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 2011 World Superbikw Champion Carlos Checa on the Althea Ducati 1198RS.
2011 SBK World Superbike Championship, Round 12 of 13 Magny Cours
3 New World Champions Crowned at Magny-Cours
The Spanish Bull puts an Exclaimation Mark on his 2011 World Championship with Double Race Wins
and Double Championships for Althea Ducati, with team mate Davide Giugliano crowned Superstock Champ
Chaz Davies takes Yamaha to the 600 Supersport Championship
Magny Cours, France, Sept 30th -Oct 2nd 2011 – Carlos Checa, Althea Racing Ducati, was crowned champion at Magny-Cours by the time the first 23-lap race had been completed under glorious French sunshine, in front of 86,100 spectators. By the end of race two Ducati had also secured the Manufacturers’ title, thanks to Checa’s double win. Carlos has now won 14 races this year, including five doubles. Checa enters the final round at Portimao with 467 points while Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) has 360 points after scoring two second places today.
 A happy Carlos Checa with his brother and father. Photo by Max Olina.
“Today has been a perfect day, the best day of my career and probably the best day of my life," said Carlos in the TV Interview Room to Julian Thomas. "I thank everyone, every person that has helped me throughout my career, from the beginning up until today, for helping me reach this point. I especially thank Genesio Bevilacqua, my entire team and Ducati of course. I am experiencing so many emotions and must admit that it was very difficult to keep my concentration in the final stages of race one. Then, in race two, I tried to race as fast as I could, doing what I like to do best, and was able to win once more. Now we can relax and relish in this unforgetable moment"
Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) moved up to overall third with a total of 283 points, overhauling non-starter Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) who was ruled out of this weekend’s races because of his pre-existing foot injury. The final podium man in Magny-Cours was top BMW Motorrad Motorsport finisher Leon Haslam, who took third in race one and fourth in race two. Superpole winner Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) was in line to fight for a podium finish had he not had the misfortune to crash in race one and then have a technical DNF in race two.
Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) was the top Aprilia finisher today, with a fourth and a sixth and top Kawasaki man was Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) who was eighth and then seventh, moving up to 11th overall. Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare) was only 12th and then a non-finisher in the races, having another tough weekend.
Privateer rider Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati) was in sparkling form again, with a sixth and a fifth, and Haslam’s team-mate Troy Corser had two solid ninth places.
Preview: Checa on the verge of Magny-Cours WSB title celebrations
Wednesday Sept 28th - Spain’s Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) will need to pick up just three points in this weekend’s penultimate round at Magny-Cours to become the first Spanish rider to take the World Superbike title in the championship’s 24-year history. Once again therefore the circuit on the outskirts of Nevers in central France becomes the venue for the deciding round, even though the outcome is bordering on certainty for Checa.
With Max Biaggi abdicating his 2010 title at Imola, the only rider now left with a mathematical chance of eclipsing Checa is Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team), but the Italian was in difficulty last weekend and is coming to a circuit that he has never ever seen before. For his part Biaggi will again miss a race, his second in just one week, due to the as yet unhealed bone fracture in his left foot.
The Ducati machines traditionally go well at Magny-Cours and Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert – Liberty Racing) will be doing his best to bring home a maiden WSB win in front of his home crowd. The Frenchman was just beaten for the podium by Michel Fabrizio last year on his Suzuki.
All eyes will again be on Imola race 1 winner Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) after the young Northern Irishman showed last week that he has fully recovered from his Misano crash injury and that his Honda CBR machine is still a winning performer, especially with the new ride-by-wire system. Another British rider in great form is Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike), who won at the Nurburgring and then set pole at Imola, while Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport), following an encouraging fifth place last week, is now looking to finish off the remaining four races with the best possible results.
In Biaggi’s absence, Melandri’s team-mate Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) now has every chance of fighting for the overall third place slot. But the competition for the top positions will be tough this weekend, starting with Noriyuki Haga (PATA Racing Team Aprilia) who has now re-emerged as a race win contender on a superbly prepared Aprilia machine in this final part of the season. Two second places at Imola were an excellent example of Haga’s fighting spirit and the Japanese rider is a wily veteran of the Magny-Cours track.
Points (after 11 of 13 rounds): 1. Checa 417; 2. Melandri 320; 3. Biaggi 281; 4. Laverty 256; 5. Haslam 187; 6. Camier 171; 7: Guintoli 158; 8. Haga 155; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 441; 2. Aprilia 376; 3. Yamaha 375; 4. BMW 232; 5. Kawasaki 192; 6. Honda 162; 7. Suzuki 158
Rea takes pole position in France
Saturday Superpole, Oct 1st - Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow’s 12th round World Superbike championship race at Magny-Cours in France from pole position after setting the fastest time in this afternoon’s Superpole sessions. Indeed, the Castrol Honda rider also beat the best Superbike lap at the 4.411km circuit, knocking more than two tenths of a second off Cal Crutchlow’s previous best, which was set in 2010.
It is Rea’s second World Superbike pole position, his first being set at Assen in Holland last season, and his time of 1m37.490s came in the final Superpole session after his Castrol Honda crew found an improved balance for his Honda CBR1000RR in the earlier free practice session.
Rea’s Castrol Honda team-mate, Ruben Xaus, did not ride today after being advised by circuit medical staff to rest his neck injury sustained in his first lap crash in yesterday’s opening free practice session. The 32-year-old Spaniard i confident of being fully fit for the final SBK round at Portimao in two weeks.
Jonathan Rea – P1 1m37.490s - "It was a strong lap but we’ve had a good base for most of the weekend and we knew we had to make an extra step to make Sunday more comfortable. The guys gave me a great bike in free practice this afternoon and transformed some things with the balance of the bike, which gave me more confidence to push. So I kind of expected to be somewhere near the front but I didn’t expect the lap time to be that fast. We had a good Superpole 1 and that freed us up with the qualifiers for Superpole 2 and 3, so everything worked out perfectly. The big step we made in free practice means I can be quite consistent on my preferred race tyre, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow now. The team did a great job today, so I’d like to thank everyone."
Ronald ten Kate, team manager -"Of course, we all know that Sunday is the most important part of the weekend but Jonathan’s pole position here is reward for all the hard work that’s been put in back at the workshop over recent weeks. Also, a big credit must go to his crew for finding a breakthrough in his set-up – we believe the CBR is pretty much dialled in now and, as we all know, Sunday is when Jonathan wakes up with his race-face on, fully focused on what’s needed. "
Superpole Final qualifying results: 1. Jonathan Rea (GBR) Castrol Honda 1m37.490s; . Eugene Laverty (IRL) Yamaha 1m37.600s, 3. Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati 1m37.932s; 4. Leon Camier (GBR) Aprilia 1m38.006s; 5 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Ducati 1m39.094s; 6 Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki 1m38.094s
 Carlos Checa and the Althea team celebrate their two 2011 World Championships at Magny-Cours. Photo by Max Olina.
The Spanish Bull puts an Exclaimation Mark on his 2011 World Championship with Double Race Wins
Nevers, France, Sunday 2nd October 2011: – Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) was crowned champion at Magny-Cours by the time the first 23-lap race had been completed under glorious French sunshine, in front of 86,100 spectators. By the end of race two Ducati had also secured the Manufacturers’ title, thanks to Checa’s double win. Carlos has now won 14 races this year, including five doubles. Checa enters the final round at Portimao with 467 points while Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) has 360 points after scoring two second places today.
Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) moved up to overall third with a total of 283 points, overhauling non-starter Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) who was ruled out of this weekend’s races because of his pre-existing foot injury. The final podium man in Magny-Cours was top BMW Motorrad Motorsport finisher Leon Haslam, who took third in race one and fourth in race two. Superpole winner Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) was in line to fight for a podium finish had he not had the misfortune to crash in race one and then have a technical DNF in race two.
Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) was the top Aprilia finisher today, with a fourth and a sixth and top Kawasaki man was Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) who was eighth and then seventh, moving up to 11th overall. Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare) was only 12th and then a non-finisher in the races, having another tough weekend.
Privateer rider Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati) was in sparkling form again, with a sixth and a fifth, and Haslam’s team-mate Troy Corser had two solid ninth places.
Carlos easily wraps-up the 2011 World Championship in Race One
Checa won his first Superbike World Championship with an assured victory in the opening Race One. Starting from third position on the grid, Checa was in third by the end of lap one, behind Camier and Laverty. Within a couple of laps he had reached and passed Camier, recording on his fourth lap the fastest lap of the race (1m38.643). Pushing hard, Althea man Carlos began to close the gap between himself and race leader Laverty and on the ninth lap he was able to get ahead and take control of the race.
 Jontham Rea (4) on the Castrol leads Race Two ahead of Camier and Checa. When Checa moved up to take over the lead from Rea, the Honda's ignition crank sensor failed and Rea was left sidelined for the 2nd race meet in a row.
By the end of the fifteenth lap he had a two second advantage over the Irishman and, wanting to clinch the title in the best possible way, he did not slow up even for a second, crossing the line in first place and claiming the World Championship title as his own. Checa was unopposed and took his 13th race win and raised his points total to an unassailable 442. His only pre-race title rival Melandri was second after a late charge through to the podium. Haslam made his German based team happy with a top three finish, after his usual battling performance. Camier was a close fourth, with Laverty slowing to end up fifth.
Carlos Checa: “It’s a great moment, I want to say thank you to everyone who helped me from when I started racing until now, of course especially Genesio, Ducati and all the team. It’s a perfect moment to also win the race. I don’t know what to say, just that we need to focus for the next one. It’s a great emotion going through my mind.”
Marco Melandri: “It’s a big day for me, and I’m very happy about the race. I’m a bit disappointed about the first few laps but after that my rhythm was good and I made some nice passes, but I’d like to get some more wins before the end of the year.”
Leon Haslam: “We’ve not been on the podium too many times this year so we’ll take every opportunity. It was a good battle all the way, it always seems I’m battling with Marco and Eugene for that last podium slot. I’m just looking forward now, I’ve obviously signed up with BMW for next year so we’ll just keep progressing this year”
SUPERBIKE RACE 1: (Laps 23 = 101,453 Km)
POS / RIDER / NAT. / TEAM / MOTORCYCLE / GAP
1 / C. CHECA / ESP / Althea Racing / Ducati 1098R / 38'16.465
2 / M. MELANDRI / ITA / Yamaha World Superbike Team / Yamaha YZF R1 / 2.201
3 / L. HASLAM / GBR / BMW Motorrad Motorsport / BMW S1000 RR / 3.218
4 / L. CAMIER / GBR / Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team / Aprilia RSV4 Factory / 3.796
5 / E. LAVERTY / IRL / Yamaha World Superbike Team / Yamaha YZF R1 / 5.602
6 / S. GUINTOLI / FRA / Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing / Ducati 1098R / 9.634
7 / N. HAGA / JPN / PATA Racing Team Aprilia / Aprilia RSV4 Factory / 9.814
8 / J. LASCORZ / ESP / Kawasaki Racing Team / Kawasaki ZX-10R / 11.387
9 / T. CORSER / AUS / BMW Motorrad Motorsport / BMW S1000 RR / 17.143
10 / T. SYKES / GBR / Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike / Kawasaki ZX-10R / 24.523
11 / J. FORES / ESP / BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team / BMW S1000 RR / 34.532
12 / M. FABRIZIO / ITA / Team Suzuki Alstare / Suzuki GSX-R1000 / 1'19.742
13 / R. ROLFO / ITA / Team Pedercini / Kawasaki ZX-10R / 1 Lap
Fastest Lap: 4 Carlos Checa 1'38.643 160,981 Km/h
Lap Record: 2009 N. Haga 1'38.619 161,020 Km/h
Best Lap: 2011 J. Rea 1'37.490 162,880 Km/h
 On the Spainsh Bull's Championship victory lap he was joined by Cow in a Bikini (The costume store must not have had any Bull costumes)!
Carlos Makes a Statement in Race Two
Despite the fact that emotions were already running high, Carlos got straight back to work in the second race of the day. Fourth at the end of lap one, he got past first Sykes and the Camier, making the fastest lap of the race on lap two, a 1m39.136. With this fast lap, his tenth fastest lap of the 2011 season, he also picked up the Pirelli best lap award today. A few laps later, Checa made a small error while trying to pass Laverty and lost a couple of positions as a result. He soon made up for this however, and by the eighth lap he was back up to third and only a second from race leader Laverty. On lap twelve he got in front of Rea and on the very next lap he was leading the race. Extremely fast all the way to the line, Carlos managed his race to perfection, closing in first place once again, to secure his 14th win of the season.
Jonthan Rea again suffered an electrical problem on the Castrol Honda with just a few laps to go and coasted to the side of the track with a dead engine. Third was long time leader Laverty who was only passed in the very late stages, in a strong and decisive move, by his team-mate Melandri. Haslam was unable to repeat his podium from race one, as he finished six seconds from the win in fourth place. Fifth place went to local man Guintoli.
Carlos Checa: “It’s a fantastic moment and now is the time to relax! Winning the title with a great weekend like this is unexpected. We felt comfortable and in the end I did what I like, race as fast as I can, and win. Now it’s time for some celebrations!”
Marco Melandri: “We tried some modifications at the front but didn’t improve like we thought. I was struggling a lot in the beginning but in the last few laps I was more comfortable on the bike and started to push. When I saw I could catch Eugene, I knew I had to pass him at the small hairpin under very hard braking, I’m sorry I was very strong with him!.”
Eugene Laverty: “I had to work hard for the podium, they were two very tough races, the first one didn’t go to plan, but in the second race it was nice to get out front, the push from the bike was good. I tried to stay with Carlos but I don’t think anyone could this year. I was close to second but Marco beat me to it. Portimao will be a decider to see if I can get third in the championship.”
SUPERBIKE RACE 2: (Laps 23 = 101,453 Km)
POS / RIDER / NAT. / TEAM / MOTORCYCLE / GAP
1 / C. CHECA / ESP / Althea Racing / Ducati 1098R / 38'17.851
2 / M. MELANDRI / ITA / Yamaha World Superbike Team / Yamaha YZF R1 / 1.267
3 / E. LAVERTY / IRL / Yamaha World Superbike Team / Yamaha YZF R1 / 2.043
4 / L. HASLAM / GBR / BMW Motorrad Motorsport / BMW S1000 RR / 6.506
5 / S. GUINTOLI / FRA / Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing / Ducati 1098R / 7.843
6 / L. CAMIER / GBR / Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team / Aprilia RSV4 Factory / 8.36
7 / J. LASCORZ / ESP / Kawasaki Racing Team / Kawasaki ZX-10R / 15.285
8 / A. BADOVINI / ITA / BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team / BMW S1000 RR / 15.549
9 / T. CORSER / AUS / BMW Motorrad Motorsport / BMW S1000 RR / 16.278
10 / N. HAGA / JPN / PATA Racing Team Aprilia / Aprilia RSV4 Factory / 22.996
11 / J. FORES / ESP / BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team / BMW S1000 RR / 43.132
12 / M. BERGER / FRA / Supersonic Racing Team / Ducati 1098R / 47.846
Fastest Lap: 2 Carlos Checa 1'39.136 160,180 Km/h
Lap Record: 2009 N. Haga 1'38.619 161,020 Km/h
Best Lap: 2011 J. Rea 1'37.490 162,880 Km/h
CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TO DATE:
1 CHECA 467, 2 MELANDRI 360, 3 LAVERTY 283, 4 BIAGGI 281, 5 HASLAM 216,
6 CAMIER 194, 7 GUINTOLI 179, 8 HAGA 170, 9 BADOVINI 155, 10 FABRIZIO 145,
11 LASCORZ 142, 12 REA 138, 13 SYKES 133, 14 SMRZ 118, 15 CORSER 85.
Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 491 (2011 Champions); 2. Yamaha 415; 3. Aprilia 399; 4. BMW 261; 5. Kawasaki 209; 6. Honda 162; 7. Suzuki 162.
World Supersport 600 - Scassa's Win, Davies' Championship
Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO) took the overall victory in the Supersport World Championship after finishing sixth, in a race won by his team-mate Luca Scassa. Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) was second today with long-time leader Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com) just holding off his rapidly advancing team-mate David Salom for third. James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda) was fifth, as Davies eased to the title and a new total of 181 points with one round left to run. Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was only eighth today but remains second overall, in 144 points. Parkes is third in the points, on 136, tied with Salom.
SUPERSPORT RESULTS: (Laps 22 = 97,042 Km)
POS / RIDER / NAT. / TEAM / MOTORCYCLE / GAP
1 / L. SCASSA / ITA / Yamaha ParkinGO Team / Yamaha YZF R6 / 37'48.052
2 / S. LOWES / GBR / Parkalgar Honda / Honda CBR600RR / 1.582
3 / B. PARKES / AUS / Kawasaki Motocard.com / Kawasaki ZX-6R / 1.749
4 / D. SALOM / ESP / Kawasaki Motocard.com / Kawasaki ZX-6R / 1.826
5 / J. ELLISON / GBR / Bogdanka PTR Honda / Honda CBR600RR / 2.384
6 / C. DAVIES / GBR / Yamaha ParkinGO Team / Yamaha YZF R6 / 5.212
7 / R. TAMBURINI / ITA / Bike Service R.T. / Yamaha YZF R6 / 9.755
8 / F. FORET / FRA / Hannspree Ten Kate Honda / Honda CBR600RR / 11.268
9 / F. MARINO / FRA / Hannspree Ten Kate Honda / Honda CBR600RR / 18.29
10 / R. QUARMBY / RSA / Suriano Racing Team / Triumph Daytona 675 / 26.735
11 / B. NEMETH / HUN / Team Hungary Toth / Honda CBR600RR / 38.714
12 / V. IANNUZZO / ITA / Lorenzini by Leoni / Kawasaki ZX-6R / 39.412
13 / M. PRAIA / POR / Parkalgar Honda / Honda CBR600RR / 39.711
14 / A. LUNDH / SWE / Cresto Guide Racing Team / Honda CBR600RR / 39.927
15 / L. BULLE / FRA / Dark Dog Academy / Yamaha YZF R6 / 42.537
Fastest Lap: 3 Massimo Roccoli 1'42.507 154,912 Km/h
Lap Record: 2009 C. Crutchlow 1'41.407 156,590 Km/h
Best Lap: 2009 C. Crutchlow 1'40.980 157,250 Km/h
CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TO DATE:
1 DAVIES 181, 2 FORET 144, 3 PARKES 136, 4 SALOM 136, 5 LOWES 129,
6 SCASSA 121, 7 ELLISON 83, 8 MARINO 78, 9 TAMBURINI 70, 10 REA 67,
11 ROCCOLI 62, 12 HARMS 59, 13 PRAIA 43, 14 IANNUZZO 39, 15 NEMETH 36.
New Superstock Champion Giugliano (34) picture here ahead of race winner Petrucci (9).
Superstock 1000 - Petrucci Wins, but Giugliano takes title with a double Althea Ducati World Championship
In winning the race at Magny-Cours Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Ducati) did all he could to stop Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) from being champion, but in finishing fifth Giugliano took the crown with one round to spare. A three way fight for second in the race between team-mates Lorenzo Zanetti and Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock), plus Niccolò Canepa (Lazio MotorSport) ended up in that order.
Superstock Results: 1. Petrucci D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 23'48.111 (155,67 kph); 2. Zanetti L. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 2.734; 3. Barrier S. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 2.801; 4. Canepa N. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2.997; 5. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 11.455; 6. Massei F. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 11.817; 7. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 11.956; 8. Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 14.026; etc.
Points (after 9 of 10 rounds): 1. Giugliano 171 (2011 Champion); 2. Petrucci 144; 3. Zanetti 137; 4. Barrier 112; 5. Canepa 109; 6. Baroni 70; 7. Antonelli 67; 8. Reiterberger 64; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 215 (2011 Champions); 2. BMW 173; 3. Kawasaki 83; 4. Honda 75; 5. Yamaha 16.
Alfa Romeo France launch special Superbike-inspired MiTo
Alfa Romeo, top sponsor of the FIM Superbike World Championship for the sixth successive year, presented an Alfa Romeo MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde Limited Edition available only in 150 units, at the Magny-Cours Round. The car, the first ever to be dedicated to World Superbike, was on display in the Paddock during the entire race weekend and Alfa Romeo created an event on Sunday morning when the Alfa Romeo MiTo SBK Limited Edition did a demonstration race against a sports bike ridden by Kenny Foray.
Fast Dates Holiday Greeting Cards
Nothing will get you and your friends in the holiday mood better than these Fast Dates Greeting Cards from the popular FastDates.com Motorcycle Pin Up Calendars. The cards feature the photography of Jim Gianatsis from the holiday months in the Fast Dates Race Bike,World Superbike Iron & Lace Custom Bike and Garage Girls Pin Up Calendars, with the beautiful Calendar Kittens barley dressed in sexy Santa's wear posing together or with cool custom and race bikes. These beautiful 5x7-inch photo greeting cards are printed on high quality coated gloss card stock, imprinted inside with "Happy Holidays" and come packaged in boxes of 10 cards each w/envelopes for just $21.95. Also available as Fast Dates Greeting Cards are some of your favorite road racing stars and other popular photos from the Calendars.
Order online at the Greeting Card Link in the FastDates.com Products Store
Custom Designed Greeting Cards with other popular Fast Dates Calendar photography and your event or company name / logo is also available by contacting Jim Gianatsis direct at Gianatsis Design.
AMA Shocker! Open Supplemental Rules Package for Monster Energy Cup Oct 15th
PICKERINGTON, Ohio, Oct 5th 2011 - The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has issued an open supplemental rules package for the Monster Energy Cup for supercross motocross . The Oct. 15 race at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., which features a potential $1 million payout, will allow a wide range of unrestricted motorcycle configurations.
The elimination of nearly all technical restrictions, with the exception of sound and fuel regulations, will allow riders and teams the opportunity to develop and test new technology during race conditions without being restricted by the current AMA Supercross rulebook. Teams will have the opportunity to employ components such as in-helmet communication, traction control, GPS and more. All of the rules that pertain to safety and operations will remain in place.
AMA Director of Supercross Kevin Crowther said that the open rules approach is possible due to the nature of a distinct stand-alone event versus a national championship. "As a singular competition event, the Monster Energy Cup gives us more freedom to think outside the box and try some innovative concepts that might not always be practical for a national championship," Crowther said. "Considering this freedom of the rules package and the amount of money on the line, the Monster Energy Cup will be one of racing's must-attend events this year."
Crowther added that, while the actual supplemental rules package is available online at AMASupercross.com, the basics are simple. "No homologation is necessary, and the engine displacement must be at least 125cc. Beyond that, nearly anything goes -- two-stroke, four-stroke, singles, twins. Weight restrictions are gone. Large-displacement two strokes are welcome," he said. "We are also implementing new sound-testing procedures. We will be using the new 2-Meter Max sound-testing method that will be implemented for the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship."
The track will consist of Supercross and motocross terrain, and the motocross-style influence will be unmistakeable, making it unlike any other stadium race in the world. The hybrid track will be a perfect blend of styles and serve as the ultimate battleground for today's top professional racers. Monster Energy Cup posts a $250,000 purse, awarding the winner a $100,000 check, and $1 million will be paid to a rider who wins all three main events.
Tickets for the 2011 Monster Energy Cup can be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, UNLVtickets outlets, online at www.UNLVtickets.com, www.MonsterEnergyCup.com or by phone at (702) 739-FANS. Tickets will be available at the Sam Boyd Stadium Box Office on the day of the event only.
Editor's note: We wish this unlimited rules policy would apply to all future Monster Energy Supercross races as it would allow the development of exotic prototype motocross bikes weighing just 100 pounds and herald the return of lighter, more powerful 2-stroke engines. But because this ounlimited bike rule only comes 10 days before, and applies to just this one race, it only serves to allow riders to switch to the return of lighter 250cc 2-stroke motocross bikes, rather than racing the normally required heavy 450cc 4-stroke production motocross bikes. And possibly this would influence the use of unrestricted bikes in pro roadracing.
 Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda RC212V
2011 MotoGP World Superbike Championship, Round 15 of 18 Grand Prix of Japan
Pedrosa capitalizes on Stoner's mistake to win Motegi MotoGP
Motegi, Japan, Sept 30th - Oct 2nd 2011 – Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) rode brilliantly in today’s Japanese Grand Prix at Twin Ring Motegi, Honda’s home course, to win his third race of the year in the most action-packed race of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) was a distant second with Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda RC212V) recovering from an early off-track excursion to finish an important third.
Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) and Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) were two of the riders swept up in the excitement. Both were accused of jumping the start by race officials and both made miraculous comebacks after serving ridethrough penalties. They engaged in a fierce battle over the final third of the race with Simoncelli passing his fellow Italian on the penultimate lap to take fourth.
Stoner finished the day leading Lorenzo by 40 points, 300 to 260, with three races, including Stoner’s home grand prix at Phillip Island, remaining. Dovizioso holds 196 points, one more than the ascendant Pedrosa.
Motegi Preview
After plenty of build-up the Grand Prix of Japan takes place at the Motegi circuit this weekend and on Thursday the traditional pre-GP press conference took place with a quintet of MotoGP riders in attendance. Championship leader Casey Stoner was scheduled to be present at the press conference but the Repsol Honda rider was unable to make it due to problems with the late arrival of his flight, with Honda’s wild card Japanese rider Shinichi Itoh taking his place at the pre-event. The other four riders who took questions from the media were Valentino Rossi, Hiroshi Aoyama, Álvaro Bautista and Jorge Lorenzo, and it was the reigning World Champion and closest challenger to Stoner who spoke first as he sized up the weekend’s task.
Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing), who is currently 44 points behind Stoner with four rounds (including this weekend) remaining, began: ”Casey has won so many races and has finished on the podium more than any other rider, so it’s normal he has so many points. Maybe it’s too late to fight with him for the Championship, but anyway there are still four races to go, 100 points to be taken, so you never know. You have to give everything and anything is possible. We must fight for the win in every race.”
Lorenzo finished fourth at Motegi last year and won the MotoGP race here in 2009, and anticipates a tough race this weekend. He added: “Normally it’s a difficult track for us because it has a lot of acceleration points and a lot of big straights, but we come here motivated to fight for the win and we will see.”
Rossi lies sixth in the standings at the moment as he and his Ducati Team continue working away on the Desmosedici GP11.1. The Italian has stood on the podium nine times in the premier class at Motegi, including third place last year following a bitter battle with then team-mate Lorenzo, and would dearly love a turnaround in his 2011 fortunes this weekend. He will ride the same configuration machine as he rolled out at Aragón, where the GP11.1 incorporated a new aluminium element in the front chassis section.
“It’s the same specification with the same modification we already tried at Aragón,” said Rossi of the bike. “Unfortunately there we struggled with rear grip and I destroyed the tyre towards the end (of the race). Here it will be very different, we have to understand the condition of the track.”
He continued: “We come from a very bad GP in Aragón, the result was of course not what we would have expected, but even last year at Aragón I was in trouble. Last year here at Motegi was a good race and a good result, I was on the podium and not so far from the victory, so I hope to take the same step with Ducati and to improve.”
Following the Aragón round Rossi tested the latest version of the developing 2012 Desmosedici, and commented: “We tested at Jerez after the Aragón race, and we have some data with which to work for the 2012 Ducati bike, so we’ll try to understand as much as possible during this season.”
Round 15 provides Aoyama with his much anticipated home race and the San Carlo Honda Gresini rider is determined to deliver something special for the crowd at a track where he was twice a 250cc race winner.
“I want to say thanks to those who came here to race because it was, I think, a hard decision and it means a lot for Japanese motorcycle fans,” he started. “Personally this is my home race and for sure it’s very important. Last year I was injured and couldn’t perform as I would have liked, and this year after Assen I was also injured and suffered a lot on the bike, but now I’m much better and feel good on the bike and I hope this time I can perform much better than last year. My best result so far this year is fourth place at Jerez and I want to better that here.”
Discussing the area he will target for improvement in the lead up to Sunday’s race, Aoyama added: “I always struggle at the beginning of the race because I can’t push the tyre enough, but from mid to end of the race I have a good rhythm, so the target is to improve in the first part of the race.”
Bautista has also tasted victory in the former 250cc class at Motegi and the Rizla Suzuki rider is keen to convert his recent good form into another solid result on the GSV-R after a recent run of impressive displays.
“We have had good results and have been consistent in the last few races, and our target here is to continue in the same way and be closer to the second group like Dovizioso, Spies and Simoncelli. We are working very well and we’ll try to get off to a good start on Friday and have a good set-up ready for the race,” he said.
Bautista continued: “Last year I had a good race here and finished seventh, this year I think we’re more competitive and have more confidence in the bike. It’s a good track for Suzuki and I hope to get a good result here.”
Itoh was the final man to speak and the HRC test rider, who will be on board an RC212V as a wild card under the Honda Racing Team banner this weekend, outlined the significance of being able to ride in the Grand Prix of Japan.
“After what happened in March, it feels like a dream to be here racing this weekend,” he said. “First I would like to thank Honda and all my sponsors for this opportunity. This weekend I will do my best and I can represent and give some hope to all those who have been, and still are, suffering from the tragedy that happened back in March. This track is one of my favourites so I’ll try my best but also make sure I don’t get in the way of the regular riders.”
Pedrosa on top in Practice
Friday Sept 30th Practice - Dani Pedrosa led a Repsol Honda top three on day one of the Grand Prix of Japan, with Casey Stoner second and Andrea Dovizioso following in third on the timesheet. The MotoGP class headed out for the second free practice session on Friday afternoon under cloudier skies than the morning run, and all but one of the riders in the field improved upon their earlier times with the top four spots of the day going to Honda machines.
Pedrosa took over the top spot with 21 minutes to go and set a new fast lap of 1’46.790 ahead of team-mate Stoner by a margin of 0.054s. Dovizioso followed with a 1’46.952, an improvement of eight-tenths over his FP1 time, with San Carlo Honda Gresini Team’s Marco Simoncelli occupying the fourth spot after leading in the early part of the session.
Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) was fifth in the combined times, posting a lap of 1’47.310, six-tenths better than his earlier time, while Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team), who had been third in FP1, bettered his earlier time by four-tenths to end the day in sixth.Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini) stepped up his pace by a full second, putting the Japanese rider seventh with a time of 1’47.785, two-tenths ahead of Ducati Team’s Valentino Rossi in eighth. Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar) ended the day ninth just 0.02s ahead of Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) in tenth.
Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Spies was the sole rider who did not improve in the outing. The American ended the session early having completed just five laps after exhaustion got the better of him – he had been taken ill on the flight to Japan. Spies visited the medical center and will try to rest enough to participate in tomorrow’s sessions.
Stoner Takes Pole
Saturday Oct 1st Qualifying - The top spot on the MotoGP grid will be occupied for the tenth time this season by Casey Stoner for Sunday’s race at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit. The Repsol Honda rider set a time of 1’45.267, two-tenths quicker than pole position challenger Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) as the Australian took his Spanish rival’s circuit best lap record which had stood since 2008. In taking pole Stoner also secured the 2011 BMW M Award as Best Qualifier in the premier class.
Last year’s pole starter Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) qualified in third after setting a lap of 1’45.791, edging out team-mate Dani Pedrosa who himself had occupied the top spot before losing it to Lorenzo and finally Stoner.
A tenth of a second separated Pedrosa and Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Spies, who had bounced back after suffered a bout of illness that saw him finish the second practice session after just five laps on Friday. The Texan was followed by Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team), who despite going down in turn five at the halfway point of the outing, starts from the second row after posting his best lap upon his return to the track on his second bike.
Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) posted a time just over a second off Stoner to start from the head of the third row. Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) followed the Italian with a 1’46.586 with Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar) ninth behind his compatriot to take the final spot on row three.
Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) was the final rider in the top ten, with Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini) qualifying 11th at his home race. Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), who finished fifth here last year, ran off into the gravel and had a tumble within the first 15 minutes, but was able to rejoin the session to qualify 14th
Stoner's rare mistake hands Pedrosa the Race win
Race Day Sunday Oct 1st - Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) crossed the line first to take victory at a dramatic Grand Prix of Japan, where only two of the top seven riders did not either run off track or incur a ride through penalty in an eventful Round 15 race in which Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) and Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) completed the podium.
The 24-lap contest began with pole man Stoner launching into turn one ahead of the field, while team mate Andrea Dovizioso jumped the start from the front row, with Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team) and Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) both also incurring ride through penalties for the same mistake.
Ducati Team’s Valentino Rossi crashed out on the first lap, colliding with Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Spies and forcing the American off track which dropped Spies down the order. Meanwhile Stoner appeared set to take another victory, leading clear and free until running off the track on lap five. Shortly thereafter Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar) crashed out, while Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) ran off track after lapping in fourth position.
Lorenzo had some catching up to do, and made his way through the field to cross the line second, while Stoner climbed back to third. Simoncelli and Dovizioso took their ride through penalties and then engaged in a battle to the finish for fourth with the San Carlo Honda Gresini rider coming out on top in front of Dovizioso in fifth.
Three Americans followed next, with Spies sixth in front of Hayden and Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3). Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini) avoided any drama to finish ninth in his home race with Randy de Puniet (Pramac Racing) in tenth. Crutchlow was 11th despite a run-off in addition to his ride through penalty.
That left Kousuke Akiyoshi to take 12th, as his fellow LCR Honda rider Toni Elías crashed out after lapping in sixth position. Shinichi Itoh (Honda Racing Team) was the final rider to finish the race in 13th. Damian Cudlin, riding as a replacement this weekend for the injured Loris Capirossi on the Pramac Racing team, crashed out towards the end of the race, and Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) also went down while running in fourth position.Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) did not participate in the race after taking the decision not to ride. The Czech rider was still feeling the after-effects of a light head concussion sustained in a crash in the opening lap of the Aragón race.
Stoner’s lead at the top of the Championship over Lorenzo now stands at 40 points with three rounds of the 2011 season remaining.
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V): Race winner - “I'm super happy with this victory, for the team that has been working so well, for HRC, because this is the first win in Motegi with the Repsol Honda Team, and for myself, because it is the first time I've won here in MotoGP after doing so in 125cc and 250cc. The race was strange at the beginning. With Stoner and Dovi really fast on the first few laps, they pulled away and then Casey had some problem and Andrea had a ridethrough due to his jump start. I was alone in front with Lorenzo very close, but I tried to put my head down and push every lap to pull away. I'm really happy because at this track I've had a mix of good and bad results and some bad injuries, so come back one year later and win in MotoGP is fantastic.”
Jorge Lorenzo, Position 2nd - Time +7.299 - "I didn’t expect such a strange race, Casey going wide and Dovi having a ride through. I thought it was possible to fight with Dani but he came better and better, I think he was inspired today and at a very high level of riding. He decided the victory and I couldn’t follow him. To win now is almost impossible, just maybe some small possibilities! A big thank you to my team who worked so hard this weekend to make a very competitive bike and thank you to all the Japanese fans who came out to support us.”
Casey Stoner, Repsol Honda: 3rd - “The whole weekend had gone so well for us and even the start of the race we got a great start and everything felt good in the first laps and I was able to pull a small advantage. Andrea was riding very well on the soft tyre compound and we knew ours would work well towards the end of the race, so the pace we had at that stage I was very comfortable with. As I came out of the back straight I got a wobble on the bike, we hit the big bump and as the front came down it practically shook the bars out of my hands; I was lucky to hold on. I went for the brakes and there was nothing there, so I had to pump them up a couple of times, when I pumped it the second time if flicked me up over the front and I was lucky to stay on the bike. Thankfully I avoided hitting the wall at the end of the gravel trap but this pretty much ended our race. It's really disappointing as we had the bike to win here to day, but in the end I guess I should be thankful that we were able to climb back up to a podium spot after other peoples misfortunes and mistakes on track. I'm looking forward to going to Phillip Island now and to see what we can achieve there. I've got a Championship lead to protect, but I also want to win races which is why I'm disappointed here today.”
MOTOGP RACE: (24 laps = 115.224 Km)
POS / RIDER / NAT. / TEAM / MOTORCYCLE / TIME / KM/H / GAP
1 / Dani PEDROSA / SPA / Repsol Honda Team / HONDA / 42'47.481 / 161.561 /
2 / Jorge LORENZO / SPA / Yamaha Factory Racing / YAMAHA / 42'54.780 / 161.103 / 7.299
3 / Casey STONER / AUS / Repsol Honda Team / HONDA / 43'05.861 / 160.413 / 18.38
4 / Marco SIMONCELLI / ITA / San Carlo Honda Gresini / HONDA / 43'11.031 / 160.093 / 23.55
5 / Andrea DOVIZIOSO / ITA / Repsol Honda Team / HONDA / 43'11.172 / 160.084 / 23.691
6 / Ben SPIES / USA / Yamaha Factory Racing / YAMAHA / 43'25.085 / 159.229 / 37.604
7 / Nicky HAYDEN / USA / Ducati Team / DUCATI / 43'26.648 / 159.134 / 39.167
8 / Colin EDWARDS / USA / Monster Yamaha Tech 3 / YAMAHA / 43'32.504 / 158.777 / 45.023
9 / Hiroshi AOYAMA / JPN / San Carlo Honda Gresini / HONDA / 43'36.555 / 158.531 / 49.074
10 / Randy DE PUNIET / FRA / Pramac Racing Team / DUCATI / 43'46.503 / 157.931 / 59.022
11 / Cal CRUTCHLOW / GBR / Monster Yamaha Tech 3 / YAMAHA / 44'01.445 / 157.037 / 1'13.964
12 / Kousuke AKIYOSHI / JPN / LCR Honda MotoGP / HONDA / 44'09.190 / 156.578 / 1'21.709
13 / Shinichi ITO / JPN / Honda Racing Team / HONDA / 44'13.862 / 156.302 / 1'26.381
Pole Position: Casey STONER 1'45.267 164.188 Km/h
Fastest Lap (New record): Dani PEDROSA 1'46.090 162.914 Km/h Lap 11
Old Circuit Record Lap: Casey STONER 1'47.091 161.391 Km/h 2008
Circuit Best Lap: Casey STONER 1'45.267 164.188 Km/h 2011
CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TO DATE:
1 STONER 300, 2 LORENZO 260, 3 DOVIZIOSO 196, 4 PEDROSA 195, 5 SPIES 156,
6 ROSSI 139, 7 HAYDEN 123, 8 SIMONCELLI 119, 9 EDWARDS 98, 10 AOYAMA 94,
11 BARBERA 77, 12 BAUTISTA 67, 13 CRUTCHLOW 57, 14 ABRAHAM 50, 15 ELIAS 47.
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 Hopper leads the BSB Championship on the Cresent Samsung Suzuki, with plans to move to World Superbike next year.
2011 British Superbike Championship, Round 11 of 12, Silverstone
Hopkins and Brookes trade British Superbike Wins at Silverstone, Hopper Pulls out the Ponts Lead
American John Hopkins on the Samsung Cresent Racing Suzuki carded 1st and 3rd Place finishes at Silverstone this weekend to pull out a small lead in the British Superbike Championship with one round remaining. COMPLETE COVERAGE AT LEFT
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ALTHEA RACING's CARLOS CHECA TAKES HIS 13TH AND 14TH WINS OF THE SEASON AND IS CROWNED WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPION 2011 AT THE MAGNY-COURS CIRCUIT
Nevers (France), Sunday 2nd October 2011: After a season full of successes, race wins, podiums, fastest laps and pole positions, Carlos Checa and the Althea Racing team today received the ultimate prize at the 'Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours', as Carlos was crowned World Superbike Champion 2011 at this, the penultimate round of the championship! This was not all, as, thanks to Checa?s brilliant results throughout the 2011 season, Ducati was today celebrating its 17th win in the manufacturer?s championship at the end of Race 2.
Having led the 2011 championship right from the opening round, Carlos Checa?s win is extremely well deserved. He brought home the 2011 World SBK title ahead of schedule, with three races still to run. Highlights (and lowlights!) of the season have included double wins at Phillip Island, Salt Lake City, Misano, Silverstone and here at Magny-Cours, a crash at home-track Aragon and the stunning win at Ducati?s home track of Imola last week.
The season has brought huge success, with the team clocking up 14 race wins and a total of 20 podium finishes over the twelve events held so far. At Silverstone, Carlos also reached the milestone of 100 SBK race starts while simultaneously scoring the 300th race win for Ducati. Carlos has thus far attained 39 podiums from 106 SBK race starts.
Having accumulated a total of 467 points over the twelve rounds needed to take the title, Checa is the 14th Ducati rider to take the SBK crown, while Borgo-Panigale also scores its 17th manufacturer?s title with a total of 491 points earned so far. Carlos Checa, Campione Mondiale Superbike 2011:
“Today has been a perfect day, the best day of my career and probably the best day of my life. I thank everyone, every person that has helped me throughout my career, from the beginning up until today, for helping me reach this point. I especially thank Genesio Bevilacqua, my entire team and Ducati of course. I am experiencing so many emotions and must admit that it was very difficult to keep my concentration in the final stages of race one. Then, in race two, I tried to race as fast as I could, doing what I like to do best, and was able to win once more. Now we can relax and relish in this unforgetable moment"
Marco Melandri lines up alongside Leon Haslam for BMW Motorrad Motorsport in 2012
Munich, Germany, 2nd October 2011. BMW Motorrad Motorsport has confirmed its second rider for the 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship: alongside Britain’s Leon Haslam (28), 29-year-old former MotoGP rider Marco Melandri (ITA) will ride the second BMW S 1000 RR for the team from Munich and Stephanskirchen.
BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Bernhard Gobmeier says: “We are really looking forward to working with Leon and Marco. I am convinced we will have arguably the strongest rider’s line up in the Superbike World Championship field. We are delighted to have two riders who are both hungry and experienced for the coming season. That is the next important step for our team.” Gobmeier adds: “Marco has performed brilliantly this season, even during difficult periods. He impressed us in his first season in the championship, and we are pleased to be able to welcome him into our team.”
Team Alstare Looking to Return to World Superbike in 2012
Magny-Cours, Oct 1st - The discussions between Alstare and Suzuki are still ongoing and currently Alstare are talking to sponsors with regard to a suitable budget for 2012. Many of Alstare’s traditional sponsors have already expressed their desire to remain with the team next year, even though the final set-up is yet to be agreed.
At the moment, the talks are also exploring the possibility of running one bike in both Superbike and Supersport classes, but this will of course depend on the final budget.
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Castrol Honda determined to take positives from Magny-Cours
Release Date: Sunday 2 October 2011 - Despite starting today’s two 12th round World Superbike race at Magny-Cours in France from pole position, the day ended in disappointment for Castrol Honda rider Jonathan Rea.
The 24-year-old from Northern Ireland finished neither race, both of which were won by Spain’s Carlos Checa, whose race one victory confirmed his 2011 World Superbike riders’ championship title.
In race one, Rea appeared to jump the start but, as he stopped, the lights went out and he was left down in seventh place on the opening laps. At the end of lap four, as he prepared to fight his way back to the front, Rea touched the curb at the final chicane, crashing out of contention.
He went out for race two on his spare CBR1000RR Fireblade and got the perfect start from his pole position, leading into the first turn and the subsequent seven laps. However, on lap 13, Rea’s bike slowed visibly and he retired shortly afterwards, his tea m diagnosing a faulty crank ignition sensor as the cause of his retirement.
Jonathan Rea - "This is not exactly what we expected after a strong performance in Imola and we were hoping to make up for the disappointment of that second race retirement. We kind of got halfway there with the pole position yesterday, but raceday was a completely different chapter
In Race One, you know, I can put my hand up and say I got completely out of rhythm after I thought I’d jumped the start. Actually, when we checked the wheel speeds, it turned out that it wasn’t a jump start – it was just a short movement, but I got swamped in the pack. I was out of my rhythm then and ended up making a stupid mistake over a kerb.
I was leading Race Two for a good bit and enjoying myself. Eugene [Laverty] went past and made a bit of a break but I re-grouped and then realised that Carlos [Checa] was coming. I thought I’d follow Carlos back up to E ugene and he’d pull us clear, but we had another silly little electrical malfunction. Of course it’s disappointing for both myself and the team to have two DNFs here but now we’re going to Portimao, which is a track that I really enjoy and we’ve had some success there. We won’t feel sorry for ourselves because we know we’ve got the pace to run at the front, no matter what the conditions, so we’ll got to Portugal and I’ll do my best as usual."
Ronald ten Kate – team manager - "That was a very tough race-day. In race one it all went wrong at the start when Jonathan got himself in a difficult position and he ended up crashing out while dicing to get back up to the front.
Our hopes were high for the second race, which started really well with Jonathan leading. Unfortunately, the crank sensor broke, which brought the bike to a complete stop. We can understand that, after introducing the ride-by-wire system last weekend, that people might think this is linked with the electrical problems here and at Imola. I just want to confirm that that is not the case – the new system is nothing to do with what went wrong and the two failures were one in a million chances.
It’s difficult right now, so soon after the races, to be positive about the Magny-Cours weekend, but there is plenty to take away with us. Once again, we have been constantly up at the front and, more importantly, we’ve been fast in hot track conditions. No matter what, we still have a strong belief that we are in the right direction on our development path for 2012, which is already showing some success. We are now very, very focused on getting two good results in Portimao."
Spectacular Double Podium for Yamaha World Team at Penultimate Round of the Season
The R1 has yet again delivered spectacular results on the French circuit at Magny Cours today, with riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty completing race one in second and fifth places respectively and the second race of the day with a fantastic double podium for Yamaha, taking second and third places.
Marco Melandri carried out two impressive races from eighth place and second row on the grid. Despite struggling with the front set up on his machine in race one, the Italian managed to gradually work his way through the pack to cross the line second, just behind Carlos Checa as the Spaniard claimed the 2011 World Championship title. Team-mate Eugene Laverty was on equally flying form at the penultimate round of the season. The Northern Irish man dominated the first half of race one before Checa overtook to take the lead. Laverty pushed hard to hold second but began to struggle with severe tyre wear on the rear of his R1 and was forced to settle for fifth at the line. Yamaha World Superbike riders concluded a hotter second race with Melandri climbing up to the third before closing in on and overtaking his team-mate on the last lap to power his Yamaha to the line, close behind champion Checa and claim the second step on the podium, while Laverty closely followed in third.
Marco Melandri leaves Magny Cours in second place in the championship. Following Carlos Checa title win today and the 77 point gap between the Italian and his fellow Yamaha team-mate now in third place, Melandri; the World Superbike Rookie, has completed the outstanding year in second place in the overall Championship classification. Following today’s impressive race results Laverty has jumped up to third place in the championship standings. Just 2 points separates the Northern Irish rider from the reigning world champion Max Biaggi, who is expected to make a return to the track after his recent injury, for the final round of the season in Portimao. The World Superbike rookie will be heading to the grand finale determined to keep a firm hold on his top three finish. Yamaha is in second place in the Manufacturer’s Championship standings, a substantial 16 points ahead of third. Yamaha already secured the top place in the Team Standings in the last round in Imola, and cannot be surpassed by another team.
Marco Melandri 2nd, 2nd - "I’m pleased with my two podium finishes today. Race one was very difficult, I was with struggling with the front so we modified the fork a bit before the second race but it didn’t make the difference I had hoped for. At the beginning I didn’t have a good feeling with the bike but mid-way I was more comfortable and pushed as hard I could. When I saw Eugene on the small hairpin on the last lap, I knew it was my only chance to get ahead. My target today was to catch up on the riders ahead and I did my best in both races so I’m happy to come away with two seconds."
Eugene Laverty 5th 3rd - "They were two very tough races today. I was fighting hard for a podium in race one but I was struggling quite a bit with the rear towards the end and it was either crash or settle for fifth and I chose the latter. In the second race the bike was feeling very strong. I tried to stay with Carlos and battle for a win but he’s hard to beat this year and then Marco did a great last few laps and managed to overtake me. It’s great to be back on the podium again and it’s nice to have two Yamahas up here together. I’m delighted to be in third place in the championship but hopefully Max will be back in Portimao so we can battle for third overall."
Haslam gives BMW a 3rd at Magny-Cours
Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport is celebrating another podium finish, and its best ever Sunday in the FIM Superbike World Championship. Factory rider, Leon Haslam (GBR), finished third in the first race of the penultimate round of the 2011 season at Magny-Cours (FRA) and came home fourth in race two. His team mate, Troy Corser (AUS), finished both races on his RR in ninth. Overall, Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport collected 43 points this weekend, more than ever before.
From seventh on the grid Leon made up two places at the start of race one, but on the first lap he fell back to ninth. From there he started a fight back, getting nearer to the front with every lap, and then finally on lap 13, he was up to third. In the final stages of the race he was in a very close fight for P2, missing that position by only one second. Troy started from 12th and immediately improved to tenth. As the race developed he was able to make up another position. In race two, Leon was again fighting with the leading group, but had to end his charge for another podium in the final stages. Troy moved up to seventh despite some tyre issues, and defended this position until the final lap, but with the chequered flag in sight he fell back to ninth.
Ayrton Badovini (ITA) of the BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team retired in race one and finished eighth in race two. His team mate Xavi Fores (ESP) was 11th in both races. Both races were won by Carlos Checa (ESP), who also clinched the 2011 world championship title at Magny-Cours. In the riders’ championship, Leon is now fifth with 216 points. Troy lies 15th with 85 points. In the manufacturers’ standings BMW is fourth with 261 points.
In the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup race three BMW S 1000 RRs were classified in the top six. BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock Team riders, Lorenzo Zanetti (ITA) and Sylvain Barrier (FRA), finished second and third on the podium. Fabio Massei (ITA) from Team Piellemoto completed the top six.
Leon Haslam:
Result Race 1: 3rd / Gap to 1st: 00:03.218 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:39.229 min
Result Race 2: 4th / Gap to 1st: 00:06.506 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:39.496 min
“I have not been on the podium too many times this year, so we will take every opportunity. In the early laps of race one I was struggling a little bit, but then everything started to feel better. It was a good battle all the way with Marco and Eugene for the podium spots. In race two we had a few issues with the hotter conditions which prevented us from getting another podium finish. Certainly we are happy with two strong results like we had today, but there is still room for improvement. Still we all understand the areas where we need to work and we will go away from here and focus on putting everything right in time for Portimao.”
Troy Corser:
Result Race 1: 9th / Gap to 1st: 00:17.143 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:39.329 min
Result Race 2: 9th / Gap to 1st: 00:16.278 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:39.443 min
“On the whole I am little disappointed. We have been strong and consistent all weekend, and in all honesty I was hoping for better results. I have been happy with the bike throughout practice and the setup seemed good for the races, but we really struggled for grip in the latter stages of both races. Two top-ten finishes on paper is not so bad, but with the pace we have shown we all expected a little bit more. Still we have some good information to work with going into Portimao in two weeks’ time.”
Bernhard Gobmeier (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director):
“Firstly, we want to congratulate Carlos Checa on his great achievement in winning the world championship. With his commitment and that of his team he really deserved this success. Our positive results have been a nice reward for our hard work over the past weeks and months. The positions were justified but we are still not exactly where we want to be. However, we have proved that we can do the times to run at the front. We still have to work on some details so we can continue the consistent level of progression.”
The Devil Made Us Do It!
Testing the Ducati Diavel in Italy
Ducati's Biggest Market is now the USA as Sales, Market Share and Profits Grow
Sept 20th - Ducati Motor Holding president Gabriele Del Torchio announced on Monday that the United States has become the No. 1 market for Ducati motorcycles. Del Torchio made the announcement during the Ducati North America dealer meeting at the Gansevoort Hotel in Miami Beach.
“We sell more bikes here in the United States now than we do in our domestic market. Only 20 percent of our bikes are sold in Italy, and 80 percent are exported,” he said.
The Italian OEM has seen its worldwide market share nearly double over the past four years, from 4.8 percent to 10.6 percent, he said. Ducati also posted record revenues of $650 million, making “2011 the best ever,” Del Torchio said.
“It’s been a quite positive year for us,” Del Torchio told Powersports Business. “Our registrations through the end of August went up by 18.6 percent despite the fact that the worldwide market was down 4.3 percent. I truly believe that by the end of the year, we will reach 42,000 units, which would be a record in our history for highest volume, even better than our previous best year in 2008.”
Ducati dealers were introduced to a host of 2012 models, along with several dealer programs that are aimed to increase product availability, enhance the customer experience and drive revenue.
A new Ducati assembly plant opened in Thailand last week, marking the company’s first plant outside of Italy. Ducati plans to open a similar assembly plant in Brazil in 2012. Both are being established to service their own individual markets.
Ducati dealers can also expect a new SAP-based Dealer Communication System to launch in 2012.
“The level of support that we were giving to dealers was not enough, so we decided to invest in DCS [Dealer Communication System],” Del Torchio said. “I believe that when the system is in place, Ducati will have one of the best DCS in the industry.”
Comedian and Ducati fanatic Alonzo Bodden capped the day-long meeting with a knockout performance on a dinner cruise.
Sudco High Performance & OEM Replacement Parts
High Speed - the Movie
The best motorcycle racing movie ever made! Filmed on location at the World Superbike races , this an exciting romantic drama staring beautiful British actress Sienna Miller.
Order the Official
FastDates.com &
LA Calendar Bike Show
T-Shirts!
Southern California Motorcycles Open House and PinUp Model Contest Saturday Oct 1st
9:30am - 6pm
Details at:
SoCalMotorcycles.com
Pro Italia Annual Bike Show / Street Party – Sunday, October 9, 2011 - Join Pro Italia in Glendale, CA, for Cafe Desmo, their annual Italian motorcycle bike show, which will be held this October 9 right outside Pro Italia. This year’s Cafe Desmo will feature a bike show with custom trophies, displays from cool moto-vendors, tasty gourmet food trucks, free chances to win great prizes and more! Last year well over 1,000 people showed up. This year we expect even more! Every year Cafe Desmo brings together loads of awesome bikes – all the Italian brands and models that you can imagine along with custom rides, high-zoot performance rides, frankenbike projects, 2-strokes, trailies, loads of truly vintage models, ’80′s new collectibles, rarities, always a few fancy-ass sports cars, barely runners and show winners. Enter in the show and comes spend the day with us!
Register for the Bike Show
This year we are expanding from our all-Italian format and are welcoming non-Italian makes to participate by hosting a American Superbike/Buell class, Italian and Japanese Vintage classes (for pre-’87 bikes made before PI
More Information
Provisional 2012 WSBK
World Superbike Calendar
Sept 28th - The FIM has just released a provisional calendar of the 2012 World Superbike Championship. The Championship will have 15 rounds next season. Russia has been added to the calendar and there are two other dates to be announced, one of those will be in Europe.
26 February Australia – Phillip Island
4 March t.b.a. – t.b.a.
1 April Europe – t.b.a.
22 April Netherlands – Assen
6 May Italy – Monza
13 May Europe – Donington
28 May USA – Miller Motorsports Park
10 June San Marino – Misano
1 July Spain – Motorland Aragon
22 July Czech Republic – Brno
5 August United Kingdom – Silverstone
26 August Russia – Moscow International Raceway
9 September Germany – Nurburgring
7 October France – Magny-Cours
21 October Portugal – Portimao
Cycle World Magazine
Sold to Bonnier Corporation
FRI, SEPT 30TH, 2011 -Officially official now, Cycle World has been sold to print media giant Bonnier Corporation, owner of such titles as Popular Science, Parenting, Field & Stream, and other niche-market publications. Acquired from the Hearst Corporation, Cycle World will maintain its current editorial and writing staff as it moves to Bonnier, and from what we’ve gathered talking to CW employees the transition is being viewed favorably, and is in the best interest of the publication. This is the second time Cycle World has changed hands this year, as the publication was sold by Hachette Filipacchi to Hearst this past February.
New Ducati Corse 848 EVO for 2012
Ducati will debut a Corse version of the Ducati Superbike 848 EVO for the 2012 model year. Similar to the Ducati Superbike 1198 S Corse SE & Ducati Superbike 1198 R Corse SE, the Superbike 848 EVO Corse will feature Ducati’s tricolor corse paint scheme, and a bevy of go-fast performance parts. Expected to have at least a slipper clutch and Termignoni racing exhaust, it is also presumable that Ducati will add-on its Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and Ducati Data Acquisition (DDA), and round out the package with carbon fiber bits and premium suspension pieces.
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