Motourage

2011 BSB Championship runner up and former MotoGP and AMA man John Hopkins plans to make another go at the World Superbike Championship after signing with Crescent Suzuki, as the UK-based team makes the move from the national to the world stage. Hopkins completes the two-man lineup with his new teammate, Leon Camier, who makes the move from the Alitalia Aprilia team. Camier will begin testing the Crescent Suzuki Powered by Yoshimura GSX-R1000 at Portimao, Portugal later this month, with Hopkins joining him in the tests in early 2012. The first race of next year’s calendar is scheduled for Sunday, February 26 at Phillip Island, Australia.

Hopkins is currently at his U.S. home in California, recovering from surgery to correct a finger injury he sustained at Brno while riding as a wild card for the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team. He had a successful first season with Crescent Suzuki in the British national series, narrowly missing out on the championship at the last race of the year to Swan Yamaha’s Tommy Hill. Hopkins contested the World Superbike Series in 2009 as a mid-season replacement for Robbie Rolfo at the ill-fated Stiggy Honda team, but injuries – and a horrific crash at the Nurburgring – coupled with Stiggy’s decision to pull out of the series, ended Hopkins WSBK hopes. He signed with John Ulrich’s team in AMA Superbike the following year but was again hampered by injuries. Earlier this season, he captured Superpole at the Silverstone WSBK weekend before finishing fifth in race 1 and seventh in race 2 as a wild card.

John Hopkins:
“I am really happy to be joining up with the Crescent guys again. We had a great year in British Superbike and I’m sure we can continue that in WSB. I wanted to get back into world championship racing and this is a natural progression from last year. The difference this time is that I will be going to tracks that I already know and have some reference from, so that should make some things a bit easier.

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Crescent Suzuki will collaborate with Yoshimura for the 2012 World Superbike Championship in a move that that will see the Japanese tuning company supporting the team as it enters its first year of WSBK action.

2009 ASBK champion Josh Waters rode for the Yoshimura Suzuki team in three WSBK sevents in 2011

Yoshimura will build, supply and develop the engines for the Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 that will participate in the 2012 World Superbike Championship, as well as supplying bespoke race performance exhausts. The Yoshimura engineers have already spent some time at the Crescent race headquarters in Verwood, Dorset, England and evaluated the development that Chief Engineer Lez Pearson and his team have already made with the 2011 GSX-R engine. The Japanese company will work alongside Crescent to develop the motors further and make them as competitive as possible in time for the start of the 2012 season.

Yoshimura has an enviable record in the world of motorcycle racing and tuning. The company was started in 1954 by Hideo “Pops” Yoshimura in Japan, followed by the opening of a tuning shop in North Hollywood, California in 1971. The work ethic and dedication installed into the company from day one by Pops still holds strong today and has seen Yoshimura have success in MotoGP, WSB and many national championships as well as in the world of motocross and supercross racing. Recent members of the Rockstar Mikita Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team in the AMA Pro Racing American Superbike class include Tommy Hayden, Blake Young, Mat Mladin and former WSBK world champion and current Factory Yamaha MotoGP rider Ben Spies. Pops passed away in 1995, but his legacy will live forever in the history of motorcycle competition and it is that spirit and drive that Crescent Suzuki will now be a part of for its attack on the World Superbike series next year.

Crescent Suzuki SBK Powered by Yoshimura will begin testing later this month with Leon Camier who was recently named as the first racer to join the team. His teammate will be announced soon, as will further sponsorship and partner agreements. The 2012 World Superbike championship kicks off at Phillip Island in Australia in February.

Fujio Yoshimura, Owner, Yoshimura Japan:
“We at Yoshimura greatly appreciate this collaboration and it will be our highest priority. Thanks to Paul and Crescent Suzuki for trusting our engine tuning capabilities and our passion towards competing at the front of the 2012 WSBK Championship Series. We believe Crescent Suzuki has a record of structuring the best racing team in the BSB championship series, with very dedicated technical and supportive team members presenting the most competitive machinery and riders at all races. We hope that the partnership between Yoshimura and Crescent Suzuki will be the most perfectly matched racing team on the WSBK circuits!”

Paul Denning, Crescent Suzuki Team Principal:
“When Fujio and Yohei came to see me at the Japanese Grand Prix to discuss this partnership, it was clear that their passion and enthusiasm to work with Crescent Suzuki on the global stage was genuine and something they felt strongly about. For us as a team it is a significant level of assistance and a substantial boost to our performance potential. The Yoshimura company was built on engineering the best possible performance from engines and exhaust systems, and that principle has never changed. It is also very pleasing that the whole attitude to the project is of open communication and using the best combination of Yoshimura’s own concepts and ideas and those which already exist in the Crescent developed engine. Yoshimura is a global household name in the motorcycle industry and we are very proud that they have shown such trust in the Crescent Suzuki World Superbike team to partner us so closely, and for us to uphold their honor on the world stage.”

Jack Valentine, Team Manager:
“I’m very excited with the ‘Powered by Yoshimura’ partnership for next year and after spending time with Fujio, Yohei and the Yoshimura team both in Portimao and at the Crescent workshops, I can see they share the same passion and vision as our team. With that in mind it should make for a formidable partnership in SBK 2012.”

Airwaves Yamaha's Leon Camier will start on pole at Croft tomorrow

Leon Camier will start on pole for tomorrow’s two British Superbike races at Croft. James Ellison secured a second row spot, qualifying 5th.

The Airwaves Yamaha pair made it through to the final qualifying phase with James 2nd fastest and Leon 3rd. In the final 10 minute Roll for Pole, Leon immediately went to the top of the timesheets. He then produced his fastest time, 1:20.124 on his second flying lap. James best time, 1:21.079 initially placed him 2nd. He was unfortunate not to improve and dropped down the order after experiencing a technical problem with his bike.

After qualifying James said, “I’m pretty frustrated with final qualifying. Like Cadwell Park, I’ve produce the 2nd fastest time of the day, but in the wrong session! Overall I’m pleased with how much we’ve progressed over the weekend. My time in Qualifying 3 was easy, and I know I can go consistently quicker so I’m confident ahead of the races tomorrow.”

Reflecting on his 8th pole position of the season, Leon said, “The times weren’t as fast as we were expecting, but another pole start is awesome. The circuit seems to be well suited to the Airwaves Yamaha, but the high track temperature made it quite slippery. There were a couple of moments when I scared myself a bit! We’ll keep pushing tomorrow and look to make a few set-up changes depending on the track temperature. As usual, I’ll probably get a bad start to both races but I’ll be pushing the guys around me and hopefully Airwaves Yamaha can get another good result.”

Race One is scheduled to commence at 1330 and Race Two at 1635.

Qualifying Results:

1. Leon Camier – Airwaves Yamaha 1:20.124
2. Simon Andrews – MSS Colchester Kawasaki 1:20.974
3. Stuart Easton – Hydrex Honda 1:20.980
4. Josh Brookes – HM Plant Honda 1:21.072
5. James Ellison – Airwaves Yamaha 1:21.079