More MotoGP Qatar Test News

There are more stories from the recent night-time Qatar preseason test this past Thursday and Friday, and they will be posted here for your perusal. We all know that Casey Stoner finally took the top spot on the final day of practice, but he was only a few hundredths of a second ahead of Valentino Rossi, and Rossi is well-known to sand-bag. So, let's have a look...

More on Casey Stoner: http://tinyurl.com/yhm6wtx

If you head to this landing page today, you will get all the MotoGP team reports on the Friday practice: http://tinyurl.com/yznyogq

Randy de Puniet: http://tinyurl.com/yfogl7n

BMW S1000RR Ready to Go in Oz & MotoGP Testing in Qatar

The BMW S1000RR will also be campaigned in Australia - as readers of this blog will no doubt already know - in both the Asutralian Superbike Championship and in Australian Formula Xtreme. Craig Coxhell, a privateer champion, will be taking the new machine to the tracks in the ASBK series. And, the Motohansa Laser Exhaust Race Team will be fielding Jeremy Crowe in the Formula Xtreme Championship. For all the information, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yky94eq

We have several reports coming in from the MotoGP preseason test at Qatar. I have already linked you to the team press releases in a previous post and, since there are so many of the other reports, I will simply place links here for you to peruse to find any story you may be looking for...

A little on Lorenzo: http://tinyurl.com/yzpd5w

More on Rossi: http://tinyurl.com/yzwm2o8

Bit about Repsol Honda: http://tinyurl.com/ygez35z

Second day early results: http://tinyurl.com/yj9eb6f

BBC Announces Suzi Perry Replacement & Rossi Says "Three More Years"

Now, it is tough to find a replacement for someone like Suzi Perry, who had been one of the most important voices in MotoGP for the last decade (at least to the UK). Well, since Perry stepped down at the end of last year to pursue other interests, the BBC has been searching for someone to take her position. They have announced their new employee - Jennie Gow. Gow has extensive experience working in newspapers, TV and radio, and she has plenty of motorcycle racing experience as well - Speedway and Motocross. Take a look at the new face of MotoGP for the UK.

http://tinyurl.com/yjrmtre

Valentino Rossi, in an in-depth interview, has stated that he plans on staying in MotoGP for three more years - and very likely with Yamaha. He stated a few days ago that defecting to Ducati is NOT an option for him and he wants to finish his career with Yamaha...and yet people still keep spreading rumors about him riding for Ducati. For the very short pieces, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yzdu6fo

Thursday Morning Moto News - Vesrah Suzuki, Leon Haslam & Jorge Lorenzo

Vesrah Suzuki had a decent Daytona experience - well, at least rider Cory West as Jeff Wood was the victim of an unfortunate competitors engine oil which forced him to retire. West, though, took sixth place in the Daytona 200 after only having about a week to get ready for the event. They now have three times as much time to get ready for the next round...do you see a championship in their future?

http://tinyurl.com/yekwvb6

Leon Haslam, of the World Superbike series, says that the next event will be much tougher on all riders. Given that this was the first real race of the season in WSBK, there were teething problems for all teams as they adjusted to their new organizations and bikes. That means that by the next event, many teams will have things dialed in better. Look for it all to heat up even more as 2010 continues...

http://tinyurl.com/yev6j66

New rumors say that Jorge Lorenzo will be in good enough shape to participate in the final MotoGP pre-season test in Qatar next weekend (18 - 19 March 2010). Lorenzo and his team will use the time on the track to see how well his injuries have healed, thus telling them how well he can handle his race machine, the YZR-M1. Only some time on the track will allow them to judge it properly. This is good news as he was expected to miss this test entirely...

http://tinyurl.com/ybfxm2x

More Morning Moto News - Rossi and Simoncelli & 2010 Triumph Thunderbird

Valentino Rossi has said that Marco Simoncelli needs to take some time to figure out why the rookie is having a tough time getting used to his new MotoGP role. Given the young Italian's crashing ways during the winter testing, Rossi thinks that Simoncelli should analyze his issues and find a way to get past them. After all, Simoncelli does have some serious potential. I hope he listens; I want to see him fighting for podium slots!

http://tinyurl.com/yfn2k33

The 2010 Triumph Thunderbird is a huge motorcycle, and it has the power to match its looks. But, how did it come about? Where does this new machine come from? For a great tale of how the new T-Bird came to be, you should take the link and read about the process at Triumph which brought this great motorcycle to the streets.

http://tinyurl.com/ya3xvjt

More Morning Moto News - Rossi and Lorenzo, Capirossi & Spies and Stoner

Valention Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo (flew from Spain; not at testing due to his injury) again stopped in Indonesia on their way out from the testing at Sepang in Malaysia. It was yet another PR move, but it sure delighted fans in the huge Asian nation. The main purpose was to pay a visit to one of the Fiat Yamaha team's sponsors. Take the link to learn more.

http://tinyurl.com/yjwhr9k

Loris Capirossi is rather pragmatic about his work on the Suzuki GSV-R. He feels that the team and his machine are actually in a good situation after the second test of the preseason. He did finish the test in sixth position, so he is in better shape than he was at the beginning of 2009.

http://tinyurl.com/ygq5k3m

Looks like Ben Spies and Casey Stoner have taken to each other quite well. The two share some activities off the track and Stoner has been giving advice to Spies about riding in the MotoGP Championship. It is nice to hear that these guys that have so much money at stake can still be good friends. 2010 will be a good year for MotoGP.

http://tinyurl.com/ykgnh79

More Morning Moto News - Geoff May, Jorge Lorenzo & Nicky Hayden

Geoff may has made his way onto the entry list at the Daytona 200 for 2010. May has formed Geoff May Racing with which to compete in the AMA Pro Racing series this year. It is a full privateer effort, as you can see, and he will run his own Suzuki GSX-R600 in the Daytona SportBike Championship. His last position was as a rider for the Jordan Motorsports team, which dumped him at the end of last season.

http://tinyurl.com/ylfkh2d

Jorge Loranzo, Fiat Yamaha MotoGP rider, will miss the next big MotoGP test due to an injury he sustained while training on a motocross bike. He fell while riding the off-road machine on a course near Barcelona and fractured his hand in the process. Lorenzo is all patched up now, but he must wear something to protect his hand for the next four to six weeks.

http://tinyurl.com/yg77scz

Nicky Hayden recently had to have surgery on his arm to remove some scar tissue from a previous surgical procedure. He did this right after the Sepang MotoGP test, but his Ducati team is saying that he will be perfectly fit to ride in the next test at the end of this month. That's very good news as Hayden really needs any seat time he can get to dial that Desmosedici in to his liking.

http://tinyurl.com/ygrrcv7

Wednesday Evening Moto News - Rossi and His Future

Valentino Rossi has decided to clam up about his future. After so much talking and so many quotes about what he may do once his contract ends at Yamaha, he has decided to stop talking about it with the media to try to stop the confusion. However, we all know better - it will make little difference, especially with the Italian press. At least he has recognized how much press his future is getting and is simply decided to focus on his job - and no one should have a problem with that!

http://tinyurl.com/yhpmo6q

More Morning Moto News - Yoshimura Japan, Rossi and Lorenzo, & Aprilia and BMW

The famed Yoshimura Japan team, which is made up of various riders and the best Suzuki equipment in the paddock, will also be taking on three rounds of the World Superbike Championship. We had heard rumors last year about this and it has now been confirmed. They will use BSB rider Yukio Kagayama at Assen and Magny Cours and Daisaku Sakai will race for them at Imola. For more details, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yb4tztt

Well, now that we all know that the Fiat Yamaha garage might as well be split in two and moved far apart given that neither Lorenzo's or Rossi's teams will share data with each other, we might wonder how the riders feel. Well, Rossi is OK with it, but Lorenzo does not understand why they did it. He feels that the team would be better served by them sharing data and improving the YZR-M1 for both of them...

http://tinyurl.com/y8aqt87

Neither Aprilia nor BMW have released any information on whether they will enter the MotoGP series now that the 2012 rules will allow them to put their machines up against the other manufacturer's prototypes. It is a bit odd, but it is probably because they are still studying the move to see if it would benefit them or simply cost them a fortune.

http://tinyurl.com/y8ssaxe

More Morning Moto News - Rossi and Lorenzo, Freixenet & More About Sepang Practice

MotoGP Fiat Yamaha riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi took some time after their testing in Malaysia to stop in Thailand. They visited the Yamaha Riders Club and visited with and answered the questions of a select group of lucky riders. It was certainly an event not to be missed if you live in that nation!

http://tinyurl.com/yaobqna

Freixenet and Dorna have decided to continue their partnership. Freixenet will continue to provide the cava at each of the MotoGP events through 2011. It's always good news when a huge sponsor like this stays the course.

http://tinyurl.com/ycwdxrk

First up in the practice category is the unbelievable early performance of Ben Spies at the Malaysian test. He was on fire and managed to be in the top-five overall. That bodes very well for his freshman year in the MotoGP paddock.

http://tinyurl.com/yb8ds93

Loris Capirossi had a great test in Malaysia and he is quite happy with the testing he and his team completed. They have made some definite progress and it did show last weekend. As for Alvaro Bautista, he also made great progress in getting used to his new race weapon. Suzuki seems ready to compete, but only time will tell.

http://tinyurl.com/ybcwa43

More Morning Moto News - Fiat Yamaha & MotoGP Wednesday Practice

First of all, Fiat Yamaha has finally debuted their livery for the 2010 season - and it is not that much different from 2009. Anyway, Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi and both of their respective teams are featured in the linked photos - thanks to Yamaha for setting up the whole event.

http://tinyurl.com/yh5f22v

And, from the same linked site above we have all of the press reports given out by each MotoGP team after the first practice yesterday at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. It was an interesting day with the fastest laps produced by Rossi, Stoner, Edwards and Capirossi for day one's testing. It means little as they are just pursuing setup and such during this test. For more information, please take the links below...

http://tinyurl.com/yl3l32m

Team Reports are listed after this link (for today only as the linked page is updated regularly):

http://tinyurl.com/yz8elyp

Wednesday Afternoon Moto News - Polaris Purchase & Valentino Rossi's Future

Polaris - makers of the Victory line of motorcycles - has purchased Swiss engine builder swissauto Powersports, who is well-known for producing very high-performance and highly efficient engines. They even had some engines they built win Grand Prix races and several Championships. Polaris only purchased the motorcycle side of the business and it will continue to be based in Burgdorf, Switzerland.

http://tinyurl.com/ykzu48w

Once again, Valentino Rossi has stated that he plans on remaining with Yamaha if he continues to race in the MotoGP Championship beyond 2011. Rossi says that this should all be laid out before June of this year - which was about the same time of year they announced his 2009-2011 contract. Many expect him to flee to Ducati, but that is highly unlikely given that Rossi is often a man of his word.

http://tinyurl.com/ylkygrj

Even More Afternoon News - Doug Henry, Dylan Heaton & Fiat Yamaha

First of all, we hear that Doug Henry has taken a Bronze Medal at the X Games - as if he has not already done enough. He stood on the podium of the inaugural Adaptive SnoCross event at the 14th Winter X Games in Aspen riding a Yamaha FX Nytro snowmobile! He was the only paraplegic competing in the event and he still out did more able-bodied riders. The man is a legend!

http://tinyurl.com/yhyvkcv

In Australia, the Dirt Bike Promotions (DBP) Stadium Motocross Series attracted over 300 riders to compete in the events held at Bathhurst Showgrounds. In the end, young Dylan Heaton was victorious and took the overall win. He was up against older riders, but still held his own. It is a good read...

http://tinyurl.com/yg6je6j

And, over at Yamaha Motor Co., the promotions department has put together a teaser video based on the upcoming (Thursday, 4 February) Fiat Yamaha unveiling. They will be displaying the new livery which will grace the MotoGP machines of Rossi and Lorenzo at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. They will then attend to the official MotoGP test at that location this coming weekend.

http://tinyurl.com/ygug5yc

And, More Morning News - Fiat Yamaha, Moto2 & Motohansa

Fiat Yamaha will be unveiling their livery at the first day of the Malaysian test on 4 February 2010. Basically, it's a big media day and photos of the bikes and riders - Rossi and Lorenzo - will be encouraged. If you are in the press, this is for you.

http://tinyurl.com/y8krw42

The most popular chassis in Moto2 may be the Sutter MMX - up to a third of competitors in the class may be using their product. Sutter MMX is based in Switzerland and made the frames for the Kawasaki MotoGP teams, plus they will be making all of the slipper clutches used in the series. They were lucky in being the first to get prices out and have product ready for testing, and that is why they seem to be in the front of everyone else at this point.

http://tinyurl.com/y9ec2wo

Turns out that the BMW S1000RR will be seen in the Australian Superstock 1000 series this season. The Motohansa team has joined up with Laser Exhaust to field Jeremy Crowe on the machine at select ASBK rounds throughout the year. Perhaps they will make it a full-time effort before season's end.

http://tinyurl.com/yztx4nj

Thursday Morning Race News - Fiat Yamaha, Jerez and Luthi

Jorge Lorenzo now has a new team manager for his side of the Fiat Yamaha MotoGP garage, Wilco Zeelenberg. Zeelenberg had been team manager for the World Supersport Yamaha squad which took the title in 2009 with Cal Crutchlow - who is now up in World Superbike - so he certainly has the experience. His experience is also rather deep as he was also a racer, including time in the Grand Prix circuit. Let's hope that he is also helpful at keeping Rossi and Lorenzo from going at each other in 2010.

http://tinyurl.com/yglre8v

For the first time since 1990, the Jerez Grand Prix has won the IRTA award for 'Best Grand Prix' for 2009. Herve Poncharal announced the winner and congratulated the famous circuit. The Jerez facilities have recently been upgraded and it seems that everyone in attendance was quite happy with the event. Good going Jerez! Someday I will see you...

http://tinyurl.com/yl4snub

Interwetten Honda (Caffe Latte)will run with Thomas Luthi in the Moto2 series as well as fielding Hiroshi Aoyama in the MotoGP series. Luthi is a 125c.c. World Champion and has run in the 250c.c. class many times. His first test aboard the new Moto2 machine will be in February. Now there are three teams running in both MotoGP and Moto2 - Interwetten, Tech 3 and Gresini.

http://tinyurl.com/yklj6sn

Thursday Morning Mixture of Moto News - Christmas Eve Edition - Part 2

Into the second post now...

We get news that Jorge Lorenzo wanted to quit MotoGP in 2008! This was due to his long list of serious crashes suffered in the class during the 2008 season - it was getting dangerous for him and might have ended his career prematurely. So, who can blame him for considering it...but, Rossi always crashed a great deal in his first season with each new class - except his debut on the 990.

http://tinyurl.com/ybx53uo

Next, one of Lorenzo's competitors, Dani Pedrosa, has now had surgery to remove a screw in his hand - and other work there. This is to continue work on his left hand in order that he may use it more freely again.

http://tinyurl.com/yappecj

Motul has announced that they will continue to support the Australian Superbike Championship in 2010. Motul feels that its involvement is only natural for their products - and the ASBK organizers fully agree!

http://tinyurl.com/y9qwrte

That's it for the racing news. But, there is more!

Yamaha and Valentino Rossi - Contract Negotiations and a Video

Yamaha is very interested in keeping Rossi on their MotoGP team up to his retirement, whenever that may be. His current contract expires next year, so they are already working with him to get another in place so that he will finish his two-wheel racing career at the Japanese marque. It may go well as Rossi has already indicated he may very well retire with Yamaha.

http://tinyurl.com/ybegvq7

Next, we have a video from Yamaha as Rossi pulls the names of the worldwide Yamaha contest for several motorcycles and much more. It's worth a watch...Yamaha produces very good promotional videos.

http://tinyurl.com/yaag46r

Fiat Yamaha MotoGP Team from the Inside

Want to know what goes on behind the scenes in the Fiat Yamaha garage? Well, this is not exactly what you will find here, but you will see video interviews with Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Davide Brivio and Gigi Soldano. Just take the link and watch the videos - this is a rare opportunity, so make sure not to miss it!

http://tinyurl.com/y8pqno7

Jorge Lorenzo Very Confident in Yamaha's MotoGP Future

Lorenzo is one of the top-flight riders in the MotoGP Championship - always a threat to win a race, no matter where it is. Given his experience in the series, he really feels that Yamaha is the one to beat in 2010 and likely beyond. It makes sense when you see who is riding Yamahas in 2010 - Lorenzo, Rossi, Edwards and Spies.

http://tinyurl.com/yhms3ah

Also, here are some photos of his time in Bali where he took a vacation while he was touring Yamaha establishments in Asia last month.

http://tinyurl.com/yjnyryq

And, he is ready to challenge Rossi in the MotoGP Championship next year:

http://tinyurl.com/yz53xat

Yamaha's Lin Jarvis Says 2010 Hat Trick to be Tough

I would say 'tell us something we don't know,' but Jarvis is right in his opinion here. It will be very tough for Yamaha to win the rider's, constructor's, and team MotoGP championships in 2010. There are many newcomers, some rearranging of teams, and the usual four are all closely matched on the track. I have said it before and I will say it again - 2010 will be a great year for motorcycle racing!

http://tinyurl.com/yjtw4fu