andreabunker2: April 2012

Monday, April 30, 2012

WSBK: Phillip Island: Yamaha Saturday report

Yamaha World Superbike Team riders Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri experienced their first ever Superpole shoot-out this afternoon at the Phillip Island International circuit in Australia. The adrenalin fuelled short 'qualifying heats' quickly sort the fastest riders from the pack to decide the grid line up for Sunday's two World Superbike races, the first of the 2011 season. Laverty continued to display the consistent form fans have seen since he first jumped on the Yamaha R1 race bike, flying through the first, second and third Superpole heats in fifth place, earning himself a second row start for his first ever World Superbike race tomorrow. Teammate and fellow World Superbike Superpole rookie Melandri was enjoying a much better day than yesterday. The Italian rider had clearly improved his set up from the day before, although was experiencing the stickier Superpole qualifier tyres for the first time this afternoon. Melandri cleared the first session in 11th place, then hung on in the second in eighth to make it through to the final session. Having used all his qualifiers in the first two sessions he couldn't improve on his time but held on for a second row start for what is also his first ever World Superbike race.

Eugene Laverty, Yamaha World Superbike Team 5th, 1'31.858

"So far so good! I've really been enjoying the weekend so far; everything seems to be running really smoothly. We're still working on our set up for race distance but for the faster laps in qualifying it seems to have worked well. Superpole was a new experience for me, the qualifying tyres require quite a different style of riding so I think I'm yet to get the best out of them. Bring on tomorrow, I'm ready and really excited about seeing what we can do, I just hope it doesn't rain!" Eugene Laverty

Marco Melandri, Yamaha World Superbike Team 8th, 1'32.662

"Yesterday was a bad day for me, today was better but still difficult! The Superpole event was new for me, so I'm happy to be on the second row at the end. I really like it, it's like having three times qualifying so it's pretty nice. It was pretty tough initially as I've never tried the qualifying tyres before, so I had no time to get used to the way they feel. I'm more confident for the races now so we will see what happens tomorrow."

Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager - Andrea Dosoli

"I'm happy considering both riders are rookies and they managed to get through to the final Superpole on their first attempt. Eugene continues to confirm what he showed in the past and more. Only two months ago Marco had a shoulder operation and even now is not 100% fit so his performance today was impressive. For our first race it's ok to start from the second row. We are still working to find the best set up for both riders as the race will be very demanding on tyres so the key point will be how to save them. We need a quick start off the line, then it's up to both Eugene and Marco to enjoy the race. It looks like it might rain tomorrow, which will obviously be difficult as we have limited wet set up knowledge here, I believe both riders, and especially Marco, can be strong in the wet so we'll see!"

Yamaha ParkinGO Team Line Up on the Second Row at Phillip Island

Yamaha ParkinGO rider Luca Scassa got down to work today with a new bike set up and quickly took steps forward to improve from the first qualifying session. The Italian moved up the provisional grid, gaining over half a second on yesterday's performance to take a well earned fifth place start on the second row for tomorrow's first World Supersport race of the 2011 season. Scassa completed a number of laps in the low 1.35's, hinting at a good race pace for tomorrow.

Scassa's teammate Chas Davies was unable to improve on yesterday's performance in the first qualifying session, the young Brit struggling to make another step but hanging in to keep a second row start on the grid in eighth for tomorrow's race. Unpredictable weather and a forecast for rain could make the opening round tomorrow an unpredictable one for all riders in the class.

-source: yamaha

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/wsbk/news/phillip-island-yamaha-saturday-report/

Reg Armstrong Arciso Artesiani Sandro Artusi Javier Arumi Sadao Asami

F1: 'B' Ferrari not ready yet - reports

Apr.30 (GMM) Ferrari will not run all of its planned car improvements at the Mugello test this week.

Ferrari F2012 pushed to scrutineering by mechanics

Photo by: xpb.cc

"My information is that the new single seater is not ready," reported Livio Oricchio, the correspondent for O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper.

There has been speculation that, following Ferrari's troubled start to the new championship with its F2012 car, the changes for the forthcoming Barcelona race will be so sweeping that it might be called a "B" version.

But technical director Pat Fry reportedly told Oricchio that Ferrari designers are "staying with the (current) front suspension"; a reference to the Maranello based team's innovative use of pullrod technology this year.

And the well-informed journalist Dimitris Papadopoulos adds that, even though the Mugello-spec Ferrari will have a new nose, sidepods and wings, "there will be no new chassis".

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/b-ferrari-not-ready-yet-reports/

Christian Boudinot Roy Boughey† Dennis Boulom Christian Bourgeois Philippe Bouzanne

F1: Ecclestone to marry Fabiana Flosi

Apr.27 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone is getting married again.

Fabiana Flosi, girlfriend of Bernie Ecclestone

Photo by: xpb.cc

It will be the F1 supremo's third marriage. His first wife was Ivy, and they had a daughter, Deborah.

81-year-old Ecclestone's best known marriage, however, was to Slavica, a former Croatian model who, at six foot two, conspicuously stood a foot taller than diminutive Bernie.

Their two daughters are socialites Tamara, 27, and Petra, 23.

They were divorced in 2009 after a 24-year marriage, but Slavica remained entrusted with most of her former husband's huge wealth.

Ecclestone met his new fiancee, Fabiana Flosi, through his work, as she formerly worked on the marketing of the Brazilian grand prix.

"We are officially engaged -- and it is not going to be a long engagement either," Ecclestone told the Daily Mail.

"We are so happy and it's just a case of when we get married, not if, though we haven't fixed a time or place yet.

"We have been together for two years and what makes it work is that Fabiana has a really good sense of humour -- and when you live with me you need to have a sense of humour," he explained.

"Though I must say I am absolutely no trouble at home and I think she is lucky to have me."

Fabiana's diamond engagement ring is thought to have cost about $160,000.

She is five foot ten -- shorter than Slavica but still head-and-shoulders above her billionaire fiance.

"I didn't need to go down on one knee," Ecclestone quipped.

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ecclestone-to-marry-fabiana-flosi/

Paul Bordes Juan Bordons Andrea Borgonovo Eduard Borisenko Juan Borja

News • SOLID POINTS FOR MOTUL PIRELLI SUZUKI

Source:

Chris Baert Graham Bailey Steve Baker Peter Balaz Romolo Balbi

F1: Politics still threatening French GP

Apr.30 (GMM) Politics are still in play, as France pushes to return to the formula one calendar.

Francois Fillon, French Prime Minister

Photo by: xpb.cc

According to Bernie Ecclestone, a financial deal is in place that will see Paul Ricard join the 2013 calendar, alternating annually thereafter with the fabled Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

But Francois Hollande, the socialist frontrunner in France's presidential election this weekend, has now revealed that the issue of the grand prix will be assessed "in the aftermath of the election".

"We will review it if we are elected," he is quoted by Auto Hebdo in France. "I don't think the state should spend anything on a grand prix."

But it is reported that Prime minister Francois Fillon has set up a public interest group that means the government is not a direct contributor to the 2013 race.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the presidential incumbent, reiterated his support.

"We cannot have a narrow vision," he is quoted by the L'Equipe sports daily. "We are a country with two global carmakers in Renault and PSA, and now three young promising French drivers in F1.

"It should be that we have a grand prix," insisted Sarkozy.

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/politics-still-threatening-french-gp/

Juan Borja Sergio Boroncini Gino Borsoi Luca Boscoscuro Gimmi Bosio

QUAIL GATHERING STEAM

Source: http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/2012/04/quail-gathering-steam.html

Norman Black Kenny Blake John Blanchard Ramiro Blanco Rolf Blatter

News • Honda TT Legends ready to rise to the Bol d’Or challenge

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Hans Georg Anscheidt Alessandro Antonello Haruchika Aoki Nobuatsu Aoki Takuma Aoki

Elena Rossell & QMMF To Contest Moto2 World Championship

Source: http://www.realroadracingblog.com/2012/03/elena-rossell-qmmf-to-contest-moto2.html

Ismael Bonilla Steve Bonsey Paul Bordes Juan Bordons Andrea Borgonovo

MOTOGP: Bridgestone Qatar GP debrief

Race Start

Photo by: Bridgestone Corporation

Bridgestone slick compounds available:
Front: Soft, Medium, Extra-Hard
Rear: Medium, Hard (Asymmetric)

The 2012 MotoGP™ season got off to a flying start last weekend with a thrilling race taking place under the lights of the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.

The venue for the season opener for the past six years, Qatar is unique due to being the only night race on the calendar and its desert location. At times during the race weekend, breezy conditions resulted in a considerable amount of sand being blown onto the circuit, causing lower levels of grip and higher levels of abrasion.

With improved conditions on Sunday, Factory Yamaha Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo took advantage of his pole position to take victory in the first race of the season ahead of the Repsol Honda pairing of Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner.

Q&A with Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development

Qatar was the race debut for Bridgestone’s 2012 specification tyres and the 1000cc MotoGP™ machines; what was your perception of the first race of the year?

“Pre-season testing was valuable in learning the performance characteristics of the 1000cc MotoGP™ machines to aid our ongoing development programme, but Qatar was the first time we were able to see how the new specification tyres performed in a race situation.

“Track temperatures at Qatar are always quite cool, but the enhanced warm-up performance and rider feel provided by the 2012 specification tyres ensured the riders could push from the first lap and helped them deal with the variable track conditions. Despite the greater torque generated by the 1000cc engines, tyre wear was not a problem for any of the riders during the twenty-two lap race.”

Last year the harder rear tyre was chosen by all riders for the race. Was it the same this year?

"For this year at Qatar we made available an asymmetric rear tyre with comparatively harder rubber on the right hand shoulder. The harder rear option tyre was still the popular choice for the race this year, but the extra versatility an asymmetric construction provides resulted in four riders; Bautista, Petrucci, Pasini and Ellison selecting the softer rear option for the race. In particular, Bautista’s performance with the softer rear tyre on the Honda RC213V showed it was a viable option for the race as his lap times were consistent and he was able to engage in the exciting battle for sixth place with Hayden, Bradl and Barbera.”

Overall, how did the 2012 specification tyres perform in Qatar?

“I am very satisfied with the way our tyres performed in Qatar. The quicker warm-up performance and wider operating temperature range of the 2012 specification tyres ensured riders felt confident riding in the highly variable conditions at the Losail Circuit. The asymmetric rear tyre we brought to Qatar also worked well, with the riders appreciating the greater durability the harder rubber on the right shoulder provided. Throughout the weekend the extra-hard front tyre was the preferred option as it provides more stability under braking and is more durable, however all three of the front tyre options we made available were used to good effect over the race weekend.”

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/bridgestone-qatar-gp-debrief-2/

Steve Bonsey Paul Bordes Juan Bordons Andrea Borgonovo Eduard Borisenko

MotoGP: Saturday at Jerez Round Up: Of Fresh Excitement and Fallen Heroes

Writing about MotoGP is hard at the moment. There are so many great stories to tell – the astonishing rise of Romano Fenati out of nowhere in Moto3, the legion of Kalexes taking on Marc Marquez in Moto2, the frenetic pace of development among the CRT machines, the ascendancy of Dani Pedrosa as a challenger for Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner, the rebirth of Cal Crutchlow as a serious force to be reckoned with, the ...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/b2wFOIzFuuY/

Guy Bertin Franco Bertoni Juan Bertran Willi Bertsch Paul Berwick

MotoGP: Saturday at Jerez Round Up: Of Fresh Excitement and Fallen Heroes

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/b2wFOIzFuuY/

Alex Bedford Albert Beirle Artie Bell Carlos Bellon Carlo Bellotti

Motorcycle Girl 040

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReturnOfTheCafeRacers/~3/05zELgFGidI/motorcycle-girl-040.html

Hans Georg Anscheidt Alessandro Antonello Haruchika Aoki Nobuatsu Aoki Takuma Aoki

Sunday, April 29, 2012

AMA: John Hopkins Launches New Website

John Hopkins launches his redesigned website, www.johnhopkins21.com, to serve as a destination portal for his fans to stay up to date on all Hopper-related news.

Containing a fresh new look and emphasizing a user-friendly experience, Hopkins launched the website to further engage with his fans and allow them a platform to communicate with each other. Functionality components on the website include an impactful video player, multiple photo galleries, recent news, sponsor links and social buttons that link to Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

“I am excited to give my fans a firsthand look into my racing and deliver them news and media from on and off the track. I think everyone will enjoy the new look and I hope it keeps them coming back for more!” said Hopkins.

John Hopkins, Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Photo by: Crescent Suzuki

Hopkins is back in action in the British Superbike Championship at Thruxton the weekend of May 28th. Be sure to visit http://www.johnhopkins21.com for news, race reports, videos, photos, and more!

And make sure to follow Hopkins on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/johnhopkins21

Twitter: www.twitter.com/JHopper21

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/21JHopper

-source: john hopkins pr

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/ama/news/john-hopkins-launches-new-website/

Len Bayliss Troy Bayliss Bruce Beale Douglas Beasley Daryl Beattie

News • Superb maiden podium for Leib

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Javier Arumi Sadao Asami Giuseppe Ascareggi Franz Aschenbrenner Stuart Aspin

Sunday at Jerez with Scott Jones

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/GYGHil939h4/

Hugh Anderson John Anderson Kent Andersson George Andrews Luigi Anelli

News • DESALLE 2ND AT DUTCH WORLD MX1 OPENER

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Werner Bergold Jacques Bernard Adrian Bernetic Manfred Bernsee Bruno Bertacchini

News • Cardo introduces the Cardo scala rider® G9, the world’s most

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Luigi Ancona Bob Anderson Chris Anderson Fergus Anderson Hugh Anderson

MotoGP: Thursday at Jerez Round Up: Of Excess Horsepower, Long Runs, and the Chances of Rain

Though the night race at Qatar is spectacular, the paddock at Jerez feels like a proper paddock. There is a bustle missing from Qatar, and the return of the hospitality units means that it is an altogether more colorful place. The presence of the hospitality units also means seeing more old friends, the men and women who slave all weekend putting the units together and ensuring that everything runs smoothly within them, and that the ...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/n4jiB9jrCvE/

Javier Arumi Sadao Asami Giuseppe Ascareggi Franz Aschenbrenner Stuart Aspin

MOTOGP: Lorenzo takes pole position from Pedrosa at Jerez

Yamaha Factory Racing rider grabs top spot in the final minutes of qualifying

Jorge Lorenzo stormed to pole position during qualifying today on his Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1 ahead of the bwin.com Grand Prix of Spain at Jerez with fellow countryman Dani Pedrosa taking second on his Repsol Honda RC213V with Nicky Hayden putting in a great effort for the factory Ducati team to take third place.

Weather conditions played a big part during the hour-long session with a drying track at the start that first saw Pedrosa’s teammate Casey Stoner swapping times for pole position with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Cal Crutchlow and both riders continued to trade lap times for the first quarter of the session.

The tricky conditions on-track during qualifying saw a number of riders crashing early on including Yonny Hernandez on the Avintia Blusens FTR-Kawasaki machine and Michele Pirro for the San Carlo Honda Gresini CRT effort. The track conditions would continue to change during the session and caught a lot of riders out including some of the top riders.

We are very happy with this pole position because it was a strange session.

Jorge Lorenzo

Stoner and Crutchlow continued to set the pace at the front of the field for the first 20 minutes of the session before Pedrosa showed his true pace to move into pole position. It would also take nearly 30 minutes before Lorenzo began to improve on his lap times while there were also fast laps being registered from a number of riders but none could get near there the times of the Repsol Honda riders or Lorenzo and Crutchlow.

Black clouds began to roll in with just over half the session to go and light rain began to catch some of the riders out including Stoner who nearly crashed at turn one and Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) who also did well to hang onto his machine. The pace slowed somewhat for a short period while the teams looked on to see which way the weather would go but as fast as the rain began to fall it had gone away once again.

The improvement in the conditions paved the way for a hectic second half of the session with Stoner, Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Crutchlow all bettering each other’s times before the British rider crashed putting him out of the hunt for pole position but luckily unhurt. CRT rider Colin Edwards (NGM Forward Racing) also crashed near the halfway point but the American walked away unhurt.

The final third of the session saw Crutchlow and Stoner fall away from the fight for pole leaving Pedrosa and Lorenzo to battle for the top spot and the Spanish riders thrilled the partisan crowd all cheering both men on. While two fastest men were entertaining the crowds, another Spanish rider in the form of Hector Barbera crashed while doing his best to set a fast time. Barbera was unhurt and remounted for the final part of the session.

Hayden was fast throughout the session but it wasn’t until near the end that he began eating into the times of the front men and went into third position with not much of the hour left but fellow American Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) stepped up his pace near the end and moved ahead of Hayden for a short time until the Ducati rider cemented his front-row start much to the delight of his pit crew with a best time of 1m 40.563s.

Pedrosa and Lorenzo continued to thrill the fans right to the end with both riders going fastest each time they crossed the start/finish line but in the end it was Lorenzo who grabbed pole with a best lap of 1m 39.532s to loud cheers from the crowds who were also very happy to see Pedrosa also on the front row with a best lap time of 1m 39.667s.

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Repsol Media

Lorenzo was very happy with his first pole position of the year saying, "We are very happy with this pole position because it was a strange session. There were a lot of water patches and it was very dangerous. You had to pay a lot of attention, it would have been easy to crash and get injured. Anyway we start in first position so let’s see what happens in the race. Thank you to the team for working hard to keep giving the right set up in changing conditions.”

Pedrosa was equally happy with his performance today, "It's been a really good qualifying session. It was very difficult to know how much to push because there were some wet spots and it was easy to make mistakes. Also after so many laps with wet tyres in the free practices, when you put on the slicks it's like another bike but you have no time to waste to find a good lap time.

So I'm quite impressed with the chrono and very happy to be on the front row. We've been riding well here in Jerez at the test and also during all the practice sessions this weekend, both in the dry and wet, but tomorrow we have to be ready for a tough race in any conditions and I want to have a good race here in front of my fans," Pedrosa added.

Hayden came away from today's qualifying session happy for himself and his team and is focused on making his front row starting position count in tomorrow's race. The 2006 MotoGP Champion said, "To be on the front row is really good for us. The track conditions were quite strange, different compared to what we’ve had the whole weekend. It certainly helped that we tested here in the dry not too long ago, as we had a relatively good base setup. We went out hard right from the gun, because we knew some spots of rain were coming.

Nicky Hayden, Ducati Marlboro Team

Photo by: Ducati Corse

I moved up a couple times and thought, ‘Okay, let it rain now,’ but then I’d drop back down and think, ‘Oh, don’t start raining yet.’ It got better near the end, but it was still tough because there were a lot of wet patches on the track, which made it easy to make mistakes. In the end, we took advantage of the strange situation and made the front row, so I’m really happy for my team. Now we’ll try to make it happen when it counts tomorrow," Hayden added.

Crutchlow was back on track following his brief excursion and despite being back on the pace immediately he had to settle for 4th place with his best lap time of 1m 40.570s and ahead of reigning MotoGP World Champion Stoner on the middle of the second row (1m 40.577s) and Spies in 6th on a best lap of 1m 41.090s. The third row is headed up by Italian rider Andrea Dovizioso on his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine with a best lap time of 1m 41.180s while in 8th is the San Carlo Honda Gresini RC213V of Alvaro Bautista with a best time of 1m 41.447s despite a fast crash at turn one in this morning’s wet Free Practice 3 session.

Bradl set a best time of 1m 41.550s and ended up in 9th position despite his crash while making it into the top ten was the Power Electronics Aspar CRT machine of Randy de Puniet with a 1m 41.700s lap. Starting from 11th tomorrow is Cardion AB Motoracing’s Karel Abraham on a best time of 1m 41.724s while Hector Barbera on the Pramac Racing Ducati starts tomorrow’s race from 12th with a best lap of 1m 41.871s with both satellite Ducati riders ahead of the factory Ducati of Valentino Rossi who once again couldn’t get to grips with his GP12 under dry conditions and the seven-time MotoGP World Champion in 13th position with a best lap of 1m 42.961s.

The CRT machines were up next with Aleix Espargaro (Power Electronics Aspar) in 14th place on a best time of 1m 43.135s while Pirro starts from 15th (1m 43.363s) and Mattia Pasini (Speed Master) 1m 44.308s starting from 16th. Hernandez starts tomorrow’s race in 17th with a best time of 1m 44.467s ahead of Danilo Petrucci and his Came IodaRacing team (1m 44.645s) and Ivan Silva (Avintia Blusens) in 19th with a best time of 1m 44.717s in front of James Ellison and the Paul Bird Motorsport team with his best lap of 1m 45.724s and Edwards bringing up the rear following his crash (1m 46.200s).

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/lorenzo-takes-pole-position-from-pedrosa-at-jerez/

Werner Bergold Jacques Bernard Adrian Bernetic Manfred Bernsee Bruno Bertacchini

News • J.R. England Awards a Harley-Davidson in MPG Promotion

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Stuart Aspin Len Atlee Pierre Audry Karl Auer August Auinger

News • STRONG IDM SUPERBIKE LINE-UP FOR SUZUKI

Source:

Masao Azuma Chris Baert Graham Bailey Steve Baker Peter Balaz

Yamaha XS650 Cafe Racer

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReturnOfTheCafeRacers/~3/n1PyYr9gls0/yamaha-xs650-cafe-racer.html

Ellis Boyce Helmut Bradl Stefan Bradl Umberto Braga Vincent Braillard

News • Honda TT Legends ready to rise to the Bol d’Or challenge

Source:

Kees Besseling Max Biaggi Pier Paolo Bianchi Stefano Bianco Fabio Biliotti

MOTOGP: Bridgestone to release new front tyre

Bridgestone proposes introduction of new specification MotoGP™ front tyre

Bridgestone technician

Photo by: Bridgestone Corporation

Bridgestone will introduce a new specification front tyre for the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship, giving the twenty-one riders taking part in this year’s competition access to the very latest in tyre technology.

This new front tyre is the latest evolution of the 2012 specification MotoGP™ front tyre. This latest specification front tyre features a revised construction that further enhances rider feel and warm-up performance and was developed following analysis of performance data and rider feedback acquired in pre-season testing.

Due to the overwhelmingly positive appraisal this new front tyre received when tested by riders, Bridgestone, after consultation with Dorna, the FIM and IRTA, has agreed to replace the current front tyre with the new 2012 specification front tyre from the Silverstone round while also making a limited number of the new front tyre available for the Jerez, Estoril, Le Mans and Catalunya rounds.

Starting from Jerez, riders will be allocated two of the new specification front tyres to increase their total allocation for the race weekend to eleven front tyres. The new specification tyre will only be made available in the harder compound option, as the greater durability this option provides makes it better suited for race use. At Silverstone, when the new specification front tyre becomes the standard, the front tyre allocation will return to nine tyres.

Bridgestone proposes change to Wet Tyre Allocation

Following a request from the Safety Commission, Bridgestone has proposed a revision to the wet tyre allocation for each race. Riders are currently allocated four rear and four front wet tyres in a single compound option, or in the case of all practice sessions being wet, five front and rear wet tyres.

Currently, riders have access to only one compound option of wet tyre per race. Under the new proposal, after the first wet practice session, Bridgestone, in consultation with the Safety Commission and organisers may agree to provide wet tyres with an alternative compound option to ensure rider safety in wet conditions. In this case, each rider may choose to replace a maximum of two of their front and/or rear wet tyres with the alternative compound.

To expedite the revisions to the front tyre and wet tyre allocation, the FIM will propose changes to the tyre allocation regulations to members of the Grand Prix Commission. Should the proposals presented be accepted by the commission members, they will be implemented with immediate effect.

The introduction of a new specification front tyre, and the revision to the wet tyre allocation are the latest in a series of initiatives implemented by Bridgestone to improve rider safety. At Mugello last year, Bridgestone proposed bringing softer rear slick tyre options to six of the remaining races in the 2011 season and a revision to the rear tyre allocation to provide riders with greater flexibility in choosing their final rear tyre allocation. Additionally, Bridgestone increased the number of front tyre compounds available to three from the Brno round, ensuring the availability of a softer front compound at each race.

Hiroshi Yamada - Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department

“Last year we set out with a clear set of technical objectives for our 2012 specification tyres and since they were first tested, we received very good feedback on our path of development. Though rider comments on our original 2012 specification front tyre were positive, we haven’t rested on our laurels and brought new specification front tyres to the pre-season tests as part of our ongoing tyre development programme. One of these new front tyres was met with such an encouraging appraisal from the riders that we proposed to make it available as soon as possible. Due to logistical constraints, we are unable to supply a full allocation of this new specification front tyre until Silverstone, but we have changed our production schedule and made every effort to provide a limited allocation of the new front tyre to riders from the next race.

“I would like to thank all the riders and teams for their commitment to evaluating during pre-season testing and also Safety Advisor to Dorna Loris Capirossi for his ongoing efforts in collating feedback from the riders. I look forward to Jerez with great interest as not only will riders be using our latest specification front tyre in a race setting for the first time, they will also be showcasing the very latest in Bridgestone tyre technology to the world.”

Carmelo Ezpeleta – CEO, Dorna Sports

“Dorna is pleased that Bridgestone will make their new specification front tyre available to riders from the second round of the season at Jerez. During the regular meetings during pre-season testing between Bridgestone and Safety Advisor to Dorna Loris Capirossi, it became apparent that this new specification tyre provided even greater levels of front-end feel to the riders and so we welcome the decision to make the tyre available as soon as possible.

“I would like to thank Bridgestone for continuing to equip MotoGP riders with their latest tyre technology and sharing in Dorna’s commitment to continually improve rider safety.”

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/bridgestone-to-release-new-front-tyre/

Rudy Allison Pedro Alvarez Luis Alvaro Emilio Alzamora Kunihiro Amano

Saturday, April 28, 2012

F1: Red Bull not ready to resume F1 dominance

Apr.26 (GMM) Red Bull has poured cold water on expectations the reigning back to back world champions could be set to resume their reign over formula one.

After a victory drought spanning the opening three races of the 2012 season, Red Bull broke through with Sebastian Vettel's familiar win-from-pole triumph in Bahrain last weekend.

It means he has leapt to the top of the drivers' standings, while the Milton Keynes based team is now 9 points clear of its nearest rival, McLaren.

We're not as confident as we used to be.

Sebastian Vettel

"King Sebastian is back!" exclaimed the authoritative Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport after Bahrain.

"Vettel and Red Bull dominated like old times.

"They have worked hard in recent weeks to have a great car again, so it will be difficult once again to take the throne from Sebastian."

The energy drink-owned camp, however, is not so bullish.

"To predict our performance in Bahrain just a week after what happened in China would have been tricky," said team boss Christian Horner, referring to Vettel's fifth place in Shanghai.

"I am sure that with 16 races to go, we are going to see a lot more variation."

24-year-old Vettel agrees that, despite the familiar pole-and-victory in Bahrain, 2012 is not the same as 2011, when the RB7 car utterly dominated F1.

podium and results, 2nd place Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus Renault F1 Team with 1st place Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing and 3rd place Romain Grosjean, Lotus Renault F1 Team with Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing Team Principal

Photo by: xpb.cc

"We're not as confident as we used to be," he is quoted by the Sun newspaper, "so small things can make a difference in qualifying and have a big impact on the race.

"We've only had four races but I'm not entirely happy with where we are."

Vettel will be back in action next week, when F1 moves to the Mugello circuit in central Italy for a rare in-season test.

"In Italy we'll be able to test and evaluate a lot of things and get the car in a happier place for Barcelona," he said.

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-not-ready-to-resume-f1-dominance/

Stu Avant Rex Avery Masao Azuma Chris Baert Graham Bailey

Friday, April 27, 2012

Riding Roland Sands Design's Desmosedici Street Tracker - Just sick

Pretty impressive. Check it out.

Santini

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Source: http://motorcycleracingtrackdays.com/riding-roland-sands-designs-desmosedici-stree

Alan Barnett

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

MOTOGP: Yamaha To Pull Factory Effort From World Superbike

Yamaha Official World Superbike Team withdraws at the end of 2011 season from World Championship

Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. (YME) has decided to withdraw their official Yamaha World Superbike Team at the end of the current season from the FIM Superbike World Championship.

This announcement follows a full strategic review of the Marketing Operations within Europe including all Motorsport activities and takes into account the continuing severe and rapidly changing Powered Two Wheeler market conditions throughout the region.

Due to this decision more resource and focus will now be used for direct “Customer“ activities to ultimately add more value to Yamaha ownership and increased Customer Satisfaction.

YME would like to express their sincere thanks and appreciation for the total commitment, support, and passion shown by the extremely professional and dedicated riders and team members both past and present throughout the many years of participation in the FIM Superbike World Championship. YME would also like to thank all the highly valued business partners and suppliers who have in-turn supported the team and in addition would like to thank Infront Motorsports, the FIM Superbike World Championship promoters. YME has chosen this timing of announcement to ensure that all existing obligations are correctly met, and to not limit any opportunities or future planning for all personnel involved.

Eugene Laverty

Photo by: Dave Dyer

Riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty are currently respectively 3rd and 4th in the overall 2011 FIM Superbike World Championship standings for riders with 4 rounds to go. YME and the team will continue to give its maximum efforts until the end of the existing season to try and regain the World Superbike title which Yamaha also won in 2009.

Yamaha will continue the availability of road racing kit parts, known as YEC Racing kit parts, for its R1 and R6 production models for private teams entering at all racing levels.

by: Yamaha Racing

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/yamaha-to-pull-factory-effort-from-world-superbike/

Roy Boughey†

Monday, April 23, 2012

Moto Guzzi Cafe Racer - ‘Kaffeemaschine 5’

An alchemist, in case you didn't already know, is defined as a person who possesses (amongst other things) the capability of turning base metals into the noble metals. Put simply, that's turning iron, nickle, led, or zinc into gold and silver - called noble metals because they seem to have an almost magical ability to resist ever looking old and dated. Now fast forward 1000 years and consider the modern-day work of Hamburg's Axel Budde. Given a rather scrappy collection of basic parts, some of which had well and truly been turned into near scrap before they reached his lab, he has managed to materialise the very precious bike you see before you here. Magic? Science? A product of the dark arts? Sadly for those of us looking to emulate his creation, it turns out that it's nothing more than sheer determination, skill, and hard work. Damn.

Source: http://www.pipeburn.com/home/2012/4/20/moto-guzzi-cafe-racer-kaffeemaschine-5.html

Josef Autengruber

Sunday, April 22, 2012

WSBK: Ducati event summary

Ducati Extends Lead In World Superbike Championship

Ducati is exited to report a great start to the World Superbike Championship, winning three out of four races and taking the lead in both the rider and manufacturer championships.

Marco Melandri, Carlos Checa, Leon Camier on the podium

Photo by: Dave Dyer

Carlos Checa took his Althea Racing Ducati 1198 to a double podium on Sunday in the second round of the World Superbike Championship at Donington Park, with a third place in race one and a well calculated victory in race two strengthening his series lead. Jakub Smrz secured his first ever podium position with a career best second on his Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati 1198, extending the Manufacturers' championship lead and underlining Ducati's strategy of private team support.

Starting from an impressive pole position set on Saturday, Checa lacked "feeling" from his rear tyre in the cold Donington Park conditions. Slipping back to eleventh position by the end of lap one, he gradually found his rhythm and was able to chase down the leading group on his Ducati 1198, passing first Troy Corser (BMW), then Jonathan Rea (Honda) and Leon Camier (Aprilia). Up to fourth place by lap 19, Checa's determination saw him lap below 1m 30 seconds for the final three laps to secure third position just before the finish line. Czech Republic rider, Jakub Smrz clinched his first ever podium position with a rewarding second place, having dominated much of the race on his Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati 1198.

Carlos Checa and his technicians changed their set-up to a softer tyre for the second race and with a higher track temperature made a great start, quickly passing Leon Haslam (BMW) to take the lead and increasing the gap between him and the chasing pack. With the risk of the soft tyre choice becoming an issue during the final stages, Checa carefully controlled the race taking the chequered flag with a well-calculated 3.3 second advantage over Marco Melandri (Yamaha).

Today, everything worked perfectly.

Carlos Checa

"In the first race I was struggling at the start," said championship leader Carlos Checa. "I didn't have feeling with the rear tyre and as a result I lost a lot of positions, but I have to say it was one of the most exciting races of my career! After the first laps I was able to build up a good rhythm and start moving up through the pack one rider at a time. It wasn't easy but I pushed hard and then two laps from the end I realised that I could maybe get past Haslam for third. I'm really happy because I didn't think I'd get from eleventh on lap one to the podium. We made the decision to use the hard tyre for the race and even though we paid for this at the start it turned out to be the right decision in the end. We opted for the softer tyre in race two even though we knew it would perform a bit less towards the end of the race. It remained pretty consistent but towards the end I had to change my riding a little to manage the situation. My strategy was to get to the front, built up a bit of a lead and then manage that lead and today, everything worked perfectly."

The early season results so far highlight Ducati's continued commitment to their World Superbike strategy of supplying 1198 technical support to private teams while concentrating on the development of their Superbike product. The highly competitive series moves to the Dutch track of Assen on 17 April.

-source: ducati

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/wsbk/news/ducati-event-summary/

Alain Barbaroux Hector Barbera

Saturday, April 21, 2012

News • Triumph - New Rider Training Incentives. $225 for your rider

Source:

Carlo Bandirola Alain Barbaroux Hector Barbera Fabio Barchitta Alan Barnett

MICK WALKER

Source: http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/2012/03/mick-walker.html

John Hopkins Norick Abe Hubert Abold Karel Abraham Brian Adams

Significant Improvement from Aspar Rider

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/rduE/~3/CNVjpokPXU4/significant-improvement-from-aspar.html

Raffaele Alberti Josef Albisser Pierluigi Aldrovanti Alejandro Aleman Eduardo Aleman

AVIGNON MOTOR FESTIVAL, 2012

Source: http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/2012/03/avignon-motor-festival-2012.html

Darren Barton Eric Bataille Franco Battaini Gerhard Bauer Manfred Baumann

Honda CB350 by Ellaspede

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReturnOfTheCafeRacers/~3/bYbA1FF1KRY/honda-cb350-by-ellaspede.html

Masao Azuma Chris Baert Graham Bailey Steve Baker Peter Balaz

Missing Brands

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlexHutchinsons2011MotorcycleRacingSeason/~3/v058MoMNJ2U/missing-brands.html

Peter Balaz Romolo Balbi Mike Baldinger Alex Baldolini Mike Baldwin

News • SUZUKI 2ND DESPITE BOL D’OR CRASH

Source:

Walter Brehme Jack Brett John Hopkins Norick Abe Hubert Abold

AMA: John Hopkins Launches New Website

John Hopkins launches his redesigned website, www.johnhopkins21.com, to serve as a destination portal for his fans to stay up to date on all Hopper-related news.

John Hopkins, Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Photo by: Crescent Suzuki

Hopkins is back in action in the British Superbike Championship at Thruxton the weekend of May 28th. Be sure to visit http://www.johnhopkins21.com for news, race reports, videos, photos, and more!

And make sure to follow Hopkins on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/johnhopkins21

Twitter: www.twitter.com/JHopper21

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/21JHopper

-source: john hopkins pr

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/ama/news/john-hopkins-launches-new-website/

Angelo Bergamonti Werner Bergold Jacques Bernard Adrian Bernetic Manfred Bernsee

2012 Assen World Supersport QP1 Results: Lowes and Parkes on it again

Sam Lowes and Broc Parkes again led the way, both being the first into the 1'39s then the first two into the 1'38s while all but Foret were still logging laps over 1'40. Cluzel, Sofuoglu, Foret and Toth look like they're going to have to fight for the remaining spots.

Results:

Race Details

Round Number:

2012

Source: http://www.motomatters.com/results/2012/04/20/2012_assen_world_supersport_qp1_results_.html

Bob Anderson Chris Anderson Fergus Anderson Hugh Anderson John Anderson

Friday, April 20, 2012

Woodcraft Rearsets - Morning Wood

See the full gallery on Posterous

I have been using Woodcraft rearsets since 1999. They were brilliant on my first race bike (CBR 600F4), surviving a couple of low sides and one rear stand debacle (oops). This past weekend, I installed a set on my Ducati Monster 1100 and I am super happy with the results. The craftsmanship was excellent and fitment was perfect as usual, there were even provisions for a kickstand delete and GP shifting. The installation was smooth, just be sure to have Loctite handy (it's a good safety measure anyway). Everything is well thought out and all of the parts are individually replaceable and some are even universal. These are widely used by a lot of club racers and track addicts, so chances are if your were to go down at the track, some one would have spare parts available. In many instances you can also use your OEM shift and brake levers as spares. Eric Wood (the company president and head designer) was actually my Instructor at a Ducati event last year, he is a really down to earth guy and great coach. I was originally looking to put Rizoma rear sets on my Duc and I am glad I went with Woodcraft. Cheers!

Santini

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Source: http://motorcycleracingtrackdays.com/woodcraft-rearsets-morning-wood

Gert Bender Ingemar Bengtsson Johnny Bengtsson Angelo Bergamonti Werner Bergold

zecOO electric motorcycle

The Tokyo Motorcycle Show is always a treasure trove of custom bikes. At the most recent show, one of the stars was this extraordinary electric motorcycle, called the zecOO. Designed by Kota Nezu of Znug Design, the zecOO takes a… Read more »

Bike EXIF is the world's #1 source for custom motorcycles, classic motorcycles and cafe racers. Produced in association with Icon 1000.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Bikeexif/~3/hjzeNmO4NNo/zecoo-electric-motorcycle

Norman Blemings Loek Bodelier Jarno Boesveld Jean Paul Boinet Karel Bojer

News • TWO HUSQVARNA'S ON THE PODIUM AT THE 2012 ABU DHABI DESSERT

Source:

Steve Baker Peter Balaz Romolo Balbi Mike Baldinger Alex Baldolini

2012 Qatar MotoGP Final Press Release Round Up

The final round of press releases issued after the MotoGP season opener in Qatar, from Tech 3, Marc VDS Racing, Suter, Brad Binder, Bel-Ray and PBM:

Year:

2012

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/41SYMszyts8/2012_qatar_motogp_final_press_release_ro.html

Sandro Artusi Javier Arumi Sadao Asami Giuseppe Ascareggi Franz Aschenbrenner

MOTOGP: Aspar Team Qatar GP qualifying report

POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar Ready To Race In Qatar

left

Randy De Puniet and Aleix Espargaró still looking for front-end feel but ready for the lights at Losail

The first qualifying practice of the 2012 MotoGP World Championship took place late this evening at the Losail Circuit, where Cal Crutchlow and Ben Spies made the early running only to be overcome by the strength of title favourites Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner. Lorenzo took the first pole of the season in 1'54.634 but it promises to be a close battle between the pair tomorrow night, whilst Crutchlow and Spies will both have their eye on the podium.

POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar pair Randy De Puniet and Aleix Espargaró are both looking forward to start racing after a long preseason and some good results in practice here this weekend. The Frenchman and the Spaniard have worked hard on their machines, in particular in the search for more front-end feel, with De Puniet qualifying fourteenth fastest despite a fast crash in turn thirteen with twenty minutes of the session remaining and Aleix just one position behind him on tomorrow's grid.

14th Randy De Puniet 1.58.266 (18 laps): “Qualifying actually went pretty well, I wasn't put off by my crash yesterday and felt comfortable on the bike. I was the top CRT bike in the early part of the session but another crash spoiled that. It was a strange one because I lost the front when I wasn't braking or accelerating so that gives us a bit to think about. We have to put it behind us as quickly as possible and make sure we are focused on the race tomorrow so we'll look at the data tonight and prepare as best we can.”

15th Aleix Espargaró 1.58.520 (21 laps): “Looking at the first session compared to tonight the lap times have come down a lot and that gives us hope. I am not completely happy with the way qualifying went but overall it has been a good weekend so far and we have improved the bike in several areas although we still have work to do to reduce the chatter. It is rebounding a lot at full lean and if I try to pick the bike up too early it wants to crash. Apart from that I am happy with the performance of the ART.”

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/aspar-team-qatar-gp-qualifying-report/

Manliff Barrington Alex Barros Geoff Barry Hans Bartl Harald Bartol

Cal Crutchlow plays down podium hopes

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/rduE/~3/SYunNZVw1LM/cal-crutchlow-plays-down-podium-hopes.html

Giuseppe Ascareggi Franz Aschenbrenner Stuart Aspin Len Atlee Pierre Audry

Moto Bellissima at San Francisco airport

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReturnOfTheCafeRacers/~3/IlgedTMQMm4/moto-bellissima-at-san-francisco.html

Takeishi Araoka Adrian Araujo Gilbert Argo Manuel Arias Ken Armstrong

Bradl Hoping for More on Day on at Losail

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/rduE/~3/GFbO-N0K_eA/bradl-hoping-for-more-on-day-on-at.html

Ray Amm Luigi Ancona Bob Anderson Chris Anderson Fergus Anderson

New Front Bridgestone From Jerez: Honda Loses the 24, Others Gain the 21

Bridgestone has announced that they are to bring forward the introduction of a new 2012-spec front tire, and start allowing riders to use it from the Jerez round of MotoGP. The new tire was tested extensively during the preseason, with versions tried at both Sepang tests and at the IRTA test at Jerez. The tire features a modified construction which allows it to heat up more quickly as well as provide more feedback to the riders.

Source: http://www.motomatters.com/news/2012/04/12/new_front_bridgestone_from_jerez_honda_l.html

Hiroshi Aoyama Shuhei Aoyama Andre Luc Appietto Robin Appleyard Junya Arai

News • Yamaha Factory Racing Gear Up for Qatar

Source:

George Andrews Luigi Anelli Marcel Ankone Hans Georg Anscheidt Alessandro Antonello

Valentino Rossi: "Getting the second row of the grid would be a great result"

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/rduE/~3/7t7HWyqbsc4/valentino-rossi-getting-second-row-of.html

Max Biaggi Pier Paolo Bianchi Stefano Bianco Fabio Biliotti Wilf Billington

Yoshimura Suzuki & Blake Young Taste Daytona 200 Success

Source: http://www.realroadracingblog.com/2012/03/yoshimura-suzuki-blake-young-taste.html

Jean Pierre Beltoise Felice Benasedo Gert Bender Ingemar Bengtsson Johnny Bengtsson

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Elena Myers The First Lady Of Daytona 200 Road Racing

Source: http://www.realroadracingblog.com/2012/03/elena-myers-first-lady-of-daytona-200.html

Brian Adams Duilio Agostini Felice Agostini Giacomo Agostini Jack Ahearn

Suzuki T500 by TJ

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReturnOfTheCafeRacers/~3/HmUqliD0yqc/suzuki-t500-by-tj.html

Angelo Bergamonti Werner Bergold Jacques Bernard Adrian Bernetic Manfred Bernsee

How the world is looking at F1

I know that some of you want some news about F1, but right now, there is a very large elephant sitting in the F1 room, which answers to the name Bahrain. That is the only story and until we get through this weekend, will remain the only issue. What is most important, from a sporting [...]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/how-the-world-is-looking-at-f1/

Artie Bell Carlos Bellon Carlo Bellotti Jean Pierre Beltoise Felice Benasedo

Ducati Superbike 1199 Panigale - Checkmate

The Ducati 1199 Panigale is in my mind one of the most anticipated motorcycle releases this year. The all new superbike brings with it many technological firsts, including the first full-LED headlight on a motorcycle, the first electronically adjustable suspension on a sport bike, the first engine braking control system, as well as the first GPS-assisted data acquisition system for a production motorcycle (the DDA+ package is optional).

In addition to all of the new electronic toys the 1199 is stated to have a dry weight of 361 lbs (22 lbs less than the 1198) and 195 peak horsepower. I can't wait to take one out for a romp.

Santini

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Source: http://motorcycleracingtrackdays.com/ducati-superbike-1199-panigale-checkmate

Luigi Ancona Bob Anderson Chris Anderson Fergus Anderson Hugh Anderson

Some headlines about F1

There has yet to be a race this year in Bahrain, but the publicity has already ramped up significantly. Judge for yourself whether the Grand Prix in Bahrain will be a success and whether it will be good for F1. The goal of a race is to create good publicity for a region or country. [...]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/some-headlines-about-f1/

Daryl Beattie Roger Beaumont Leandro Beccheroni Hans Becker Alex Bedford

Valentino Rossi: "Getting the second row of the grid would be a great result"

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/rduE/~3/7t7HWyqbsc4/valentino-rossi-getting-second-row-of.html

Georg Braun Walter Brehme Jack Brett John Hopkins Norick Abe

Arrow Special Partsâ€”Suzuki GSX R1000 2012

Arrow Special Partsâ€”Suzuki GSX R1000 2012

Itâ€™s not entirely a new bike, but 2012 GSX R1000 has been fitted with some new features, not least the â€œold styleâ€ exhaust system.

Itâ€™s not entirely a new bike, but 2012 GSX R1000 has been fitted with some new features, not least the â€œold styleâ€ exhaust system. Arrow exhausts for this new bike are now ready and these can be ordered throught Arrowâ€™s sales network. The new layout of the exhaust system made it possible to fit both the Race-Tech silencers (titanium, carbon, aluminium and black aluminium)and the Works silencer (only titanium) to the Arrow collectors or to the original pipes. Also, Arrow collectors can be used with the original silencer. Power increase is around 2hp with the slip on silencer, while the full system gives a great improvement of around 14hp with respect to the original system. Weight saved is around 40%. GP silencer is also available, and Competition systems have been developed.

Photo Gallery: Arrow Special Partsâ€”Suzuki GSX R1000 2012 - Sport Rider Magazine

Arrow Special Partsâ€”Suzuki GSX R1000 2012 | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Source: http://www.sportrider.com/industry_news/146_1204_arrow_special_parts_suzuki_gsx_r1000_2012/index.html

Toshiyuki Arakaki Fernando Aranda Takeishi Araoka Adrian Araujo Gilbert Argo

News • CRESCENT FIXI SUZUKI SET FOR ASSEN ATTACK

Source:

George Andrews Luigi Anelli Marcel Ankone Hans Georg Anscheidt Alessandro Antonello

Top ten pictures from the Chinese Grand Prix | 2012 Chinese Grand Prix

Top ten pictures from the Chinese Grand Prix is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

A selection of the best pictures from the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.

Top ten pictures from the Chinese Grand Prix is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/OEofy3Tmz8U/

Jarno Boesveld Jean Paul Boinet Karel Bojer Juan Bolart Gerhard Boll

2012 Race Calendar

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlexHutchinsons2011MotorcycleRacingSeason/~3/_xTN03wGKf4/2012-race-calendar.html

Alex Bedford Albert Beirle Artie Bell Carlos Bellon Carlo Bellotti

Significant Improvement from Aspar Rider

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/feedburner/rduE/~3/CNVjpokPXU4/significant-improvement-from-aspar.html

Giacomo Agostini Jack Ahearn Mitsuo Akamatsu Takashi Akita Kousuke Akiyoshi