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Alex Asigno
Troy Corser went through one race of joy and endured one non-finish at the challenging Phillip Island circuit in Australia, taking a masterful second place in race one but falling out of contention for the podium places in race two. On his home track, Corser had to work hard with his Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team to find a good raceday set-up and he made adjustments between races to improve it still more, finding great gains until his race finished early. Noriyuki Haga celebrated his 33rd birthday today but not in the way he wished on the racetrack, taking eighth in race one and seventh in race two. He found traction issues in each 22-lap race, following on from similar concerns in qualifying at Phillip Island. A dramatic race one had to be restarted after a startline incident, when Michel Fabrizio's machine stalled on the line and was struck first by the unsighted David Checa (Yamaha GMT94 Team) and then more powerfully by privateer Vittorio Iannuzzo, who was injured in the impact, breaking his left wrist. As Iannuzzo lay trackside the race was red-flagged, and a complete 22-lap restart called. In the second race, Corser was fast off the line, too fast for the race officials, and he was given a jump-start penalty in controversial circumstances. Unsure if the penalty signal was for him, he carried on initially, but fell on lap five, having led for three laps and looking strong for another podium finish at least. Corser was uninjured by his high-speed crash exiting the first left-hand corner, and felt he must have slid off on oil or water lying on the racing line. Fast starting in each race, Haga was forced to go backwards through the field, having a lonely race towards the end of the first contest, but working hard in race two to defend his seventh place finish. Even with his race two no score, Corser is fourth in the championship chase, with 45 points, while Haga, who has scored in every race so far, is on 22 points, holding ninth place. David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) was lucky to escape the race one startline incident with only a badly cut left foot, and he recovered from a DNF in the restart to take a fine 12th place in race two. His team-mate Sebastien Gimbert just missed a point in race one, but had a neck-and-neck race with Checa in race two and scored 13th place. Team YZF Yamaha squad rider Shinichi Nakatomi overcame some difficult moments in qualifying to take two points scores, going 15th in each race, approximately thirty seconds behind the leaders each time. Troy Corser (2nd and DNF - Yamaha Italy WSB Team) "There were a few tough passes in that first race, but I never panicked even when I got run wide a couple of times. The bike wasn't perfect and we were moving around a bit too much. We were going as fast as we could sideways! We made changes for race two and it was a lot better. Overall a podium in race one was not too bad. They definitely held the start too long in race two. It was like the starting light was on, on and then on some more, then it went off. It was way too long to wait. I knew I had moved, but I had stopped again. Anyway I felt much more confident on the bike and in control in race two but it seemed to me that there was a small line of oil on the corner and that's what it felt like - tucking the front on oil. I thought there would be bikes coming into the gravel trap after me. We learned many things this weekend and I think we could have finished second in race two at least, maybe even challenged Troy Bayliss." Noriyuki Haga (8th and 7th - Yamaha Italy WSB Team) "My physical condition was OK today because I had a very effective massage from the Clinica Mobile people, so thanks to them. This whole weekend has just been down to a lack of grip. It feels like the first two races this year have just been an exercise for me. We have not had the chance to build our performance on the bike so it feels like our season will start in the European races." Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) "We had a lot of trouble with grip all weekend and I think what Troy achieved in race one was earned by Troy. We made the same settings for Nori in race two as we did for Troy, but he did not feel any great benefit. We always seem to have a struggle in Qatar and here, but we will be back when we get to Europe. We never give up and the season is a long one." Shinichi Nakatomi (21st and DNF - Team YZF Yamaha) "I had a better feel from the tyres in the first race, not so much in the second. We scored points in both races, which was a good reward for the team, who work so hard." Cristophe Guyot: (Team Manager Yamaha GMT94 Team) "As we are still racing these bikes 12kgs over weight and on Endurance specifications mainly, we can be very happy with these results. Unfortunately David Checa was involved in a crash during the start of race one, resulting in pain in his neck and quite a big wound on his foot. For race two both riders did a great job - David with his injuries and Sebastien with a lesser spec YZF-R1. WSB is a perfect experience for the team and is major benefit for our Endurance efforts. Our aim is to be on of the top contenders in WSB. For Valencia we will be able to lose a couple of kilograms and we have some additional YEC (Yamaha racing) kit parts available for our riders and therefore we have great hopes for that race as well." Round 2: Phillip Island, Australia Track length: 4445m Fastest Superbike lap: 1:31.493 (Troy Bayliss, Ducati) Lap record: 1'31.826 (Troy Corser, Yamaha) Last year's winners: Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and James Toseland (Honda) Race 1 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 34'22.933 2, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 0'4.221 3, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 0'4.738 4, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 0'5.171 5, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 0'5.543 6, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 0'5.895 7, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 0'5.964 8, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 0'14.826 9, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 0'18.899 10, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 0'20.633 11, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 0'21.601 12, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 0'29.281 13, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'29.500 14, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 0'30.030 15, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 0'30.223 16, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 0'30.800 17, Russel Holland, Honda, AUS, 0'50.107 18, Shuhei Aoyama, Honda, JPN, 1'7.385 Race 2 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 34'35.284 2, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 0'1.127 3, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 0'4.395 4, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 0'6.621 5, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 0'11.550 6, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 0'11.620 7, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 0'12.049 8, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 0'12.134 9, Russel Holland, Honda, AUS, 0'13.462 10, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 0'15.519 11, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 0'16.225 12, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 0'21.959 13, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 0'21.989 14, Makoto Tamada, Kawasaki, JPN, 0'29.106 15, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 0'29.219 16, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 0'32.994 17, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'34.380 18, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 0'42.537 19, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 0'46.623 20, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'47.030 21, Ayrton Badovini, Kawasaki, ITA, 1'8.601 Best Lap Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 1'32.516 Rider Standings 02/03/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 88 2, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 61 3, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 59 4, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 45 5, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 45 6, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 39 7, Max Biaggi, Ducati, ITA, 36 8, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 34 9, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 22 10, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 18 11, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 17 12, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 17 13, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 13 14, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 13 15, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 12 20, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 4 21, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 3 22, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 2 Manufacturer Standings 02/03/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Ducati, 95 2, Suzuki, 63 3, Yamaha, 54 4, Honda, 46 5, Kawasaki, 7 ---------- RACE REPORT - 02/03/2008 Foret just misses podium as Parkes crashes out A breathtaking 21-lap World Supersport race at Phillip Island provided very different fortunes for the Yamaha World Supersport Team's riders, Fabien Foret and Broc Parkes. Foret overcame a poor start and went from sixth on lap one to the lead on lap 20, only to be swamped by riders as the finish line approached. He ended round two a strong fourth, only 0.780 seconds from the win, and in a group of six riders covered by only 1.228 seconds. Broc Parkes was looking good for another podium finish to go with his race win at Qatar last weekend until he fell under braking into the tight downhill right hand MG corner on lap two while leading. The tough Aussie rider remounted to try and score some points, but was forced to stop after entering the pits to check his machine over. Andrew Pitt, who was a non-finisher in the opening round in Qatar, won the race and therefore the World Championship battle is still a relatively open one. Parkes is currently fourth, sharing a total of 25 points with two other riders, while Foret's 13 Phillip Island points take him to eight in the championship. Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) put his Qatar disappointments behind him with a strong ninth place finish, just over ten seconds from the win after 21-laps of frantic raceday action throughout the field. David Salom (Yamaha Spain World Supersport team) finished out of the points in 18th after taking to the grass on lap two, and he is now 15th on points, one place ahead of Roccoli. Fabien Foret (4th - +0'0.780 - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "I was happy to be able to catch the leaders even if I did not have so much grip in the race. I could follow them and the plan was to wait for the last lap. Then I was hoping to use the slipstream and use the R6's high top speed to pass and then keep them behind me. But when I saw McCoy coming from behind I knew I could not wait anymore. So I had to push and I got into the lead. It was a hard fight on the last lap but I just wanted points in this race. To get 13 points is not what I wanted but it is better than two no-scores in a row. The championship is open, and the season is long." Broc Parkes (DNF - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "I had just got into the lead and I was keen to stay there, just racing the clock. The pace was not strong in the first lap so that's why I decided to go out in front. Entering the MG corner on the second lap everything just felt normal, like every other lap, until the front went away from me. Maybe the tyre wasn't quite warm on the right side. I tried to continue but the handlebar was too bent. By the time I got back to the pits the race was over for me." Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team) "It looked like a good race was coming for Broc because he had a very good pace in morning warm-up. We talked things through and we knew our riders were strong enough to lead. Maybe Broc just went too early. But that's racing, you can't wait sometimes. Fabien's starts are always a bit cautious, but that is not a big problem for him. He always finds his pace early and can catch up. He had to push hard near the end even though it wasn't the ideal time to do it, so he had to try harder in the braking areas. It is impossible for any rider to defend a lead at this track because of the slipstreaming opportunities. Overall the race package we have is good and when we get it all together things will be fine." Massimo Roccoli (9th - +0'10.594 - Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) "After warm-up the bike felt OK but I had to work hard to gain some positions at the front during the race. Vizziello, Nannelli and I had a very similar pace so we ended up racing together. After 15 laps the rear tyre was sliding more and more and it was impossible to push at the same speed as the beginning. These are my first points of the year, so overall I am happy." David Salom (18th - +36.396 seconds - Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team) "The start was not so bad but in the second lap I passed a rider under braking but I was too fast and my bike didn't stop. I left the track and ran onto the grass. It was like starting all over again but I had a good pace and passed many riders, until I found myself on my own again. The team did a great job and I hope never to make the same mistake under braking again." Round 2: Phillip Island, Australia Track length: 4445m Fastest Supersport lap: 1:34.592 (Andrew Pitt, Honda) Lap record: 1:34.976 (Sebastien Charpentier, Honda) Last year's winner: Fabien Foret (Kawasaki) Race 1 - 21 Laps Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Andrew Pitt, Honda, AUS, 33'51.257 2, Joshua Brookes, Honda, AUS, 0'0.062 3, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 0'0.597 4, Fabien Foret, Yamaha, FRA, 0'0.780 5, Jonathan Rea, Honda, GBR, 0'0.976 6, Garry McCoy, Triumph, AUS, 0'1.228 7, Joan Lascorz, Honda, ESP, 0'6.590 8, Gianluca Vizziello, Honda, ITA, 0'10.266 9, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 0'10.594 10, Gianluca Nannelli, Honda, ITA, 0'10.991 11, Ivan Clementi, Triumph, ITA, 0'16.068 12, Mark Aitchinson, Triumph, AUS, 0'16.245 13, Graeme Gowland, Honda, GBR, 0'16.355 14, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 0'16.526 15, Vesa Kallio, Honda, FIN, 0'17.270 16, Craig Jones, Honda, GBR, 0'17.480 17, Matthieu Lagrive, Honda, FRA, 0'20.948 18, David Salom, Yamaha, ESP, 0'36.396 19, Lorenzo Alfonsi, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'45.078 20, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 0'46.640 21, Miguel Praia, Honda, POR, 0'52.165 22, Arnaud Vincent, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'57.732 23, Danilo Dell'omo, Honda, ITA, 0'57.879 Best Lap Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 1'35.429 Rider Standings 02/03/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Joshua Brookes, Honda, AUS, 33 2, Joan Lascorz, Honda, ESP, 29 3, Andrew Pitt, Honda, AUS, 25 4, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 25 5, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 25 6, Craig Jones, Honda, GBR, 16 7, Gianluca Vizziello, Honda, ITA, 14 8, Fabien Foret, Yamaha, FRA, 13 9, Jonathan Rea, Honda, GBR, 11 10, Matthieu Lagrive, Honda, FRA, 11 11, Garry McCoy, Triumph, AUS, 10 12, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 10 13, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 9 14, Ivan Clementi, Triumph, ITA, 9 15, David Salom, Yamaha, ESP, 8 16, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 7 Manufacturer Standings 02/03/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Honda, 45 2, Yamaha, 38 3, Triumph, 14 4, Suzuki, 10 5, Kawasaki, 9
Alex Asigno
2008 will be a big season in the short but spectacular career of double Women’s World Cup winner Katherine Prumm. The new Yamaha recruit is busy getting to grips with her new YZ250F in her native New Zealand and will shortly travel over to Europe to begin tests with the Van Beers team in preparation for the first ever FIM Women’s World championship, beginning at the MX1/MX2-GP Bulgarian Grand Prix on May 11th. Articulate and friendly Prumm is a very worthy ambassador for her discipline and a fine figurehead for the rapidly increasing popularity of women’s motocross. The 19 year old speaks here about her transfer to the ‘Blue Army’, her victories in 2007 and the perception of women’s motocross four years after the competition entered the international stage. 2006 was going so well with wins on both sides of the Atlantic but 2007 was probably the harder world cup win. How do you rank your results of last season? 2007 was definitely a harder year for me because I had had six months off the bike with a knee reconstruction to fix my cartilage and snapped ACL ligament. Then my first race back at the end of January at the NZ International Grand Prix I crashed on a big double jump that was wet and compressed the T9 in my back by 60%. This left me with a further 6 weeks off the bike and by the time I got riding again it was only a month out from the first round of the World Cup.
I felt like I had the speed to win the opening round in Germany and should have done so but crashed in moto 1 whilst leading and did the same in moto 2. I was really disappointed with round 1 but the points were still close, so I just focused on trying to come back strong for Sweden. I made sure that I got to Europe with plenty of time to recover before the final round of the World Cup. I waited 5 days before I first rode and my brother, Matthew came along to train with me also. I learnt a lot by riding in the sand as we don’t have sand in New Zealand like that of Europe. Coming into Lierop I didn’t really know how my speed was compared to the other girls but I was confident with my riding and this showed in qualifying when the track was rough and I managed to set the fastest lap time by 5.5 seconds. Sunday I had two bad starts but recovered by the middle of the race to win both motos by 25 seconds. It was really awesome to finish the season on a strong note and also to win my second World title. Afterwards there was no time to rest it was back home to NZ, a week and a half to recover and then into the first round on the NZ Motocross champs where I competed in both the Women’s Championship and the Men’s MX2. I had my best season ever this year and finished 12th overall in the MX2 class and my best race finish was 10th as well as taking my third women’s title. My goal for the season in the Men’s was top 15 and I was really proud to have achieved it. During the NZ Championship I also competed for the country in the Oceania MX Champs in Melbourne where I won the Women’s Championship and finally to finish the year I went across to the WMA American Women’s Cup in Texas where I won both motos in freezing temperatures of 2 degrees! Along with the Aussie title it was a good collection of results through 2007. You were so dominant in the sand of Lierop. How did you manage that? I worked really hard in the sand in the weeks leading up to the race with my mechanic, Serge and also my brother, Matthew. He is a great training partner and can show me areas that I need to work on. We also got to race against each other and this helped me to learn a lot. Have you seen many changes in the conceptions of women's motocross since your involvement on a world level in 2005? The sport has grown a lot in the last three years and the number of women competing has also increased dramatically worldwide. The women’s class was more of a side-show compared with the men in 2005 and now it is of equal importance and a full blown world championship. With Papenmeier and co. coming up, the level of competition in the women's series is expanding beyond the usual trio of girls isn't it? Honestly I think every year the level of competition rises. Being based in New Zealand it is difficult for me to know how my speed is developing compared to everyone else but I am sure that 2008 will be no different to previous years with everyone stepping up their speed. How will it be having 5 rounds in 2008, especially for you being based on the other side of the world? In 2008 I will base myself with the Van Beers Yamaha Team during the World Championship season. This will help me a lot as I won’t be flying 36 hours to Europe from NZ all the time and won’t have to battle the jet lag. I may also have some races in Australia for the Australian Women’s Championship if the dates allow. Will you change anything about your preparation for 2008 in light of the 5 races and also having to be based in Europe for longer periods? I will make sure I have plenty of time to get over the jet lag this year through being based in Holland for the majority of my time with Van Beers. It’s a new bike for me this year so I want to make sure I have everything set up 100% and that I am comfortable for the first round. Any plans for AMA competition again this year? At this stage I will be racing in Australia for the Women’s Motocross Champs, New Zealand in the Women’s and MX2 champs and then in Europe for the FIM World Championship. We haven’t made any plans for the US this year but maybe I can do the race in Texas again. How did the Yamaha deal come about and what was the main factor in making the new switch? Yamaha came up with a really good world-wide package for me so that I would have support in all the countries that I race in. The Yamaha deal is an exciting opportunity that will allow me to be a part of a new environment with a new team and bike. Yamaha is behind me 120% and I feel that they will give me the best chance of success in 2008. Tell us a bit about your link with Yamaha Australia and Yamaha New Zealand? In New Zealand I am part of the Subway Yamaha Racing team which is managed by Darryl King. They are a great team to be a part of and have won many national titles over the years. Yamaha NZ is an amazing company to work with and they are already pushing to have me in the media and involved in PR activities. Last night I did an interview on TV for ‘Pitlane’ which is a motorsport programme in NZ. Yamaha Australia will also play a big part in supporting me and if dates allow I will be competing in the Australian Women’s Championship to defend my title. They are really supportive of Women’s motocross and are looking to boost the industry and women’s level of racing there. The YZ250F is one of the dominant machines in MX2. Have you ridden it yet? What are your impressions? I’ve had my new bike for just over a week now and it took me a while to get used to seeing the blue machines parked up in the work shop! I actually had my first race on it over the weekend at the Valley Champs which is a regional event. I was in the 250cc Men’s class and finished 11, 8, and 7 for 8th overall. I got better and better each race as I got more comfortable on the bike and actually almost got the holeshot in the last race. I am still getting used to everything and every time I learn something new about the set-up or the way I need to attack stuff in the turns. I really liked the way the bike handles in the turns from the first time I jumped on it and I can’t wait to get everything dialled in to exactly how I want it.
Alex Asigno
Yamaha's Chad Reed finished off the AMA Supercross podium for the first time this year after a crash during the main event of round eight of the series at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta meant that the Australian crossed the finish line in sixth position. The 30th SX event in Atlanta (the first was won by Bob Hannah with a Yamaha) would not see Reed extend his career tally of podium results to 81. The YZ450F rider won his Heat, and also grabbed the holeshot, but slipped off his San Manuel machine while holding the lead after five laps and need the rest of the 17 minute sprint to clamber back to sixth spot. The 25 year old left the Georgia Dome promptly, after gingerly picking up 15 points. Reed saw his lead in the series, also an FIM World championship, cut to 25 points with nine rounds remaining. It was left to team-mate Nathan Ramsey to hold centre stage on the YZ as the veteran posted his best finish of 2008 with fifth position. "It's been like baby-steps since I started riding again, and I haven't quite gotten there yet, but tonight was a good start," said the American, who is sixth in the standings. "I feel my pace is starting to pick up and if I can get up there and race with them, that stuff will all come back to me. I think tonight was another good step in that direction, and it was fun to be racing with those guys." In the East Coast Lites division top the YZ250F finisher was another Australian, Jake Moss, with fourth position. Five riders from the final top ten were making their SX debuts at the Georgia Dome. Sixteen year old rookie Tyler Bowers was among them - representing the Yamaha of Troy squad - and took a very decent fifth spot on his maiden outing. "My race was good," he commented. "Unfortunately, I made the rookie mistake of not breathing for the first three laps and by about the third or fourth lap, I was out of breath. By the time I actually started breathing and was trying to get loose, it was too late. I was tired and a couple guys got around me. My mechanic threw-out the pitboard and told me I was in fifth, and it said, 'Lap 10'. I was like, 'Cool, I've got five more laps in me.' I found that extra little bit of energy and made it around to the finish and pulled it off. I was happy with that."
 
AMA Supercross travels to Daytona for round nine next weekend. Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 17'15.100 2, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 0'6.051 3, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 0'10.236 4, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 0'11.014 5, Nathan Ramsey, Yamaha, USA, 0'14.607 6, Chad Reed, Yamaha, AUS, 0'33.910 7, Charles Summey, Yamaha, USA, 0'35.912 8, Paul Carpenter, Honda, USA, 0'44.317 9, David Vuillemin, Suzuki, FRA, 0'51.481 10, Jason Thomas, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 11, Ryan Clark, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 12, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 13, Bryan K Johnson, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 14, Nicholas Wey, KTM, USA, -1 Laps 15, Jacob Marsack, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 16, Cole Siebler, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 17, Jeff Gibson, Kawasaki, USA, -1 Laps 18, Josh Hansen, Yamaha, USA, -2 Laps 19, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, -7 Laps 20, Troy Adams, Honda, USA, -12 Laps Rider Standings 23/02/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Chad Reed, Yamaha, AUS, 184 2, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 159 3, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 137 4, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 123 5, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 121 6, Nathan Ramsey, Yamaha, USA, 101 7, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 84 8, Nicholas Wey, KTM, USA, 84 9, David Vuillemin, Suzuki, FRA, 72 10, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 69 11, Charles Summey, Yamaha, USA, 67 12, Paul Carpenter, Honda, USA, 66 13, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 53 14, James Stewart, Kawasaki, USA, 47 15, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, 45 16, Grant Langston, Yamaha, RSA, 38 Manufacturer Standings 23/02/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Yamaha, 185 2, Honda, 170 3, Kawasaki, 160 4, Suzuki, 106 5, KTM, 84
Alex Asigno
Yamaha Motocross Team riders again picked up more silverware in the 2008 pre-season period with David Philippaerts winning both motos at a bright Castiglione Del Lago for the second round of the Italian championship while Josh Coppins swept all three races at the Valence International meeting in southern France; beating a host of world championship peers including 2007 number one Steve Ramon. The New Zealander won the popular French event for the second year in succession and took holeshots in two of the three motos, enjoying small battles with Sebastien Pourcel, Julian Bill and Ramon across the race programme to mark his perfect score-card. It was the second time that the 30 year old (31 next month) walked the top step of the rostrum after his proficiency last Sunday at Montevarchi in Italy and in spite of discomfort in his left shoulder than he aggravated at Mantova. ”It was an enjoyable race because the weather was good for once and the track offered near Grand Prix conditions which meant that I could really go for it,” said the YZ450FM rider. “I cannot complain with the build-up I’ve had. We have been using the race-bike for three weeks now and I am coming to grips with it. My shoulder is not 100% and I will go for a scan tomorrow. It has become better since Mantova but gave me some trouble on the long and rough down-hills at Valence. I will find out this week what I have to do, whether it be physio or rest, and there is plenty of time before the first Grand Prix to get back to normal. I am in great shape, so my confidence is good.” Further south Philippaerts was busy stamping his authority over the MX1 class of the Italian Championship and, like Coppins, proved the YZ450FM’s prowess from the start-line by hole-shotting both motos. Yamaha Red Bull De Carli ace Antonio Cairoli took positions of 7th and 4th in the two heats and pushed Philippaerts in the first sprint until a mistake saw him crash and lose places. 24 year old Philippaerts was able to forge ahead of Alex Salvini in the second affair. “I could not be happier with how things are going,” said the Italian, who also picked up overall victory with his Yamaha debut at the Mantova International two weeks ago. “I took two holeshots, that made things easier, but Tony was chasing me and I had to ride well to keep ahead. I pushed hard for a few laps and made the break. We used the same set-up as Montevarchi and the Yamaha is really working well for me.” “I was doing well and holding onto the back of leader Philippaerts until I caught the wrong rut on a jump and crashed,” commented MX2-GP World Champion Cairoli. “It was a freak thing because I was not taking any risks. I suffered a bit from this in the second moto because I felt tired. Overall at this stage of my preparation for the season I am not yet ready to push 100% but my sensation with the 450 is improving.” The MX2 class was once more an all-Yamaha story as 3C Racing’s Manuel Monni claimed the chequered flag in the first moto and Yamaha Team Ricci’s Davide Guarneri guided his YZ250F to victory in the second outing. Red Bull De Carli’s Matteo Bonini was also well-placed with second and fourth positions while highly-rated teenager Alessandro Lupino secured a brace of top six finishes with fifth and sixth places. A close championship tussle looks most certainly on the cards as Monni heads the standings by just five points from Guarneri and nine points from Bonini. The next round of the Italian series will take place in two weeks at Ponte a Egola, while the Yamaha Motocross Team will travel to the UK for the last major International meeting of the pre-season period at the sandy Hawkstone Park next Sunday. “We will head to Belgium this week,” said Team Co-ordinator Mino Raspanti “as we have a sandy race for both riders at Hawkstone Park so we will use Tuesday and Wednesday to test some suspension ahead of that meeting.”
Alex Asigno
Troy Corser had mixed fortunes on raceday at Losail, taking a fine third in race one but slipping backwards in race two to finish seventh as his tyres lost grip at half race distance. His team-mate Noriyuki Haga recovered from a crash in race one to secure an eventual 14th, and he was also in a leading position for much of race two, before the same lack of traction experienced by Corser made him drop through the field. He ended up 13th. Corser, the Superpole winner yesterday, was in sparkling early form in each race, looking set for a double podium finish at least. Haga 's race one crash came after Max Biaggi made a strong pass on the Japanese rider, and forced him wide, off the ideal racing line. Haga had set the best lap of the race in the first 18-lap contest, with a 1'59.217, before the lap record was broken in race two, by race winner Fonsi Nieto. Troy Bayliss won the first race, from Max Biaggi. Corser now leaves the Losail circuit fifth in the championship chase, on 25 points, with Haga 14th on five points. Troy Corser (3rd and 7th - Yamaha Italy WSB Team) "We made a tyre change between race one and race two just to be on the same tyres as everyone else. But it wasn't better it was worse. There was just no grip after a while and you can't race when you can't push hard. I'm really disappointed after getting Superpole yesterday, and it was obvious we had the speed to be competitive. That's about all I can say." Noriyuki Haga (14th and 13th - Yamaha Italy WSB Team) "Not such a great day after we started so well in each race. In the first race Biaggi took my front tyre and what can I say, it was a mistake. In race two I was following Troy and saving my time until the end but after nine laps I had chatter from the rear, then more the next lap, then it started moving, then there was no grip and I could not push any more. My wrist is sore so I have to rest that before the next race." Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) "This morning we made a choice of harder tyres, and this afternoon we went to the softer tyres of the other riders. Troy said that the traction was not enough in race one, so we decided to go with the ones that gave more performance. After ten laps, they were gone." Shinichi Nakatomi (21st and DNF - Team YZF Yamaha) "There was nothing I could do in race one because the tyre choice didn't give me any drive. In race two it started OK but then I was forced off the track. Disappointing but it is a strange circuit here." Martial Garcia(Team Manager, Team YZF Yamaha) "We were only in 21st position in race one because Shinichi chose a C tyre, the same as many riders, but it didn't have enough grip. In the second race somebody crashed in front of him and went into to gravel and rejoined after 30 seconds had passed. He carried on to test the tyre but when the grip dropped down he pulled in." Round 01 Losail, Qatar Track length: 5.380m Opened: 2004 Fastest Superbike lap: 1:58.053 (Troy Corser, Yamaha) Lap record: 1'59.156 (Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki) Last year's winners: Max Biaggi (Suzuki) and James Toseland (Honda) Ambient temperature: 24 degrees Weather: dry, sunny Race 1 - 18 Laps Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 36'11.468 2, Max Biaggi, Ducati, ITA, 0'0.396 3, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 0'1.878 4, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 0'4.487 5, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 0'7.505 6, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 0'9.639 7, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 0'9.725 8, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 0'19.537 9, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 0'23.156 10, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 0'24.429 11, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 0'27.595 12, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 0'27.979 13, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 0'28.237 14, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 0'30.205 15, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'31.882 16, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'32.067 17, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 0'40.745 18, Ayrton Badovini, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'41.280 19, Vittorio Iannuzzo, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'41.333 20, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 0'41.743 21, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 0'43.183 22, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 0'43.569 23, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 0'43.892 24, Russel Holland, Honda, AUS, 0'50.380 25, Shuhei Aoyama, Honda, JPN, 1'12.884 Race 2 - 18 Laps Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 36'12.963 2, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 0'0.301 3, Max Biaggi, Ducati, ITA, 0'1.321 4, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 0'6.452 5, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 0'7.627 6, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'9.117 7, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 0'10.806 8, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 0'11.661 9, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 0'13.269 10, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 0'14.563 11, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 0'15.953 12, Makoto Tamada, Kawasaki, JPN, 0'16.748 13, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 0'18.356 14, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 0'26.311 15, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 0'26.560 16, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'26.683 17, Ayrton Badovini, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'26.821 18, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 0'28.650 19, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 0'33.150 20, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 0'36.656 21, Russel Holland, Honda, AUS, 0'42.633 22, Shuhei Aoyama, Honda, JPN, 0'55.352 Best Lap Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 1'59.156 Rider Standings 23/02/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 38 2, Max Biaggi, Ducati, ITA, 36 3, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 34 4, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 33 5, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 25 6, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 19 7, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 18 8, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 15 9, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 13 10, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 10 11, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 10 12, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 8 13, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 6 14, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 5 15, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 5 Manufacturer Standings 23/02/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Ducati, 45 2, Suzuki, 36 3, Yamaha, 25 4, Honda, 16 5, Kawasaki, 5 ---------- RACE REPORT - 23/02/2008 Parkes Wins On new YZF-R6 As Foret Is Forced Out Broc Parkes scored a win on the 2008 Yamaha YZF-R6 first time out in World Supersport Championship, in a dramatic race that seemed almost certain to go the way of his team-mate Fabien Foret until the very last lap. Foret and Parkes had been looking for a one-two finish almost throughout, with Foret looking all set to win the 18-lap race, until he ran out of fuel on the very last lap. At that time he was leading by over two seconds from Joan Lascorz, Parkes and Craig Jones. Foret and the new Yamaha leave the circuit with the new lap record to their credit, a 2'02.626, set on lap nine. Unable to cross the finish line, Foret was not classified with a finish, but Parkes redoubled his efforts on a tense last lap to re-pass Lascorz on the home straight, and gain maximum points in round one. He now heads off to his home race at Phillip Island next week as the championship leader, on 25 points. David Salom continued his good form in qualifying through to raceday, earning a strong eighth place after a race-long fight with two other riders. Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) retired on lap one with a clutch problem. Broc Parkes (1st - 37'05.271 - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "A good result for our side of the garage and the new YZF-R6 because at the end I was struggling a little bit for grip and when I saw Fabien go our I knew it was up to me to win so I pushed on anyway. I had a few front end slides on the last lap just because I was trying so hard, even though the tyres were good all race. I could still push them that hard at the end of the race and on the last corner I got into the slipstream and used the power of my Yamaha to get Lascorz over the line. It was a great win for me and we have struggled sometimes this weekend, but we got this season off to a good start. " Fabien Foret (DNF - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "It was really disappointing to be out of the race in such a fashion, especially as we had done so well all through practice, qualifying and the race itself. It was just fuel running out, not the bike, but it is still hard for the team and myself to take." Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team) "It looked like two good results for almost all the race but bad luck for Fabien at the end. We filled the tanks completely before the race, that is sure, and our calculations showed we would have a safe amount of fuel left at the end of the race, obviously we used more. I am really happy for Broc to take the win and it is a relief after Fabien's misfortune. The season is long and we have two guys who can fight for the championship, but only one was able to get the result today. We won first time with an all new bike so we are happy, but we obviously have mixed feelings." Laurens Klein Koerkamp - YME Racing Division Manager "The story of raceday is clear - the bike was nearly perfect, the riders were nearly perfect, qualifying had been great and we just had some bad luck for Fabien at the end. It's a great result for Broc to win, especially in the first race for the new Yamaha YZF-R6, showing that the new roadbike technology works on the track as well." David Salom (8th - +17.888 seconds - Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team) "Not a bad race but my I didn't started very well and I could not make up the time in the first few laps. It was too late to go any higher than my group of riders, but it took us eight or nine races last year to reach the level that we have started this season at." Round 01 Losail, Qatar Track length: 5380m Opened: 2004 Fastest Supersport lap: 2:01.928 Fabien Foret (Yamaha) Lap record: 2:02.949 Sebastien Charpentier (Honda) Last year's winner: Kenan Sofuoglu (Honda) Race 1 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 37'5.271 2, Joan Lascorz, Honda, ESP, 0'0.048 3, Craig Jones, Honda, GBR, 0'0.755 4, Joshua Brookes, Honda, AUS, 0'9.502 5, Matthieu Lagrive, Honda, FRA, 0'11.962 6, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 0'17.428 7, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 0'17.660 8, David Salom, Yamaha, ESP, 0'17.888 9, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 0'25.883 10, Gianluca Vizziello, Honda, ITA, 0'32.236 11, Gregory Leblanc, Honda, FRA, 0'32.573 12, Ivan Clementi, Triumph, ITA, 0'35.117 13, Miguel Praia, Honda, POR, 0'36.390 14, Vesa Kallio, Honda, FIN, 0'36.608 15, Katsuaki Fujiwara, Kawasaki, JPN, 0'37.096 16, Didier Van Keymeulen, Suzuki, BEL, 0'38.526 17, William De Angelis, Honda, ITA, 0'42.675 18, Lorenzo Alfonsi, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'43.375 19, Mirko Giansanti, Honda, ITA, 0'44.319 20, Santiago Barragan, Honda, ESP, 0'45.924 21, Ilario Dionisi, Triumph, ITA, 0'47.277 22, Attila Magda, Honda, HUN, 1'24.963 23, Danilo Dell'omo, Honda, ITA, 1'25.440 24, Josep Pedro Subirats, Yamaha, ESP, -1 Laps Best Lap Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time Fabien Foret, Yamaha, FRA, 2'2.626 Rider Standings 23/02/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 25 2, Joan Lascorz, Honda, ESP, 20 3, Craig Jones, Honda, GBR, 16 4, Joshua Brookes, Honda, AUS, 13 5, Matthieu Lagrive, Honda, FRA, 11 6, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 10 7, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 9 8, David Salom, Yamaha, ESP, 8 9, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 7 10, Gianluca Vizziello, Honda, ITA, 6 11, Gregory Leblanc, Honda, FRA, 5 12, Ivan Clementi, Triumph, ITA, 4 13, Miguel Praia, Honda, POR, 3 14, Vesa Kallio, Honda, FIN, 2 15, Katsuaki Fujiwara, Kawasaki, JPN, 1 Manufacturer Standings 23/02/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Yamaha, 25 2, Honda, 20 3, Suzuki, 10 4, Kawasaki, 7 5, Triumph, 4
Alex Asigno
Troy Corser set the early pace at the first round of the 2008 World Superbike season in Qatar, posting a first day qualifying time of 1'59.627 on race tyres and getting to within half a second of the current lap record. Corser's fellow Yamaha rider Noriyuki Haga secured a provisional front row position of fourth, despite falling heavily two-thirds of the way through the hour long qualifying session. Conditions at Losail were problematic for all riders, with a strong and gusting wind blowing down the kilometre-long main straight, holding down top speed potentials and making corner entry a challenge. With both riders inside the top four places, the experienced Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team made the best use of their recent testing experiences in Qatar, and few changes were made to the machine settings since that test at the 5.380km Losail circuit. Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) was on strong form on day one, setting ninth fastest time, with his team-mate Davide Checa (Yamaha GMT94) 17th. Final qualifying and then Superpole qualifying take place tomorrow, Friday 22nd, before Saturday's pair of 18-lap Superbike races. Troy Corser (1st - 1'59.627 - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) "Having the test so soon before the race was good because we got a really strong engine setting with the bike. The chassis feels quite good but it is difficult to know how well things are working, just because of the wind. That is probably the windiest conditions I have ever ridden in.. It wasn't so bad that we shouldn't have been out there, but today was all down to how much you wanted to push. I didn't really change too many settings from the test, just left it to get today out of the way. We just need the wind to die down for tomorrow. The track grip is comparable to what we had here at the test. I think the wind is blowing as much sand off the track as it is blowing sand back on. The only real problem is that the worst direction for the wind to blow here is down the main straight, like it was today. The bike and the team are working well so it's been a positive start." Noriyuki Haga (4th - 2'00.476 - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) "It was difficult to make the best lap times in these conditions, but the feeling with the bike was very good. Unfortunately I had a big highside at turn one, on water coming from the bike. I landed straight on top of my head. I think before the crash I was half a centimetre taller. I am in a lot of pain but I will rest tonight and be better tomorrow. Top four is a good result for the first day. Our target point for tomorrow is make some changes in suspension, but I think we have the package right now anyway." Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team, Team Manager "We are happy with that for a first day. We have to consider that we had a test here recently, so we should expect good results. Troy's time was great given the conditions and we know we have two very strong riders in all circumstances. We feel for Nori after his crash, we can see he is in pain, but we also know him and he is strong. Now we will look that the bike and see if there was a problem." Qualifying 1 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 1'59.627 2, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 1'59.853 3, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 2'0.307 4, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 2'0.476 5, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 2'0.599 6, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 2'0.695 7, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 2'0.724 8, Max Biaggi, Ducati, ITA, 2'0.744 9, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 2'0.857 10, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 2'0.904 11, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 2'0.937 12, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 2'1.086 13, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 2'1.409 14, Ayrton Badovini, Kawasaki, ITA, 2'1.677 15, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 2'1.729 16, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 2'1.955 17, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 2'1.984 18, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 2'2.004 19, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 2'2.100 20, Vittorio Iannuzzo, Kawasaki, ITA, 2'2.256 21, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 2'2.494 22, Luca Morelli, Honda, ITA, 2'2.980 23, Russel Holland, Honda, AUS, 2'3.006 24, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 2'3.542 25, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 2'3.765 26, Shuhei Aoyama, Honda, JPN, 2'3.796 27, Makoto Tamada, Kawasaki, JPN, 2'4.264 28, Loic Napoleone, Yamaha, FRA, 2'6.363 ---------- QUALIFYING 1 REPORT - 21/02/2008 Foret Goes Fastest On Day One Of New Season Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport Team) made a fabulous start to his 2008 race season by posting the fastest lap of the opening qualifying session at the Losail International circuit in Qatar. The former World Supersport Champion had to fight high winds and a dusty track surface to set a best of 2'03.495, some 0.346 seconds faster than the next best rider. Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport Team) has been the fastest rider of all in pre-season testing, including here in Qatar only a few days ago, but found unexpected issues in the Losail circuit's many fast corners today. He was 13th overall in the official practice session. One more qualifying session remains for both Foret and Parkes to improve their times tomorrow, before the 18-lap race on Saturday 23 February. Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team rider David Salom was an impressive seventh fastest from the 36 riders in Qatar, making a good job of dealing with the treacherous winds that have plagued the desert circuit since for the past few days. His stand-in team-mate, Josep Pedro, substituting for the injured David De Gea, was 36th on his Qatar debut. Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) worked hard to find the right suspension settings and choose a race tyre in the windy conditions, hoping to improve on his 18th fastest time today on the second day of qualifying. Fabien Foret (1st - 2'03.495 - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "We worked very hard this winter and now we are seeing the benefits. The conditions are very difficult, for me and for everyone. I tried to be safe and yet push at the same time, trying to manage the wind. It difficult for us to set the bike up in these conditions as the wind is not constant, it changes lap-by-lap. I still have a little bit of chatter but we can improve tomorrow. We are there now and it has been a good start today." Broc Parkes (13th - 2'05.301 - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "We are obviously having problems with the bike right now but we couldn't work out what was wrong in this session. I should maybe have hopped on my spare bike and had a go, but we concentrated on my number one bike. We ended up quite a long way out. I think there is something wrong that we will find and tomorrow will be OK." Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team "Fabien was very impressive and as fast as the tests last week, and that was also held in not ideal circumstances. We have different tyres now and everything is reacting a little bit different. Broc is having the opposite experience because all the tests have been great and now he is missing a lot of time compared to his testing pace. He did a 2.02.9 a few days ago here. Both our guys can be fast but everything has to be good, and right now Broc is losing a lot of time in fast corners." David Salom (7th - 2'04.858 - Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team) "We have many years of hard work behind us all and this good result on the first day is down to the whole team. The Team manager has set up a great team and we have good suspension and telemetry people who are doing a good job. They are helping me to take advantage of everything I have. It is a team effort." Qualifying 1 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Fabien Foret, Yamaha, FRA, 2'3.495 2, Jonathan Rea, Honda, GBR, 2'3.841 3, Matthieu Lagrive, Honda, FRA, 2'4.017 4, Joan Lascorz, Honda, ESP, 2'4.017 5, Gianluca Nannelli, Honda, ITA, 2'4.446 6, Craig Jones, Honda, GBR, 2'4.766 7, David Salom, Yamaha, ESP, 2'4.858 8, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 2'4.880 9, Andrew Pitt, Honda, AUS, 2'4.996 10, Ivan Clementi, Triumph, ITA, 2'5.211 11, Mark Aitchinson, Triumph, AUS, 2'5.217 12, Gianluca Vizziello, Honda, ITA, 2'5.264 13, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 2'5.301 14, Garry McCoy, Triumph, AUS, 2'5.349 15, Vesa Kallio, Honda, FIN, 2'5.445 16, Mirko Giansanti, Honda, ITA, 2'5.495 17, Andrea Antonelli, Honda, ITA, 2'5.586 18, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 2'5.715 19, Katsuaki Fujiwara, Kawasaki, JPN, 2'5.742 20, Arnaud Vincent, Kawasaki, FRA, 2'5.941 21, Graeme Gowland, Honda, GBR, 2'6.007 22, Gregory Leblanc, Honda, FRA, 2'6.033 23, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 2'6.139 24, Lorenzo Alfonsi, Kawasaki, ITA, 2'6.406 25, Joshua Brookes, Honda, AUS, 2'6.468 26, Miguel Praia, Honda, POR, 2'6.751 27, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 2'6.755 28, Ilario Dionisi, Triumph, ITA, 2'7.246 29, William De Angelis, Honda, ITA, 2'7.681 30, Santiago Barragan, Honda, ESP, 1'7.681 31, Didier Van Keymeulen, Suzuki, BEL, 2'7.935 32, Luka Nedog, Honda, SVN, 2'8.761 33, Gergo Talmacsi, Honda, HUN, 2'9.165 35, Attila Magda, Honda, HUN, 2'11.246
Alex Asigno
YZ450FM, 450F and YZ250F machinery were dominant forces in the first round of the 2008 Italian Motocross championship as Yamaha riders captured all the overall podium places in both MX1 and MX2 categories at a sunny Montevarchi circuit last weekend. It was another successful double-act for Yamaha Motocross Team’s Josh Coppins and David Philippaerts after their 1-2 results at the Mantova Starcross International last week. This time it was Coppins’ turn to take the top step of the rostrum after the New Zealander produced two strong performances to walk away with the chequered flag in both motos. Philippaerts was second on both occasions as is now the ‘provisional’ leader of the standings as his team-mate will not contest the full series. MX1 was largely a contest between the two factory riders. Coppins led the first race with Philippaerts doggedly hanging onto his tail. After 22 minutes Philippaerts took his chance and relegated the winner of five Grand Prix in 2007 to second spot. Coppins remained composed and watched the lines of the Tuscan before counter-attacking within the final two laps to seize the victory. “It was a good race and another step forward for me as I feel my riding is getting better,” said Coppins. “David was on the pace and we were both going fast this weekend. I still have some more meetings before the first GP and we will continue to work and build-up to the first Grand Prix.” The second moto was a straight-forward affair as Coppins set a brace of blistering laps early into the second half of the sprint to break away from the Italian. “I did not win but I am quite pleased with how the day went,” said Philippaerts. “Mainly because I know my current level is good; if I can push Josh hard and also beat Antonio then I am heading down the right path. I feel great on the bike and I know there is better to come.” MX2 World Champion Antonio Cairoli was third in both sprints with just his second appearance steering the Yamaha Red Bull De Carli YZ450F. The 2007 MX2 Italian number one made a steady and solid beginning to his 2008 calendar. “It was a positive meeting,” the Sicilian said. “I knew that David and Josh would have a slight advantage but I must remember that this is my first race and I haven’t done that much training with the 450. I believe we have made the right choice for this year and in the next few races I will be getting better and faster. We have started the season now and I am pleased with how it went. If we continue in this direction then I will be satisfied.” Cairoli’s crown in MX2 looks as though it will be closely fought over this season. In Montevarchi the class was decided between Yamaha Team Ricci’s Nicolas Aubin (the eventual winner with 2nd and 1st positions), Davide Guarneri (5th and 3rd places) and 3C Yamaha’s Manuel Monni (winner of the first moto and 5th in the second).Yamaha Red Bull De Carli’s Matteo Bonini is also likely to play a part – and will try to keep the number one plate within the realms of the Rome-based squad – as his fine second position in the last sprint (and fourth overall standing) reveals. The second round of the series follows quickly with the Yamaha Motocross Team and the three MX2 squads in action next weekend at Castiglione Del Lago. Coppins will head north-west to race the Valence International in southern France. Results Montevarchi Italian Championship Rnd 1 MX1 RACE 1: 1.Coppins (Yamaha); 2.Philippaerts (Yamaha); 3.Cairoli (Yamaha); 4.De Reuver (Honda); 5. Salvini (Suzuki). RACE 2: 1.Coppins (Yamaha); 2.Philippaerts (Yamaha); 3.Cairoli (Yamaha); 4.De Reuver (Honda); 5. Salvini (Suzuki). MX2 RACE 1: 1.Monni (Yamaha); 2.Aubin (Yamaha); 3.Tarroux (KTM); 4.Pellegrini (KTM); 5.Guarneri (Yamaha) RACE 2: 1.Aubin (Yamaha); 2.Bonini (Yamaha); 3.Guarneri (Yamaha); 4.Seistola (Honda); 5.Monni (Yamaha)
Alex Asigno
San Manuel Yamaha rider Chad Reed saw his run of five consecutive victories come to an end in Houston for the seventh round of seventeen in the 2008 AMA Supercross series, a FIM World Championship, but the Australian continued his 100% podium record with second position and guards a 32 point lead in the competition. The 42nd Supercross in Houston did not witness a fourth straight sweep for Yamaha in both classes even though Jason Lawrence did also climb the rostrum in second spot in the Lites West Coast category to remain poised at the top of the standings with one round to go. In 1974 Pierre Karsmakers marked Yamaha's first success in Houston and the manufacturer has enjoyed thirteen more triumphs since then, Reed himself contributing two of those. In a so-far-dominant campaign the number '22' was not able to increase his season statistics at the Reliant Stadium. Kevin Windham, who helped design the short layout, gained his first 25 points of the year after taking the lead on the first lap and setting the pace at the front. Reed, who had started badly, pulled through the pack to pass brand-mate Josh Hill and secure second place at mid-race distance but could not close to Windham's rear wheel. Tim Ferry was third.
"That's a tough one to swallow. I gave it everything I've got. Kevin rode a good race, and I want to congratulate him but this is a disappointment," said Reed, who took his third career runner-up position at Houston and has never dropped out of the top three at the event. "It was just one of those nights," added the 25 year old who has totalled 31 victories and became the first racer to win all the Californian rounds with his chequered flag last week in San Diego. "Once I got into second, I couldn't cut into Kevin's lead. We've had a good season, and it's still good to be up on the podium." 18 year old Hill was running as high as second before being overtaken by Reed and Ferry. With Broc Hepler and Grant Langston still absent with physical ailments (broken hand and an eye problem respectively) the teenager produced a positive showing for his second best result of the season so far. In the Lites category Yamaha of Troy's Jason Lawrence again made the podium for the fourth meeting in succession. His second position on the YZ250F behind Austin Stroupe and some costly mistakes by title rival Ryan Dungey means that the 20 year old stretched his advantage in the championship by five points, to six in total. The final round of the West coast series will take place on 26th April in Seattle as the East coast championship now cranks into life. "I think that might be my main advantage, being smart - something Dungey hasn't been all year. That's four races in a row that he's crashed out," said Lawrence. "He's handing me this title, and I've got one more race to hold it together. I'm going to go to that race and do exactly what I did right here. Dungey can win it by a mile, but I'm going to get the title." The schedule refuses to ease for the riders and teams and they continue onto Atlanta for round eight next weekend. Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 16'3.700 2, Chad Reed, Yamaha, AUS, 0'3.078 3, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 0'13.680 4, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 0'17.600 5, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 0'23.850 6, Nathan Ramsey, Yamaha, USA, 0'41.159 7, Charles Summey, Yamaha, USA, -1 Laps 8, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 9, Nicholas Wey, KTM, USA, -1 Laps 10, David Vuillemin, Suzuki, FRA, -1 Laps 11, Paul Carpenter, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 12, Ryan Clark, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 13, Jeff Gibson, Kawasaki, USA, -1 Laps 14, Jacob Marsack, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 15, Jason Thomas, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 16, Dusty Klatt, Kawasaki, USA, -1 Laps 17, Bryan K Johnson, Honda, USA, -2 Laps 18, Antonio Balbi, Honda, USA, -3 Laps 19, Josh Hansen, Yamaha, USA, -4 Laps 20, Travis Preston, Honda, USA, -16 Laps Rider Standings 16/02/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Chad Reed, Yamaha, AUS, 169 2, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 137 3, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 119 4, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 101 5, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 98 6, Nathan Ramsey, Yamaha, USA, 85 7, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 82 8, Nicholas Wey, KTM, USA, 77 9, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 69 10, David Vuillemin, Suzuki, FRA, 60 11, Paul Carpenter, Honda, USA, 53 12, Charles Summey, Yamaha, USA, 53 13, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 53 14, James Stewart, Kawasaki, USA, 47 15, Grant Langston, Yamaha, RSA, 38 Manufacturer Standings 16/02/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Yamaha, 169 2, Honda, 145 3, Kawasaki, 142 4, Suzuki, 94 5, KTM, 77
Alex Asigno
The 2007 FIM MX2-GP Motocross World Championship was very much a success story for Yamaha De Carli rider Antonio Cairoli. The Sicilian blazed a path through the season’s statistics book on his YZ250F. Along with the 10 GP wins and 21 moto chequered flags the double world champ’s consistency meant that he only dropped out of the top two twice from 28 MX2-GP races. Add an MX1-GP debut triumph, an Italian MX2 title and a European Supercross championship and it hard to believe how Cairoli can top this performance in 2008. Despite his many races and vast amount of silverware gained through the past twelve months the popular rider insists that his motivation for an attempt at a third MX2-GP crown (to equal the quantity set by former Yamaha great Alessio Chiodi) remains high, not to mention keeping his hoards of native fans content with his endeavours on Italian soil. “I did a lot of races in 2007 but I feel fresh and ready for another challenge in 2008,” the 22 year old said. “My main goal is of course another world title but I also want to retain an Italian championship. The Supercross was a lot of fun at the end of the year although I am still not sure if I will do the tour again at the end of this season.” An arduous 2007 saw ten months of racing in three separate series leave Cairoli with little time to recharge his batteries and take stock. The racer, who splits his time between his Sicilian home and bases in Rome and Belgium, did manage to hit the ski slopes for several weeks and also think about the competition he faces onboard his new Red Bull-backed YZ come Holland on April 6th for round one of fifteen in the FIM world championship.
“It was good to get some holidays,” he commented “I did not travel far and instead chose to relax for three weeks at home and do some snowboarding in northern Italy.” “I think this season Tommy Searle, Nicolas Aubin and Davide Guarneri will be real threats. I think we will have some surprises and there will be some young riders that can fight with me for the championship; it will be fun.” For the second year in a row the De Carli team fields Cairoli, Matteo Bonini and Alessandro Lupino in both international and national competitions. The squad get their 2008 calendar underway this weekend with the first round of the Italian championship at the Montevarchi circuit. In perhaps something of a preview as to his future plans Cairoli will be steering a YZ450F in the MX1 category. “Of course we are looking towards 2009 and MX1 for Tony,” said Team Manager and Owner Claudio de Carli. “It is crucial that he starts to adapt to riding the 450 and that we can get the bike set-up for him in racing conditions. The Italian championship starts early and they are important races for us but it is also a way in which we can build up to the world championship.”
Alex Asigno
Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser (both Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) made their final pre-race preparations for the 2008 World Superbike season at the Losail International Circuit today; the same venue that serves as the championship kick off on Saturday 23 February. The Losail track surface was not in as good condition as it was for the team’s previous winter test around the 5.380km circuit in Qatar, but the main objective of this showing was to ensure that all the latest equipment would be in prime condition when points become available for real next week. The team brought four all-new machines and all of the latest specification, but as this was not an official test the riders had to use a more limited stock of tyres than usual. Corser was second fastest rider of all on the final day, posting a 1’59.0, with Haga only marginally behind with a time of 1’59.3. Shinichi Nakatomi (Team YZF Yamaha) was also out testing in preparation for the start of the year, running his latest spec of Yamaha YZF-R1 machine in his one-man team. He set a best of 2’00.7, on off-the-shelf Pirelli control tyres. Yamaha’s second French WSB team GMT94 did not attend this last pre-season test. Troy Corser (2nd - 1’59.0 - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “We tried a few new things with the variable intake settings for example, but only a little bit at this test. That said, we still found a lot of positive stuff over the past two days. It was mostly a shakedown test, with a bit of back-to-back comparison of the different bikes and I feel really confident with our starting package for this coming season. The only downside was that I felt a bit feverish this afternoon, aching a bit, like am catching the ‘flu, so it wasn’t that much fun on the bike sometimes. The results were still good, so I’m confident in the bike and team. With what we found today, I would be happy to go and start the championship tomorrow.” Noriyuki Haga (3rd - 1’59.3 - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “It has been good to test so close to the start of the season and things went well with the bike. We only really had one type of tyre to test so we had to make changes in our suspension settings to be able to work with them. We found a setting that worked, which shows that we know how to adjust the bike in a good way. We will see how we get on during the race weekends but my long run this morning went well. I think when we get the real race tyres, we will be ready to go.”
 
Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) "Things went well, a positive test for us all. We arrived here with four completely new bikes, so the first day was spent mostly running things in and checking the bikes over. On the final day we did some long runs and in the end we were quite satisfied with the performance of both riders and the bikes. We used tyres that we didn’t use in the previous Qatar tests as well. The times were not as good as they were in November but the track conditions at this circuit are quite changeable. The important thing was to make our final preparations and I can say that we are ready to race now.” Preparations complete for Parkes and Foret Broc Parkes and Fabien Foret (both Yamaha World Supersport Team) declared themselves ready to take the 2008-specification Yamaha YZF-R6 into competitive action after their final pre-season test was completed earlier today in Qatar. Although the ever-changing Losail track provided the team with less than perfect conditions in the pursuit of absolute lap times, the last-minute alterations to the all-new machine provided both riders with a confidence-boosting set of results, especially when simulating real race conditions. Parkes was the faster of the two on the stopwatch, setting a best of 2’02.9, with Foret 0.6 seconds from his team-mate. Foret, the 2002 World Supersport Champion, found improvements in two main areas of performance and each rider is now ready for the task of qualifying and then racing, at the first round on 23 February. David Salom (Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team), recovering from a hand injury he sustained in a recent test at home in Almeria, was also fast on the slippery Losail circuit yesterday, setting a 2’03.1 after his two days of testing. Salom’s regular team-mate David De Gea could not make this test due to a serious injury to his left leg, but his place was taken by Spanish Championship regular, Josep Pedró, who will substitute for De Gea in the opening two WSS rounds of the season. Pedró set a best of 2’09.2 on his first visit to the fast and tricky Losail circuit. Broc Parkes (2.02.9 - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "I’m happy with how the test progressed. We were really lucky to have this test now to get everything ready at the same place we’re having the first round. We had some new equipment and parts to get bedded in and the test was good. The track was a bit slippery over both days, and that’s why we only got into the high 2’02s. That wasn’t bad considering how different the grip was. The main thing here was to get the bike the way we wanted it and to find out all the little things you don’t want to find a week from now. We basically ran the same set-up as the Phillip Island test, so it’s very positive that it also worked here.” Fabien Foret (2’03.5 - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "We fixed a lot of small but important things and it helped me gaining confidence, mainly in the area of the rear traction and corner entry. I have a bit more feedback than before on the front, so I have to be happy. We will always be searching for better and better, but we learned a lot at this test and I feel good going into the first race.” Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team) "Our test went quite well, even if our times were not as fast as the last time out here. We didn’t find any problems, no crashes, and we found some good points to focus on. It was important to give the riders this test or they would have had a month off the bikes, so it was very helpful to be here so soon before the race. Because it was not an official Pirelli test, we could not use a lot of new tyres but this was useful to us as well, because we could see the behaviour of the bike with worn tyres. We found some benefits compared to when we were here before, and we can say that we are fully ready to start the season.” David Salom: (2’03.1 Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team) "I am very satisfied with the whole test. I have improved 1.8 seconds from last year's lap time and we have made good times with a race set-up. I feel optimistic. I am also very happy with the work of the team, especially with the improvements in suspension and the engine."
Alex Asigno
The 2008 World Supersport Championship season will witness a rejuvenated official Yamaha presence through all 14 rounds of the series, with long time Yamaha servant Broc Parkes now joined by 2002 World Champion Fabien Foret (both Yamaha World Supersport Team). The experienced squad now enters the fray equipped with a freshly sharpened Yamaha YZF-R6 under its expert care. Both Parkes and Foret won World Supersport Championship races last year, and their most important priority is to see who can be first to give the comprehensively re-designed YZF-R6 its first World Championship race win of the 2008 season. After two intense winter test sessions, one in Qatar and one in Australia, the team faces one last two-day try-out this week in Qatar before the season starts for real. Parkes was fastest rider in each of the two previous tests, with Foret close behind, easing himself into the groove after rejoining Yamaha from another manufacturer. In line with the Supersport Championship’s largely production based regulations, the team has now elected to run with a production-derived blue livery in 2008; a classic colour scheme, instantly recognisable on many Yamaha competition machines of the recent past, and one which will become even more closely linked with Yamaha in the future. As well as a new model to work with the team have instigated many changes in technical partners this season, with the overall effort coming under the control of Team Manager Wilco Zeelenberg. Wilco, himself a proven WSS race winner for Yamaha during an illustrious riding career, took over the reins of team management with only a couple of rounds remaining in 2007, and he now starts his first full season in charge of the Yamaha World Supersport Team.
The 2007 campaign featured many high points for the official Yamaha entry, but injury to Parkes in the early season held back his push for ultimate championship glory. A continuous programme of improvement to the previous model of YZF-R6 allowed Parkes to score two race wins among his five podium finishes, with another pair of maximum points scores going to temporary stand-in Yamaha World Supersport Team rider Anthony West. Parkes earned second in the championship overall, with Foret third on points. The Germany-based team has been hard at work recently getting their latest machines ready to be shipped out for the final shakedown test, on 12 and 13 February, before the first points become available at round one in Qatar, on 23 February. Broc Parkes - Yamaha World Supersport Team “This is the happiest I’ve ever been starting a season and the best thing is the new organisation of the team. All the new equipment and the way we are using it has allowed us to be fastest in the Qatar test over three days, and then fastest at Phillip Island over three days. I have the best set-up I have ever had. I don’t want to be too confident right now but so far it's all been very good. I have been working hard over the winter back home in Australia, with a personal trainer; to make sure I am as fit as I can be. After a couple more days of preparation in Qatar, we will be ready for the first round.” Fabien Foret - Yamaha World Supersport Team “I think I once more have a bike which is capable of winning races and hopefully the championship. I am not putting any pressure on myself but I know I have everything to do a really good job. We have one more test before the first race to try to set-up the bike as well as possible for my style. We have two races in quick succession so it is important to be ready for not just Qatar but Phillip Island also. We have spent most of our testing time making the whole package work for race distance. I want to be consistently fast not just really fast for one lap, and I have been happy with how consistent our pace can be over a lot of laps on race tyres. I feel that I need the two days of track time at Losail to help me finalise my front-end set-up, but I am also just looking forward to going racing again afterwards. I think it is fair to say I am more of a racer than a single lap qualifier. I just try to get comfortable on the bike and I love the pressure of the race. I love to fight!” Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager Yamaha World Supersport Team “We have signed the two riders who finished second and third in the championship last year - and the clear aim this year is to win the world title back for Yamaha. The riders are both very strong and we are aiming for more consistency in our performances. The new bike has a lot to do with that. The 2008 YZF-R6 has many changes compared to the 2007 machine, even if it may look quite similar from the outside. One big difference is the chassis and the swingarm, giving us a significant step up in overall handling, particular in corner entry. The 2008 roadbike YZF-R6 arrived quite early from Japan so the guys have been able to do a lot of engine development already, and concentrate their efforts on the YCC-I system – the variable air intake. That has been another area where we have seen real progress in a short time, improving in particular performance in the mid-range. I think we are in a good position to start the year, and now we just need the two-day test in Qatar to finalise everything. “For the 2008 season we have full support directly from Öhlins and we’re very confident that this will bring us valuable benefits. The full race suspension package that they have provided to us for the two tests gave the riders a much better front end feel compared to the 2007 package. We also changed the brake supplier to Brembo, which Broc started using during the middle of the season last year. There are a lot of other detail improvements that add up to a much more race-ready machine from the start.”
Alex Asigno
Yamaha owned the top steps of the podiums in both the AMA Supercross and Lites West Coast classes last Saturday in San Diego. Chad Reed clinched his fourth victory in succession on the San Manuel YZ450F, and fifth from the six rounds of seventeen held so far. Jason Law steered the Yamaha of Troy YZ250F to his third win on the trot and of his career. In front of more than 64,000 fans in the Qualcomm stadium Reed edged his lead in the standings of the AMA series (also an FIM World Championship) to 35 points while Lawrence leapt to the top of the Lites table for the first time and has a margin of 2 points over Ryan Dungey. Australian Reed continued Yamaha's splendid record in San Diego, notching the 12th win for Yamaha in a history that stretches back to Mike Bell's first success in 1980. It was Reed's fifth personal triumph in the southern Californian city and forged a landmark 100% ratio for the racer across the state. The 25 year old took part in an entertaining 20 lap main event with Honda's Davi Millsaps. The pair traded the lead in the opening circulations before Reed assumed control for nine laps but then he slipped off the Yamaha and handed the initiative back to Millsaps. Showing calmness and determination Reed reeled off a steady four laps to draw the American back to his front wheel and regained the advantage with only a few minutes of the race remaining.
"I was horrible all day, and I'm so happy to get this win," said the rider who now has 31 victories - just one of three riders to have accumulated more than 30 in the history of the sport. "I got out front, and Davi passed me back, and I knew I needed to get in behind him and let the race deepen for a few laps, and then try and make a pass and a break. I got a pretty decent gap, and then I just lost concentration and lost it. But I'm pumped to get another win in San Diego, and to win all of the rounds in California - I don't think anyone else has ever done that before." Millsaps was also passed by Tim Ferry before the chequered flag. Reed's advantage in the championship over Kevin Windham (fifth position in San Diego) means that the 2004 champion can even afford to miss a race and still hold control. Yamaha factory team's Josh Hill was sixth in the main event. AMA Motocross Champion Grant Langston was out of action with an eye complaint while the third member of the crew, Broc Hepler, is expected to be out of the Lites series for six weeks after breaking his hand last weekend in Los Angeles. The growing confidence and form of Jason Lawrence hit a peak in San Diego when the 20 year old hole-shotted and led all fifteen laps of the main event on his YZ250F, seizing control of the series from Ryan Dungey in the process, who had previously headed the championship since the opening race. "I had the 18th gate pick and I was way out here on the outside, but I got to the first turn first, somehow. I don't know how. I was amazed to see a clear track. From there on I was just trying to be smart and not crash," he said. "I was trying to keep tabs on Dungey and he actually crashed again. That's the third race in a row that he's cracked under some pressure, so we have two more races, and I'm up by two points - I'm just trying to win the title." Round seven takes place next weekend in the Reliant stadium as the AMA/FIM competition travels east to Houston. Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Chad Reed, Yamaha, AUS, 17'0.000 2, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 0'2.300 3, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 0'4.100 4, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 0'5.800 5, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 0'9.600 6, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 0'19.200 7, David Vuillemin, Suzuki, FRA, 0'25.500 8, Nathan Ramsey, Yamaha, USA, 0'30.000 9, Nicholas Wey, KTM, USA, 0'38.500 10, Jason Thomas, Honda, USA, 0'49.000 11, Troy Adams, Honda, USA, 0'52.600 12, Kevin W. Johnson, Yamaha, USA, -1 Laps 13, Paul Carpenter, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 14, Travis Preston, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 15, Jeff Alessi, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 16, Eric Sorby, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 17, Jacob Marsack, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 18, Josh Hansen, Yamaha, USA, -2 Laps 19, Gregory Crater, Honda, USA, -3 Laps 20, Charles Summey, Yamaha, USA, -19 Laps Rider Standings 09/02/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Chad Reed, Yamaha, AUS, 147 2, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 112 3, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 99 4, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 85 5, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 85 6, Nathan Ramsey, Yamaha, USA, 70 7, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 69 8, Nicholas Wey, KTM, USA, 65 9, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 64 10, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 53 11, David Vuillemin, Suzuki, FRA, 49 12, James Stewart, Kawasaki, USA, 47 13, Paul Carpenter, Honda, USA, 43 14, Charles Summey, Yamaha, USA, 39 15, Grant Langston, Yamaha, RSA, 38 Manufacturer Standings 09/02/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Yamaha, 147 2, Kawasaki, 122 3, Honda, 120 4, Suzuki, 83 5, KTM, 65
Alex Asigno
The 25th edition of the Starcross International at Mantova in Italy kick-started the 2008 European motocross calendar last weekend and it was a positive meeting for the Yamaha Motocross Team as David Philippaerts took his first overall victory on the YZ450FM and Josh Coppins filled second position. The inaugural race of the year saw factory representation from all the manufacturers and a large quota of world championship riders line the gate. Across the three 20 minute and 2 lap motos on the rough and hard-pack sandy Italian terrain, Philippaerts rode strongly and did not drop out of the top three to post finishes of 2nd, 1st and 3rd. Coppins suffered from a spill in Saturday’s qualification heat that left the New Zealander with a sore shoulder. The 30 year old slipped off again on a chaotic first lap of the opening sprint but recovered to obtain a set of 7th, 4th and 4th positions. Philippaerts was a convincing winner in Moto2 and should have perhaps won the first race also if he did not need to briefly slow while in second place to sort out a brake concern. In the final outing he was unable to chase Jonathan Barragan but the Spaniard had mechanical trouble early in race two and was physically fresher than his peers. The team were testing for two days this week prior to their first competitive appearance of 2008 and will be clocking up kilometres again on the YZ450FM in the days after Mantova. The new Kayaba suspension units have had a benefit, and the improvement in the front end feeling of the chassis - helping the bike turn quicker - has been met with all-round approval from both riders.
Aside from the motos, that took place under bright sunshine but in modest temperatures, spectators were also treated to the ‘One-on-One’ contest in which selected riders from each class fought over one lap. Coppins was particularly sharp with his starts and won three face-offs (including a defeat of 2007 title rival Steve Ramon) to reach the final against 2007 pole position specialist Tanel Leok. Only a brave move from the Estonian through the triple on the second part of the lap prevented Coppins from walking away triumphant from this particular novelty, unique to the Starcross meeting. In the MX2 category Martin Barr was Yamaha’s top performer with a decent seventh place overall. Manuel Monni was also in the top ten with ninth position. Yamaha Motocross Team will be action again next week with the first round of the Italian championship taking place at the Montevarchi circuit. Yamaha Red Bull De Carli rider Antonio Cairoli was present as a spectator in Mantova and will join his team-mates Matteo Bonini and Alessandro Lupino at Montevarchi as the Italian squad open their account for 2008. David Philippaerts, 1st position: “This is a good start to the year and I am very happy for the team and everybody. The bike was really good today. It is very fast, maybe too fast for me at the moment! In the first race I had a small problem with the brake and had to stop quickly but my riding was good after that and I had some nice lines. In the second I was determined to win and passed many riders in the first corners. It was quite easy in the end. Barragan was fast in the last race but because he had a problem earlier he might have been fresher than the rest of us. We still have some time before the first Grand Prix and we are going in the right direction; my condition is getting stronger and the bike feels better each week. I am especially pleased with my starts today.” Josh Coppins, 2nd position: “I am happy it is all over as I don’t really like this track and I crashed on Saturday and hurt my shoulder. It was a tough weekend. I got to the last round of the ‘One on One’ but Leok just got by me on the triple. In the first moto I went down on the first lap and did pretty well to come back to 7th from 15th or 20th; something like that. I fought hard and my shoulder was tight afterwards. The second race was going OK and I moved past Pourcel for third at the end but unfortunately I got caught up with a lapped rider and that pushed me back. In the last I felt the pace with my shoulder. Overall there were too many mistakes and having two crashes was not good. However, we are on the podium so it was not a waste. We also rode the bike for the first time this week and I am pleased with what we have so far.” Mino Raspanti, Team co-ordinator: “I am really happy for the riders. The results were not really important this weekend but it was still good to do well and take the momentum we had from testing onto the race track. We had made some changes to the bike but the practice track is always different to the races where everything is much rougher and quicker. We have started our programme now and can begin counting down to the first Grand Prix."
Alex Asigno
As the first ever winner of both MX1 and MX2 Grand Prix there is a lot of hope for new Yamaha Motocross Team recruit David Philippaerts as the 24 year old opens the ‘blue’ chapter of his career this weekend at the Starcross International at Mantova in Italy. The first Italian representative for the crew since the inception of the MX1 category in 2004, Philippaerts is ideally placed to continue his impressive climb in world championship motocross since bursting onto the scene with a volley of MX2-GP podiums in 2005. The Tuscan has spent the winter working with the Rinaldi-helmed squad in preparation for the 2008 MX1-GP season, only his second in the premier class since entering the competition in 2007 and after adapting immediately to the demands of the 450cc four-stroke with six podiums, two moto victories and a single Grand Prix success at the Teutschenthal circuit in Germany.
 
Mantova this weekend – also host of the Italian Grand Prix on May 17/18 - will witness Philippaerts’ christening with the potent YZ450FM. The multi-title winning machine will carry the Italian and team-mate Josh Coppins for the 2008 campaign. “I was really pleased when I first rode the Yamaha because I found it light and easy to handle but with an engine and power output that was very manageable,” he commented. “It meant that I did not have to change anything with regards to my riding style, and this level of comfort gives you confidence.” “The standard bike was already very good from the outset and since then we began to work with pieces and upgrades for the race machine,” he added. “The team are well organised and professional and they provide a perfect working environment.There is always somebody to take care of things and they have good ideas; I’m very satisfied.” The feeling of well-being currently in the set-up is echoed by Co-ordinator ‘Mino’ Raspanti. “Even though we are just at the start of the year we already feel strong as a team and David is an easy guy to work with; he is always kind and professional,” he remarked. “We did some engine and suspension testing but we have not made any big changes to the bike compared to last year, our work was mainly focussed on adapting the YZ450FM to suit his style and to get him comfortable,” he further added. While the expectation of regaining Yamaha’s MX1-GP crown falls mainly in the lap of team-mate Josh Coppins, Raspanti believes that Philippaerts is capable of a few surprises: “We believe that David is one of the fastest riders in MX1 but he still needs some more experience. He is only 24 and potentially has a good career ahead of him. His strengths as a rider are his skills on the bike, his strong character and his fighting spirit. We expect a forward step in 2008 and we will support him totally to help achieve that.” Mantova will be the first of several race appearances for Philippaerts before the world championship gets underway at the Valkenswaard circuit for the Grand Prix of Netherlands on April 6th. “I want to get a lot of race time and hours so that I am completely ready to go at the first round,” the seven-time Grand Prix winner said “so I will be racing the pre-season international events and using them very much as testing opportunities.”
Alex Asigno
Valentino Rossi rounded off a successful three days in Malaysia with another impressive day's testing at the Sepang International Circuit today. The high point of the Italian's day was his race simulation, when he lapped consistently under lap record pace and improved on his time from the January test, as well as on last year's race time. Rossi was pleased both with the performance of his 2008-spec M1 and with his Bridgestone tyres, today's results indicating that he and his team are on target with their pre-season development. His best time of 2'01.190 was set on a qualifying tyre on his 23rd of 48 laps, putting him second in the standings behind team-mate Jorge Lorenzo. The Fiat Yamaha Team will reconvene closer to home at Jerez in Spain on Saturday, 16th February for the three-day Official MotoGP Test, the penultimate test before the season kicks off in March. Valentino Rossi - Position: 2nd Time: 2'01.190 Laps: 48 "I'm really happy about today's race simulation and about the overall balance of this test. Everything has gone well and the race-simulation was an improvement on the one from last time; this is the real test of where we are. We've worked on various different items in many different areas but we've had positive feedback throughout. It's given me the chance to better understand the tyres and today's simulation has given me even more information about how they behave. We've worked more at this test on the set-up of the bike to enable it to work as well as possible with the new tyres and we've also continued to work on the new engine, which will be the standard one for this season, and on the electronics. We've still got a lot to do but so far everything is progressing well. Now we're looking forward to Jerez and seeing where we are at a new track alongside all of our competitors." Davide Brivio - Team Manager "This test has been very positive; all the hard work that the Yamaha engineers have put in over the winter is now showing in our good results so I would like to say a big thank you to all of them. We've seen improvement in all the different areas in which we've worked in this week and so we hope that these results will help us to create a competitive package. Today's race simulation was good and an improvement on January, plus the individual lap times within it were fast and consistent. This is a very important indication of our level. We've only done 50% of our pre-season testing, we have two more to go before the first race but we hope to continue improving like this and arrive at the first race in good shape and ready to commence our challenge."
Lorenzo on Top Despite Struggles on Final Day in Sepang Jorge Lorenzo finished his second test of the year in positive fashion today with an impressive lap on qualifying tyres. The young Fiat Yamaha Team rider had a somewhat difficult test overall and was unhappy not to improve in the way he had expected to, but his performance on Michelin qualifying rubber at the end of the day gave him some cause for cheer. Like his team-mate Valentino Rossi, Lorenzo had planned to complete a race simulation today but he abandoned it after a few laps when he found he was lacking pace, deciding instead to spend the remainder of the day working on set-up and tyre testing with Michelin. His time of 2'00.705, set on the 72nd of 73 laps, was an improvement on his best qualifying time from the January test and good enough to leave him at the top of the day's time sheets, with Rossi in second after a best lap of 2'01.190. Lorenzo and his team will now enjoy a short break before the Official MotoGP Tests commence at Jerez in southern Spain on 16th February. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 1st Time: 2'00.705 Laps: 73 "This has been a difficult test for us but not completely negative. The major problem is still the front end going into the corners; the bike is not stable and we also have a bit of vibration. We've tried many different settings but we haven't been able to improve as much as we expected, so this means that I still need to adapt my riding style in some areas. Today I started to do a race simulation but I came in again because my pace was not good enough. At the end of the day we tried some qualifying tyres and I was able to improve on my time from the last test, so that's positive. I'm not worried about what's happened here; I've had bad days before and I have confidence that we will find the right way forward. I am looking forward to going to a different track now and seeing what happens there." Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager "After the January test, when we had quite a good pace, we hoped to improve again this time but unfortunately this hasn't been the case. We've tried many different things with the chassis and the suspension settings but we still have some problems going into the hard braking areas. It's been a useful test despite this however because we've had the chance to refine some mapping, improve the cooling system with the new fairing and to find some new tyres with Michelin. Jorge has worked very hard this week; the hot weather makes his job more difficult and of course he's not used to so much winter testing outside of Europe like this, so well done to him. Now everyone has a short rest and hopefully we'll start in better shape in Jerez." Test Results 1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'00.705 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'01.190 3. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda Gresini 2'02.135 4. Alex De Angelis (RSM) Honda Gresini 2'02.194 5. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki Racing 2'03.021 6. Tamaki Serizawa (JPN) Kawasaki Racing 2'03.623 7. Yamaha Test Rider (-) Yamaha Test Team 2'06.000 8. Yamaha Test Rider (-) Yamaha Test Team 2'06.040 Sepang: Lap Record Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2'02.108 Sepang: Best Lap Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 2'00.605
Alex Asigno
Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi continued his impressive form on the second day of testing in Sepang today, topping the time sheets again with another very quick lap on qualifying tyres. The Italian, who turns 29 in ten days time, was also fast throughout the day on race tyres, lapping consistently in the 2’01s. Rossi had a busy day, continuing his tyre testing programme with Bridgestone, working on suspension and electronic mapping as well as trying a new cowling and putting in some practice starts. His time of 2’00.472 was set on the penultimate lap of 70 and was a fraction slower than his time from yesterday, although still inside the existing circuit pole record, which he himself still holds from 2006. Valentino Rossi - Position: 1st Time: 2’00.472 Laps: 70 “Today was another very good day and I had a good pace and rhythm all day. We tested some different Bridgestone tyres before again trying the one I prefer, which confirmed that this is the best one for us and so we will use it for the long run tomorrow. We worked a little bit on the suspension and also on the electronic mapping and we also tried a lot of practice starts, maybe as many as ten, and we need to improve a bit in this area. I also tried a new cowling which is aimed at improving the cooling system and this had a good result. Finally I tried a qualifying tyre again and, although I made a small mistake on my lap because I was quite tired by then, it was again very positive.” Davide Brivio - Team Manager “At the moment we’re going very well and we’re very happy with our progress so far. Tomorrow we will concentrate on completing a long run and this will be very important to help us to see where we are. It was very, very hot today which made work quite difficult and Valentino did very well in these conditions. Now we just hope for a successful final day before we return to Europe.”
Difficult Day for Lorenzo in Malaysia Fiat Yamaha Team rookie Jorge Lorenzo ran into a few problems on the second day of a three-day Sepang test today, continuing to struggle with front-end feeling going into the hard braking areas. The 20-year-old and his crew dedicated most of the day to working on the problem but are yet to find the perfect solution, although Lorenzo was able to make a small improvement on his time from yesterday. There were some positive notes however as the Spaniard tried a new chassis and reported improved stability with this. He completed 55 laps in the sweltering conditions and finished the day fourth fastest in a time of 2’02.396. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 4th Time: 2'02.396 Laps: 55 "It has been quite a difficult day! We’re not so fast; slower than at the last test even though we have the same bike set-up, and we need to improve. Tomorrow I think I need to try some changes to my riding style. It’s still the same problem overall, with the front-end going into the corners, although I did try the new chassis and this is helping a little bit. After the session we had a long meeting with the engineers to look at all the data and now we will make a plan for tomorrow. We have one day left so of course we will try to make the most of it and finish the test in better shape.” Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager “Today was a hard day’s work. We’ve tested various different set-ups and improved a little bit but we still need to make a bigger step. We had some positive points with the new chassis, which improved stability in the hard braking areas, so we will keep working in this direction. I am confident that the team can find some solutions to help us on our final day here tomorrow.” Results 1. Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:00.472 2. Nicky Hayden - Repsol HRC 2:00.900 3. Shinya Nakano - Honda Gresini 2:02.049 4. Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:02.396 5. Alex De Angelis - Honda Gresini 2:02.646 6. Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing 2:03.513 7. Yamaha Test Rider - Yamaha Test Team 2:05.647 8. Tamaki Serizawa - Kawasaki Racing 2:06.027 9. Yamaha Test Rider - Yamaha Test Team 2:06.244
Alex Asigno
The second Fiat Yamaha Team test of 2008 began in Sepang, Malaysia today, with Valentino Rossi picking up just where he left off at the same track 12 days ago. After several teams opted to test at Phillip Island last week, it was a somewhat depleted MotoGP field on track today and Rossi and new team-mate Jorge Lorenzo shared the track with just seven other riders. Rossi topped the time sheets today with a blistering best lap of 2’00.300, over 0.3 seconds faster than the existing best lap of Sepang, which the Italian set himself back in 2006. Rossi set today’s time on a Bridgestone qualifying tyre on his 62nd of 64 laps, but he also recorded improvements in his times with race tyres as he continues development with his new tyre manufacturer. Team-mate Lorenzo chose to stick to race tyres today and posted the fourth fastest time with a lap of 2’02.654 Valentino Rossi - Position: 1st Time: 2’00.300 Laps: 64 “Today was a positive day for us and I really enjoyed myself. We started to work more on the bike and to adjust the suspension and balance to suit our tyres. I have a very good feeling and the lap times have improved compared to last time, both with race tyres and with the qualifying tyre. It’s a big deal changing tyres – not as big as changing bikes but all the same I have needed time to understand how to ride the bike differently and now I’m learning more and more how to get the best from the Bridgestones. My fitness has also improved compared to last time and this is also helping me to ride better, so I think that we’re in good shape at the moment.” Davide Brivio - Team Manager “It was a good day for us and the times show that we are on target. This morning the surface was quite dirty but it improved this afternoon and Valentino was quicker than at the last test both on race and qualifying tyres. His fitness is also better so this is enabling him to improve his overall performance. Tomorrow we will continue with our testing programme and hopefully we can improve further on this good start.”
 
Lorenzo Working Hard To Improve Set-Up in Sepang New Fiat Yamaha pilot Jorge Lorenzo resumed the task of getting to grips with his YZR-M1 in Sepang today, ahead of his inaugural MotoGP race in Qatar in one month’s time. After a promising showing here last time out, Lorenzo and his team’s clear focus for this test is to refine and improve set-up, and they began work today with the same bike they used at the last test. The Spaniard’s main issue to address is front-end feel going into the corners and he was disappointed not to make more progress in this area today. Nonetheless his engineers were able to gather some important information and they will continue with their task tomorrow, as well as resuming tyre testing with Michelin. Lorenzo posted the 4th best time of the day, his lap of 2’02.654 coming on the 24th of 57 laps. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 4th Time: 2'02.654 Laps: 57 “We are working as we planned but unfortunately today we haven’t been able to improve as much as we hoped on the problems we had at the last test. The biggest issue is the feeling I have with the front-end going into the turns; I need more confidence in this area so we still have some work to do to find the key. We have some more ideas after today so tomorrow we will try again, working in a slightly different direction, and hopefully we will be able to make more progress on this.” Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager “We didn’t improve as we wanted to today and Jorge is still lacking some confidence in front, which means we’re not fast enough going into the turns. Despite this it’s not a wasted day as our engineers were able to collect a lot of data and they and the team will analyse this tonight, prepare a schedule for tomorrow and go from there. The bike is the same as the last test but the goal is to improve the set-up and solve the issues which are affecting Jorge. We will keep working tomorrow and see where we get to!” Results 1. Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:00.300 2. Nicky Hayden - Repsol HRC 2:01.949 3. Shinya Nakano - Honda Gresini 2:02.317 4. Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:02.654 5. Alex De Angelis - Honda Gresini 2:03.231 6. Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing 2:03.655 7. Yamaha Test Rider - Yamaha Test Team 2:06.356 8. Tamaki Serizawa - Kawasaki Racing 2:06.874 9. Yamaha Test Rider - Yamaha Test Team 2:07.319 Sepang Lap Record Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007 - 2'02.108 Sepang Best Lap Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
Alex Asigno
Having participated in two successful winter tests in Qatar and Australia the Yamaha Motor Italia World Superbike Team is already in a high state of readiness to meet the challenge of the forthcoming World Superbike Championship season. Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser (both Yamaha Motor Italia (YMIT) WSB Team) continue their riding partnership for a second year, after taking a total of 24 podiums between them last season. Japanese superstar Haga came within a meagre two points of winning the riders’ championship outright on ‘07, ending the campaign with six victories to his credit. In the Qatar test last November both Haga and Corser made immediate improvements even compared to the strong results obtained by their 2007-spec Yamaha YZF-R1 machines, and carried on their good work in the subsequent test last month, at Phillip Island. These venues are the first two on the WSB calendar, the 5.380km circuit of Losail again enjoying its now traditional status as the season opener, on Saturday 23rd February; one week ahead of the Australian round, on Sunday March 2.
In the Qatar test Corser was particularly fast from the outset, with Haga matching him on the final day, while the changing conditions of the Phillip Island tests provided more of a challenge to both riders and technical staff. Everyone in the highly respected YMIT WSB squad worked hard to make final adjustments to the 2008-spec Yamaha YZF-R1 and help the championship’s single make tyre supplier with feedback on their latest development tyres. Yamaha Motor Italia’s YZF-R1 Superbike, a new model in 2007, was the tool with which Haga and Corser helped earn Yamaha the Manufacturers’ Championship, and the 2008 version has undergone a comprehensive programme of development over the winter months. The race machine now runs Yamaha’s revolutionary YCC-I variable intake system, as fitted to the original road bike. Even in early trials this unique Yamaha innovation showed its potential, and in testing has provided smoother and more torquey engine response in the midrange, reduces the massively powerful R1’s desire to wheelie in the lower gears and yet still maintains its class-leading top end performance. Due to recent changes in the WSB technical rules four-cylinder machines can now run at a minimum weight of 162kg, and the R1 has lost mass due to a new swing arm design, lighter Akrapovic exhausts, a carbon airbox and even a new lightweight wiring loom to meet that new lower limit exactly. The latest rear swing arm is a step closer to the state of perfection that demands more feel with less unsprung weight; more ultimate performance with longer tyre life. The latest generation of Öhlins suspension units also make a significant contribution to the weight loss programme, and have already shown measurable improvements during the track tests. The look and graphics of the 2008 machines are based on the 2007 versions, while a new logo joins existing sponsors Santander, Sika, Akrapovic and Fabbri on the flanks of the R1. FIMER, a welding machine company that has long links to Yamaha Motor Italia (even taking over the premises once used by the Yamaha importer in its early years) has now signed a three-year deal to support the efforts of the official YMIT team in WSB. The 15-round 2008 season is set to be a stiff challenge for all comers, with four long haul races instead of two, Qatar; Australia; USA and Indonesia, and four individual venues which are either new to World Superbike entirely or have been missing from the calendar for a decade or so. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) "We will have 30 individual races this year and many good riders have now entered the World Superbike series, including six Japanese! I’m looking forward to a good battle with all of them. I think World Superbike will be more exciting than MotoGP this year, so people should come along to their local race to see the close battles. I feel that the performance of all the riders and teams will improve a great deal so the biggest threat is difficult to see right now. We must see more of the competition first. Suzuki and Ducati were strong at the Philip Island tests, but we have not seen the new Honda. We’ll have to wait for that. Our YCC-I variable intake system will improve acceleration and make the engine performance more useable everywhere. It worked very well at the Phillip Island tests. Our whole machine is very competitive, but like always in racing, we are still seeking points to improve. We are determined to continue the improvements on the 2008 R1 all year, starting from this moment.” Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) "Our test in Qatar was particularly good and we also worked through a lot of new things in Phillip Island. The engine on the machine is definitely stronger and lots of other aspects are improved now, especially the electronics. We weren’t that concerned about absolute lap times at the Phillip Island test, we just wanted to get lots of time on the bike to try out all the equipment that we had to test there. For me that test wasto make sure we started the season with the best equipment and information we could get, and to get us all working well together once again. The new suspension is definitely an improvement; it’s just a case of spending more time with it now, and we will have that chance in the two-day test at Qatar soon. Same with the YCC-I system, which we felt a difference with straight away. I know Yamaha has been working hard over the winter and after the last couple of days of testing, we will really be ready to go. I think it’s going to be a tough championship but I haven’t been looking at the other riders too much at this stage.” Massimo Meregalli - Team Coordinator, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team - has been impressed by both his men and his machines already, and knows that the team should start the season in great shape. “We had a very good test at Qatar and although we found some more work to do in Australia we were still satisfied with our progress on the bike. It was a big improvement in Qatar, and in Australia we went faster than we did last year - faster than we had ever gone. “Overall, we expect to have some small advantage over the manufacturers who will arrive in 2008 with new machines, and we will see what the real potential of the new 1200cc twins are in races, not testing. The main thing is that we know our bike is already better than the way it finished the season with a double win in Magny Cours last year, thanks to many areas of development. One is reduced weight and we will start on the weight limit of 162kg. Another example is the new rear swing arm that has proven to give both the guys a more positive feeling on the track. Right now we are ready to race, very focused on our main goal, and everyone knows what this is. We have two absolute top riders and in my opinion we have the very best rider combination. Nori and Troy have a lot of experience, and have a strong motivation to reach the goal. We have never seen Noriyuki so willing to do extra work in testing. He was doing more than one long run per day and that is a great sign.” Final pre-season preparations will be carried out in a two day test at Qatar on 12 and 13 February. The first round begins for real with first practice on Thursday 21 February, continues with Superpole qualifying on Friday 22 and culminates in race day, Saturday 23 of February. Rnd 01: February 23 - Qatar - Doha/Losail Rnd 02: March 2 - Australia - Phillip Island Rnd 03: April 6 - Spain - Valencia* Rnd 04: April 27 - Netherlands - Assen* Rnd 05: May 11 - Italy - Monza* Rnd 06: June 1 - United States - Salt Lake City Rnd 07: June 15 - Germany - Nürburgring* Rnd 08: June 29 - San Marino - Misano* Rnd 09: July 20 - Czech Rep. - Brno* Rnd 10: August 3 - Great Britain - Brands Hatch* Rnd 11: September 7 - Great Britain - Donington Park* Rnd 12: September 21 - Italy - Vallelunga Rnd 13: October 5 - France - Magny Cours* Rnd 14: October 12 - Indonesia - Sentul Rnd 15: November 2 - Portugal - Portimao* *with Superstock FIM Cup
Alex Asigno
James Toseland produced arguably the most outstanding performance on the final day of testing in Phillip Island today as the Tech 3 Yamaha team successfully concluded the long haul phase of its pre-season testing campaign. Making only his fourth appearance for the Tech 3 Yamaha team, Toseland took full advantage of his vast Phillip Island track knowledge to finish with the third fastest time of 1.29.754. His best was set on a Michelin qualifying tyre, with only world champions Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden lapping faster on the final afternoon. Toseland was one of only five riders to break the 1.30 barrier over the three days. Toseland also gained more crucial experience by completing his first full race simulation on board the 2008 Yamaha YZR-M1. He lapped consistently in the 1.31 bracket during his 27-lap run, as he assessed new front and rear suspension settings and a revised electronics set-up in full race conditions. His best lap on race tyres today was a 1.31.012.
American Edwards was fifth quickest today, also using a Michelin qualifying tyre to set his best time of 1.29.795 in sunny but windy conditions at the 4.445km circuit. Experimenting with chassis set-up to try and improve rear grip, Edwards was satisfied enough with progress to stop just before 2pm having completed a distance run of 20 laps. Just five days of testing remain for Toseland and Edwards in Jerez and Qatar, before the new season’s spectacular start under floodlights in Doha on March 9. James Toseland 3rd 1.29.754 – 89 laps “I’m really happy. I was always looking forward to coming here with my track knowledge and its nice to see the difference where I stand in the order with that experience. To be at the sharp end of the times and see my name up there has put a bigger smile on my face. Knowing the track I can be on the same line each lap and that’s helped me relay my feedback on the bike a lot more precisely to my team. On other tracks I’ve been finding my way round as well as trying to make a lap time. I was happy with my pace in the race simulation but those extra five or six laps over what I’ve been used to in superbike were a bit strange. My body just isn’t used to that distance but I felt good and wasn’t too tired at the end. It is all good experience and its all coming together nicely. I will sleep well tonight on the plane after this performance. Even one of my mechanics said that it is so good to see an English rider at that end of the timesheets rather than at the other end. And the best thing is I can only get faster and stronger. I’m still waiting for some new parts from Yamaha, so there is still plenty of room for improvement, also from Michelin. Everybody is working hard and I’m riding on a wave at the moment.” Colin Edwards 5th 1.29.795 – 56 laps “I did a long run to give Michelin some information to see what the tyres could handle. The 20 laps I did I was 20 seconds faster than in the race last year which is positive. This track is a little bit strange because you spend so much time on the side of the tyre trying to build up speed. And that’s where Michelin needs to concentrate their efforts so we can generate a little bit of speed. But I’m more motivated than ever because I can see my team and Yamaha working, but to see Michelin put in the same effort and work just as hard adds a lot of motivation. Everybody is working equally hard with me and for me. These guys are putting in the hard days at the moment and I’m really happy with my team. After these six days of testing in Sepang and Phillip Island I’m excited and I’m really looking forward to the first race in Qatar.”
Alex Asigno
Yamaha Motor Europe (YME) is very pleased to announce a new partnership with current FIM Motocross Women’s World Cup winner Katherine Prumm.The 19 year old New Zealander will steer a YZ250F for 2008 and strive to add the very first FIM female world championship to the two World cup titles she claimed in 2006 and 2007. Prumm’s union with Yamaha four months ahead of the inaugural FIM endorsed championship is a major coup as the women’s competition will enjoy top billing alongside the MX1 and MX2 world series and embark on a five round schedule as part of the 2008 Grand Prix campaign. The Kiwi will work from the Dutch Van Beers Yamaha set-up in the paddock, alongside Aigar Leok (MX1) and Evgeny Bobryshev (MX2), using YRRD (Yamaha Rinaldi Research and Development) parts on her number one plated YZ250F. With her victories in Europe, (two from two rounds in 2006 and two from three outings in 2007) numerous female Australasian titles, and several female AMA wins on the other side of the Atlantic, Prumm is presently one of the leading figures in Women’s motocross.
“The move to Yamaha is really exciting for me,” said the reigning champ. “It will be a whole new bike and new team and I am really looking forward to being part of the Yamaha environment. Yamaha is behind me 100% and I feel that they can give me the best chance of success in 2008.” “I cannot wait for the upcoming season and the FIM Women’s World Championship where I will try for my third title on my new Van Beers YZ250F,” she added. “At the end of the year I will also compete in the Men’s New Zealand Motocross Championship under the MXDK Subway Yamaha team banner and my goal is a top ten finish in the Men’s MX2 class after having attained a 12th place in 2007. I will also be going for my fourth New Zealand Women’s championship. For my activities back home I am officially supported by Yamaha Motor Australia and Yamaha Motor New Zealand.” “Yamaha is happy to see that the number of women riding and racing our machines is growing along with their interest and participation in off-road motorsport,” commented YME Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp. “The upgrade of the FIM Women’s World Cup to a World Championship is a good example of how the sport is progressing and we are very much looking forward to competing in this new class with Katherine as well as promoting women and motorcycling in general.” The Women’s World Championship was officially sanctioned towards the end of 2007 after the World Cup had seen growing entry lists in its three year existence and an increasing level of interest from female competitors across the globe. The series now has the recognition it deserves and is no longer merely a sideshow to the MX1 and MX2 motos. The 2008 calendar will see the ladies in action in Bulgaria, Italy, France, Germany and Holland. The first event will be at the Sevlievo circuit for the Grand Prix of Bulgaria on May 11th. Katherine Prumm Date of Birth: 04/06/1988 Place of Birth: Johannesburg, South Africa Residence: Auckland, New Zealand Nationality: New Zealand Height: 172cm Weight: 66kg Hobbies: Cycling, running, Graphic design, spending time with friends and family Career Highlights 2007: FIM Women’s World Cup winner, AMA WMA Women’s Cup winner, Australian Champion 2006: FIM Women’s World Cup winner, winner of two WMA (USA) rounds 2005: FIM Women’s World Cup runner-up, Oceania Champion, Australian Champion, NZ Champion 2004: New Zealand Women’s Champion senior and junior classes
Alex Asigno
Mixed weather conditions couldn’t stop Tech 3 Yamaha duo Colin Edwards and James Toseland from making good progress at the Phillip Island circuit today. The second morning was dominated by persistent rain showers, but typical of the fast changing conditions experienced at Phillip Island, the grey and gloomy skies gave way to sunny but blustery conditions by midafternoon. The day’s unpredictable weather gave Toseland his first taste of Yamaha’s YZR-M1 in full rain conditions, with the British rider gaining valuable experience and data in the wet. Toseland completed 21 laps to post a 1.43.719 for the 11th quickest time. Edwards was eighth quickest in the wet with a new Michelin front rain tyre helping him register a best lap of 1.42.547.
 
After spending over two hours waiting for scattered damp patches to dry out, by the time Edwards and Toseland returned to the track, the rain and lower track temperature significantly reduced grip levels. Toseland ended the day with the sixth fastest time, clocking a 1.31.451 in the last hour. Edwards was 10th fastest with a best time of 1.31.593. Forecasts for the final day tomorrow predict sunny conditions throughout, with only a 20 per cent chance of light rain showers. James Toseland 6th 1.31.451 – 55 laps “It was important to try the bike in the wet for the first time and I got to grips with it quickly. Luckily I did a lot of wet tyre testing for Michelin last year at the Suzuka Eight-hour. I had five days of testing and three-and-a-half days were completely wet and I got a bit of time on the Michelin wets so I got a pretty good feeling pretty quickly. The electronics work very well and I had a lot of grip. The track was really dirty once it had dried. I don’t know whether the rain brought some sand with it but the track was really slippery. I went out and couldn’t break a 1.35 and it was completely dry. I got back down to some decent times but the conditions were still not as good as yesterday. There was just no drive grip exiting corners, so it was more difficult to make a lap time. Quite slow corners lead onto the fast straight sections on this track and if you can’t get good grip on the exit, you can’t carry momentum on the straight and that can cost a lot of time. It also got quite windy in the afternoon and that makes it difficult as well. I got some good experience of riding in the rain, and but hopefully it will be dry tomorrow so I can try a full race simulation.” Colin Edwards 10th 1.31.593 “It was a difficult day with the weather but we still managed to take something positive out of it. I tried a new front rain tyre from Michelin that I was asking about and they produced one out of the back of the truck and I was really happy with it. Michelin seem to have really taken steps forward with slick and wet tyres. The tyre was different to what I had in the wet last season and it felt more natural for my style. The electronics in the rain are so much better too. The bike is easier to ride. I came in after the first run and gave my electronics guys a hug because I was so happy with it. I liked the ’08 chassis in the rain too. It gives me a lot of confidence and I can understand more what’s going on with the front tyre. This afternoon the track was slippery as hell. I tried a few tyres from Michelin but it was hard to gauge with the track being so greasy. At the end of the day I think we have learned something for Michelin and Yamaha and that’s the key.” Results: 1. Stoner, Ducati Marlboro - 1'29.938 (45) 2. De Angelis, Honda Gresini - 1'30.449 (54) 3. Dovizioso, JiR Team Scot - 1'31.074 (60) 4. Nakano, Honda Gresini - 1'31.316 (74) 5. Haydon, Repsol Honda Team - 1'31.373 (72) 6. Toseland, Yamaha Tech3 - 1'31.451 (55) 7. Melandri, Ducati Marlboro - 1'31.478 (80) 8. Capirossi, Rizla Suzuki - 1'31.545 (62) 9. De Puniet, LCR Honda - 1'31.575 (72) 10. Edwards, Yamaha Tech3 - 1'31.593 (44) 11. Vermeulen, Rizla Suzuki - 1'31.774 (50) 12. West, Kawasaki Racing - 1'32.242 (75) 13. Elias, Alice Team - 1'32.246 (59) 14. Guintoli, Alice Team - 1'32.431 (64)
Alex Asigno
Tech 3 Yamaha rider Colin Edwards continued his impressive pre-season form today by setting the fastest time at the start of a three-day test session at the Phillip Island circuit. Just six days after an exhausting but successful test at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, Edwards clocked his best lap of 1.29.566 on the first of two Michelin qualifying tyres he tried shortly after 1pm. Evaluating new Michelin tyres and the latest electronics upgrades from Yamaha, the American’s best time on race tyres today was a 1.30.832 set in a seven-lap run this afternoon as the Texan completed 77 laps in close to perfect conditions. That was the third fastest time on race tyres with reigning world champion Casey Stoner quickest in race trim. James Toseland also impressed by setting the fifth quickest time on only his fourth appearance on the Tech 3 Yamaha YZR-M1. His best time of 1.30.864 on race tyres came on his 46th lap of an 81-lap stint today, with the British rider immediately on the pace as he returned to familiar territory at Phillip Island. Toseland’s extensive track knowledge gained in his World Superbike career at Phillip Island immediately came to the fore as he broke into the 1.32 bracket on only his fourth lap. He then reeled off a series of consistent laps of 1.31 laps and finished just 0.03s slower than Edwards.
 
Today’s action marked the start of the second of four 2008 pre-season tests for the Tech 3 squad, with tests in Jerez and Qatar to follow before the first race in Doha on March 9. Colin Edwards 1st 1.29.566 – 77 laps “It was a good day. I started with the same setting I finished in Malaysia and played around with that for the day. The bike feels good at this track compared to what I raced with a few months ago. Yamaha has been working hard and the new parts are definitely a step in the right direction, particularly with the electronics, which has helped on corner entry and exit. With a qualifying tyre in Malaysia my time didn’t get any better. I had a couple of handling issues with the qualifier in Sepang so once I got a good pace going I chucked a couple of qualifiers in. It is the first day but you never know what the weather is going to do down here, and it could be raining tomorrow. We wanted to make sure with the adjustments we were going to make for the qualifier that it was the right way. In Sepang I had too much weight on the rear. The rear was taking over and running me wide and we made a change to get more weight on the front and get it to turn a bit better. It seemed fine and I’m happy with the lap time.” James Toseland 5th 1.30.864 – 81 laps “The first few laps I was able to hit the exact same six inches of track and I got up to speed much quicker than I did in Sepang and Jerez. It was nice to be at the sharp end of the times and I didn’t realise but track knowledge is even more important with these bikes to help things come together. When you can hit the same spot lap after lap without thinking about it then you can really concentrate on the bike set-up and that makes a big difference to help gradually improve. I’ve got a slight problem with entry to the fast corners. Just as I tip in I get a bit of chatter from the front. I’m losing quite a lot of time because of that problem because they are in such fast parts of the track.I could make up quite a lot of time if it wasn’t for that. I’ll try a new setting tomorrow morning to try and help before I do a race simulation. But it’s nice to be doing decent lap times with a few problems. And I actually passed somebody on the brakes for the first time ever in MotoGP. I passed Chris Vermeulen going into the first corner turn which I was pretty proud of.” Results: 1. Edwards Yamaha Tech3 1'29.566 (77) 2. Stoner Ducati Marlboro 1'30.178 (73) 3. De Angelis Honda Gresini 1'30.688 (70) 4. Dovizioso JiR Team Scot 1'30.701 (79) 5. Toseland Yamaha Tech3 1'30.864 (81) 6. Melandri Ducati Marlboro 1'30.869 (99) 7. Nakano Honda Gresini 1'31.111 (91) 8. Hayden Repsol Honda 1'31.226 (107) 9. Capirossi Rizla Suzuki 1'31.274 (82) 10. Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki 1'31.317 (99) 11. De Puniet Honda LCR 1'31.436 (103) 12. Hopkins Kawasaki Racing 1'31.623 (88) 13. West Kawasaki Racing 1'31.786 (72) 14. Guintoli Alice Team 1'32.484 (68)
Alex Asigno
New Fiat Yamaha Team signing Jorge Lorenzo finished what was just his fourth test on a MotoGP bike in fine form today, rounding off testing in Malaysia in third place overall. The Spanish rookie posted his best lap from 63 on a Michelin qualifying tyre but also put in a string of consistently fast laps on race tyres, despite a fall cutting short his long run. The youngster set out for his race simulation in sweltering conditions this morning and was posting some consistently fast times when he crashed on lap 17. He was unhurt however and was able to continue with Michelin tyre testing for the rest of the day, rounding off with an impressive time of 2’00.766 on a qualifying tyre, just 0.440 seconds off fastest man of the day Nicky Hayden and only 0.161 seconds off the existing Sepang pole record. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 3rd Time: 2’00.766 Laps: 63 “Today was another positive day for me and it’s been an encouraging three days overall: I’m pleased with what we’ve achieved. I had a little problem this morning because I felt like I had a bit less grip than usual, so we had to work on this. Then I started my race simulation and unfortunately I crashed about three-quarters of the way through; I was a bit out of the line and when I accelerated I lost control of the bike. Before that my pace was not so bad and we had time to gather a lot of information before it happened, so it wasn’t the end of the world. I wasn’t hurt and so after that we started again with Michelin tyre testing and at the end I tried a qualifying tyre which was very good; I improved my time quite a lot. I’m really happy with the team’s work and now we’re waiting for the next test so we can continue improving.” Daniele Romagnoli – Team Manager “Despite the crash in his long run we got some good information and his pace up to that time was good. Overall it’s been a very good test and we’ve had some good improvement from the engine side. We’ve continued to progress with regards to the bike set-up and also with tyres, where we’ve found some good new material. Thanks to the rider and the team for their hard work and of course we’re looking forward to coming back again in ten days to continue our preparation for the season ahead.” Rossi content with progress at close of first Sepang test Valentino Rossi rounded off the third day of testing in Malaysia with another day’s solid progress in Sepang today, the Fiat Yamaha Team rider finishing the test sixth overall out of 22 riders testing. Rossi had time to complete a full race simulation of 21 laps and recorded a general improvement compared to last year’s race, despite slowing down for a lap in the middle in order to give himself a breather as temperatures topped 34 degrees. Rossi’s best time after 48 laps, a lap of 2’01.425, was posted on a Bridgestone qualifier but the Italian admits there is more work to do in order to maximise bike set-up when using the softer qualifying tyres. Overall it was an extremely positive test for Rossi and his crew, who managed to complete everything on the schedule thanks to good weather throughout.
 
The Fiat Yamaha Team will now head to their respective homes for a week before returning to Sepang for another three-day test on 5th, 6th and 7th February. Valentino Rossi - Position: 6th Time: 2’01.425 Laps: 48 “The overall balance of the three day test has been very positive and we’ve worked in many different areas. We’ve tested the pneumatic-valve engine and I have a good feeling from it, plus we’ve improved our top speed compared to the race here. I’m happy about the engine so far, although we want to make as much mileage as possible with it in order to check its reliability and performance. We’ve continued to work with the new electronics in braking and acceleration and the new system is helping us to have more control and make less mistakes. Of course we’ve also done a lot of work with Bridgestone on tyres, and we have found some positive things here. We need to improve our performance with the qualifying tyre; we need more time to better understand how to set-up our bike with the soft tyres and so we will continue to work on this next time. We’ve given a lot of information to Bridgestone this week and we look forward to more work together next time. Finally I was able to complete a good race simulation and overall my pace was better than in the race last year, even though I had to slow down for a bit in the middle because it was so hot! Anyway I really wanted to finish so I kept going and in the end I was very happy with my performance. It’s been a good test for us and now we’re looking forward to next time.” Davide Brivio – Team Manager “This has been a very positive test and it’s clear that Yamaha have worked very hard during the winter, so I would like to say a big thank you to all the engineers. To everyone involved now it looks like we’re on our way to fixing some of the issues and weak points which we had last year and we hope that at every test we will be able to make the same amount of progress. Valentino’s level is already high but it’s only the first test after the long winter break and so I am sure he will continue to improve as well. Now we look forward to coming back in ten days time to continue our programme.” Edwards concludes Sepang stay with fourth fastest time The opening chapter in the 2008 MotoGP campaign for the Yamaha Tech3 team was brought to a close with the third and final day of testing at a sweltering Sepang circuit in Malaysia this afternoon. After clocking the second best effort yesterday there was further good news for Colin Edwards and the French crew as the American rested fourth in the Day 3 standings with a circulation just eight tenths of a second off the top slot. New team-mate James Toseland was eighth and upbeat after just his third run with the YZR-M1. Colin Edwards racked up 34 laps in pursuit of his quickest time of the three day session, which he managed on his 12th attempt and snipped two tenths of a second away from Wednesday’s impressive feat. The 33 year old was buoyed after the technical crew solved a small matter of chatter with the front end of the motorcycle and he maintained a steady presence in the 2:01 bracket with Michelin race tyres; underneath the fastest lap setting of the 2007 Grand Prix at Sepang. Herve Poncharal had reason to feel content with the results and progress of his rider line-up as well as the overall usefulness of the test. Colin Edwards – Position: 4th: 2:01.179, 34 laps “We got a little bit of a late start today; man I was sore! I am getting old! After six weeks off the bike your hands and butt gets soft and it takes time to build up the calluses. After three days of riding I just have blisters at the moment. We made some improvements again today with the M1. My crew chief and suspension technician had an idea for the front end because we were having some chatter. It was something I had never tried before, but they fixed the problem. It was such a simple thing but they did really well, so a big thanks! We did not do anything new today but played around with tyres. Michelin came up with the goods. I did my best times on the new race tyre and it was phenomenal. Onto Phillip Island now and more of the same I hope.” After speeding up through both previous days of action James Toseland hit his stride throughout a stuffy afternoon run. The 27 year old concentrated on familiarising himself with new electronic and traction control systems but still managed a batch of laps in the ’01 and low ‘02s. Toseland is Britain’s sole representative in the ’08 MotoGP championship and comes into the Tech3 set-up hot from winning eight from twenty-six races and grabbing thirteen podiums on the way to a second World Superbike title. James Toseland – Position: 8th: 2:01.745, 45 laps “In November I managed a 2:03.5 lap; just one. So to do a 2:02 on a race tyre and then an ’01 with a qualifier let me finish eighth overall today, which I quite pleased with. We have had quite bad chatter that we have struggled to get rid of, although I am told that this place is one of the worst circuits for this and maybe in Australia I might not have it. I am really happy with how the team is working. I finally got the traction control and the engine system, and this gave an improvement but it is really something that you need to get used to and be confident with to improve your times. It is something I can build-on for the next test. I know Phillip Island very well and it is a much cooler place so I am looking forward to starting again next week.” Herve Poncharal, Team Principal, Tech3 Yamaha: “I am very pleased with how things have gone for the first 2008 test. It was important that both riders were quicker every day and the new bike and the tyres from Michelin have let us make a big step. Colin has impressed me with how he was instantly in the good lap-times; I think he has been the fastest on race tyres which is a positive sign. We have been testing a lot of things and for sure the new Yamaha is an improvement over last year. I would also like to thank Michelin for their application and the products that they have brought. Colin feels that there is a huge difference and James is continuing to learn, improve and surprise us; I think you have to go step-by-step in MotoGP otherwise we know how things can end up. We leave Sepang after many laps and with a lot of data for Michelin and Yamaha. We are eager to get to Phillip Island now because we will find some new conditions. Overall it is great to show we are competitive and thanks to the team for their good work.” With their 2008 schedule now active, a busy sequence of work for the Tech3 team lays ahead. Logistical staff were busy Thursday afternoon loading the motorcycles and equipment into crates in preparation for the trip to the Phillip Island circuit in Australia next week and the second stint of testing for both riders. Further outings at the two IRTA dates in February (Jerez and Qatar) are then pencilled in. A little over six weeks remain before the first Grand Prix of eighteen takes place at the Losail circuit in Qatar; the first ever world championship night event. Results 1. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Hrc 2:00.326 2. Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro 2:00.660 3. Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:00.766 4. Colin Edwards - Yamaha Tech3 2:01.179 5. John Hopkins - Kawasaki Racing2:01.198 6. Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:01.425 7. Andrea Dovizioso - Jir Team Scot2:01.447 8. James Toseland - Yamaha Tech32:01.745 9. Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki 2:01.748 10. Loris Capirossi - Rizla Suzuki 2:01.778 11. Randy De Puniet - Honda Lcr 2:01.873 12. Shinya Nakano - Honda Gresini2:02.032 13. Alex De Angelis - Honda Gresini 2:02.198 14. Marco Melandri - Ducati Marlboro 2:02.725 15. Anthony West - Kawasaki Racing 2:02.978 16. Toni Elias - Alice Team 2:02.995 17 Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing2:03.030 18 Sylvain Guintoli - Alice Team2:03.628 19 Niccolò Canepa - Ducati Test2:03.703 20 Tamaki Serizawa - Kawasaki Racing2:04.354 Sepang Lap Record Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007 - 2'02.108 Sepang Best Lap Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
Alex Asigno
Another scorching day in Sepang saw the Yamaha riders putting in some fast laps on the new 2008 YZR-M1 today, on the second day of the opening test of the year. Proving that Edwards, Rossi and Lorenzo were harbouring no ill-effects from yesterday’s falls, three out of four Yamaha riders topped the time sheets. Rossi was a second faster than yesterday and over half a second under lap record pace, setting the third fastest time of the day on a race tyre as his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was just behind him with a time of 2’01.583. Yamaha Tech 3 rider Colin Edwards was just ahead of both Fiat Yamaha riders in second place in a time of 2.01.327. For the second consecutive day Randy de Puniet topped the time sheets. Rossi once again worked on the pneumatic-valve engine and on the new electronics, as well as concentrating on tyre testing with Bridgestone as he and his crew continue their learning curve with their new tyre manufacturer. Rossi completed 60 laps and his best lap of the day, a time of 2’01.437, was set just before five pm.
Valentino Rossi - Position: 3rd Time: 2’01.437 Laps: 60 “Today we continued to work on bike set-up in the same way as yesterday and on the new engine, the electronics and the tyres. We continued with the pneumatic-valve engine as it’s important to get as much mileage as possible behind us with this engine to check the performance, the reliability and just to gain experience with it. With the electronics we worked a lot on the acceleration mapping and I’m quite happy with this. Although it doesn’t make us any faster, it helps me to be more comfortable on the bike. Finally we tested some different rear tyres with Bridgestone and also some qualifying tyres, although we didn’t improve on the time with the soft tyres so we need to work more in this area. We completed a lot of work today and hopefully we can have another good day tomorrow to finish.”
Davide Brivio - Team Manager “We were able to get through a lot of work today and we’re finding some good results. We continued to work a lot with different settings, constantly modifying the bike, as we learn more about it, to make it easier and faster to ride. Valentino is getting more used to his new tyres and therefore he is gaining more confidence and going faster. We didn’t complete a long run today but this is on the schedule for tomorrow so we hope for more good weather to allow us to get through all of our testing schedule.”
 
New Fiat Yamaha Team signing Jorge Lorenzo showed how quickly he’s getting to grips with his new YZR-M1 today when he finished the second day of testing in Sepang in fourth position. The 20-year-old improved on his time from day one by a second and was also under the lap record pace. Continuing from where he left off yesterday, Lorenzo had his first chance to try the pneumatic-valve engine and reported some improvement with it. Aside from that, today’s primary focus was tyres and the Spaniard and his crew commenced an extensive programme of rubber testing with Michelin. His best lap, in a time of 2’01.583, was set on the 31st of 54 laps shortly before one pm. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 4th Time: 2’01.583 Laps: 54 “Today was a good day! We continued in the same way as yesterday, working on our overall performance and we improved by one second, so this is very encouraging. I tested the new pneumatic-valve engine and this was interesting and I found some improvement with it. We’re still working on the hard braking and, although we have improved our performance in these areas a bit, we still need to do more work on this. Likewise I’m still adjusting my riding style to better suit the M1 but this is becoming more natural and comfortable for me day-by-day. Finally we also began testing tyres with Michelin today. We tried quite a lot of new material, especially for the rear, and found some good stuff. I’m happy with the day’s work and hopefully we can have an even better day tomorrow.” Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager “Today we had even more positive results. We continued with our testing plan and Jorge showed a good overall performance today. We’re still focusing on improving the stability into the hard braking corners and Jorge also had his first chance to try the pneumatic-valve engine, which gave him a good feeling and worked well for him. Today we also began our testing programme with Michelin, trying several new compound tyres, which helped Jorge to improve his performance further. Tomorrow we’ll continue with Michelin and hopefully we will also have the chance to do a race simulation and check our overall performance.” Edwards finds his feet on Sepang second day The second day of action for the Yamaha Tech3 MotoGP team at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia revealed further progress for the French crew and their riders Colin Edwards, who was second quickest, and James Toseland, clocking in with the eleventh best time but shaving a second off his best, with their YZR-M1 machinery. A total of 105 laps were completed at the venue which will host the penultimate round of eighteen in the 2008 MotoGP world championship. Edwards recorded a lap-time that was less than two-tenths of a second away from the fastest effort. The Texan immediately felt at home with a new chassis on the M1 and was also full of praise for the Michelin tyres that enabled him to register his impressive circulation. Colin Edwards – Position: 2nd time: 2.01.327, 46 laps “I am so happy right now,” he said. “Yesterday I was confused after the crash and what the problem could be. We had been struggling with engine braking but after we found the cause we went at it again this morning and the difference was huge. We made a small change to the new chassis and things were much better. I was more comfortable and the bike was working just how I wanted.” “We burned a few laps and I have to say ‘hats-off’ to Michelin and a big thank you! We had problems last year, but without a doubt they have redeemed themselves and more; I am really pleased and we should know better than to doubt Michelin anyway,” he added. “At tests you don’t push, not at 110% anyway,” the 33 year old said (34 next month), who has notched eight MotoGP podiums, “but I felt good out there. I was calming down and putting in less effort but I was still doing 2:01s and that little series of laps we made was great.” Edwards, also running a new swing-arm, is planning on making a longer on-track stint tomorrow to collect further valuable data for the chassis of the M1 and also tyre information. James Toseland, still getting acquainted with the M1 and the rigours of MotoGP testing, continued to cut his lap-times and today’s efforts saw a decent full second sliced from his personal best. James Toseland – Position:11th time: 2:02.276, 59 laps “To make that reduction in the lap-time was good even if I did more or less stay in the same position in the standings,” the 27 year old World Superbike Champion said “but I am not looking at positions at the moment, just the fact that I am getting quicker and quicker.” “We have a problem with chatter at the moment, which is holding us back, but we have a few things to try in terms of engine braking, electronics and traction control and we will be going through that stuff tomorrow,” he remarked after making 59 laps. “The adjustments seemed to work for Colin and if you look at the telemetry data then my setting was three times worse than his. So I am quite pleased that we are still doing pretty good lap-times. I made a 2:03 yesterday and I said to the team last night that I was looking forward to being in the ’02s today. I hardly dropped out of that bracket so I am happy, and will hope to get in the ‘01s tomorrow!” The third and final day of work takes place at Sepang tomorrow before Tech3 box-up and travel to the flowing Phillip Island circuit in Australia. Results 1. Randy De Puniet - Honda Lcr 2:01.139 2. Colin Edwards - Yamaha Tech32:01.327 3. Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:01.437 4. Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:01.583 5. Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro 2:01.638 6. John Hopkins - Kawasaki Racing2:01.874 7. Loris Capirossi - Rizla Suzuki 2:01.917 8. Andrea Dovizioso - Jir Team Scot2:02.006 9. Shinya Nakano - Honda Gresini2:02.095 10. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Hrc2:02.102 11. James Toseland - Yamaha Tech32:02.276 12. Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki 2:02.371 13. Anthony West - Kawasaki Racing 2:02.579 14. Alex De Angelis - Honda Gresini 2:02.914 15. Toni Elias - Alice Team 2:03.311 16. Marco Melandri - Ducati Marlboro 2:03.380 17 Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing2:03.462 18 Sylvain Guintoli - Alice Team2:04.217 19 Tamaki Serizawa - Kawasaki Racing2:04.382 20 Niccolò Canepa - Ducati Test2:04.427 Sepang Lap Record Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007 - 2'02.108 Sepang Best Lap Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
 
 
Alex Asigno
Valentino Rossi completed a mainly positive first day of testing in Malaysia today as the first of four pre-season tests began for the Fiat Yamaha Team. Rossi’s second test on Bridgestone tyres was interrupted when he crashed entering turn two on his twentieth lap of the day, but the Italian was unhurt and completed 44 laps and some important development work. It was a typically hot and humid Sepang day and the track surface caused some problems with several riders, including Rossi’s new team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, also hitting the gravel at some point. Rossi and his team concentrated on a variety of things throughout the day as they continued to work on the development of the 2008 YZR-M1, recording positive results with a new 2008 specification pneumatic-valve engine, new electronics and of course some tyre work with Bridgestone. Rossi’s time of 2’02.490, recorded on his final lap of the day, put him in sixth place. Valentino Rossi - Position: 6th Time: 2’02.490 Laps: 44 “It feels good to be back on the bike after the winter break, and me and all my team are feeling very motivated about the task ahead. I still have some pain in my hand but I had it checked out again last week and the fracture is okay, so I know it’s not a problem to ride. Today we continued where we left off with Bridgestone and it seems we’re making good progress, we did many laps with the same tyre and I’m pleased with things so far. Unfortunately I had a crash today; I was on an out lap and maybe I pushed a little bit too hard, too soon, with not enough temperature in the tyre and I lost the front. Luckily I was not hurt, my hand is okay and I was able to continue with the day’s work! As well as tyres we tried a new-spec engine and I was quite pleased with this, as well as with some new electronics. The surface wasn’t good today and it wasn’t possible to go so fast but I hope tomorrow it will improve and we will be able to keep improving in all areas.” Davide Brivio - Team Manager “It was unfortunate that Valentino crashed, as well as quite a few other riders, but he is fine, the bike was okay after some work and it didn’t interrupt things too much. The surface was quite poor and this caused problems for everyone but anyway we were able to get quite a lot of work done and overall it’s been a good first day, despite Valentino’s problem! Of course we’re working a lot with Bridgestone, continuing from the work we did in Jerez, and so far we seem to be going well. Tomorrow we might try a long-run and check the situation with the tyres over many laps, so this will be interesting.”
 
After being officially welcomed into the Yamaha fold at the Team’s presentation in Turin last week, Jorge Lorenzo was out on track in Fiat Yamaha Team colours for the first time today in Sepang. The three-day Malaysian test is the first of four pre-season tests before the Spanish rookie makes his MotoGP debut in March. It was an interesting day for the Michelin-shod 20-year-old, who completed some promising work despite an incident at turn 13, when he lost the front and slid into the gravel. Like his team-mate Valentino Rossi, who suffered a similar fate, Lorenzo was entirely unhurt and was back out on his second bike almost immediately. He completed 43 laps on a scorching Sepang day, trying out a new 2008-specification engine and also some new electronics, registering improvements with both. The Michelin rider stayed on base tyres today and will begin tyre-testing tomorrow as he continues in his task of getting to grips with his new YZR-M1. His time of 2’02.563 was good enough for ninth place. Randy de Puniet was fastest today after recording a lap of 2’01.377. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 9th Time: 2’02.563 Laps: 43 “Unfortunately I lost the front and crashed at turn 13 but it wasn’t a big fall and I wasn’t hurt at all. I went back to the pits and went out on my other bike, forgot about the problem and started improving straight away! In this way it was a positive day for me. We had the chance to test a new engine, with which I found to be an improvement compared to the previous one, and we also worked on some new electronics. I still need to improve some things about my riding style, and we need to work on the bike in the hard braking areas because I am lacking some stability there. Today we didn’t change anything with the tyres but tomorrow we will start some tyre testing with Michelin.” Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager “Luckily Jorge wasn’t hurt so despite his crash it was a good day’s work for us. We continued with the base set-up we had in Jerez, where he was quite fast, and it seems to work okay. The main area we need to work on is the hard braking areas, where we still have some vibration, so we need to concentrate on improving the bike for those parts of the track. We tried a new-specification engine and some new electronics and Jorge felt very comfortable with these. Tomorrow we will continue with general set-up work and also start testing new tyres with Michelin; we have a lot to do but so far things are going quite well.” First day of action for new-look Tech 3 in Sepang The Yamaha Tech 3 MotoGP team began their 2008 campaign under hot Malaysian sun at the Sepang circuit today for the first of three days of testing.New riders James Toseland, the 2007 World Superbike champion, and Colin Edwards, a former two-time Superbike number one, completed 74 laps between them and posted best lap-times to rest 13th and 7th respectively from a full complement of MotoGP teams and riders. The first shakedown test of the year saw the Briton and American getting re-accustomed to their machinery after two sessions towards the end of 2007 and before the forced winter break. The pair worked on the data accumulated last time at Sepang and Jerez in Spain to begin building the competitive basis of their M1 motorcycle for this season. Colin Edwards - Position: 7th Time: 2:02.549Laps: 29 “We are not quite on the new stuff yet but we are slowly morphing into the next version; we will have a new chassis for tomorrow,” commented Edwards who rounded the fast layout for 29 laps and is currently preparing for his fourth season with Yamaha in MotoGP. “We started out getting the setting right and backing up what we found out from the last November test. Everything went well in the morning. We did not test anything special from Michelin but more the good tyres we had selected from the last outing.” Edwards was third quickest early on but relentless sunshine baked the asphalt in the afternoon and caused some problems, even prompting a slow-speed spill for the Texan. “After lunch the temperature on the ground went up to sixty degrees or something crazy like that and then things became difficult,” he recounted. “It was hard to stop the bike and I had perhaps the most stupid crash I’ve ever done. I was braking for the hair-pin and the bike stepped sideways. I tried to manage it straight, but it flicked back again and high-sided me in a straight-line. I was fine and the bike was the one we were going to change the chassis on anyway. We still have some work ahead.” Toseland –a MotoGP debutant and the only British rider in the premier class of the world championship – understandably circulated the breezy but sizzling Sepang circuit for as much track mileage as possible. He lapped 45 times in what was his third outing on the Yamaha M1. James Toseland - Position: 13th Time: 2:03.264 Laps: 45 “Today was pretty good even if it did take me a bit of time to get back into things after the break. My quickest time here in November was 2:03.5 and then I was mostly in the 04s and 05s. On my last run today, when the track was at its hottest, I was constantly in the low 03s, so we have made progress and I am pretty pleased with that,” he said. “We have got some new forks which are quite stable under braking,” he added. “Along with an increase in engine performance this is the main thing that I noticed compared to the old bike. The new rear swinging arm was working well and I did not feel as much chatter around this track as I did before. The bike is not hugely different so far but the subtle changes are a step in the right direction.” With all the manufacturers on the 2008 MotoGP grid represented at Sepang, the test gave the team a decent chance to set their benchmarks against the opposition they will battle through the eighteen round calendar that begins on March 9th in Qatar. The French crew will continue work on Wednesday and Thursday before shipping out to Phillip Island in Australia for further development next week. Results 1. Randy De Puniet - Honda Lcr 2:01.377 2. Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Hrc2:01.864 3. Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki 2:02.074 4. Loris Capirossi - Rizla Suzuki 2:02.416 5. Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro 2:02.457 6. Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:02.490 7. Colin Edwards - Yamaha Tech32:02.549 8. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Hrc2:02.558 9. Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:02.563 10. Shinya Nakano - Honda Gresini2:02.622 11. John Hopkins - Kawasaki Racing2:02.628 12. Andrea Dovizioso - Jir Team Scot2:02.783 13. James Toseland - Yamaha Tech32:03.264 14. Alex De Angelis - Honda Gresini 2:03.301 15. Anthony West - Kawasaki Racing 2:03.387 16. Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing2:03.863 17 Toni Elias - Alice Team 2:03.954 18 Marco Melandri - Ducati Marlboro 2:04.414 19 Niccolò Canepa - Ducati Test2:05.580 20 Sylvain Guintoli - Alice Team2:06.000 21 Tamaki Serizawa - Kawasaki Racing2:23.590 Sepang Lap Record Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007 - 2'02.108 Sepang Best Lap Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605