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Suzuki Suspends MotoGP Participation for 2012
Nov 18, 2011 - Suzuki Motor Corporation has decided to suspend temporarily its participation in FIM Road Racing Grand Prix MotoGP from 2012.
This suspension is to cope with tough circumstances mainly caused by the prolonged recession in developed countries, a historical appreciation of Japanese Yen and repeated natural disasters
Having an eye to returning to MotoGP in 2014, Suzuki will now focus on developing a competitive new racing machine for that class.
Suzuki will continue motocross racing activity and support of road racing activities using mass-produced motorcycles, by obtaining FIM homologation and co-operation with the supplier of its development racing kit parts.
Suzuki is actually increasing its presence in 2012 World Superbike Champion with the arrival of the Cresent Suzuki team from the British Superbike Championship with riders John Hopkins and Leon Camier, a nd additional team support provided by Yoshimura Suzuki of Japan.
This will make up for the departure from WSBK of Francis Bata's Alstare Suzuki team which had downsized with sole rider Michele Labrizio in 2011.
Game over for the U.S. Grand Prix and the Circuit of the Americas
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, will go down as the day when the racing died in Austin, Texas. The 2012 Formula One United States Grand Prix and 2013 Motorcycle MotoGP at the track that would host it, the Circuit of the Americas, were dealt a one-two punch that seems unsurvivable--though neither the race nor the track has formally been pronounced dead.
Continued at Autoweek
Loris Capirossi appointed in advisory role to MotoGP World Championship
Nov 14th - Loris Capirossi has been appointed in an advisory role to assist the with matters of safety of in the MotoGP World Championship.
After a 22-year Grand Prix career in which the Italian rider started 328 races, won three titles and finished on the podium 99 times, Dorna Sports is delighted to be able to call upon Capirossi’s extensive experience and knowledge as a former rider who has competed in the 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP categories.
With an exciting new chapter in the history of the World Championship commencing with the introduction of the 1000cc capacity machines, the new CRT rules and the new Moto3 category for the 2012 season, Capirossi’s insight will provide a highly valuable input as MotoGP welcomes important and significant changes to the sport.
Calling upon his understanding of the needs and requirements of riders and his vast experience of a range of different machines, Loris Capirossi will offer the MotoGP World Championship advice on matters relating to safety, the new regulations, the competition in general and the homologation of new tracks.
In recognition of Capirossi’s outstanding contribution to the sport throughout his career, Dorna has also made the request to the FIM that his number 65 be retired from use in the MotoGP World Championship.
The Devil Made Us Do It!
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Elena Myers Interview
Nicky Hayden undergoes wrist surgery
Tuesday Nov 15 2011 - Ducati Team rider Nicky Hayden underwent surgery on Monday, 14 November, to speed up the healing process on his right wrist, which was injured in a crash at the November 7 Valencia Grand Prix. During the operation, which was carried out at the Fremont Sports Therapy and Surgery Center in Fremont, California, USA, Dr. Arthur Ting placed a small screw in Hayden’s fractured scaphoid. The radial styloid, which is also fractured, was not treated.
“Everything went pretty smoothly,” Hayden said shortly after the operation. “The scaphoid is a slow-healing bone, so you don’t want to wait, only to find out in January that it’s not healing correctly. I’m happy to get it fixed right so that I’ll be ready to go when I need to be.”
After wearing a brace and using a bone stimulator for four weeks, Hayden will have his wrist X-rayed again to assess its status. He is confident of being at full fitness before his return to the track for the first day of the 2012 testing season on January 31 in Sepang, Malaysia.
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Paul Bird Motorsport Kawasaki returns to British Superbike with Shane Byre and Stewart Eastman
09 November 2011
Paul Bird Motorsport have signalled their intentions of a winning return to the prestigious MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship with the signing of Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne and Stuart Easton for the 2012 season.
The Cumbria-based team has spent the past four seasons in the World Superbike Championship but prior to that has won four British Championship titles, two of which came courtesy of Kent rider Byrne and Scotsman Easton, so by signing the two riders, Penrith businessman Paul Bird has assembled his ‘dream team’ for a concerted assault on the title.
Double British Superbike champion Byrne, from Sittingbourne, and former British Supersport champion Easton, from Hawick, will be aboard factory-specification Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R machines for the series as part of an ambitious plan which will see the team also field a CRT (Claiming Rules Team) rider in MotoGP.
Byrne, who won the 2003 BSB title aboard a Ducati for the PBM team and Easton, who claimed the 2002 British Supersport Championship also aboard a Ducati, will be looking for a winning return for certain. Byrne also raced a Honda for the PBM team in 2007, winning at Mallory Park in the process whereas Easton raced 125s and 250s in his early career for the team.
This year, Byrne led the series for much of the year but missed out in the Showdown races and despite a double win at Brands Hatch in the final round, he finished third whereas Easton was showing true championship potential when he was injured at the North West 200 and missed the rest of the season as a result.
Shane Byrne - “It’s a bit like coming home as this will be the third time I’ll have ridden for Paul and it’s quite funny as you spend five minutes with the team and it’s as if you’ve never been away!
The team always puts out competitive bikes and the Kawasaki will be a major threat I reckon. You know Paul wouldn’t be coming back to BSB if he didn’t think he could win it so I think we’ll have a real good shot at the title.”
Stuart Easton - “My injuries are healing well and everything should be sorted in time for me to start testing with the team as planned. It’s great to be back with PBM and I appreciate the support they have given me this year whilst I was out.
We have enjoyed so much success together in the past, I’m really looking forward to this challenge and if we can replicate that it will be great.”
Paul Bird, Team Owner - “When we decided to return to British Superbikes, signing both Shakey and Stuart was always the plan and I’m delighted they’ve come on board with us. We’ve won British championships as well as World championship races together and for me it’s my dream team.
We have proved that the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is a fantastic bike and have won on it at BSB in 2010 so we know what we need to do. I promised Stuart a deal straight after his crash and he’ll be back to full fitness very soon and with Shakey keen to make up for missing out this year, we are ideally placed.
John Hopkins Signs for Cresent Suzuki in 2012 World Superbike
Team Suzuki Press Office, November 19th - Crescent Suzuki has retained the services of Californian John Hopkins for 2012, as he completes the two-man line-up for the team's World Superbike challenge.
Hopkins competed in the British Superbike championship for the UK based Crescent team in 2011 and has now put pen to paper to link-up with the team once again on the world stage.
Hailing from Ramona in California, but with English parents, Hopkins is still recovering in America, following surgery on a finger he damaged at Brno in the Czech Republic earlier this season whilst on MotoGP duty, but will be totally fit and focused in time for pre-season testing next year. He had a successful first season with the Crescent Suzuki team, narrowly missing out on the BSB championship at the last race of the year and he will now relish the chance to compete against the world's best Superbike racers on circuits where he has plenty of experience.
Hopkins will be joined at Crescent Suzuki by former BSB champion Leon Camier, whose addition to the team was announced last month. Camier will begin testing the Crescent Suzuki 'Powered by Yoshimura' GSX-R1000 at Portimao in Portugal later this month, with Hopkins joining him in the tests in early 2012. The first race of next year's calendar is scheduled for Sunday 26th February at Phillip Island in Australia.
John Hopkins: - "I am really happy to be joining up with the Crescent guys again. We had a great year in British Superbike and I'm sure we can continue that in WSB. I wanted to get back into world championship racing and this is a natural progression from last year. The difference this time is that I will be going to tracks that I already know and have some reference from, so that should make some things a bit easier.
"I know it's going to be a big step, but with some big technical advances and Yoshimura on board, I'm sure the bike will be fully competitive. It will be great to work with Lez Pearson again, as we built up a strong relationship and his understanding of the way the bike works will be invaluable next year.
"I'm also looking forward to riding with Leon. I'm sure he'll be strong next year and will be a difficult team-mate to beat and also one who will push me to the limit.
"I want to say thanks to Paul, Martyn, Jack and everyone at Crescent Suzuki for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I can't wait to get on the bike and see what we can do. I know it's not going to be an easy task by any means, but I have every intention of going out and trying to earn my first ever world championship for myself and the team. I'll be doing everything in my power to make it happen."
Jack Valentine - Team Manager:
"It's great to have John back onboard for next year and a real boost for the whole team that he has chosen to ride for us. He is a class act, not only for Crescent Suzuki, but for the whole Superbike series as well. The crowds will love him.
"I enjoyed working with him this year and, although he rode in the last three events with a severely injured finger, he only just missed out on the championship. That is history now and I look forward to continuing the relationship and building on what we achieved this year. I'm sure with what he learnt in BSB, and his experience on the tracks we will visit next year, that he will be able to get some spectacular results.
"I know he's really fired up for this and I'm looking forward to some exciting times. I cannot wait to see him and Leon out there next year."
Yoshimura of Japan backs Cresent Suzuki in World Superbike
Team Suzuki Press Office - November 16. - Crescent Suzuki is pleased to announce a collaboration with Yoshimura that will see the Japanese tuning company supporting the team as it enters its first year of World Superbike action.
Yoshimura will build, supply and develop the engines for the Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 that will participate in the 2012 World Superbike Championship, as well as supplying bespoke race performance exhausts. The Yoshimura engineers have already spent some time at the Crescent race headquarters in Verwood and evaluated the development that Chief Engineer Lez Pearson and his team have already made with the 2011 GSX-R engine. The Japanese company will work alongside Crescent to develop the motors further and make them as competitive as possible in time for the start of the 2012 season.
Yoshimura has an enviable record in the world of motorcycle racing and tuning. The company was started in 1954 by Hideo 'Pops' Yoshimura in Japan, followed by the opening of a tuning shop in North Hollywood, America in 1971. The work ethic and dedication installed into the company from day one by Pops still holds strong today and has seen Yoshimura have success in MotoGP, WSB and many national championships as well as in the world of motocross and supercross racing. Pops passed away in 1995, but his legacy will live forever in the history of motorcycle competition and it is that spirit and drive that Crescent Suzuki will now be a part of for its attack on the World Superbike series next year.
Crescent Suzuki SBK - powered by Yoshimura - will begin testing later this month with Leon Camier who was recently named as the first racer to join the team. His team-mate will be announced soon, as will further sponsorship and partner agreements. The 2012 World Superbike championship kicks off at Phillip Island in Australia in February.
Fujio Yoshimura - Owner, Yoshimura Japan: - "We at Yoshimura greatly appreciate this collaboration and it will be our highest priority. Thanks to Paul and Crescent Suzuki for trusting our engine tuning capabilities and our passion towards competing at the front of the 2012 WSBK Championship Series. We believe Crescent Suzuki has a record of structuring the best racing team in the BSB championship series, with very dedicated technical and supportive team members presenting the most competitive machinery and riders at all races. We hope that the partnership between Yoshimura and Crescent Suzuki will be the most perfectly matched racing team on the WSBK circuits!"
Paul Denning - Crescent Suzuki Team Principal: - "When Fujio and Yohei came to see me at the Japanese Grand Prix to discuss this partnership, it was clear that their passion and enthusiasm to work with Crescent Suzuki on the global stage was genuine and something they felt strongly about. For us as a team it is a significant level of assistance and a substantial boost to our performance potential. The Yoshimura company was built on engineering the best possible performance from engines and exhaust systems, and that principle has never changed. It is also very pleasing that the whole attitude to the project is of open communication and using the best combination of Yoshimura's own concepts and ideas and those which already exist in the Crescent developed engine.
"Yoshimura is a global household name in the motorcycle industry and we are very proud that they have shown such trust in the Crescent Suzuki World Superbike team to partner us so closely, and for us to uphold their honour on the world stage."
Jack Valentine - Team Manager: - "I'm very excited with the 'Powered by Yoshimura' partnership for next year and after spending time with Fujio, Yohei and the Yoshimura team both in Portimao and at the Crescent workshops, I can see they share the same passion and vision as our team. With that in mind it should make for a formidable partnership in SBK 2012."
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