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Ben Spies signs with Yamaha World Superbike for 2009

American racing sensation Ben Spies has signed up to the Yamaha factory World Superbike Team to partner 23 yr old British rider Tom Sykes for the 2009 season. The 24yr old American rider from Dallas is fresh from a record third championship win in a row, taking the AMA Superbike Championship crown again for 2008. Spies is only the fourth rider in the history of AMA Superbike to win three consecutive titles and 3rd on the all-time AMA Superbike wins list with a total of 28 AMA Superbike wins. This now completes the Yamaha World Superbike team for 2009. Spies has been racing and winning in the AMA Superbike Championship since 2005, and has an unrivalled 90% podium finish rate for racing, the highest for any AMA rider in the history of the championship. He took second place in his rookie year followed by the three successive championship wins. Prior to this he had a three year stint in the AMA Supersport Championship,. Spies turned pro in 2000, racing in the AMA Superstock Championship for two years before joining AMA Supersport in 2002. Spies has also ridden in MotoGP in 2008, starting in place of injured Loris Capirossi at the British GP, finishing 14th place scoring his first MotoGP points. He had a further 2 wildcard outings, achieving 8th at Laguna Seca and an even more impressive 6th at Indianapolis. “I’m very excited about joining Yamaha in World Superbike,” Spies said. “This is a positive step for the direction of my career. I’ll have a great opportunity to race on many of the top road racing circuits in the world. Riding with a company as passionate about racing as Yamaha is going to put me in a good position to contest for a world championship right from the start.” “Superbike racing originated in America, but it’s been a while since we’ve had an American world champion. There’s a great tradition of American riders in World Superbike and I hope to put my name alongside great champions like Fred Merkel, Doug Polen, Scott Russell, John Kocinski and Colin Edwards. “ “After considering my offers it became obvious to me that Yamaha would be a great home. Yamaha was excited about the possibility of me joining them and they just made me feel like I was coming into a great family. You look at how Yamaha treats its riders and how, even after their careers are over, they’re always part of the Yamaha family. That was really important to me. I’m looking forward to the challenge at hand and to work with Yamaha to produce a winning team and ultimately a World Superbike Championship.” Massimo Meregalli (Yamaha’s factory Superbike Team Manager) – “We’re really enthusiastic to have signed Ben Spies for the 2009 team. He’s proved to be a very skilful and successful rider in AMA Superbike, he has been one of the riders we have followed closely this year. We are sure he will be a great combination with Tom Sykes, the team are looking forward to starting with them both next year. There will be a lot to learn with new circuits and new bikes but we also have new motivation as a fresh team and will give 200% to help the riders win in 2009. ” “We’re very excited to have Ben join the team” said Yamaha Motor Europe Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp. “He’s proved to be a top rider with his AMA titles and recent rides in MotoGP, we believe he’s got a long future ahead of him at the highest levels in motorcycle racing.“
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Micheluz takes podium result at home GP

Despite being down to just two riders for the penultimate round of the 2008 World Enduro Championship due to the injury sustained by Spaniard Cristobal Guerrero at this year's ISDE in Greece, the UFO Corse Yamaha team put in a strong showing at their home round of the WEC series in Piediluco, Italy with Maurizio Micheluz claiming the team's best E1 class results with 3rd on Day1 and 4th on Day2. With Albergoni riding just 15 days after cracking a shoulder blade at the ISDE, Maurizio Micheluz led the UFO Corse team on Day1 claiming his first podium result of the year. With many riders struggling to get to grips with the hard, dry Italian terrain, Maurizio gelled with each of the event's special tests to finish the opening day just 48 seconds behind eventual winner Mika Ahola and ahead of former double E1 world champion Ivan Cervantes. Winning one of the day's extreme tests, finishing 3rd on two of the enduro tests, as well as 2nd on the opening motocross test, Maurizio put in his strongest performance of the season. On Day2 Maurizio dropped one position to 4th in the E1 class despite continued good riding. With one round of the '08 WEC series remaining, Maurizio sits 5th in the E1 championship standings. For Simone Albergoni the GP of Italy was a tough one. Having been unable to ride since the ISDE where he crashed on the final day and cracked one of his shoulder blades Simone was unable to perform at his best and despite his efforts could place no higher than 4th on Day1 and 7th on Day2. Starting well on the first day and winning the first timed extreme test Simone saw his pace decrease as the day wore on. On Day2 several crashes, including one big accident on the final enduro test, stopped Albergoni placing higher than 7th. Despite being extremely disappointed Simone remains third in the E1 championship standings and sits 20 points ahead of Yamaha France rider Marc Germain. Despite being best known as a mud specialist Germain claimed a creditable runner-up result on Day1 finishing just 24 seconds behind winner Mika Ahola. On Day2 Marc matched his day one result to finish as runner-up. Simone Albergoni (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1 5th, Day 2 7th: "It's not been a good weekend for me, mainly because I broke my shoulder blade when I crashed in the final motocross race at the ISDE. With just 15 days between the two races I've struggled. Half way through every special test I had no power, I just couldn't push. I wasn't able to train before the race so I was getting very tired. I had several crashes on day two, one of which was very big. I was lucky not to hurt myself. Although my results weren't what I wanted for my home GP it's not been too bad as far as the championship is concerned because I only lost 10 points to the rider behind me." Maurizio Micheluz (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1 3rd, Day 2 4th: "I'm really happy to have got my first podium of this season at my home race. It's also the second podium of my career so it's great to be back once again. I tried to push as much as I could on day one because I was really enjoying the conditions. I was second until the last lap on day one so I am very happy with the way it finished. Some of the other riders were a little faster on day two, but I still managed to finish fourth so it has been a very good weekend for me. It's been a very difficult race. We had more than one-hour of special tests as well as a tight time check on each lap. It's been a typically Italian race and I've really enjoyed it." Race 1  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Mika Ahola, Honda, FIN, 69'21.900 2, Marc Germain, Yamaha, FRA, 0'24.710 3, Maurizio Micheluz, Yamaha, ITA, 0'48.910 4, Ivan Cervantes, KTM, ESP, 1'11.880 5, Simone Albergoni, Yamaha, ITA, 1'14.450 6, Bartosz Oblucki, Husqvarna, POL, 1'49.380 7, Mike Hartmann, KTM, GER, 2'48.760 8, Damien Miquel, Suzuki, FRA, 3'23.830 9, Tom Sagar, KTM, GBR, 3'50.530 10, Luca Cherubini, TM, ITA, 3'52.740 11, Jari Juha Mattila, Honda, FIN, 4'17.270 12, Eero Remes, KTM, FIN, 5'7.860 13, Giuliano Falgari, Honda, ITA, 5'46.500 14, Jakub Horak, KTM, CZE, 7'39.950 Race 2  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Mika Ahola, Honda, FIN, 84'40.140 2, Marc Germain, Yamaha, FRA, 0'44.850 3, Ivan Cervantes, KTM, ESP, 0'51.730 4, Maurizio Micheluz, Yamaha, ITA, 1'52.160 5, Eero Remes, KTM, FIN, 2'54.160 6, Jari Juha Mattila, Honda, FIN, 2'55.350 7, Simone Albergoni, Yamaha, ITA, 3'7.260 8, Bartosz Oblucki, Husqvarna, POL, 3'35.800 9, Mike Hartmann, KTM, GER, 4'12.010 10, Damien Miquel, Yamaha, FRA, 4'50.510 11, Jordan Curvalle, Suzuki, FRA, 9'1.480 12, Jakub Horak, KTM, CZE, 12'3.410 Rider Standings 27/09/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Mika Ahola, Honda, FIN, 325 2, Ivan Cervantes, KTM, ESP, 322 3, Simone Albergoni, Yamaha, ITA, 267 4, Marc Germain, Yamaha, FRA, 242 5, Maurizio Micheluz, Yamaha, ITA, 196 6, Cristobal Guerrero, Yamaha, ESP, 185 7, Mike Hartmann, KTM, GER, 145 8, Jordan Curvalle, Suzuki, FRA, 140 9, Tom Sagar, KTM, GBR, 140 10, Eero Remes, KTM, FIN, 137 11, Bartosz Oblucki, Husqvarna, POL, 109 12, Luca Cherubini, TM, ITA, 102 13, Jakub Horak, KTM, CZE, 82 14, Daryl Bolter, Husqvarna, GBR, 58 15, Danielle Tellini, Suzuki, ITA, 50 Manufacturer Standings 27/09/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Honda, 325 2, KTM, 309 3, Yamaha, 296 4, Husqvarna, 167 5, Suzuki, 153 6, TM, 102 7, Kawasaki, 47 8, Sherco, 12 ---------- RACE REPORT - 29/09/2008 Aubert close to title after Italian win With just one round of the 2008 World Enduro Championship remaining UFO Corse Yamaha team rider Johnny Aubert holds a 16-point lead over Finn Juha Salminen having finished the GP of Italy as the E2 class winner on Day1 and as runner-up on Day2. Having suffered both injury and mechanical troubles at the UFO Corse Yamaha team's home round of the world championship in past years, this time around Aubert did exactly what he needed to do and finished without problems as he closed in on his first ever world championship title. Winning the first three special tests on day one to open up an important lead over rival Salminen, Aubert then maintained his position at the front of the class throughout the course and adding a further three test wins to his name claimed an eventual 18 second winning margin. On Day2 Aubert again started strongly by winning four of the first five special tests. Looking as if he was headed towards a second victory he found himself trailing Salminen as the day neared it's close and on the very last extreme test of the event parted company with his bike in spectacular fashion, losing well over one-minute. Luckily uninjured following his spill, Johnny held on to the runner-up position and now heads to his second home GP of the season in France with a 16-point lead at the top of the E2 championship standings. Ensuring Yamaha enjoyed a strong presence in the Enduro 2 class at the GP of Italy, Fabrizio Dini placed a creditable 5th on Day1 having held 3rd in class for much of the opening two laps. Looking to secure strong results at his home round of the WEC the WR450F-mounted rider rode exceptionally well on the extreme test where he placed 3rd in the class on two separate occasions. Also performing well on the motocross and enduro tests the former motocross racer was consistent throughout the day. Disappointingly, Day2 started badly for Fabrizio as, after the opening three special tests, he was placed down near the bottom of the E2 standings. During the day however he managed to pull himself back up the results, helped again by impressive riding on the extreme test. Johnny Aubert (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 2 class - Day 1 1st, Day 2 2nd: "It's been a really good weekend for me. I was 21 seconds faster than Juha in the first lap on day one, which was a great start. I was faster on the motocross and extreme tests and he was faster on the enduro test. I ended the day 18 seconds ahead and it was a good run. I was having a good day again on Sunday, having a decent battle with Juha, and it looked like I was going to finish second. I arrived at the final extreme test and made a huge mistake. I crashed on one of the big rock steps and lost more than one minute. Thankfully, I made a good final motocross test and managed to hold my second place. I have just one race to go now, my second home race in France. I'm a little more relaxed now, but maybe that will change when the final race of the season gets a little closer." Fabrizio Dini (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 2 class - Day 1 5th Day 2 8th: "The first day was really good for me. I was third for two laps. After that I had a small problem on the enduro test and finished fifth, which isn't so bad. I was really looking forward to the second day, but things didn't go as well as I hoped they would. I crashed five times including two big crashes in the enduro test. After that it was very difficult. I finished eighth, which I'm happy with because after the first three tests I was last in the E2 class. It's been a very difficult race with lots of special tests and one very challenging and tight time control." Race 1  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Johnny Aubert, Yamaha, FRA, 69'0.880 2, Juha Salminen, KTM, FIN, 0'17.990 3, Rodrig Thain, TM, FRA, 1'24.980 4, Alessandro Belometti, KTM, ITA, 1'31.680 5, Fabrizio Dini, Yamaha, ITA, 1'59.840 6, Fabio Mossini, Honda, ITA, 2'8.160 7, Nicolas Paganon, Aprilia, FRA, 2'46.350 8, Nicolas Deparrois, GasGas, FRA, 3'15.930 9, Joakim Ljunggren, HusaBerg, SWE, 3'17.340 10, Jean Francois Goblet, BMW, BEL, 4'50.160 11, Aaron Bernandez, Husqvarna, ESP, 4'57.600 12, Antoine Meo, Husqvarna, FRA, 5'7.190 13, Rudy Cotton, Beta, FRA, 5'13.840 14, Dario Cardinali, Husqvarna, ITA, 30'39.780 Race 2  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Juha Salminen, KTM, FIN, 84'8.990 2, Johnny Aubert, Yamaha, FRA, 1'21.880 3, Alessandro Belometti, KTM, ITA, 1'41.530 4, Antoine Meo, Husqvarna, FRA, 1'41.880 5, Rodrig Thain, TM, FRA, 1'54.760 6, Fabio Mossini, Honda, ITA, 2'19.710 7, Nicolas Paganon, Aprilia, FRA, 3'16.480 8, Fabrizio Dini, Yamaha, ITA, 3'37.900 9, Joakim Ljunggren, HusaBerg, SWE, 3'39.930 10, Nicolas Deparrois, GasGas, FRA, 3'47.590 11, Simo Kirssi, BMW, FIN, 5'34.330 Rider Standings 27/09/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Johnny Aubert, Yamaha, FRA, 319 2, Juha Salminen, KTM, FIN, 303 3, Alessandro Belometti, KTM, ITA, 223 4, Rodrig Thain, TM, FRA, 196 5, Joakim Ljunggren, HusaBerg, SWE, 189 6, Antoine Meo, Husqvarna, FRA, 180 7, Fabrizio Dini, Yamaha, ITA, 171 8, Nicolas Paganon, Aprilia, FRA, 143 9, Simo Kirssi, BMW, FIN, 139 10, Fabio Mossini, Honda, ITA, 126 11, Valtteri Salonen, HusaBerg, FIN, 126 12, Nicolas Deparrois, GasGas, FRA, 111 13, Jari Juha Mattila, Honda, FIN, 110 14, Alessandro Zanni, Honda, ITA, 78 15, Aaron Bernandez, Husqvarna, ESP, 59 Manufacturer Standings 27/09/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, KTM, 328 2, Yamaha, 319 3, HusaBerg, 215 4, Husqvarna, 206 5, Honda, 200 6, TM, 196 7, BMW, 169 8, Aprilia, 143 9, GasGas, 111 10, Beta, 49 11, Suzuki, 26
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Coppins 4th for New Zealand at 2008 Motocross of Nations

Yamaha Monster Motocross Team’s Josh Coppins took 4th position overall in the MX1 class at a cloudy and sometimes wet Donington Park for the 62nd Motocross of Nations, assisting his country, New Zealand to a final finish of 8th place. MX1 World Champion David Philippaerts steered his YZ450FM for Italy and fought with American number one James Stewart in the first moto taking 3rd spot but a brace of crashes in his second race left him the outside the top twenty. The circuit that hosted the 2007 British Grand Prix and regularly entertains MotoGP and World Superbike events had been altered and changed for the biggest and most historical meeting on the off-road motorcycle racing calendar. 60000 spectators flocked to England’s East Midlands and the cosmopolitan crowd remained in good spirits despite a period of rainfall in the morning. The hard terrain from a warm and sunny Saturday became soft and very rough after Sunday’s climate change and the surface provided a technical test for a gathering of the best rider’s in the world. Coppins was a protagonist in the top ten during both of his races. The 31 year old had taken a break after an arduous Grand Prix season and lacked a little race sharpness. He was as high as 3rd in the second sprint for the MX1 riders but ended the day 7th and 6th to be the Kiwi’s best performer. Philippaerts, just two weeks after winning the MX1-GP World championship, put in a good first moto for Italy and was one of just two riders to keep pace with Stewart in the two outings for the MX1 category. His 3rd place involved a small crash when the front end of the bike slipped away on the greasy mud and this was a prelude to a problematic second outing in which he felt the exertions of a long 2008 season and hit the floor twice, crossing the line in 22nd. He was 10th in the MX1 overall ranking. Italy would end the day with 5th position in the final classification of countries and their efforts were assisted enormously by 3C Racing’s Manuel Monni. The MX2 Italian champion took his YZ250F to 3rd place in the division. Yamaha were present on the Nations podium as Nico Aubin rode a YZ450F in the Open class for France. He joined his two team-mates in celebrating the runner-up step of the rostrum behind winners USA and ahead of Belgium. Aubin rode admirably across the rutted red mud and although the physical demands of the bigger machine took their toll he was able to finish 3rd in the category. Utag Yamaha.com’s Zach Osborne also swapped his YZ250F for a YZ450F and was 7th in the MX Open classification for Puerto Rico and his Nations debut. His flight from almost last on the first lap of his first race to 6th was a highlight for the teenager. His team-mate Martin Barr won the B-Final for Ireland. In other news Utag Yamaha.com’s Kenneth Gundersen has been forced to retire from the sport as a result of the weakened condition of his cartilage. The Norwegian was present at Donington Park to see his team enter the B-Final and commented that the repercussions of two knee injuries and a damaged cartilage were behind his decision, after his knee swelled while training two weeks ago. “It is a tough situation but after I had some inflammation I saw the doctor and he said the cartilage was not in good shape. I am only sorry for Steve (Dixon, team manager) because he believed in me and we were hoping for a decent 2009. I have had ten years in the world championship and many good times and met many good people. I really don’t know what I will do now but I hope I can stay in the sport.” “I am very sorry for Kenneth that he has to stop his career because of injury,” commented Yamaha Motor Europe’s Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp. “When he came to Yamaha it was clear that he had a lot of talent and we were hoping he could come back from some difficult times. We wish him all the best, there is more to life than motocross and I will always see him as a Yamaha man.” With the international schedule now over Philippaerts has a host of media and personal appearances lined up into the month of November while Coppins has committed to several beach race events and a race in his native New Zealand in October. Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team (New Zealand) 4th in MX1: “The day was OK, nothing more. My starts were good and the motos were pretty consistent. I crashed in the first race and felt a bit tired in the second half of the next one. I did not really have the year I wanted so after the last GP I felt a bit down and took some time off and it showed today. However I think I gave the Kiwi team quite a solid ride, it was just a shame I could not maintain that good speed of the second moto until the end. I am happy a long season is over!” David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team (Italy) 10th in MX1: “I started well in the first moto and was riding fast but Stewart and Pourcel were just a bit better. I was pleased with third position, it was good for the team. The second moto was a disaster. After three laps I crashed and afterwards pushed hard to get as many positions as possible but made another mistake. It was not my day today and it is disappointing. I wanted a lot more from this race. The last two weeks have been pretty crazy and I am really tired now. I did not train so much after Faenza, and so I am quite content with the speed. It was a long season and after 15 races of always pushing to be near the top I did not have any more to give.” Nico Aubin, Yamaha Ricci Racing, (France) 3rd in MX Open: “We were really determined to try and beat the US and we tried as hard as we could. Anthony and Sebastien rode really well and I was pretty satisfied with my motos. I rode a bit too tense and not as relaxed as I would like but we took a good result and I liked racing the 450F today.” Zach Osborne, Utag Yamaha.com, 7th in MX Open: “I came together with Brett Metcalfe in the second turn of my first race and went down. I fought my way back to 6th but it meant that I was spent for the second moto. I did my best and finished the race and I think people are happy with what I did. I feel really drained and with the small amount of time between the races I was not able to recover properly. The track was really rough for the second race; I could not believe it, but I really enjoyed riding here.” Laurens Klein Koerkamp, Racing Division Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe: “We have reached the end of a long season and looking back we are delighted to have won the MX1-GP title and with Valentino Rossi claiming the MotoGP championship we are extremely happy that Yamaha have enjoyed so much success both off and on the road. 2008 has been a special year for us but now we will focus on the preparation for the coming season and both David and Josh will be pushing for more acclaim in 2009.” MX1 Overall Result 1. Sebastien Pourcel, FRA, Kawasaki 2. Ken de Dycker, BEL, Suzuki 3. Julien Bill, SUI, Honda 4. Josh Coppins, NZL, Yamaha 5. Jonathan Barragan, ESP, KTM 10. David Philippaerts, ITA, Yamaha MX2 Overall Result 1. Ryan Villopoto, USA, Kawasaki 2. Tommy Searle, GBR, KTM 3. Manuel Monni, ITA, Yamaha 4. Brett Metcalfe, AUS, Suzuki 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek, BEL, KTM 6. Carlos Campano, ESP, Yamaha MX Open Overall Result 1. Tim Ferry, USA, Kawasaki 2. Steve Ramon, BEL, Suzuki 3. Nicolas Aubin, FRA, Yamaha 4. Alex Salvini, ITA, Suzuki 5. Cody Cooper, NZL, Suzuki 7. Zach Osborne, PUR, Yamaha Final Motocross of Nations classification 1. USA 2. France 3. Belgium 4. Great Britain 5. Italy
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Further information World Title Valentino Rossi

“I think it’s difficult to say, but maybe this is even better than the first championship with Yamaha in 2004. In 2004 I arrived after three championships in a row; the change was very big and no one expected me to win then, not even us to be honest! But this year is great too because I didn’t start as the number one favourite after losing for two years. The taste of this is something special. “In 2006 I lost because of bad luck; I still won the most races and was the fastest on track for most of the time, but in 2007 Stoner was a lot faster than us and so we got to the end with a big of disadvantage. Winning this championship was very difficult but also very, very important. “The decision to change to Bridgestone tyres, which I took together with Jeremy, my team and all the Yamaha crew, was very important, as were the changes to the bike because the first 800cc M1 last year was not competitive enough. We spoke a lot during last season and I remember a strange meeting in Valencia last year, me with a broken hand, speaking with Furusawa about 2008. From then we started to work on the improvements for this season. It’s also been important to have the right people in the right place and this year everything has been correct. It’s been step-by-step. “I think I have made a lot of good decisions this year and we have been competitive from the start. Qatar was the worst race of the season but I knew our potential was good so, although we were a bit worried at that point, we weren’t desperate because we knew if we fixed a few problems we could try to win. “I grew up a lot in the last two years, because at the end of 2005 I had a great career and I had won all the important targets so far. 125, 250 and then five titles in a row in MotoGP with two different bikes – I felt unbeatable. But in 2006 and 2007 I learnt to lose and this has been very important. I came out much stronger and my level of concentration and effort to win this championship has been higher than ever before. “This season has had some different periods. At the beginning of the year we had some important results when Bridgestone wasn’t the strongest: Jerez, Portugal and others, and in that period we took a big advantage from Stoner. After Barcelona Casey started to ride like a demon and dominated three races in a row, and then we went to Laguna which was the turning point of the season. Laguna was a real battle and from then on we have flown. “The show after the race was one of my friends pretending to be a ‘notary’, signing and certificating the eighth championship ‘deed’. It was very exciting to be planning the championship t-shirt and celebration once again with my friends and fan club and the one we came up with is funny I think, it says ‘I’m sorry for the delay!’ “I am very content at Yamaha and this is why I signed for two more years. I had some good offers at other factories, but I already changed bike once and proved everything I wanted to and so there is no need to do that again. Also I am no longer 20 years old and I need a good atmosphere in my team in order to keep me focused and happy, and I have this at Yamaha. The atmosphere in our team, from the Japanese all the way down to the garage is fantastic and this is what makes me want to stay. “I think 2009 will be even more difficult than this year. Now I am the world champion again and I have demonstrated that I am still very fast; I think I rode the best of my career this year apart from the mistake in Assen, but next year is another story, it depends on how the winter is and how Stoner, Pedrosa and also Lorenzo are next year, as well as the other riders because there are many fast people in this championship. I think it will be a great championship and I’m looking forward to it, but first I want to finish this year and try to win the final three races! “As I said, there are many strong riders but of course I hope that in the future nobody will win like Valentino Rossi! Maybe my brother Luca will be as strong as me…I wanted to take him on my bike on the celebration lap, but they did not allow it. Maybe I will wait for him to be a MotoGP rider before quitting, then I will beat him in the first year, and then I will stop riding! “When you are 20 or 22 yrs old, you live everything in a different way. It’s different… In 2000, maybe, I could have won on my debut, but I underestimated myself! In 2001 it was the last chance for me to win in 500, so I gave it my best and did that. In 2001 it was the year of the battle with Biaggi, in 2002 it was the year when everybody said that I won because of my bike, then 2003 was the year of Gibernau, it was hard until the end. They were fantastic years but with Yamaha it is different. I enjoy it more. “During 2003 I started thinking about Yamaha. Of course I was scared about the new challenge, it was a big question mark. This year, when I tested the new bike and the new tyres, I understood that I could win. In 2004, however, when I tested the new bike I understood we had to work a lot. Sincerely, the feeling of winning in Welkom in 2004 was the strongest emotion of my career; more so than in Laguna Seca this year. The 2005 the M1 was very fast and that one and the 2008 one are the best Yamaha bikes ever. “I think Stoner next year will be back stronger again, so maybe he is the hardest rival I have ever had, more than Gibernau and all the others I fought against in the past. Last year I was sorry that after so many successful years, some people thought Valentino was finished and Casey was the new Valentino. As I said, until I stop riding a bike, my objective will always be to win. I like this life and I always try to do my best in it.” Statistiscs on Valentino Rossi's career  In becoming only the second rider ever to win the MotoGP World Championship following a two-year gap, Valentino Rossi has cemented his place amongst the legends of motorcycle racing. A return to the form that won him five consecutive premier-class titles between 2001 and 2005 has seen the Italian reinstated at the very pinnacle of the sport, with a host of career milestones reached along the way. Here is a full list of Rossi’s historic MotoGP achievements in 2008: Rossi has joined Giacomo Agostini as one of only two riders to have taken six or more premier-class World Championships. Rossi is only the second rider to regain the premier-class title after a two year gap – the other rider to do this was also Agostini. This is Rossi’s eighth world title across all classes.Only Agostini with 15, Angel Nieto, with 13, Mike Hailwood and Carlos Ubbiali, with nine each, have won more. Rossi is the first rider to win the premier-class title on four different types of motorcycle: 500cc 4-cylinder two-stroke, 990cc 5-cylinder four-stroke, Yamaha 990cc 4-cylinder four-stroke and a Yamaha 800cc 4-cylinder four-stroke. It is eleven years since Rossi’s first World Championship success in the 125cc class in 1997.The only rider with a longer period between his first and last titles is Angel Nieto, who won the 50cc crown in 1969 and the 125cc equivalent in 1984. With his 69th career MotoGP win at Indianapolis, Rossi broke Giacomo Agostini’s record for the most premier-class victories; a record that has stood since the legendary Italian’s final victory at the West German Grand Prix in 1976. With 37 wins, Rossi has had more success with Yamaha than any other factory in his career Rossi is also Yamaha’s most successful rider, having scored 13 more premier-class wins for the factory than Kenny Roberts. With three races to go he is the only rider to have scored points in every round of the 2008 season. Rossi’s sequence of five straight race wins since Laguna Seca is his longest run of wins since 2005, when he also scored five successive victories. Other facts about Rossi’s career.  In 1997 Rossi became the second youngest ever 125cc World Champion after scoring 321 points and eleven wins. Two years later, he became the youngest ever 250cc World Champion with nine wins. In 2001 Rossi joined Phil Read as one of only two riders ever to win the 125cc, 250cc and 500cc titles. Rossi’s debut victory for Yamaha at the opening race of 2004 in South Africa made him the first rider in history to take back-to-back wins for different manufacturers. After winning the MotoGP World Championship three times with Honda, Rossi took his fourth premier-class title with Yamaha in 2004 and became the only rider other than Eddie Lawson to win consecutive premier-class titles for different manufacturers. Valentino Rossi - Career  Nationality: Italian Born: 16th February 1979 in Urbino, Italy World Championships: 8 (6 x MotoGP/500cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 125cc) GP victories: 96 (70 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) GP podiums: 148 (112 x MotoGP/500cc, 21 x 250cc, 15 x 125cc) GP Pole Positions: 51 (41 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) First GP win: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 207 (146 x MotoGP/50cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Rossi takes eight World Title with home win for Yamaha

Valentino Rossi rode a perfect race to win Yamaha's home Grand Prix in Japan today, claiming the 2008 MotoGP World Championship title in the process. In doing so the 29-year-old Italian became only the second rider in history to recapture the title after two years, the other being Giacomo Agostini, whose all-time victory record Rossi surpassed at the last race in Indianapolis. This is Rossi's third title with Yamaha, his sixth in the premier class and eighth in total in a career spanning 12 years. His team-mate Jorge Lorenzo finished a fighting fourth and today's results also secured the triple crown of Rider, Manufacturer and Team titles for Yamaha and the Fiat Yamaha Team. Rossi slipped some places at the start and was in fifth first time around. He soon found his rhythm however as his Bridgestone tyres warmed up and he passed Lorenzo and Nicky Hayden on the next lap before settling in behind Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa, the three contesting the next four laps within a few tenths of a second of one another. On lap six both Rossi and Stoner got by Pedrosa and from then on the Italian was on his championship rival's tail, determined to find a way to pass him and win the race despite the title being his with a podium finish. With ten laps to go Rossi did just that and it was then a straight run to the finish as he pulled away from Stoner, crossing the line 1.943 seconds and 92 championship points ahead to seal a very special title after two barren years. Rossi has won eight races this season and, with three remaining, he is still in with a chance of matching the 11 he won in his second season with Yamaha in 2005. Today's win was his 70th in the premier class, his 96th in total and his 148th career podium. Valentino Rossi - Position:1st, Time:43'09.599  "It's a great victory and a great achievement; I think it's at the same level as the first title in 2004 with Yamaha, maybe even better! This championship has been very long and hard and all of the team and all of Yamaha have worked very well, never giving up for one moment. We have been able to put a great bike onto the track in all conditions and at all circuits, and this has allowed me to ride like this and to win so many races. I am very happy! The race was a great battle and I had to ride at 100%, like I have through all through the season! Pedrosa and Stoner today were very strong and it was fun to fight with them like this, I am happy that it was a good race for the fans. It was a fantastic feeling to take the title with a win, like I did in 2001 and 2004. I think this is the hardest I have ever had to work to win a world championship and I have to say a huge thank you to Yamaha, my mechanics, the team and everyone involved for working this hard alongside me. Of course I also have to say a special thank you to Bridgestone, they have done a great job with the tyres all season and the decision to be with them has been a big part of our success this season. We have lost for two years and I don't think I was the favourite this season, but we have shown that we are a great team and that we never give up. I am so happy that I have now won three titles with Yamaha because this is how many I won with my last team and I want Yamaha to have the same merit - I am a Yamaha rider and I feel different with Yamaha than with anyone else before - I hope we will have more together! Now I have to get used to being World Champion again!" Davide Brivio - Team Manager;  "Simply amazing! Every time he surprises us. We've already been working together for five years and what he can deliver on the track is always unbelievable. This year is another demonstration of how strong Valentino is, especially to come back to this level of performance after two very hard years. We knew we had to improve the bike and make it faster after last year and Yamaha have done this, but Valentino worked very hard in the winter too and, together with Bridgestone, we were able to start very strongly and get better as the season progressed. 2006 and 2007 made everyone stronger, including the relationship between Valentino and Yamaha; we knew that we didn't want to be in this situation again and so this has been a great motivation for this victory. Congratulations to Valentino, to all the team and Yamaha engineers, and thank you to Bridgestone, Fiat and all of our sponsors and partners. Congratulations also to Jorge's team and to Tech 3, they have all played a big part in winning the Triple Crown." Jorge Lorenzo just missed out on a podium at Motegi today, finishing fourth after a hard fight with Dani Pedrosa. His team-mate Valentino Rossi won the race to take his eighth world championship title and Yamaha and the Fiat Yamaha team also secured the Team and Manufacturer's titles, both of which Lorenzo has played a significant part in during his rookie season. After dominating qualifying, the young Spaniard was looking forward to being able to fight for the win today but much lower temperatures made things harder for him and he was unable to keep up quite the same pace as he had yesterday. He slipped to fourth at the start, was relegated to fifth by Rossi on his charge to the front on the second lap and then took six laps to pass Nicky Hayden to regain fourth. The determined rookie was then 1.6 seconds from third-placed Pedrosa but he put his head down and pushed as hard as he could to bring himself into touching distance for a showdown on the last lap. Lorenzo made his move at the hairpin but was unable to make it past Pedrosa today and had to settle for fourth and 13 points, leaving him 40 points adrift of his fellow Spaniard, who is third in the championship, with three rounds remaining. Jorge Lorenzo - Position:4th, Time:+6.165  "I am very happy with this fourth position; it was impossible to do more today. I tried so hard to pass Dani and the hairpin before the back straight was the only place I had the chance, but I couldn't do it. Yesterday I thought I had a chance to win and I was very confident, but this morning I saw the weather, much colder and yesterday, and I knew that it would be more difficult than in the qualifying session. The track was colder and for Michelin and for me this was more difficult. I have to improve my starts because once again I had problems and lost some places, but anyway I think I'm in good form for the last three races. The team worked very well this weekend, as always, so thanks to them and to Michelin. Big congratulations to Valentino and the other side of the box, to do what he has done is almost impossible! Finally well done to everyone for winning the Team's and Manufacturer's titles as well, I am so happy that I have played a part in this during my first season with Yamaha." Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager  "Obviously, after yesterday's qualifying, we hoped for a better result, but today Jorge did the best he could. He rode in a very fast and aggressive way but the weather, with the colder ground temperature, didn't help us and we achieved as much as we were able. Many thanks to the team for their work because the bike setting was very good, but we do need to work on our race start. Congratulations to Valentino for the world championship title, won so far in advance, but we are also happy about the 'triple crown' of Team and Manufacturer's titles because we have played an important role in these titles." Takashi Kajikawa - President and CEO Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.  "It gives me great pleasure to announce today that Valentino Rossi has reclaimed the championship title in MotoGP after two years of unfortunate near misses, and that we have also achieved the ultimate goal of adding the team and constructor titles to win the coveted "triple crown" in this premier class of international road racing. For us at Yamaha Motor Company, this great achievement is especially great because it comes at our home GP here in Japan. "We owe this great achievement to Valentino Rossi, who won the championship today, as well as to Jorge Lorenzo, who won his first victory earlier this year in his first season in the MotoGP, and to Colin Edwards and James Toseland, who also rode hard throughout the season and won points on the Yamaha YZR-M1. "I want to take this occasion to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of the people who have made this achievement possible, including not only the team members who have worked so hard to realize it but also the Yamaha fans around the world who have cheered them on consistently through the season and the sponsors who have supported them so generously. "At Yamaha Motor Company, we believe that the racing arena is more than just a stage for technological development. It is also a theatre that helps nurture employee skills and traits such as the spirit of challenge that we value so much. For these reasons, racing has been an important symbol of our corporate culture that we have continued to pursue actively throughout our history., I also believe firmly that racing is a challenge that helps us bring Kando to many people around the world. "I hope that everyone will continue to give us their support in this ongoing challenge." Tech 3 perform well in Yamaha's home race  Capitalising on a strong start from the third row of the grid, Tech 3 rider Edwards reeled off a series of consistently fast lap times to mount a serious assault on the top six in the second half of the race. The American managed to claw back a three second deficit on Loris Capirossi to shadow the Italian from lap 12 onwards. Edwards exerted intense pressure on the Italian, winner of the last three races at the challenging Twin Ring Motegi circuit, and he cut the gap to Capirossi by 0.5s in the last two laps. But Edwards had to settle for seventh, a result which is still a big confidence boost with today's 24-lap race his best result since the Dutch GP at Assen in June. He moved back into the top six in the overall standings ahead of Chris Vermeulen. Team mate James Toseland also rode a strong race in front of an appreciative crowd of 57,865 fans as he was embroiled in a nail-biting battle with John Hopkins. Toseland rode superbly to keep his more experienced rival at bay for 15 laps before he slipped to 11th on the last lap. Today's result saw the Tech 3 Yamaha squad remain firmly in the hunt for fourth place in the Team World Championship. Colin Edwards: Position:7th, Time;+25.918  "I got a good start and settled in behind Valentino and Jorge at the first corner and I was happy because I've been caught up in a couple of incidents there in the past. I threw it in and then I just saw this front wheel staring straight at me. It was Dovizioso but luckily we all made through but the first lap I was just trying to get some heat into the rear tyre. I got it working and got into a good pace and saw that Loris was coming back to me. I was pushing hard but I was having a few issues with the rear spinning, which has been a problem all weekend. But then Loris made a mistake and he was right out to the kerb at the first corner. He was nearly in the dirt and I was right on his tail. I was behind him for what seemed like forever but it was fun. I could almost reach out and touch his back wheel but I couldn't do anything to get by him. Loris's bike was really good coming off the corner. It obviously has some bottom grunt because all I could do was watch him and I couldn't do anything with him. I couldn't get close enough to out-brake him and with the spinning problem I couldn't get any acceleration grip out of the corner to line him up for a pass. I put my head down and I was riding as hard as I could, but with the spinning issue I was losing a bit of corner speed, so I was braking extra deep to keep all the weight on the front to run some momentum in the corner Seventh is not where I want to be but it feels good to get a solid race under my belt. It feels forever since I did that, so it is something to build on for the last three races." James Toseland - Position:11th, Time:+37.574  "I gave it my all on every lap and I stayed consistent without making any mistakes. But with that lack of dry track time on Friday it cost me because I was only a couple of tenths slower than fifth position and that time you can find on a dry day with the set-up. But the guys in front were so consistent that I couldn't really get close. One slight problem like a wet day makes it really difficult to get right on the pace. I was with Colin and Shinya early on but I'd been playing with the rear shock all weekend to try and get some grip at full lean angle. It was the best it has been but I was still losing a lot of time on the exit and they were just pulling away from me a bit. And because it is so stop and start here, if you can exit the corners better it gives you a good advantage and you can pull a couple of tenths a lap. I really wanted tenth but John came underneath me at turn one on the last lap and I tried to pass him back in the second part of it down the straight. But he came back on my side and he put my clutch on. It slipped my clutch and he was just able to get a bit of an advantage. I tried to get him back but he didn't put a foot wrong for the rest of the lap. It's disappointing to have worked so hard to keep that place and lose it at the end. At least now I can look ahead to three races where I know the tracks, so hopefully we can end the season on a high." Herve Poncharal - Team Manager  "First of all I want to say very big congratulations to Yamaha and Valentino for such a great world championship success. Yamaha has a great bike with a great champion, and it is great for them to win the title in Yamaha's home race. I'm also very happy with our performance today. Colin did one of his best races of the season when you consider the recent run he has been on. He was pushing hard right to the end and he survived a lot of pressure from behind and at one stage we thought he might pass Loris and get a top six. I'm happy he climbed oneposition in the championship to get some points back on Suzuki in the team championship, so after the disappointment of Indianapolis and Misano I think we saw Colin back where he belongs. James also rode a really strong race and he fought very hard as always. It was another hard weekend on his first time at this track, not helped again by losing some dry track time. I think both of them gave their maximum and that's all we can ask and we can look forward to Australia now with high hopes of even better results." Race 1 - 24 Laps  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, ITA, 43'9.599 2, Casey Stoner, Ducati, AUS, 0'1.943 3, Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, ESP, 0'4.866 4, Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha, ESP, 0'6.165 5, Nicky Hayden, Honda, USA, 0'24.593 6, Loris Capirossi, Suzuki, ITA, 0'25.683 7, Colin Edwards, Yamaha, USA, 0'25.918 8, Shinya Nakano, Honda, JPN, 0'26.003 9, Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, ITA, 0'26.219 10, John Hopkins, Kawasaki, USA, 0'37.131 11, James Toseland, Yamaha, GBR, 0'37.574 12, Randy De Puniet, Honda, FRA, 0'38.020 13, Marco Melandri, Ducati, ITA, 0'39.768 14, Sylvain Guintoli, Ducati, FRA, 0'45.846 15, Anthony West, Kawasaki, AUS, 0'55.748 Rider Standings 28/09/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, ITA, 312 2, Casey Stoner, Ducati, AUS, 220 3, Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, ESP, 209 4, Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha, ESP, 169 5, Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, ITA, 136 6, Colin Edwards, Yamaha, USA, 118 7, Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki, AUS, 117 8, Nicky Hayden, Honda, USA, 115 9, Loris Capirossi, Suzuki, ITA, 96 10, Shinya Nakano, Honda, JPN, 95 11, James Toseland, Yamaha, GBR, 90 12, Toni Elias, Ducati, ESP, 86 13, Sylvain Guintoli, Ducati, FRA, 58 14, Alex De Angelis, Honda, SMR, 55 15, Marco Melandri, Ducati, ITA, 51 Team Standings 28/09/2008 Pos., Team, Points 1, FIAT Yamaha Team, 481 2, Repsol Honda Team, 324 3, Ducati Marlboro Team, 271 4, Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 215 5, Tech3 Yamaha, 208 6, Honda Gresini, 150 7, Team Alice, 144 8, JIR Scot Team, 136 9, Kawasaki Racing Team, 89 10, Honda LCR, 47 Manufacturer Standings 28/09/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Yamaha, 341 2, Ducati, 261 3, Honda, 259 4, Suzuki, 159 5, Kawasaki, 77
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Philippaerts and Coppins launch new Replica at Nations

A packed Monster Energy hospitality facility within the Donington Park paddock for the 62nd Motocross of Nations witnessed Yamaha Monster Motocross Team riders David Philippaerts and Josh Coppins draw away the covers on the brand new 2009 YZ450F Yamaha Motocross Team Replica. The special limited edition motorcycle - a mirror image of the factory bikes that were steered to 1st and 5th positions in the 2008 FIM MX1-GP World Championship - were unveiled to a hoard of the world’s media at the biggest off-road motorcycle race of the year. The Yamaha Motocross Team Replica is a project born from the fruitful collaboration between Yamaha Motor Europe, the race team and Yamaha Rinaldi Research and Development. Based on the extremely potent and title-winning YZ450F, the distinctive black and grey identical plastic and graphics are enhanced with carbon fibre elements covering the chain, front mudguard, front disc and sump. 100 of these exclusive machines will be made and sold in Europe and they are expected in dealerships from mid-October. “It looks fantastic and there is virtually nothing to tell apart from my bike,” said World Champion Philippaerts. “It is a bit unreal to see a mirror-image of your race-bike but I think it is a great treat for Yamaha fans who want the closest possible thing to what we use ourselves,” remarked Coppins. The Replica comes complete with a gift set including a signed jersey and preferred entry to the new ‘Yamaha Motocross Masterclass’ concept initiated by Yamaha Motor Europe that will see Philippaerts and Coppins giving expert tuition at 3 or 4 venues across Europe in2009. “It is a good idea to be able to give something else to the fans,” added Coppins “normally we can give a signature or a photo but to actually show riders around a track is a great way of bringing Grand Prix closer to the people that matter.” “It seems an interesting project and not something I have done before,” commented Philippaerts “it should be good fun!”
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Gentleman theif to race with Lorenzo in Motegi

To celebrate the Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi this Sunday, Jorge Lorenzo’s no. 48 Fiat Yamaha will race with an unusual and original livery. The Spanish rider’s YZR-M1 will carry the image of comic-book hero Arsenio Lupin III, the celebrated ‘Gentleman Thief’ made famous in the Japanese Manga series created by Kazuhiko Kato, or ‘Monkey Punch’. The celebratory fairing is the creation of the team’s title sponsor Fiat and the image will also appear on a limited series of Fiat 500 cars, due in the second half of 2009. Lorenzo’s M1 will be unveiled in Pit Lane of the Motegi circuit at 0930 Japanese time on Sunday, 28th September 2008.
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Yamaha signs Cal Crutchlow for the 2009 World Supersport Team

The Yamaha World Supersport team has signed British Superbike rider Cal Crutchlow to partner Frenchman Fabien Foret for the 2009 World Supersport Championship. The 22yr old British rider is highly competitive and is no stranger to championship success. In the current British Superbike Championship Crutchlow has scored a respectable ten podiums including two wins and three pole position starts. He is fourth in the standings on 265 points, chasing third place fellow Brit Tom Sykes, who also steps up to Yamaha next year as he joins the World Superbike team. Crutchlow’s career has been nurtured by Yamaha from the start, it was through The Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup that he first had the opportunity to showcase his talents, taking 2nd place in the 2003 competition, and getting the help up to premier British road racing, making it fitting that he now returns to the Yamaha family to continue developing his career. He moved on to race in the British Supersport Championship, finishing 10th in 2004, 3rd in 2005 and winning the championship in 2006. Championship wins have marked his career from the start, including 1st place in the 1999 UK Junior Challenge and 1st place in the 2001 Aprilia RS 125 Challenge. Cal Crutchlow “I’m really looking forward to the experience. To go into what is in my eyes the top team in the World Supersport paddock and have the opportunity to challenge for a world title with Yamaha is very exciting. I’m really looking forward to next season, I can’t wait!” Wilco Zeelenberg (Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager) “We’ve been talking to many strong riders over the last couple of months and have beenfollowing Cal’s progress this year in The British Superbike Championship, he’s really impressed us. We’re convinced that his riding style will suit our YZF R6 very well. He’s a very good Supersport rider, we know that coming from Superbikes to Supersport riders don’t have any issues with speed. The 2009 championship will be tough again and we have seen him prove on track that he is happy to get in the middle of the pack and fight for the win.” Laurens Klein Koerkamp (Racing Division Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe) “With Cal we are confident that we have another title challenger next to Fabien Foret for the 2009 season. At only 22yrs old he has a wealth of experience on both Superbikes and Supersport machines already. It is also really pleasing for us to see a rider from the R6 Cup stepping up to a world level competition on a Yamaha.”
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Haga takes another double win as Yamaha dominate the podium in Vallelunga

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) had an outstanding raceday at Vallelunga, scoring a double win and promoting himself to third in the championship after two 24-lap races of full drama. Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) also had a successful raceday, taking two podium finishes in third, and making up ground on long time points leader Troy Bayliss. The Ducati rider fell in race two, without injury, and in doing so scored no points, despite restarting. Corser now has 290 points to Bayliss's 369, with Haga equal on points with Max Neukirchner, on 280. The overall result of the Vallelunga weekend is that each Yamaha rider is still capable of winning the championship, with four races and 100 points left. In the first 24-lap race Haga and Corser were ever-present in the fight for podium places, with long time race leader Haga taking the reward of victory, by 0.129 seconds from Max Biaggi. Corser looked capable of winning himself as he finally made up all the ground he lost in the mid section of the race in the last few laps, but was unable to get close enough to Biaggi to secure second. Race two was a classic three-way fight in the early laps, with Haga, Corser and Bayliss close together. Later in the race Haga and Bayliss swapped the lead repeatedly, but on the final lap Bayliss crashed and Haga went on to win by 1.5 seconds, from Michel Fabrizio, and Corser, who was another second behind. Haga continued to use the new Ohlins electronic rear shock for both Vallelunga races, the system worked well for the Yamaha rider, an improvement on the standard shock. Shinichi Nakatomi (Team YZF Yamaha) had his best result of the year with an eighth place finish, followed by tenth. David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) went 17th in race one and ran off on race two, finishing 20th. His team-mate Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) retired in race one but scored two points for 14th in race two. Noriyuki Haga (1st and 1st - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team)  "I could hear Biaggi's bike all the way but my bike was working very well and I am very happy with the result. In race two I had a very big fight with Troy Bayliss, and I am sorry for his crash. But I enjoyed our battle while it lasted. It was a great day today for our team and thanks to all the team and the fans for the reception. For sure we will be pushing hard at the next round, as we did at this one." Troy Corser (3rd and 3rd - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team)  "In race one I got a good start, pushed hard and the tyres were working well, so I felt comfortable. Then I had a bit of a moment when I lost a place to Checa. I went for second gear but hit a neutral and that lost me some time. I was lucky to stay on and I lost a lot of ground to the leaders. I got past Checa again and caught them but I could not get past the leaders. In race two we changed the bike a bit but I lost some time through the Esses. It was a shame for Troy crashing but it kept the championship alive for us." Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team)  "Another great raceday after a strong weekend for our team, which shows how well we work. Noriyuki had another magic weekend and took full points. Troy rode well and two podiums is a good result. Our riders are second and third in the championship and it is not over yet. I am sorry for Troy Bayliss because he is a fantastic racer, and does not want to give up, but the championship is not closed yet." Shinichi Nakatomi (10th and 8th - Team YZF Yamaha)  ""Yesterday, we had problems with the settings. This morning, the feeling was better. We made more changes in the right direction. The first race was good. In the second race, I lost a lot of time in the beginning because of Biaggi's early crash. Then I progressed forward. On the average, it's not so bad. The test we did in July at Vallelunga was useful. I hope to have a good result at the next race in Magny-Cours because this is my French team's home track." Race 1  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 39'25.030 2, Max Biaggi, Ducati, ITA, 0'0.129 3, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 0'0.535 4, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 0'5.188 5, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 0'6.693 6, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 0'7.993 7, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 0'16.976 8, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 0'18.359 9, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 0'19.214 10, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 0'19.386 11, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'21.230 12, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 0'24.956 13, Matej Smrz, Honda, CZE, 0'25.186 14, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 0'31.799 15, Ayrton Badovini, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'33.949 16, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'34.050 17, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 0'34.665 18, Chris Walker, Honda, GBR, 0'52.420 19, Shuhei Aoyama, Honda, JPN, 1'2.555 20, Makoto Tamada, Kawasaki, JPN, 1'6.475 21, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 1'16.985 22, Matt Lynn, Honda, USA, 1'40.616 Race 2  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 39'10.265 2, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 0'1.507 3, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 0'2.268 4, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 0'11.813 5, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 0'17.922 6, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 0'18.281 7, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 0'19.368 8, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 0'19.717 9, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'23.868 10, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 0'24.198 11, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 0'25.426 12, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 0'28.384 13, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 0'30.436 14, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 0'36.490 15, Chris Walker, Honda, GBR, 0'42.903 16, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 0'43.758 17, Shuhei Aoyama, Honda, JPN, 0'44.993 18, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'48.469 19, Makoto Tamada, Kawasaki, JPN, 0'58.868 20, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 1'18.547 21, Matej Smrz, Honda, CZE, 1'42.272 Best Lap Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 1'37.537 Rider Standings 21/09/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 369 2, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 290 3, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 280 4, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 280 5, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 262 6, Max Biaggi, Ducati, ITA, 212 7, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 206 8, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 201 9, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 193 10, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 160 11, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 136 12, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 110 13, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 107 14, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 104 15, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 71 18, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 46 26, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 12 27, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 9 Manufacturer Standings 21/09/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Ducati, 479 2, Yamaha, 416 3, Honda, 357 4, Suzuki, 355 5, Kawasaki, 77 ---------- RACE REPORT - 21/09/2008 Parkes and Laverty win hard fought podiums in Italy Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport Team) and Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Supersport Team) earned a podium finish apiece after a dramatic WSS race at Vallelunga, eventually capitalising on their strong qualifying performances to go second and third respectively in the race. Parkes was 2.971 seconds from the win, with Laverty hanging on for third, despite riding with broken bones in his feet. Starting from pole, Parkes was held up by other riders in the early laps, letting eventual winner Jonathan Rea run to a clear victory, even though Parkes set a new race lap record more than once in his attempt to catch the start-to-finish leader. Parkes' new record is 1'39.419, set on lap 19 of 22. Laverty and World Championship leader Andrew Pitt collided on lap 19 and Laverty was lucky to stay on, while Pitt slid into the gravel and was unable to restart. Laverty's first WSS podium came in only his second WSS race, as he made a stand-in ride for injured team regular, Fabien Foret. In the overall championship, Parkes is still in with a chance of the title itself, as he sits fourth overall, 30 points from Pitt with a maximum of 50 left to play for in the final two rounds. Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) missed points by finishing 17th, while David Salom (Yamaha Spain World Supersport) finished two places behind. Jason Crowe (Yamaha Spain World Supersport) was 24th. Broc Parkes (2nd - Yamaha World Supersport Team)  "It was a great race but at the start of it I was not able to push hard enough to get through the pack quickly enough and there were a few crazy guys in the bunch! I should have probably got past them and away with Jonathan a bit quicker. My bike felt better when it was a bit lighter, but I was a little too far back right at the end to get to Jonathan. Second was great anyway today and the Yamaha worked really well this weekend. We pulled the bike out of the box this weekend and it was great from the start." Eugene Laverty (3rd - Yamaha World Supersport Team)  "I had a little bit more pace on me than Andrew in some places and on one corner I had run a little bit deeper than normal. When I had come back Andrew was there. It was just a racing accident but I am sorry for Andrew. It's brilliant to be on the podium so thanks to the Yamaha team for giving me this opportunity and I have been able to make the most of it." Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team)  "Two good results for us today and it was a pity that Jonathan managed to get away because of all the traffic and overtaking, but we were able to keep the package together for both riders. Broc's feeling became better at the end off the race, he was put under pressure after his team mate past him and I believe that made him sharper as well. Near the finish he was doing 1'39s, faster than the beginning. Eugene did really well to get on the podium and I know we will hear a lot about him in the future. After Andrew's unfortunate crash, we are 30 points behind the leader, so the championship is not over yet. All in all a good weekend for us." Massimo Roccoli (17th - Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni)  "It is very disappointing not to get any points this weekend, because I had no feeling on the bike today. I felt fast, and the bike felt fast, but the time was not competitive and I could not push hard at the front or the rear. I will improve my mind before the next WS race, as I will race in the Italian series next week at Misano before we go to Magny-Cours." Race 1  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Jonathan Rea, Honda, GBR, 36'48.656 2, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 0'2.971 3, Eugene Laverty, Yamaha, GBR, 0'6.461 4, Joan Lascorz, Honda, ESP, 0'7.135 5, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 0'10.945 6, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 0'14.412 7, Gianluca Nannelli, Honda, ITA, 0'14.557 8, Didier Van Keymeulen, Suzuki, BEL, 0'19.286 9, Mark Aitchinson, Triumph, AUS, 0'23.854 10, Josh Hayes, Honda, USA, 0'31.193 11, Ivan Clementi, Triumph, ITA, 0'31.327 12, Joshua Brookes, Honda, AUS, 0'39.771 13, Miguel Praia, Honda, POR, 0'40.957 14, Terence Toti, Suzuki, ITA, 0'41.196 15, Gianluca Vizziello, Honda, ITA, 0'41.337 16, Russell Holland, Honda, AUS, 0'43.421 17, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 0'44.790 18, Katsuaki Fujiwara, Kawasaki, JPN, 0'45.564 19, David Salom, Yamaha, ESP, 0'54.098 20, Chris Martin, Kawasaki, GBR, 0'58.063 21, Graeme Gowland, Honda, GBR, 1'1.773 22, Patrick Vostarek, Honda, ITA, 1'16.595 23, David Perret, Honda, FRA, 1'16.917 24, Jeremy Crowe, Yamaha, AUS, 1'17.279 25, Balazs Nemeth, Honda, HUN, 1'17.539 26, Denis Sacchetti, Honda, ITA, 1'28.143 27, Alex Cudlin, Triumph, AUS, 1'29.485 Best Lap Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 1'39.417 Rider Standings 21/09/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Andrew Pitt, Honda, AUS, 169 2, Jonathan Rea, Honda, GBR, 158 3, Joshua Brookes, Honda, AUS, 141 4, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 139 5, Joan Lascorz, Honda, ESP, 105 6, Craig Jones, Honda, GBR, 100 7, Fabien Foret, Yamaha, FRA, 97 8, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 72 9, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 70 10, Gianluca Nannelli, Honda, ITA, 60 11, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 48 12, Gianluca Vizziello, Honda, ITA, 47 13, Matthieu Lagrive, Honda, FRA, 43 14, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 36 15, Didier Van Keymeulen, Suzuki, BEL, 27 27, David Salom, Yamaha, ESP, 9 Manufacturer Standings 21/09/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Honda, 265 2, Yamaha, 182 3, Suzuki, 81 4, Triumph, 68 5, Kawasaki, 42
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

The 2008 MX1-GP title: A perspective

After a lengthy and exciting 2008 FIM MX-1 World Championship the Yamaha Monster Motocross Team were able to celebrate their fourth title in five years thanks to David Philippaerts’ results with the YZ450FM. For Philippaerts an eventful and thrilling first season (only his second in MX1-GP) was drawn to an emotional finish at Faenza. The previous six months had seen the 24 year old produce some electrifying performances such as his charges through the pack at Mantova, in Great Britain and at Loket in the Czech Republic where he flew from last to 3rd in the first moto and won the next outing for his second of two overall victories in 2008. “I think Loket was my best grand prix of the year,” he said. “At Lommel I had lost the red plate and on the Monday after the GP I said to my girlfriend Alice that I really wanted to win again at the next race which was in the Czech Republic and the team gave me such a strong bike. The changes that were made gave me a lift, and I rode as hard as I could in that first moto.” “At the start of the year I saw that Faenza would be the final race on the calendar and I imagined that it could be special, and it was more than I could have hoped for,” he added. “Many people helped me get to this point and to see all of them around me at the finish was so emotional. It is hard to describe. It was too much, overwhelming.” “For the media, the team and the rider the victory in Italy was something special,” echoed Yamaha Monster Motocross Team owner Michele Rinaldi, a former world champion and now a man with a phenomenal record of success from the other side of the fence. “The title was the most important thing but we also wanted to prove that we have a very good machine, the right staff and the potential to be very competitive. David was stronger than everyone else through all the season and I am really pleased for him, Yamaha and the sponsors. “We wanted Josh to be fighting for the championship at the last round as well but this was not possible because of some factors throughout the season and therefore we cannot be 100% happy with what we achieved there. We know that Josh is a very determined and professional rider and without some bad luck it would have been a different story for him in 2008. I still want to say thanks to Josh for what he did,” he added. With three victories and a total of ten podiums in a season in which nine different riders won Grand Prix, Rinaldi, the team and Yamaha Motor Europe can feel proud of this latest accomplishment and how the YZ450FM again was one of the most competitive machines in the category. “The MX1 class was nice to watch this season as we had many different winners and the competition was tough,” continued the Italian. “We, as Yamaha, made a good choice in signing David and it is a good trend for us that we have managed to stay at the top for eight seasons.” “Our riders were really happy with the bike at the beginning of the season and as we went on we saw that we could offer them even more engine performance,” he commented. “The chassis was perfect and the riders never complained about anything to do with the handling. The suspension was also very good. We made a step up at the time of the Grand Prix in Loket with the engine specification and I think the bike was great.” “MX1 is the top off-road racing class and we have won this title so many times in the past that we feel it is almost back where it belongs,” claimed Yamaha Motor Europe Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp. “The guys in the team have done a tremendous job; we have won 8 titles in the last 10 years which is an incredible record. We are so happy, and once again have proved that the YZ450F is one of the best.” “We are really proud of this title,” he continued. “Yamaha were the pioneers of four-stroke technology in the sport. In the beginning we won the championship with Andrea Bartolini and then a lot with Stefan Everts, so it was important for us that we continue to show that we are the leading brand when it comes to four-strokes. We are at the highest level of off-road racing here. We want MX1-GP success just as much as we want it in a series like MotoGP.” Concerning the potent relationship with Rinaldi and his Parma-based YRRD group, which has yielded so much silverware in the course of more than a decade, he explained: “We have a really open relationship and it is fantastic to work with Michele and his team. He is very demanding but this is what you need for success; all the little details have to be right and you have to strive for perfection in each area, whether it is the bike, the mechanics, the relationship with the rider and so on. Michele will always give the maximum.” Leading the Yamaha Monster Motocross Team in day-to-day operations is Mino Raspanti, a key person in the accomplishments racked-up in 2008 and a man who can take credit for his coaching of Philippaerts. “David learned very fast when to push and when to hold back. His approach to the season was very good and his execution even better,” he revealed. “Josh also never gave up and he had so many things to deal with during the year. He has all the team’s respect for what he did. We are really happy to have the title back and to have a team with two very strong riders.” Fettling the YZ450FM with the number ‘19’ on the front was Gerald Wever, one of the few non-Italian staff in the team. The German has been located in Italy for four years now and his easy-going and fruitful partnership with Philippaerts was again another important ingredient in the cause of the Faenza furore. “This feels so good and I think part of the reason is because we won in Italy and there is a lot of emotion,” he remarked. “I am lucky to work with this team and I appreciate my position. David had some outstanding races this season but for me his comeback at Loket in the Czech Republic and how he rode to beat Steve in the Lierop sand really stand-out. Even though we celebrated at Faenza, I think he won the title at those events.” To say Josh Coppins did not have an easy season is an understatement. A pre-season injury, some personal problems and poor luck on the track (goggles breaking in Czech Republic and a handful of incidents in which he was knocked down at race starts) made 2008 a tough term. The steadfast and likeable New Zealander still rallied to remain in contention for the title up until three rounds before the finish, and his grabbed three podiums including an emphatic double victory in Germany. “Too many problems, too many mistakes, some injuries and some bad luck this year,” he evaluated. “I always did my best, I never gave up and kept training. Top five is not where I want to be but I still gave it my best shot. I found that when I did well and lifted my confidence then something else would come along to set me back and that was how the season, the year even, went along.” “Germany was my best race and I was happy to win there,” he said. “Now we just need to re-group and come back and have another go next year. I am happy for Yamaha because 2007 was a low point with my late injury while leading the championship, not just for me but perhaps even more so for the team. It is a great team so I am pleased that we are successful again.” Coppins, as well as Philippaerts, will again be a Yamaha Monster Motocross team rider in 2009 for his third season with the manufacturer but things will be a little different as he is expecting the birth of his first child with partner Lisa this coming January: “My life is changing and I am very glad that there will be a major highlight for me just around the corner. Next year I will be back and working harder than ever to give that title another shot.”
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Rossi comes through the deluge to make history at Indianapolis

Valentino Rossi wrote another chapter in his ever-expanding history book at Indianapolis today, claiming his 69th premier-class win and becoming the most successful rider in premier-class history in the process. His hat trick of pole position, fastest lap and race victory made for a perfect first Indianapolis Grand Prix for the Italian and a third place for Jorge Lorenzo rounded off an exceptional weekend for the Fiat Yamaha Team. More bad weather in the early afternoon led to the 250cc race being abandoned and the early part of the MotoGP race was run on a very wet track. Rossi dropped to fourth at the start and then surrendered another place to Lorenzo on the next lap, but he soon found his rhythm and made his way back past Casey Stoner, Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso into second behind Nicky Hayden by lap six. Passing Hayden was no mean feat and it took the seven-time world champion another eight laps to finally get by the American, at which point he quickly began to pull away. Hurricane Ike was not finished with Indianapolis however and on lap 16 of 28 it started to rain heavily once again, accompanied by strong gusts of wind which became very dangerous. The race was eventually red-flagged after 20 laps and, after a few minutes confusion as to whether there would be a restart, Rossi was confirmed as the first ever MotoGP winner at the Brickyard. Rossi's 69th win takes him ahead of his fellow countryman Giacomo Agostini to the top of the all-time premier class winners list, a record which has stood for more than 30 years. Agostini claimed the 1975 500cc title with Yamaha and won six of his 68 victories with the Japanese factory. Rossi is now 87 points clear of Stoner, who finished fourth today, which means he is able to win the championship at the next round in Motegi by finishing fourth or above. Valentino Rossi - Position: 1 Time: 37'20.095  "This is fantastic because it's been a long time since I won in the rain and even longer since I won four in a row! To win the first race here at Indianapolis is a great emotion and to beat Agostini's record is also incredible, now I hope my record will stand for 30 years like his! It was an amazing race and, once I was able to pass Stoner, I knew I had the chance to win so I pushed very hard. I had a great race with Nicky; he was really hard to pass so congratulations to him. When the wind and rain came it became very hard, I think I could have kept going for another eight laps okay but there were things flying through the air - beer cans, plastic glasses - so really I think it was the right decision to stop the race! Sincerely I don't think I've ever ridden in conditions like these and I was lucky because I was far in front and therefore didn't have to take any big risks. It's been a perfect weekend for us despite the weather because we made the pole position, the fastest lap and we won, so I want to congratulate my team once again for a fantastic job, today and all year. Also thanks to Bridgestone because my tyres were very good today. I've really enjoyed racing here in Indy and I am looking forward to coming back next year. Now we have a big advantage and it would be great to win the championship in Motegi, but it's not over yet so we will keep our concentration and keep working! Finally I want to dedicate this victory to my Grandfather Dario, who sadly died today aged 82." Davide Brivio - Team Manager  "We're very happy that we were able to race at this historic track, despite the terrible weather! This is very important for the championship and now we have the chance to try to win in Motegi in two week's time. Valentino was fantastic today and he showed once again how strong he is this season; he has won seven times in many different conditions so we're in good shape. Well done to the team for their hard work and congratulations to Jorge and his crew as well, Yamaha is very strong!" First ever wet podium for Lorenzo in Indianapolis downpour  Jorge Lorenzo made the podium in a wet race for the very first time in his entire career today, claiming third place at the inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix at the famous 'Brickyard'. The 21-year-old Spaniard has now finished on the podium on each of the five occasions he has qualified on the front row in his rookie season and he was joined once again by his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi, who took his seventh victory of the season with a masterful display of wet-weather riding. Lorenzo has always been uncomfortable riding in the wet but he got a good start and was quickly able to settle into his rhythm, passing Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner in the first three laps. Rossi passed him back soon after but the Spaniard kept pushing and he soon got past Andrea Dovizioso to claim third place. He then rode most of the race out on his own until heavy rain and high winds began to batter the field with 12 laps remaining and he gradually began to close the gap to Nicky Hayden, who was in second. It looked like he might pass the American before the end but the race was eventually red-flagged with eight laps remaining, after part of the safety fence blew down and conditions became too dangerous. A second podium in a row for the leading rookie consolidates fourth place in the championship for him, 37 points adrift of Dani Pedrosa with four races remaining. Rossi, who surpassed Agostini's 30-year record of 68 premier class wins today, is now 87 points clear of Casey Stoner and can win the championship in Motegi by finishing fourth or better. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 3 Time: +7.858  "This is the first wet podium in my career, including the European, Spanish and even Mallorcan Championships! To be honest, I really didn't want to leave my motorhome before the race because I was so warm and comfortable and I really don't like to race in the rain, but today I think things have changed! I got a good start, which surprised me, and then I was able to pass Dani and then Valentino, which surprised me even more! I am so happy to finally discover that I can be fast in the rain as well. After Valentino passed me back I tried to follow him but he was a bit too fast so I concentrated on keeping my pace consistent, then the rain and especially the wind came and it was quite crazy! I was still fast though I closed the gap to Nicky, who I think had some problems by then, and maybe I could have passed him with some more laps but it was very dangerous and so better to stop the race. We are still not perfect but our bike and Michelin tyres were very good today so I want to thank Yamaha and Michelin again, and my team for their hard work. Well done to Valentino and I hope we can continue like this for the last four races." Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager  "This is a great result; a first podium in the wet for Jorge and at such a famous track. He rode very well today in difficult conditions, not only the rain but with high winds as well. He also had a very good pace at the end of the race when the conditions were at their worst so he did a great job, as did the team for finding the right set-up and Michelin for giving us the right tyres. It's great to be on the first MotoGP podium at Indianapolis and great for Yamaha to have two riders on the podium for the second race in a row. Congratulations once again to Jorge for a fantastic ride, well done to the team and of course well done to the other side of the garage and to Valentino for another great win." Difficult day for Tech 3 Yamaha in stormy Indianapolis  The Tech 3 Yamaha team had a difficult day in atrocious conditions during a weather-hit inaugural Indianapolis MotoGP race today. Texan Colin Edwards battled driving rain and fierce and unpredictable winds to claim 15th place, while British team-mate James Toseland couldn't convert a promising early part of the 28-lap race into a point-scoring finish. Edwards recovered several positions as his confidence grew in the tricky conditions to keep his place in the top seven in the world championship standings. Toseland had a strong start and found himself eighth for the opening laps, fighting hard to remain in contention with the group battling for fifth place. But as rain abated and parts of the new circuit started to dry, he was unable to sustain his impressive early speed with the changing conditions not suited to the set-up of his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine. He finished 18th in the shortened race, which was halted with eight laps remaining with conditions rapidly deteriorating from lap 15 onwards. A planned eight-lap restart was abandoned because of the high winds. Colin Edwards - Position: 15 Time: +1'00.613  "We spent too much time trying to make a new setting work, and because we'd had so much time on it we went for it in the race. But I couldn't get the bike to turn. My tyres felt great and I didn't have a problem with them at all, but I couldn't carry any corner speed. I'd get into the corner and I kept running wide. The only way to fix that is to go slower so you can hold the line and it wasn't really fun out there. I thought I'd got a good start and I got behind a couple of guys but everybody seemed to check up. They were right in front of me and the next thing I know, six guys are flying around the inside and outside of me. I was almost last by the second corner and I just put my head down to try and make some progress but I couldn't do anything. It is disappointing because I'm not out there not trying and running around in fifteenth. I'm out there trying my absolute hardest. The conditions were unbelievable. There was all kinds of debris at the end and you didn't know if it was gong to hit you because the wind was so unpredictable. It was a smart decision to stop it and maybe it could have come a lap or two earlier." James Toseland - Position: 18 Time: +1'07.968  "I didn't get off the line very well but I was a bit aggressive into the first turn and went round the outside and passed a few people. I felt pretty good but when it wasn't raining and the track started to dry out, my lap times just stayed the same. And is it dried out everybody else got quicker and I couldn't go any faster. It was spinning and obviously I was a bit too soft fith the rear setting. I had the same tyre as Andrea Dovizioso, so it was obviously the setting. I know I was running a softer setting than Colin and Jorge. When it was quite wet at the start it was obviously pretty good, but as it dried out it was just spinning. When it rained again I found a bit of pace again and could so similar times to the people in front, but by that time I'd lost a lot of places. At the end the wind was unbelievable. And the problem was it wasn't always in the same direction. It was totally unpredictable and it was gusting to the point where you had to anticipate something happening. They ran it for as long as they could but it was getting a bit hairy out there. It is a disappointing result but we'll move onto Japan for the next race, where I am obviously hoping to give Yamaha a positive result." Herve Poncharal - Team Manager  "I am very disappointed with the race. We saw that a rider with our package has done really, really well. James started quite well but he started to lose a lot of ground while, Colin was again very cautious in the first laps like in Misano. When we remember what we were doing in the first part of the season and we see what we are doing now, I am not happy. We have to find some solutions because we shouldn't be finishing where we are. "Looking at the race it was run in incredibly difficult conditions. There will be some debate about whether the race should have been restarted but with safety the prime concern, I think it was the right decision because the wind was playing a big part. It is a shame that the 250 race wasn't run because the fans came to see all the races. But I'd like to thank everyone associated with the Indianapolis circuit. All the people who have worked with us have been trying tremendously hard to make this a fantastic weekend. Unfortunately the weather has played a big part and nobody deserved this. Finally, congratulations to Valentino for breaking the all-time winning record in MotoGP. It is an incredible achievement and great to see him do it riding for Yamaha." Race 1 - 20 Laps  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, ITA, 37'20.095 2, Nicky Hayden, Honda, USA, 0'5.972 3, Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha, ESP, 0'7.858 4, Casey Stoner, Ducati, AUS, 0'28.162 5, Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, ITA, 0'28.824 6, Ben Spies, Suzuki, USA, 0'29.645 7, Sylvain Guintoli, Ducati, FRA, 0'36.223 8, Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, ESP, 0'37.258 9, Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki, AUS, 0'38.442 10, Alex De Angelis, Honda, SMR, 0'42.437 11, Anthony West, Kawasaki, AUS, 0'47.179 12, Toni Elias, Ducati, ESP, 0'55.962 13, Randy De Puniet, Honda, FRA, 0'57.366 14, John Hopkins, Kawasaki, USA, 0'58.353 15, Colin Edwards, Yamaha, USA, 1'0.613 16, Loris Capirossi, Suzuki, ITA, 1'5.620 17, Shinya Nakano, Honda, JPN, 1'5.854 18, James Toseland, Yamaha, GBR, 1'7.968 19, Marco Melandri, Ducati, ITA, 1'21.023 Best Lap Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, ITA, 1'49.668 Rider Standings 14/09/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, ITA, 287 2, Casey Stoner, Ducati, AUS, 200 3, Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, ESP, 193 4, Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha, ESP, 156 5, Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, ITA, 129 6, Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki, AUS, 117 7, Colin Edwards, Yamaha, USA, 109 8, Nicky Hayden, Honda, USA, 104 9, Shinya Nakano, Honda, JPN, 87 10, Loris Capirossi, Suzuki, ITA, 86 11, Toni Elias, Ducati, ESP, 86 12, James Toseland, Yamaha, GBR, 85 13, Sylvain Guintoli, Ducati, FRA, 56 14, Alex De Angelis, Honda, SMR, 55 15, Marco Melandri, Ducati, ITA, 48 Team Standings 14/09/2008 Pos., Team, Points 1, FIAT Yamaha Team, 443 2, Repsol Honda Team, 297 3, Ducati Marlboro Team, 248 4, Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 205 5, Tech3 Yamaha, 194 6, Honda Gresini, 142 7, Team Alice, 142 8, JIR Scot Team, 129 9, Kawasaki Racing Team, 82 10, Honda LCR, 43 Manufacturer Standings 14/09/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Yamaha, 316 2, Honda, 243 3, Ducati, 241 4, Suzuki, 149 5, Kawasaki, 71
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Philippaerts wins 2008 MX1-GP World Championship!

The Yamaha Monster Motocross Team celebrated a fantastic end to a wonderful season of racing as David Philippaerts became world champion and went home permanently with the red plate as MX1-GP series leader after the fifteenth and final round at the Faenza circuit in Italy. The 24 year old fronted the FIM world championship for 13 of the 15 events and was crowned 'number one' with the YZ450FM for the first time in his career in front of 30,000 wiling spectators. The Italian, in his first season with the Yamaha Monster Motocross Team and only his second in the MX-1 GP class after moving up from successful exploits in MX2-GP, defied the pressure of expectation by his home crowd and also the last-gasp attentions of main rivals Steve Ramon and Ken De Dycker to take results of 3rd and 9th for 5th overall across the damp soil. The tight and compact Faenza circuit (some 50km east of Bologna) did not offer a typical Italian test thanks to some changeable weather conditions and outbreaks of rain that left the terrain a mixture of slippery and soft parts. Philippaerts rode determinedly in Moto1 to rise from 8th to 3rd by mid-distance and leave nearest challenger Ramon in his wake. Finishing one position behind De Dycker meant that the champion-elect needed just three points to claim his prize. An understandably cautious approach in Moto2 saw Philippaerts settle for a safe top ten slot. After jumping for joy at the finish line he was mobbed by an army of fans, media and well-wishers at the finish line in scenes not witnessed at a motocross Grand Prix for many years. His achievement in 2008 represented the fourth crown in five years for the Yamaha factory team with the potent and conquering YZ450FM. From the 30 motos of the 2008 FIM world championship Philippaerts recorded 3 wins and 13 top three finishes. From the 15 Grand Prix he obtained 7 overall podiums and was victorious twice. He is the first Italian to win the title in the blue ribbon category since Alex Puzar eighteen years ago in 1990. Josh Coppins ended the season with 6th place at Faenza. The New Zealander earned 5th in the final championship standings despite an unlucky campaign. He appeared twice on the rostrum, winning once and scoring 2 moto victories. The 31 year old had a problem with his front fork in the opening race and had to slow his speed; he took 10th by the flag. In the second outing he was back to form and held off several riders in an intense fight for 3rd place. The racing calendar is not yet quite over for both Yamaha Monster Motocross Team riders. Coppins competes in the Belgian Championship next weekend before travelling to Donington Park to represent New Zealand at the 62nd Motocross of Nations. Philippaerts will also be in the UK and wearing Italian colours. David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 5th, 1st in championship: "It has been a long, long year and now I am so happy. Steve and Ken were really fast all week and kept the pressure on. I wanted to take decent points at every GP and I only really believed that the title was in my grasp during that second moto today. I had looked at Steve's season in 2007 and I knew that consistency was the key to the title. I am so pleased for the team, Yamaha, Michele and my sponsors. I also want to say a big thank you to my girlfriend Alice. I am happy and it was so emotional to win the championship here in Italy and in front of those fans. I do not know what else I can say!" Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 6th, 5th in championship: "It has not been my year but I am happy for the team and for Yamaha to regain the championship. With the fork problem in the first moto my braking points were off and the traction was affected; I struggled basically and crashed twice. I was disappointed when I came in and we made some changes during the break. My start was again good and in the second race I showed that I am capable of running near the front. I am happy the season is over and that I finished the year injury-free. I finished in the top five but this is not that much of a consolation for me. Anyway, we will now look towards next season." Mino Raspanti, Racing Manager, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team: "This is a fantastic day, for many people connected with the team and with Yamaha. David was excellent in the first moto and was really dedicated and brave with his approach; many riders in the same position would have thought about the points but he pushed hard for the top three. He went for the safe result in Moto2 and he deserves all the acclaim. I am really happy for him. We knew he might win a few GPs this season but '08 was about gaining experience, so he has done an immense job, especially considering he led the championship from round three. Josh had a good second moto and it was a decent way to finish a season in which he has been so unlucky. After last year I am glad we have the title back and now we will continue working hard in the winter for a defence in 2009." Laurens Klein Koerkamp, Racing Division Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe: "Last year we were so close to the championship and now I really feel that the title is back where it belongs. MX1-GP is the top class in off-road racing and we wanted the championship back for 2008. It has been an incredible year and an exciting season. David came into the team as the new rider but he was leading the series from round three and had to weather that pressure all year. To finish it off like this, here in Italy, is really fantastic." Race 1 - 22 Laps  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 38'49.652 2, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 0'31.860 3, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 0'35.891 4, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 0'42.932 5, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 0'44.356 6, Marc De Reuver, Honda, NED, 0'45.635 7, Julien Bill, Honda, CHE, 0'46.998 8, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 0'49.515 9, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 0'57.967 10, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 1'0.552 11, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 1'1.630 12, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, 1'41.127 13, Martin Michek, TM, CZE, 1'42.414 14, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 1'48.962 15, Luis Correira, Yamaha, POR, 2'23.116 16, Pierre A. Renet, Suzuki, FRA, -1 Laps 17, Alex Salvini, Suzuki, ITA, -1 Laps 18, Carlos Campano, Yamaha, ESP, -1 Laps 19, Gregory Aranda, Kawasaki, FRA, -1 Laps 20, Loic Leonce, Yamaha, FRA, -1 Laps Race 2 - 22 Laps  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 39'20.428 2, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 0'5.714 3, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 0'10.748 4, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 0'13.861 5, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 0'15.936 6, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 0'17.332 7, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 0'48.880 8, Carlos Campano, Yamaha, ESP, 0'56.674 9, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 0'57.990 10, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 0'57.990 11, Julien Bill, Honda, CHE, 1'1.352 12, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 1'12.192 13, Alex Salvini, Suzuki, ITA, 1'19.864 14, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, 1'43.409 15, Pierre A. Renet, Suzuki, FRA, 1'52.048 16, Scott Columb, Suzuki, NZL, -1 Laps 17, Jacob Saylor, Kawasaki, USA, -1 Laps 18, Youhei Kojima, Suzuki, JPN, -1 Laps 19, Martin Michek, TM, CZE, -1 Laps 20, Matteo Dottori, Kawasaki, ITA, -2 Laps Rider Standings 14/09/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 509 2, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 495 3, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 490 4, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 455 5, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 446 6, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 444 7, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 392 8, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 352 9, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 320 10, Marc De Reuver, Honda, NED, 292 11, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 290 12, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 261 13, Julien Bill, Honda, CHE, 183 14, Aigar Leok, Yamaha, EST, 164 15, Kornel Nemeth, KTM, HUN, 159 16, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 147 17, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, 109 18, Mike Brown, Honda, USA, 107 19, James Noble, KTM, GBR, 94 20, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, 75 21, Carlos Campano, Yamaha, ESP, 74 Manufacturer Standings 14/09/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Suzuki, 587 2, Yamaha, 583 3, KTM, 575 4, Kawasaki, 518 5, Honda, 470 6, TM, 43 7, Aprilia, 23 ---------- RACE REPORT - 14/09/2008 Aubin ends 2008 championship with 3rd With 7th position overall at the Faenza circuit in Italy for the last round of the MX2-GP World Championship Yamaha Ricci Racing's Nico Aubin guided his YZ250F to 3rd place in the series. The Frenchman was 9th and 8th in the two motos under changeable but mainly bright skies and was able to fulfil his pre-season aim of securing a 'podium' finish behind champion Tyla Rattray and Tommy Searle. Despite a grim weather prediction of continual rain all day, the clouds emptied only in the morning during Sunday and made the track a mixture of slippery ground and sticky mud providing decent traction. First Yamaha rider in the classification was Utag Yamaha.com's Zach Osborne. The American took pole position on Saturday with victory in his heat race and then produced two decent moto performances (only blighted by an average start in Moto1) to place 7th and 3rd, for 4th overall. The teenager has impressed since coming to Europe for the eleventh round of the championship and has already signed to race for the British crew in 2009. Aubin was 7th and was expecting a victory at this last round but a crash in Moto1 and not finding a satisfactory rhythm with the track kept him away from the leaders. Team-mate Davide Guarneri was unable to complete the first moto after catching and twisting his weakened right knee. The Italian, who will have surgery on Tuesday and then face a 3-4 month rehab period before he can ride again, did not start the second race and ended the year 15th in the final table. 10th overall in Faenza belonged to the continually improving Alessandro Lupino, of the Yamaha Red Bull De Carli Team. The teenager marked a career-best with finishes of 10th and 12th after his first full season in 2008. Outgoing world champion Antonio Cairoli was on-hand at his home Grand Prix to present new winner Tyla Rattray with his number one plate. The Sicilian pulled out of the series at round ten with a knee injury and ended the year with 6th in the standings, registering 7 moto wins (from 20), 4 victories and 6 podiums from 10 events. Elsewhere 3C Racing's Manuel Monni finished 11th in a term where he gained a Grand Prix podium (in Spain) and also became MX2 Italian champion. He was disappointed with his 12th place result in Faenza, commenting that the track was very different from tests one month before and he could not find the speed to enter the top ten. His low point haul meant that he lost the chance of a top ten slot in the championship. Aubin (France), Monni (Italy) and Osborne (Puerto Rico) will contest the 62nd Motocross of Nations at Donington Park in two weeks time. Nico Aubin, Yamaha Ricci Racing 7th and 3rd in the championship: "I won a round in 2007 and I really wanted another victory before the end of 2008 but I was riding stiff on the bike and was not quick enough. The goal then became to keep third place in the championship and I got the job done. I am quite satisfied but the truth is that if Antonio Cairoli was not injured then I would likely have finished fourth." Davide Guarneri, Yamaha Ricci Racing, DNF and 15th in the championship: "The track was really rough and this is not the way I wanted to end the season. It has not been a lucky year for me and now I just want to finally have the surgery and get my body fit and well again for next time." Zach Osborne, Utag Yamaha.com, 4th and 22nd in the championship: "Just one point from the podium so it was quite a positive way to end the season. I was disappointed with my start in the first race; I made a complete mess with my technique and everything. I did better in the second moto and stayed in third for pretty much the whole way. I had one really big moment that cost me about four seconds and maybe that last spot on the podium but the result was OK. I enjoyed the track; it was really rough towards the end." Alessandro Lupino, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 10th and 23rd in the championship: "I am really happy and I had some nice races today. I started the first moto very well and although I dropped back a little bit I was strong at the finish for 10th; it was a lot of fun. My second start was awful and I was 28th and practically last! I pushed really hard and came back to 12th. The season has ended quite well for me and now I will go to Belgium to train this winter and be stronger for 2009." Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 6th in the championship: "My knee is much better and I am working on getting the strength back in my leg. I hope to be able to start riding at the beginning of November and will get on the 450 right away. It is a shame to be here at my home GP and not going for the championship, I knew it would go right until the end but I always thought I would be a part of it. It is great to see the fans again though! I am really happy for David, it has been quite a while since Italy had a really fast rider in the class and I would like to congratulate him for a good season." Race 1 - 22 Laps  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 40'15.199 2, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 0'1.247 3, Anthony Boissière, KTM, FRA, 0'2.732 4, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 0'13.268 5, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 0'31.918 6, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 0'34.575 7, Zach Osborne, Yamaha, USA, 0'35.071 8, Joel Roelants, KTM, BEL, 0'45.389 9, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 0'50.920 10, Alessandro Lupino, Yamaha, ITA, 0'52.194 11, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 0'59.374 12, Carl Nunn, Suzuki, GBR, 1'7.923 13, Gareth Swanepoel, Kawasaki, RSA, 1'10.840 14, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 1'20.902 15, Klemen Gercar, Yamaha, SVN, 1'41.598 16, Marvin Musquin, Honda, FRA, 1'48.914 17, Jake Nicholls, Suzuki, GBR, 1'49.997 18, Deny Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, -1 Laps 19, Marcus Norlen, Suzuki, SWE, -1 Laps 20, Antoine Meo, Husqvarna, FRA, -1 Laps Race 2 - 22 Laps  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 40'8.026 2, Joel Roelants, KTM, BEL, 0'5.185 3, Zach Osborne, Yamaha, USA, 0'10.637 4, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 0'14.105 5, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 0'15.501 6, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 0'19.513 7, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 0'52.490 8, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 0'56.786 9, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 0'58.613 10, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 0'58.887 11, Matti Seistola, Honda, FIN, 1'9.641 12, Alessandro Lupino, Yamaha, ITA, 1'10.768 13, Jeremy Tarroux, KTM, FRA, 1'16.069 14, Carl Nunn, Suzuki, GBR, 1'18.339 15, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 1'22.599 16, Evgeny Bobryshev, Yamaha, RUS, 1'25.793 17, Marvin Musquin, Honda, FRA, -1 Laps 18, Marcus Norlen, Suzuki, SWE, -1 Laps 19, Matteo Bonini, Yamaha, ITA, -1 Laps 20, Gert Krestinov, KTM, EST, -1 Laps Rider Standings 14/09/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 636 2, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 613 3, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 406 4, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 394 5, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 380 6, Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha, ITA, 357 7, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 307 8, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 299 9, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 291 10, Steven Frossard, Kawasaki, FRA, 289 11, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 277 12, Anthony Boissière, KTM, FRA, 263 13, Joel Roelants, KTM, BEL, 216 14, Marvin Musquin, Honda, FRA, 189 15, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 181 16, Jeremy Tarroux, KTM, FRA, 169 17, Gert Krestinov, KTM, EST, 118 18, Carl Nunn, Suzuki, GBR, 118 19, Gregory Aranda, Kawasaki, FRA, 101 20, Matti Seistola, Honda, FIN, 96 23, Alessandro Lupino, Yamaha, ITA, 75 24, Evgeny Bobryshev, Yamaha, RUS, 71 28, Matteo Bonini, Yamaha, ITA, 48 43, Deny Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 11 49, Martin Barr, Yamaha, GBR, 6 Manufacturer Standings 14/09/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, KTM, 716 2, Yamaha, 631 3, Kawasaki, 464 4, Suzuki, 371 5, Honda, 265 6, Husqvarna, 1
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Tom Sykes steps up to World Superbikes with Yamaha for 2009

The Yamaha Motor Italia World Superbike Team has signed promising young British rider Tom Sykes for the 2009 season with the option to extend for 2010. The 23yr old from Huddersfield in England will ride the all new 2009 Yamaha YZF R1 in next year’s World Superbike Championship. Sykes has proved to be a competitive and talented rider in the 2008 British Superbike Championship, showing an intelligent and mature riding style beyond his years.Two wildcard rides in WSB this year have seen him qualify an impressive sixth at Brands Hatch and seventh on the grid at Donington. At Brands he went on to score a sixth place in race two, whilst at Donington he had a storming race one, finishing up in second place after some close racing with Championship leader Troy Bayliss. Sykes raced in British Supersport for four years from 2003 to 2006, ending second in the championship in the final year. In 2007, his first year in British Superbike, Sykes finished the season a respectable sixth in the standings, and was named Rookie of The Year. He is currently second in the 2008 championship and the first rider on a four-cylinder machine. Massimo Meregalli – “Tom Sykes is an excellent signing for the team, he is the most interesting young rider in circulation in the racing world this year. I’ve had time to appreciate his riding qualities during the season and Brands Hatch was the confirmation of his talent for me. His brilliant result at Donington strengthened our conviction. We know that there will be much work next season because the new YZF-R1 arrives and it will have to learn the tracks. We have a lot of faith in being able to obtain good results quickly and the presence of a young person with a lot of ambition will give new motivation to the team.” “We are delighted to be able to offer Tom the next step in his racing career with Yamaha’s World Superbike Team” said Yamaha Motor Europe Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp. “We are sure he has the qualities needed to be a star rider of the future on the world stage. With the launch of the new R1 just three days ago, we are very excited about the potential for next year. We are looking forward to developing both the rider and the bike for championship success in 2009 and beyond.”
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Osborne committed to Yamaha for 2009 MX2-GPs

 
The British Utag Yamaha.com team have secured the services of vibrant young American Zach Osborne for the 2009 FIM MX2 World Championship. The 18 year old from Abingdon, Virginia will steer a YZ250F in next year’s series after impressing in a several outings this season. The teenager reeled off a series of excellent lap-times on his world championship debut through one of the hardest tracks of the schedule – Lommel, in Belgium – and was then again quick seven days later on the hard-pack of Loket for the round in the Czech Republic. He reached the front of the pack with emphatic determination two weeks ago in Ireland and won the first moto in what was only his third international appearance for the team. “I am happy that we have reached a deal,” said Osborne. “Steve Dixon and the team have been superb for me so far; their support has been great. I am looking forward to the challenge next season. I do not want to make any predictions but I will be doing my best for the guys and for Yamaha.” “We had already spoken with Zach about 2009 a couple of weeks ago and his win in Ireland showed that his commitment to us and the effort we have made in supporting him should hopefully lead to a promising full attempt next season,” said Team Principal Steve Dixon. “We are already working on development for next year and we are really happy to have a rider of Zach’s potential on board. I want us to keep on getting good results for Yamaha so that we can contribute and continue the company’s strong name and presence in the MX2-GP category.” “We are delighted that Zach will be racing for Yamaha in the MX2-GP World Championship,” said Yamaha Motor Europe Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp. “After very encouraging results as a junior he has recovered from some bad luck with injury and has started to show his potential on the Grand Prix scene and with Utag Yamaha.com. He should be an exciting addition to our line-up in the class for 2009.”
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Yamaha riders unveil new YZF-R1 in Las Vegas

 
All four Yamaha MotoGP riders took part in the global unveiling of the all-new Yamaha R1 today in a suitably glittering show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, plus Tech 3 Yamaha team-mates Colin Edwards and James Toseland were surprise guests at the unveiling, which took place in front of 3000 Yamaha US dealers at the famous Mirage Hotel. The all-new version of the R1, Yamaha's premium performance road bike, is more closely linked than ever to the YZR-M1 on which the four riders contest the MotoGP championship. The riders each came on stage aboard a different colour version of the machine, before being interviewed about it's qualities in relation to their own MotoGP bikes. Next stop for the foursome will be the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the inaugural MotoGP race at the famous venue, which takes place this Sunday. Valentino Rossi "This is a great bike, it's very like my M1 and it's exciting to see so many MotoGP qualities now appearing on a bike for the road. I think everyone who loves the R1 and Yamaha will be very excited about this new version, it's fantastic!" Jorge Lorenzo "I think this bike will be very popular. Yamaha have worked very hard to try to make it as like our M1 as possible and it seems they have done a fantastic job. The cornering and agility especially is great, which is of course one of the best qualities of the M1."
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Fantastic Philippaerts keeps series lead with one round to go

Yamaha Monster Motocross Team's David Philippaerts produced another stellar performance in a strong 2008 FIM MX1-GP season to-date to secure 4th position in the sand of Lierop for the Grand Prix of Benelux and extend his lead in the series from 5 to 14 points with just one round remaining. Team-mate Josh Coppins was extremely close to winning the second moto and ended up with 5th place. Lierop, near the city of Eindhoven, represented the third time the riders encountered the physical and technical demands of sandy terrain. The surface became rougher and bumpier throughout practice and provided a stage on which the Benelux riders - groomed from an early age in the sand - could excel. Under occasional showers and through strong winds, watched by a crowd of 35,000 spectators the team worked diligently to enjoy a sturdy set of results and edge closer to the title. Philippaerts surprised many after two reasonably decent starts to attack at the front and take part in a complicated pair of motos that saw many position changes and varying pace from the leaders. The team provided the 24 year old with a fettled YZ450FM on Saturday and the effort behind-the-scenes paid off. With main title rival Steve Ramon struggling, the Italian moved forwards and battled for first place in both sprints. He gained 3rd in Moto1 and obtained 5th in Moto2 to stretch his run as leader of the world championship to 11 Grand Prix (from 14) and importantly gain a bit more breathing space over Ramon and Ken De Dycker. Josh Coppins had one of his better qualification sessions of the year to take 6th spot on Saturday. The Kiwi felt in good form and although he started quite slowly from the depths of the top ten in both races his speed in the final third of the motos was excellent. After a positive 4th place earlier in the day his rhythm was knocked in the second outing when he got a tear-off visor caught in his mouth. Once unhindered, he began setting a rapid pace that pulled him to second position with two laps to go. The 31 year old did not realise he was so high up the ranking because the field was so dispersed, and a small miscalculation proved costly when he ran wide and hit the fence causing a crash on the penultimate circulation. He remounted to take 6th and 5th place overall. 50 points are all that remain in the 2008 MX1-GP World Championship. Philippaerts holds a gap of 14 over Ramon and 25 over De Dycker. Coppins is 5th and needs more than 37 points to make the top three. Yamaha are tied on points at the top of the Manufacturer's standings. The Grand Prix Citta di Faenza, at Faenza, will culminate a tense, exciting and very entertaining 2008 world championship for the team in just seven days time. David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 4th: "This was a big result today. I wanted to go out there and try to win the title, not the race. I finished third in the first moto and for an Italian at Lierop I did not think that was bad at all! In the second moto I looked for the victory but pushed a bit too hard because I felt tired at the finish. I had some close moments out there and I tried my best, aware that anything can happen. The team worked really hard all weekend and the bike was great for the races; I am really happy with this GP. We go to Faenza next and I think two top five positions will be good enough for the championship. I will go home and remain focussed this week. I just want to train and do my normal routine and see what next weekend brings." Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 5th: "The same old story for me really, two crashes and something little and annoying like a tear-off in my mouth. In the first race I took it a bit easy at the start because I was mindful of my energy for the second moto. After crashing with Marc in the second I just put all my anger and frustration at this season in the rest of those laps and it brought me to the front. It was nice to race with the guys again after so many incidents at the starts of motos recently. I honestly did not know I was second. I did not see anything on the pit-board and I guess positions were changing quite fast. If I knew Ken was the leader then I would have backed off slightly in order to line him up. I can't seem to get a Grand Prix right, but I will give my best in Faenza to try and get something from this season." Mino Raspanti, Racing Manager: "Apart from the last two laps for Josh it was a really good weekend for us. A moto win would have been possible and it would have been positive for him because he has had bad luck recently. He was riding well after the first moments of the races and it would have been nice to see him on the podium. I am really happy for David. He surprised many people with his speed and approach. He looked a bit tired in the last twenty minutes of the second moto and then decided to play it safe.  The team worked really hard to get the bikes ready and I was surprised at how much progress we made in such a short time so a big thank you to everyone. There will be many people and many supporters for David in Faenza and for sure it will be a different Grand Prix compared to normal but we will try our best to treat it as another race and hope for the right result!" Race 1 - 17 Laps  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Marc De Reuver, Honda, NED, 40'3.592 2, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 0'8.025 3, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 0'11.507 4, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 0'20.570 5, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 0'22.773 6, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 0'25.932 7, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 0'50.755 8, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 1'15.921 9, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'23.049 10, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 1'25.376 11, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 1'33.239 12, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 1'35.665 13, Aigar Leok, Yamaha, EST, 1'45.231 14, Patrick Roos, KTM, NED, 2'0.638 15, Scott Columb, Suzuki, NZL, 2'36.250 16, William Saris, Yamaha, NED, -1 Laps 17, Cedric Melotte, Aprilia, BEL, -1 Laps 18, Luis Correira, Yamaha, POR, -1 Laps 19, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, -1 Laps 20, Loic Leonce, Yamaha, FRA, -1 Laps Race 2 - 17 Laps  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 40'14.189 2, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 0'4.653 3, Marc De Reuver, Honda, NED, 0'13.630 4, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 0'14.733 5, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 0'16.478 6, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 0'21.415 7, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 0'28.700 8, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 0'36.755 9, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 0'42.159 10, Aigar Leok, Yamaha, EST, 1'24.811 11, William Saris, Yamaha, NED, 1'32.143 12, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'39.869 13, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 1'46.678 14, Cedric Melotte, Aprilia, BEL, 1'57.496 15, Carlos Campano, Yamaha, ESP, 1'59.821 16, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, 2'6.014 17, Loic Leonce, Yamaha, FRA, -1 Laps 18, Luis Correira, Yamaha, POR, -1 Laps 19, Scott Columb, Suzuki, NZL, -1 Laps 20, Gregory Aranda, Kawasaki, FRA, -1 Laps Rider Standings 07/09/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 477 2, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 463 3, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 452 4, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 419 5, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 415 6, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 394 7, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 392 8, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 337 9, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 293 10, Marc De Reuver, Honda, NED, 277 11, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 263 12, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 245 13, Aigar Leok, Yamaha, EST, 164 14, Julien Bill, Honda, CHE, 159 15, Kornel Nemeth, KTM, HUN, 159 16, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 135 17, Mike Brown, Honda, USA, 107 18, James Noble, KTM, GBR, 94 19, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, 93 20, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, 75 21, Carlos Campano, Yamaha, ESP, 58 Manufacturer Standings 07/09/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Suzuki, 543 2, Yamaha, 543 3, KTM, 525 4, Kawasaki, 494 5, Honda, 443 6, TM, 33 7, Aprilia, 23 ---------- RACE REPORT - 07/09/2008 Aubin back on the podium at Lierop Yamaha Ricci Racing's Nico Aubin celebrated his second podium result of the 2008 MX2-GP World Championship and also moved up to third in the series standings courtesy of his third position in the damp sand of Lierop for the Grand Prix of Benelux and the fourteenth and penultimate round of the competition. The Frenchman defied a small crash in the first of two motos across the bumpy and technical Dutch sand to take 4th and 3rd places and lift his second set of silverware in 2008. Thanks to his efforts ahead of rival Shaun Simpson, Aubin is third in the championship and 14 points in front of the Scot with just 50 to play for at the final race in Italy. 35,000 spectators flocked to the shower-hit and windy venue and saw Aubin enact one of his best performances of the season on a difficult terrain and register his first top three finish in the sand. The next highest placed YZ250F rider was Yamaha Van Beers' Evgeny Bobryshev, who set career-best results with 8th overall and a 7th position finish in Moto2. Aubin's team-mate, Davide Guarneri, scored 17th (minus a rear brake in Moto1) and 11th for 13th overall, on a surface that is not one of the Italian's strongest. Despite his weakened knee, Guarneri - the Spanish Grand Prix winner - is 13th in the championship. 3C Racing's Manuel Monni was 13th in the final GP ranking while Yamaha Red Bull De Carli's Matteo Bonini continued his comeback to race fitness after injury to place 18th overall and score points in the second moto. Utag Yamaha.com's Zach Osborne struggled on the sand in Moto1 and hit the terrain on three separate occasions, finally crossing the line outside of the points. He was doing better in Moto2 and gaining ground on the top five until a mechanical problem halted his race. In other news Mike Vanderstraeten, winner of first MX Rookie trophy held prior to the GP of Belgium for amateur youngsters, was presented with his prize (a YZ250F) by series instigator Eric Geboers and Yamaha Monster Motocross Team owner Michele Rinaldi. "I am really happy to have won the trophy," the sixteen year old Belgian said. "My goal now is to keep on improving as a rider and maybe one day I can race in the world championship." "I want to congratulate Mike for his victory and I am proud on behalf of Yamaha that he has won the first trophy," said Michele Rinaldi. "I hope he can repeat his win with us in the future and who knows? Maybe he could become one of our factory riders one day." 2007 World Champion Tony Cairoli will be present at his home Grand Prix - the fifteenth and final round of the '08 series - next weekend to hand over his number one plate. The Grand Prix Citta di Faenza will take place at the Faenza circuit a short distance from Bologna and around 40 km from the city of Ravenna. Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha Ricci Racing, 3rd: "Top three in the championship was my aim at the beginning of the season so I was watching Simpson and Goncalves carefully today. I had some low moments in the middle of the year but I have been building it back up and getting better step-by-step. I liked the track but my starts were not great and I made some small mistakes, apart from that moment my rhythm was strong and my lines were good. I am happy with the podium today and can take some more confidence to Faenza." Davide Guarneri, Yamaha Ricci Racing, 13th: "I am struggling a little for motivation at the moment. I would just like to finish the season and start preparing myself for 2009. This GP was like hell! So many bumps and jumps. I had a bad start in the first race and then my back brake faded in the middle of the moto so I had to lower my pace and could not push. In the second I made my rhythm, which was not so bad, and I made 11th. Nobody passed me and I was so tired by the end. We will see now how I can finish the year in Faenza. I have a lot of problems with my knee but it is the last race so we have to go for it!" Matteo Bonini, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 18th: "In the first moto I had a bad start and I did not want to go too crazy and waste energy because I knew it would be difficult for me to finish 40 minutes here. I found it difficult to find a rhythm but by the midpoint I was riding better, around four seconds faster, but it was too late to get any points. My start was great in the second moto. I knew I could not stay in the top five but my speed was good immediately. I thought it would be possible to stay in the top ten but then I crashed before the pit-lane and it took me a long time to restart the bike. I built up my speed again but had some more trouble and just wanted to finish. I am a bit sad because I think I could have taken a good position without the crash." Zach Osborne, Utag Yamaha.com, 26th: "In the first moto I just struggled with the rhythm of the track. It wasn't a good race for me and I fell three times. In the second moto I started OK and was around eighth before we had another small problem with the bike. Overall it was not a good day but I learned a lot from the weekend. The sand was a lot different to Lommel. It was heavier and required a different technique. The Grand Prix was a good experience." Race 1 - 18 Laps  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 41'4.866 2, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 0'0.614 3, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 0'15.176 4, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 1'6.469 5, Joel Roelants, KTM, BEL, 1'7.909 6, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 1'24.725 7, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 1'45.299 8, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 1'45.508 9, Matiss Karro, Suzuki, LVA, 1'59.826 10, Gareth Swanepoel, Kawasaki, RSA, 2'7.013 11, Evgeny Bobryshev, Yamaha, RUS, 2'24.108 12, Gert Krestinov, KTM, EST, -1 Laps 13, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, -1 Laps 14, Matti Seistola, Honda, FIN, -1 Laps 15, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, -1 Laps 16, Steven Frossard, Kawasaki, FRA, -1 Laps 17, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, -1 Laps 18, Anthony Boissière, KTM, FRA, -1 Laps 19, Harri Kullas, KTM, FIN, -1 Laps 20, Jan Van Hastenburg, Honda, NED, -1 Laps Race 2 - 18 Laps  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 41'13.223 2, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 0'13.301 3, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 0'53.892 4, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 1'2.155 5, Gert Krestinov, KTM, EST, 1'8.807 6, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 1'38.206 7, Evgeny Bobryshev, Yamaha, RUS, 1'45.014 8, Matiss Karro, Suzuki, LVA, 1'47.620 9, Gareth Swanepoel, Kawasaki, RSA, 1'53.340 10, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 1'59.094 11, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 2'1.720 12, Matti Seistola, Honda, FIN, 2'3.148 13, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 2'7.777 14, Rob van Vijfeijken, Yamaha, NED, 2'38.207 15, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, -1 Laps 16, Matteo Bonini, Yamaha, ITA, -1 Laps 17, Rinus Van de Ven, KTM, NED, -1 Laps 18, Carl Nunn, Suzuki, GBR, -1 Laps 19, Jan Van Hastenburg, Honda, NED, -1 Laps 20, Harri Kullas, KTM, FIN, -1 Laps Rider Standings 07/09/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 596 2, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 563 3, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 381 4, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 367 5, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 365 6, Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha, ITA, 357 7, Steven Frossard, Kawasaki, FRA, 289 8, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 283 9, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 277 10, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 259 11, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 257 12, Anthony Boissière, KTM, FRA, 243 13, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 181 14, Joel Roelants, KTM, BEL, 181 15, Marvin Musquin, Honda, FRA, 180 16, Jeremy Tarroux, KTM, FRA, 161 17, Gert Krestinov, KTM, EST, 117 18, Carl Nunn, Suzuki, GBR, 102 19, Gregory Aranda, Kawasaki, FRA, 101 20, Gautier Paulin, Kawasaki, FRA, 95 22, Evgeny Bobryshev, Yamaha, RUS, 66 24, Alessandro Lupino, Yamaha, ITA, 55 27, Matteo Bonini, Yamaha, ITA, 46 45, Deny Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 8 48, Martin Barr, Yamaha, GBR, 6 Manufacturer Standings 07/09/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, KTM, 666 2, Yamaha, 597 3, Kawasaki, 430 4, Suzuki, 347 5, Honda, 250 ---------- RACE REPORT - 07/09/2008 Prumm ends 2008 with 9th Yamaha Van Beers racer Katherine Prumm has taken 9th position in the first ever FIM Women's World Championship after the fifth and final round took place at a showery and windy Lierop circuit in the Netherland for the Grand Prix of Benelux. Prumm, absent through injury, took podiums in two rounds of the series before breaking her collarbone in a practice accident. Livia Lancelot was crowned as champion after winning the Grand Prix ahead of Steffy Laier and American Ashley Fiolek in third place. The second edition of the series will take place in 2009 and will be extended from five to eight rounds. Race 1 - 10 Laps  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Stephanie Laier, KTM, GER, 27'16.891 2, Livia Lancelot, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'23.729 3, Elin Mann, KTM, SWE, 0'31.809 4, Ashley Fiolek, Honda, USA, 0'54.545 5, Marielle De Mol, Yamaha, NED, 1'5.134 6, Brenda Wagemans, KTM, BEL, 1'6.603 7, Larissa Papenmeier, Suzuki, GER, 1'7.838 8, Marianne Veenstra, Suzuki, NED, 1'15.402 9, Elien De Winter, KTM, BEL, 1'17.817 10, Nicky Van Wordragen, KTM, NED, 1'40.513 11, Aubriana Dunn, Honda, USA, 2'5.405 12, Maria Franke, Kawasaki, GER, -1 Laps 13, Shirley Verkade, KTM, NED, -1 Laps 14, Sofia Sjöberg, Honda, SWE, -1 Laps 15, Sara Petterson, KTM, SWE, -1 Laps Race 2 - 10 Laps  Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Livia Lancelot, Kawasaki, FRA, 27'5.013 2, Larissa Papenmeier, Suzuki, GER, 0'17.770 3, Ashley Fiolek, Honda, USA, 0'24.030 4, Marielle De Mol, Yamaha, NED, 0'30.985 5, Nicky Van Wordragen, KTM, NED, 0'37.546 6, Stephanie Laier, KTM, GER, 0'47.365 7, Marianne Veenstra, Suzuki, NED, 0'51.091 8, Brenda Wagemans, KTM, BEL, 0'52.125 9, Maria Franke, Kawasaki, GER, 0'58.276 10, Elien De Winter, KTM, BEL, 1'52.318 11, Sofia Sjöberg, Honda, SWE, 1'52.795 12, Britt Van der Wekken, Honda, NED, 1'55.413 13, Elin Mann, KTM, SWE, 2'7.199 14, Sara Petterson, KTM, SWE, 2'9.341 15, Sandra Adriansson, Suzuki, SWE, 2'23.877 Rider Standings 07/09/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Livia Lancelot, Kawasaki, FRA, 212 2, Stephanie Laier, KTM, GER, 185 3, Maria Franke, Kawasaki, GER, 166 4, Larissa Papenmeier, Suzuki, GER, 160 5, Elin Mann, KTM, SWE, 144 6, Ashley Fiolek, Honda, USA, 140 7, Marianne Veenstra, Suzuki, NED, 135 8, Elien De Winter, KTM, BEL, 133 9, Katherine Prumm, Yamaha, NZL, 122 10, Marielle De Mol, Yamaha, NED, 101 11, Nicky Van Wordragen, KTM, NED, 90 12, Brenda Wagemans, KTM, BEL, 83 13, Anne Borchers, Suzuki, GER, 67 14, Sandra Adriansson, Suzuki, SWE, 64 15, Sofia Sjöberg, Honda, SWE, 51 Manufacturer Standings 07/09/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Kawasaki, 219 2, KTM, 217 3, Yamaha, 182 4, Suzuki, 177 5, Honda, 162 6, TM, 28
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno