 45 points, 15 ahead of Marco Melandri, BMW Motorrad’s new signing, who finished second and sixth at Phillip Island. With two Italians in the top two slots, the massive partisan crowd expected at Imola will surely witness a memorable weekend of racing.
World Superbike has written some of the most outstanding pages in its 25-year history at this famous Italian venue. In 2002 Texan Colin Edwards (Honda) won a terrific battle against Australian Troy Bayliss at Ducati’s home circuit in front of 100,000 spectators. Two years ago Max Biaggi clinched the WSB title, becoming the first Italian to do so, but last year he did not take part due to a broken bone in his left foot. The wins in 2011 went to Jonathan Rea (Honda) and Carlos Checa (Ducati) who then clinched the title at the final round.
Since its debut in 2001 this is the first time the Imola round has been held in the spring, but the date evokes memories of the 200 Mile race which in the early 1980s opened up the racing season, with pioneering battles between the American specialists and the European aces. At that time Superbike racing was almost unknown in Europe, now it is a sporting phenomenon that has millions of passionate fans throughout the world.
In the previous nine editions (17 races in total because race 2 in 2005 was cancelled due to pouring rain) Ducati have won 11 races, Honda 5 and Aprilia 1, back in 2001 at the hands of Frenchman Regis Laconi. The most successful riders, with three wins apiece, are Laconi, Carlos Checa and Ruben Xaus. The only Italian to win at Imola is Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) in 2009. In four races Biaggi has scored a second, a fourth, a fifth and an 11th place, while Melandri only raced here in Superbike last year with a Yamaha, finishing eighth and sixth.
With three wins in the last four races, Checa is again the favourite because his Ducati, which comes out of the Borgo Panigale factory just 40 kms up the road, adapts perfectly to the Imola track. Biaggi however is on superb form and in Australia, where he had never before won, his Aprilia showed a far greater potential than the previous season. It won’t be a two-way battle however because some tough customers are looming on the horizon. Riders like Tom Sykes, the 26-year-old Brit from the Kawasaki Racing Team, who was phenomenal in pre-season testing as well as in last week’s supplementary test session at Aragon (Spain). Sykes started from pole at Imola in 2010 and in the opening round this year he was on the podium with a third place.
All eyes will also be on BMW Motorrad, who appear to have found in Marco Melandri the talent and experience required to score their first win. Local man Melandri, who lives 40 kms away in Ravenna, scored BMW’s best ever result in Australia, a second place, and he and his equally impressive British team-mate Leon Haslam successfully tested an evo-spec engine and a new swing-arm in Spain. Imola is also a turning-point for Jonathan Rea, the talented Honda rider who could only manage seventh and fourth in Australia and who has bitter-sweet memories of Imola: a painful injury in the 2010 warm-up and a magnificent win last year.
Other men to watch will be the returning American John Hopkins (Crescent Fixi Suzuki), who has been given the all-clear by his hand surgeon to make his 2012 debut following his crash at Phillip Island testing, as well as the other Brits Leon Camier (Crescent Fixi Suzuki), Chaz Davies (Aprilia ParkinGO) and Ireland’s Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing), the latter two both emerging from the injuries they received in their separate Phillip Island crashes.
Proceedings get under way on Thursday with the traditional Open Paddock, during which fans can enter the circuit for free to meet the champions, go autograph hunting and have a look inside the pit garages the day before the action starts on the track.
Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/ejUAAQdw-Jh/World+Superbike+returns+Imola+Biaggi+leader
Luigi Ancona Bob Anderson Chris Anderson Fergus Anderson Hugh Anderson
Friday, March 30, 2012
Interview: Lucio Cecchinello – The Man Behind LCR Honda
Former GP racer Lucio Cecchinello is a Honda man through and through. Team owner and principal at LCR Honda (the ‘LCR’ standing for Lucio Cecchinello Racing), Cecchinello started his racing career on a Honda NS125R, and worked his way up to the GP ranks, where he spent most of his time on a Honda RS125 (he finished his career on an Aprilia though). In 1996, Cecchinello started LCR, making him both the team’s rider and its principal director, an ...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/JmTUK7FvmDc/
Julien Allemand Dick Allen Rudy Allison Pedro Alvarez Luis Alvaro
Gresini Announces Indonesian Federal Oil To Sponsor Gino Rea In Moto2
In a further sign that motorcycle racing teams are looking east to make up for the sponsorship they have lost in the west, the Gresini Racing Moto2 team today announced that Indonesian oil company Federal Oil is to back Gino Rea, one of Gresini's two Moto2 riders, in the Moto2 class. The news had already slipped out in the Gresini press release announcing Rea as their second rider, alongside Ratthapark Wilairot, but now the news has been announced officially.
Federal oil joins a growing list of Asian sponsors in MotoGP. Though Yamaha lost Malaysian petroleum giant Petronas, they gained Japanese oil company ENEOS; both Yamaha and Honda receive backing from their Indonesian distribution network; Rea's teammate is backed by Thai Honda; and in Moto3, Malaysian budget airline AirAsia is backing Zulfahmi Khairuddin in the Ajo team, joining Danny Kent, Sandro Cortese and Arthur Sissis, though they are supported by Red Bull.
Below is the official press release from Gresini:
FEDERAL OIL TO SPONSOR TEAM GRESINI MOTO2 AND GINO REA
Adrian Araujo Gilbert Argo Manuel Arias Ken Armstrong Reg Armstrong
Changes made to Portugal itinerary
Story from www.wrc.com
In a statement the organisers confirmed: “The car of Craig Breen became stuck in a small water crossing on the road...
In a statement the organisers confirmed: “The car of Craig Breen became stuck in a small water crossing on the road...
Source: http://www.motorsportforums.com/wrc-news/151916-changes-made-portugal-itinerary.html
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Conclusive pre-Bol tests
The team DGSPORT HEROCK just finished two days of official testing on the track of Magny-Cours in or...
Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1332942349-conclusive-pre-bol-tests/
Giacomo Agostini Jack Ahearn Mitsuo Akamatsu Takashi Akita Kousuke Akiyoshi
Latvala stranded in Portugal
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Latvala was leading the event, round four of the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia, when he went off 1.4...
Latvala was leading the event, round four of the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia, when he went off 1.4...
Source: http://www.motorsportforums.com/wrc-news/151909-latvala-stranded-portugal.html
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Central Texas: RaceCenTex Spring 2012 Cruise to the Lake (Make-A-Wish Event)
Where: Meet at The Killeen Mall in front of Dillard's 2100 S W S Young Dr, Killeen
When: April 14 2012 All day.... MEET AT 10:30AM and we will be...
When: April 14 2012 All day.... MEET AT 10:30AM and we will be...
Source: http://www.esportbike.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144705&goto=newpost
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News • Rea and Aoyama back on track with Honda fans at Imola [UPDAT
#Rea and Aoyama back on track with #Honda fans at #Imola [UPDATED]
After a month-long break since the opening round at Phillip Island in Australia, the 2012 World Superbike Championship returns to action this weekend (31 March – 1 April) for round two at Italy’s historic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola.
Honda World Superbike Team riders Jonathan Rea and Hiroshi Aoyama will approach Imola from different starting points – Rea having won at the 4.933km circuit near Bologna last September, Aoyama having never raced there.
Rea’s victory in race one last season marked a spectacular return after a three-month layoff through a wrist injury sustained at Misano. His win also represented the debut of the team’s ride-by-wire throttle management system for its Honda CBR1000RR Fireblades.
After finishing seventh and fourth in last month’s opening races, Rea will be hoping to get back to podium ways this weekend at Imola to give his 2012 championship a boost.
For Aoyama, Imola represents the first of seven new circuits that the 30-year-old Japanese ace must learn in his debut SBK season. After a steady build-up to qualifying in Australia, Aoyama showed his true racing spirit by taking two solid top-ten finishes after starting from 16th place on the Phillip Island grid.
The Honda World Superbike Team is offering a very special opportunity to Honda race fans for the Imola event by building a special viewing gallery in the pit box. Any owner of a Honda motorcycle or scooter who has paddock access can visit the team’s box and see the riders and technicians at work during practice and qualifying.
Honda owners simply have to show their vehicle registration certificate, either at the garage door or at the ‘Honda In The City’ unit in Imola’s SBK Village, where they will receive a special team wristband to access this unique viewing opportunity.
Jonathan Rea
I can’t tell you how excited I am at the prospect of riding my bike again this weekend. It seems like a lifetime since the opening round in Phillip Island so I’m raring to go again at Imola. I love racing in Italy – the food, the culture, everything about it is special – and Imola has some pretty special memories for me, especially winning last year after a long injury lay-off. That was the first time we rolled out on the ride-by-wire system last year and we’ve done a lot of work on it since then, so it’ll be really interesting to benchmark where we are against our performance last season. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and a lot of research since Phillip Island and I’m looking forward to putting what I’ve learned into practice this weekend.
Hiroshi Aoyama
Of course, Imola is a new circuit for me but I am looking forward to riding there very much. I have looked at a lot of videos from Formula 1 and World Superbike races and I can see a lot of very fast corners. It looks like a great track to ride on and with all its history it will be a very special weekend for me. I learned a lot about the championship in the first round at Phillip Island and I know now that the gap from the front is not so great and a small improvement can give you a big jump forward. I still have a lot to learn with the bike and the tyres, but the team was working very well at Phillip Island and we made some good progress. I hope to continue that at Imola this weekend.
Ronald ten Kate – team manager
Imola brought us a breakthrough last year with Jonathan’s return from injury and a new electronics package enabling us to fight once more for wins and podiums, so, of course, it holds special memories for us and we’re happy to be back again so soon. On the other hand, it’s another circuit and another race weekend, and it would be foolish to rely on past results, so we’ll take nothing for granted. It’s been a long break since the first round at Phillip Island where I believe we probably made too many changes to the bike and lost our rhythm a little. We’ll slow down a little and develop our racecraft this weekend to try and get the results that we all want. Of course, it’s Hiroshi-san’s first visit to Imola but we know that he’s been studying a lot of old footage. We’ll aim to combine that with some of Jonathan’s data to start the ball rolling on Friday and try to have him near the front in time for Sunday’s races.
2012 World Superbike championship, round two
Imola, Italy – weekend schedule (local times)
Friday 30 March
11.45-12.30 Free practice
15.30-16.15 Qualifying 1
Saturday 31 March
09.45-10.30 Qualifying 2
12.30-13.15 Free practice
15.00-15.14 Superpole 1
15.21-15.33 Superpole 2
15.40-15.50 Superpole 3
Sunday 1 April
09.20-09.35 Warm-up
12.00 Race 1 (21 laps 103.656km)
15.30 Race 2 (21 laps 103.656km)
After a month-long break since the opening round at Phillip Island in Australia, the 2012 World Superbike Championship returns to action this weekend (31 March – 1 April) for round two at Italy’s historic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola.
Honda World Superbike Team riders Jonathan Rea and Hiroshi Aoyama will approach Imola from different starting points – Rea having won at the 4.933km circuit near Bologna last September, Aoyama having never raced there.
Rea’s victory in race one last season marked a spectacular return after a three-month layoff through a wrist injury sustained at Misano. His win also represented the debut of the team’s ride-by-wire throttle management system for its Honda CBR1000RR Fireblades.
After finishing seventh and fourth in last month’s opening races, Rea will be hoping to get back to podium ways this weekend at Imola to give his 2012 championship a boost.
For Aoyama, Imola represents the first of seven new circuits that the 30-year-old Japanese ace must learn in his debut SBK season. After a steady build-up to qualifying in Australia, Aoyama showed his true racing spirit by taking two solid top-ten finishes after starting from 16th place on the Phillip Island grid.
The Honda World Superbike Team is offering a very special opportunity to Honda race fans for the Imola event by building a special viewing gallery in the pit box. Any owner of a Honda motorcycle or scooter who has paddock access can visit the team’s box and see the riders and technicians at work during practice and qualifying.
Honda owners simply have to show their vehicle registration certificate, either at the garage door or at the ‘Honda In The City’ unit in Imola’s SBK Village, where they will receive a special team wristband to access this unique viewing opportunity.
Jonathan Rea
I can’t tell you how excited I am at the prospect of riding my bike again this weekend. It seems like a lifetime since the opening round in Phillip Island so I’m raring to go again at Imola. I love racing in Italy – the food, the culture, everything about it is special – and Imola has some pretty special memories for me, especially winning last year after a long injury lay-off. That was the first time we rolled out on the ride-by-wire system last year and we’ve done a lot of work on it since then, so it’ll be really interesting to benchmark where we are against our performance last season. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and a lot of research since Phillip Island and I’m looking forward to putting what I’ve learned into practice this weekend.
Hiroshi Aoyama
Of course, Imola is a new circuit for me but I am looking forward to riding there very much. I have looked at a lot of videos from Formula 1 and World Superbike races and I can see a lot of very fast corners. It looks like a great track to ride on and with all its history it will be a very special weekend for me. I learned a lot about the championship in the first round at Phillip Island and I know now that the gap from the front is not so great and a small improvement can give you a big jump forward. I still have a lot to learn with the bike and the tyres, but the team was working very well at Phillip Island and we made some good progress. I hope to continue that at Imola this weekend.
Ronald ten Kate – team manager
Imola brought us a breakthrough last year with Jonathan’s return from injury and a new electronics package enabling us to fight once more for wins and podiums, so, of course, it holds special memories for us and we’re happy to be back again so soon. On the other hand, it’s another circuit and another race weekend, and it would be foolish to rely on past results, so we’ll take nothing for granted. It’s been a long break since the first round at Phillip Island where I believe we probably made too many changes to the bike and lost our rhythm a little. We’ll slow down a little and develop our racecraft this weekend to try and get the results that we all want. Of course, it’s Hiroshi-san’s first visit to Imola but we know that he’s been studying a lot of old footage. We’ll aim to combine that with some of Jonathan’s data to start the ball rolling on Friday and try to have him near the front in time for Sunday’s races.
2012 World Superbike championship, round two
Imola, Italy – weekend schedule (local times)
Friday 30 March
11.45-12.30 Free practice
15.30-16.15 Qualifying 1
Saturday 31 March
09.45-10.30 Qualifying 2
12.30-13.15 Free practice
15.00-15.14 Superpole 1
15.21-15.33 Superpole 2
15.40-15.50 Superpole 3
Sunday 1 April
09.20-09.35 Warm-up
12.00 Race 1 (21 laps 103.656km)
15.30 Race 2 (21 laps 103.656km)
Statistics: Posted by totalmotorcycle — Thu Mar 29, 2012 8:06 am
Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/Cj-2uqQSVjH/News+Rea+Aoyama+back+track+Honda+fans+Imola
Duilio Agostini Felice Agostini Giacomo Agostini Jack Ahearn Mitsuo Akamatsu
Lin Jarvis: MotoGP Must Look to Asia, South America for Growth
One subject has dominated the past three years of MotoGP, and indeed all of motorcycle racing. Despite some thrilling racing, technical innovation and both fascinating and tragic stories, the main topic of conversation among those involved in motorcycle racing has been how to cut costs. A raft of new regulations have been introduced, and even more radical changes are currently under discussion for the next few years.
At the official presentation of Yamaha's 2012 MotoGP campaign, Yamaha Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis spoke to MotoMatters.com about the need for MotoGP to shift its focus, from just tinkering with the technical regulations to trying to expand its audience base and generate more income, taking advantage of new media and a more international audience to tap into new markets and more potential sponsors. "The technical regulations are very, very important, and bringing costs down is very important," Jarvis told us. "But the other thing is how to increase the popularity of the sport, and increase the revenue. Just saving costs is still shrinking."
Hector Barberá Fabio Barchitta Alan Barnett Lorenzo Baroni Jose Barresi
Thursday, March 29, 2012
2012 IRTA MotoGP Jerez Test Photos - The Editor's Mediocre Pit Lane Shots
No cilinder head peaking through the fairings on Valentino Rossi's bike shows how much the engine has changed
New for 2012: front brake protectors. The riders don't even notice they're there.
Racing art: Brembos machined from solid
Fergus Anderson Hugh Anderson John Anderson Kent Andersson George Andrews
Bienvenidos en San Juan!
A few days after the GP Maxxis in Chile, the Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championship is now on Argentin...
Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1333020459-bienvenidos-en-san-juan/
Alex Barros Geoff Barry Hans Bartl Harald Bartol Darren Barton
Audi Offers €750 Million for Ducati
According to Italy’s Correrie di Bologna, the Volkswagen Group has made a €750 million bid on Ducati Motor Holdings. Just shy of Investindustrial’s reported €832 million asking price on the Italian motorcycle manufacturer. Reports are also saying that Volkswagen’s due diligence process has uncovered that Ducati has less debt on its books than previously thought (previously rumored to be in the €200 million range), and that the €750 million offer would nearly double Investindustrial’s initial purchase price of the Italian company. Said ...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/SDQPx6WHvTk/
Steve Baker Peter Balaz Romolo Balbi Jean François Balde Mike Baldinger
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