Motourage

This week’s Motourage racing event schedule:

On TV:

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 All Times ET

12:00am-1:00am:
Isle of Man TT, Supersport Race 2 – Discovery HD Theater

1:00am-2:00am:
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Series, Copenhagen – Discovery HD Theater

3:00am-4:00am:
MotoGP 250, Malaysian Grand Prix – Speed

4:00am-5:00am:
Isle of Man TT, Supersport Race 2 – Discovery HD Theater

4:00am-5:00am:
MotoGP World Championship, Malaysian Grand Prix – Speed

5:00am-6:00am:
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Series, Copenhagen – Discovery HD Theater

12:00pm-1:00pm:
MotoGP 125, Phillip Island, Australia – Speed

1:00pm-2:00pm:
Superbike World Championship, Portugal, Race 2 – Speed

2:00pm-3:00pm:
FIM World SuperSport, Portugal – Speed

2:00pm-3:00pm:
Isle of Man TT, Superstock highlights/Sidecar Race 1 – Discovery HD Theater

3:00pm-4:00pm:
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Series, Sweden – Discovery HD Theater

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 All Times ET

3:00am-4:00am:
Superbike World Championship, Portugal, Race 1

4:00am-5:00am:
Superbike World Championship, Portugal, Race 2

2010 Yamaha World Superbike riders James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow wasted no time today, getting straight down to business with their first ride on the championship winning R1. Both riders were working with their new teams for the first time, but gelled quickly and had got down to under the race pace of Sunday’s championship final before the end of the first sessions.

Today’s session was the first step in adapting the bikes to their new riders, both Toseland and Crutchlow will start again tomorrow morning to make further changes and close in on the perfect set up for their 2010 race season. Despite a high speed high side in the morning session, Cal Crutchlow showed no signs of slowing down and continued to make significant time improvements over the afternoon’s practice time. New team mate and fellow British rider James Toseland also showed solid improvement over the day, despite being new to the bike and track he quickly got down to business and continued to shave time off his laps over the course of the sessions.

Having achieved an incredible victory on Sunday and lifted the World Superbike title for the first time, the Yamaha team were straight to business today, working hard to develop championship winning riders for the next season.

Cal Crutchlow earned the SuperSport world championship for Yamaha and has been rewarded with a move to the premier liter bike class

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1’42.7)
“It was a good enough day apart from a stupid crash this morning after about 30 laps, there seemed to be something wrong with my rear tire which caused me to high side. I hit my head and have had a few headaches today but ok apart from that. The testing has gone well, we’ve done quite reasonable times, all credit to the guys who’ve worked really hard. We haven’t changed much on the bike today, just tried to make it my bike a bit, tomorrow we’ll do some more and see how we go.”

Former World Superbike champion James Toseland hopes to achieve equal success for Yamaha in 2010

James Toseland, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1’43.7)
“I’m feeling really positive, it’s obviously my first time on the bike, it felt a bit alien after two years on a GP bike but the balance of the bike felt good and I’m really impressed with how the team’s working, I’ve got an old friend of mine as a chief engineer. I’ve been really impressed to work with him today and Silvano Galbusera (Yamaha World Superbike Team Technical coordinator) looking over him with his experience has been great. What’s been nice is the changes we’ve been making have always been in a positive direction, so to say we’ve got down to more or less race pace on a brand new track and a brand new bike is good, I’m pretty pleased with it.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team
“Cal’s first day went pretty well, it was easier for him compared to James as he already knew the track, but it was still a really good first test session for him. For James everything was new today, the bike, the track, tires, many things! I think tomorrow he will make another step. For the first day we are very satisfied with both riders.”

After a seven-week hiatus, the AMA Pro Grand National Twins Championship wrapped up the 2009 season before a packed house at the LA County Fairgrounds. With the points title still up for grabs, Jared Mees unloaded his No. 21 Blue Springs Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson/Rogers Lake Racing-backed XR-750 with a 15-point lead over defending three-time Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth and his No. 1 Harley-Davidson Factory mount.

No. 42 Bryan Smith (Screamin’ Eagle/Moroney’s Harley-Davidson), No. 43 Sammy Halbert (Halbert Family/King’s Customs/Glassman), No. 4 Chris Carr (Chris Carr Racing/Lancaster Harley-Davidson) and No. 14 Jake Johnson (SuperTrapp/F&S Harley-Davidson/Saddlemen) all were mathematically still in the hunt.

The 5/8-mile Fairplex oval proved to be just as challenging as it was in 1996, the last time the Grand National circus came to town. Even though Mees was fast early in the day, posting the fourth quick time in qualifying, he was playing it safe in his heat and could only muster a fifth place finish in the third heat. The points leader would have to come through a semi and start from the back row in the 25-lap National.

No. 17 Henry Wiles (KK Motorcycle Supply/Mike Adkins) had wrapped up the Grand National Singles Championship in the last race at the Springfield Short Track and was looking to pull off his first Twins National victory when he got the hole shot in the 18 rider main.

Bryan Smith, No. 3 Joe Kopp (Latus Harley-Davidson/Screamin’ Eagle) and No. 80Y Stevie Bonsey (Top 1 Oil/Alpinestar) were in hot pursuit. On the fourth lap Bonsey fell in Turn 3 and collected Halbert, bringing a red flag. Halbert would make the restart, but Bonsey’s night was over.

Smith used the restart to full advantage grabbing a small lead over Wiles and a resurgent Coolbeth. No. 20 Matt Weidman (Chris Carr Racing/Matt’s Racing) and Chris Carr were working their way into the mix ahead of Mees and Johnson.

Smith looked to be on his way to repeating his Lima victory when on Lap 11 he coasted to a stop in Turn 2. The dejected Smith was forced to leave his Harley sitting in the hay bales, ending his night.
Wiles was now in charge with Coolbeth and Weidman not far behind. As Weidman made his bid for the lead the rough surface almost bit him allowing Mees to slip into the podium position on Lap 15.

While the leaders were involved with their problems, Halbert had carved his way into contention and he took over third on Lap 18. Kopp also dropped Mees a spot as he passed on Lap 21. The podium was set with Wiles holding nearly a three second lead over Coolbeth at the end of 25 laps. Halbert was another three seconds back.

The fifth place finish for Mees was enough for the 23-year-old to wrap up his first Grand National title. Mees made the move over to the Rogers Lake Racing Team this year, bringing his Blue Springs Screamin’ Eagle sponsor along and it paid off big time. “I’ve been chasing this for 19 years and a million miles,” said team owner Craig Rogers. “This is what it’s all about.”

Ben Spies and Yamaha made history today, claiming the first ever Word Superbike title for the Yamaha World Superbike Team. In yet another Ben Spies masterclass of riding, The American rookie sensation took a race win and a well executed fifth place finish to lift the title for Yamaha for the first time. Race one saw a textbook performance from Spies, taking the hole shot on the first corner and leading from the first lap. Perfectly executed lines and smooth riding saw him cross the line nearly two seconds ahead of a determined Biaggi who had stalked him for the entire race. Championship rival Noriyuki Haga crashed out six laps into the race, leaving Spies some breathing room for race two.

With the extra points behind him and less pressure for an outright race win Spies kept himself in check for race two, monitoring Haga’s position and keeping a steady race pace as he counted the laps down to victory. The American let a couple of riders passed then tucked in behind Biaggi for a number of laps. After the Italian rider ran wide a couple of times, Spies turned on some extra speed to pass him and brought his championship winning Yamaha R1 home in fifth place to take victory.

Spies can now claim 14 Superbike race wins and 11 pole position race starts in his rookie year, breaking all records since the championship began. He leads the standings with 462 points, six clear of rival Haga.

Yamaha World Superbike rider Tom Sykes unfortunately missed out on the last two races of the 2009 Championship. The British rider continues to struggle with an injury sustained to the Labrum in the shoulder socket following a collision with Carlos Checa at the previous round in Magny Cours. Sykes gave 100% effort in the early riding sessions of the weekend but struggled to cope with the very physical Portimao circuit. The Yamaha Superbike Team expressed disappointed not to have been able to end their one year relationship with Tom on a high note, but supported his decision not to ride, putting riders safety and health first.

Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1st, 5th)
“I’ve got to thank Yamaha for giving me the bike I need to win. We had a really good first race, in the second we did what we had to do to win. It was quite difficult to keep it in check as the pace was pretty fast, I saw I had a couple of people behind me and I knew that if Nori won I had to be in sixth and that’s where I was so I tried to get a bit of a gap on them and stay out of trouble. Max came through the inside of me and ran off a couple of times which really freaked me out so I went to get past him and then settled in for some nice fast laps to the end. It’s been a spectacular day and I can’t thank those people enough that have been behind me. It’s been incredible to do it for Yamaha, and especially in my first year here. I don’t think I really realize what’s happening right now but I’m sure it’s going to hit me in a couple of days!”

Read more…

Yamaha MotoGP Race Report – Sepang

Rossi takes ninth championship title with brilliant podium after dramatic Malaysian GP

The indomitable and irrepressible Valentino Rossi took his ninth World Championship crown in Malaysia today, riding to third place in a dramatic rain-hit race at Sepang. It was the Italian’s seventh title in the premier class, his fourth for Yamaha – more than he has won with any other manufacturer – and his 163rd career podium. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was forced to start from the back of the grid after a sighting lap problem but he recovered brilliantly and rode a superb race to chase Rossi home in fourth place.

After three dry practice sessions the heavens opened thirty minutes before the race started and a torrential downpour ensued. The race was delayed forty-five minutes, by which time the rain had abated to a steady drizzle, but with no wet track time during practice the race had become something of a lottery. Rossi seemed to get away well but at turn one he ran wide and exited in eighth position. He then surrendered two more places, including one to his charging team-mate, and finished the first lap in tenth. For the next few laps he tailed Lorenzo as the Spaniard charged his way through the field, the pair putting on a scintillating display of overtaking in the wet until they arrived in fourth and fifth on the seventh lap. Rossi now set his sights on a podium and passed Lorenzo, surviving a huge slide in the process, before quickly pulling a gap of a second on his team-mate. He slowly began to close the gap to Andrea Dovizioso in third and looked like he would soon be within striking distance when his fellow Italian slid out, leaving Rossi in the final podium spot. He didn’t give up there however and started to reel in Dani Pedrosa, who was second, but with the track by then almost dry and the championship in the bag he decided in the final few laps to take the safe option and came home behind the Spaniard, with Casey Stoner the clear winner out in front.

Lorenzo’s troubles began when a problem with his race bike meant he had to switch to his spare at the last minute, meaning he left the pit lane a little late. He planned to do two sighting laps, as Rossi had, to get a better feel for the wet track but by the time he came through for the second one the pit lane had closed, meaning he then had to start from the back of the grid. The 22-year-old surged through the field at the start however and rode one of the races of his life to pass twelve riders and come home fourth behind Rossi. Lorenzo will clinch second place in the championship by taking just one point at the final round in Valencia, in two week’s time.

Valentino Rossi – Position: 3^rd; Time: +19.385
“It’s great to be World Champion again, I am very proud to have done this nine times in my career. I want to thank everyone in my team, Furusawa-san, Davide Brivio, Lin Jarvis, Jeremy…everybody! This season has been very hard and Lorenzo especially has pushed me to new limits, but I think it’s been a great duel for everyone to watch. Today was unbelievable, when the rain came it was scary for everyone because all the work we’d done was then useless and we were riding ‘blind’ with the setting. I made a mistake at the first corner and then I was a long way back, so I think I did a great race to finish third! I was going to try to pass Dovizioso when he fell and then for a few laps I thought I would try to get Pedrosa but with wet tires on a drying track it was a bit risky by then and so I decided to be safe. It’s a fantastic feeling to take this title with Yamaha again and I also must thank Bridgestone, who have done a great job with the tires all year. My celebration was because in Italy we say an old chicken makes good soup but can no longer lay eggs! I am like the old chicken – 30 years now – but I have made another egg! That’s nine!”

Jorge Lorenzo – Position: 4^th; Time: +25.850
“I want to start by giving my congratulations to Valentino and all his team. He is the champion. As for the race, today was a difficult day. We improved in the warm-up and I was hoping to have a good race, but when it started to rain we had problems to turn on the bike. We had planned to ride two laps, but I didn’t have enough time and the pit-lane was closed. Then had to begin from last position, but I did one of my best ever starts! The first corner was incredible, but as time went on I began to have some grip problems, like during the whole weekend. However it was a great race for me in difficult circumstances and we finished fourth, not so bad. It’s been a great season and I could never have expected to be fighting with Valentino like this so early in my career. Now I just need one point in Valencia and I will have my goal of being the vice-champion.”

Read more…

Tacoma, Washington’s Jake Holden has been an AMA pro racer for ten years.  He’s raced for Michael Jordan Motorsports and Corona Honda in the SuperStock and Superbike classes, and is an extremely capable Supermoto rider as well.  This past weekend, Jake added another impressive finish to his racing resume. As a privateer competitor, he raced at the Phillip Island round of the Woodstock Bourbon Australian Superbike Championship. Riding a privateer Honda CBR1000, Jake finished fourth overall and first in the Privateer Cup riding a track he had never visited until last week.  Motourage caught up with Jake after he returned from his trip, and asked him a few questions about racing and life in general.

Jake Holden talks racing at the Corona Honda meet & greet during the Big Kahuna Nationals weekend at Virginia International Raceway

M: Pretty impressive showing at Phillip Island.  What was it like trying to quickly adjust to a track you’ve never seen, much less raced on?
JH: Phillip Island is on one of my Video games, so I tried to do some laps on the video game before I went over, and it did help me a little bit.  But, when you’re actually going 180mph on the track everything changes.

M: How did the atmosphere at the track and in the paddock differ from what we see here in the States?
JH: In the pits over there it was run pretty close to what AMA does when they run here with MotoGP.  [The ASBK guys] get pushed to the back of the pits and run on a limited time frame due to MotoGP, but I thought everything ran really smooth.

M: Do the fans in Australia know as little about American road racing as most of the U.S. fans know about the ASBK, or did you find you had your fair share of followers over there?
JH: Yeah, I had never really followed the ASBK series until I was getting ready to fly over.  I did a little homework to find out who I was racing against – I had recognized some of the names, but only like two.  I got over there and not one person on the team knew who I was, so I didn’t feel a lot of pressure.

M: In the past year, we’ve seen an increase in the number of AMA riders who are expanding their racing horizons – everything from WSBK and MotoGP wild card rides to full-time WSBK and – now – Moto2 contracts. Do you think AMA competitors are getting more respect than you’ve had in the few years prior?
JH: Ben Spies has shown that the AMA racers can go overseas and ride, which is pretty cool. So yeah I think we are getting a little more respect.

M: It has been a few months since we last caught up with you during the Big Kahuna Nationals at VIR.  Overall, what are your thoughts on the 2009 season in general, and specifically, your performance and the effects of the changes in the AMA rules?
JH: My 2009 season performance was ok for me, but I was on my own personal bike that I paid for and I only had one bike – if I had crashed it I had to pay to fix it.  I funded my season by myself so it was a tough year, but I did have a couple of good finishes, and I do have the track record at the new track in Topeka.  The rule changes made for better racing; I don’t mind the changes for the Superbike class, but I hope that they don’t push the factory teams out of racing.

Jake finished 10th in the AMA Pro Superbike standings in 09 despite minimal financial backing from Honda and Corona Racing

M: Besides racing in Australia, what have you been up to since the end of the AMA season?
JH: Not much just getting ready to do a supermoto and shifter kart trip down to Louisiana and Arizona, so I’m looking forward to leaving Washington.  It’s too cold up here!

M: We know you’re an avid supermoto rider, but what else do you do to stay focused on racing and keep in shape when you’re not racing superbikes?
JH: I’ve been into bicycling, so I keep up with that, and I plan on training down in Arizona over the winter, so it should be good for next year.  I’m ready to come back stronger than ever.

M: Last month, Honda announced it was removing all support for AMA Pro Road Racing for 2010, but you’re no stranger to doing things on your own and getting some pretty good results from your efforts.  Can you give us the inside scoop on any details about what’s in the works for next year?
JH: Yeah, I saw that Honda pulled out, but there are still a lot of teams up in the air for next year.  I haven’t heard much for next year as far as rides or teams signing racers, so it will be a silly season for sure.

M: One of Motourage’s goals is to help bring more fans into the sport of American motorcycle racing.  In your opinion, what sets racing apart from other sports in the ways that it’s more accessible to fans?
JH: My dad is a huge sports fan – like basketball, baseball and football – and I could care less about those sports, so I told him that all those sports only use one ball and to do my sport you need two.  But really why is NASCAR bigger than motorcycle racing?  It’s because everybody has a car in the United States but not everybody has motorcycles.  I believe that is why Europe is different.  I’m sure outside-industry sponsorship would help too, so in order for that we would need better TV time for racing.  DMG – which is a part of NASCAR – owns our series now, so why can’t we get a race or do a demonstration for the NASCAR fans?  I think something like that would grab the attention of more racing fans.  That’s just an idea from a motorcycle racer; I’m sure there are a lot of smart people out there who could come up with a better idea.  I just hope I can race in 2010 without going broke.

Much thanks to Jake for taking the time to answer a few questions for us.  The team at Motourage and all his fans in the U.S. – and around the world – wish him the best of luck in 2010 and beyond.

James “the Rocket” Rispoli gears up for the season finale of the inaugural AMA Pro Singles Championship at the Fairplex at Pomona, CA. James has already solidified an outstanding second place finish overall out of 68 pro riders in the championship while riding his Weirbach Racing team bikes. For this weekend’s final race of the season, James will be riding a bike provided by Sammy Sweet Racing as part of a one-off race sponsorship package.

James, a multi-discipline rider, came from a significant 19 point deficit after the second race of the season to catch and pass the points leader only to give way to a mediocre 5^th place finish at the Indy Mile. With a 10-point deficit to make up and three races to go, there was still a great chance with the Springfield Mile, Springfield short track and Pomona half-mile races left. Then the odds started to pile up. With the Springfield mile called for darkness and races winding down to only two, James laid it all on the line in the last-chance Springfield short track that was rescheduled for Monday after a rain out there during the Saturday evening program. Qualifying fourth, the Rocket got the hole shot, led all but the last lap and set fastest lap time in the race.  In a brave last-ditch effort move to take the win, James went for a small opening going into turn three only to have the door closed causing an unplanned high side exiting turn four, falling short of the finish line. That 16^th place race gave the championship away but solidified his place in the history books.

“I am really blessed to have such great people who believe in me as I move forward in my career as a professional motorcycle racer,” said James.  “Everyone around me gave 110% and we charged back from some mistakes, mis-queues, injuries and set-up problems.  It was a shame so many races were rained out or cancelled because I know what I can do both on and off the track, and the championship was mine to win. Meanwhile, I learned a bunch from everyone and I can’t thank Dick Weirbach and his crew enough for a great season.  I also wanted to say big thanks to Sammy Sweet and my friends Dave and Ryan Wells.  Sammy came up with a frame, stout motor and the labor while the Wells family provided the suspension and wheels.  Between them they came up with the parts needed to put a bike together for me to race at Pomona. And, a huge thanks to the team of Chris Carr and Kenny Tolbert for bringing the bike out to the west coast.  I sincerely look forward to riding hard, smart and fast for my team and to put on a great season finale show for all the fans that will come out to watch the pro-singles race.  I know it’s going to be a heck of an east vs. west coast show down so stay tuned.”

You can follow the action on James’ web site www.jamestherocket.com

Yamaha Setup Report – Portimao, Purtugal  21/10/2009

Spies prepares for the big showdown in Portimao

Ben Spies could become the first American World Superbike champion since Colin Edwards won the title in 2002

The clock is ticking down to the 14th and final round of the 2009 World Superbike Championship at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. With just ten points separating championship leader Haga from Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies everything is to play for on race day. If Spies can secure two race wins, he will walk away with not just the championship title, but a well earned place in the World Superbike history books. Spies can already claim the title of greatest rookie of all time, taking the championship by storm in his first year on his R1, racking up an incredible 13 race wins, six fastest lap records and 16 podiums on mostly unknown circuits.

Teammate Tom Sykes heads to the final round of the year determined to reach the elusive podium he has worked so hard for this season. Sykes has had a challenging year, however has displayed good race pace at most tracks and was a consistent top ten finisher for the most part. He has proved to have good speed at Portimao having performed well in the tests so will be looking to hold on to his eighth position in the championship come race day. Sykes currently sits on 176 points, 24 behind Carlos Checa in seventh.

This will be the second outing for the World Superbike Championship on the Portimao circuit which was completed last year just before the final round of the 2008 Championship. The track proved to be a major hit with riders and fans alike with swooping corners, corkscrews, blind corners and multiple elevation changes ensuring exciting racing from the lights.

Despite learning many of the WSBK tracks by playing video games, Spies has established himself as possibly the greatetst rookie in World Superbike history

“I can’t wait to get to the circuit and get set up for Sunday’s races,” said Ben Spies. “We’ve been fighting hard for race wins all year, and as a rookie on a new bike I think we’ve achieved some pretty good results. My focus is completely on going for two race wins on Sunday, I would love to be able to deliver the title for the team as they really deserve it and have worked so hard to make it possible. We do go well on the Portimao circuit, so I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to challenge Nori for the wins. There will be a few fast guys up there as always so it should be an exciting race day.”

“I’m obviously very much looking forward to this weekend,” said Tom Sykes. “We’ve had good tests there in the past so we’re going there on a good base setting and looking to finish the season on a high; I certainly feel it’s achievable. The only concern I have at the moment is the fitness in my shoulder after France, although hopefully I will be able to get on the bike and put that behind me. I would like to finish strong for Yamaha and repay my team for all their hard work they’ve put in this year.”

Read more…

Fiat Yamaha Setup Report – Sepang, Malaysia

Rossi and Lorenzo head to Sepang for first title match point

This weekend the MotoGP paddock heads to the tropics for the penultimate round of the season, the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang. Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have won 10 out of 15 races between them this year and there has only been one race when one of the pair has not been on the podium, making it the most successful season in the team’s history. This weekend Rossi has his first ‘match point’ – his first chance to win his ninth world championship title.

The 30-year-old’s second place last Sunday in Australia meant that he now holds a 38-point lead over his team-mate and he will win the title simply by keeping a buffer of 25 points between him and his rival after Sepang. Thousands of kilometers of testing at the Kuala Lumpur track mean that most riders have the advantage of local knowledge, but Rossi has an impressive five Sepang victories to his name, including last year when he took a resounding victory fresh from wrapping up the title in Japan. In 2005, second place at the track was enough to secure the Italian his second title for Yamaha and he will be determined to do the same this weekend and avoid a final-race showdown with his team-mate for his seventh premier-class title.

A difficult weekend for Lorenzo at Phillip Island ended in the gravel trap at turn one and the Mallorcan is happy to have the chance to put it behind him so quickly. He escaped with just a few cuts and bruises and, with the championship now all by out of reach, the youngster is simply focusing on a good finish to a brilliant championship and on confirming the number two spot in the standings. The 22-year-old crashed out on lap 12 of the race last year but he nonetheless has a good past record at Sepang, having won there in 2006 and clinched his second 250cc title there in 2007.

Built as a state-of-the-art motor racing venue 1999, at 16 meters across in some areas Sepang is one of the widest tracks on the calendar. With its tropical climate it could not present more different conditions to those of Phillip Island last weekend and the searing track temperatures and high humidity turn the race into a test of endurance and fitness for the riders. With four major hairpins and some fast and frequent changes of direction in its 5.542km layout, Sepang provides a stern workout for the entire bike set-up and its largely consistent, if demanding, climate makes it the ideal winter testing venue.

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Former MotoGP and World Superbike competitor and current French Superbike rider Sebastien Gimbert stepped up on Sunday to add another title to the incredible success story of the 2009 YZF-R1 with victory and the title in the 2009 Championnat de France Superbike (French National Superbike) Championship. Gimbert was on track for success from the beginning of the weekend, claiming his fourth pole of the season, nearly a second faster than the closest competition at the Albi circuit. Gimbert took the title with 195 championship points, 14 ahead of rival Vincent Philippe at 181.

Sebastien Gimbert

“Yamaha could not have built me a better motorcycle,” said Sebastien Gimbert. “This new R1 is the perfect fit for me, combining performance and pleasure. I want to thank my mechanics and the entire GMT 94 team for their hard work this year which has allowed me to run a fantastic season with multiple wins and pole positions. I am also very happy for all our partners who have been supporting us for a long time and are enjoying this moment with us. My club and the GMT 94 club made the trip there, and seeing their happiness at the end of race was a great moment for me.”

“I am very happy for Sebastien who really deserves this title,” said Christophe Guyot, Yamaha France GMT94 IPONE Team Manager. “Our Yamaha R1 is a great motorcycle. With such a combination, we knew that the title was within our reach this year and we clinched it at Albi which represents the rebirth of a French championship on the rise with media coverage and a deep field of competitors. Spectators are now coming in ever increasing numbers and the competition level is very high.”

Gimbert claimed France’s 250cc championship in 1996 & 1997 before moving to the 500cc World Championship for the next two seasons. In 2000, he dropped down to the 250cc World Championship before moving to FIM World Endurance racing for the next three years, riding for the Endurance World Championship team in 2004. Gimbert raced for Yamaha in the Superbike World Championship from 2004 to 2006 before moving to the World SuperSport series in 2007. He currently races for the Guyot Yamaha GMT94 team in the Championnat de France Superbike.