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JUNE 2007 DAMIAN "DEMON" ROWLEY IS A VIRGIN... sponsored rider..."Hi everyone! With the long 11-week break between rounds 2 and 3 the team have been working hard getting ready for rounds 3 and 4. There has been lots of work behind the scenes to prepare the second of the 2007 R1’s before we fly to Japan for the famous Suzuka 8 hour, then 10 days later we’ll be back to Germany for round 4 the Oschersleben 24hour. Among the many jobs is the fuelling system that plagued us in Spain. All the filler caps and fuelling rig are to be replaced. Also the gearbox problems have been resolved with a new engine for the 07 bike. This will be my first visit to Suzuka, it’ll be one of the hardest races I’ve ever done - with searing heat and crippling humidity. We’ll be competing against World/British Superbike and Moto GP stars. To name just a few - World Superbike Champion James Toseland, Moto GP Champion Nicky Haydon, Carlos Checa and British Superbike rider Johnny Rea. With the prospect of only 20 WEC teams traveling to Japan, we are hoping to kick-start our season with some very important points. The biggest news
for me is that I have Virgin Atlantic Airways supporting me for the rest of the
2007 season. That’s all for now, YAMAHA AUSTRIA AT SUZUKA Rumours abound that former DFX rider Steve Martin will join Yamaha Austria and the famous No.7 R1 for the assault on the Suzuka 8 Hour race on July 29th, probably alongside the massively experienced Igor Jerman. After Steve's humiliating experience with the World Superbike DFX team,he's hoping to recapture the kind of form that took him to 3 Superpoles and 5 podiums in WSB on 2004 - but he'll need to adjust to an Endurance-spec machine after the light and flighty Superbikes from the World scene - that said, he'll be on a far more developed and arguably much faster bike than the Honda he was suffering with at DFX.
Let's hope he gets as many laps on the bike as possible before Suzuka...he'll NEED to adjust to something that has to fit two different riders...and I hope he remembers how tough Suzuka is in July...but it's a great chance to make the world aware of just how much of a class racer he is! DAMO CULIN BACK TO WINNING WAYS Aussie Damian Cudlin took to the Hungarian Circuit of Pannoniaring on the weekend to compete in a round of the German R1 Cup Series, in an attempt to keep sharp for the seasons up coming races in the World Endurance Championship. Using a ‘Demonstration’ standard R1 road bike, kindly donated by YART boss Mandy Kainz‘s bike shop, Cudlin rode his way to pole position followed by two dominant race victories. Cudlin stunned onlookers as he prepped his machine by simply removing mirrors and side stand, fitting an Ohlins race shock and slick tyres, before setting pole position in final qualifying.
“I wanted the chance to get a bit of
riding in, as it’s a big gap until my next race in Suzuka, so with the help of
Klein Motorcycles and the use of their R1, along with the OBI Project Team guys,
I decided to take this stock R1 and go racing. I wasn’t expecting it to be as
competitive as it was. Neither was anybody else - but it just shows how good
these Yamaha R1’s are in stock trim. With some simple tweaks you can get them
going really hard, and I was wrapped to win both races on one. It was a good
weekend.”
EUROSPORT BENELUX MUTTERINGS Well, the argument about how Team Eurosport Benelux are promoting themselves in the World Endurance Championship seems to be hotting up. With an "ingenious" interpretation of the rules, a tie-up with the non-permanent but supremely capable FCC-TSR team means that any points gained at World Endurance events this season would go to Rob van Eijs and his permanent team. On top of that, the financial help provided to permanent teams by the FIM would be helping out a non-permanent team at Suzuka. There are mutterings about this on the World Endurance message boards with some teams feeling that this is not quite in the spirit of the Championship. From the Team Eurosport Benelux team perspective, extremely limited sponsorship and the lack of a home endurance round (Assen or Spa) left them needing fresh ideas to continue in the Championship. The Innodron tie-up seemed to be a great idea but, at Le Mans, the team found out that they had been delivered very sub-standard bikes, having to abandon the race after only 31 laps. The chance to improve their fortunes with a partnership with the FCC-TSR team seemed like a godsend. EUROSPORT BENELUX AND FCC-TSR PRESS RELEASE F.C.C. TSR EUROSPORT BENELUX NEW BORN TEAM WITH COLLABORATION BETWEEN JAPAN AND EUROPE WITH HUGE POSSIBILITY TO WORLD WIDE NETWORK INFORMATION F.C.C TSR had participated 6 hours Endurance race of Albacete (Spain) which is one of the race of World Endurance Championship held on beginning of May 2007, and scored the points finishing with the 6th position for the first time ever entry. The team had marked the 4th position in the qualifying session, but Tsujimura had marked surprisingly 2nd fastest lap time overall, and through all the achievements of the weekend, F.C.C TSR had been remarked in the world. With this achievement, F.C.C. TSR had been evaluated equivalent as the permanent entrants of World Endurance Championship, and had got a chance to collaborate with one of the European permanent entrant of World Endurance Championship. F.C.C TSR is pleased to announce the new collaboration team between Japan and Europe "F.C.C.TSR Eurosport Benelux". The team that F.C.C. TSR had collaborated with is one of the permanent entrant of World Endurance Championship "EWC EUROSPORT BENELUX" from Rob van Eijs and sponsored by Eurosport, most well known satellite sports channel in Europe. As it's already known, F.C.C TSR had been succeeding with Suzuka 8 hours Endurance race of the media collaboration with ZIP-FM, one of the radio station in Japan, and through this new collaboration with Eurosport, F.C.C TSR expects more success with the media all over the world. Not only media activities, but F.C.C TSR would be able to spread the information of our racing activities all over the world through the racing activities with our original produced bikes, and sell them on our networks, and this should make a very unique motorcycle racing team. This collaboration would be the new trial for F.C.C TSR after 10 years experience of World GP and we are proud and pleased to announce it. F.C.C TSR Eurosport Benelux looks forward to create the new world wide network service of road racing.
F.C.C. TSR had determined making 2 entries for "Coca-Cola Zero Suzuka 8 hours Endurance race, 30th anniversary" for achieving the 2nd time victory in a row. Last year winner #778 "F.C.C TSR ZIP FM Racing Team" will stay with the same package like 2006 with Takeshi Tsujimura and Shinichi Ito, and the another entry will be #5 "F.C.C. TSR Eurosport Benelux" with Satoru Iwata who participates All Japan Championship ST600 with F.C.C. TSR, with Yoshiyuki Sugai who had participated Albacete 6 hours Endurance race pairing with Takeshi Tsujimura, and 3rd rider would be ex Endurance Champion 2001, Heinz Platacis. F.C.C TSR would try the best again for Suzuka 8 hours Endurance race. RIDERS UP FOR IT - KTM'S STU WILSON AND "THE SHERIFF"... It's expected halfway through the year, the "swings and roundabouts" syndrome has started up again. Currently lying 10th in the British KTM Superduke 990 Battle, Stu Wilson is on the lookout for a ride at Oschersleben - he'll be there anyway for the weekend so if you have a need, just remember he'll be there...and I have heard that Andi Notman may be looking at pastures new and is available for Suzuka and the rest of the season, though he hasn't fallen out with Suzuki Sweden and is still doing testing duties with them. SENIOR TT - RECORD-BREAKING FINAL RACE MARRED BY SERIOUS CRASH John McGuinness stunned fans in the Senior TT by becoming the first man to break the magical 130mph barrier, leading the race from start to finish. A second lap speed of 130.354mph saw the HM Plant Honda ridertake the laprecord and post his 13th victory. Repeating Monday’s Bennetts TT Superbike race, Guy Martin and Ian Hutchinson again took second and third. Steve Plater’s brilliant debut week continued with seventh place and a lap of 125.808mph confirming his place as the fastest ever newcomer in the history of the event. As the race got underway Steve was on it from the start and had slotted into ninth place at Ramsey and up to eighth by the time they reached the Bungalow. He remained in eighth position all the way through to lap five when he reeled in Michael Rutter on time to secure seventh place. He looked really impressive at Ramsey and had the lines off to a tee, taking the same smooth route around the hairpin on each of the six laps to hold seventh place to the chequered flag after a gruelling one hour, one minute and 22 seconds in the saddle.
“That was a good race. I put in some good times and got faster with each lap. I have had a really good TT and my lap times from the first practise night to the final race had improved dramatically so I am happy with that. But its not all down to me, I have a fantastic team behind me and they all have vast experience at the TT and that has helped me tremendously. I have to thank everyone at the Optoma Loans Yamaha team and team principal Alistair Flanagan for giving me the opportunity to ride at the TT this year. To pick up four silver replicas at my first attempt is amazing.” The Senior TT brings racing to a close but there is no respite for Steve who travels straight to France where he will be testing at Magny Cours next week with the World Endurance Team Kawasaki France before heading over to Mondello Park in Ireland for the sixth round of the 2007 Bennetts British Superbike championship on June 17 The final day was marred by an incident at the 26th Milestone. Marc Ramsbotham, 34, from Norfolk, died from injuries sustained in the Senior race on Friday 8th June 2007. He was involved in an incident at the 26th Milestone on the mountain (it's called Joeys and it's between the Gooseneck and Guthries) and was confirmed dead at the scene. The incident also involved four other people. One spectator was also confirmed dead at the scene. Another spectator was confirmed dead after admission at Nobles hospital. Two further people were also involved in the incident and have sustained injuries. MOTOCROSS LOSES ONE OF THE "TEAM GREEN" STALWARTS...
ALEX (Alexander Kenneth Josef) Cudlin - NEW WEBSITE He's leaner, he's meaner, he's faster...and he rides the devil. As a potential sponsor, what more could you ask for? A better website you say? No problem - it's HERE TT UPDATE Conditions were fine but overcast as the minutes counted down to
the start of the opening race of the Centenary TT, the Bennetts Superbike TT on
Saturday 2nd June. With five minutes before the scheduled start at 12:00noon,
the organisers announced a 30-minutes delay, due to some oil on the road at the
Bungalow. With ten-minutes before the scheduled off, the Clerk of the Course,
Neil Hanson announced that due to the delay and with the weather conditions
deteriorating, the Saturday race schedule is abandoned. SUPERBIKE: Steve took the first lap at a steady pace being 20th fastest
rider but upped his game as he grew in confidence and was clocked through the
speed trap at Sulby as third fastest rider with a speed of 185.4mph on lap two.
Then came the fuel stop at the end of lap two with the Optoma Yamaha pit crew
pulling out all the stops to get the bike refuelled and set Steve back on his
way around the course. Lap three saw Steve move up into 13th place and progress
to 10th at the end of the fourth lap after a further stop for fuel. The final
two laps went well for Steve who was recorded doing a speed of 187.5mph through
the Sulby speed trap on lap five and then posting his fastest lap of the race on
lap six with an average speed of 123.141mph over the 37.73 miles. Lap two saw Steve gain further places to return to the pits for refuelling in 13th position. The pit crew pulled out all the stops to get Steve back on the road having refuelled and cleaned the screen in double quick time. On passing the grandstand to start his last lap Steve was lying in 10th place and put in his fastest lap of the race on the final circuit being fourth fastest rider through the speed trap at Sulby with a time of 165.300mph. He was running at the same pace and alongside Scottish rider Keith Amor who like Steve is a newcomer to the TT course. Throughout the final lap the pair were embroiled in a tremendous battle on the road, although Steve was running well ahead on time. As they crossed the finish line more or less together Steve was delighted to find he had secured eighth place and a silver replica as well as posting his fastest lap of the race with a scorching time of 18m 25.74 seconds – 122.84mph. “That’s better, much better than 15th on the Superstock bike yesterday. I was having a bit of fun with Keith Amor on that last lap and it was brilliant, really enjoyable. I was pushing a bit harder on the first lap this time, I was a bit annoyed at myself in the Superbike race as I wasn’t too comfy on the bike and didn’t really try to hard on the first lap. But I set my stall out right from the start this time and it paid off. I am well happy with this result, its another top ten and I am really happy for the Optoma Yamaha team and the pit crew who did another fantastic job for me.” Steve rode to a strong 15th place in the Superstock race on Tuesday to finish as second fastest newcomer behind fellow county rider Gary Johnson. At the end of the first lap Steve was placed at 23rd but made up time during the second lap and was 16th fastest rider when he came in for a fuel stop. He had clocked up the fifth fastest speed through the Sulby speed trap with a flyer at 177.1mph and made it up to 15th on the final lap. “I am happy with that result, I now have another silver trophy to add to the one I picked up last night for the Superbike race. As a newcomer to the Island races I didn’t expect too much but I have exceeded my expectations so far and improved my lap times with each passing lap in this race today.” After three of his four races on the island Steve has picked up a silver trophy each time and will be looking to add to his haul of silverware with another good result from the final race of the week, the blue ribbon Senior TT to be run over six laps of the TT course on Friday with a scheduled start time of 10.45am.
PLATER FASTEST I.O.M. NEWCOMER IN HISTORY Steve Plater made history on Thursday evening 31st May when he
clocked up the fastest ever lap of the TT course by a newcomer in the evening
practise session on the Optoma Loans Yamaha R1 Superbike with a scorching lap
time of 18 minutes, 38.99 seconds – 121.384mph, which puts him 16th overall.
Steve is also currently holding the top newcomer position in the Superstock
class after completing two laps of the 37.73 mile public road course on the
Superstock machine in 19m 07.18s – 118.402mph. He rounded off the evening’s
practise with a lap on the Supersport 600cc bike as second fastest newcomer with
a lap of 19m 33.35s – 115.761mph. I didn’t push too hard but was trying
to concentrate on the section between Ginger Hall and Ramsey where the surface
is very rough. The bike felt really smooth and I was much more comfortable as it
was behaving much better, making it easier to complete a good, flowing lap. I
rounded off the evening’s practise with a lap on the Supersport bike trying out
a slightly different chassis setting. It did feel better but I am still not 100%
happy with it. I am not too worried about lapping faster at the moment, I need
to be a little more accurate in places and be able to hold the throttle wide
open through the roughest sections of the course. On my return to the pits
everyone was very excited and I was told I had managed to put in the fastest
ever lap time for a newcomer in the Superbike class.”
STEVE PLATER TACKLES ISLE OF MAN QUALIFYING Saturday 26th May saw Steve, from Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire,
lead the TT newcomers off on a controlled speed lap behind the travelling
marshal and after that he rode the AIM Yamaha around at his own pace to begin
his familiarisation of the 37.73-mile public roads course that winds around the
Island, through towns and villages, and over the heights of Snaefell Mountain.
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