|
This Month in the Fast Dates World Superbike Calendar ....
Calendar Kitten and Playboy Playmates Jaime Edmonson gets up close and personal with Chris Vermeulen's
2010 World Supebike Kawasaki ZX-10 at Miller Motorsports Park.
Order the 2012 and 2013 Fast Dates Calendars
Calendar Screensavers and Nude Pictorials of Jaime in Members Corner
 Carlos aboard the new 1199RS Superbike which will spearhead Ducati's 2013 World Superbike foray.
Ducati to Bring World Superbike back in-House?
The Bologna Factory Re Signs Carlos Checa for World Superbike in 2013
while Team Althea Announces It Is Parting ways with Ducati
October 29th - After winning the World Superbike Championship for Ducati in 2011, and carrying the flag for them again this past season in WSBK, Team Althea has terminated their association with Ducati. After prolonged negotiations between Althea team boss Genesio Belvilacqua and Ducati Corse, in which the two could not reach an agreement on several key areas, Belvilacqua has decided to end their collaboration, and look for another manufacturer to work with.
This last minute decision comes as a shock. Althea and Ducati have worked together for just three short years, but in that time, they have secured both the World Superbike title and the Superstock 1000 championship with their current riders Carlos Checa and Davide Giugliano. It had been expected that the collaboration would continue in 2013, with the two men helping to develop Ducati's new 1199R Panigale superbike machine.
A number of factor affected Althea decisions. The first and most obvious one is financial, with Althea claiming that Ducati was unwilling to invest the extra resources required to help develop the Panigale, which is to make its debut in World Superbikes in 2013. With World Superbike regulations inching closer to Superstock, there are doubts over whether the Panigale can be made both reliable and competitive, with the high revs the bike requires to make the power taking its toll on engine internals. And the fact it seems the new Superquadro V-twin engine will also have to run intake rrstrictors. The length of time the discussions went on, and the failure to make decisions quickly was also a point of contention, Belvilacqua telling Italian website Moto.it that it had taken Ducati months to respond to proposals he had sent them back in June. Althea were also unhappy with the contract specifying that Ducati would control certain technical aspects of the effort, though Belvilacqua failed to detail just which aspects those were.
"It was not possible to find a meeting point and so we opt for alternative solutions.
We are ready for 2013, with Checa and Panigale. For Bevilacqua and the doors will always be open"
This interview conducted by Carlo Baldi on October 27th with Ducati Corse manager Ernesto Marinelli and appears on www.Moto.IT
"I want to emphasize," said Marinelli, "who we are, and I in particular, am very sorry for not being able to reach an agreement with the Althea team for 2013. My respect and gratitude along with that of Ducati as Genesio and his team have done over the years in which we worked together is total and will definitely unchanged unchanged as will the friendship that binds me to him as well as to all boys of his team, with whom I had a great time in three years full of success. For Genesio and for all of them, the doors of the Ducati and will always remain open. "
Why is the divorce was decided only now, at the end of October?
"The fact that we ended up having to give up a collaboration with the Althea team only now, at the end of October, is a demonstration of how Ducati has done everything possible in recent months to reach an agreement but unfortunately it was not possible to reach. From June to now there have been several meetings."
"We respect their position but also Ducati has its own conditions and this time we did not meet them as it happened last year "
which, however, we were never able to find a solution that would satisfy both parties. We were ready to come to an agreement on the basis of what had been done in 2012, but we were faced with further requests that made it impossible to find a meeting point. Respect their position but also Ducati has its own conditions and this time we did not meet them as it happened last year. There never was obviously no foreclosure team Genesio fact that has always been the primary solution for us."
What will Ducati do in 2013?
"We will run with Carlos and the Panigale to win, the non-renewal with Althea can not hinder our goal in the coming days and notify programs Superbike final in a press release. In our history we have changed structures, shape and motion several times always getting good results and the common denominator has always been the Ducati. "
Checa will stay with Ducati Corse while Giugliano will not?
"Checa is a rider under contract with Ducati. He and Panigale are our tenets, the pillars of our Superbike project. As for David, we are very sorry not to be able to continue working with one of the emerging talents of our motorcycling. We would keep to emphasize the fact that not only Althea believed in him, but also Ducati, who supported his debut in Superbike. We would have liked to continue, but Giugliano has a contract with Bevilacqua until 2013. We were very happy with him and will be unchanged as the highest esteem and consideration, will remain alive the hope of being able to one day get back with us. "
Genesio made ??reference to technical choices forced not shared by the team in 2012, can you explain?
"Honestly this is the thing that has left me more puzzled and sincerely too bitter, structure, roles and people on the team except for ' have two drivers instead of one was unchanged, the choices for me we have always shared all the bike has evolved as far as possible and the only choice were forced 6kg added by regulation. "
The split leaves both Althea and Ducati in a quandary. Carlos Checa is contracted to Ducati, and Ducati are committed to racing the Panigale in World Superbikes next season, but they currently do not have a team to contest the series with. There have been reports, first made on GPOne.com, that Davide Tardozzi could make a return to Ducati to run a factory-backed team, now that the factory BMW team has been disbanded. Althea have Davide Giugliano under contract, but no bike to race. If Althea are to remain in World Superbikes, they will also have to find a large slice of additional budget, with rumors that Ducati Corse was already picking up a sizable chunk of the tab for the Althea team.
Accusations of a lack of decisiveness made against Ducati by Althea are perhaps the most damaging. One of the unfortunate by-products of Audi's acquisition of Ducati has been that a number of important decisions surrounding Ducati's racing program took an inordinate amount of time to get sorted out. The situation surrounding the Ducati junior team exemplified this lack of decisiveness: at Mugello in July, Ducati MotoGP boss Alessandro Cicognani told MotoMatters.com that he expected the situation surrounding the Ducati junior team to be resolved before the summer break, a couple of weeks later. In reality, an announcement was not made until mid September, nearly two months afterwards. The Marc VDS racing team had been one of the teams earmarked to run the junior squad, but as negotiations dragged on, their enthusiasm for the project waned, leaving Pramac to be appointed to run the squad.
The future for both Althea and Ducati's WSBK program remains to be seen. Decisions are expected within the next week or so, a necessity given just how quickly the 2013 World Superbike season is approaching. Arranging affairs in time for next season could prove to be a challenge for both parties.
Ducati first contracted Checa to race for Althea in 2012 when the reigning champ wanted more more money and the Althea team couldn’t afford it. So if Althea wanted even more operating costs covered in 2013, and Ducati SpA tuned them down, then it will now cost Ducati SpA even more to run its own in house team. They will now have to bring over the entire Althea team of mechanics and engineers to the reborn Ducati Corse Superbike team.
We’d venture to guess that Althea needed so much money to continue in 2013, that Ducati figured it would be better, marketing wise, just to bring the World Superbike effort back in house and race the bike in Ducati colors.
Handling wise, the frameless Panigale bike has no flaws, as stated to me numerous times by 3-time World Champion Troy Bayliss who helped develop the 1199RS race bike and has broken trap lap records in testing. I raced the 1199S bikes with Troy last month a Misano and I can state the handling with even stock suspension is without fault. But the new engine which has been racing in Brithis Superbike and European Superstock 1000 this past year, has been reportedly suffering with reliability problems in stock form.
Uncomfirmed Rumors!
October 30th - At Ducati SpA, Ernesto Marinelli will remain the head of Superbike project, Genesio Bevilacqua from Althea will remain the Superbike team manager, and the new joint supervisor for Ducati's MotoGP and World SBK effort will be Paolo Ciabatti, curently General Manager for InFront World Superbike. Ciabatti was formerly the Ducati Corse Supebike Marketing Manager until joining InFront in 2009
 With one more race remaining for retirement of the 27-year old, Casey Stoner won his 6th consecutive home race at Phillip Island.
2012 MotoGP World Championship, Round 17 of 18, Phillip Island, Australia
Casey Soner makes in 6 in a Row at Home Down Under at Phillip Island
Jorge Lorenzo takes his 2d MotoGP Worrld Championship
Phillip Island Austraia, Sunday, 28 October 2012 -This weekend’s AirAsia Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island was the setting for not only some tremendous races but also the crowing of two World Champions in the shape of Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo in the MotoGP™ premier-class and Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Marc Márquez in the intermediate Moto2™ category.
Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda RC213V) capped off a dream weekend with his sixth win in a row at his cherished Phillip Island Circuit before a record crowd of his sun-splashed fellow countrymen. All weekend long it was clear that the reigning world champion was the man to beat and in the end no one could. So certain were the race organisers of his supremacy that they passed out paper crowns to celebrate the king’s final coronation. He did not disappoint.
 Dani Pedrosa leads the 1st lap at Phillip Island ahead of Lorenzo (99) and Stoner (1) before crashing out a few turns later.
Though he also did not lead every lap. Team-mate Dani Pedrosa led the first of 27 laps in his quest to keep his championship hopes alive. But in the Honda hairpin on the second lap disaster struck. Pedrosa went into the corner with a bit too much pace and crashed, ending his title hopes. Then it was up to Stoner to fly the Honda flag and he did, proudly. For the remaining 26 laps he put on a master clinic, easing away from Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo. Stoner’s lead was never in doubt and when he crossed the line first for the sixth time at Phillip Island, and took his fourth win of the season, he had a cushion of 9.223s.So dominant has Stoner been at Phillip Island that of the 162 race laps run over the past six years, Stoner has led 160 of them.
Despite Repsol Honda Team’s local hero Casey Stoner taking a dominant sixth win in succession in his final-ever home race, an error from the Australian’s teammate Dani Pedrosa and second place from Lorenzo was enough for the Mallorcan to be crowned 2012 MotoGP World Champion.
It was Lorenzo that got the holeshot into turn one after a lightning start, with Pedrosa close on his tail in front of Stoner. Pedrosa was boisterous from the off and pushed past Lorenzo within a couple of turns as he tried to pull away. Local hero Stoner was soon all over Lorenzo and took him on the home straight heading into lap two. Shortly after there was huge drama as Pedrosa pushed too hard and lost the rear of his bike, with Stoner and Lorenzo closely behind. The Spaniard was able to remount, yet had to pit with the bike too damaged, leaving Lorenzo in a strong position to take the world title.
Cal Crutchlow finish a strong 3rd place, over team mate Dovizioso who joins Hayden at Ducati next year.
As Stoner pulled away at the front in dominant fashion, an entertaining battle for third ensued being led by Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow, followed by teammate Andrea Dovizioso, San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista and LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl. In the meantime, Paul Bird Motorsport’s James Ellison crashed out of the race, while NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Colin Edwards had to retire due to a technical issue. With 18 laps remaining Crutchlow was on a charge as he was lapping faster than Lorenzo, dropping off Dovizioso slightly, who had Bautista stuck to his rear wheel. Behind them, Ducati Team’s Valentino Rossi was leading a battle of the Desmosedicis ahead of Cardion AB Racing’s Karel Abraham and Ducati’s Nicky Hayden.
Three Ducs in a row - Rossi fights off Hayden and Abraham for 7th place.
Stoner was leading at the front with Lorenzo and lonely second and Crutchlow a lonely third, yet Bautista, Bradl and Dovizioso were at each other’s throat throughout. With eight laps to go Speed Master’s Roberto Rolfo retired with a mechanical issue. Further afield and Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaró was tussling with teammate Randy de Puniet in their battle for CRT supremacy, with the two swapping positions frequently. With five laps remaining Dovizioso went past Bradl into fourth, whilst Bautista capitalised on this and also squeezed past the German for fifth. And two laps before the end the trio provided fairing-to-fairing action with Dovizioso leading into the last lap, and keeping this position until the line.
Yet ultimately it was Stoner who made it six wins in succession at the Australian track on his final bow at his home circuit, with Lorenzo clinching his second premier-class title with one round to go – the only Spaniard to have more than one. Crutchlow put in a terrific ride as he stormed to his second ever GP podium, despite suffering from illness. Dovizioso was the first non-podium finisher, followed by Bautista, Bradl, Rossi, Hayden, Abraham, as well as Espargaró, who came out on top in the CRT battle with his teammate.
The race was a huge draw for the Australian crowd as an estimated 53,100 fans descended on the track on Sunday, making the estimated three-day attendance a record breaking 122,470.
 Second Place was good enough for two-timing MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha.
Jorge Lorenzo, Position : 2nd, Time: +9.223 - “What a day! I’m very happy, it was easier than I expected because Dani made a mistake in a corner and crashed. I wanted to keep with Casey but he was so strong. Today all I had to do was finish the race and I have become World Champion for the second time. It’s such a sweet feeling! I want to thank all the team, Yamaha, my family, my friends, sponsors and fans who support me. Today is an amazing moment. We’ve been very patient, very concentrated and finally the World title arrives!”
Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: DNF - “It's a sad feeling more than disappointment; I pushed as hard as I could; I did what I had to do and I have no regrets for my riding, especially this season. I feel very proud of my team and of my performance throughout the year. I think after what happened in Misano, we showed a very good attitude, skill and power. So, there is some sadness because we've been closer than ever to take the title, but also proud for all we achieved.
Concerning the crash, it was nothing strange; I just went wider on the corner, I had some chatter and lost the front; maybe the tyre was not warm enough as well, but it's like it is. Congratulations to Casey [Stoner] for his sixth win at his home grand prix and to Lorenzo because he deserved the championship, as well as Marc Márquez in Moto2.”
 In recognition of his accomplishments as reigning Australian World Champion and multi-time home race winner, Casey Stoner was awarded his own corner named after him at the Phillip Island track.
RESULTS PHILLIP ISLAND MOTOGP RACE: (27 laps = 120.096 Km)
RESULTS MOTOGP RACE:
POS / RIDER / NAT. / TEAM / MOTORCYCLE / TIME / KM/H / GAP
1 / Casey STONER / AUS / Repsol Honda Team / HONDA / 41'01.324 / 175.655 /
2 / Jorge LORENZO / SPA / Yamaha Factory Racing / YAMAHA / 41'10.547 / 174.999 / 9.223
3 / Cal CRUTCHLOW / GBR / Monster Yamaha Tech 3 / YAMAHA / 41'15.894 / 174.622 / 14.57
4 / Andrea DOVIZIOSO / ITA / Monster Yamaha Tech 3 / YAMAHA / 41'24.627 / 174.008 / 23.303
5 / Alvaro BAUTISTA / SPA / San Carlo Honda Gresini / HONDA / 41'24.756 / 173.999 / 23.432
6 / Stefan BRADL / GER / LCR Honda MotoGP / HONDA / 41'24.791 / 173.996 / 23.467
7 / Valentino ROSSI / ITA / Ducati Team / DUCATI / 41'38.437 / 173.046 / 37.113
8 / Nicky HAYDEN / USA / Ducati Team / DUCATI / 41'39.711 / 172.958 / 38.387
9 / Karel ABRAHAM / CZE / Cardion AB Motoracing / DUCATI / 41'53.937 / 171.979 / 52.613
10 / Aleix ESPARGARO / SPA / Power Electronics Aspar / ART / 42'01.623 / 171.455 / 1'00.299
11 / Randy DE PUNIET / FRA / Power Electronics Aspar / ART / 42'01.666 / 171.452 / 1'00.342
12 / Hector BARBERA / SPA / Pramac Racing Team / DUCATI / 42'23.275 / 169.995 / 1'21.951
13 / Danilo PETRUCCI / ITA / Came IodaRacing Project / IODA-SUTER / 42'29.181 / 169.601 / 1'27.857
14 / Michele PIRRO / ITA / San Carlo Honda Gresini / FTR / 41'13.539 / 168.314 / 1 lap
15 / Ivan SILVA / SPA / Avintia Blusens / BQR / 41'35.733 / 166.817 / 1 lap
Pole Position: Casey STONER 1'29.623 178.668 Km/h
Fastest Lap: Casey STONER 1'30.191 177.543 Km/h Lap 3
Circuit Record Lap: Nicky HAYDEN 1'30.059 177.803 Km/h 2008
Circuit Best Lap: Casey STONER 1'28.665 180.598 Km/h 2008
CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TO DATE:
1 LORENZO 350, 2 PEDROSA 307, 3 STONER 238, 4 DOVIZIOSO 208, 5 BAUTISTA 165,
6 ROSSI 157, 7 CRUTCHLOW 151, 8 BRADL 135, 9 HAYDEN 122, 10 SPIES 88,
11 BARBERA 83, 12 ESPARGARO 69, 13 DE PUNIET 58, 14 ABRAHAM 50, 15 PIRRO 32.
A cool custom Ducati Superbike from Radical Ducati of Spain! Click to go BIG.
 Max Biaggi celebrates his 2012 World Superbike title on the podium with his new Suomy replica helmet.
2012 FIM Eni World Superbike Championship, Round 14 of 14, Magny-Cours, France
Biaggi, Melandri and Sykes take it down to the wire
2012 Superbike Season Finale Showndown at Magny-Cours
Magny-Cours, France, October 8-10th 2012 - The 2012 Eni SBK World Superbike Championship went down to the Final Lap, of the Final Race of the Final Round in the most exciting and dramatic way possible for the history books and fans of the world's premier production bike based roadracing series. Going into the Final Round, Aprilia's Max Biaggi had a seemingly insurmountable 33-points lead to garner his 2nd world title for the Italian marquee, and only had to finish in the top 10 of both races where 25 points were up for grabs in each of the two Races. While his two remaining challengers, Tom Sykes on the factory Kawasaki and Marco Melandi on the factory BMW would pretty much have to finish on the podium of both races while their challengers did poorly. At the end of the day Max Biaggi would win his 2nd World Title for Aprilia with a 1.5 point margin at the finish. The Italians, Japanese and British were ecstatic with the 2012 SBK season results, while back in Munich another World War had begun with encouraging victories, but ended in humiliating defeat. COMPLETE RACE COVERAGE
 Above" The 3 new World Champions in Supersport, Superbke and Superstock. Click to go BIG
FastDates.com Calendar Kitten and SBK Grid Girl Petra strut the grid for Pirelli at Magny-Cours. Look for her in the next 2014 FastDates.com Calendars. Photo by Max Olina. Complete Magny-Cours Race Covergae HERE
2012 British Superbike Championship, Round 13 of 13, Brands Hatch, GB
Tripple Wins secure Shane "Shakey" Byrne his 3rd British Superbike Championship
Brands Hatch, Sunday 14th October 2012 - Shane 'Shakey' Byrne sealed his third British Superbike Championship in emphatic style with a superb triple victory at the final round at Brands Hatch in Kent this weekend. Aboard the Rapid Solicitors Racing Team Kawasaki, the Isle of Sheppey rider was in imperious form around his local track as he looked to defend a nine point lead coming into the final round.
Continued Next Page HERE
 Josh Hayes dominated the 2012 AMA Superbike Championship with 16 race victories in a championship with just Graves Yamaha and Yoshimura Suzuki factory team involvement.
2012 AMA Pro Roadracing Championship, Round 11 of 11, New Orleans, LA
Josh Hayes Completes AMA Superbike Sweep at New Orleans Finale
NEW ORLEANS, LA, October 6-7th , 2012 - Three-time AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike king Josh Hayes closed out his epic 2012 campaign in fitting style. The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha superstar notched up two more blowout victories in Saturday and Sunday's two race double headers to put the finishing touches on the season in front of his home crowd. Hayes tore off from pole in both races and blitzed to his 15th and 16th wins of the season, far and away the most attained in a single-season in the 30-plus year history of the championship. The Mississippian worked his advantage into double digits before easing to the last checkered flag of 2012 with a 9.194-second margin of victory in Sundays last race.
Along with posting the record for most wins in a season, Hayes also established the new mark for most consecutive wins (ten), tied the record for most consecutive poles (eleven) and most poles in a season (ten). He also moved into a tie for second with most SuperBike titles (three), and surpassed Miguel DuHamel to grab sole possession of second-place on the all-time SuperBike wins list (33).
Hayes said of his historic season, "It was the perfect way to end an incredible year. A lot of fans and friends came out and I'm glad I was able to do a good job in front of them. I think we are showoffs and we tend to do some of our best work when people are around. It was just an awesome weekend -- I had a lot of fun." Continued Next Page HERE
Click to Order!
Order Now from Amazon.com USA: USD $69.95 • Amazon.com UK/Europe: UK £55.00 / EUR $55
Exclusive Autographed Collector's Package!
The all new Ducati Corse World Superbikes 224-pg book and the 2013 Fast Date World Superbike Calendar - World Release July 1st 2012
Personally autographed to you (or the name you request on the PayPal.com Order Form) by Jim Gianatsis and shipped direct to you.
For more information or to order the Book or the Calendar individually, unsigned, go to the Sportbike Books and Fast Dates Calendar order pages. $100 Collector's Package, plus $20 USPS Priority Mail Shipping & Handing in the USA.
Ducati Corse World Superbike Book Signings in Los Angeles!
Jim Gianatsis will be doing a signing of his new Ducati Corse World Superbikes Book and 2013 Fast Dates Calendar
in the LA area at these upcoming Ducati Dealer Open Houses:
• Nov 17th, 2012 - SoCal Motorcycles Open House, Brea, CA
Stop by, say hello, and get a personally autographed copy of the new book!
Edelweiss adds an exciting new Motorcycle Trip!
2-Weeks ADVENTURE COSTA RICA & NICARAGUA
Enjoy fascinating wildlife, exotic landscape and wonderful routes on this motorcycle tour in Costa Rica and Nicaragua! Travelling to Costa Rica and Nicaragua on a is a one of a kind experience. Active volcanoes, deep rainforests, unknown vegetation and much more are the main highlights of this tour as well as the most stunning beaches! At the very beginning of our tour we ride up to the volcano Irazu and on to Turrialba.
You better sleep well this night, because on the next day’s ride you will have to master the highest mountain pass of the Panamericana Highway called Cerro de la Muerte, at an altitude of 10,000 ft. Then we continue to the volcano Poas and La Fortuna where we will enjoy the convenience of a rest day, to take a swim in the hot springs, see the waterfalls or to do some horseback riding.
Another overnight in Canas Dulces and we finally cross over into Nicaragua where we first follow the shoreline of its lake before reaching the colonial town of Granada, where we soak in all the sights this wonderful town has to offer! After having had two overnights in this buzzling city we cross the border back to Costa Rica and spend some time along and at the coast. A visit of Monteverde cloud forest is a must, before we get to one of the most splendid beaches of Costa Rica – Esterillos. Here we will spend our last night to enjoy the local life before returning to San Jose.
The Costa Rica /Nicaragua Tours are schedued to take place in February/March of 2013 and 2104.
For more information about this and the other incredible Edelweiss Motorcycle Tours click here:
There's more! Go to Pit Lane News Previous Week
Also Visit: Fast Dates Calendar News • Iron & Lace Calendar News
Calendar Girl News • Meet the Models • Paddock Garage
Buy t-shirts, mugs & gifts from my shop.
MEMBERS CORNER! Calendar
Kittens, Paddock Garage, Iron & Lace Garage
Amazon.com Motorcycle Products & Apparel Store
MotorcycleSuperstore.com
|
Hot Bikes, Sexy Kittens
Your Exclusive Grid Pass
also includes....
Order the New
2013 Calendars!
with FastDates.com Calendar Kitten, Ducati Corse Grid Girl
and Playboy Playmate
Heather Rae Young!
Click for even more Calendars!
Retail $69.95 ea.
Click to Order from Amazon.com
Ducati Corse
World Superbikes
by Alan Cathcart
& Jim Gianatsis
The Official SBK
World Superbikes
1987-2012
25 Year History Book
The Official SBK
25th Anniversary
2011-2012 Yearbook
These SBK Yearbooks are the Best Books Ever about World Superbike
They feature awesome color photography of the riders, bike and racing action. The feature a detailed revue of the past season in pictures and statistics, with a detailed look at the bikes and riders.
Plus a technical look data all the bikes, a preview of the upcoming season's Championship!
We buy this every year ourselves and highly recommend it!
SBK World Superbike Video Game
FIM introduces World Supebike regulation changes for 2013
Thursday, 18 October 2012 - A swathe of new regulations have been brought in by the FIM and the Superbike Commission to the Superbike and Supersport World Championships and the Supersport 1000 Cup in view of the 2013 season.
One of the main changes in the SBK class is the possibility for riders to enter the pits during the race to change tyres and make any adjustments should climatic conditions alter to make this advisable. As a result races will now no longer be interrupted and will run flag-to-flag. Refueling is strictly prohibited and three mechanics (plus the rider if he wishes to do so) will be allowed to work on the bike, which must remain in the pit lane.
A second important change is that from now on riders on the starting-grid will line up in 3-3-3-3 echelon configuration.
There will also be an across-the-board minimum weight of 165 kg / 363 lbs., a measure that brings 2-cylinder machines down to the same level as 3 and 4 cylinder bikes, as well as mandatory 17 inch aluminum wheels.
In order to further make Superbikes closer in appearance to the road-going machines they are based on, all motorcycles must now have a functioning red safety light mounted at the rear. In addition the exact appearance, shape, size and location of the front headlights of the homologated motorcycle must be respected by means of the application of a plastic or metallic film on the front of the bike. Kawasaki were the first to introduce this aesthetic measure this year, swiftly followed by Honda at the final round.
The same measures regarding rear safety lights have also been introduced into the Supersport and Superstock categories.
2013 FIM Superbike, Supersport World Championships & FIM Superstock 1000cc Cup
Provisional Calendar, Released October 6th, 2012
DATE COUNTRY CIRCUIT
X= WSBK / WSS / STK
24 February Australia Phillip Island X X
10 Mar India Buddh Circuit X X
7 April Spain Aragon X X X
28 April Netherland Assen X X X
12 May Italy Monza X X X
26 May UK Donington X X
9 June Portugal Portimao (STC) X X X
23 June Tba Tba* X X X
30June Italy Imola X X X
21 July Russia Moscow Raceway X X
4 August UK Silverstone X X X
1 September Germany Nurburgring X X X
29 September USA Laguna Seca X
6 October France Magny Cours X X X
20 October Spain Jerez X X X
* Tba
The 2013 World Superbike Calendar looks to grow with one more race meeting next year at the new Buddh track in India. For the USA round Miller Motorsports Park no longer appears on the Calendar in May, with a new American round returning to Laguna Seca aftyer an 8 year absence there, in September. A yet to be confirmed race date venue is held on the Calendar for June 23rd, normally the weekend for Brno Czech Republic
Laguna Seca returns to the World Superbike calendar beginning in 2013
Rome (Italy), Friday 21 September 2012 – Following a three-year agreement between Infront Motor Sports and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the United States Round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship will take place at the Californian circuit next season and in 2014 and 2015.
The confirmed date for the 2013 event will be 27-29 September, and it marks the return of the championship to the spectacular Monterey circuit for the first time after an eight-year absence. The last World Superbike round was held at Laguna Seca in 2004.
Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports, declared: “We are absolutely delighted to be returning to Laguna Seca for the US Round for the first time since 2004. Over the ten-year period in which we were last there, we witnessed an extraordinary growth in interest and in overall attendance and we are sure that this event will once again become one of the most prestigious on the calendar. The return of Laguna Seca to the Superbike World Championship, with its six competing manufacturers, will definitely be a boost to the championship’s growth in the US market as California has a special tradition and offers significant opportunities for the motorcycle industry, sponsors and media.”
“We have a strong history with World Superbike and are thrilled to have them commit to a three-year race schedule,” says Gill Campbell, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca CEO/general manager. “Their return to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca solidifies our position as THE premier circuit in the U.S. for motorcycle racing.”
Meet 2013 Calendar Kitten
Shannon Baucom
The Devil Made Us Do It!
Testing the Ducati Diavel in Italy
New BMW HP4 Superbike
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.
Half price $6.50 tickets for the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show
December 7-9th 2012!
http://www.goldstar.com
Ben Spies Injured at Sepang,
he will miss
the remainer of 2012
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), 22nd October 2012 - Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies will not attend the Grand Prix of Australia at the Phillip Island circuit this weekend following injuries sustained during the Grand Prix of Malaysia on Sunday 21st October.
Spies fell whilst riding in extremely challenging wet conditions at the Sepang International Circuit. An initial check by the trackside medical centre found no serious injuries however further tests conducted today in Kuala Lumpur have revealed injuries requiring surgery.
The Texan will return to the USA tomorrow, Tuesday 23rd October, to receive treatment for an AC shoulder separation, a cracked rib in the upper chest area and bruising to the lung.
Yamaha Factory Racing will not field a replacement rider at Phillip Island due to time constraints.
Ben Spies - "I'm lost for words. We've had such a tough season with an unbelievable amount of bad luck. We have always gone out there to give it 100% and it was the intention of both myself and my team to continue to do so at Phillip Island.
I took a really hard knock on Sunday and it's now clear from today's tests that I have some injuries that require immediate attention.
It's disappointing to be heading back to the USA now instead of to Phillip Island but it's obviously important to get the right treatment as soon as possible.
I'm sorry for my team and thankful for all the hard work they and Yamaha have put in so far; our current situation is not where we should be".
Ben Spies Undergoes Successful Surgery
in the USA
25/12/2012 - Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies has successfully completed surgery in the USA on October 23rd to repair torn ligament damage to his right shoulder following a crash in the Grand Prix of Malaysia on the 20th October.
The procedure consisted of the reconstruction of the Coracoclavicular Ligaments torn in the crash and a reduction of a separated Acrimioclavicular joint, aided by a Twin Tightrope device, which is a suture based system. Cadavar tissue was placed to replace and reinforce the Coracoclavicular Ligaments that were torn.
The surgery was successful, Spies will make a full recovery although he will need to remain in a sling for up to 10-12 weeks.
The decision on a replacement rider for the final round of the Championship at Valencia will be clarified by Yamaha Factory Racing following the Phillip Island weekend.
Katsuyuki Nakasuga to Replace Ben Spies at Valencia
Japanese Yamaha test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga will step in to replace injured Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies for the final round of the 2012 MotoGP Championship, the Grand Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana in two weeks time.
Nakasuga-san has already proven to be a trustworthy rider to handle the Factory YZR-M1, taking it to an impressive sixth place finish whilst substituting for injured Factory rider Jorge Lorenzo at last year’s Valencia Grand Prix. He was back again this year as wild-card for the Grand Prix of Japan with the Yamaha YSP Racing Team, again impressing with a ninth place finish.
Spies is currently at home in the USA recovering from injuries sustained in the Grand Prix of Malaysia one week ago. The Texan had successful surgery this week to repair torn ligament damage in the right shoulder and will need a recovery period of eight to ten weeks.
Order the Official
FastDates.com &
LA Calendar Bike Show
T-Shirts!
CLUZEL SIGNS FOR FIXI CRESCENT SUZUKI
Frenchman Jules Cluzel will be joining the FIXI Crescent Suzuki World Superbike Championship team to race a Suzuki
GSX-R1000 in 2013
October 29th. - Cluzel has signed for the team fresh from success in the World Supersport Championship, where he took a total of eight podiums, including four victories, on his way to runner-up in the title race. Cluzel showed consistency throughout the 2012 season and ended the year by taking victory in his home race at Magny-Cours in France.
The 24-year-old hails from Montlucon in Central France and competed in his first motorcycle championship in 2004, before moving up to the National series the following year, where he secured second in the championship in his rookie season. Cluzel then made the move to the 250cc World Championship and in 2009 he scored his first GP podium at Qatar and was also awarded the Michel Metraux Trophy as best privateer that season. Cluzel recorded his first Grand Prix victory in 2010 when he won at Silverstone in England, on his way to seventh overall in the Moto2™ Championship. For this season he made the step into the Supersport paddock, where the experience he had gained from the 600cc machines in Moto2 stood him in very good stead and he was able to adapt to the series quickly and successfully, something that FIXI Crescent Suzuki will be hoping he emulates in the move up to Superbikes.
FIXI Crescent Suzuki is excited at the chance of working with one of the brightest young stars to move up from World Supersport and the signing of Cluzel completes the team's rider line-up, after Leon Camier was recently confirmed with the squad for next year. The team had strongly considered Josh Waters for the ride, following a positive test in Spain recently. FIXI Crescent Suzuki is disappointed that two-into-one doesn't go and greatly appreciates the support from Waters, and also Suzuki Australia, at the test and hopes that the opportunity to work together again arises in the near future.
Cluzel will get his first taste of the Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R at a test in Spain in January, with the first race of the season scheduled for Sunday February 24th at Phillip Island in Australia.
Jules Cluzel: - "I am really excited to be joining the FIXI Crescent Suzuki team. It is a big step in my career, but one that I am very happy to take. When I was given the option to work with Suzuki in World Superbikes, I did not need to think about it twice and I just said a big "Yes!" straight away. I am really motivated by the whole project and I know that this is what I want. I will make sure I'm totally ready for the first race and plan to learn not only quickly, but also intelligently. I cannot wait to start work and I am also really pleased to be working with an English team. I now just want to get on the bike and see how it goes, do my best and challenge for some good results."
Paul Denning - Team Principal: "Securing Leon's team-mate for 2013 hasn't exactly been the smoothest process, but in the end we couldn't be happier with the result! Jules is young, fast and aggressive and has shown that he can adapt to new bikes and new championships very quickly. His 250GP and Moto2 experience provides an understanding and feeling for stiffer, less forgiving 'race-bikes' which the WSBK machines have developed into, and we anticipate a quick transition to the GSX-R. Any rider who has won a Moto2 race - and finished ahead of riders like Stefan Bradl and Scott Redding in the Championship standings - and then come to such a competitive series as World Supersport and just missed out on becoming Champion in his first year, clearly has a great talent - we are excited to have Jules with us!
"Importantly, Jules has shown his commitment and is very excited to be with FIXI Crescent Suzuki in WSBK for 2013 - it's nice to create a partnership where both sides are equally committed and share the same targets. The team is doing absolutely everything it can to make sure that the competitive base of the GSX-R, which we found towards the end of 2012, is taken forward so that we can provide Leon and Jules with machinery worthy of their talent."
Pirelli Official Tyre Supplier of
SBK World Superbike Season Finale Statement
"With the Magny-Cours round Pirelli closes out an important season, the ninth in a row as sole supplier of all the World Superbike Championship classes. But today was above all a day for the participants to celebrate, that is, the riders and the teams. Pirelli congratulates first and foremost Max Biaggi and the Aprilia Racing team who have achieved a splendid double win in a 3 year period in confirmation of the excellent work done by the entire team in the Championship these past few years. It would be impossible, however, not to mention Biaggi’s two fiercest rivals, Tom Sykes on his Kawasaki and Marco Melandri on his BMW, who contributed to making this year an exciting championship down to the last race. This was a Superbike Championship which was marked by an extremely battle between riders from various teams throughout the season. In fact, riders from five different motorcycle manufacturers placed in the top five, demonstrating the excellent work Pirelli has done in developing solutions which work well on different brand bikes.
Our compliments also go once again to Kenan Sofuoglu and the Kawasaki Lorenzini team for their win in World Supersport, as well as to Sylvain Barrier and Michael VD Mark for their respective victories in Superstock1000 FIM Cup and Superstock600 UEM European Championship.
Also, this year (as in 2011), Pirelli decided to provide incentive for our rising stars in European motorcycling who participate in the national Superstock 600 championships: this is why the Pirelli Superstock 600 Series was established last year, a Pirelli initiative which once again provided the most talented riders from the various European STK600 Championships with the opportunity to take part as wild cards in the last European Superstock 600 Championship race held here in France. The 3 riders who placed the highest in the race standings were Italian Franco Morbidelli who races in CIV, Brit Lee Jackson who races in British Superbike and Austrian Marco Nekvasil from IDM. These riders were awarded a memorial tag and also received a monetary price as an incentive for their growth and careers.
In closing, we are very satisfied with the work done this year in the factory derivative Championship and we are ready to take on the next season where we will be faced with a new challenge: the new 17 inch tyres which will replace the 16.5” format which have been used until now in the World Superbike Championship.” - Giorgio Barbier, Racing Director Pirelli Moto
|
|
Book Your Tour & Race 
