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Stewart shares AMA series lead after sixth win

Stewart shares AMA series lead after sixth win After a first round DNF, LandM San Manuel Yamaha rider James Stewart has cut back a 23 point deficit and now joint-leads the 2009 AMA Supercross series (also an FIM World Championship) after recording his sixth consecutive victory in San Diego last Sunday.   The 23 year old Floridian notched his 31st career AMA success at the Qualcomm Stadium in southern California and thanks to Joe Gibbs Racing's Josh Grant's win at Anaheim I in early January, the YZ450F remains unbeaten after seven meetings in the seventeen race competition. Stewart - competing at the scene of his first of his 31 triumphs in 2002 - grabbed the holeshot and proceeded to establish a margin over reigning champion Chad Reed, who would go on to finish second to the Yamaha rider for the sixth time.   "I think a lot of people wouldn't have thought, after Anaheim I, that I could be leaving California for the east coast tied for the points lead, but it's a testament to my team and the work they put in every week," said Stewart. "They worked their butts off to make me comfortable, and I really do feel comfortable now. The track was definitely tough. I just had some good luck. The track was slick, but, man, this San Manuel Yamaha was awesome. I can't wait for Atlanta!" Yamaha are the most prolific manufacturer at the San Diego meeting, having claimed 13 of the 26 main events held so far in the city.   For the first time this season Josh Grant was not able to finish in the top five. The rookie slipped off in the first corner and was recovering positions through the pack when he 'cased' a jump and hit his throat on the bars, forcing his retirement.   Round eight will take place in the confines of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. If Stewart or another YZ450F racer takes the chequered flag then Yamaha will equal their streak of eight successive wins record in 2000.  
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Unstoppable Stewart takes fifth consecutive win

Unstoppable Stewart takes fifth consecutive win   Round six of the 2009 AMA Supercross series and the third and final stop in the Anaheim stadium, Los Angeles, was the scene of LandM San Manuel Yamaha rider James Stewart's latest triumph and his fifth win in a row. The 23 year old's imperious streak of success continues on the YZ450F and his masterful escape to victory from gate-to-flag means that Yamaha maintain their 100% record in the current campaign as Joe Gibbs Racing's Josh Grant claimed the opening event.   The 51st Main at Anaheim witnessed Yamaha's 18th collection of the winner's garland and thanks to Grant's sensational debut effort they have swept the LA trio of races.   Stewart's latest accomplishment came after another electric start in which he was able to front the field and keep Chad Reed at bay, despite a greasy surface from rainfall before and during the action. The distance between the two protagonists fluctuated throughout the twenty minute duration but the AMA Motocross champion was never viably threatened and celebrated his 30th SX career victory when he crossed the line.   "I saw Chad behind me. We stayed the same distance, then I pulled away and soon got caught up with the lappers; he came close again and it was good racing. I think, for me, it was kind of tough because the lappers were battling each other and I knew he was following close behind, but hey,it was a great race. I put myself in the best position and I was able to get a win," said the victor, who passed everyone up to 6th position.   With 5th spot in Los Angeles '09 Rookie Grant sustained his run of top five finishes. He had been circulating as high as third when he suffered a nasty-looking crash. Grant recovered to fifth in a determined ride but had some chest pain after the race. He stays third in the table, 16 points behind Stewart.   Stewart was initially 19 points adrift of standings leader Reed after his surprising DNF at round one. He has closed the gap to just 3 as Reed has chased him into the runner-up position for the last five meetings.   Round seven takes place next week in the confines of the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.     Race 1 - 20 Laps                   Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time   1, James Stewart, Yamaha, USA, 20'42.523 2, Chad Reed, Suzuki, AUS, 0'3.386 3, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 1'9.106 4, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 1'10.212 5, Josh Grant, Yamaha, USA, 1'24.661 6, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 7, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 8, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, -1 Laps 9, Kyle Chisholm, Yamaha, USA, -1 Laps 10, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, -2 Laps 11, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, -2 Laps 12, Matt Boni, Honda, USA, -2 Laps 13, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, -2 Laps 14, Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki, USA, -2 Laps 15, Nicholas Wey, Yamaha, USA, -2 Laps 16, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, -2 Laps 17, Daniel McCoy, Honda, USA, -2 Laps 18, Josh Hansen, Honda, USA, -4 Laps 19, Thomas Hahn, Kawasaki, USA, -15 Laps 20, Troy Adams, Honda, USA, -16 Laps     Rider Standings 07/02/2009   Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Chad Reed, Suzuki, AUS, 130 2, James Stewart, Yamaha, USA, 127 3, Josh Grant, Yamaha, USA, 111 4, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 102 5, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 91 6, Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, USA, 88 7, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 82 8, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 75 9, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 68 10, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 67 11, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 64 12, Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki, USA, 46 13, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, 45 14, Nicholas Wey, Yamaha, USA, 32 15, Benjamin Coisy, Honda, FRA, 31       Manufacturer Standings 07/02/2009   Pos., Manufacturer, Points   1, Yamaha, 150 2, Suzuki, 130 3, Honda, 114 4, Kawasaki, 101 5, KTM, 13
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Sepang MotoGP Test

Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo rounded off the first test of the 2009 season in strong style, with the Italian finishing second, less than one tenth off Casey Stoner. His Spanish team-mate was seventh and inside the lap record pace for the first time this week.   Rossi continued to focus mainly on electronics on the last day as he looked to fine-tune the 2009 M1 step-by-step. With the stitches in his hand and foot he decided not to attempt a long-run, but was able to improve on his time from previous days by half a second and recorded a best lap of 2’01.137.   Lorenzo had struggled to find confidence on the first two days of tests but on the final day found his rhythm with the new Bridgestone tyres. He was delighted to complete a long-run of 22 laps and his best lap of the day, in a time of 2’01.907, was over a second quicker compared to previous times during this test.   The next stop for the team is a night test at Doha in Qatar on 1st, 2nd and 3rd February. Valentino Rossi - Position: 2nd Time: 2'01.137 Laps: 43 I am leaving this place feeling happy, because we’ve made a good start. Everything went well: my pain is less, the bike is good and I am feeling better and better. We finished everything we wanted to do on the bike and the setting and the rhythm is quite good. The lap time is fast so we have made a good start. We didn’t do the long run, but actually we didn’t need to. Without my injury maybe it would have been possible, but in this situation we decided to leave it. My injuries are getting better each day because they’re only cuts and they’re healing fast. I don't think that they made much difference to my speed here and by the Qatar test I will be back in perfect shape. I did the fastest lap today with the hard Bridgestone tyre, so it means that the bike is good. For sure we need to improve some more but since this year we have less testing, this performance has been very important. The first test of the year is always difficult, even if you trained a lot in the winter, so I am happy! Qatar will be interesting, because last year we weren’t strong there, but then last year the bike was not yet ready when we went to the first race in Doha. I am really looking forward to the next text there.”   Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 7th Time: 2'01.907 Laps: 61 “I am very happy because I’ve seen how fast I can ride with the Bridgestone tyres. Today has definitely been the best day for me at this opening test of the year. Also, we have been able to do a long run in hot conditions with 32 degrees (36 in the afternoon!), and I was able to finish 22 laps without stopping.I was tired when I finished but it was incredible; the rhythm was good and my best lap was right at the end, when I did a 2’01.9. This means that I have improved over a second since yesterday and we have made a big step forward. We need kilometres under our belt and we’ve got some week! All the team worked hard up until the last minute and now they will keep going so we can try to go even better in Qatar next month. We have to continue in the same way as today, improving all the time, because we don’t have that much time until the first race!”   Davide Brivio - Team Manager “The bike is going well and we have made a good start. We are just working hard, mainly on electronics, and the set-up process is going well. This bike was created to run with Bridgestone tyres, after the experience Valentino had with Bridgestone last year, so it should be better than the 2008 bike. Today we made a short run with both the hard and the soft tyres, in order to understand how they work. It is very important because you need to understand what tyre you need to make the best qualifying times, harder or softer. At the Qatar GP last year we had the most problems of the season, so I am looking forward to going there for the next test and seeing how much we have improved in the last year! It will be very interesting to see what level we have achieved.”   Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager "Today Jorge made a big improvement compared to the first two days. He mainly concentrated on adapting his riding style to the Bridgestone tyres and finally found more confidence going into the turns. Then the team tried some little changes to the chassis set-up and found some improvement and Jorge did a race simulation during which he showed a very good pace. He set the best time of the simulation, a 2.01.917, on the last lap. Now we are waiting to test in Qatar where last year we had a fantastic race; hopefully we will find ourselves in good shape there again!"   Test Times 1.    Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team     2'01.043 2.    Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team     2'01.137 3.    Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP     2'01.262 4.    Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha     2'01.413 5.    Toni Elias (SPA) Team San Carlo     2'01.560 6.    Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP     2'01.666 7.    Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team     2'01.907 8.    Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda     2'01.955 9.    Mika Kallio (FIN) Alice Team     2'02.386 10.    Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team     2'02.497 11.    Alex De Angelis (RSM) Team San Carlo     2'02.523 12.    Sete Gibernau (SPA) Grupo Francisco Hernando     2'02.727 13.    Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP     2'03.418 14.    Yuki Takahashi (JPN) Scot Racing Team     2'03.474 15.    Niccolo Canepa (ITA) Alice Team     2'03.901 16.    James Toseland (GBR) Tech 3 Yamaha     2'03.953 17.    Yamaha Test Rider 1 (JPN) Yamaha Factory Racing     2'04.328 18.    Yamaha Test Rider 2 (JPN) Yamaha Factory Racing     2'04.614   Sepang: Record Lap   Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2'02.108   Sepang: Best Lap  V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 2'00.605
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

2009 De Carli line-up presented in Italy

The 2009 Yamaha Red Bull De Carli team was officially presented to press and partners in Italy this week. The forthcoming FIM World Championship will see the successful squad entering new ground with their priorities aligned to the premier MX1-GP category for the first time. After two MX2-GP world championships in the last four years with the YZ250F, De Carli – with riders Antonio Cairoli and Tanel Leok – has been applying his technical tuning expertise to the YZ450F for an attempt at the crown that Yamaha has owned for all but one of the five years since the inception of the class.   Many eyes will be on the full-time maiden MX1-GP season of former double MX2 champion Cairoli who sensationally won the 2007 British Grand Prix in a one-off wild-card appearance with a near-standard YZ450F. The Sicilian has been working and training diligently to master the physical demands of the larger machine over the winter and is now hungry to take to the start gate for the first time since rupturing his knee ligaments at the 2008 South African Grand Prix; an injury that ruined his quest for a third MX2-GP title. Cairoli is also the defending MX1 Italian champion in 2009.   Tanel Leok – winner of the 2008 Irish Grand Prix – begins his sixth season in MX1 and his first with the YZ450F. The strong and aggressive Estonian is expecting to add to his impressive tally of six GP podiums.   With a long and impressive heritage in the MX2-GP division (formerly 125cc) De Carli has not abandoned his roots and teenager Alessandro Lupino will begin his second year with the team after showing encouraging results during the latter half of 2008.   “We have been a world championship team since 1995 and often with good results.It gives me great satisfaction that now, following the maturing of our athletes such as Cairoli, we can enter the premier class with full commitment and logistic strength; this is mainly thanks to our technical partners,” said Team Principal Claudio de Carli.   "Tony will be making his first season in MX1 and will need to acclimatise himself but he is a fast learner,” he continued. “Tanel already has some years of experience and arrived in the team with a lot of motivation to improve and to reach top results.We will also continue to help Alessandro grow in MX2.I am convinced that with our technicians, riders and contributors, we have created a solid group and we are determined to continue to do well."
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Fantastic Stewart takes fourth win

The fifth round of seventeen in the 2009 AMA Supercross Championship (also an FIM World series) in San Francisco was owned by LandM San Manuel rider James Stewart with his YZ450F for the fourth time this season and for the fourth meeting in a row. The 23 year old has soared up the standings since his unlucky DNF at the opening event and now lies a clear second and just six points behind Chad Reed.   Stewart - who had previously won in Los Angeles, Houston and Phoenix - rode the perfect race after acing the holeshot around the first corner of the open-air AtandT Park stadium. He was able to pull away and beat Reed by almost five seconds by the chequered flag. The main event was the seventh to be held in the picturesque city and was the third victory for Yamaha.   "I'm starting to feel like my old self and I've just been training as hard as I can. Right now it's showing, and we'll see what happens. It has definitely been better the last couple of weeks than in weeks past, so we'll see what happens," said Stewart who increased his career win haul to 29. "We're going to Anaheim soon and we're just going to have to try to keep it going. We're still six points back and there's still a long way to go."   Joe Gibbs Racing's Josh Grant maintained his 100% record of top five positions in each event. The 2009 rookie is having an impressive campaign to-date and added 4th place in San Francisco to his tally of 1st, 3rd, 5th and 5th. Grant is third in the table, seven points behind his brand-mate.   Stewart will be looking to gain further points over Reed and possibly seize control of the championship for the first time this year at Anaheim (for the third and final visit) in Los Angeles next weekend.     Race 1 - 20 Laps                   Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time   1, James Stewart, Yamaha, USA, 16'46.443 2, Chad Reed, Suzuki, AUS, 0'4.528 3, Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, USA, 0'7.561 4, Josh Grant, Yamaha, USA, 0'15.112 5, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 0'17.309 6, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 0'20.361 7, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 0'25.242 8, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 0'27.586 9, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 0'31.450 10, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 0'43.354 11, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 12, Benjamin Coisy, Honda, FRA, -1 Laps 13, Cole Siebler, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 14, Kyle Chisholm, Yamaha, USA, -1 Laps 15, Daniel McCoy, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 16, Tyler Bowers, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 17, Josh Hansen, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 18, Troy Adams, Honda, USA, -2 Laps 19, Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki, USA, -11 Laps 20, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, -14 Laps     Rider Standings 31/01/2009   Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Chad Reed, Suzuki, AUS, 108 2, James Stewart, Yamaha, USA, 102 3, Josh Grant, Yamaha, USA, 95 4, Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, USA, 88 5, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 87 6, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 73 7, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 68 8, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 58 9, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 56 10, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 55 11, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 51 12, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, 40 13, Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki, USA, 39 14, Benjamin Coisy, Honda, FRA, 31 15, Nicholas Wey, Yamaha, USA, 26       Manufacturer Standings 31/01/2009   Pos., Manufacturer, Points   1, Yamaha, 125 2, Suzuki, 108 3, Honda, 94 4, Kawasaki, 90 5, KTM, 13
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Stewart closes on series lead with third AMA win

James Stewart raced to his third straight victory in just his fourth appearance in the AMA Supercross series with the San Manuel LandM YZ450F Yamaha. The 23 year old conquered the fourth round of the 2009 contest (also an FIM World Championship) at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas; the first time the '09 competition had left the west coast of the USA.   In front of a little more than 48,000 spectators Stewart started reasonably well and was fourth around the opening turns. He needed another two laps before he relegated Ryan Villopoto and was then able to control the remaining 17 circulations in the 16 minute sprint.   The 2009 edition was the 44th Supercross meeting to be held in Houston with Pierre Karsmakers winning the inaugural event in 1974 with a Yamaha. Stewart's success increased Yamaha's tally to 15 triumphs in the State since the mid-1970s. In taking the chequered flag he also registered the 27th AMA SX win of his career.   "The bike was definitely better this weekend," he said. "I just felt more comfortable when we first got here, and we changed some stuff, and it's coming along. I think it was definitely a better weekend for me, and I'm just going to try and keep on improving and see what happens."   Supercross class rookie Joe Gibbs Racing's Josh Grant finished fifth to maintain his streak of a top five finish in each round so far. "I told myself coming into this season that I wanted to be top-five every weekend, and so far, I've been better than that," he reflected. "We had two good races at the beginning, and that's about it, but the last two tracks, I haven't really felt comfortable on, so for me to not feel comfortable on a track and still get top-five and still ride the way I've been riding is good."   Stewart has risen from fourth to second in the standings and now lies just 9 points behind leader Reed. Grant is in third place but level on points with his brand-mate.   Round five takes place next weekend at the ATandT Park in San Francisco.     Race 1 - 20 Laps                   Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time   1, James Stewart, Yamaha, USA, 16'45.374 2, Chad Reed, Suzuki, AUS, 0'9.787 3, Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, USA, 0'14.364 4, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 0'18.490 5, Josh Grant, Yamaha, USA, 0'24.809 6, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 0'28.060 7, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 0'31.428 8, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 0'33.838 9, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 0'40.082 10, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 0'42.851 11, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 0'44.486 12, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, 0'54.668 13, Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki, USA, -1 Laps 14, Cole Siebler, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 15, Matt Boni, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 16, Benjamin Coisy, Honda, FRA, -1 Laps 17, Kyle Chisholm, Yamaha, USA, -1 Laps 18, Charles Summey, KTM, USA, -1 Laps 19, Manuel Gomes Rivas, Kawasaki, ESP, -2 Laps 20, Josh Hansen, Honda, USA, -2 Laps     Rider Standings 24/01/2009   Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Chad Reed, Suzuki, AUS, 86 2, James Stewart, Yamaha, USA, 77 3, Josh Grant, Yamaha, USA, 77 4, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 71 5, Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, USA, 68 6, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 62 7, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 56 8, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 53 9, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 46 10, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 42 11, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 37 12, Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki, USA, 37 13, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, 30 14, Nicholas Wey, Yamaha, USA, 26 15, Benjamin Coisy, Honda, FRA, 22       Manufacturer Standings 24/01/2009   Pos., Manufacturer, Points   1, Yamaha, 100 2, Suzuki, 86 3, Honda, 78 4, Kawasaki, 70 5, KTM, 13
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Crutchlow shines in the wet and windy Portimao test

World Supersport rookie Cal Crutchlow performed brilliantly at his second ever test ride on the Yamaha World Supersport machine. The young British rider battled high winds and adverse weather conditions to finish the three day test an impressive second place overall, less than a tenth of a second off fastest rider Lascorz with a time of 1’45.214. French team mate Fabien Foret proved that any demons from his crash in 2008 had been put firmly to rest, finishing the test with a competitive time of 1’46.036, less than a second from his new team mate.  Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Supersport Team “I enjoyed the test although I was a little bit disappointed with the weather. We wanted to get quite a lot done but didn’t manage to get as much as we would have liked due to the changing conditions. We won’t be out testing again now before Australia so the final test there will be a crucial one for us. Our time here in Portugal has proved we’re up there in the championship and highly competitive. The team are working really well with me, we understand each other really well and I’m working well with the R6 too. It’s been good for me and I’m looking forward to the next session.”   Fabien Foret, Yamaha World Supersport Team "It’s been wet in the mornings and half dry in the afternoon, for me it’s pointless to push too hard in these conditions. We tried to work as much as possible on the second day and we found a pretty good bike for me. I was getting the confidence back, it was getting easier to relax on the bike and I got up to fourth until a few minutes before the end when the other riders switched to fresh tires for a fast lap. My speed is back and my confidence too, I am back to how I was before my crash last year. I’m very happy, not just about the tests but about myself. I knew I would get my speed back and I was sure I would be fine but it’s good to actually see it for real!”  Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager “Of course we were not really pleased with the weather, we had only 70 or 80 laps for both riders over the three days. We are quite pleased with the final results though. Fabien improved a lot over the last test in Portimao, in the first three splits he was as fast as the top guys. We are really pleased as we know after a big crash you have to see if everything is ok, but he’s able to give 110 percent. Cal was consistently fast,there are no technical problems at all. I think it will be close racing this year but I’m confident we can fight for the championship. We have a very competitive package and we’re looking forward to the season. There are some very strong riders but we have two of them!”
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Yamaha World Superbike Team on top form in Portimao despite bad weather

The first test of 2009 for the Yamaha World Superbike Team at the Portimao circuit in Portugal was hampered by bad weather for the duration of the three days. Despite this setback both new riders performed well, fine tuning their set ups for the upcoming test and first race of the 2009 World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island in Australia.   Young American three-time AMA Superbike star Ben Spies was consistently on the pace, and finished the test second fastest with an overall time of 1’43.484, less than two tenths of a second off fastest rider Shane Bryne. Spies team mate, Young rising British star Tom Sykes, took advantage of the test to catch up on time missed due illness at the previous test in South Africa and flew up the times, ending the test an impressive fourth, less than a tenth of a second from his team mate with a time of 1’43.546.   This was only the third outing for the riders on the M1 derived 2009 Yamaha WSB YZF-R1. The advantage of the revolutionary cross plane crankshaft and uneven firing interval resulted in more grip and smoother torque delivery for Spies and Sykes, enabling both riders to achieve faster times in the dry and in the wet. With more fine-tuning to come the team are looking to be serious contenders in the 2009 WSB Championship.From the South Africa test to Portimao, the Yamaha team achieved a big power output, clearly demonstrated when the R1 claimed the maximum top speed of all teams at the Portugese test.  Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team “For sure it was good to be here and get more time on the bike and work with the team, the rain was a bit dodgy so it’s been frustrating to get some decent track time. In the first of the new format Superpole test sessions on the last day we were quickest, unfortunately for the second session it rained and I didn’t want to do anything silly so didn’t push too hard. We worked on some settings over the test and got down to some pretty quick times. We got to try a few things with the bike and made a big step up, taking half a second a lap off, but the weather didn’t allow us to get more. The bikes got good straight line speed now and we’re continually improving. I’m very confident we’ve got what it takes to win. The team have been great, we’re working really well together. I’m looking forward to getting to Australia and getting stuck in again!”   Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team “Yesterday when we had a bit more stable weather I had two hours good track time. We used the time wisely and chipped away every time went out, a bit of improvement with everything and I got a nice feeling with the bike and got fast consistent laps so was more than happy. I’m very satisfied with how the test has gone, we’ve made up for lost time in South Africa, I was a little behind before but have caught up! I’m looking forward to getting to Australia. A couple more questions we need to answer with the bike then we’re ready for the race!”  Massimo Meregalli Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager “The test went well, unfortunately the weather was bad every day and we only had two practices in the dry. But anyway, no matter what the conditions we were in front, in the top five. We didn’t test as much as we would have liked to here, we didn’t make a lot of changes but in the end the guys performed brilliantly and worked well with the team. There’s still stuff we have to fix, but considering we have a new bike and new riders we are pretty satisfied and confident. We know we still have a lot of jobs to do but we will get them done. In the end we have only had three months with this new bike so we have done a great job! We will have more performance from the bike in Phillip Island. Tom did a really good job yesterday, looking to find a good set up without pushing too much and Ben was consistently fast and on the pace. In the end to be in the front with both riders is very positive!”
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Stewart makes it two in a row with YZ450F

James Stewart scored his second win from three races in the seventeen round 2009 AMA Supercross series (also an FIM World Championship) onboard his San Manuel LandM YZ450F by owning the 50th meeting to be held at the Anaheim Stadium in Los Angeles last Saturday.   The AMA Motocross Champion took Yamaha's 17th success at the venue and also increased his personal triumph tally to 27; equalling Bob Hannah in 5th place on the all-time victory roll.   Despite the impressive numbers Anaheim II was a hard meeting for the 23 year old. He collided with Travis Preston during practice and badly cut his hand, he then admitted that he made mistakes and wasn't riding well during the race that was watched by over 43,000 people.   On a track that was not easy for overtaking Stewart needed half of the 20 laps to pass Ivan Tedesco, Ryan Villopoto and then impressive Rookie and fellow Yamaha rider Josh Grant. Two circulations later and he demoted Kevin Windham for the lead and would hold the advantage to the chequered flag. Chad Reed had recovered from a first corner crash to make his way to second place, therefore limiting Stewart's points gain in the standings. Grant held on for fifth place and has yet to drop out of the top five in the first three events.   "It was a tough weekend for me as far as getting adjusted to the track," Stewart admitted. "Also, physically, it was definitely tough for me. But if we can get wins like this, I can't imagine what it will be like when things go smoothly; maybe we can do even better."   Stewart is now up to fourth in the series, 12 points from the top, while Grant is second and just 3 points from reigning champion Reed.   Round 4 takes place next Saturday at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.     Race 1 - 20 Laps                  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time   1, James Stewart, Yamaha, USA, 20'57.778 2, Chad Reed, Suzuki, AUS, 0'3.540 3, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 0'4.189 4, Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, USA, 0'10.181 5, Josh Grant, Yamaha, USA, 0'16.036 6, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 0'21.941 7, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 0'31.473 8, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 0'41.525 9, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 0'45.931 10, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 0'47.333 11, Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki, USA, 0'49.146 12, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 0'51.536 13, Nicholas Wey, Yamaha, USA, 0'53.474 14, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, 0'91.522 15, Troy Adams, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 16, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, -1 Laps 17, Benjamin Coisy, Honda, FRA, -1 Laps 18, Sean Hamblin, Yamaha, USA, -1 Laps 19, Robert Kiniry, Kawasaki, USA, -1 Laps 20, Matt Boni, Honda, USA, -18 Laps     Rider Standings 17/01/2009   Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Chad Reed, Suzuki, AUS, 64 2, Josh Grant, Yamaha, USA, 61 3, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 53 4, James Stewart, Yamaha, USA, 52 5, Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, USA, 48 6, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 47 7, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 43 8, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 41 9, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 32 10, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 31 11, Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki, USA, 29 12, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 27 13, Nicholas Wey, Yamaha, USA, 26 14, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, 21 15, Benjamin Coisy, Honda, FRA, 17       Manufacturer Standings 17/01/2009   Pos., Manufacturer, Points   1, Yamaha, 75 2, Suzuki, 64 3, Honda, 60 4, Kawasaki, 50 5, KTM, 10
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Grant scores debut win in AMA opener

Yamaha continued their streak of victories in the AMA Supercross Championship (also an FIM World Championship) as Joe Gibbs RacingTeam's Josh Grant surprisingly took his YZ450F to first place at the opening round of seventeen in the 2009 campaign at Anaheim in Los Angeles last Saturday. 2008 champion Chad Reed clinched the last race of 2008 and Grant beat both the Australian, and pre-event favourite - and new Yamaha recruit - James Stewart to the chequered flag.   It was a dramatic first AMA outing for Stewart as part of the title-winning L and M San Manuel squad. In front of a bumper collective of 42,309 spectators, the 23 year old took the holeshot in the main event and pull away from the pack with Reed in pursuit. The pair swapped the lead before a collision caused both to hit the dirt. Stewart's bike was hit by the pursuing Kevin Windham and he was unable to restart, pulling out of the sprint after just six laps.   Grant was running in third position prior to the Stewart-Reed incident and fronted the pack for the rest of the race for a sensational debut result in his first meeting in the Supercross category since joining Yamaha during the winter.   "I just kept plugging away and I didn't even look at the board or the laptimes or how many laps were left. I just kept going and when it felt like halfway I looked up and it said '18 laps' and I was like, 'Thank God!' said the young Californian, who had to nurse his machine across the line after catching a trackside banner in his rear wheel with two laps remaining. 'I'm just so pumped, and I didn't want to take too many chances with the banner in the wheel, so I just kept riding and it came through.'   After winning the US Open in Las Vegas and then at Paris, Bercy, it was a disappointing night for Stewart who classified 19th after his retirement.   'I got the holeshot and uncharacteristically I let him (Reed) go by. I was making a few mistakes in the beginning and I wasn't really comfortable yet. He ended up getting by me and actually pulled away,' he said. 'I found my rhythm and came back up and he might have started fading a little bit - I don't know what he was doing - but I went past him pretty quick and then I came into that corner and I missed a shift. Once I clicked back in, all I know is - just like Toronto in 2006 - I was getting hit from the rear. He took me out and I was down and out, and couldn't start my bike again.'   In the Lites category reigning champion Jason Lawrence recovered from his involvement in a first lap pile-up to guide his YZ250F to 4th place.   Round two will take place next Saturday at Chase Field in Phoenix.     Race 1 - 20 Laps                   Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time   1, Josh Grant, Yamaha, USA, 22'4.768 2, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 0'6.718 3, Chad Reed, Suzuki, AUS, 0'10.433 4, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 0'19.648 5, Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, USA, 0'22.814 6, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 0'26.118 7, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, 0'39.522 8, Benjamin Coisy, Honda, FRA, 0'43.099 9, Nicholas Wey, Yamaha, USA, 0'48.068 10, Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki, USA, 0'49.372 11, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 0'57.609 12, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 0'58.348 13, Cole Siebler, Honda, USA, 1'13.225 14, Matt Boni, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 15, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 16, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, -1 Laps 17, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, -1 Laps 18, Robert Kiniry, Kawasaki, USA, -1 Laps 19, James Stewart, Yamaha, USA, -14 Laps 20, Charles Summey, KTM, USA, -14 Laps     Rider Standings 03/01/2009   Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Josh Grant, Yamaha, USA, 25 2, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 22 3, Chad Reed, Suzuki, AUS, 20 4, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 18 5, Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, USA, 16 6, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 15 7, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, 14 8, Benjamin Coisy, Honda, FRA, 13 9, Nicholas Wey, Yamaha, USA, 12 10, Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki, USA, 11 11, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 10 12, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 9 13, Cole Siebler, Honda, USA, 8 14, Matt Boni, Honda, USA, 7 15, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 6 19, James Stewart, Yamaha, USA, 2       Manufacturer Standings 03/01/2009   Pos., Manufacturer, Points   1, Yamaha, 25 2, Honda, 22 3, Suzuki, 20 4, Kawasaki, 18 5, KTM, 1
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Spies and Sykes put the 2009 WSB Yamaha R1 through its paces in South Africa

2009 Yamaha Motor Italia Superbike riders Ben Spies and Tom Sykes have endured some serious heat on their three day test in Kyalami. The young riders have endured track temperatures approaching 50 degrees as they put the all-new-for-2009 Yamaha YZF-R1 through its paces on only its second outing on track.   Spies was second quickest on day one with an impressive best lap time of 1'41"599(46 laps) in the African sunshine. Team mate Tom Sykes was struck down with a mysterious bug, and he only managed to put in some laps prior to returning to the hotel.   Day two saw Spies fall in testing, so missing the final time on track, he still managed to improve on his day one times, finishing the day with a best lap of 1’41”049 (38 laps). Sykes managed to improve dramatically on day two with a best time of 1’42”933 (18 laps).   The final day saw Spies pull in his fastest time of the test, taking second fastest honours overall and only a mere 0.2s behind Michele Fabrizio and beating Noriyuki Haga to the second spot,making him one of only three riders to break the 1.40 barrier with a time of 1.39”978. Tom Sykes was getting back on form until an unfortunate crash curtailed his testing for the day, he again improved on his times in the limited laps run with a 1.41”562. The re-entered Aprilia squad took 8th and 9th and the new for 2009 BMW factory team finished 11th and 13th.   The new 998cc bike, featuring a high tech powerplant closely linked to the M1 MOTOGP bike, is currently at the very beginning of its development for the 2009 WSB season and is still relatively close to production specifications. The M1-derived crossplane crankshaft design and uneven firing interval, give very good traction to the bike and improved tyre life. The new chassis gives an unparallel feedback to the riders, improving stability and feeling out of corners. The WSB spec engine is being developed step by step, improving power output at each stage in the run up to the first race in 2009.   So far the team’s minor modifications to the standard bike include a modified cam-shaft, an enlarged radiator for extra cooling and the addition of an oil cooler. The new bike has no rear sub-frame but incorporates a strengthened frame. The exhaust is unique, and was developed in partnership with Akrapovic. The standard fuel tank has also been replaced with an aluminium tank with increased capacity. The bike features the latest Magneti Marelli electronic systems. The new swing arm is also developed purely for the WSB race bike based on knowledge taken from the 2008 racing season.   Since Portimao the team have changed the seating position slightly for both riders and taken the engine one step further in tuning.   Ben Spies “I’m really happy with the bike, the team and the progress we’re making,” Spies continued. “This was the first time we had the opportunity to go out and size ourselves up against everyone in a major test. We’re ahead of where we thought we’d be at this point. There are two more test sessions this winter and I expect the bike will continue to improve as we move towards the season opener at Phillip Island in March. The fan support here is pretty amazing. It was a good week to get to know some of the other riders too. I had a lot of them come up and shake my hand and welcome me to the series. Max Biaggi came up and talked with me for awhile. That was pretty awesome for me. I’ve been a fan of Max since I was a kid. In AMA there might be two or three guys in testing who get down to business from start to finish,” Spies admitted. “There’s no lollygagging here. No one’s going around doing wheelies the length of the straightaway. Everyone pushes hard here all the time. The competition is going to be good for sure.”   Tom Sykes - “It’s been a tough test! I missed one and half days through this bug I’ve had so was a long way behind with laps. When I got out I still managed to get some good laps in and the team were brilliant, they improved the bike massively every time I came in. I’ve got a very sore shoulder from falling today but it’s nothing serious.”   Massimo Meregalli Yamaha Motor Italia Team Manager - “In the end we tested almost everything while we were out here, tyres, different suspension set ups, different mappings and so on. We’ve found some good set ups to take forward to the next test. We’ve been waiting out for the evenings here for the temperature to drop so we could get back out on the track and try some new things.Both Tom and Ben have performed really well, it’s been really unfortunate that Tom has been held back by things out of his control. We’re still very much running in the new bike, this is only the second session since Portimao. All in all we are very satisfied, we know what our potential is and we are very happy.”   The Yamaha Motor Italia Team move on to their next test in Portimao on 23 to 25th January 2009.
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Stewart seals first AMA win with YZ450F

James Stewart successfully erased the painful memory of his DNF in Los Angeles last week and ruled the second round of seventeen in the 2009 AMA Supercross series (also an FIM World Championship) in Phoenix on Saturday.   The 23 year old gained the lead on his San Manuel LandM YZ450F Yamaha before the end of the opening lap after overtaking rookie winner and brand-mate Josh Grant, who had aced the holeshot at Chase Field. Stewart then worked hard to defend his advantage from reigning champion Chad Reed to obtain his first chequered flag in blue colours, watched by almost 47,000 spectators.   "My goal was to try to win the race and I was able to do that, so it was good," he said. "I just wanted to ride better than I did last week."   "It is nerve-wracking but at the same time, I just had to be composed and ride in my own head," he commented regarding his close duel with Reed. "That's the only way I can get it done. Obviously he was riding good; he had better parts than I did, and I had better parts than he did. The crowd was going wild and I knew when he would get close."   It was the third consecutive triumph for Stewart in Phoenix and the perfect response to his mishap seven days earlier in which he missed a gear exiting a corner and was involved in a collision with Reed.   "There is still a long way to go and a lot of work to do," he said. "If we just think about each weekend and I win races then eventually the points will come. The championship is definitely not going to be given to me and I know I have to work for it. After last weekend, having the bobble that I had, I don't think it was anybody's fault, but I do think I put myself in a small hole and I have to dig myself out."   Grant collected third position for his second podium result in a row and after just two race appearances in the Supercross class. The youngster leads the championship by three points over Reed, with Stewart now starting to make ground and stands seventh. "As long as my starts continue to be this good, I should be fine. I had fun racing with the guys up there, and I can't thank the guys at Joe Gibbs Racing Yamaha enough for what they've done for me," Grant said.   West Coast Lites champion Jason Lawrence had a crash in his qualifying Heat and could not make the cut to the main event.   Round three takes place next week and heads back to the Anaheim stadium in LA.     Race 1 - 20 Laps                  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time   1, James Stewart, Yamaha, USA, 17'37.908 2, Chad Reed, Suzuki, AUS, 0'0.591 3, Josh Grant, Yamaha, USA, 0'28.232 4, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 0'35.193 5, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 0'41.241 6, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 0'55.127 7, Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, USA, -1 Laps 8, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, -1 Laps 9, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, -1 Laps 10, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 11, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, -1 Laps 12, Charles Summey, KTM, USA, -1 Laps 13, Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki, USA, -1 Laps 14, Travis Preston, KTM, USA, -1 Laps 15, Nicholas Wey, Yamaha, USA, -1 Laps 16, Robert Kiniry, Kawasaki, USA, -1 Laps 17, Josh Hansen, Honda, USA, -1 Laps 18, Daniel Blair, Honda, USA, -2 Laps 19, Troy Adams, Honda, USA, -2 Laps 20, Matt Boni, Honda, USA, -8 Laps     Rider Standings 10/01/2009   Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Josh Grant, Yamaha, USA, 45 2, Chad Reed, Suzuki, AUS, 42 3, Andrew Short, Honda, USA, 38 4, Ivan Tedesco, Honda, USA, 33 5, Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, USA, 30 6, Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, USA, 30 7, James Stewart, Yamaha, USA, 27 8, Kevin Windham, Honda, USA, 21 9, David D Millsaps, Honda, USA, 20 10, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, USA, 20 11, Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki, USA, 19 12, Nicholas Wey, Yamaha, USA, 18 13, Josh Hill, Yamaha, USA, 18 14, Heath Voss, Honda, USA, 14 15, Benjamin Coisy, Honda, FRA, 13       Manufacturer Standings 10/01/2009   Pos., Manufacturer, Points   1, Yamaha, 50 2, Suzuki, 42 3, Honda, 40 4, Kawasaki, 32 5, KTM, 10
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Prumm on the mend after surgery

Yamaha rider and one of the leading figures in Women’s World Championship motocross, Katherine Prumm, was given good cause for optimism after a seven hour operation to repair three broken vertebrae was successful earlier this week.   The 20 year old New Zealander is now facing a six month period of recuperation and rehabilitation.   Prumm damaged her T6, T9 and T12 in a practice crash last week and the subsequent surgical procedure involved reparation through her back and extensive work to fix the tendons surrounding the troublesome and most seriously affected area around the T12. Prumm has full feeling and use of her legs and can look ahead to recovery after being fitted with a custom-made brace for her torso that must be worn for three months.   After the shock of the accident and the aftermath – in which she briefly lost sensation in her limbs – the post-op news and perspective at last provided some much needed hope for the racer. ‘Somebody was watching over me, I was really lucky not to be paralysed and I am looking forward to getting fit and strong and to being back where I want to be,’ she said.
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Yamaha Gariboldi ready with potent Youth MX attack

The Yamaha Gariboldi Racing Team will be making a credible push for the 2009 European Motocross Championship and therefore helping to strengthen the future of Yamaha’s off-road racing programme.   With the age limit of 23 years coming into force for the 2010 FIM MX2-GP Motocross World Championship, a shrewd view to the new generation of competitive talent has become a even higher priority for Yamaha and their aim in continuing a distinguished line of success at the top of the motocross ladder. The Italian Gariboldi set-up will be fielding a multi-national roster of four riders, all supported with YZ250F YRRD (Yamaha Rinaldi Research and Development, a partnership between Yamaha Motor Europe and the Rinaldi Group) kitted machinery and taking the advice and tutelage of Yamaha’s 2007 MX3 World Champion Yves Demaria.   Slovenian Klemen Gercar (18 years old and European Junior Champion in 2007) won a moto and finished second in two races during the 2008 campaign while Spaniard Jose Antonio Butron (17 years old and Spanish Junior champion in 2007) also took notable results by winning the Spanish round and taking a further four top three moto finishes. The duo will be joined by two new French riders for 2009 with Christophe Charlier (17, 2007 French Supercross champion) who was 8th overall in the ’08 European championship, racing alongside national junior champion Mathias Bellino (17 years old).   Charlier and Butron both qualified for world championship events in 2008 while Gercar actually scored an impressive 6 points for 15th position at Faenza in Italy for the final meeting of the series.   “We are delighted to have these 4 youngsters for 2009, we have big hopes for them and we believe they are quite special,” remarked Team Manager Giacomo Gariboldi. “They have been selected together with the co-operation of Yamaha Motor Europe and the Rinaldi group and for us it's really great to launch this new program with them and try to shape new champions starting from the European Championship, which is becoming more and more like a MX2-GP feeder class. The top six riders can easily take points in a GP; signifying how competitive it is right now.”   “With the age restriction coming into place it's very important to nurture young riders and have them ready in time to compete at top level in the world championship and this is the goal for the team,” he added.
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Prumm suffers back injury

Double Women’s World Cup winner Katherine Prumm will undergo surgery in the coming days after a practice crash in her native New Zealand left the 20 year old with several broken vertebrae.   The YZ250F rider, who led the 2008 FIM Women’s World Championship before her season was curtailed by a broken collarbone, over-jumped a triple step-down and in the ensuing tumble caused damage to her spine with the T6, T9 and T12 most affected.   Prumm who was training in preparation for attempts at the 2009 title as well as national success both in New Zealand and Australia was naturally shell-shocked with the injury set-back. Until the exact date and nature of surgery is known the duration and form of rehabilitation is difficult to determine.   A further update will be issued next week.
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Yamaha sweeps Qatar 8 hour podium

After eight intense hours around the impressive Losail circuit in the Qatari desert the YZF-R1 claimed all three podium spots in the final round of six in the Endurance FIM World Championship. Yamaha Austria Racing Team, represented by Igor Jerman, Steve Plater and Steve Martin finished ahead of Yamaha Folch Endurance and Maco Moto Racing.   For Jerman and Martin it was a case of sweet revenge after narrowly missing out on victory in Losail twelve months previously. Their triumph, together with Plater on this occasion, gave YART their first set of winner’s garlands in 2008 and confirmed their vice-champion standing in the ‘08 competition.   The team ended the meeting three laps ahead of Folch Endurance; the Spanish duo of Daniel Ribalta and Pedro Vallcaneras losing precious time to a rear wheel problem. The crew were nevertheless pleased to end their first season at world level with a decent third place overall in the championship.   Small problems impeded the progress of Maco Moto Racing but Jason Pridmore and Thomas Hinterreiter were joined by WSB runner Jakub Smrz for a final and memorable podium placing with the R1.   The Qatar event represented the third consecutive podium finish for YART as they took 2nd position at Oschersleben in August and 3rd spot at the Bol d'Or in France in September.
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno