WORLD SUPERBIKES - 2010 PORTIMAO TEST DAY 3

WORLD SUPERBIKE Portimao, Sunday 24th January 2010
Jonathan Rea powered to the best time at the end of the three-day Infront Motor Sports official Superbike test session at Portimao in Portugal. The Northern Ireland youngster’s time of 1 minute 42.270 seconds was quicker even than Ben Spies’ 2009 pole mark for Yamaha. The battle between Rea and his fellow-Brit Leon Haslam, who had been quickest on day 1, continued right until the very end, the Suzuki Alstare man ending up three-tenths behind. British rider domination continued with Shane Byrne taking his private Althea Ducati 1098 to third place in the timesheets, and with Cal Crutchlow, one of Yamaha Sterilgarda’s two new 2010 signings, in fourth.

In the final stages, after most of the top riders had used their soft tyres normally reserved for Superpole, Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) found himself in fifth place with a time of 1’43.137 ahead of former double world champion James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda), who returns to Superbike after a gap of two seasons. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) was the only one of the leading runners not to go out on softer rubber and the Italian finished the test in seventh place with a time of 1’43.364, just ahead of 2009 runner-up Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), forced to slow with a technical problem during his quick lap.

JONATHAN REA

Jonathan Rea:
“This test was a lot of fun, we worked through everything methodically and we are in good shape to begin the season. We got most of the big things like suspension spec, linkage and swing-arm teed off so now we can go to Phillip Island and fine-tune our racing. To say we are ready to go racing at Phillip Island, we’re not sure about that, but the bike is ready and now I plan to put the next three or four weeks to good use with my trainer and hopefully I’ll be ready. We’re all excited about the prospect of racing for a world championship.”

Leon Haslam:
“It’s been a really positive test, we managed to test the Suzuki for the first time in the rain and intermediate conditions. We had a few issues at the end of the day but ended up second and I was really happy with that. Every test I’ve been to so far, this is our fourth, we’ve not been outside the top 2. Hopefully we can continue progressing and I can take it to Phillip Island. On the first day of the test, the track was in good condition and my lap times came easy, so I was looking forward to more of the same. But Day Two started wet and although that put-paid to some of our plans, it did allow us to work on finding a good wet set-up and that's what we did. Today, the track felt a bit slippery - probably because of yesterday's rain - and then the wind picked up in the afternoon so I couldn't really make any big improvement on my lap times. Also, I got baulked on my hot lap and lost some time and, if it had not have been for that, I may have just sneaked ahead of Jonathan.
But the important thing is that I am happy and the team are happy. We got through a lot of things and achieved everything we set out to do. The good work started the first time I rode bike, back in October, and since then we've just kept on improving and now I feel we are ready to race. This track is an excellent track for testing because it has got a bit of everything and it is also very demanding. I think if you can get a good set-up here - which we have done - it will be a good base for all the other tracks on the calendar. I am really happy with the whole team and I think we've got a great all-round package to challenge for the title.”

LEON CAMIER AND SHANE 'SHAKEY' BYRNE - PICTURES by EYBIS.COM

Shane Byrne:
“This is my third year riding the Ducati and I honestly thought I knew everything there was to know about these bikes, but this year Genesio (Bevilacqua, team owner) has put together a fantastic team and we have two very good bikes. I have a strong team-mate, everything about the team is very good, the bike is so different from last year, and we made some really good progress in three days. I wish the second day had been dry also, so we still have some more work to do now at Valencia and Phillip Island before the first race.”

The 2010 Superbike winter tests will conclude at Phillip Island the week before the start of the season at the same circuit in Australia on February 28th. In the next few days however several teams, including BMW, Aprilia and Ducati, will be heading to Valencia for some extra testing.

Times: 1. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'42.270; 2. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'42.557; 3. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'42.877; 4. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.960; 5. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'43.137; 6. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.157; 7. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'43.364; 8. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'43.417; 9. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1'43.471; 10. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'43.508; 11. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'43.629; 12. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'43.749; 13. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'43.931; 14. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.108; 15. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.365; 16. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'44.570

 
MAX NEUKIRCHNER - PICTURE by EYBIS.COM

JAMES TOSELAND

CHRIS VERMEULEN - PICTURE by EYBIS.COM

World Supersport
Eugene Laverty (Honda Team Parkalgar) finally made the breakthrough he had been looking for in the three-day World Supersport test at Portimao as he knocked Spain’s Joan Lascorz off the top slot towards the end of the final session. Last year’s championship runner-up lapped the Algarve circuit in 1 minute 45.104 seconds, a fraction quicker than Lascorz’s lap record, set last October. The circuit best lap of 1’44.836 remains in the hands of Laverty, with his 2009 pole time. The Irishman was the only one of the leading group to improve in the sixth session and he ended up a tenth quicker than Lascorz, who had dominated Friday and Saturday. Third place, with a time of 1’45.587, went to an impressive Michele Pirro, the Italian putting in some serious lap time on his new Hannspree Ten Kate Honda mount. Team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu was unable to take part in the test as the Turk will still require more recovery time for his fractured left ankle. Sixth place went to Chaz Davies on the Triumph 675 in 1’46.988, while on the same BE1 Racing machine American rookie Jason DiSalvo also eased his way into the picture with tenth quickest time of 1’47.054.

EUGENE LAVERTY

Kuja Racing Honda’s Paolo Cazzola, the first woman to take part full-time in the world championship, finished in a respectable 13th place on her debut.

Times: 1. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.104; 2. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'45.292; 3. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.587; 4. Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.834; 5. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'45.988; 6. Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 1'46.610; 7. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'46.836; 8. Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 1'47.054

AN ENCOURAGING FINISH FOR HAGA AND FABRIZIO (DUCATI XEROX)
Portimao (Portugal), Sunday 24th January 2010 – On the third and final day of Superbike testing at the Portuguese track, the Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio were finally able to get properly to work having been impeded over the last two days by both the heavy rain and, for Michel, influenza.

The asphalt had completely dried out by mid-morning and lap times started to tumble with Noriyuki and Michel able to clock up a decent number of fast laps during the first of the day’s two sessions. The riders made small set-up changes and tested the three rear solutions that Pirelli provided and by lunchtime the team-mates had powered their Ducati 1198 machines to 3rd (Noriyuki) and 4th (Michel) place.
The afternoon remained dry and the final two-hour session saw Noriyuki and Michel continuing to work with various rear tyre compounds in an attempt to maximize grip, but unfortunately the softer compounds didn’t bring the results that were hoped for.

Over the three-day testing period, consistently fast performances have come mainly from the “Brit-pack”, or rather Rea, Haslam, Byrne and Crutchlow and in the final list of timings over all three days, it was those four riders ahead of Michel with the fifth fastest time and Noriyuki with the eighth. Respectable performances were also given by Ducati privateers Team Althea Racing, with Shane Byrne and Carlos Checa riding their Ducati 1198 bikes to 3rd and 11th position respectively.

NORIYUKI HAGA

Noriyuki Haga:
“We got in a lot more track time today, and the weather held thankfully. This morning I had a fairly good feeling on my bike and was able to record some consistently fast laps but then in the afternoon, even though we didn’t make many changes between the sessions, I found it harder to improve. It seems like today was the day of the four cylinders! Having said this, these days were definitely useful after the long break over winter. We have worked well as a team and now we go straight on to Valencia to continue with the work.”

Michel Fabrizio:
“Today wasn’t an easy day, despite the fact that the weather stayed dry. I don’t know why but I just didn’t find the right feeling. We tried three different tyres and we also changed the clutch but I couldn’t really feel the differences in riding the bike. Maybe we needed more track time in order to solve the problem. I hoped to go faster but we’re remaining positive; we’ll see if we can make further improvements at Valencia this week.”

Sylvain Guintoli:
"We started these tests with a lot of work to look forward to and I am happy because we have done a lot of good work and we are now already a stage where I feel I can race this bike. In dry conditions, we found the best setting for the bike that suits me and one that makes me happy and comfortable. The wet was good because, once again, we found a good set-up and I was again able to feel comfortable and ride the bike easily. Today the track was not in such good condition and it also was quite windy in the afternoon. I didn't feel it had as much grip as the first day, but in the end it didn't matter so much because we achieved what we wanted to do and ended with very good feelings. I am very happy with the bike and the team and now all I want to do is start racing!"

Troy Corser:
"Obviously yesterday’s wet conditions didn’t do us too many favours, but at least we got to sort out a pretty good wet set-up. The loss of dry time yesterday and then the cold and damp track this morning didn’t allow us to do all the work we wanted to do, but I am pretty happy with what we did manage and the amount of progress we made. Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to try some new Ohlins forks, but we did try some different rear shocks and found some ideas that we can work on next time out.
The track didn’t feel so clean today and that, together with the strong wind this afternoon, was probably the reason I didn’t make a big improvement in my lap times. But, for me and the team, what was important here was that we started the the year in good shape and that the new people in the team got to know each other and work well together.
Having Davide (Tardozzi) in the team is an asset and we are also lucky that Max (Bartolini) has joined us as well. He was Michel Fabrizio’s race engineer and has heaps of experience and I’m sure that he and Davide will push the project forward considerably.
As I said yesterday, I am really happy with the engine and now I feel that we have to get the chassis or the set-up and balance of the bike working better and that will allow me to push much harder. I feel that there’s more there in the engine, but I can’t use it and that is a little frustrating. If we can fix that piece of the jigsaw Ruben and I would be able to go quite a bit quicker and that’d be great fun.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (4th, 1’42.9):
“it was frustrating to fall today, the track so was so slippery it was unavoidable, but it cost me some time on the track. Having said that we’ve had a really good test, we’ve worked through a lot of things and I think we’ve got closer to a good set-up for the first race. I’m really keen to get to Australia and start the next test before we kick-off racing.”

WORLD SUPERBIKES - 2010 PORTIMAO TEST DAY 2

WORLD SUPERBIKE Portimao, Saturday 23rd January 2010
Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) set the fastest time on the second day of official World Superbike pre-season testing at Portimao. On a day hit by bad weather and despite yesterday’s finger-damaging crash, the 22-year-old Northern Irishman made all the difference both on the wet track in the morning and in the afternoon’s damp session on intermediate tyres. Rea’s best lap today was 1 minute 49.108 seconds, about seven seconds off yesterday’s dry lap times. Behind Rea, second place went to Leon Haslam, who continues to settle into his Suzuki Alstare team after dominating yesterday. The surprise of the day however was Troy Corser, who took his BMW S1000RR to third with an excellent 1’49”606. Ruben Xaus also went well with seventh quickest time on the second BMW. Cal Crutchlow continued his familiarization process on the Yamaha Sterilgarda machine in fourth, ahead of Tom Sykes who went well in the wet on his Kawasaki. Max Biaggi could only manage ninth today on his Aprilia as he focused on engine reliability. Both Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio are currently slightly down the timesheets, the Italian still down with a virus and not exactly 100% fit.

CAL CRUTCHLOW

Overall Times (Friday/Saturday): 1. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'42.778; 2. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.960; 3. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'43.033; 4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'43.364; 5. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.378; 6. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'43.569; 7. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'43.574; 8. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'43.711; 9. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'43.870; 10. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'43.903; 11. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'44.283; 12. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.365; 13. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'44.376; 14. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.453; 15. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'44.570; 16. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.576; 17. Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.751; 18. Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.444; 19. Fores J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'47.293; 20. Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'48.317.

World Supersport
Michele Pirro continues to make a positive impression on his new Hannspree Ten Kate Honda mount, the Italian powering to the quickest time in day 2 of Supersport testing. Pirro set a time of 1 minute 47.168 seconds on the damp track, four-tenths quicker than Spain’s Joan Lascorz, who was quickest in the dry on Friday. The Kawasaki Motocard.com man had a harmless crash in the early stages and failed to improve on a 1’47”527. Eugene Laverty, who topped the timesheets in the wet morning run, then slipped down to third, followed by his team-mate Miguel Praia. Italian Paola Cazzola, a new face in Supersport this year, made some improvement to twelfth, one place behind the rookie American Jason DiSalvo (Triumph).

Overall Times (Friday/Saturday): 1. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'45.292; 2. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.587; 3. Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.834; 4. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.909; 5. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'45.988; 6. Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 1'46.610: 7. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'47.164; 8. Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 1'47.500

Noriyuki Haga
“The weather impeded us today. In the morning we didn’t ride as it was too wet and then in the afternoon, even though it had stopped raining, some sections of the track remained wet meaning we couldn’t make any fast laps. With regard to what we tested, to be honest we were just working with different tyres today; there’s still work to do so we hope it stays dry tomorrow.”

Michel Fabrizio
“Physically I feel a lot better than I did yesterday but we decided to not go out this morning as it was just raining too hard. In the afternoon the track was still wet of course but at least it had stopped raining allowing us to get back to work. Today we spent time testing a new clutch, and we saw some positive results in the end; just that, in concentrating on that, we then didn’t have enough time left at the end to get some fast laps in.”

Troy Corser
"Today was a difficult day and we weren’t able to carry out our planned schedule, but we still managed to do a lot of good work and get a lot of info. It was a shame that we didn’t get any dry track time today, but we found some good ideas in the damp conditions and, funnily enough, if you can get a good wet set-up, it is easier then to find a good dry set-up, so I’m happy how things worked out.
Portimao is a very good track for testing because it has many changes of elevation, some blind corners and I reckon it’s got to be one of the best tracks for testing. It was also good to start the year here also because the last time we raced was also here, so we were able to make good comparisons. And what I can say is that the bike is quite a bit better now then it was in the race weekend at the end of October. For me, the engine is now very good and the smoother throttle response makes the bike much easier to ride. Of course, there are still areas that we have to work on, but now I really feel that I can race this bike. Each time we go out, we are making progress but, unlike last year, here we are starting from a much better base. Hopefully it will be dry tomorrow, because we have some new Ohlins forks and rear shocks to try and we can only do that if the conditions are good. Like Ruben I now look forward to every time I go out on the bike not only because I know that we are improving, but also because we have a much better idea of how to improve even further. "

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (4th, 1’50.1)
“It wasn’t so bad today, it dried up in the end. It was a bit of a last minute thing to get a good time in. In the end we only had two laps on intermediate tyres. We got through some more electronics today but we still have some work to do on chassis and other electronics tomorrow.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (15th, 1’55.4)
“It was one of those situations today, we had the last ten minutes getting to grips with intermediate tyres, I was getting up to speed as the last session ended. It’s a bit of a risk to get a good time in the wet on those tyres. It’s looking good for tomorrow though so we’re looking forward to some more dry time. Having said that it’s been good to get out on rain tyres and ride in the damp to experience how the bike behaved.”

WORLD SUPERBIKES - 2010 PORTIMAO TEST DAY 1

WORLD SUPERBIKE Portimao, Friday 22nd January 2010
Three British riders powered to the front in the first day of the official Superbike test at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. Leon Haslam was the man most in form as the Suzuki Alstare rider went quickest both in the morning and the afternoon, ending the day on the 1 minute 42.778 second mark, just three-tenths off Ben Spies’ 2009 outright circuit best lap. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda) continued to ease his way into the top category in last year’s title winning team, and he was a fraction behind in second place, while Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) damaged his little finger in the morning run, but bounced back on form to take the third slot.

LEON HASLAM CHATTING WITH DAD "ROCKET" RON - PICTURE by EYBIS.COM

Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) failed to improve in the afternoon, but nevertheless ended the day in fourth, a whisker ahead of James Toseland, who has returned to race for Yamaha Sterilgarda this year. Shane Byrne (Althea Racing) continued the British flavour at the top with sixth fastest time. For the moment the Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio are slightly off the pace in seventh and eighth place respectively, while new entrant, American Roger Lee Hayden eased his way into the World Superbike scene for the Kawasaki Pedercini team.

Times: 1. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'42.778; 2. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.960; 3. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'43.033; 4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'43.364; 5. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.378; 6. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'43.569; 7. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'43.574; 8. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'43.711; 9. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'43.870; 10. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'43.903; 11. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'44.283; 12. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.365; 13. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'44.376; 14. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.453; 15. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'44.570; 16. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.576

THE LANKY FORM OF LEON CAMIER - PICTURE by EYBIS.COM

World Supersport
Spanish rider Joan Lascorz dominated the first day of Supersport action at Portimao, the Kawasaki Motocard.com rider going quickest in both sessions after 180 minutes of testing. His time of 1’45”470 was just three-tenths away off the circuit record he set in last October’s race. But the rider of the day was Michele Pirro, who took his Honda Ten Kate to second place on his debut with the team, just a fraction off the leader’s pace. A major improvement was recorded by Jason DiSalvo, the American rider making his World Supersport debut on the Triumph (tenth) while Paola Cazzola propped up the charts with 14th time on the Honda Kuja.

Times: 1. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'45.292; 2. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.587; 3. Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.834; 4. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.909; 5. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'45.988; 6. Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 1'46.610; 7. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'47.164; 8. Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 1'47.500


THE DUCATI XEROX TEAM
In the morning, and in ambient conditions (air temperature of 17°C, track 21°C), both Nori and Michel were straight out on track and, working with last year’s post-race test settings as a starting point, made constant improvements during the two-hour session. Unfortunately for Michel, a virus that had already made its presence felt in the last couple of days took hold and he was taken sick towards the end.
In the early afternoon, Michel felt well enough to go back on track but the undulating track surface only exasperated his nausea and so the team was unable to complete all of what was planned for today, cutting Michel’s afternoon session slightly short in the hope that he will have chance to recuperate before tomorrow. Noriyuki meanwhile had a very productive day and worked with his team to improve settings, both suspension and mapping, concluding today’s testing with the seventh fastest time overall, with Michel just behind him in eighth.

DUCATI FORMATION FLYING

Noriyuki Haga
“We have made a positive start today and I’m definitely feeling better than I did the last time I was here! We have made various modifications to suspension and mapping settings throughout the day and we will continue to work on those areas tomorrow. Rain is forecast for tomorrow I think so we will see how that affects things. I’m getting on very well with my “new look” team and feel very much at ease; it’s very easy to communicate with Luca, my race engineer. So I am feeling fairly confident and hope we can move forward over the weekend.”

Michel Fabrizio
“It’s a shame I don’t feel totally in shape today but there’s nothing we can do about it. I did my best throughout this morning and managed to make some improvement, but I just felt more and more sick during the afternoon, this is a particularly undulating track which doesn’t help matters. Anyway the Clinica Mobile are helping me, and I hope to be in better shape tomorrow in order to have two much more productive days tomorrow and Sunday.”

YAMAHA STERILGARDA
Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (2nd, 1’42.9)
“It wasn’t so bad for the first day. We’re still trying to get comfortable on the bike as we progress but we’re getting there. I’m working away at it and I think the times were good enough. To still be working out our settings and have good times near the top of the board is very satisfying.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (5th, 1’43.3)
“I think I ended up in fifth at the end of the day but only about half a second separates me from first. I’m pretty pleased, we’ve been trying a lot out on the bike and it’s been a really productive day. We’ve tested a lot of things and eliminated a few. I’m hoping the weather holds for out tomorrow but rain is forecast. Having said that, I’ve not ridden this bike in the rain yet so I’m happy for it to rain tomorrow and then be dry on Sunday so we’re testing in all conditions.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO MACO MOTO's  MARTIN 'MACO' KUZMA AND Denisa Grešková

JUST MARRIED!

"I can tell you that this was DAY OF MY LIFE perfect and great - before we won lottery in Vegas and after 2 hours I became a wife.... what luck!!!! And there was a Shelby race in Las Vegas Speedway so also this we visit just before our BIG MOMENT.... great feelings!"

EVEN THE GODS ARE HUMAN

FINALLY, the one we've all been waiting for these many years. Under the rare heading of "VIDEOS THEY'D RATHER FORGET",
here's VINCENT PHILIPPE

WE'VE SAID IT BEFORE...BUT 2010 LOOKS LIKE BEING THE MOST COMPETITIVE EVER!

World Endurance Champions Yamaha Austria are shortly off to start testing for the new season with Gwen Giabbani taking on all the initial testing duties - with Steve Martin in Australia - budgets are still very tight - and Igor Jerman off skiing, working on his personal fitness. The line-up for 2010 is one of the most impressive in years. GMT94 is back and with a larger budget available without World Superbike commitments, they will for the first time, have a Junior team up and running. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team have been the benchmark for years and much of the fans betting money will be on them - but they will be carrying the No.2 plate, with YART, as the World Champions, running the coveted No.1. SERT rider Vincent Philippe will be going all out to help re-establish the teams authority.

As for the No.7, that number won't be allocated this year...

BMW No.17

Then there's BMW with the No.17, a real threat this year and one that stands a chance of stealing the Championship in it's first year with the new bike. BMW will also be contesting the Stocksport category with Rico Penzkofer's Team Penz13.com No.13 fielding Steve Mizera and Joao Fernandez on their S1000RR. It's looking like the top Spanish team, Folch Endurance, running the No.4, will have Pedro Valcaneras on board along with (possibly) Daniel Ribalta moving from the Maco Moto team, a tough team line-up and with everybody in the team speaking Spanish, it'll be another tight-knit and very strong contender. On top of this, there's the Michelin Power Honda Team No.63, GSR Team Kawasaki France No.11, Maco Moto No.14 and Bolliger Kawasaki No.8 and, of course, British privateers Phase One, on the No.3 plate.

And don't forget the Qatar Endurance Racing Team, QERT - it's rumoured that Alex Cudlin will be starting with them this year and they've learned loads...

A full rider list as soon as it arrives...

But...don't forget that the World Motorcycle Endurance Championship is STILL the only World Championship to continue TYRE WARS! The big four manufacturers will be demanding the very best from their chosen team and the backup they will be providing is sure to be impressive. So...let's have a quick look at who is on what rubber...

BRIDGESTONE...GMT94 (David Checa, Grégorio Lavilla and Kenny Foray)
MICHELIN...Yamaha Austria No.1 (Gwen Giabbani, Igor Jerman, Steve Martin), Power Honda No.63, BMW No.17(Erwan Nigon, Matthieu Lagrive, Sebastien Gimbert)
DUNLOP...SERT No.2 (Guillaume Dietrich, Vincent Philippe, Freddy Foray), GSR No.11 Kawasaki (Julien Da Costa, Olivier Four, Grégory Le Blanc), Folch No.4, Maco Moto No.14 (Jason Pridmore), Phase One No.3
PIRELLI...Bolliger No.8 (Horst Saiger), Penz13.com (Rico Penzkofer, Steve Mizera, Joao Fernandez))

The tyre manufacturers war will be just as hard-fought as the teams battles...Michelin want to beat Bridgestone in ALL conditions this year, it's that personal!

With only five rounds this year (four of which will also feature the new electric bike "e-Power International Championship"), teams can afford absolutely NO mistakes this year. The field is so tight at the top, there will be absolutely no shame for even finishing as far down as 5th...

NEW DECADE - SAME OLD PROBLEMS

So...no change with World Endurance, still with the FIM doing race coverage that nobody sees, that will help raise sponsorship, won't it? That's "sarcasm", by the way. Teams are gradually restructuring to deal with even more financial constraints - but a year off for many teams has seen some pretty good work in this restructuring with the promise of the majority, if not all, of the traditional top teams to compete in 2010...Christophe Guyot and GMT94 even have their own "junior" team for 2010! The only one missing, again, is a serious presence from Honda.

It's been a tough year for Race Corporation as well, with just the visit to Le Mans within the budget in 2009...by "budget", I mean paid-for work. Yes, I'd love to get to all races but, let's face it, that is totally unfeasible for anybody without sponsorship or deep pockets. Mo indication yet of what is available for 2010 but I am confident that I'll be at Le Mans again for the start of the season, where Yamaha Austria are hoping to have a Facebook Party with their FB fans...whatever happens from their once again depends on the possibility of TV coverage.

Still, despite it all, I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO GET STARTED!...oh yes, I'll update the 2010 calendars and entry lists as soon as I can...

FACEBOOK WORLD ENDURANCE LINKS

There's a link for fans who want to make the party at Le Mans this year bigger than ever and get together everybody who has always wanted to go but not managed it yet via Facebook HERE
Then there's the Michelin Power Research Team, Yamaha Austria, GMT94 Senior and Junior teams.

FREDDY FORAY NOW AT SERT

NOW AVAILABLE - YAMAHA MOTOR JAPAN LAUNCHES YART REPLICA

...contact Mandy Kainz for official sponsor "SEXMAGAZIN" stickers...!

WONDERED WHERE FORMER DUCATI TEAM MANAGER DAVIDE TARDOZZI HAS GONE?

BMW Motorrad Motorsport is restructuring its team management in the Superbike World Championship. Davide Tardozzi (50) has been appointed to a senior position at Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport with immediate effect. The Italian will head up team management and operational control at the race tracks in the Superbike World Championship. Up to now, Rainer Bäumel (43) has been responsible for engineering, team management and team organisation in his capacity as BMW Motorrad Motorsport Project Manager in the Superbike World Championship. Bäumel will continue as Head of Project Management and Project Management Engineering.

The collaboration between BMW Motorrad Motorsport and Tardozzi is part of a package of measures aimed at optimising the competitiveness of BMW Motorrad Motorsport in the Superbike World Championship. In his role as Team Manager, Tardozzi will look after the operational management of the team at races and tests, act as an interface between the team and the promoters and organisers of the Superbike World Championship, and provide a link to suppliers.

“I am delighted finally to be able to announce our partnership with Davide Tardozzi,” said BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Berthold Hauser. “The new structure ensures that the team will be well set up for the future. Team management and team organisation are important areas in which we can see further potential for improvement. The key here is to approach every situation in a structured and target-led way. This applies to both general processes and tactical decisions with a direct influence over performance. With his many years of experience in the sport, Davide will play a decisive role here. At the same time, the restructuring will allow Rainer Bäumel to fully focus on the core areas of overall project management and engineering.”

Tardozzi said: “I imagine a lot of people will be surprised to hear of my decision to join BMW. However, for me the decision was simple. I had offers from MotoGP, but my heart is in the Superbike World Championship and I feel at home here. BMW Motorrad Motorsport is a young and hungry team, and that gives me the challenge I have been looking for. I’m looking forward to working behind the scenes to the benefit of the team. I know that I can fulfil this role at BMW. Of course, already knowing our riders Troy and Ruben well makes my job easier. 2010 will be a tough year, as there are many good riders and teams in the Superbike World Championship. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that BMW can take a big step forward over the coming year.”

Tardozzi rode in motorcycle races himself from 1984 to 1992. In his first two seasons he competed in the 250 cc World Championship and later moved to the Superbike class. He finished third in the 1988 Superbike World Championship after racking up five race wins, and in 1991 he secured the European Superbike Championship title. Tardozzi has remained involved – and continued to enjoy success – in motorcycle racing since bringing the curtain down on his career as a rider. Since 1995, as a team principal, he has won a total of nine manufacturers’ titles and eight riders’ titles in the Superbike World Championship.

AS FOR DUCATI...

Just a few days before the 2010 Superbike season officially gets going with testing at Portimao from 22nd January, the Ducati Xerox Team confirms that it has undergone some significant internal reorganization. With Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio both back on board their Ducati 1198s for 2010, a series of structural changes within Ducati have allowed for a certain degree of reorganization within the Ducati Xerox team.

Ernesto Marinelli is the newly appointed Ducati Xerox Team manager, and so stepping into Marinelli’s shoes as technical manager of the squad is Marco Lozej who will also have the role of track engineer for Michel Fabrizio. With Ducati since 2000, Marco has most recently been responsible for the GP development team. Japanese rider Haga also has a new track engineer in the shape of Luca Ferraccioli, who returns to the Borgo-Panigale factory after a four year stint as race engineer with the British GSE Racing outfit. Working alongside Luca, in the role of electronics engineer to Noriyuki, will be Marco Frigerio who moves from the factory MotoGP team to the Superbike side for the coming season. The final change on Haga’s side is the appointment of a new tyre technician, Massimo Meneghin.

The final addition to the “new-look” team is Una Conway, Irish and in Italy for more than a decade, who comes on board as Team Coordinator and Hospitality Assistant. “2010 will be a little different but I am extremely confident as well as optimistic”, commented Ernesto Marinelli, the Ducati Xerox Team Manager. “Despite the important reorganization within the team, in reality most of the new members have already been working in Ducati for some time. Both Marco Lozej and Luca Ferraccioli have worked in Ducati for years and have a wealth of experience as well as great technical ability and personality. 2010 once again represents a new challenge - we have faced many over the years and in most cases we have come out victorious. We will be doing our very best to take another title this year; our riders are in great shape and the entire team is more motivated than ever. We’re all impatient to get back on track and are looking forward to the Portimao test.”