Bradl set a quickest time of 1:39.152 on Day 2 to top the overall times in southern Spain, with the German tweeting it was “a really productive day.” And the 2011 Moto2™ World Champion doesn’t have to wait long to get back on board an RC213V, as he replaces the injured Jorge Lorenzo at the official MotoGP™ Sepang Test, which begins on the 6th February.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Join MotoGP™ riders Franco Morbidelli and rookie Fabio Quartararo at the Petronas Towers in Malaysia as they take the covers off their new YZR-M1s. And joining them is the Petronas Sprinta Racing Moto2™ and Moto3™ teams, as Khairul Idham Pawi, John McPhee and Ayumu Sasaki also reveal what their bikes will look like in 2019.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
A few tips to make your next motorcycle adventure seamless
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com
Aruba.it Racing – Ducati fourth fastest in Spanish two-day test.
Image: Supplied.
WorldSBK newcomer Alvaro Bautista has discovered promising changes in his Ducati Panigale V4 R following the first official pre-season test at Jerez in Spain this week.
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider finished up fourth overall on the timesheets with a personal best of 1m39.620s, marking a positive start to his transition to the Superbike category after years of challenging the MotoGP World Championship.
“It’s been a couple of positive days,” Bautista declared. “After the winter break, it was important to get back on track, in order to readjust to the speed but also to get accustomed to the new bike. The new tarmac made it a bit more difficult for us. The grip was very low and so were the temperatures, so we couldn’t find a good feeling in day one.
“Today, however, we managed to work better. The track improved and it was warmer outside. We’re still focusing on riding position and the base setup in general. We tried some changes that I’ve liked, and now we’ll make more evaluations at Portimao, a track that I don’t know, so it’ll be very interesting.”
The Spanish ace will be out on track again in Portimao, Portugal, for two more days of testing with the WorldSBK contingent, scheduled for 27-28 January.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
Image: Russell Colvin.
After entering the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) halfway through in 2018, GSR Racing’s Glenn Scott has outlined his intentions for a full-time return to the series this season.
Once again piloting a ZX-10R with the support of Kawasaki Motors Australia, Scott will operate a self-managed squad as he endeavours to take out top privateer honours in the seven round championship.
“It’s nice to be back for another year of racing,” Scott explained. “The last few years have been up and down due to injury, so it’s nice to be starting the season fit and healthy. I have to send a special thank you to Stephen Mion from Fitmoto for my training program that has put me in the best shape possible for the 2019 season.
“I’m highly motivated for the year ahead and I cannot wait to hit the track. I’m really excited to have my supporters back on board for 2019, it feels great to have that local support and backing from people who are so passionate about bikes and racing.”
The New South Welshman wound up 18th in the championship standings in 2018 after completing four of seven rounds. His first outing of the year will be at Phillip Island’s official ASBK test on 2-3 February.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
Images by Rob Mott
Heat and wind. Those were the two words on everyone’s lips at Phillip Island today as they sweltered through oppressive conditions. Ambient temperatures nudging towards 40-degrees does not make for the nicest weather to be working on highly tuned air-cooled machines, it was downright tortuous in fact.
That did not stop more than 500 historic motorcycles taking to the track today though with 15-minute qualifying sessions for all classes of racing. Seven races were also on the card for the opening day of Island Classic 2019. There had been a practice session attended by almost all riders on Thursday, but Friday was the first official day of the event.
Plenty of spectators also made the pilgrimage down to Phillip Island to check out all the action and the Island was buzzing with the huge influx of tourists here to celebrate the Australia Day long weekend. Those not taking shelter from the heat, were instead enjoying the dazzling blue waters of Western Port Bay.
The stiff north-westerly breeze, the gusts of which did cause some riders a few problems, did have the useful side-effect of keeping track temperatures a lot more manageable that they might otherwise have been.
One crew that had not got much sleep overnight were the guys twirling spanners for Team America’s Steve Rapp. The 47-year-old took a hefty tumble yesterday with a stuck throttle pitching him and the CMR prepared and FJ1100 powered Yamaha down the road. The bike was a mess, and his mechanics worked through the night in order to repair the machine for today.
As first qualifying for the International got underway just after midday, track temperatures were already starting to nudge their way towards 50-degrees celsius.
That did not stop Aaron Morris dropping in a 1m37.943 on a Suzuki Katana to top the timesheets ahead of David Johhnson, the South Australian recording a 1m38.518 on an XR69 Suzuki.
America’s Josh Hayes proved his pedigree by adapting quickly to the Phillip Island layout to finish Q1 in P3 ahead of Shawn Giles and Jason Pridmore.
Team America have really stepped things up a level in regards to team strength this year. That has helped to partly fill some of the void left by the absence of Team UK and their brace of star riders, along with the beautiful Roger Winfield prepared machinery that had become a much loved staple of the Island Classic. Still, the absence of a credible Team UK is keenly felt and they are sorely missed.
Some riders were suffering carburettor problems in the heat and fuel boiling issues as the oil-air-cooled machinery struggled to maintain their composure in the conditions.
The wind picked up much more force in the afternoon and switched to a south-westerly. This was met with sighs of relief by everyone up and down pit-lane as it helped to take the sting out of the heat and temperatures started dropping back to a much more manageable 28-degrees.
Ahead of the second and final International Challenge qualifying session Aaron Morris took to the circuit again to claim pole in the New Era Formula 1300 category with a 1m37.685. Before that final International Challenge Qualifying was to get underway though we had some races on the schedule.
The opening race of the 2019 Island Classic was the combined Pre-War, 125 Post Classic & Forgotten Era, 250 Post Classic and Classic.
The somewhat strange combination forced by a limited number of entries across these categories.
Murray Seabrook and Roly Orr quickly broke away from the pack on their 1972 Yamaha TD3 machines but Seabrook then ran off the track at turn four and his chance of a race win went down the slip road with him. Terry Morris recovered from a bad start to chase down Roly Orr and by lap two was tussling with Orr for the lead. A mistake by Orr on the final lap gave Morris the advantage he needed to take the win at the chequered flag.
Lachlan Hill started the combined 250 Forgotten Era, 125 New Era and 350 Classic from pole position on his Rotax powered machine that is backed by Ron Angel Classic Racing. Hill immediately streaked away from the field and was in a class of his own onboard that machine.
This one was shaping up to be a much closer battle with little separating Dean Oughtred on a CR750 Honda and Tom Bramich on the Ron Angel baked Paton during qualifying.
It was the indomitable Laurie Fyffe though that scored the holeshot on his CB750 Honda.
Beau Beaton’s Irving Vincent has suffered numerous problems which had led to a poor qualifying performance but the big booming Melbourne built machine was quickly into the lead and streak away from its pursuers. If anyone would know how to ride it defensively though it would be Beau Beaton, who was now in his tenth year of ridiing the Horner built machines, would it hang together for the four-lap race distance…?
Hang together it did and Beaton rewarded his crews efforts with a clear win over Dean Oughtred by over ten seconds while Simon Cook got the better of Laurie Fyffe to round out the Unlimited Post Classic podium.
In the 500 Forgotten Era sub-category it was Tom Bramich on the Paton BM3 who claimed the win from Keo Watson and Chris Hayward. Bramich had also claimed an outright podium ahead of the Unlimited Post Classic bikes of Cook and Fyffe.
Beau Beaton was quickly back in action after his victory in the Unlimited Post Classic to take another win in the Unlimited Forgotten Era category.
He had to work harder for this one though as Marty Craggill made life hard for Beaton with Craig Ditchburn also dipping his TZ750 oar in from time to time.
In fact Ditchburn managed to get the better of Craggill late in the race to take second place. Glenn Hindle was fourth ahead of Bernie Leen and Justin Mellrick while young Drew Sells took seventh ahead of Scott Webster.
Due to a massive entry list in the Unlimited Forgotten Era class the field had been separated in to two with the slower machines in the field put into another sub-category. Pete Byers the victor ahead of Dave Fuller and Dan Sandler.
The temperature had dropped quite dramatically ahead of the second and final qualifying session for International Challenge competitors got underway at 1545 on Friday afternoon. This certainly suited not only competitors, but also their tyres, and their machinery.
Jed Metcher certainly welcomed the cooler conditions as his T-Rex Honda Harris had not coped at all well with the more oppressive heat earlier in the day.
Aaron Morris and Jason Pridmore were the first men to dip into the 1m37s this afternoon. A 1m37.341 the early benchmark from Morris to Pridmore’s 1m37.642. Those laps stood the test of time to see Morris take pole and Pridmore P2 on the grid for tomorrow’s first International Challenge bout.
Paul Byrne would also score a front row start position courtesy of a 1m38.056 ahead of David Johnson, Jed Metcher and Josh Hayes.
Cam Donald was nowhere to be seen, more problems with the Irving Vincent we believe preventing the two-time Isle of Man TT winner to join the circuit in the second session and having to rely on his 1m44.5s from QP1 for his grid position. That QP1 run had also been troubled for Donald as he managed only two laps and was far from his potential pace.
Tom Bramich quickly cleared out from the field in the 500 Post Classic four lap race to the tune of more than ten-seconds a lap better than any of his competitors. Bramich and the Ron Angel Paton on another level.
Son led father in qualifying for the New Era Formula 750 with Scott Campbell besting famous father Malcolm (Wally) Campbell on their pair of beautiful RC30 Hondas. In fact the top four qualifiers were RC30 mounted with Nathan Spiteri also on the front row ahead of James Doddrell.
Scotty also led dad away when the lights went out and pulled away to the tune of more than a second a lap on his way to a clear six-second victory over his father while Nathan Spiteri rounded out the podium.
No luck for Ben Burke in this one as he rolled to a stop at turn one on his CBR400 with two laps to run.
The massive program of qualifying and racing all ran quite smoothly despite the challenging conditions and we actually finished racing at 1630, half-an-hour ahead of schedule. Tomorrow we have a huge program of 22 races beginning at 0900, and then we do it all again on Sunday!
Source: MCNews.com.au
Dorna Sports makes tribute to late MotoGP Legend.
Image: Supplied.
In a tribute to the late Nicky Hayden who passed away in 2017, the number 69 will be retired from the MotoGP World Championship at the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
The ‘Kentucky Kid’ rode 69 to the crown and MotoGP Legend status during an impressive career that saw him leave an indelible mark on the sport and the paddock. Hayden’s first successes came in 2003 when he took podiums as a rookie and he went on to win his first grand prix in 2005.
That created a perfect springboard for the following season and he put together an impressive campaign to become 2006 MotoGP world champion, wrapping up the crown in the season finale.
Hayden rose from dirt track beginnings to the absolute pinnacle of his sport, taking his unique blend of work ethic, humility and talent from the domestic scene to the world stage and putting his name to an astounding number achievements both within racing and beyond its limits – key amongst which was his moniker as ‘the nicest man in Grand Prix racing’.
He remained a cornerstone of the paddock until his departure at the end of 2015, upon which he was named a MotoGP Legend. The number 69 will now forever remain the number of the ‘Kentucky Kid’ – the man who rode it into the Hall of Fame.
“What a great honour it will be for Nicky’s number 69 to be retired at Austin,” said Hayden’s father, Earl. “It is very fitting that it will be done at the US race as these races meant so much to Nicky and he looked forward to them so much every year. For myself in particular this will be very special event because the 69 was my number when I raced and I was very proud to see Nicky run the #9 on his bikes for his entire career.
“On behalf of my entire family I would like to say a special thanks to Dorna for honouring Nicky in this special way along with the many other gestures they have done to support us through the difficult times.
Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta commented: “I’m proud to announce that the number 69 will be retired from grand prix racing. Nicky Hayden was one of the biggest assets to this paddock and a fantastic example as a rider both on track and off. It gives me great pleasure to honour his legacy once again and ensure the number 69 remains synonymous with a legend and a champion.”
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
Image: Russell Colvin.
Next Gen Motorsports has renewed its contract with three-time Australian Superbike champion Glenn Allerton for the 2019 season, while attracting Maxima Oils Australia as its new naming rights sponsor to form a new-look Maxima BMW squad.
Allerton will spearhead the team’s efforts once again this year alongside 2017 Supersport champion Ted Collins, who’s set to receive support from the Victorian-based squad as revealed by CycleOnline.com.au on Tuesday.
Along with the new Maxima partnership, which sees the oil company reunited with Next Gen Motorsports, the team will also make the transition to Dunlop tyres.
“This partnership is nothing new for us all,” said Maxima BMW team manager Wayne Hepburn. “Together we have had strong success winning the 2011 Australian Superbike Championship together. It goes without saying 2011 was a fantastic year for both the team, Maxima and Dunlop tyres.
“Looking ahead towards the future and working closely with both Maxima and Dunlop, I am sure we can get more great results together like we have in the past. I speak on behalf of Glenn and the whole team, we are very excited to have Maxima Racing Oils Australia and Dunlop Tyres Australia on board for the 2019 season.
“I believe Ted’s 2018 rookie Superbike year was promising. Ted deserves technical support from the team to continue his growth and be able to display his riding skills he has on two wheels.”
Maxima BMW declared its interest in contesting the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) this season, taking part in an official test in Thailand last December, however no further details have been made available. The team will hit the track at Phillip Island on 2-3 February for the first official ASBK test of the year.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
Lowes and Haslam second and third respectively in Spain.
Image: Supplied.
Sun shone down on the final day of testing at the Spanish circuit of Jerez, where the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) riders were able to continue their final arrangements ahead of the 2019 season opener that will be held in less than a month at Phillip Island.
Facing some stiff competition from the Yamaha and Ducati rivals, reigning world champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) took to the track early this morning working on the small 2019 updates for his ZX-10RR.
The four-time world champion didn’t lose any time and, in the end, he was able to return at the top of the timesheets, thanks to a fastest lap time in 1m39.160s, just a few seconds ahead of the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider Alex Lowes.
Stunning with his consistency and overall pace during both the two days, the Yamaha rider closed second in 1m39.372s and he continued to make progress with his machine as he completed 102 laps around the Andalusian race track today. Working on improving the acceleration of his bike and testing new parts for the YZF R1 machine, his teammate Michael van der Mark closed in seventh position with a fastest lap time of 1m40.145s.
Focusing on getting more comfortable on his new bike, Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) had a positive two-day test, as he closed also just 0.342s off his teammate in third position. The British rider was able to be fast on both days, building on his confidence with the ZX-10RR.
Making an important step forward, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) brought his Ducati Panigale V4 R in fourth position, closing 0.460s off Rea’s lap time. The Spaniard had a busy day gathering as much information as possible to work on, and design the best base set-up for their all-new Ducati machine.
On the other side of the garage, Chaz Davies sat out on the opening hours of the day and took to the track later in the afternoon putting in only a few laps, closing the day in 10th. As he was feeling some pain in his back after the crash he had yesterday, Davies decided to take it easy as he aims to be back at his full strength for the next pre-season test that will be held at the end of this week in Portimao.
Both independent team riders Michael Rinaldi (Barni Racing Team) and Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven), who finished respectively ninth and 12th, worked alongside their new teams producing valuable feedbacks that will be used also by the factory team to improve their Ducati beast.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) continued to impress, stunning with his performance along the two days. The Turkish rider finished in fifth position, with a fastest lap time in 1m39.942s.
Continuing to work with the new team structure GRT Yamaha WorldSBK rider Marco Melandri had a busy day as he put in a total of 87 laps onboard his Yamaha finishing eighth overall, while his teammate Sandro Cortese had his progression slowed down by a small crash he suffered early in the morning. The German walked away from the accident on his feet but had to wait for his bike to be recovered and repaired before returning to the track in the afternoon and setting the sixth fastest time.
Towards the end of the day, the BWM Motorrad WorldSBK riders Tom Sykes and Markus Reiterberger had their transponders finally recording a few of their lap times. Happy with the progresses made over the two day, they closed respectively in 14th and 15th position.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
