Motourage

Cardion AB Motoracing's Karel Abraham

After a four-week break, FTR Moto is looking to continue its successful first-half form when the inaugural Moto2 World Championship resumes this weekend at the Automotodrom Brno in the Czech Republic.

Andrea Iannone – with two wins in the Championship – will be hoping to challenge for the title from his current spot in third place in the series points table aboard his FIMMCO Speed Up Team FTR M210 machine. He lies 46 points behind series leader Toni Elias with nine races remaining. Iannone is also looking to add to his victories in Italy and Holland and continue a remarkable run of pole positions for the Italian rider in each of the last three rounds: Holland, Catalunya and Germany.

Iannone’s Speed Up teammate, Gabor Talmacsi, will be keen to improve on his eighth place in the Championship after seven points-scoring finishes in eight races.

Aeroport de Castello-Ajo Team rider Alex Debon is looking to repeat some of his early season displays as he resumes in full fitness and looking to add to his sensational runner-up finish in Qatar on his FTR M210.

Karel Abraham, on the Cardion AB Motoracing Team’s FTR M210, added to a career-best fourth place in the Catalunya round with fifth place in Germany in the last round, and the Czech Republic rider is now looking to his home race for a first ever podium finish.

“We’ve been busy in the break since Germany and are now looking for a charge towards the head of the Moto2 World Championship table from all the FTR riders between now and the end of the season,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “Judging by our discussions with the riders and teams, everyone is fired up and all have good reason to chase victories and podiums. Of the four riders on FTR machines two have been on the podium and the other two have been in the top five so we’re confident they are all capable of winning races.

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.”

FTR MOTO is producing a limited edition of 10 distinctive Moto2 Grand Prix machines with a full World Supersport specification Honda CBR600RR motor and in the colors of Ron Haslam’s innovative 500cc Grand Prix Elf Honda.

The FTR Elf project will offer the ultimate track day machine and is being launched to celebrate FTR Moto’s inaugural year in World Championship competition with its M210 Moto2 GP machine.

The machine will use a Honda World Supersport specification motor – prepared by Chris Mehew who worked alongside Haslam with the Elf project in the 1986-88 World Championship years. Mehew also prepares the engines for World Supersport Championship star Eugene Laverty.

The rolling chassis will be FTR’s 2010 World Championship M210, featuring the latest Brembo brakes, OZ MotoGP wheels, GP specification front and rear suspension and Dunlop racing slick tires.

Each recipient will enjoy three track days, tuition and set-up assistance with Grand Prix favorite Haslam and will also receive a Spidi bespoke replica Haslam/Elf Honda GP Kangaroo Pro leather suit plus boots and gloves from Spidi and a Ron Haslam replica of the latest Arai Quantum helmet.

The machines will be prepared at FTR Moto’s Buckingham base and will be presented to the 10 customers at a formal presentation evening, dinner and celebration with Ron Haslam.

“The feedback from our M209 development Moto2 machine has been incredible and so many people have enquired about a track day version of the machine,” said FTR director Steve Bones. “We considered a range of options and, as Ron Haslam was synonymous with Elf Honda and the Elf project, we thought it appropriate to recognize and appreciate a golden era of 500cc GP racing.”

Haslam took the Elf Honda to a best finish of fourth place, in the 1987 500cc Grand Prix World Championship with podium finishes that year in Spain and Germany.

The machine has already attracted interest worldwide and will be available within eight to 10 weeks. The price and further details are available from Steve or Mark at FTR Moto on: 01280 815800.

Bones added: “Obviously we are creating a collector’s item with only 10 in the world and we hope the machine offers our clients the maximum track experience and exhilaration. And, this is a rare opportunity to own an existing Grand Prix specification machine, this limited edition M210 will be the same specification as Alex Debon will use in the 2010 World Championship.”

Each customer will also receive a range of limited edition mementoes specific to the Ron Haslam and Elf Honda era and FTR Moto brand to complement this unique project.

For further information regarding FTR Moto2 machinery contact Mark Taylor; tel: +44 (0) 1280 815800; e-mail: mark@ftrmoto.com.

FTR MOTO has begun work on the M210 race machine after a successful end of year series of tests and races with its prototype M209 Moto2 machine.

The 2010 machine has already attracted the attention of the Grand Prix paddock and the CEV Spanish Championship paddock as both series introduce the exciting class from next year.

Following a link-up with the Joe Darcey Team in recent Spanish Championship races and a succession of test sessions, FTR Moto believes its M210 race machine will be ready to challenge for honours when the respective 2010 campaigns begin in four months.

“The testing and racing in Spain has been invaluable,” said FTR director Steve Bones. “We’re really pleased that experienced riders such as Jeremy McWilliams and current World Championship riders such as Scott Redding and Eugene Laverty have been able to test our M209 prototype and assist with the progress and direction for the M210.”

Bones continued: “And we can’t underestimate the value of the work by the Joe Darcey Team and their rider Graeme Gowland. Graeme’s performance in the final two Spanish rounds put the machine on the pace and gave it a really good workout. His lap times and his second place were very impressive and we will now produce a 2010 race machine that will eat into those lap times.”

The FTR focus is now aimed at fine tuning the innovate frame and aerodynamics package for the M210 race machine and, having tested with different brands of suspension, ensuring the machine continues to be customer-friendly.

Bones concluded: “We’re especially happy with the immediate feedback from the riders during the tests and from Graeme in the races. We’re now confident the FTR M210 will be a match for anything.”

The FTR machine is also featured in a trailer on YouTube with footage from the recent Albacete test in Spain. The footage link is: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPui3om4A_c.