Motourage

Simon Stead

DUO RE-SIGN FOR ROBINS
The Swindon Robins of the Elite League have announced that riders Simon Stead and Morten Risager have both signed-on to ride for the Blunsdon-based club next season.  Stead was an ever-present competitor with the Robins in 2009, while Risager was recruited during the closing weeks to replace Jurica Pavlic.
Swindon co-promoter Gary Patchett: “They both have good track knowledge and we are confident they will start the season strongly and continue to develop.”

Ricky Wells

BEES TO MAKE RESERVE CHANGE

The Coventry Bees are set to make an alteration at reserve after American youngster Ricky Wells was ruled out of their squad.  A Bees asset, Wells is being loaned to the Premier League’s Stoke Potters and is ineligible to double-up in the Elite League.
Manager Alun Rossiter: “We did expect the rule to change but we have to abide by it, and I have a couple of irons in the fire for filling that role.”

Leigh Adams

ADAMS – ONE MORE SEASON?

Swindon Robins skipper Leigh Adams seems set to call time on his glittering career, having been granted a Farewell meeting.  Adams has quit the Grand Prix series but will continue in League racing, and his benefit event will take place at Blunsdon in October.
Robins promoter Gary Patchett: “He has not announced next season as his retiring date, but it’s virtually certain that it marks the end of his Elite League career.”

Adam Roynon

ROYNON COMEBACK SUCCESS

Adam Roynon was delighted to come through his first meeting in eighteen months at Scunthorpe last weekend.  Roynon scored seven points in the Christmas Cracker on his comeback from long-term injury and will also ride in Newport’s New Year Classic on Sunday.
According to Roynon, “I didn’t suffer any muscle fatigue and felt I was mixing it with the other riders when I had to. I’m glad to be back racing again.”

For more information, please visit www.speedwaygb.com.

FOGI Racing is a development motorcycle road racing team allowing 12-16-year-old racers to compete in the USGPRU 2010 season.  The new team has been made possible by team manager and racer Angus Borland of RAT RACING who has taken Canadian racer Adam Roberts to two (2008 & 2009) USGPRU GP250 Championships and a wild card ride at the 2009 Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP.  RAT RACING also took Scot/Canadian Ben Young to 3rd place overall in the GP125 Eastern USGPRU Championships in the 2009 season.

2010 Season Objectives:

FOGI Racing objectives are to focus on providing young, up-and-coming racers the full team environment experience to give them the opportunity to reach their goals.  The riders will learn to work as a team through testing and race briefings, interact with mechanics, learn about suspension feedback etc.

FOGI Race Bikes:

The team has two GP125s for the season.

• Honda Luyton Kit RS125 as ridden by Ben Young for the 2009 season.  Full aftermarket suspension, brakes, motor, fairing.  This machine would suit a more experienced rider to produce its full capability.

• Honda RS125 B bike. This machine has only few modifications.  This bike would suit a rider who is climbing the ladder to podium finishes.  This machine finished 5th overall in the 2008 Eastern USGPRU Championship.

The Experience:

FOGI Racing offers the full team experience. The team staff are ex-racers who can pass on their valuable experience of setup and riding techniques.  Making the rider a better racer through education, not just better machinery.  The Rider arrives at the track and rides, so the rider can focus on his/her development and not wrench turning. All machine setup, work and maintenance are performed by the team’s mechanics.

Other News:

Ben Young has joined the FOGI Racing Development Team by moving up a class to contend in the GP250s in 2010 on the team’s Yamaha TZ250.  Ben felt this was a natural move from the GP125 class and to treat the 2010 season as a further development year.  The valued experience of the GP250 will continue in good stead for moving onto 600cc machines for 2011 season and beyond.

FOGI Racing is in discussion with a team that competes in Spain to arrange a European ride exchange program.  The objective is to invite a rider from overseas to race in the US with the team in exchange that one of our riders race in their championship.  This will add to the experience of each rider and give them the insight in what racing is like away from their home country.

If you would like the opportunity in being a part of FOGI Racing for the 2010 season, please contact Scott Young at 519-378-6567 or email scott-d-young@hotmail.com.

On December 27, Speedway Star Edward Kennett took the top step on the podium to become the first ever winner of an indoor Shorttrack meeting at the Braintree Bonanza at Towerlands Arena. With the arena full to capacity and the fantastic field of 28 riders all lined up on parade, it was one of UK shorttrack’s finest moments so far. The heat races featured some of the toughest racing ever seen in the UK, with many tough passing maneuvers being made, riders banging elbows and bouncing off the fence. Ade Collins on the BVS Honda was looking the master of the Towerlands track with three straight wins including passing works CCM rider Tom Woolley in heat 8 on the last lap. Edward Kennett was also looking good with two wins and a 4th. The heat races were so competitive that shorttrack. The heat races proved brutally competitive, as main event regulars Pete Boast, Tim Greig, Geoff Baldock and Victor Bull were all eliminated.

Eddy Kennett opens the throttle out of Turn 4

Semi 1 was stopped after lap 1 when Paul Hurry had a massive high side in turn three.  Henry shook of the crash and was able to make the restart. Ade Collins made the hole shot followed by Glyn Pocklington. As the laps wound down, riders traded places in mid pack, but Collins was away with Pockington and Derek Brindley battling for second. It was Collins who took the win from Pocklington and Brindley, both of whom transferred to the final. Rusty Hodgson, finishing 4^th, was forced to take the last chance route to the final.

Semi 2 saw Eddy Kennett lead from start to finish for the win. It was the battle for second where the action was with Marco Belli on his first outing on the new Zaeta and Paul Cooper riding the FT Experience 450 CCM. Cooper held off Belli for four laps but the three-time UK Champ made his move and took second spot from Cooper who held on to take his transfer spot to the final.

The LCQ race was a six-lap dash with eight riders and only two places left for the final. It was Dynomax rider Rusty Hodgeson who took the win, with a fantastic ride from road racer Gary Johnson taking second place, and just missing out on the final in third was TT superstar Steve Plater.

Collins (90), Pocklington (71) and Kennett (8) battle for victory in the Grand Final

The 12-lap Grand Final had Collins on pole, with Kennett and Pocklington completing the front row. At the lights, Kennett made an electric start with Pocklington trying to pass him on the outside. Through lap 1 it was Kennett, Pocklington, Collins and Belli. On lap 3, Collins wheelied out of turn four and managed to hold it together to pass Pocklington. Meanwhile, Marco Belli was coming under pressure from Paul Cooper. By lap 7 Collins looked like he was closing the gap on Kennett, but by lap 10 Kennett had pulled away from him. Pockington was now getting some pressure from Belli and Cooper, but the England Speedway star had it all under control and took his first Shorttrack Grand final win from Collins and Pocklington.

For more information, visit www.shorttrackuk.com.

Just a Little Motorcycle Story
by Marion Akkaya

Nuerburgring, Germany. It was the final race of an extremely tough season of the 250cc Grand Prix class. Four riders still had a chance to get the Champion Title if the leader didn’t reach a top-six position – one of them was Can Akkaya. The qualifying board was showing a difference of about four seconds from the 44^th position to the pole, which was held by Can.  Changing weather conditions on the race day turned the tire decision into a poker game.  Can’s warm-up times on slicks were poor, caused by the inability of the team to find a proper setup for the conditions. The race began dry, but the organizer declared it a wet race.  Can’s fight for a fifth or better position and a title seemed to be hopeless. Then the rain returned, and Can’s riding skills became apparent as he was able to maneuver his slicks better than his opponents to beat all other competitors to the finish lin.  On that day, Can became vice-champion and earned a Honda contract.  During his career as a professional racer, Akkaya earned several international wins and four lap records in the German IDM, Dutch and Spanish Open and European Championships on 250s and Superbikes. After his lap record on the Zolder Circuit in Belgium, Can’s fans renamed the track “Area 36.” Can had his Moto GP wild card in the pocket, but a bad crash in the qualifying on Hockenheimring kept him away from this dream. Months later, Can returned to the track with only one mission: to win and to retire from racing. Can won his last race.

Far away from racing and eight years later, Can rode just a cruiser “to be physically restricted,” and right after his daughter, Jill, was born he began to write his story on the Internet. 60,000 readers brought him a contract from a book publisher, and his “Racers-Story …25 Seconds…” went on to become very successful in German language countries. This book lets you feel alive and on the limit. Following the release of his book, Can received several offers to return to the world of racing.  Can came back to the track as a test rider for a Ducati racing team.  He wrote columns for several magazines and worked as the chief instructor at Germanys top racing school, where he taught around 1,400 students.

From a Wild Card to a Green Card – which Can received from the US government, allowing him to make a dream come true – he immigrated into the USA with his little family. Since November 2008, Can and his family have lived in California’s San Francisco bay area.  It was not easy for the three to launch a new life in a country on the other side of the world, but they’re home.  Not long after his move, Can took the next step in his life and started his own business – the Superbike-Coach Corp. – on his birthday in May. He developed and now offers the Road Skill course for any street/road rider, the Track Drill for the racer and track day rider, a Setup Course and the Wheelie Course for everybody, and recently the Knee Down course. Can’s first Road Skill course was booked out in only one week. He converted an idea to reality and developed and created a wheelie bar, which his students use during the Wheelie Course to prevent a backwards fall on the wheelie bike. In only six months, Can established his business, the Superbike-Coach, in California’s motorcycle scene. The websites racers-story.com, superbike-coach.com and the Coach Blog get around 180,000 hits/month on average, and Can’s Facebook has the 5,000 friends limit – and a waiting list.

For 2010 he worked out a training concept for Youth Road Racing USA and has signed on be the coach of the upcoming ‘Next Moto Champion’ TV pilot, which is in production discussions with the Speed Channel. Can’s book, “Racers-Story …25 seconds…” will be published in the USA in this year too. You can read an outline on www.racers-story.com.

Superbike-Coach 2010 Schedule:

VP Racing Fuels has announced the expansion of its Technical Support group. “VP’s strength has always been its leading edge technology and dedication to R&D, much of which has been conducted right alongside racers on their dynos and at the track,” said Steve Burns, VP’s President and CEO.  “But because we can’t be everywhere at once, we want to make sure that technical support for all our other customers remains just a phone call or email away.”

“You won’t find another fuel company offering this level of support, which will be yet another point of differentiation that will set VP apart,” Burns continued. “Customers can now easily tap into the specialized expertise needed to ensure they not only select the best fuel for their application, but tune their engine to achieve the maximum performance of which that fuel is capable.”

VP’s expanded Tech Support roster includes the following:

Specialty Tech Support
Drag Racing:                             DragTech@vpracingfuels.com; 812-878-2025
Oval Track:                              OvalTrackTech@vpracingfuels.com; 302-521-1767
Motorcycle/Powersports:          MotorcycleTech@vpracingfuels.com; 210-241-1192
Street Legal Fuel:                      StreetLegalTech@vpracingfuels.com; 812-878-2025
Small Engine Fuel:                     SEF94@vpracingfuels.com ; 812-878-2025
General Tech Support:  Tech@vpracingfuels.com ; 812-878-2025

In addition, customers can visit VP’s website at vpracingfuels.com to review fuel information and submit tech questions online. As always, customers may contact their VP Regional Distribution Center, which can field not only technical questions, but queries about pricing, dealer locations, shipping and more.

“The importance of technical support can’t be overemphasized,” Burns concluded. “When you lead an industry in technological development as we do, people look to you for guidance and support to ensure they can effectively implement that technology.”

VP Racing is the Official Racing Fuel of NHRA, ADRL, American Le Mans, Atlantic Championship, Star Mazda, TORC and sponsor of many more.   In addition to fuel, VP’s product line includes performance chemicals, specialty lubricants, traction adhesives and fuel handling accessories.

The Woodstock Bourbon Australian Superbike Championship and the International Entertainment Group have released the finalized 2010 ASBK event schedule.

As in 2009, the 2010 series kicks off at Phillip Island and includes two stops at the Victoria circuit; however, the Symmons Plains, Tasmania stop has been moved from the round two slot to become the season finale in November.  Queensland Raceway gets an extra event with the Quantum Racing Industries-sponsored third round, and the Mallala stop is absent from the 2010 calendar, most likely due to the declining quality of the south Australia circuit.  An event at Melbourne’s Broadford Track fills in the schedule.

As Jared Mees was showing Kent, Washington how it’s done on the ice, 50 miles north in Everett, they were enjoying a frozen battle of their own. Round five of the Extreme International Ice Racing series came to Comcast Arena on December 18.

It was an all-California main event with 42-year-old Charlie Venegas proving he can still beat the youngsters as he solidly wrapped up the Heat 1 win, took second in Heat 3 and took the bottom spot on the podium in the main event, keeping his first-place position in the series standings.  USA West Coast Speedway Rider Kell Kerrigan, took wins in Heats 2 & 3, but only managed a second-place finish in the main event. The big win of the night went to pro stuntman and speedway stalwart “Mad Dog” Shawn McConnell. McConnell took second in Heat 2, first in Heat 4 and finished at the top of the podium in the main event, securing 15 points for the evening and passing Russell Green for fifth place in the standings.

Anthony Barlow and Charlie Venegas battle it out on the ice

Heat 1
1st Charlie Venegas 3
2nd James Mann 2
3rd Anthony Barlow 1
4th Russell Green 0

Heat 2
1st Kell Kerrigan 3
2nd Shawn McConnell 2
3rd Eddie Martinez 1
4th Nathan Siegel 0

Heat 3
1st Kell Kerrigan 3
2nd Charlie Venegas 2
3rd Russell Green 1
4th Nathan Siegel 0

Heat 4
1st Shawn McConnell 3
2nd Anthony Barlow 2
3rd James Mann 1
4th Eddie Martinez 0

Last Chance Qualifier: (No points – Top three finishers make main event)
1st James Mann
2nd Anthony Barlow
3rd Nathan Siegel
4th Russell Green
5th Eddie Martinez

Main Event:
1st Shawn McConnell 10
2nd Kell Kerrigan 7
3rd Charlie Venegas 5
4th Anthony Barlow 3
5th Nathan Siegel 2
6th James Mann 1

Points for Night:
McConnell – 15
Kerrigan – 13
Venegas – 10
Barlow – 6
Mann – 4
Siegel- 2
Green – 1
Martinez – 1

Current Standings (After Five of 19 Rounds)

As the World Championship ICE Racing Series reaches the halfway point, Jared Mees has proven he can be just as dominant on the ice as he is on the clay. At round six of the ICE Racing Series on Dec 18 in Kent, Washington, Mees was nothing less than perfect in the Manufacturers’ World Cup Division.

Heat 1
1st – Kevin Anderson (HON)
2nd – Jeff Eklund (SUZ)
3rd – Tyler Phillips (KAW)
4th – JR Schnabel (YAM)

Reigning AMA Pro Grand National Twins champion Jared Mees has shown he has what it takes to win on the ice as well as the flat track

Heat 2
1st – Jared Mees (HON)
2nd – Kevin Conord (HON)
3rd – Jacob LeHmann (HON)
4th – Eric Beers (YAM)

Heat 3
1st – Jake Mataya (KAW)
2nd – Sammy Wiggins (HON)
3rd – Eric Rickman (SUZ)
4th – Kirk Cheney (HON)

Heat 4
1st – Tom McGrane (KAW)
2nd – Jeremy DeRuyter (HON)
3rd – Bryan McKenna (HON)

Heat 5
1st – Kevin Anderson (HON)
2nd – Eric Beers (YAM)
3rd – Kevin Conord (HON)
4th – Jacob LeHmann (HON)

Heat 6
1st – Jeremy DeRuyter (HON)
2nd – Tom McGrane (KAW)
3rd – Jeff Eklund (SUZ)
4th – Jake Mataya (KAW)

Heat 7
1st – Jared Mees (HON)
2nd – JR Schnabel (YAM)
3rd – Kirk Cheney (HON)
4th – Tyler Phillips (KAW)

Heat 8
1st – Sammy Wiggins (HON)
2nd – Eric Rickman (SUZ)
3rd – Bryan McKenna (HON)

Last Chance Qualifier
1st – JR Schnabel (YAM)
2nd – Jeremy DeRuyter (HON)
3rd – Eric Rickman (SUZ)
4th – Bryan McKenna (HON)
5th – Eric Beers (YAM)
6th – Jeff Eklund (SUZ)
7th – Kevin Conord (HON)
8th – Jake Mataya (KAW)

Main Event
1st – Jared Mees (HON)
2nd – Kevin Anderson (HON)
3rd – JR Schnabel (YAM)
4th – Jeremy DeRuyter (HON)
5th – Sammy Wiggins (HON)
6th – Tom McGrane (KAW)
7th – Bryan McKenna (HON)
8th – Eric Rickman (SUZ)

AMA Pro Racing has released a revised schedule for the 2010 Flat Track Grand National Championship season. The 2010 season will offer $850,000 in purse money, and the calendar will include 21 events. The TT, originally scheduled at the opening round on March 3 – part of Daytona 200 Week by Honda – is being replaced with a  Short Track National on Daytona’s brand-new 1/4-mile lime-rock short track.  Construction on the new 1/4-mile track is scheduled to be completed by the new year. The track, located outside NASCAR turns 1 & 2 at  Daytona International Speedway, will have seating for more than 5,000 spectators.

Construction continues on the 1/4-mile Daytona flat track

Two events back on the schedule for 2010 are a TT on July 25th at the Castle Rock Fairgrounds in Castle Rock, WA and a Half Mile on September 18th at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, IA.

Castle Rock has a long history of AMA Pro TT National Championship events dating back to 1965 with events on and off the schedule since the Mount St. Helens catastrophic volcano eruption in 1980. National champions who have won the Castle Rock TT include Mert Lawwill, Gary Scott, Dick Mann, Jay Springsteen, Chris Carr and Jake Johnson. The last TT National was held at the circuit in 2007 and was won by Sammy Halbert.

Knoxville Raceway is known as the sprint car capital of the world, which has earned the track a solid reputation as the fastest half-mile dirt track in the nation. The last AMA Pro Half Mile National Championship was held in 1996 and won by Nine-Time Grand National Champion Scott Parker.

“Since we released the first 2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship schedule, we’ve received even more interest to be part of our growing series,” said Mike Kidd, Director of AMA Pro Flat Track. “The addition of Castle Rock helps our mid-season west-coast swing, and including Knoxville is certainly going to enhance the series.”

2010 Confirmed Events