Motourage

Yamaha bounce back with the first podium of the season

Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike rider Cal Crutchlow showed solid race craft in the second superbike race today, confidently sticking with race leaders Max Biaggi and Leon Haslam to stand on the World Superbike podium for the first time. After dropping to fourth initially Crutchlow capitalized on his opportunity to move up when Johnny Rea was pushed wide by Haslam going into the first corner on lap three. He was never more than 0.3 seconds from the lead, taking his well earned podium in third at the finish line. Team-mate James Toseland wrapped up the day in race two with style, charging through the pack from 15th, overcoming a number of competitive riders to cross the line in sixth, nearly ten places up from the start.

Race one proved to be a display of consistency and determination from British rider Toseland. Starting from a less than perfect 15th on the grid, Toseland gradually worked his way through the pack. The final lap saw him close down a half second gap, taking Haga on the last corner to steal a well deserved seventh place finish at the line. His team-mate Crutchlow spent the majority of the race in third until an unfortunate low-side crash three laps from the end dropped him to 15th. He managed to pass 14th placed rider Tom Sykes on the last lap to stay in the points.

Crutchlow heads to Valencia in tenth position with 25 points, Toseland heads to the third round in Spain in 11th, tied on points with his team-mate with 25.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (14th, 3rd)
“It was a tough day today from the first race; I made a stupid mistake, my own fault I was pushing too hard. We’ve made big steps from Australia, all credit to Yamaha they’ve done a fantastic job. We came here fighting but unfortunately in the first race I went down and Johnny Rea got through and got the podium. I’m looking forward to the next weekend in Valencia, if we can continue doing a good job and getting the success we’re starting to experience it’ll be a good season, let’s keep the ball rolling. The team have put in a sterling effort this weekend. Well done to Max Biaggi and Leon Camier as well.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (7th, 6th)
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do but we’ve made massive improvements. We really deserved the third and sixth in that last race, After Cal’s Superpole he was unlucky to crash in the first race so I’m really pleased with his result in the second. The potential of the bike is very good, once we use the full power of the engine we’re right up there. It was only my crash that stopped me being on the front row I think. I was a bit sore today and my head was bit fuzzy after its knock yesterday so I wasn’t completely on form. Considering that and starting from 15th on the grid we achieved some good results. It’s a shame we started on the back foot this year but we’re moving on and we’re keeping on pushing.”

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The weather looks set to hold, and the stage is set. It is now or never for lead riders in four of the six classes being competed for in the 2010 Castrol Power1 Superbike road race championship which concludes at the new Hampton Downs circuit south of Auckland today Sunday 28th March. The meeting also doubles as the New Zealand TT titles.

Christchurch school boy Alastair Hoogenboezem has already won the 125GP championship for 2010, but is also showing he wants to defend his 125TT title which he won last year. The battle for second in the championship is not over with Auckland pair of Avalon Biddle and Jaden Hassan equal on points 99 behind Hoogenboezem , the fight will be on between these two, with Hassan already getting second at Hampton Downs in the first race on Saturday.

The other champions already decided are in the Sidecar Championship. Wanganui’s Steve Bron and Dennis Simonsen have wrapped up the title after dominating most of the year with several lap records along the way. Second is yet to be decided, with current second placed pairing of Dave Annan/Warick Demmocks and third placed Peter Goodwin/Dion Weedon 23 Points apart.

The battle for the other four championships will come down to the wire; there are two races for each class today. In the Formula 3 Class Manawatu riders are fighting it out. Foxton’s Jason Easton and Two time and current Formula 3 Champion Palmerston North’s Glen Williams only 11 points apart. This will be close as both have won races throughout the season, with Easton taking first blood at Hampton Downs in the first race on Saturday.

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Crutchlow conquers the first European Superpole of 2010 at Portimao

Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike rider Cal Crutchlow set himself apart from the class this afternoon, storming through the Superpole heats to take pole and breaking the Best Lap record in the process. Crutchlow unleashed the full potential of the Yamaha R1′s power in ideal track conditions, leaving a gap of over four tenths of a second to second placed Aprilia rider Max Biaggi. Team-mate James Toseland had also been progressing well through the sessions with fast consistent speed until an unfortunate high-side on the last corner of the circuit in heat two relegated him to 15th on the grid for tomorrow’s two Superbike races. Although bruised Toseland was luckily uninjured in the high speed crash.

The second qualifying session of the race weekend earlier in the day saw both riders focusing on the set up for race day whilst ensuring they remained within the times for the subsequent Superpole sessions. Incredibly the first 14 riders of the session were within 0.7 of a second of each other. Crutchlow’s time, just 0.6 off the front man was particularly impressive considering the entire session was run on just one set of tires.

Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow claimed Superpole and broke the lap record in the process

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (1st, 1’42.092)
“The Superpole lap wasn’t really a surprise to me to be honest, we had a good session beforehand and I knew we could go really well in the qualifying session this morning. We left a lot in reserve, so down in 14th place I wasn’t panicking. I knew we had a good pace for the pole session, I only used one qualifying tire and we only needed one lap to do it. Yamaha’s done a fantastic job in the last month, it was hard work but we’ve got there in the end, all working together. I’m quietly confident we’ll do a good job tomorrow as well.”

Riding with a still-broken hand, James Toseland could only manage 15th in qualifying

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (15th, 1’49.401)
“What a disappointing end to what has been a great qualifying so far this weekend. The Sterilgarda Yamaha Team have been brilliant in how they’ve transformed the bike from where we were in Phillip Island and I want to thank them for that. The mistake for me was that I was on the second lap on the qualifier tire and I was trying to make it work hard on the last turn as if it had been the first lap on it. Unfortunately it was a mistake, I suffered a lack of grip and the consequence is I’m now 15th on the grid.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“First of all I think a big thanks to the guys to have done such a good job since our not so great performance in Australia. I have to say Cal did a fantastic lap, we are confident that we will be in there tomorrow. The pace Cal had in practice was really good so I’m expecting good things. Unfortunately James had a big high-side during the second Superpole session which was unfortunate, but he has a good race pace which will help. For sure it will be harder for him to start from the back but I think he knows how to fight his way through. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.

Circuit Length: 4692
Weather: Sunny
Fastest Lap Ever: 1’42.092 (Cal Crutchlow, 28/03/2010)
Last Year’s Winner: Michel Fabrizio

The more things change, the more they stay the same as the first day of practice and qualifying came to a close at the Auto Club Speedway in beautiful sunny southern California.  The fast qualifier from each class in last month’s opening round of the 2010 AMA Pro Road Racing championship season at Daytona International Speedway showed their speed again today during the opening qualifying sessions.

Aaron Yates and the Michael Jordan-owned Brand Jordan Suzuki team again showed the way in the AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike series with a fast time of 1:23.982 to place the Georgia native on provisional pole position going into tomorrow’s final qualifying session.   Asked why he is running so well in 2010, Yates said, “I’m feeling really good this year, my health is really good and the No. 23 Jordan Suzuki guys have been working really hard and it’s paying off.”

Tommy Hayden took second on his No. 22 Rockstar Makita Suzuki with a time of 1:24.133 and No. 72 Foremost Insurance Ducati rider Larry Pegram was third with a time of 1:24.150.  Twenty-two American Superbike motorcycles attempted to qualify today and final qualifying will be tomorrow morning at 9:50 a.m. local time, ensuring quicker times as the track conditions will be close to perfect around the 2.36-mile 21-turn Auto Club Speedway circuit.

In AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL, Daytona pole position winner Danny Eslick and his No. 1 GEICO Powersports/RMR Suzuki topped the time sheets as the defending champion posted the fastest lap on his penultimate lap of qualifying to take the provisional pole.  Under clear blue skies, Eslick put up a time of 1:27.164 and felt great about his time and his season in general, commenting, “I’m feeling great, I won both races here last year and I really like this track.  The change to the GEICO Suzuki has been flawless and we are running right where we need to be.”

Right behind Eslick is 2010 Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin on his No. 8 Team Graves Yamaha with a time of 1:27.255.  Third was Herrin’s Team Graves Yamaha teammate, No. 6 Tommy Aquino with a time of 1:27.457.  The second round of qualifying for the Daytona SportBikes will be tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. local time, with the first of two races kicking off tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 p.m.

In keeping with the pattern so far, Daytona’s Supersport pole and race two winner Joey Pascarella took the top spot in the last qualifying session of the day.  After being beaten in race one at Daytona in the Supersport season opener by 0.001 of a second, Pascarella has yet to be beaten in a race or qualifying session.  Pascarella, suffering the painful looking wounds from a mountain bike fall earlier in the week, led the way on his No. 25 LTD Racing Yamaha with a time of 1:29.310.  Asked if he was distracted by the abrasions on his hands and face, Joey commented, “Once I start riding, I don’t notice it.  I wasn’t sure I would be able to hold on but it’s not bad.”

Second quick was No. 19 Scott Gilbert on his Yamaha with a time of 1:30.188 and third was Pascarella’s Yamaha teammate, No. 75 Huntley Nash who turned in a time of 1:31.393.  Nash has never been to Auto Club Speedway and was pleased with his effort, “For my first time here, I’m pretty happy, I followed Joey around a couple of times and picked up some ideas where I could improve and I’m looking forward to tomorrow when I know I can run better.”

The Supersport riders will take to the track again tomorrow for final qualifying and also their first race of two this weekend.  Local rider Elena Myers again showed her experience on a track she has been riding on since the beginning of her short career by taking fourth place with a time of 1:31.573.  Myers, riding her No. 21 RMR/RoadracingWorld.com Suzuki, ran close to the top of the time charts throughout today’s practice and qualifying sessions.

Following post-qualifying technical inspection, times were disallowed for non-compliant fuel for the following motorcycles: American Superbike No. 10 and No. 59, Daytona SportBike No. 122 and No. 153, Supersport No. 729.  Riders will have the opportunity to qualify or improve their position on the grid by posting times in tomorrow morning’s final qualifying sessions.

Saturday’s weather looks even better than today’s and after a solid first day of practice and qualifying the weekend is shaping up to again see some incredibly close racing.

Yamaha riders step up their pace in Portimao

The hard work of the Yamaha Sterilgarda Team following the opening round last month in Phillip Island was clearly seen in today’s first Superbike sessions at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. Both James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow made the most of the ongoing set up developments to put in highly competitive times, improving on their Phillip Island performances.

The first free practice session of the day gave the riders the opportunity to test out new electronic settings on their R1s. As the session progressed the improvements were clear as Toseland moved steadily up the times, taking the top spot with a 1’44.3 as the clock hit zero. Team mate Crutchlow was just over half a second behind in ninth having tested out some different tires to Toseland during the session.

The first qualifying session of the weekend saw both riders take turns at the top of the time sheet finding ever more speed as the grip levels increased. Intelligent tire choices and a more effective electronics package saw both delivering consistently fast, competitive laps with the potential for more improvement in tomorrow’s second session and subsequent Superpole. The session drew to a close with Toseland in fifth, less than three tenths off provisional pole and team mate Crutchlow less than one tenth of a second behind in sixth.

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (5th, 1’43.735)
“We’ve made some really good progress with our testing last week in Misano, we’ve gone in the direction we wanted to with the engine and electronics. We had a lot to try today, and we’ve gone in a really positive direction for the race set up with tire life and things like that. We’ve got a little bit more to do but I’m really pleased with the work Frankie and the team have done since Australia to here so a massive thank you to the team and hopefully we can keep it going in the top five now.”

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (6th, 1’43.769)
“I’m a lot happier today. We have definitely made improvements from Australia and we’ve also come back to a track with lots of grip. As the grip levels of the track improved over the sessions so have we. We still need to work on our bike to improve on really slippery track conditions and optimize our settings and performance. Tire life is looking better, and there was no chatter here so that’s that problem cured. We intend to keep working on our electronics and progress even further tomorrow.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“It seems that the work we’ve done since Australia is working well. To see where both riders are is very encouraging. This gives us real satisfaction. I think we’ve worked very well with our tire choice and we’re pretty happy with how they are working. Tomorrow we’ll work again on the set up to see which will tires we’ll choose for the distance. For today we are satisfied.”

Circuit Length: 4692
Weather: Sunny
Fastest Lap Ever: 1’42.412 (Ben Spies, 25/10/2009)
Last Year’s Winner: Michel Fabrizio

Tim Reeves and Gregory Cluze ended up upside-down during last week’s FIM Sidecar World Championship testing at the Circuit du Val de Vienne in in Le Vigeant, France. Reeves, the three-time World Sidecar champion and his French passenger, Cluze, gave partial credit for the flip to the series’ switch from Yokohama tires to those of British manufacturer Avon, to which many teams are still trying to adjust.

Three-time FIM World Sidecar champion Tim Reeves hopes to improve on last year's third place finish

Testing at the French circuit 35 miles southeast of Poitiers took place from March 15 to 19. Most of the teams present were from Germany, but some big names in the sidecar world including Reeves and Cluze as well as Cluze’s former pilot in the French Sidecar Championship, Sebastien Delannoy also turned some laps.

Gregory Cluze and pilot Mike Roscher finished in 11th place in 2009

For 2010, Reeves and Cluze will be aboard a Honda BCR1000-powered Swiss CRL chassis, a great innovation, which is threatening the monopoly held, until recently, by the Suzuki GSX-R1000-powered machines. Although 2010 FIM rules require the team to run a stock engine, their lap times were still very close to the record held by the 2009 champion Birchall brothers, who ran modified engines.

Reeves and Cluze logged some impressive laps but rolled their rig in the morning session. Their bad luck followed them into the afternoon.
“We went into a slide left,” said Gregory Cluze. “And suddenly the tires hung up without warning. More fear than harm, but unfortunately the engine blew in the afternoon, probably a consequence of the morning’s mishap. ”

Another newcomer to the series, a Swiss-piloted Yamaha R1 rig, impressed onlookers with its power, and now another question has been brought up: When is it BMW’s turn to enter the series?

2009 World Sidecar champions, Ben and Tom Birchall were also present for testing; however, missing were 2008 champion, “the Sliding Finn,” Pekka Paivarinta, and his partner, Switzerland’s Adolf Hanni and their LCR-built Suzuki GSX-R 1000.

In 1990, Frenchman Alain Michel became world champion with a British passenger, Simon Birchall. The question now is, why not a British pilot and a French passenger as world champions in 2010?

The Paul Bird Kawasaki Racing Team heads to Portimao in Portugal for round two of the World Superbike Championship determined to post strong results after experiencing mixed fortunes in the opening round in Australia.

Tom Sykes hopes a new bike setup will help him at Portimao

Tom Sykes scored points last time out but Chris Vermeulen fell at high speed in race two, injuring his right knee, and now approaches this weekend with characteristic determination to be fit to race on Sunday.

Until misfortune struck, both Vermeulen and Sykes looked to be heading towards good results in each Australian race, a factor that gives the whole team confidence that Portimao will be a good weekend and more of a reward for everyone’s hard work in the winter.

Part of those winter preparations was an official test at Portimao in January, although poor weather was a frequent visitor at that time. Those January track sessions were particularly valuable for Chris, who had not ridden at Portimao prior to then.

Weather conditions are expected to be largely dry for all concerned on race weekend on the Algarve coast, which would allow Tom and Chris consistent track conditions to find an optimal raceday set-up.

Tom Sykes:
“I’m really looking forward to the race in Portugal. We’ve learned a lot with the bike since Phillip Island and to be honest I’m really happy with the team set-up and how we are working together. I’m feeling positive about the bike as we have a completely different machine set-up and made valuable progress since we last tested in Portimao in January, which adds to my confidence for a decent result here. I have high expectations for myself and the team and I hope we can deliver a good result.”

Chris Vermeulen:
“The doctors at the Clinica Mobile have already said it is OK for me to race. On Sunday it is going to be four weeks since the accident and really I need two months for everything to heal properly. I sat on the bike today for the first time and it is a little difficult to get my knee into position, but we can lower the footpeg and raise the seat, do whatever we can to help that. The Clinica Mobile will tape up my knee and give me some injections for the pain. I am going out for practice on Friday morning to see what I can do. I am sure it is going to be possible to ride.”

The paddock sets down at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal this week for the first of the European rounds of the 2010 World Superbike Championship season. This will be the third outing for Superbikes at the Portuguese circuit, and the first race there for the Sterilgarda Yamaha team since they secured the 2009 WSBK title at the end of last season with rider Ben Spies. The track also has a special significance for Cal Crutchlow, as it was here at the end of the season last year that he crossed the line to take the World Supersport Championship title for Yamaha. The team also enjoyed a very positive test here in January, wrapping up with Cal Crutchlow fourth fastest and James Toseland sixth, both delivering fast, consistent and competitive lap times.

James Toseland is still not 100% after injuring his hand at Phillip Island

After solving unexpected chatter problems in the race weekend during the first round, the team then also found difficulties in the electronics area in combination with the increased power found during the winter and low grip levels at the Phillip Island circuit. The team have continued to work hard to further develop the 2010 R1 including a short test at the Misano circuit in San Marino last week. Riders James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow are now keen to get straight onto the track and close the points deficit to current championship leader Leon Haslam.

Round one at Phillip Island saw both riders fall in the first race, regrouping for race two with Crutchlow scoring a ninth place finish and Toseland right behind in tenth. The month break following has given Toseland’s hand injury, sustained in Phillip Island, a chance to recover ahead of Friday’s first sessions on track.

In 2009, Cal Crutchlow won at Portimao, securing the Supersport title

Cal Crutchlow:
“I’m really keen to get to Portugal and get back on the bike.  Last time I raced here I won the world title in Supersport so I have good feelings for the track. I’m going to put 100% into my efforts this weekend as always and we’ll see what happens with the progress the guys have made over the last couple of weeks.”

James Toseland:
“I’m really looking forward to it. We had a tough time in Australia, but I believe the team has been working really hard in the meantime and the test went well in Misano. My hand is nearly back to normal although there’s still a bit of pain. I’m basically looking forward to getting out on track and seeing what progress we’ve made to catch up.”

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The Joe Darcey Team is chasing the inaugural 2010 Spanish CEV Moto2 title with FTR machinery, Scottish rider Kev Coghlan and support from the Monlau Competition Institute in Barcelona.

The team has won the Spanish Supersport title twice in the last three years and hopes to add the new CEV Moto2 Championship – replacing Supersport – to its list of honors.

The FTR M209B is built specifically for the CEV Spanish Championship and based on FTR's GP machine.

Coghlan, riding for the Joe Darcey Team, won the 2009 Spanish and European Championships and believes the FTR machine, coupled with the support of Monlau’s renowned technical institute, should see him competitive from the very first race at Catalunya on April 18.

“It’s been a tough winter trying to pull together a plan for 2010, but this is exactly what I want to be doing,” said 21-year-old Coghlan. “It’s a team I know, the FTR machine has been carefully developed with the right people in 2009, and Alex Debon and the 2010 Grand Prix riders are currently taking it to the next step. In all, I have a very good chance to win a second Spanish title, and with the Monlau support plus that of Miguel and Anton at Joe Darcey I’ve every reason to be excited about the 2010 season.”

Coghlan and the Joe Darcey Team will use FTR’s CEV M209B rolling chassis, developed specifically for the new Spanish Championship and offered at a reduced cost in comparison to its 2010 Grand Prix World Championship counterpart.

FTR director Steve Bones commented, “We already know the capabilities of Kev Coghlan, Joe Darcey and the Monlau operation, so this first step towards a presence in the Spanish Championship is something we know we can definitely build on.”

After success in Australia, Team Suzuki Alstare riders Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli are looking forward to getting back on track at round two of the World Superbike Championship at Portimao in Portugal this weekend and chasing the podium again.

This is the third time that the Autodromo do Algarve is hosting a round of the championship, though this year the race takes place in the spring instead of its usual end-of-season date.

Following the opening round at Phillip Island, Haslam is leading the World Championship by nine points with Guintoli fifth, and both are determined to do well at the 4.592 kilometer circuit. Haslam was in superb form in the pre-season tests at the track in January, and Guintoli too showed that he had become very comfortable with the 2010 GSX-R1000 Suzuki Alstare bike. Both riders are eager to continue their attack on the championship and also keep Suzuki at the top of the manufacturer standings.

Leon Haslam:
“Portimao is a fantastic circuit and probably the most demanding one on the calendar. I think all riders like it because it is such a challenge and when you do a good lap there, the feeling is fantastic. From the very first time I jumped onto the Suzuki I knew that the bike could be a contender and so far, I think we have proved that. The whole team has given me tremendous support and we are all now looking forward to another good weekend in Portimao. I went well there in the pre-season tests and I will be chasing two more podiums for sure.”

Sylvain Guintoli:
“I am very pleased with my start to the season and I cannot tell you how happy and comfortable I am with my bike. Of course, every time I go out on it I learn a bit more, but already I am thinking of podiums and that is a good feeling to have. It has been a long break since the first race and I am itching to get back in the saddle and racing again. Portimao is a great track, but very, very challenging. I think it is one of the best race tracks in the series and I will be doing my very best to get on the podium there.”