Motourage

An all-new production motorcycle racing category will be introduced by QBE Australian Superbike (ASBK) promoter, International Entertainment Group (IEG), in 2012. Motorcycling Australia (MA) has developed a 250cc Production class designed to foster new talent and assist riders in other disciplines to make the transition to the exciting sport of road racing, and is looking forward to working with IEG to deliver this new class in 2012.

Australian riders’ success on the world stage, most notably the recently crowned MotoGP champion Casey Stoner, has resulted in a surge of interest in the sport, and a national 250cc Production class will serve to introduce riders to the path they can take. 250cc Production will hold Australian Championship status in 2012, and will be run over four rounds, two each in Queensland and Victoria.

IEG Managing Director Yarrive Konsky is excited by the new development and the positive effects it will pass on for emerging riders.

“When I attended the MotoGP at Phillip Island I was overwhelmed by the level of support we have for racing in Australia,” said Konsky. “If this class can encourage more enthusiasts to get involved and hone their skills at a national level then it must be a good thing. At a national level, the 250 production class has previously kick-started the careers for riders the likes of Mat Mladin and Troy Corser, and we see it as the starting point for further success. The class rules will ensure riders race on an even playing field, putting the focus firmly on racecraft and learning the ability to setup and improve a motorcycle’s performance.”

Parity and affordability will be held paramount in the new class, which will be open to senior riders of all ages and grades. In line with current Superstock 600 rules, there will be a control tire specified and only one set will be allocated for qualifying and racing.

MA CEO David White said the new class would provide the opportunity for up-and-coming riders to compete at a cost-effective level.

“Motorcycling Australia is excited to introduce the new 250cc Production class,” said White. “MA is strongly committed to ensuring the continual advancement of Motorcycle Sport in Australia, and the introduction of the 250cc Production class is a vital step in ensuring growth and sustainability. This new class will provide an equitable and cost-effective pathway for riders seeking an introduction to the Road Racing world, and add an exciting new element to our comprehensive Australian Motorcycle Sport calendar. We look forward to watching this all new class develop over the coming years.”

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Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) won the 2011 MotoGP World Championship yesterday with a victory in difficult conditions on his home circuit of Phillip Island on his 26th birthday. Finishing behind Stoner were three Hondas, Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini), in a career best second, then Repsol Honda teammates Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa.

Stoner’s chances of winning the title greatly improved when his only title rival, Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), was declared unfit to race after injuring his left hand in a crash near the end of morning warm-up. That put Stoner in position to take the championship by finishing sixth or better, though he would rather have won in a straight-up fight. Since Stoner had been on the podium in every race he’s finished this year, finishing sixth or better was never in question.

Bolting from his 11th pole position of the year, Stoner controlled the pace on a cold, blustery, but mostly sunlit day, turning the race into a battle for second. Stoner had a lead of 7.4s on the 14th of 27 laps and was well on his way to victory when a light, then heavy rain threatened to turn the race chaotic in the final stages. Two riders pitted to change to motorcycles with rain set-ups, and three others fell, but Stoner survived one harrowing moment, maintained his composure and sped to his fifth consecutive victory at Phillip Island, today by 2.21s.

The win gave him an untouchable championship lead over Lorenzo of 325 to 260, with only 50 points remaining in the final two races in Malaysia and Valencia.

The title was Stoner’s second; he also won the 2007 MotoGP World Championship, giving him the distinction of opening and closing the 800cc era as world champion.

The victory came on a day when Honda celebrated their 60th Constructors Championship and 18th in the premier class, and 15th riders championship in the premier class. Honda has an insurmountable 75 point lead, 380 to 305, over Yamaha with two races remaining.

Though Stoner’s win was never in doubt, the same couldn’t be said of the other podium positions. By the fourth of 27 laps, Honda riders held the top four spots and began an inter-family battle that would go down to the final lap. Simoncelli took over second on the second lap and held the position almost to the end. Only on the 25th lap did Dovizioso find a way past, holding the position for two laps. But on the final lap, when the track was again dry, Simoncelli re-asserted himself to finish second, a career best in the premier class. Dovi was third at .244s, with Pedrosa dropping off the pace at the end to finish fourth.

What wasn’t known at the time was that Pedrosa’s front tire had degraded, taking away his corner entry speed and forcing him to abandon the podium fight. Rather than risk crashing, and losing valuable championship points, he made the wise decision to secure fourth, and give Honda a top four sweep.

Toni Elias (LCR Honda MotoGP) survived the adverse conditions to finish eighth, tying his season best. Elias was again troubled by rear grip issues, caused by the dropping temperature. Still, he rode a smart, calculated race using his experience to avoid the traps that befell a number of others.

Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini) was also having a good race when he crashed four laps from the end on a wet track. At the time, the Japanese rider was immersed in a scrap with two other riders for eighth. One of the other riders also fell, leaving only ten finishers.

Aoyama will be joining the World Superbike Championship aboard a HANNspree Ten Kate Honda in 2012 and wants to finish his MotoGP career strongly in the final two races.

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Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner rode another faultless race in the Gran Premio de Aragón to win his eighth victory of the season and further strengthen his position at the top of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship. Teammate Dani Pedrosa finished second to complete Repsol Honda’s fifth one-two of the year, while Marco Simoncelli scored a hard-fought fourth-place finish.

Stoner had been race favorite after dominating practice and qualifying, but track conditions were very different from yesterday, with much cooler temperatures and a strong tail-wind on the back straight. Today’s track temperature was 15 degrees lower than during qualifying, which created grip issues for several riders during the 23 laps.

Nothing, however, could stop Stoner who started from pole position for the ninth time this year. Despite being beaten into third place during the first few corners by Pedrosa and Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing), the 25-year-old Australian had regained the lead by the end of the first lap. From there he never looked back, establishing a new track record on lap four and steadily increasing his advantage over Pedrosa. The success also increased his championship advantage to 44 points over reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) with four races to go.

Stoner ended the race 8.162s seconds in front of Pedrosa who also had a lonely ride to his third consecutive runner-up result. Pedrosa always knew it was going to be difficult running Stoner’s pace because throughout the weekend he had been losing several tenths through the track’s first section. During the later stages of the race he also struggled with wheel-spin issues, though he was always well clear of third- and fourth-place finishers Lorenzo and Spies.

Today all three Repsol Hondas ran a special one-off livery created by Spanish designer Davidelfin, a superb way to celebrate the partnership’s 100th Grand Prix victory. Repsol Honda achieved its first premier-class win with Mick Doohan at the 1995 Australian GP. Although the Stoner/Pedrosa one-two made today an almost perfect day for the team, Andrea Dovizioso was unable to complete the race after sliding off on the first lap.

Simoncelli did everything he could to make it an all-Honda podium, just as he had done at last month’s Czech GP. The lanky Italian came through strongly after finishing the first lap in sixth place, passing Nicky Hayden (Factory Ducati), then Lorenzo and Spies to move into third on lap nine, only to run wide the next lap and ruin all his hard work. Demoted to fifth, Simoncelli kept his cool and slowly worked his way back towards Spies, from whom he took fourth place with seven laps to go. But with his rear tire past its best there was nothing he could do about Lorenzo.

Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini) enjoyed a spirited battle with seven-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi, who started the race from pit lane after exceeding his ration of six engines per year. The pair spent the last half of the race with Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) who won the three-way contest after making contact with Aoyama on the last lap. Aoyama – who had great hopes after qualifying on the third row – finished just behind Rossi in 11th.

Toni Elias (LCR Honda) was unable to complete the race after being taken down by Loris Capirossi (Pramac Ducati) as they attacked the turn eight/nine chicane with eight laps remaining. Capirossi dislocated a shoulder in the incident.

Today’s strong winds produced some big top speeds, with Aoyama’s RC212V the fastest bike of all at 330.5km/h (205.3mph).

The MotoGP paddock now packs up and heads eastward for the first of three ‘flyaway’ races outside Europe: the Japanese, Australian and Malaysian GPs. The action then returns to the Continent for the season finale at Valencia, Spain, on November 6.

Casey Stoner, Repsol Honda, Race Winner:
“Before the race everyone was a little cautious with the wind picking up after the morning warm-up session and conditions being a lot different to those we had seen all weekend. This was on our mind and also warming the hard tires to makes sure everything was good for the beginning of the race. Our start was pretty average, I pulled to the left a little on the start and managed to avoid hitting Dani but Ben came around the outside and I ended up third at turn one, from there we were able to settle down and feel pretty comfortable with the bike. I wanted to get to the front as soon as possible as the bike has been working perfect all weekend and it was our race to lose, so I wanted to try and get out in front and pull a gap. I passed Dani as soon as I could and tried to pull that gap, Dani kept with me for the first few laps but slowly I was able to push and put in a gap and from there manage the race. I think everyone was struggling with tires to some degree but the bike was fantastic and I don’t mind the bike when it slides around a little. A big, big thank you to the whole team and to take this hundredth win for Repsol Honda is something special.” Read more…

The Repsol Honda Team returns to action this weekend in Portugal after a break of three weeks due to the postponement of the Grand Prix of Japan. The Estoril circuit hosts the third round of the MotoGP World Championship and activity on track will extend through to Monday for one day of testing, the first of the season.

Dani Pedrosa, second in the Championship with nine points behind the leader, Jorge Lorenzo, will get back aboard his Honda RC212V after his surgery on March 6. Last week, the Spaniard had the stitches removed from his left collarbone, and despite not being a hundred percent physically; he will fight for another podium, as will teammates Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso to get some points back after a hard race in Jerez.

The three Repsol Honda riders have all enjoyed podium finishes in Estoril: Andrea Dovizioso on four occasions, the most recently last season; and both Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner three times. Dani is missing the victory in Portugal but keeps the circuit record from 2009 (1´36.937), while Casey and Andrea have won once in 250cc.

Dani Pedrosa
“I did what I had to do in these three weeks off and I look forward to get back on the bike after this period which has been good for me to undergo surgery and start rehabilitation. Last week I had the stitches removed, so everything is still very fresh and I don’t know how I will feel in Estoril, but I’m excited to see if everything went well and if I can put the issues aside once on the bike. It would be very good because we had a good start to the season and I wish to compete in the best conditions. I want to make the most of the four practice sessions to prepare for the race. It would help if we have good weather, as this year we race in April, but you can never trust the weather there having the Atlantic Ocean so close. With regards to the circuit, Estoril has heavy braking zones and it will be important to find traction to take advantage of the good acceleration we have.”

Andrea Dovizioso
“I am looking forward to the race in Estoril; it’s a track where I have had very good results in my career. I arrive motivated, and want to get back to form after the Jerez weekend with a good race and to show the results of all the positive work done with the team. I think that we will be competitive at Estoril. The circuit is very slow and it’s not the best to ride with a MotoGP machine, in fact, one of the more difficult tasks is to manage the power of the RC212V on this slow track. We will have 4 practice sessions to work on the set up and it’s important to start well from the first day. After this long break, I’m happy to return on track. I have enjoyed this period at home with my family, having time to relax but also time to dedicate to training and to do the preparation of the coming races. Now it’s time to jump on the bike.”

Casey Stoner
I had a good rest in Switzerland and I feel very good at the moment. I’m looking forward to Portugal after a difficult last race in Jerez; we were looking for a good result in Spain after positive practice sessions and qualifying so we are happy to get back on track. Estoril is not one of my favorite tracks but we have had good success there in the past. We will be looking to get back some points against Lorenzo as he has been the strongest there in the past 3 years. I think our bike should work quite well at this circuit as it has some tight turns with exits onto big straights so I hope to find some good traction in these points and be competitive from the first day.”

Team Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner set an early target that his rivals were unable to follow in this afternoon’s opening free practice for the MotoGP Grand Prix of Spain, clocking what proved to be the fastest time of the session after just four laps. An effort of 1’39.731 was inside the quickest lap of last year’s race and secured the Australian’s position at the top of the timesheet overnight, despite a crash at the end of the session from which he escaped unharmed.

His teammate Nicky Hayden also made an impressive start to the weekend, racking up 25 laps and clocking the third fastest time of the session. Hayden’s form continues a positive start to his season, having been challenging at the top of the time sheets throughout winter testing and battling for the podium at the opening race in Qatar three weeks ago.

CASEY STONER (Ducati MotoGP Team)  1st (1’39.731)
“My first run was okay but we had some problems in braking so we spent the rest of the session trying to improve this area, comparing the two bikes. The crash at the end was a similar situation to Qatar – I went into the corner with less pressure on the front and it closed. It’s never nice to crash but at least it gives us a better understanding of what happened in Qatar and which direction we need to take with the set-up over the rest of the weekend. Other than that I am really happy – I think this is the first time I’ve been fastest in any MotoGP session at Jerez. We’ve started out strongly, we have no worries and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

NICKY HAYDEN – (Ducati MotoGP Team) 3rd (1’40.148)
“The session went well and I’m really happy right now because this is a big one for us. I was fast in Malaysia and Qatar but that was after a lot of testing at those tracks, experimenting with many different settings, but we’ve come here and been fast out of the gate, which was one of my goals for this season – to be on the pace on Fridays. We didn’t set the world on fire or break any track records so we’re not getting carried away but the bike is close and if we can get it a little better in the fast corners we should have a good package. The team made one little change today that helped a lot and on my last exit I was able to stay in the 1’40s from the first lap to the last. It’s a good start and if we keep working in this way we can have a good weekend.”

Circuit Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha – 2009), 1’39.818 – 159.518 Km/h
Best Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha – 2008), 1’38.189 – 162.164 Km/h

Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden ended the first of two nights of testing in Qatar with the second and eighth fastest times respectively, the Ducati MotoGP Team riders working throughout a sticky evening to get their GP10 machines to grips with a particularly slippery track surface. The high levels of humidity experienced tonight are also expected for the first race of the season, which takes place here on the 11th April.

Casey Stoner (Ducati MotoGP Team) 2nd fastest:  1’55.717 (48 laps)
“We tried a few different set-up solutions but the main focus tonight was the tires. I used the same set for thirty laps and set some of my best lap times towards the end, so we are satisfied with that. We have also worked on the balance of the bike because the conditions here are very different to Malaysia and I prefer the bike to be more rigid. So far so good.”

Nicky Hayden (Ducati MotoGP Team) 8th fastest:  1’56.855 (77 laps)
“Things went well for the first half of the session then we kind of got stuck. The general feeling of the bike is quite good but I would like to be a step closer to the top guys. The biggest problem is that we’re not able to get the most out of the soft tire – we can’t seem to get it working at the right temperature so I have to keep using the harder compound. It happened in Malaysia and we’ve struggled with it again today at a circuit where the conditions are very different, so it is important we work out the reason.”

Circuit Record:
Casey Stoner (Ducati – 2008), 1’55.153, 168.193 Km/h

Best Pole:
Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha – 2008), 1’53.927, 170.003 Km/h

Unofficial lap times – Thursday, March 18
1. V. Rossi (Yamaha) 1’55.402
2. C. Stoner (Ducati) 1’55.717
3. B. Spies (Yamaha) 1’55.954
4. C. Edwards (Yamaha) 1’56.540
5. R. De Puniet (Honda) 1’56.588
6. A. Dovizioso (Honda) 1’56.811
7. J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1’56.838
8. N. Hayden (Ducati) 1’56.855
9. M. Kallio (Ducati) 1’56.923
10. D. Pedrosa (Honda) 1’57.047
11. L. Capirossi (Suzuki) 1’57.099
12. M. Melandri (Honda) 1’57.605
13. H. Barbera (Ducati) 1’57.822
14. H. Aoyama (Honda) 1’57.888
15. M. Simoncelli (Honda) 1’57.891
16. A. Espargaro (Ducati) 1’57898
17. A. Bautista (Suzuki) 1’57.960

Today’s Motourage Video of the Day features Casey Stoner’s crash during qualifying for the MotoGP 2009 British Grand Prix at Donington Park.  This is the final year Donington will be included on the MotoGP schedule, as the British GP moves to Silverstone, swapping places with Formula 1 for 2010.