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Alex Asigno
Hill in Toronto San Manuel LandM Yamaha's Josh Hill maintained his 100% record of top ten finishes by taking 6th position at the Rogers Centre in Toronto for the tenth round of seventeen in the AMA Supercross/FIM Supercross World Championship. The 20 year old is now just one of two riders to have appeared in the top ten of every single round during an eventful campaign to-date. The highest YZ450F runner in Canada was Valli Motorsports Ivan Tedesco, who shook off the effects of a finger injury to collect 4th place. 42, 083 spectators crowded the venue and the dry dirt the formulated the layout with a lap-time of roughly a minute meant that the course was slick and hard in places. Hill showed moments of pace but could not penetrate the top five of the pack and was the last rider not to be lapped. Ahead of him was Tedesco, bravely battling the terrain and sections with his injured right hand. The veteran circulated for most of the distance in fifth spot but was promoted after Davi Millsaps crashed ahead of him. Tedesco takes 4th "It just goes to show that if I can get a start, I can run with those guys up front. Once I get those figured out consistently then I should be up there every week," he said. Regarding his index finger he commented: "It definitely isn't comfortable, but it's not impossible to ride with, so I just need to keep my head on what I'm doing; that's the hard part when you're dealing with pain like this." "It's actually at times when you're beat up and you can't seem to do anything right that you're the most thankful for the support you have," said Hill alluding to the ongoing effects of his crash two rounds ago in Atlanta. "My San Manuel Yamaha team is amazing, and they support me when things are good, and when they're not. Things will get better soon, I just have to heal up a little bit," he added. Joe Gibbs Racing's Justin Brayton was 9th and the third YZ450F-rider in the top ten. Grant Langston did not compete after a heavy crash at the beginning of the previous round in Daytona forced the former AMA Motocross Champion to undergo knee surgery. Reigning champion James Stewart is still recovering from the right wrist he broke in January and a date for his competitive return has not yet been confirmed. Hill is currently 3rd in the championship standings and keeps in touch for the title with a deficit of 37 points to leader Ryan Dungey. Brayton is 6th and Tedesco 7th. Round eleven sees the series return to the USA and head south to Texas and the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. Circuit Length: NA Crowd: 42,083 Weather: Dry
Last Years Winner: James Stewart 2010 AMA-SX Toronto, Canada 15/03/2010 Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 19'46.788 2 Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 0'04.300 3 Trey Canard Honda USA 0'31.168 4 Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 0'44.633 5 Kevin Windham Honda USA 0'59.804 6 Josh Hill Yamaha USA 1'06.583 7 Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA -1Laps 8 Thomas Hahn Suzuki USA -1Laps 9 Justin Brayton Yamaha USA -1Laps 10 Matt Boni Honda USA -1Laps 11 Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA -1Laps 12 Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS -1Laps 13 Chris Blose Honda USA -1Laps 14 Jason Thomas Suzuki USA -1Laps 15 Weston Peick Yamaha USA -1Laps Rider Standings 06/03/2010 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 192 2. Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 172 3. Josh Hill Yamaha USA 162 4. David D Millsaps Honda USA 150 5. Kevin Windham Honda USA 131 6. Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 124 7. Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 117 8. Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 99 9. Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA 82 10. Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS 80 11. Thomas Hahn Yamaha USA 76 12. Andrew Short Honda USA 69 13. Grant Langston Yamaha RSA 67 14. Chris Blose Honda USA 64 15. James Stewart Yamaha USA 51 19. Jason Lawrence Yamaha USA 28 21. Dan Reardon Yamaha USA 25 30. Weston Peick Yamaha USA 7 36. Josh Grant Yamaha USA 1 Manufacturer Standings 06/03/2010 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Suzuki 192 2. Yamaha 184 3. Honda 181 4. Kawasaki 181 5. KTM 3
Alex Asigno

Hill 9th at Daytona

By Alex Asigno in Archives

Kyle Chisholm A lengthy and challenging layout within the Daytona International Speedway saw Yamaha San Manuel LandM's Josh Hill take 9th position for the ninth round of seventeen in the AMA Supercross/FIM World Championship. The 20 year old started brightly in the first of two visits to the Floridian state but could not maintain the pace of his pursuers. Hill was actually headed by Kyle Chisholm who took 8th place on the 2010 YZ450F and was the highest Yamaha runner on the East Coast. Hill, from Oregon, racked-up five consecutive podiums in the opening phase of the championship but has now missed the rostrum in the last three events and suffered a crash while in practice for round eight in Atlanta last week. Hill in Daytona "I don't know what's going on," he admitted. "I know I have the speed, but I'm just lacking the intensity in the first few laps. I think maybe I have to just go out and race and forget about points and everything else, because when I did that in the beginning of the year, things went really good." Valli Motorsports Ivan Tedesco did not finish the main event after swerving into Michael Byrne and injuring his right index finger. At the moment it is not clear whether the veteran and MX of Nations winner will be able to compete next week. Joe Gibbs Racing's Justin Brayton sadly ended his streak of consistent results as he also DNF-ed in the wake of a crash that left him with a sore wrist. Hill is now third in the standings and 30 points from leader Ryan Dungey. Brayton is the next highest Yamaha rider in sixth. Next Saturday will see the series head outside the USA for the only time in the 2010 schedule with the visit to Toronto in Canada representing round ten. Circuit Length: n/a Crowd: NA Weather: Dry

Lap Record: 0'52.126 (James Stewart, 01/01/2006) Last Years Winner: Chad Reed
2010 AMA-SX Daytona Beach, Fl. 07/03/2010 Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 21'36.585 2 Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 0'04.445 3 Trey Canard Honda USA 0'37.178 4 Kevin Windham Honda USA 0'53.466 5 David D Millsaps Honda USA 0'57.110 6 Thomas Hahn Yamaha USA 1'01.946 7 Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 1'03.586 8 Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA 1'06.620 9 Josh Hill Yamaha USA -1Laps 10 Ryan Morais Suzuki USA -1Laps 11 Jarred Jet Browne Kawasaki USA -1Laps 12 Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS -1Laps 13 Matt Boni Honda USA -1Laps 14 Jason Thomas Suzuki USA -1Laps 15 Manuel Gomes Rivas Kawasaki ESP -1Laps 18 Justin Brayton Yamaha USA -14Laps 19 Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA -19Laps 20 Grant Langston Yamaha RSA -20Laps  
Rider Standings 06/03/2010 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 192 2. Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 172 3. Josh Hill Yamaha USA 162 4. David D Millsaps Honda USA 150 5. Kevin Windham Honda USA 131 6. Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 124 7. Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 117 8. Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 99 9. Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA 82 10. Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS 80 11. Thomas Hahn Yamaha USA 76 12. Andrew Short Honda USA 69 13. Grant Langston Yamaha RSA 67 14. Chris Blose Honda USA 64 15. James Stewart Yamaha USA 51 19. Jason Lawrence Yamaha USA 28 21. Dan Reardon Yamaha USA 25 30. Weston Peick Yamaha USA 7 36. Josh Grant Yamaha USA 1  
Manufacturer Standings 06/03/2010 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Suzuki 192 2. Yamaha 184 3. Honda 181 4. Kawasaki 181 5. KTM 3
Alex Asigno
Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo yesterday rounded off a successful three-day visit to Indonesia, one of the most important markets for Yamaha. Rossi came straight from testing in Malaysia last week, whilst Lorenzo flew out from Spain, where he has been recuperating at home from an injured hand. Valentino Rossi Rossi visited Medan first, Indonesia's third largest city, where he took part in a press conference alongside Yamaha Motor Indonesia top management. The press conference officially launched the ‘Semakin di Depan' sponsorship, which will see Yamaha Motor Indonesia's ‘One Step Ahead' logo carried on the YZR-M1 and the riders' leathers this season. Rossi then visited ‘PT.Alfa Scorpii', Indonesia's second largest Yamaha Main Dealer, for the opening ceremony of its new show room along with over 400 customers and media. After his trip to Medan the World Champion moved on to Indonesia's second largest city Surabaya, where he visited PT. Surya Timur Sakti Jatim, Indonesia's largest Yamaha Main Dealer, to continue to spread the ‘Semakin di Depan' word. Finally he visited the DBL Arena to meet around 4,000 Yamaha customers. Jorge Lorenzo Lorenzo meanwhile headed to Indonesia's ‘Flower City' Bandung, where he too took part in an important press conference to launch the ‘Semakin di Depan' sponsorship. As well as the press conference he enjoyed a warm welcome at an exclusive fan meet and greet where he signed hundreds of autographs and met many local media. After the Spaniard had visited Bandung, he moved on to Jogjakarta, the city where the traditional Indonesian art of batik is practised, to meet more Yamaha customers there and take part in some outdoor activities at one of the biggest malls in Jogjakarta. Jorge Lorenzo Both riders will return home now for two weeks before the final pre-season test in Qatar, when Lorenzo hopes to be fully recovered from his injury and Rossi will look to continue his dominant start to the pre-season.
Alex Asigno
DP at Cast.Del Lago The second round of the 2010 Italian championship at Castiglione Del Lago has fallen to the works YZ450FM and YZ250FMs of David Philippaerts and Gautier Paulin as the Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team dominated both MX1 and MX2 classes at the former GP venue last Sunday. Across grippy and reasonably soft track conditions, Philippaerts was particularly impressive as he twice defeated MX1-GP world champion and fellow countryman Antonio Cairoli; the first time the Sicilian has been beaten in three race appearance so far in 2010. 25 year old Philippaerts – fresh from the official team photoshoot and further tests at the Mantova circuit during the week – further refined his 2010 race-bike with now just four weeks until the first Grand Prix of fifteen in Bulgaria. ‘I am happy with this win,’ he said. ‘It proves that we are continuing to work well and that I feel better and faster all the time. It was good to race and beat Antonio and we have collected some more information before moving to Belgium.’ The 2008 MX1-GP World Champion now has a perfect set of results in the four motos run so far and a healthy lead of 23 points over Davide Guarneri although he won’t be contesting the full series. Paulin wins MX2 Mirroring his new team-mate’s classification on the day and in the campaign so far was Gautier Paulin. The Frenchman rode practically unchallenged for his third and fourth victories on Italian soil and beat European Champion and Yamaha Monster Energy Gariboldi racing’s Christophe Charlier into second place on both occasions. ‘Again this was a good result for us,’ he said. ‘My starts were pretty good and Charlier came with me for pace at some stages. We have done some good work in Italy in the last couple of weeks and now we will go to Belgium and see what we can get done on the sand.’ Other results of note included Ken De Dycker’s first podium for his Italian Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team in the national championship with 3rd overall behind Philippaerts and Cairoli. The Belgian went 3-5 for his result. Team-mate, but in the MX2 category, Alessandro Lupino, was a decent 4th after having recovered from a sore wrist. In the UK the first round of eight in the British Championship took place at Little Silver in southwest England. Bike It Cosworth Yamaha UK’s Zach Osborne – winner of the 2009 MX2-GP Turkish Grand Prix – took his new YZ250F to the top of the podium in his first competitive showing of the season. The American was 4th, 1st and 1st in the three motos. ‘This weekend was really good for me,’ he reflected. ‘I still have a lot of work to do before the first Grand Prix but this win is definitely something to build on. I’m happy with the team and the way things are going. I am really enjoying myself right now and I think it shows. I want to say a big thanks to the team and all the people who are supporting me behind the scenes.’ Philippaerts and Paulin will now head to northern Europe this week to begin a period of training and riding in the Belgian sand. The team will test in the terrain the following week before again switching their attentions to Italy and some hard-pack tracks similar to the surface that will be found at Sevlievo in Bulgaria on Easter weekend.
Alex Asigno
Josh Hill in Atlanta Yamaha LandM San Manuel's Josh Hill finished 6th at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for round eight of seventeen in the AMA Supercross/FIM World SX Championship and keeps within 20 points of the 2010 title chase. The 20 year old was one of three YZ450F riders in the top six of the 32nd Main Event to be run in the Georgian capital. The highest finisher Saturday night in front of more than 69,000 spectators was Valli Motorsports Ivan Tedesco; the veteran taking his second best result of the year with 4th spot. The day started in a tough way for Hill who suffered a crash in which he bent his handlebars with his chest in the final timed period and negotiated the 20 lap Main Event in some discomfort. 'That was the hardest race I've ever had,' he said. 'I wasn't even going to race until about 6:30, and I started feeling a little better. But 20 laps out there in my condition, that was so hard. At least I'm still there in the points, but I'm just going to go home and try to heal-up for next week in Daytona." Justin Brayton 20 seconds in front of the youngster was Joe Gibbs Racing's Justin Brayton, who was hunting a way past Tedesco but ultimately had to settle for 5th in what is becoming a very solid campaign for the 2009 Bercy SX winner. Tedesco was the first of six 2010 YZ450Fs on the leader-board that filled positions down to 9th place. After Hill followed Michael Byrne, Jason Lawrence and Grant Langston. Hill is now back to second place in the championship behind Ryan Dungey as the winner of the last two rounds, Ryan Villopoto, could only cross the line in 19th in Atlanta after a mistake caused a crash and necessitated a visit to the pits. Brayton's excellent consistency, which has seen three top five finishes in the last four events, means he is 5th and 13 points away from moving up another spot. Round nine takes place next Saturday as the series move to Daytona on the east coast. Crowd: 69, 182 Weather: Dry

Lap Record: 0'52.919 (Ricky Carmichael , 01/01/2006) Last Years Winner: James Stewart
2010 AMA-SX Atlanta, GA 28/02/2010 Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 18'38.901 2 Trey Canard Honda USA 0'10.976 3 David D Millsaps Honda USA 0'13.239 4 Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 0'16.672 5 Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 0'17.157 6 Josh Hill Yamaha USA 0'37.668 7 Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS 0'41.606 8 Jason Lawrence Yamaha USA 0'45.254 9 Grant Langston Yamaha RSA 0'47.817 10 Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 0'49.766 11 Chris Blose Honda USA -1Laps 12 Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA -1Laps 13 Matt Boni Honda USA -1Laps 14 Kevin Windham Honda USA -1Laps 15 Jason Thomas Suzuki USA -1Laps 17 Weston Peick Yamaha USA -1Laps 18 Dan Reardon Yamaha USA -1Laps  
Rider Standings 27/02/2010 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 170 2. Josh Hill Yamaha USA 150 3. Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 147 4. David D Millsaps Honda USA 134 5. Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 121 6. Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 115 7. Kevin Windham Honda USA 113 8. Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 85 9. Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS 71 10. Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA 69 11. Andrew Short Honda USA 69 12. Grant Langston Yamaha RSA 66 13. Thomas Hahn Yamaha USA 61 14. Chris Blose Honda USA 60 15. James Stewart Yamaha USA 51 18. Jason Lawrence Yamaha USA 28 19. Dan Reardon Yamaha USA 25 28. Weston Peick Yamaha USA 7 35. Josh Grant Yamaha USA 1  
Manufacturer Standings 27/02/2010 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Suzuki 170 2. Yamaha 169 3. Honda 161 4. Kawasaki 156 5. KTM 3
Alex Asigno
It wasn't an easy start for Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland today at the season opening race in Phillip Island Australia. Race one saw both riders crash out, Crutchlow losing the front having run wide on onto a dirty section of track on lap two and Toseland highsiding on the fifth lap. Race two saw a fiercely contested battle for points with both riders fighting off riders including Biaggi, Corser and others to stay within the top ten. Combined with a less than perfect set up on both bikes and struggling for grip the riders put in an incredible ride to bring their bikes home in the points, Crutchlow in ninth and Toseland tenth. Crutchlow moves on to round two in Portimao in 12th position in the championship on seven points, team-mate Toseland sits just behind in 13th with six points. Cal Crutchlow Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (DNF, 9th) "Race one was unfortunate, I felt we had good pace and were running up in the top five quite comfortably, I just made a little mistake. I was a bit better than Rea into the hairpin so had to run wide to avoid him and lost the front on the dirt. The second race was hard, I felt like I had no grip from the start and still some chattering. If we had better grip we could have pulled more out of it. We need to go back to the drawing board and work some stuff out." James Toseland James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (DNF, 10th) "I really needed to finish the second race after the crash in the first. To only finish 14 seconds from the front with the issues we've had this weekend is not so bad. I was really disappointed with the first race, with my injury on Friday I wanted to have two good finishes today. Full credit to the team they've tried so hard but unfortunately we haven't had the software here to solve the issue. We know what the problem is and I've given enough feedback and input to give the guys a direction to go in. We've got a lot of work to do, no doubt, but even with all the problems we're not actually that far away. The package, the power, the balance and the suspension have come on leaps and bounds. On to Portimao now, it's a long season so we can do it." Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager "It was definitely a really tough weekend for us. We solved some problems, and some we still have to work on. As we spent the two day test and the first day of the race weekend resolving the chatter issue, qualifying and race day was our first opportunity to really test the 2010 bike set up. We've seen that we have the potential to do well so we will go home and start working on the solutions to be ready to fight for the Portimao races. The team have worked really hard over the last few days to try and solve the issues and both Cal and James have given 100% to meet the challenges."

Circuit Length: 4.445 Weather: Windy
Lap Record: 1'32.402 (Troy Bayliss, 01/01/2006) Fastest Lap Ever: 1'31.069 (Ben Spies, 01/03/2009) Last Years Winner: Ben Spies
2010 WSB Australia - Phillip Island 28/02/2010 Race 1 - 22 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 34'13.435 2 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 0'00.004 3 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 0'00.769 4 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 0'10.201 5 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 0'10.782 6 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 0'11.079 7 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 0'11.208 8 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0'16.522 9 Troy Corser BMW AUS 0'20.291 10 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0'26.352 11 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 0'29.775 12 Max Neukirchner Honda GER 0'30.155 13 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 0'31.951 14 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 0'31.957 15 Andrew Pitt BMW AUS 0'55.082
Race 2 - 22 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 34'16.428 2 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 0'00.307 3 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 0'00.434 4 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 0'00.837 5 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 0'03.453 6 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 0'11.530 7 Troy Corser BMW AUS 0'12.026 8 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 0'13.068 9 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 0'14.401 10 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 0'14.707 11 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 0'14.743 12 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 0'14.851 13 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0'15.143 14 Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 0'30.947 15 Andrew Pitt BMW AUS 0'41.855
Best Lap Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 1'32.193  
Rider Standings 28/02/2010 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 45 2. Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 36 3. Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 34 4. Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 27 5. Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 23 6. Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 23 7. Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 19 8. Troy Corser BMW AUS 16 9. Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 10 10. Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 9 11. Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 8 12. Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 7 13. James Toseland Yamaha GBR 6 14. Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 6 15. Max Neukirchner Honda GER 4  
Manufacturer Standings 28/02/2010 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Ducati 45 2. Suzuki 45 3. Honda 23 4. Aprilia 19 5. BMW 16 6. Yamaha 7 7. Kawasaki 3
Alex Asigno
Cal Crutchlow British riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland demonstrated the big steps forward in bike set up on the 2010 R1 today, challenging through all three Superpole sessions to take first and second row starts respectively. Both riders had used their qualifier tyres by the end of the second session, using race rubber for their final heat. In an amazing turn of speed Crutchlow put in an incredible 1'31.642 to secure third whilst team-mate Toseland put his head down to secure eighth a row behind. The qualifying session earlier in the day saw again more improvement from the Yamaha team. Without any of the chatter problems from the test to be seen the increased power on the new bike was evident. Crutchlow ended the second qualifying heat in third, just over two tenths of pole whilst Toseland defied the pain in his hand from yesterday's highside to secure fifth, again less than three tenths off pole. These impressive performances by both riders gave an overall qualifying position of fourth for Crutchlow and sixth for Toseland prior to Superpole. Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (3rd, 1.31.642) "This morning wasn't too bad for me, I'm pleased enough with the race pace. I think we're struggling for the podium but that's what I'm aiming for as always. If we can be somewhere near I'll be happy! We managed to get a good lap out at the end of Superpole and I was pleased with that. Going into the weekend we weren't even in the points, Yamaha has done a really good job this week and we've worked some stuff out. Hopefully we can keep the cooler conditions as they'll help us tomorrow. Let's see what we can do." James Toseland James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (8th, 1'32.019) "I was annoyed with myself for the highside yesterday, we had some issues with the electronics which caught me out so today was damage limitation for that. The balance and the bike itself has improved a lot over the weekend but the electronics now need to catch up a bit. I hurt my hand in the fall which is quite painful, especially as this is a really physical circuit and you need your strength to get round it. I made a mistake on my first tyre in Superpole this afternoon which forced me to use the qualifier in the first session, so I had to use a race tyre for the last session. I knew if I could get into the last eight then I'd be happy with the second row. We've got quite a lot more to do with the bike, but to see where we were before the weekend and to now be Cal on the first row and me on the second just shows you what a good job the team has done. They've put us in a position where we can have a go." Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager "We have made a really good improvement over the last few days. In the beginning we were struggling but we've found a way to solve everything. Slowly we've been improving the performance with both bikes. To achieve the first two rows for the first race of the season with new riders, especially Cal coming from Supersport, is a great result. Tomorrow we'll have to see the weather forecast and decide which tyres we want to use for the race. We are satisfied for today!" Circuit Length: 4445 Weather: Overcast

Lap Record: 1'32.402 (Troy Bayliss, 01/01/2006) Fastest Lap Ever: 1'31.069 (Ben Spies, 01/03/2009) Last Years Winner: Ben Spies
2010 WSB Australia - Phillip Island 27/02/2010 Superpole Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 1'31.229 2 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 1'31.245 3 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'31.642 4 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1'31.671 5 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 1'31.696 6 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'31.757 7 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1'31.912 8 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 1'32.019 9 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 1'32.205 10 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 1'32.229 11 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 1'32.293 12 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 1'32.398 13 Troy Corser BMW AUS 1'32.430 14 Chris Vermeulen Kawasaki AUS 1'32.561 15 Ruben Xaus BMW ESP 1'32.842
Qualifying 2 Pos. Rider Nat. QUAL I QUAL II 1 Carlos Checa ESP 1'32.155 1'32.227 2 Michel Fabrizio ITA 1'32.162 1'33.099 3 Leon Haslam GBR 1'32.373 1'32.436 4 Cal Crutchlow GBR 1'33.038 1'32.446 5 Sylvain Guintoli FRA 1'32.902 1'32.448 6 James Toseland GBR 1'33.422 1'32.455 7 Jonathan Rea GBR 1'32.884 1'32.460 8 Chris Vermeulen AUS 1'33.389 1'32.500 9 Leon Camier GBR 1'33.296 1'32.548 10 Jakub Smrz CZE 1'32.905 1'32.571 11 Lorenzo Lanzi ITA 1'33.454 1'32.620 12 Shane Byrne GBR 1'32.635 1'33.695 13 Troy Corser AUS 1'33.512 1'32.684 14 Noriyuki Haga JPN 1'32.703 1'32.751 15 Tom Sykes GBR 1'33.492 1'32.806
Alex Asigno
Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi signed off the second pre-season test of the year on top once again in Malaysia today, meaning he has been fastest at all four days of testing so far this year. The Italian smashed his own pole record by almost three tenths of a second, proving that he and the new YZR-M1 are on track for the season's start in a month's time. Rossi spent the final day of the test trying electronic packages, a new tyre for Bridgestone and just double-checking all the work done so far. He also had time to do a few laps on the Japanese test team's bike, providing them with important feedback for the future development of the M1. The 31-year-old set his best lap of 2'00.271 on his 12th of 39 laps, with Casey Stoner second once again in a time of 2'00.512. It was a good day for Yamaha, with Tech 3 riders Colin Edwards and Ben Spies fourth and fifth respectively. The next and final pre-season test comes at Qatar on 18th and 19th March, by which time Rossi's injured team-mate Jorge Lorenzo hopes to have made a full recovery and to be back in action. Rossi pit box Valentino Rossi - Position: 1st Time: 2'00.271 Laps: 39 "I'm really happy to have beaten my pole record, it's a good feeling to be this fast in testing. I did this with an old tyre but we also got the chance to try a very good new tyre from Bridgestone today, which I hope we will use from the first race. Our bike is in great shape; we need to do a bit more work on the electronics but in general everything is better, especially the rear grip and the engine. Yamaha have been very clever to develop this new bike whilst keeping the best parts of the old one, I'm very happy about it. It was good to get the chance to try the Japanese test bike, hopefully the feedback I gave them will help us in the future. Now we go to Qatar and then we will see our level because it is not one of mine or Yamaha's best tracks! But we're in great shape and this is very important at this stage of the season. I'm really looking forward to it." Edwards and Spies shine in Sepang sauna The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team concluded the second of three 2010 pre-season tests in Sepang today in confident mood after Colin Edwards and Ben Spies both finished in the top five on the timesheets. In searing hot temperatures that peaked at an exhausting 37 degrees, Edwards rode his 2010 YZR-M1 machine to the fourth fastest time, the experienced American finishing with a best lap of 2.00.988. After completing 35-laps, Edwards declared himself delighted with his performance after he made significant progress in improving electronics and handling with his YZR-M1 machine. He was also happy with the performance of a new Bridgestone rear tyre he evaluated this afternoon to finish just under 0.3s away from a top three finish. Spies once again proved what a phenomenally fast learner he is after posting a series of consistently competitive lap times on only his second visit to the long and technical Sepang circuit. A best lap of 2.01.014 was just 0.026s slower than Edwards and the reigning World Superbike champion was able to significantly reduce the gap between himself and the best time clocked by Valentino Rossi to just over 0.7s. Spies was also able to showcase his prowess on worn race tyres when he completed a long distance run today, the 25-year-old reeling off consistent and fast laps in the 2.01 bracket. Colin Edwards Colin Edwards - Position: 4th Time: 2'00.988 Laps: 35 “It felt really hot out there today and I don't think anybody was going to do a lot of laps in those conditions. I did 35 laps and all of them were productive and I'm leaving this test really happy. I worked on the electronics and a bit of suspension work today and I was happy with the new Bridgestone rear tyre. We did full race distance on it in the middle of the day when it was really hot and I was still doing 2.02s on the last lap. So it really keeps a good level of grip for a long time. I feel ready to race right now. We've got the bike sorted out and the last test in Qatar should be another positive test to set us up nicely for the first race. We're ready to go because Yamaha has done a fantastic job. Everything they have done has improved the bike and that's a great achievement. I want to thank my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 again for all their hard work and congratulate Ben too. This is a tough track to learn but he's doing a great job and he is impressing a lot of people. We're working really closely together and that is going to be great to help the team have another great year.” Ben Spies Ben Spies - Position: 5th Time: 2'01.014 Laps: 44 “It has been a positive test for me again because I have been able to improve my lap time by quite a bit. I'm 0.8s quicker than yesterday so that is a good step in the right direction. I did a race simulation and all my laps were in the 2.01s. I've always felt good at the end of races and I think that is what my strong point has been in the past. In Valencia when I raced the Yamaha for the first time I came on strong at the end. When the tyres go off I feel a little bit better. I didn't quite get to improve on my overall position but I'm convinced I had the speed to get into the high 2s, but I was only able to use one of the softer Bridgestone tyres. But all in all it has been a positive day and the gap to the front has become smaller again.” Test Times 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'00.271 2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'00.512 3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'00.703 4. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2'00.988 5. Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2'01.014 6. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'01.320 7. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 2'01.439 8. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 2'01.478 9. Hiroshi Aoyama (JAP) Interwetten-Honda MotoGP 2'01.692 10. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'01.732 11. Randy de Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 2'01.980 12. Marco Melandri (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2'02.078 13. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team 2'02.080 14. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Green Team 2'02.082 15. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Green Team 2'02.367 16. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2'03.689 Sepang: Record Lap C. Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2'02.108 Sepang: Best Lap V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 2'00.518
Alex Asigno
Cal Crutchlow Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland made a purposeful start to the first race weekend of the season today at the Phillip Island circuit. The riders faced a day of serious heat with track temperatures hitting 45°C. Having now solved the chatter issues that dominated the test last week, both Crutchlow and Toseland spent both the practice and qualifying sessions exploring the limits of the 2010 bike. With significant power increases across the rev range through off-season engine development, this was the first real opportunity for the riders to experience the changes and work on the set up of their bikes in advance of race day. The high track temperatures drastically reduced grip on the track surface, causing Toseland to lose the back end of his R1 in turn 11, becoming one of seven riders to fall in the session. He was unhurt and came back out on his second bike. One of the developments of the bike for 2010 include a lighter carbon fuel tank, this was changed to the heavier 2009 tank for today's sessions, seeming to help eliminate the chatter issue. Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (10th 1'33.038) "I think we've worked hard and got rid of the chatter problem. The 2009 parts that we've used seem to have helped us in that way. The tank and the seat unit seemed to have stopped the chatter now. If you look at our times, although we're not initially fastest straight away we've got consistency across the sessions. We've got some more areas to work on and I'm looking forward to making the bike even better tomorrow. We've got a good direction to work in, it was just a little unfortunate that the track temperature was so hot today. Even so we were still doing the same times as Ben's race pace from last year. Hopefully it will cool off over the next couple of days and work better for us." James Toseland James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (13th 1'33.422) "Unfortunately had a big crash today coming out of the penultimate corner which didn't help things. I did go back out on the other bike but had a pain in my hand so came in as I wanted to make sure it was ok. We're definitely making improvements, we've just had a lot to do in one day to work through the package. We're only a bit over a second off pole now so we'll focus down and keep moving forward tomorrow." Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager "Today we rode two practice sessions without chattering which is a very good improvement, so now the riders have to find the limits of the 2010 bike. Last weekend they couldn't as the chatter held them back. Looking at this as the first day I think we've improved quite a lot. Unfortunately James crashed but he is fine, so we will see what they can both do tomorrow." Circuit Length: 4445 Weather: Hot
Lap Record: 1'32.402 (Troy Bayliss, 01/01/2006) Fastest Lap Ever: 1'31.069 (Ben Spies, 01/03/2009) Last Years Winner: Ben Spies
2010 WSB Australia - Phillip Island 26/02/2010 Qualifying 1 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1'32.155 2 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 1'32.162 3 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 1'32.373 4 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 1'32.635 5 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 1'32.703 6 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 1'32.850 7 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1'32.884 8 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 1'32.902 9 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'32.905 10 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'33.038 11 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 1'33.296 12 Chris Vermeulen Kawasaki AUS 1'33.389 13 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 1'33.422 14 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 1'33.454 15 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 1'33.492
Alex Asigno
Valentino Rossi Valentino Rossi continued from where he left off at the last test in Malaysia today, setting the fastest time once again on the first day of the second pre-season outing at Sepang. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo is not in action at this test as he is currently recovering at home in Spain from a hand injury. It was a dry day in Sepang with temperatures reaching 37 degrees and 31-year-old Rossi made the most of it, completing 47 laps. He and his crew continued to work on the development of the 2010 YZR-M1 prototype, checking different settings and trying some new electronic maps. The Italian’s best time of the day was 2’01.068, just a fraction off his best time at the last test and 0.151 ahead of Casey Stoner in second place. Valentino Rossi - Position: 1st Time: 2'01.068 Laps: 47 “We started well today and we’re already very fast, so we’re quite happy about this. We’ve confirmed that the work we did at the last test was good and it’s clear we’re in good shape at this track. We worked on two or three different settings and today we’ve more or less made a decision about the right way to go with balance, suspension etc so this is good progress. We also tried some new electronic maps, to try to improve acceleration, but we need to do more work on this again tomorrow. It’s good to be fast at this stage and now we’re really just waiting to go to another track, to see how this new M1 will perform there. Tomorrow we will do a long run, maybe not race distance but just quite a few laps together, which will be the final part of our work at this track.” Spies and Edwards storm top six in Sepang Ben Spies and Colin Edwards continued their 2010 MotoGP preparations in impressive fashion in Malaysia today, the American duo both occupying a place in the top six on the timesheets. In typically hot and humid conditions at the 5.548km Sepang circuit, Spies was one of the fastest and most consistent performers on track, the Texan clocking a best time of 2.01.843 to finish fifth overall. The ideal track conditions presented Spies with the perfect opportunity to continue learning more about his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine. The 25-year-old spent time working on revised geometry settings to improve rear grip and he managed to shave close to 0.4s off his best time when he made an impressive debut at the technical Sepang circuit just three weeks ago. Just one place and 0.054s further back was Edwards, who clocked a best time of 2.01.897 despite a minor technical issue this morning costing him precious track time. Edwards still had a positive day, making big strides with a new YZR-M1 swingarm while also evaluating new electronics as Yamaha works tirelessly to ensure it remains the dominant brand in MotoGP this season. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team has one more day of testing tomorrow in Sepang before the reduced pre-season schedule concludes in Qatar next month. Ben Spies Ben Spies - Position: 5th Time: 2'01.843 Laps: 42 “It was hot out there today but I'm happy with how I performed and I feel I've accomplished a fair bit. I automatically picked up where I left off here because my fourth lap today was only three-tenths slower than my best time at the first test. I'm close to half-a-second faster than the last test and I'm more consistent. My fastest laps were all on tyres that had done race distance and that makes me happier than anything else. It's not so much that I got under the 2.02 barrier but I did it on worn tyres and I think that will be one of my big strong points this season. I feel like I'm getting closer to finding the limit of the Bridgestone tyres and I'm getting more comfortable on them, but we still need to do more work. Today we played around with the bike a bit more than previously just to understand a few things but it was nothing major. Some changes were good and some were bad and I feel we made some important progress and I definitely had more grip. Everyday I'm trying to learn something and go a little bit quicker and that's what I achieved.” Colin Edwards Colin Edwards - Position: 6th Time: 2'01.897 Laps: 35 “After the small problem I had this morning I had to play catch up pretty quick to the rest of the guys but I managed to do some good laps and I'm happy with my pace. It was a productive day and I feel like we've learned a few things. Everybody is testing electronics and Yamaha have done another good job because what I tried definitely has some good points and they are moving in the right direction. Yamaha might have dominated last year but they definitely haven't just taken the easy option and sat back. They've worked really hard on improving what was already a great bike, and some of the improvements have really helped me. I did more work on the new swingarm and I like it. It seems to help the front and the rear of the bike and it gives me a lot more confidence. And it helps a lot with my front feeling, which I had an issue with a bit last year.” 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'01.068 2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 2’01.219 3. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 2’01.631 4. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2’01.687 5. Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2’01.843 6. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2’01.897 7. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 2’02.036 8. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Racing Team 2’02.038 9. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2’02.078 10. Marco Melandri (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2’02.086 11. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 2’02.22 12. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Interwetten-Honda MotoGP 2’02.419 13. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Racing Team 2’02.447 14. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team 2’02.485 15. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 2’02.535 16. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2’03.254
Alex Asigno
DP and GP Last Sunday Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team’s David Philippaerts gained his second podium in a week and the second from three race appearance so far in 2010 on the new YZ450FM. The 25 year old rode to 4th, 4th and 3rd positions for the overall runner-up position at the Valence International in France. On a cold weekend and across a track that was stony and damp but became drier throughout race day, Philippaerts faced a large number of Grand Prix competitors and produced three consistent and decent outings. The Italian is gaining speed and confidence with his 2010 race-bike and benefitted from more suspension tests last week after his victory in the first round of the Italian Championship at Montevarchi. ‘I am very happy as my riding was good today, better than last week in the Italian Championship,’ he said. ‘We made a test with the suspension in the middle of the week before coming to France and it was a step forwards. We made a change on the rear shock and also discovered a setting for the front fork. I felt comfortable on the bike at Valence and could run the pace I wanted.’ Philippaerts placed behind Antonio Cairoli and in front of Steve Ramon, Anthony Boissiere and Sebastien Pourcel. Team-mate Gautier Paulin swung his leg over the works YZ250FM for just the second time in competition this year and claimed fourth place overall. The Frenchman was pleased with the progress he is making in preparation for his assault on the MX2-GP world championship. ‘Everything went OK,’ he said after taking two 4th places and then was the second best MX2 rider in the Superfinal with the 450s. ‘Frossard was perhaps the fastest MX2 rider on the day but I was not far away from him and I was pleased with the fact that my best moto was the last one; I only needed a little bit more time to overtake him to be the first MX2 bike against the MX1 guys. My fitness is good and we are going in the right direction.’ Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci Motocross Team’s Loic Larrieu enjoyed his first race on the 2010 YZ250F and his first outing since injuring both of his shoulders towards the end of 2009. The French teenager was 11th overall in the MX2 class. Team-mate Ken De Dycker was not able to score points across the Valence leaps after a small mechanical problem. The second round of the Italian Championship takes place next weekend at Castiglione Del Lago with both Yamaha Monster Energy teams set to participate.
Alex Asigno
Josh Hill The seventh round of seventeen in the 2010 AMA Supercross/FIM SX World Championship took place at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in front of a bumper crowd of more than 60,000 and Yamaha Joe Gibbs Racing's Justin Brayton was the highest-placed YZ450F runner with a career-best 4th place. Yamaha LandM San Manuel's Josh Hill recorded his lowest result of the season so far with 9th. The vast Lucas Oil Stadium entertained an AMA SX Main event for just the second time and the meeting marked the beginning of the East Coast Lites series. Josh Hill went into the weekend co-leading the SX championship and things looked promising after he won his heat race. Unfortunately several mistakes in the main event saw the 20 year old in the second half of the leader-board and he was able to improve his standing by one position on the last lap after passing friend and brand-mate Jason Lawrence. Ninth place meant the end of his streak of five consecutive podium appearances and also drops him to 3rd in the table, ten points from new leader and Indianapolis winner Ryan Villopoto. Justin Brayton Justin Brayton has been steadily increasing his results and has not dropped out of the top eight this season so far. His 4th place drew him into the spotlight as the top Yamaha rider in Indianapolis and he lies in the 6th in the standings, only 30 points away from Hill with the series not yet at the half way stage. 2007 AMA Motocross Champion Grant Langston was 7th for his best Indoor finish since San Francisco and round four of the 2008 campaign. In the Lites category Ryan Sipes took 4th place on the YZ250F. Round eight takes place next Saturday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Circuit Length: 0 Crowd: 60,019 Weather: Dry
 

2010 AMA-SX Indianapolis 21/02/2010
Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 17'20.777 2 Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 0'03.628 3 Kevin Windham Honda USA 0'20.293 4 Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 0'28.091 5 David D Millsaps Honda USA 0'34.616 6 Chris Blose Honda USA 0'36.399 7 Grant Langston Yamaha RSA 0'39.572 8 Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 0'43.728 9 Josh Hill Yamaha USA 0'48.532 10 Jason Lawrence Yamaha USA 0'48.834 11 Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 0'50.125 12 Jarred Jet Browne Kawasaki USA 0'59.547 13 Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS -1Laps 14 Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA -1Laps 15 Matt Boni Honda USA -1Laps 16 Thomas Hahn Yamaha USA -1Laps 19 Dan Reardon Yamaha USA -10Laps  
Rider Standings 20/02/2010 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 145 2. Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 145 3. Josh Hill Yamaha USA 135 4. David D Millsaps Honda USA 114 5. Kevin Windham Honda USA 106 6. Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 105 7. Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 97 8. Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 74 9. Andrew Short Honda USA 69 10. Thomas Hahn Yamaha USA 61 11. Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA 60 12. Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS 57 13. Grant Langston Yamaha RSA 54 14. James Stewart Yamaha USA 51 15. Chris Blose Honda USA 50 18. Dan Reardon Yamaha USA 22 23. Jason Lawrence Yamaha USA 15 31. Weston Peick Yamaha USA 3 34. Josh Grant Yamaha USA 1  
Manufacturer Standings 20/02/2010 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Yamaha 151 2. Kawasaki 145 3. Suzuki 145 4. Honda 139 5. KTM 3
Alex Asigno
James Toseland Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike riders James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow have wrapped up the final day of the two day test in Phillip Island. Both British riders spent the two days working on the chassis set-up of the new 2010 Yamaha YZF-R1 in what was its first outing of the year. The riders now take a few days of rest before heading back out onto the Australian circuit for the first race of the 2010 season this weekend. James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World superbike Team (11th, 1’32.7) “It’s been a solid two days of testing working on the new bike. I still have some chatter problems as does Cal. The guys are going to go through the data and see what they can come up with for us over the next couple of days.” Cal Crutchlow Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (14th, 1’32.8) “We worked through a lot of stuff, unfortunately it’s not all worked yet. If we can get going in the right direction over the next couple of days for both of us then we can move forward. I’m looking forward to race weekend as always and will do the best job I can.” Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda world Superbike Team Manager “We have had a problem with chatter so we will spend the next few days before the race weekend studying the data to find a solution. We are confident that we will find the right one and give both James and Cal the best possible bike to race with.”
Alex Asigno
Philippaerts Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team’s David Philippaerts took a perfect 1-1 set of results at a cold and dark Montevarchi circuit for the first round of four in the Italian MX1 Championship. Completing a decent day of competition for the team Gautier Paulin enjoyed a successful debut on the 2010 YZ250F and in Monster Energy colours by also claiming two victories in the MX2 category. Ken De Dycker meanwhile triumphed at Lommel in Belgium. Philippaerts beat former Yamaha GP rider Davide Guarneri in both motos for an encouraging scorecard in what was just his second outing on the new fuel-injected rear slanting YZ450F. The Italian took to the tight, twisty and hard-pack track in order to gather more data and learn more about the settings of the machine under race conditions. It was a useful day as the wet terrain as slick and bumpy and far from easy. ‘I am happy with today, we had two good results and the races were not so easy,’ the 2008 MX1-GP World Champion said. ‘We worked a little bit on suspension and I am pleased with how everything is going. Even though there were not too many Grand Prix riders here the pace was still pretty good.’ Paulin In MX2 Paulin, who only returned from the USA and his brief outing in the AMA West Coast Lites SX series last week, was unstoppable in an emphatic opening statement for the team. He took the holeshot in both motos and won the first sprint by almost half a lap, going on to celebrate another victory later in the afternoon. ‘Two good starts and a positive way to begin the year with the team,’ he remarked. ‘I am pleased with what we did here and now we head to Valence and will continue to work and get ready for the season ahead.’ In second place behind Paulin was 2009 European Champion and Yamaha Monster Energy Gariboldi Racing’s Christophe Charlier. The French teenager will enter his first world championship term in 2010 and begin his racing activities this year with 3rd and 2nd positions. Team-mate Harri Kullas was an encouraging 4th overall. Further north in Belgium Ken De Dycker showed his customary precision in Belgian sand by taking the 2010 YZ450F to first place overall at a snowy and icy Lommel. The Belgian took a 3rd and 1st and celebrated his first garland with Yamaha by virtue of his second moto classification. Both Yamaha Monster Energy teams will line-up again this coming weekend, this time just south of Lyon for the Valence International.
Alex Asigno
Josh Hill at A3 Yamaha LandM San Manuel rider Josh Hill shares the points-lead in the 2010 AMA Supercross/FIM World Championship after scoring his fifth successive podium result and his fourth runner-up position in a row last Saturday in the final visit to the Angel Stadium, Anaheim in Los Angeles. The 20 year old finished the sixth round of seventeen behind Ryan Villopoto after a good start on the '10 YZ450F and is now tied on 123 points with Ryan Dungey. The third and last trek to Anaheim this year took place in front of over 34,000 spectators. Hill gated behind Villopoto and then had to deflect the attentions of Kevin Windham in the final stages to again ascend the second step. The consistency of the rider from Oregon has been impressive in 2010, especially as he has represented the team alone in the absence of champion James Stewart due to a broken right scaphoid. Hill 'I'm honestly starting to get sick of second place, but Ryan rode well tonight and the track was sketchy,' he said. 'I just tried to ride smart. I had to protect my lines from Windham for a while, too, and Ryan got away. I do better on the eastern tracks sometimes, so hopefully I can get a win next week.' Stewart gave an update through his official website last week: 'It's been five days now since my surgery, and my wrist is already feeling a lot better! Right now I'm following my doctor's orders so I can get back on the track racing as soon as possible. My plan is to be back out there just as soon as I can ride without pain. There's not an exact date yet, but if progress continues as is, I hope to be back very soon.' Hill is neck-and-neck with Dungey in the points and Valli Yamaha's Ivan Tedesco (who fell on lap one of the main event in Anaheim) is fifth with Joe Gibbs Racing's Justin Brayton in sixth. Brayton's team-mate Josh Grant still remains on the sidelines with an injured left shoulder and could make a return to the Indoors by the end of the campaign. Broc Tickle in LA In the West Coast Lites class Broc Tickle obtained his second rostrum finish of the season on the YZ250F and his best result so far in 2010 with second place. The Star Racing rider is currently 4th in the standings with just two more rounds to run in the category. He faces a gap of 14 points to the top three. A crash in the qualification Heat for Max Anstie meant that the British teenager could not participate in the main event and had to visit the hospital for a suspected pelvis injury. Round seven takes place next Saturday in the Lucas Oil Dome of Indianapolis as the series moves away from the West coast for the first time. Crowd: 34,227 Weather: Dry
Lap Record: 0'44.601 (Ricky Carmichael , 01/01/2006) Last Years Winner: James Stewart

2010 AMA-SX Anaheim, CA 14/02/2010
Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 20'28.224 2 Josh Hill Yamaha USA 0'04.678 3 Kevin Windham Honda USA 0'06.259 4 Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 0'09.609 5 David D Millsaps Honda USA 0'25.131 6 Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 0'27.819 7 Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA 0'46.547 8 Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS 0'47.526 9 Dan Reardon Yamaha USA 0'58.368 10 Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 1'00.565 11 Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 1'02.472 12 Chris Blose Honda USA -1Laps 13 Grant Langston Yamaha RSA -1Laps 14 Jarred Jet Browne Kawasaki USA -1Laps 15 Fabien Izoird Kawasaki FRA -1Laps 18 Weston Peick Yamaha USA -1Laps  
Rider Standings 13/02/2010 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 123 2. Josh Hill Yamaha USA 123 3. Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 120 4. David D Millsaps Honda USA 98 5. Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 87 6. Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 87 7. Kevin Windham Honda USA 86 8. Andrew Short Honda USA 69 9. Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 61 10. Thomas Hahn Yamaha USA 56 11. Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA 53 12. James Stewart Yamaha USA 51 13. Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS 49 14. Grant Langston Yamaha RSA 40 15. Chris Blose Honda USA 35 19. Dan Reardon Yamaha USA 20 27. Jason Lawrence Yamaha USA 4 30. Weston Peick Yamaha USA 3 32. Josh Grant Yamaha USA 1  
Manufacturer Standings 13/02/2010 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Yamaha 133 2. Suzuki 123 3. Kawasaki 120 4. Honda 119 5. KTM 3
Alex Asigno
Crutchlow & Toseland The Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team today unveiled their new livery for the 2010 racing season. The team launched the new design on location at the Sterilgarda headquarters in Castiglione delle Stiviere to an audience of international journalists and sponsors. Riders James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow revealed their 2010 YZF-R1 racebikes then took time to answer questions about their upcoming season. Both two-time World Superbike champion Toseland and reigning World Supersport champion Crutchlow have the potential to fight for the championship title this year. New racing developments to the 2010 bike based upon the production crossplane crankshaft R1 include: • Increased engine power – Maximum engine power increased by 8hp, considerable power benefits over the full rev range. • Weight reduction – Overall bike weight reduced by 3kg without losing the electric starter. • Different radiator shape – For increased cooling capacity and also to reduce drag. • Different fuel tank – Now made entirely from carbon fibre with greater capability and lighter. • Re-designed bottom fairing – Narrower design for less drag, design allows for easier heat dispersal • New exhaust system – For increased power in the middle of the rev range. James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team “The first race is coming up in two weeks and testing has been really promising after riding a GP bike for two years. After the test in Phillip island personally and machinery wise everything should be set to compete at the front from the first race.” Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team “I’m looking forward to the year ahead, it’s going to be a good challenge, but tough! Testing has gone well, hopefully we can turn that into good results from the first few races and build from there. I know we can do a good job.” Laurens Klein Koerkamp, Yamaha Motor Europe Racing Manager “After an incredibly successful season last year it’s back to business. We have two new riders and we’ve taken the bike to the next level over the winter, we want to keep the world title at Yamaha. The grid is looking really tough this year but we have two of the toughest guys at the front.” Nando Sarzi, Sterilgarda Alimenti Spa CEO “We were delighted to be able to join up with Yamaha in Monza in 2009, it was amazing to be able to share the year of successful racing together. We are very excited about 2010 and are looking forward to more success and our relationship continuing to develop.” Sterilgarda joined up with Yamaha as a key Sponsor midway through the 2009 race season at the Monza round in Italy. The relationship has continued to grow successfully with Sterilgarda sharing in the championship success of 2009. For 2010 Yamaha and Sterilgarda have remained committed to strengthening their partnership further and continuing to work closely together, sharing a common passion for racing and the desire to be the best. Sterilgarda Alimenti Spa is the second largest UHT dairy manufacturer in Italy, operating from their headquarters in Castiglione delle Stiviere (Mantova, Italy) with a turnover of 258 million € (2009), main products include UHT milk and cream, béchamel sauce, pudding, yogurt, mascarpone, fruit juices and soft drinks. Photography of the 2010 livery launch along with riders Toseland and Crutchlow is available for download from Yamaha-racing.com. -ENDS- Sterilgarda company facts: - Sterilgarda Alimenti Spa founded in1969. - Based in Castiglione delle Stiviere (Mantova, Italy). - Second largest UHT dairy manufacturer in Italy. - Main products include UHT milk and cream and mascarpone etc. fruit juices and nectars, iced tea and soft drinks. -Turnover: 258 million € (2009). - Aprox. 90 % of turnover in Italy, 10 % outside Italy (mainly mascarpone – famous soft cheese). - 500 employees. - Production capacity exceeding 2.5 million products per day (aprox. 1.400 tons). - Most modern production and filling UHT/ Tetrabrik machinery in Italy.
Alex Asigno
2009 Videos online Yamaha were able to celebrate titles across the board of major FIM world championships in 2009 thanks to success in MotoGP, World Superbike, World Supersport, MX1-GP Motocross and Supercross (also AMA). Fans of riders like Ben Spies, Cal Crutchlow, Tony Cairoli and James Stewart, not to mention motorcycles like the YZF-R1, R6 and YZ450F, can now watch exciting and action-packed highlight-videos of the victorious campaigns on www.yamaha-racing.com What about Spies’ impressive World Superbike debut win at Phillip Island and Crutchlow’s dramatic last corner charge at Assen? Stewart’s celebrations in front of a massive crowd at Las Vegas for the final round of the championship and Cairoli taking the title in his maiden MX1-GP season; all-in-all some priceless memories in what was a historic year. To re-live these special moments and more click on the following links: 2009 Yamaha World Superbike video 2009 Yamaha World Supersport video 2009 Yamaha World Motocross and Supercross video
Alex Asigno
Fiat Yamaha Team rider Jorge Lorenzo has undergone surgery in his right hand following an accident whilst training near his home in Barcelona yesterday, Thursday 11th February. The 22-year-old was riding his motocross bike at the practice course near Montmeló during a routine training session as part of his pre-season preparation. He fell in a slow corner, doing approximately 30km/h, and hurt his right hand as he landed. He was taken immediately to the Capio Hospital General de Catalunya and found to have a fracture at the base of the first metacarpal and a displaced thumb. Dr. Augusto J. Casanovas made an open reduction and osteosynthesis with a small titanium plate. Lorenzo will require hand protection for four to six weeks. The Spaniard is leaving the hospital this morning and will return to his home in Barcelona to recuperate. He will not participate in the next Sepang test but he is expected to make a full recovery in time for the final pre-season test at Qatar in March.
Alex Asigno
2010 WSB R1 The Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team is pleased to announce that the new 2010 livery will be unveiled on Friday 12th of February at the Sterilgarda plant in Italy. Riders James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow will present the 2010 livery on their bikes to an audience of international media on Friday, in advance of shipping out to Australia for the second test of 2010 and the first race of the season at Phillip Island. Yamaha are delighted to be able to launch the new livery at the Sterilgarda headquarters in Castiglione delle Stiviere following Sterilgarda’s continued commitment as sponsor of the successful World Superbike Team. Sterilgarda is Italy’s second largest manufacturer of UHT dairy products. Photography of the bikes in their new livery along with riders Toseland and Crutchlow will be available for download from Yamaha-racing.com from Friday late afternoon.
Alex Asigno

Hill runner-up in San Diego

By Alex Asigno in Archives

Josh Hill in San Diego Yamaha San Manuel LandM Team's Josh Hill scored his fourth consecutive podium result and his second runner-up position in a week at a wet Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego for the fourth round of seventeen in the AMA Supercross series, also an FIM World Championship. The visit to southern California was a good one for Yamaha and the 2010 YZ450F as Valli Motorsports' Ivan Tedesco rode to third place for his first piece of silverware of the season. Joe Gibbs Racing's Justin Brayton steered the third YZ inside the top five to a personal-best of 5th spot. Mike Bell won the first San Diego SX on a Yamaha 30 years ago and Hill tried his best to add another garland in what was the 28th Main Event in the city. He was part of a five rider dice across a slippery and rutted track caused by rainfall. While Davi Millsaps would eventually become the fourth different winner in the first five outings of the championship, Hill rode smartly to hold off the attentions of Tedesco and continue his impressive consistency since climbing aboard the YZ450F and joining the LandM crew. 'I felt really good out there but I spent way too much time trying to pass Ivan and I think that let Davi get away a bit too far for the time I had left,' he said. 'I just coming into every week thinking about doing my best and so far that's working but I haven't won one yet. I hope to soon, and I really think I will, but I just need to put everything together at the same time.' Ivan Tedesco at the Qualcomm 'I'm happy that I finally got on the box because I've been close this year but haven't gotten up here until now,' said Tedesco. 'I'm pumped, though. This is some momentum that I can build on for next week before we head east.' In the West Coast Lites category British teenager and rookie Max Anstie took a career-best 4th position on the YZ250F, one rank ahead of Broc Tickle. The American is currently 4th in the points table. Max Anstie Hill has gained ground on SX standings leader Ryan Dungey who could only finish 6th. The Yamaha man is just four points from the lead of the competitive AMA contest and is flying the flag for the team with defending champion James Stewart on the sidelines with a broken right scaphoid. Tedesco is 5th and Brayton 6th. 'I'm pumped to be that close in points now but I know Dungey isn't going to keep having these weekends, so I need to win soon,' commented Hill. Round six goes back to the Angel Stadium, Anaheim in Los Angeles next week for the third and final visit of the 2010 calendar.  
Crowd: 51, 843 Weather: Wet
Lap Record: 0'47.448 (James Stewart, 01/01/2006) Last Years Winner: James Stewart

 
2010 AMA-SX San Diego, CA 07/02/2010
Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 David D Millsaps Honda USA 18'27.078 2 Josh Hill Yamaha USA 0'03.696 3 Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 0'04.983 4 Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 0'26.210 5 Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 0'29.377 6 Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 0'30.048 7 Thomas Hahn Yamaha USA 0'39.073 8 Grant Langston Yamaha RSA 0'41.504 9 Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 0'44.469 10 Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA -1Laps 11 Chris Blose Honda USA -1Laps 12 Fabien Izoird Kawasaki FRA -1Laps 13 Dan Reardon Yamaha USA -1Laps 14 Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS -1Laps 15 Bobby Bonds Kawasaki USA -1Laps  
Rider Standings 06/02/2010 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 105 2. Josh Hill Yamaha USA 101 3. Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 95 4. David D Millsaps Honda USA 82 5. Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 77 6. Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 72 7. Andrew Short Honda USA 69 8. Kevin Windham Honda USA 66 9. Thomas Hahn Yamaha USA 56 10. James Stewart Yamaha USA 51 11. Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 50 12. Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA 39 13. Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS 36 14. Grant Langston Yamaha RSA 32 15. Chris Blose Honda USA 26 21. Dan Reardon Yamaha USA 8 25. Jason Lawrence Yamaha USA 4 30. Josh Grant Yamaha USA 1  
Manufacturer Standings 06/02/2010 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Yamaha 111 2. Suzuki 105 3. Honda 99 4. Kawasaki 95 5. KTM 3
Alex Asigno
DP in Mantova Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team and the Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team kicked off their 2010 schedules at the Starcross International at Mantova last Sunday. After revealing the new black and green liveries and designs to be worn by the YZ450F and YZ250F the Friday prior to the gathering at the venue, the 2010 MX1-GP machine made its debut in front of a reasonable attendance that braved the temperate conditions. David Philippaerts was 5th overall under the Italian sunshine in what was very much a shake-down outing for the team. The 2008 MX1-GP World Champion started well in all three motos (of 20 minutes and 2 laps duration) and his finest finish was a determined push through to the runner-up slot in the first race. The sand was bumpy and rough after heavy rainfall. A small crash in the next outing dropped him to 8th while a steady run to 6th in the last moto of the day – with low sunshine obscuring some of the jumps - assisted in his priority to further refine the set-up of his new machinery. De Dycker at the Starcross Ken De Dycker was the sole representative of the Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX crew with Loic Larrieu still recovering from his shoulder injury and Alessandro Lupino nursing a sore wrist. French 19 year old Larrieu started riding three weeks ago. De Dycker, making his maiden appearance in Monster Energy colours and with Yamaha, again used the motos to flex his muscles after the off-season and learn more about his new mount in race conditions. He finished 9th twice before struggling slightly in the last race that necessitated a visit to the pits. He ended the day 12th overall. The opening round of the Italian Championship takes place next weekend at Montevarchi and will see a virtually full entry of the Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Teams. Larrieu will hold off participation until the International event at Valence in France in two weeks. Gautier Paulin will compete with the 2010 YZ250F for the first time after arriving back from the United States last week. Mantova Starcross International Classification: Moto1 1. Tony Cairoli, ITA 2. David Philippaerts, ITA, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team 3. Marc de Reuver, NED 9. Ken De Dycker, BEL, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team Moto2 1. Tony Cairoli, ITA 2. Clement Desalle, BEL 3. Tanel Leok, EST 8. David Philippaerts, ITA, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team 9. Ken De Dycker, BEL, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team Moto3 1. Tanel Leok, EST 2. Clement Desalle, BEL 3. Tony Cairoli, ITA 6. David Philippaerts, ITA, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team 38. Ken De Dycker, BEL, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team David Philippaerts: “I am pretty happy. Today the first moto was good and we did some work with the bike. My main goal was to get time on the track and running the speed with the others. Many riders crashed and I did not want to make mistakes; the track was difficult. We collected some data, which was important and we are ready for the next step. The season has started earlier this year and I am not 100% but this is fine and I am pleased with the level we have.” Ken De Dycker: “Today was a start. We did some work and development of the bike to get the setting right for me and that was the main reason for coming here. The last moto was not going well and it was a little dangerous with the sun so low. We will continue with what we need to do and I may travel down to race at Montevarchi next week.”
Alex Asigno
DP in Mantova Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team and the Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team kicked off their 2010 schedules at the Starcross International at Mantova last Sunday. After revealing the new black and green liveries and designs to be worn by the YZ450F and YZ250F the Friday prior to the gathering at the venue, the 2010 MX1-GP machine made its debut in front of a reasonable attendance that braved the temperate conditions. David Philippaerts was 5th overall under the Italian sunshine in what was very much a shake-down outing for the team. The 2008 MX1-GP World Champion started well in all three motos (of 20 minutes and 2 laps duration) and his finest finish was a determined push through to the runner-up slot in the first race. The sand was bumpy and rough after heavy rainfall. A small crash in the next outing dropped him to 8th while a steady run to 6th in the last moto of the day – with low sunshine obscuring some of the jumps - assisted in his priority to further refine the set-up of his new machinery. De Dycker at the Starcross Ken De Dycker was the sole representative of the Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX crew with Loic Larrieu still recovering from his shoulder injury and Alessandro Lupino nursing a sore wrist. French 19 year old Larrieu started riding three weeks ago. De Dycker, making his maiden appearance in Monster Energy colours and with Yamaha, again used the motos to flex his muscles after the off-season and learn more about his new mount in race conditions. He finished 9th twice before struggling slightly in the last race that necessitated a visit to the pits. He ended the day 12th overall. The opening round of the Italian Championship takes place next weekend at Montevarchi and will see a virtually full entry of the Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Teams. Larrieu will hold off participation until the International event at Valence in France in two weeks. Gautier Paulin will compete with the 2010 YZ250F for the first time after arriving back from the United States last week. Mantova Starcross International Classification: Moto1 1. Tony Cairoli, ITA 2. David Philippaerts, ITA, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team 3. Marc de Reuver, NED 9. Ken De Dycker, BEL, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team Moto2 1. Tony Cairoli, ITA 2. Clement Desalle, BEL 3. Tanel Leok, EST 8. David Philippaerts, ITA, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team 9. Ken De Dycker, BEL, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team Moto3 1. Tanel Leok, EST 2. Clement Desalle, BEL 3. Tony Cairoli, ITA 6. David Philippaerts, ITA, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team 38. Ken De Dycker, BEL, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team David Philippaerts: “I am pretty happy. Today the first moto was good and we did some work with the bike. My main goal was to get time on the track and running the speed with the others. Many riders crashed and I did not want to make mistakes; the track was difficult. We collected some data, which was important and we are ready for the next step. The season has started earlier this year and I am not 100% but this is fine and I am pleased with the level we have.” Ken De Dycker: “Today was a start. We did some work and development of the bike to get the setting right for me and that was the main reason for coming here. The last moto was not going well and it was a little dangerous with the sun so low. We will continue with what we need to do and I may travel down to race at Montevarchi next week.”
Alex Asigno
2010 YZ450FM The 2010 Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Teams have broken cover for the upcoming season with the new YZ450 and 250Fs boasting a radical and fresh design. The ’10 machinery has received a youthful and modern look to completely reflect the innovative technology housed beneath. David Philippaerts and Gautier Paulin have been charged with responsibility of the YZ450 and 250FMs in the FIM Motocross World Championship MX1-GP and MX2-GP classes respectively for the factory Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team. Ken De Dycker (MX1-GP), Loic Larrieu and Alessandro Lupino (MX2-GP) will represent the Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX squad. For the first time since 2005 the Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team, the most successful outfit in the history of MX1-GP, will divide their attentions between factory MX1 and MX2 machinery. 2008 world champion Philippaerts begins his third term with the crew and will be hoping to show race fans across the globe the potency of the ’10 YZ450FM and the renowned technical touch of the Rinaldi Group. Yamaha enter the 2010 GP schedule as defending champions (both Rider’s and Manufacturers) and with the rearward-slanted position of the new fuel-injected 450cc engine housed in a brand new chassis will aim for further prolificacy on the track. DP 25 year old Italian Philippaerts divided his winter time between cross-country training in the snowy mountains of northern Italy as well as riding in Belgium. He now believes he is ready to chase another title. ‘I feel good and I am really enjoying the new bike,’ he said. ‘We will keep on working through the season and although the level of the competition will again be high and there will be some surprises – as every year – I know I am in a good position. I must avoid mistakes and keep consistent with the points.’ Philippaerts is confident that the motorcycle will reveal its potential right away: ‘The standard motorcycle is already very good and the team have taken steps to personalise the race bike for me. Every time I ride it I am satisfied; it feels light and very responsive. We still have to see our level compared to the others but I am very positive.’ Gautier Paulin In MX2-GP Gautier Paulin is welcomed to the team and to Yamaha. The Frenchman finished 3rd in the 2009 series – only his second full GP season – and is expected to launch a valid campaign for the crown that Yamaha won in 2005 and 2007 on the revised YZ250FM. ‘I stayed in America for two months and all the motocross and supercross riding and training I did there really helped my mental and physical state, I am so excited to get started,’ said the 19 year old. ‘I was happy when I knew the team were interested in me and as soon as I tested the bike I wanted to sign the contract. The team is already pushing and supporting me so much and I have never had anything like that.’ ‘Even though the YZ450F is new, it is really good with excellent and smooth power delivery,’ commented Team Manager Mino Raspanti. ‘We are also very happy to have Ohlins with us this season. We are working really hard - as in every pre-season - to be organised and prepared. Having riders in two classes means we have to be busier at the races but we are excited about the potential of our riders and we have possibilities to win.’ Ken De Dycker Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team enter the MX1-GP series with the shrewd acquisition of Ken De Dycker for 2010. The Belgian has been part of the tussle for the crown in the premier class since 2007 and is feared for his capabilities in the sand. A Grand Prix winner each year since ‘07 and a regular ‘podiumee’, De Dycker will make his Yamaha debut at Mantova this weekend. ‘This is a bit of a change for me but I am already feeling quite comfortable in the team and its family atmosphere,’ said the 25 year old. ‘I feel really good on the bike. David won the title in his first year with Yamaha and the manufacturer certainly has won many titles so all this can help me this season.’ Under the stewardship of Ilario Ricci the team have not forgotten their MX2-GP roots and retain the services of teenager Loic Larrieu. The French youngster begins his second GP term after taking a sensational podium result at his home round at Ernee last summer. Larrieu has been battling to regain fitness after a double shoulder injury incurred late in 2009 but should be ready for the first Grand Prix: ‘I did not have the off-season I wanted but now I hope to start the GPs in the best way possible. I learnt a lot in 2009 and want to build on this.’ Alessandro Lupino begins his third year as a Yamaha rider on the YZ250F and hoping for more fortune in 2010 after several injuries hampered the 19 year old’s progression in the last twelve months. Yamaha Monster Army A new team joining the world championship paddock in 2010 will be Yamaha Gariboldi Monster Energy. The Italian outfit will bring highly-rated European Champion Christophe Charlier, from France, and promising Finn Harri Kullas to the Grand Prix circuits. The European motocross season comes alive this weekend with the popular Starcross International at the Mantova circuit in Italy. This unofficial ‘Grand Prix’ (by virtue of the burgeoning entry list of works riders) witnesses the start of activities for the Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Teams and the beginning of shake-down events and tests for the next eight weeks. In almost two months the first Grand Prix of fifteen, at Sevlievo in Bulgaria, will initiate the 2010 FIM Motocross World Championship. Paulin and Larrieu will make their first 2010 competitive outings next week at Montevarchi for the first round of the Italian Championship. For a selection of images highlighting the athletes and new YZ machinery of the Yamaha Monster Energy motocross efforts please visit www.yamaha-racing.com. Information and profiles of riders, teams and motorcycles can also be found in the relevant sections on the website.
Alex Asigno
Valentino Rossi Valentino Rossi led the way for the second day running in Sepang today, concluding the first test of the year on top of the standings. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was also on the pace today, finishing the test third fastest behind Casey Stoner. Rain this morning meant the track did not fully dry out until lunchtime and it was after one o'clock before Rossi left the garage on his 2010 YZR-M1. The World Champion, who turns 31 in ten days time, completed 32 laps and set a best time of 2'00.925, only half a second slower than the record pole time for the track, which he set last year. Lorenzo put in a few laps in the late morning but the track was still wet in places and so he, too, waited until after lunch to really get started. The 22-year-old made a big improvement from yesterday and felt much more comfortable on the bike, finishing third fastest in a time of 2'01.680 after 60 laps. The team will return to Sepang at the end of the month for the second of three pre-season tests. Rossi and Burgess Valentino Rossi - Position: 1st Time: 2'00.925 Laps: 32 "After yesterday this second day has been very good as well, even though we lost a few hours to the rain, and the end we were still able to finish all our work. We worked on the new bike to find a better setting and I was happy to be the fastest overall - even though this is just testing this is important for me! At the next test we will have a few more new things but we're already happy because we're fast and strong. There is room to improve of course; Sepang is always a good track for the Yamaha so we will have to wait until Qatar to get a better understanding of our level, but we have made a great start." Jorge Lorenzo Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 3rd Time: 2'01.680 Laps: 60 "I felt much better today and I was able to be fast straight away. It wasn't a big problem yesterday, it's just that after such a long break I forget how to ride a little bit! I need a bit of time, but it was much better today. I'm happy about my performance and about my feeling with the new bike. Yamaha have made good improvements without changing the best parts of the bike and this is the best way. They have made some good modifications to the chassis and the engine and this has already improved our pace. We don't have many days on the bike until the start of the season so we will make the most of the time here next month to continue our good work." Ben Spies and Colin Edwards happy with Sepang test The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team ended its first track action of 2010 in positive mood after a rain-hit final day of MotoGP testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. Colin Edwards and Ben Spies were unable to begin any meaningful testing until the track had completely dried this afternoon after heavy morning rain badly disrupting this morning's session. Once damp patches had cleared though the Texan duo were able to make significant progress, taking full advantage of the valuable track time before further heavy rain brought an early end to proceedings at 5pm. Texan Spies showed more of his true potential today when he clocked the fifth quickest time, despite the reigning World Superbike champion still feeling below his physical best. Working closely with his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew, Spies focused his efforts on continuing to adapt his riding style to the YZR-M1 machine. The American made significant progress with his braking style and managed to slice close to a second off his best lap time set yesterday with a time of 2.02.266 in his 31-lap stint. Edwards, who was third quickest yesterday, finished seventh fastest with a best time of 2.02.479. That was just 0.2s slower than Spies as the 35-year-old evaluated several different chassis and swingarm setting options. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad will be back on track at Sepang for another two-day test session later this month before winter testing concludes in Qatar in March.
Ben Spies - Position 5th Time: 2'02.266 Laps: 31 “I rode as good and as hard as I could considering how I've been feeling. I'm not wanting to make any excuses but I didn't feel really good with the jetlag. It was still a good test because I learned a lot about improving my riding and adapting my style to suit the Yamaha MotoGP bike. It is hard to break some of my old superbike habits at the moment but I made some big improvements in a couple of places on the track where I was really struggling, particularly in the braking. It started to feel more natural today and I got down to some decent times on race tyres. I was a second faster than the first day, so we made some good progress but this is a really difficult track to learn. This track is really long and really wide, but I got to a respectable pace. I've said it a load of times but it's a learning process and every lap I'm learning. My guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 though have been brilliant again. We're all putting in a lot of effort and I'm pleased with the steps I've made.” Colin Edwards - Position:7th Time: 2'02.479 Laps: 42 “This has been a great test and I'm really happy. The big bonus of the test has been the performance of the engine. Putting it simply it seems they have made the engine with more power and more reliable. Accelerating off the corner was a problem last season but with the new engine it is a strong point. I tried a few things with the chassis and at this stage of the year it is all about crossing off pieces that work and those that don't. We found a couple of things that improved the bike and gave me more confidence and a couple of things we need to work on. It's been a great first test and hopefully we can carry this momentum on for the rest of the pre-season and into the serious business of the racing.” Test Times: 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'00.925 2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'01.320 3. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'01.680 4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 2'01.822 5. Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2'02.266 6. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 2'02.272 7. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2'02.479 8. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'02.493 9. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Green Team 2'02.647 10. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'02.763 11. Marco Melandri (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2'02.810 12. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team 2'03.032 13. Randy de Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 2'03.043 14. Hiroshi Aoyama (JAP) Interwetten-Honda MotoGP 2'03.195 15. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2'03.245 16. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'03.274 17. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Green Team 2'03.359 Sepang: Record Lap C. Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2'02.108 Sepang: Best Lap V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 2'00.518
Alex Asigno
Lorenzo - Rossi Reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi got his pre-season off to the best possible start today, finishing fastest on the first day of testing in Sepang. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate and last season's runner-up Jorge Lorenzo also made a strong start, ending the day in fifth. Both riders concentrated on completing as many laps as possible on the latest evolution of the 2010 YZR-M1 and, with the weather staying dry until just a few minutes before the end of the session, it was a productive day all round. Rossi led the way and was one of four riders to dip under the existing lap record. His time of 2'01.411, set this morning on his 15th of 54 laps, was half a second quicker than second-placed Casey Stoner. Lorenzo found it a little harder to get back into the swing of things and took it gently this morning, but he felt much more comfortable on the new M1 this afternoon and gradually began to improve his time, setting his best time of 2'02.165 on the penultimate lap of the day, leaving him in fifth. Valentino Rossi - Position: 1st Time: 2'01.411 Laps: 54 "Today was very important because this year we have just six days of testing in which to set the bike, so we can not waste any time. This first day was very positive, we tried the new bike for 2010, with a different chassis and a new engine, which can do more kilometres, and it is quite fast. Yamaha has worked very well over the winter. Now we need to spend time on setting some electronics and other things. This is only the start but it seems we're already in good shape." Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 5th Time: 2'02.165 Laps: 57 "After such a long break I found it quite hard to find my rhythm on the bike today - motocross bikes are not the same as the new M1! It was quite a difficult start to the day but little by little i started to feel more comfortable and to improve my pace. This afternoon, when it was a bit warmer, i began to improve my times even more and get closer to the first rider, so in the end I was quite happy with our work. Yamaha have brought some good things for us; the bike is not completely different to the old one but the small details make it easier to ride and this is important. Today was my first day of riding with my new team manager, Wilco Zeelenberg, and I feel good with him. He is an ex rider and so we were able to share a lot of information and he was able to give me some good advice." Colin Edwards makes flying start to 2010 in Sepang Refreshed after a long winter break and boosted by the impressive performance of Yamaha's new 2010 YZR-M1 machine, Colin Edwards produced a stunning return to MotoGP action at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia today. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider ended the first day of 2010 pre-season testing with the third fastest time, a best lap of 2.01.932 only bettered by Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner as the MotoGP paddock reconvened after a three-month winter break. Edwards completed 48 laps in typically demanding Sepang conditions as air temperatures reached close to 40 degrees and track temperatures hitting a searing 60 degrees. Edwards, who finished fifth in last y ear's MotoGP world championship, was one of four riders who managed to lap under the existing lap record and he finished just 0.030s behind Stoner. The Texan was thrilled with the performance of Yamaha's new 2010 YZR-M1 machine, particularly with bottom end performance on the in-line four-cylinder motor. Ben Spies kicked off his 2010 challenge with a fastest lap of 2.03.142 helping the reigning World Superbike champion secure 12th spot. A chronic bout of jetlag after the long trip to Kuala Lumpur stopped Spies from displaying his true potential, with the Texan continuing to adjust to the prototype YZR-M1 machine while also trying to learn the long and technical Sepang circuit.
Colin Edwards Colin Edwards - Position: 3rd Time: 2.01.932 Laps: 48 laps “After I blew off a few cobwebs this morning I've got to say the bike worked really great and I've got to say a big thanks to Yamaha. They have impressed me because we knew it was a big challenge to achieve a high level of performance while also getting more durability out of the engine for the new rules. And they have done that and I'm really happy, so I'm already excited about the new season. The engine seems much better off the bottom. Last year I'd open the throttle and nothing really happened, but this year there's a response when you push. I never even touched the bike today, I just got on it and rode it and it felt really natural and I could do what I wanted with the bike. It accelerated how I wanted, I could hold a line how I wanted and I was riding round talking to myself inside my helmet saying ‘how much fun is this?' When the bike does what you ask, it's pretty easy. It was a great way to start what hopefully is going to be another successful year with Herve Poncharal and the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team.” Ben Spies Ben Spies - Position: 12th Time: 2.03.142 Laps: 55 laps “I tried as hard as I could for the first day but I've got a little bit of jetlag and I wasn't at 100 per cent. Despite that though the new bike is really good. I got behind a couple of people and the engine performance was really good and that is a real positive. I'm still working on my mid-corner speed and trusting the Bridgestone tyres and today was still a good day even if I'd like to have been a bit further up the timesheets. My times aren't far off on a track that these guys know like the back of their hand, so I know there is plenty more to come from me. My guy's asked me what I need to work on for tomorrow and right now it's just me. There's a good half-a-second just in myself. I've got a lot to learn and it takes time. I've already been getting a lot of help and advice from Colin about the track and that is great for me and for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team that we are working together like that.” Test Times 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'01.411 2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'01.902 3. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2'01.932 4. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'02.102 5. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'02.165 6. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 2'02.630 7. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'02.792 8. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 2'02.866 9. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Green Team 2'02.987 10. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team 2'03.030 11. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Green Team 2'03.133 12. Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2'03.142 13. Randy de Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 2'03.456 14. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'03.558 15. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2'03.609 16. Marco Melandri (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2'03.609 17. Hiroshi Aoyama (JAP) Interwetten-Honda MotoGP 2'03.651 Sepang: Record Lap C. Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2'02.108 Sepang: Best Lap V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 2'00.518