TOP 10 FINISH FOR ROCKSTAR ENERGY IN SAN DIEGO

Team Suzuki Press Office - February 21.
Team Rockstar Energy Suzuki scored a top ten finish in the sixth round of the 2011 AMA/FIM Supercross Lites West Championship season on Saturday night at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.
Ryan Morais rode a strong race in the wet conditions, powering his Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki RM-Z250 to a ninth-place finish. Team mate Martin Davalos had a tough night, finishing 12th in the 15-lap Lites Main Event.
After a delayed and shortened practice and qualifying, Morais had a decent ride on his RM-Z250 in his heat race, finishing fifth. A mid-pack start in the Main put Morais 10th after the second lap. An incident on lap two sent him to the back of the pack, but he dug deep and his RM-Z powered him through the pack to a ninth-placed finish.
"I just didn't get a good start in the Main," said Morais. "After that, I was trying to make something happen in the first couple laps and ended up crashing. I got back up nearly last but I put my head down, felt pretty good, and clicked off some pretty good laps on my Suzuki RM-Z and ended up finishing ninth. I'm not real happy with the result but I felt I actually rode pretty well. I plan on working hard over our break and come back to Seattle strong."
Davalos started his day with a decent time in practice and qualifying. After a problem in his heat race, his Suzuki RM-Z250 powered him to a win in the last chance qualifier. In the Main, the Rockstar Energy Suzuki rider had a tough start and ended up on the ground a couple times before crossing the line in 12th place.
"I started out decent in practice," said Davalos. "But I made a couple mistakes in my heat race and ended up having to go to the last chance qualifier, which I won. I crashed twice in the Main Event, struggled a bit, and ended up 12th. I'm going to go back home to Georgia over the break and try to get ready for the last three rounds. I really want to win and I know I can put my RM-Z on top of the box."
The 2011 Rockstar Energy Suzuki team's next event is Saturday, February 26th, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.
San Diego Supercross Lites Class Results:
1. Eli Tomac
2. Tyla Rattray
3. Broc Tickle
4. Cole Seely
5. James Decotis
6. Joshua Hansen
7. Ken Roczen
8. Ben Evans
9. Ryan Morais (Rockstar Energy Suzuki)
10. Kyle Cunningham
12. Martin Davalos (Rockstar Energy Suzuki)
2011 Supercross Lites West Standings:
1. Joshua Hansen - 128
2. Broc Tickle - 125
3. Eli Tomac - 116
4. Ryan Morais (Rockstar Energy Suzuki) - 96
5. Cole Seely - 88
6. Ken Roczen - 83
7. Tyla Rattray - 80
8. Kyle Cunningham - 71
9. Martin Davalos (Rockstar Energy Suzuki) - 69
10. James Decotis - 67
 

 
METCALFE 9TH AS DUNGEY DERAILS CHAIN AT ANAHEIM

Team Suzuki Press Office - February 7.
Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Brett Metcalfe raced his Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki RM-Z450 to a ninth-place finish at Saturday night's 2011 AMA/FIM Supercross Championship fifth round at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, as reigning Champion Ryan Dungey suffered a derailed chain and was forced to retire.
Metcalfe piloted his Suzuki to a fourth-place finish in the first 450 heat race, then after a tough 13th-place start in the Main Event, he worked his way through the pack to score a ninth-place finish.
"It wasn't one of my better days," said Metcalfe. "Everything for me today was just difficult. But you learn a lot from these days and we'll take it and move forward. I want to thank the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team for sticking by me and we'll just concentrate on Houston. I've always liked Houston and have generally done pretty well there."
Dungey started the day with a strong practice and finished first in timed qualifying on his RM-Z. He grabbed the holeshot in his heat race and finished with a convincing win. A mid-pack start in the Main put him in 10th after the first lap. But he kept his head down and was able to work his way through the pack up to sixth place by lap seven. Unfortunately, on lap eight, the Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider threw the chain and ended with a DNF in the. Based on initial observations, his Rockstar Makita Suzuki team concurs that the chain loss was a result of a rock or other foreign object in the sprocket or possible contact with another rider.
"Well, obviously the Main event didn't go our way tonight," said Dungey. "The bad part is that we had a really good day; a good practice and a really great bike setup. We won the heat and then ran into some bad luck in the Main. It's a pretty tough pill to swallow because the entire Rockstar Makita Suzuki team has been working really, really hard. I don't know the last time we've had a DNF, which is pretty amazing in itself. This is a tough one and I'll take the weekend to blow off some steam for sure because we aren't going to quit and we aren't going to let this keep us down. The goals are still the same. We will be there at Houston."
The 2011 Rockstar Makita Suzuki team's next event is Saturday, February 12th, at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Anaheim II Supercross Class Results:
1. James Stewart (Yamaha); 2. Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki); 3. Chad Reed (Honda); 4. Justin Brayton (Yamaha); 5. Trey Canard (Honda); 6. Andrew Short (KTM); 7. Ivan Tedesco (Kawasaki); 8. Kevin Windham (Honda); 9. Brett Metcalfe (Rockstar Makita Suzuki); 20. Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki).
Race images: http://www.suzuki-racing.com/imagelibrary_thumbs.aspx?SRS_ID=4&RND_ID=616&OBJ_ID=0

 

World Superbike

 
RAMON MAKES HISTORY WITH LE TOUQUET WIN
Team Suzuki Press Office - January 30.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1's Steve Ramon has started 2011 in the best possible way by fulfilling a career goal and giving Suzuki a first taste of success at arguably the most famous beach race in Europe.
The 31 year old Belgian - a FIM Motocross World Champion in two categories and seven times Belgian MX national champion - rode for three hours across the French sand at Le Touquet to stand victorious and add the honour to his impressive CV.
Using a modified 2010 RM-Z450 Grand Prix machine - including a larger fuel tank, speedometer, different gear box and ratios and configuration to comply with the Enduropale rules - Ramon swiftly hit the front in the race with eleven 15km laps, hundreds of entrants; and with a crowd of more than 200,000 lining the coast. A winner of numerous beach events and an extremely capable racer in the sand, Ramon faced some pressure on the final circulation from Frenchman Jean-Claude Mousse, but was still able to take the chequered flag in the high-profile competition that was inaugurated in 1975.
"I had a lot of fun and to win at Le Touquet has always been one of my goals," said Ramon. "When you see all the people watching, you get to see just how big this event is; I have won a lot of beach races and I guess I came here as the favourite but it was still a hard ride.
"I started around fourth or fifth and took the lead before the end of the first lap," he continued. "We managed our pit-stops well and the last stages were tough physically as well as trying to find a way past all the backmarkers. Mousse made a mistake on the final lap and I was able to take advantage. Overall it is an amazing result, not just for me but also for Suzuki."
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 will now commence a busy schedule of testing and racing building up to the first round of 15 in the 2011 FIM Motocross World Championship that begins in Bulgaria on April 11th. Ramon and team-mate Clement Desalle are next due to appear at the Valence International event near Lyon in two weeks time.

P

Looking for the snowmobile races? Races and race results posted at http://www.snowcross.com/1/1_1_0.php

 
FABRIZIO AND ALSTARE POSITIVE AFTER ARAGON WSBK TEST
Team Suzuki Press Office - October 29.
New Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio used the three-day World Superbike test at the Motorland circuit at Aragon in Spain getting comfortable with his GSX-R1000 and start work with his new team.
It was Fabrizio's second time on a four-cylinder bike after years of riding a twin, but the Italian soon got into the groove and left the circuit in a happy frame of mind. Although there's a lot of work to be done before the 2011 season, Fabrizio and the crew have gelled from the start - thanks to him having worked with Suzuki Alstare in the past - and they are now looking forward to moving forward at the next round of tests.
Motorland Aragon is a new circuit and a round of the 2011 Superbike World Championship will be held here next, so it was important that riders and teams got to know the demanding track ahead of next year's race. The 5.344-kilometre circuit features many changes of elevation and is regarded as a technical track, but one that is also fun to ride.
Michel Fabrizio:
"After our test in Magny-Cours in early October, it was good to get back on the bike and continue where we left off in France. Here we spent a lot of time working with the bike and trying to make me feel comfortable with it. After years of riding a twin-cylinder bike, there is a lot to adapt to, because the characteristics of a four-cylinder bike is very different to that of a twin. After these three days, I felt much more comfortable on the bike and I was able to steadily-build up my confidence. We haven't been chasing lap times or pushing too hard, but what we've done here is build up our understanding step by step.
"Having known most of the mechanics from when I raced for the team before has helped a lot and I've felt pretty comfortable with the team right from the start. That has made the work more-easy and our progress quicker. To be honest, I didn't expect to get on with the bike as quickly as I have - but that is a good sign.
"This track is quite technical and there are many ups and downs, but I like it a lot. It's a demanding track and although it's not that hard to learn, it is quite hard to shave off those last fractions of a second when you are chasing lap times. The surface is very abrasive and none of our tyres have lasted more than about eight or so laps. It's the same for everybody here - not just us. We are using a different layout to the MotoGP boys and have one really slow corner after a long, fast straight; and this interrupts the flow a lot. It's a shame that we cannot use the same layout as MotoGP because it might have been fun looking at our different lap times.
"There have been no big problems or dramas during the tests and I'm pretty satisfied about how everything has gone. Now I'm looking forward to the next tests, getting to know the bike better; and improving all round."
I

BORICH AND SUZUKI R450 WIN IRONMAN FINALE
Team Suzuki Press Office - October 25.
GNCC ATV Champion Chris Borich clinched his 11th victory in the 13-race schedule at the Ironman GNCC aboard his Championship-winning Suzuki QuadRacer R450 at the weekend.
Borich, who lifted the title at the 12th round of the series, finished the season off in style by dominating the race in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He led the race from the start and never relinquished the top spot; taking the holeshot and quickly pulling away from the rest of the pack for the entire two-hour race through the woods. When the chequered flag came out, he was more than a minute ahead of the rest of the field.
"I got a good start and I knew I had the Championship all wrapped up, so I decided to go out and put the hammer down to see what I could pull," said Borich. "It was just an awesome day out there and I was having a ball all by myself. My Suzuki has had great power all year long and I'm really happy with how this season has gone for me."
His winning season has cemented the status of the Suzuki QuadRacer R450 as the top Quad in USA competition: The QuadRacer R450 has won the GNCC ATV title two years in a row and it's also been the Championship-winning Quad for three years running in the AMA ATV Motocross series.

 

SUZUKI DOMINATES CANBERRA SUPERCROSS

Team Suzuki Press Office - October 25

Dual and defending Pro Lites Supercross Champion Matt Moss put Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki back on top with a clean sweep of the second round of the Australasian Supercross Championship at Canberra on Saturday night.
Moss spent the week on his Suzuki RM-Z250 working on his starts after the first round at Newcastle and the time was well spent: After qualifying second fastest, Moss grabbed the holeshot in race one of the triple challenge and quickly built up a four-second lead.
From that point he was never seriously challenged and rode a beautifully-controlled race to win by 3.2 seconds from series leader PJ Larsen.
Team-mate Lawson Bopping - keen to put in a strong showing in front of his home crowd - started superbly but was involved in a huge crash at the end of the opening lap, putting him out of contention.
Moss started strongly in race two, narrowly missing the holeshot. Arch rival Larsen started in similar fashion and from that point the pair put on the best Pro Lites race of the season so far.
Larsen - the 2010 National Motocross Pro Lites Champion - pushed Moss to the limit, but Moss maintained his lead throughout and ultimately won race two by 1.7 seconds from Larsen, with Team Raceline Pirelli Suzuki's Steven Clarke putting another RM-Z250 on the box.
Bopping showed true grit by coming back from his spectacular first race spill to finish in the top 10 in race two.
The third and final race proved a procession for Moss, who grabbed his second holeshot of the night and quickly built up a two second lead.
Fatigue from the gruelling triple challenge format - which limited time between each race to just five minutes - started taking its toll in the final race. Larsen suffered a big crash on lap three and fell to the back of the field, easing the pressure on Moss who rode another controlled race to lead from wire to wire.
Clarke grabbed second position in the final race while Bopping managed to salvage his night with a gutsy eighth place.
Moss's maximum points haul has given him a commanding lead in the championship, now 18 points clear of Larsen. Clarke's excellent round has promoted him to fifth, while Bopping is in sixth position.
In addition to the Pro Lites Rider's Championship, Suzuki also leads the Pro Lites Manufacturer's Championship.
Moss' twin brother Jake, inspired by his brother Matt, started well in the Pro Open event and showed he will be a contender on the Suzuki RM-Z450 by taking fourth position. He was the first Aussie home behind the US invasion led by Kevin Windham. Unfortunately that was to be his best result of the night, finishing 16th in the second race after suffering two crashes and then having to withdraw from the final race of the evening. His 23 point haul keeps him in the top 10 of the Pro Open championship.
Jay Foreman, Rockstar Motul Suzuki Team Manager said: "We are really happy with the way Matt went about the weekend, putting in a dominant racing display. He just needs to keep on doing what he is doing.
"Both Lawson and Jake both showed how capable they are. If they start well and get some luck they will run up front."
Round 2 2010 Australasian Supercross Championship Results:
Pro Open:
1. Kevin WINDHAM
2. Josh HANSEN
3. Justin BRAYTON
4. Jay MARMONT
5. Mike ALESSI
6. Tye SIMMONDS
7. Daniel REARDON
8. Todd WATERS
9. Daniel McCOY
10. Lewis WOODS
Pro Open Championship Standings:
1. Josh HANSEN 108
2. Justin BRAYTON 98
3. Jay MARMONT 88
4. Daniel REARDON 77
5. Kevin WINDHAM 75
6. Tye SIMMONDS 68
7. Todd WATERS 65
8. Daniel McCOY 65
9. Lewis WOODS 56
10. Jake MOSS (Suzuki) 50
Pro Lites:
1. Matt MOSS (Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki)
2. Steven Clarke (Team Raceline Pirelli Suzuki)
3. Ryan MARMONT
4. PJ LARSEN
5. Cody MACKIE
6. Ford DALE
7. Kirk GIBBS
8. Luke STYKE
9. Josh CACHIA
10. Harley QUINLAN
Pro Lites Championship Standings:
1. Matt MOSS 115
2. P J LARSEN 97
3. Ryan MARMONT 87
4. Cody MACKIE 74
5. Steven CLARKE 63
6. Lawson BOPPING 58
7. Harley QUINLAN 58
8. Kirk GIBBS 56
9. Kade MOSIG 54
10. Luke STYKE 53

 

TONUS BEATS 450S AT BERCK SUR MER

Team Suzuki Press Office - October 21.

The 2010 FIM Motocross World Championship may well have been resigned to the history books but Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2's Arnaud Tonus has yet to finish his racing commitments this year and last weekend gained arguably one of his most impressive results since turning 'yellow' almost 12 months ago.
The teenage Swiss, who finished seventh in the FIM MX2 class in just his second season at the highest level, guided his potent RM-Z250 to victory in the Berck sur Mer beach race on the west coast of France.
In taking 1st, 2nd and 1st positions in the three races in tough sandy conditions and through a deep course that involved a three minute lap, Tonus defeated a host of renowned MX1 (450cc) riders including 10-times World Champion Stefan Everts, Belgian Champion Steve Ramon, Grand Prix winner Ken De Dycker, French Champion Xavier Boog and other World Championship peers such as Anthony Boissiere and Harri Kullas.
It was an emphatic and confident performance from Tonus who ended the Grand Prix term with his first podium result at Fermo for the GP of Italy a month ago.
"I'm really happy with how things went because the track was really tough and there were a lot of good riders," he said. "This shows that I have really progressed in the sand as this was one of my weak points in 2009. Overall it has been a good season for me and I have benefitted from being with the team and on such a competitive bike. Fermo was a memorable weekend and I have not stopped training because I want to race Supercross and keep busy."
Tonus will continue to compete in the coming weeks but this time switching to the discipline of Supercross and entering European SX championship rounds in Milan and Genoa as well as the high-profile Bercy SX in Paris on November 19th, 20th and 21st.

 

20/10/2010

"I'm just getting ready to head out of Australia and back to the UK after what has been a hectic trio of races. I'm actually quite glad to see the back of the last three weeks because from a logistics point-of-view it can be a real headache getting everything to the right place at the right time.

"The three-week Pacific tour certainly presents lots of challenges, because the armchair fan, and for that matter the guys watching at the circuit, only get to see the garage when we are all built up and ready to go out on track; so they probably don't realise what goes into making that happen.

"When we go on a fly-away - which is a race outside Europe - we don't have the luxury of our two trucks with their trailer units that carry all the bikes, the equipment, the spares and then also double as the teams' offices when we have unloaded. What we have to do is box all the stuff we need for the race - and in this case it was three races - into over 50 flight-crates of various sizes to have them shipped to the next destination. We carry just over 15,000kgs of equipment with us to make the team function and have everything to hand. Not only do we have the four bikes (two for each rider), but we also have enough spare parts to probably build about four more GSV-Rs as well as all the tools, wheels, pit-box walls, lighting gantry and everything else that goes into making a MotoGP team function - including the tea and coffee making facilities!

"One of the main things is making sure that the boxes are all labelled correctly, with the circuit address and pit-box all properly addressed on each one - we can't have a million Euros worth of Suzuki GSV-R delivered to the wrong address because we put Japan on the label instead of Malaysia! Once we have all the boxes packed and ready to go they are collected from wherever we are and join the rest of the MotoGP, Moto2 and 125cc freight to head off to the next destination. All of it gets shipped together on three cargo Jumbo Jets and is then delivered to the next circuit to await the crew's arrival to begin work.

"To give an idea of what this involves, we finished the race in Malaysia and had to make the bikes ready for transportation and pack down the garage, which took about four hours. The flight-cases were then collected and flown to Australia before being delivered to Phillip Island on Wednesday morning, just as the boys arrived at the circuit. The garage was then re-built that morning and they started work on all the bikes in preparation for the weekend and this continued into Thursday so that the GSV-Rs are ready for Alvaro and Loris to go out on track on Friday. We then had the race weekend before we started the progress of breaking down again to send the freight back to Europe for the next race.

"I must admit that it is always a relief to arrive a circuit and find all the boxes there and waiting for us; we've had a couple of times when it has arrived late - and with a few extra dents in it - but as yet we haven't lost anything, which is a tribute to the job the crew does and the shipping companies do to make sure it all gets to the right place at the right time."

LAVERTY FAULTLESS WITH SUNFLOWER HAT TRICK

Team Suzuki Press Office -
Michael Laverty ended the 2010 season in fine style, taking a hat trick of Superbike victories on his Relentless by TAS Suzuki at the Sunflower Trophy Races on Saturday in Northern Ireland.
Laverty dominated all practice sessions, comfortably dipping inside the Bishopscourt circuit lap record on his way to pole position, and when it came to race action, the British Superbike star put in three faultless performances. It takes his Sunflower Trophy success tally to six since 2002 and the 29-year-old now has a phenomenal record of 18 career victories in all classes at the prestigious end-of-season event.
Team mate Alastair Seeley made a number of minor changes throughout the day, improving the set-up on his GSX-R1000 Superbike and ended the day with a podium, as did Relentless by TAS Suzuki debutant James Westmoreland in the Supersport class.

Michael Laverty:
"That was the perfect way to cap off what has been a successful and enjoyable season. It was quite a dominant weekend for us as we lead every practice session and every lap in all three Superbike races. My Relentless by TAS Suzuki was working perfectly and never missed a beat. I was almost a little over confident and when Ian upped his pace during the main event, I was caught off guard and had to respond. I wasn't at my limit and had plenty in reserve, so I managed to pull a small gap and won the Sunflower Trophy for the sixth time. It was an enjoyable day and I'd like to thank the whole team for a big effort and all our sponsors for making it happen."

Alastair Seeley:
"I was a bit frustrated and disappointed but that final race podium lifted my spirits. I got involved in a drag race off the line with Michael in the last Superbike race, but when Marshall dived under me then got ejected, I had to brake hard to miss his bike and Michael got away. Ian then came past and tried to make a break, but I managed to get onto the back of him, although I couldn't quite get the drive I wanted out of the turns to have a go at him. I didn't want to bin it, so I just brought my GSX-R1000 Superbike home for a podium to finish the season on a positive note. I also took a second off my best ever lap around Bishopscourt so I was pretty pleased with that. Thanks to the boys in the workshop and the whole team for a very enjoyable year."
James Westmoreland:
"It was always going to be a difficult weekend on a new bike at a new track, but we were realistic and did a good job in a limited timeframe. It took a bit of time to set the bike up to suit me on Wednesday and Thursday, but I was very impressed with the whole set-up within the Relentless by TAS Suzuki team and really enjoyed riding their GSX-R600. I have to say I was not on the limit with their bike, and had we had a little more time I could have done a lot more, although I was happy to give the team a podium in the second race. That was the icing on the cake. I must say it was a real pleasure to work with team; they worked very hard and did everything they could for me and I gelled well with them. I would like to thank Hector and Philip for the opportunity."

Philip Neill - Team Manager:
"Today was the perfect end to a fantastic season for our team. Everyone has worked so hard and to win the Sunflower Trophy for a fourth time - Michael's sixth- is testament to our group effort. Michael again proved he is a master of the Sunflower event and with his effortless style he never looked like he would be beaten all day, also demonstrating the strength of the Relentless by TAS Suzuki GSX-R1000.
"Alastair also showed progress this weekend by lapping faster than he has ever done before at Bishopscourt, and in his defence he came up against some stiff opposition, which included a World Superbike machine. It was very pleasing to see him end up where he started his season at Brands Hatch: on the podium.
"James Westmoreland joined us for a one-off appearance and with very little track time on an unfamiliar GSX-R600, he posted a podium behind two former World Supersport machines. What made his performance particularly impressive was the fact that he was running a specification we may see in the British Supersport Championship in 2011. Basically the bike had no electronic gimmicks like traction control.
"Finally I'd just like to thank our riders, team members and our loyal sponsors and partners for their support throughout 2010 in what has been a great season for everyone involved."

Sunflower Race: 1 Michael Laverty [Relentless by TAS Suzuki] 11: 12.462; 2 Ian Lowry [Kawasaki] +2.506sec; 3 Marshall Neill [Honda] +9.483; 4 John Laverty [Kawasaki] +9.742; 5 Alastair Seeley [Relentless by TAS Suzuki] +10.331; 6 Barry Burrell [Kawasaki] +16.385.

Superbike Race 1: 1 Michael Laverty [Relentless by TAS Suzuki] 10:09.509; 2 Marshall Neill [Honda] +3.552sec; 3 Ian Lowry [Kawasaki] +3.715; 4 John Laverty [Kawasaki] +3.948; 5 Alastair Seeley [Relentless by TAS Suzuki] +7.653; 6 Brian McCormack [Honda] +16.555.

Superbike Race 2: 1 Michael Laverty [Relentless by TAS Suzuki] 10:07.309; 2 Ian Lowry [Kawasaki] +7.331sec; 3 Alastair Seeley [Relentless by TAS Suzuki] +8.006; 4 Barry Burrell [Kawasaki] +18.269; 5 Michael Dunlop [Honda] +21.856; 6 Brian McCormack [Honda] +25.426.

Supersport Race 1: 1 Marshall Neill [Honda] 10:21.827; 2 Sam Lowes [Honda] +0.122sec; 3 Ben Wilson [Kawasaki] +0.441; 4 James Ellison [Honda] +2.959; 5 Kirk Jamison [Yamaha] +4.792; 6 James Westmoreland [Relentless by TAS Suzuki] +11.186.

Supersport Race 2: 1 Marshall Neill [Honda] 10:24.603; 2 James Ellison [Honda] +0.955sec; 3 James Westmoreland [Relentless by TAS Suzuki] +5.447; 4 Billy McConnell [Yamaha] +5.896; 5 Michael Dunlop [Honda] +6.146; 6 Kirk Jamison [Yamaha] +6.475.

LAVERTY DOMINATES SUNFLOWER TROPHY
Team Suzuki Press Office - October 17.

Relentless by TAS Suzuki's Michael Laverty dominated this weekend's Sunflower Trophy at Bishopcourt in County Down, Northern Ireland aboard his GSX-R1000 Superbike.
The Pirelli-shod British Superbike contender dominated all three Superbike races to take home his sixth overall win in the event while Relentless by TAS team mate Alastair Seeley finished in fifth position overall.
Sunflower Trophy Race Result:
1. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki) 11:12.462
2. Ian Lowry (Kawasaki) 11:14.968
3. Marshall Neill (Honda) 11:21.945
4. John Laverty (Kawasaki) 11:22.204
5. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki) 11:22.793

 

MotoGP Sepang – Race

Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo clinched the 2010 MotoGP World Championship on a day that saw Valentino Rossi return to winning ways in Malaysia. Third place for Lorenzo – his thirteenth podium from fifteen races so far this year – was enough to make him only the second Spanish rider ever to win the premier-class crown. Rossi meanwhile put on one of the displays of his career after dropping to 11th at the start, taking his 46th win for Yamaha on the number 46 M1.

Lorenzo got a brilliant start from pole and set off in front with Andrea Dovizioso in tow, whilst Rossi, starting sixth, slipped right back through the field in the charge to turn one. A few corners were enough to let the Italian know that all was not lost today however and he quickly began to pick off his competitors, scything through the field to make it up to third by just the fourth lap.

By now Dovizioso was putting pressure on Lorenzo and on lap nine the Spaniard gave way to the Italian, knowing that finishing safely was more important than the winner’s laurels today. Next time around Rossi passed his team-mate and set off after his compatriot, despatching Dovizioso in turn at exactly the same point on the next lap. Dovizioso mounted one more challenge four laps from the end but Rossi, still the reigning World Champion for a few more minutes, was determined to stand on top of the podium and eventually crossed the line 0.244 seconds ahead. The win moves Rossi up to third in the championship, one point ahead of Casey Stoner.

It was Lorenzo’s day however and third place for the 23-year-old was enough to seal him an emotional first premier-class title to add to his two 250cc crowns. It was a special moment for the Mallorcan, who has won seven races this year and finished off the podium only twice in a remarkable display of consistency that shows him to be a deserving champion.

Valentino Rossi – Position: 1stTime: 41′03.448
“This is a wonderful moment for me, I am so happy to win like this and take my 46th win with Yamaha on ‘my’ M1. It was one of my worst starts and for a moment I was really worried, but within a few corners I understood that I could go for it, because my bike felt great today thanks to a small change we made in warm-up, Jeremy’s idea really worked! I rode so well and it was a fantastic race, one of the best of my career I think. I wanted this 46th win so much because as everyone knows it’s a special number for me! Thanks to my team because everyone worked so hard this weekend and I think this is a great repayment for everyone. To win like this, from 11th at the first corner, is a great feeling. Finally I want to say congratulations to Yamaha and to Jorge; he has been fast all season, at all tracks and in all conditions and he deserves to be the World Champion.” 

Jorge Lorenzo – Position: 3rdTime: +6.035
“This is a dream come true for me today, I can’t really believe it yet; I need five minutes on my own just to relax, enjoy the quiet and take in what I have done! This is something I have always wanted and something I’ve dreamed of my whole life, so it is the most incredible moment for me. It is difficult to find the words to thank everyone, I am just so happy, but I have to say thank you to Yamaha, my team and everyone who has made this happen. I started very well today, I didn’t lose any positions but then Andrea and Valentino came past me and I wasn’t riding as well as I could have, so I didn’t want to push too much. Anyway I knew that winning the race wasn’t the most important thing this time. I had to just put myself on autopilot and get the points I needed. Now we can relax and enjoy the last three races of the championship, but first of all we are looking forward to celebrating tonight!”

Davide Brivio – Team Manager
“What a race! It was a fantastic race and great weekend because we had a difficult day yesterday and could only qualify sixth, but the team did a great job to change the bike and Valentino felt very comfortable in the race. He rode very well, making the fastest lap in the race and coming from 11th position and 2.5 seconds down on the leaders on the first lap. This milestone 46th win was a great way to celebrate Valentino’s amazing time with Yamaha. It’s a wonderful day for Yamaha all round because Jorge is the World Champion so we say congratulations to him, he’s been very strong this year. All of our team are very happy today! Now we’re looking forward to Australia, another great track for Valentino, and we hope his victories are not over with yet with Yamaha.”

Wilco Zeelenberg – Team Manager
“This is a wonderful day for our team and I can’t believe what an amazing first year I have had with Jorge in MotoGP! Jorge has proven over and over that he is a winner and our tactics this season – to always go for the podium – have paid off and here we are, World Champions! As usual Jorge was clever today and he knew that he had to be careful, as he has been many times this season, and it was the right move. He has won seven races and been on the podium many more so it really has been a wonderful season. Thank you to everyone for working so hard and well done to Jorge.”

Fantastic fourth for Spies in sweltering Sepang

Ben Spies strengthened his bid for a top six MotoGP world championship finish today, the Texan riding to a fantastic fourth place in scorching hot conditions at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.

Spies rode a tentative first four laps while he gained confidence in the left-side of his hard compound Bridgestone rear tyre, the 26-year-old’s pace still quick enough to keep him fighting in the top six.

Once confident he could push to his true potential, Spies was able to reel off a series of fast laps to hunt down and pass fellow American Nicky Hayden on lap eight. Spies continued to increase his pace and his times were only bettere d by Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso at the front of the field. Having quickly left Hayden trailing behind him, Spies then produced a stunning series of laps to close down a two-second deficit on Marco Simoncelli.

He caught and passed the Italian on lap 14 and was again able to quickly establish a gap that Simoncelli had no chance of closing as he streaked away to finish top non-factory rider. His tenth top six finish of an outstanding rookie season puts Spies 13-points clear of Hayden in the race for sixth overall in the 2010 rankings with three races remaining.

It was an eventful 20-lap race for Colin Edwards, the 36-year-old looking to carry on the momentum gained from his season best fifth place in Japan a week ago. A minor braking issue hampered Edwards in the early laps and once he’d adapted his riding style to compensate, he then battl ed a front-end grip issue. He was embroiled in an exciting four-rider tussle when he crashed at turn four on lap ten. His Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team worked frantically to repair his YZR-M1 machine, Edwards returning to the track to try and score 13th place. Unfortunately his efforts were unrewarded as he missed the cut-off for scoring points by just one lap. 

Ben Spies – Position: 4th Time: +13.676
“I got a reasonable start but I suffered with the left side of the rear tyre not coming up to temperature as quick as I’d hoped. But once it did it worked great and I was able to fight my way through to another really strong result. I was behind Nicky for a while and got stuck there but once I got by him I was reeling off 2.02s to get into fourth and I was happy with my race pace. I knew I couldn’t get third and that was a little frustrating because looking at the times of the top three, if I could have got away with them I really feel I could have been there. I know Lorenzo wasn’t pushing like his life depended on it with what he had at stake but I could have been closer to the front. It was still a good race for me and I made some good passes and I’m looking forward to Phillip Island now. Finally, I’d like to congratulate Jorge and Yamaha. Jorge has been fantastic all season and he definitely deserved to win the title. He hasn’t made a mistake and I’m really looking forward to working with him in 2011.” 

Colin Edwards – Position: DNF
“That wasn’t an easy race at all. Right off the line I felt good and made a couple of passes but I understood from the start that I had small problem with the front brake. At one point I nearly ran into the back of Ben and that made it really difficult in all the hard braking points and there are plenty of those at this track. On ce I adapted to that I was having some issues with the front tyre. I’d had a couple of moments over the weekend but after about four laps I was struggling to hold a line. I was still pushing hard because I was in a good fight when I crashed at turn four. I don’t know whether it was the brake or the tyre or a combination of both that put me down but it was one of those where I was waiting for it go. I wasn’t going to give up, run wide and let a load of people fly by but just lost the front. I went back out to try and score some points but unfortunately I was one lap short of being classified. I wasn’t going to get in the way of Valentino, Andrea and Jorge, so I got out of the way and that lap cost me a finish. Finally I’d like to congratulate Jorge and Yamaha. They’ve been an awesome combination. He’s been the fastest rider all year and he’ll be the man to beat next season that’s for sure.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“On behalf of everyone in the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team, I’d like to congratulate Jorge and Yamaha for their fantastic achievement this season. Jorge has demonstrated all year that he has been the fastest rider and his consistency has been very impressive. It was also a good day for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and once again Ben was outstanding. He wasn’t as fast as he would have liked to be in the early laps but once he found his rhythm he was easily the fastest rider behind the top three. Once again he made some really exciting overtakes and I think a big crowd here today enjoyed watching Ben. It is a big shame for Colin because he deserved more for all his efforts this weekend. Unfortunately he crashed while pushing hard to improve his position. We fixed his bike so he could try and get some points and I want to thank Colin for going back out and trying his best for the team. It was unfortunate that he just failed to co mplete the required number of laps but we can look forward to both Ben and Colin having a successful race in Australia next weekend.”

Circuit Length: 5548
Weather: Dry

Lap Record: 2′02.993 (Nicky Hayden, 01/01/2005)
Fastest Lap Ever: 2′00.518 (Valentino Rossi, 25/10/2009)
Last Years Winner: Casey Stoner

World Superbike
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CRASH DENIES HILL OF BRITISH SUPERBIKE TITLE
Team Suzuki Press Office - October 10.
A crash in the opening race of today's final BSB round at Oulton Park ruined Tommy Hill's bid to become MCE Insurance British Superbikes Champion.
Worx Crescent Suzuki favourite Hill had led the Championship into the two final races: Riding in second position in the early stages of race one, he was challenging James Ellison for the lead into Lodge corner when his bike kicked off a bump, causing him to come into the corner faster than planned, which led to a collision with Ellison and both riders crashed. Hill remounted in 19th position and was attempting to regain positions when the damaged master cylinder to his front brake failed completely - again at Lodge - and he was forced to the lay the bike down at high speed and the damage to the bike was extensive. With oil on the track, the race was red-flagged.
Because of the 'One Bike' rule in force this season, the team was not able to repair the crash and fire-damage to the GSX-R1000 in time for the restart and Hill was forced to sit out the re-run- a race won by his key Championship rival Ryuichi Kiyonari.
The Worx Crescent Suzuki team did however regroup to rebuild what was a written-off machine in time for the second race today. In the circumstances, the bike lacked the precision set-up and feel of the original; and after starting from the third row, Hill overcame set-up issues to finish a fighting fifth, but with rivals Kiyonari and Josh Brookes finishing 1-2, Hill was placed third in the Championship standings.
Team-mate Yukio Kagayama took 13-11 to secure 15th place in the Championship.
Tommy Hill:
"I'm devastated. The team has put so much effort into this Championship and we wanted this championship so bad - and it's not happened.
"It's been an incredible year, though. We started fantastic, we were fastest in testing; and we started the season so well. The pressure then came on but we responded and stayed at the front - so for it to go away in one race? Well, we're all disappointed. I just have to thank everyone in the Worx Crescent Suzuki team; they've been incredible; they've given me the Championship of my life."
Yukio Kagayama:
"Today was not the best. I started the season well with fastest in Spain in testing; and at Thruxton I was on the podium. But after I hurt my back in the crash here earlier this year it's been a season of many crashes and many injuries.
"The team has been fantastic throughout. I thank them for this year and I wish I could have repaid them with better results."
Jack Valentine - Team Manager:
"Tommy knew he had to finish in front of Kiyo today. He was looking to do that in the first race when he had his coming together with Ellison. We then fell-foul of the 'One Bike' rule and after a season of staying on top, answering to every test, this one crash has cost us the Championship.
"As a team we couldn't do any more. On the podium this evening, it was clear that Tommy was the People's Champion, but today we wanted to give them a British Champion. It was one small mistake, severely punished."
Crescent Director- Martyn James:
"I'd like to express my gratitude to the team for a job well done this season. They've had a brilliant season and deserved the ultimate reward for all the effort they put in. They did all they could do to capture the title and for one misfortune to rob them of the Championship barely seems just. I am proud though of all that they have achieved."
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship
(Round 12) Oulton Park:
Race two:
1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda)
2. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +2.993s
3. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +3.231s
4. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +4.048s
5. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +7.437s
6. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +11.451s
7. James Ellison (Swan Honda) +11.474s
8. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +14.902s
9. Loris Baz (Motorpoint Yamaha) +15.248s
10. Adam Jenkinson (Buildbase Kawasaki) +20.248s
13. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +23.703s
Race three:
1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda)
2. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +0.639s
3. James Ellison (Swan Honda) +4.531s
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +7.794s
5. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +9.355s
6. Loris Baz (Motorpoint Yamaha) +10.721s
7. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +12.856s
8. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +17.220s
9. Chris Walker (Sorryate.com SMT Honda) +17.331s
10. Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +22.881s
11. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +30.228s
Final championship standings:
1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 649
2. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 625
3. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 620
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 604
5. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) 559
6. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 550
15. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 92


 

World Superbike
» Suzuki-Racing Home   » News   » Downloads
 
HILL ON PODIUM AS FIGHT FOR BSB CROWN CONTINUES
Team Suzuki Press Office - October 9.
Tommy Hill is in fighting form this weekend at Oulton Park as the fight for the British Superbikes Championship counts down into the final day of reckoning.
Today, in front of a huge 20,000+ crowd, Hill dramatically snatched pole position in qualifying and then took second place in the opening race of weekend. He now carries a 10-point advantage into the last two races of the championship.
The weekend had started slowly for Hill with lower leader board times in Friday's free practice sessions. But this morning, the Worx Crescent Suzuki team reverted to the set-up used on Hill's GSX-R1000 for the meeting held here in May, and Hill immediately jumped to second fastest in final free practice. In the three-stage Swan Roll for Pole qualifying, Hill dominated, setting fastest lap in each of the sessions.
Hill got a good start in the first race of the weekend but lost momentum when James Ellison lunged across him in the first turn. Consequently he was held up behind Ellison for the opening laps of the race, allowing Championship rival Ryuichi Kiyonari to close up and pass. When Kiyonari passed Ellison, Hill followed suit and the pair broke away from the pack. Despite setting the fastest lap of the race in his pursuit, Hill was unable to put a safe pass on the Japanese rider before the flag - finishing just 0.821-seconds behind.
Tommy Hill:
"I'm fairly happy with today, but it's not really good enough, we need to be at 100%. I rode my heart out and I really wanted to beat Kiyo, but it wasn't to be.
"So tomorrow's going to be a big day. I'm mindful that Josh Brookes will start from the second row in the first race and that might bring him into the frame, and as team-mate to Kiyo he'll be one to keep an eye on. But as it stands on lap times, Kiyo and I are a good two-tenths ahead of the rest, so my best tactic has to be getting a great start and clear out.
"It's a take no prisoners situation; all that's happened today has got the adrenaline running, if anything - if it was at all possible - I want the championship even more now!"
Jack Valentine - Team Manager:
"An exciting day! The important thing right now is to keep our head down and keep on with the pace. On his old settings Tommy's really comfortable with his bike and he's able to be really physical with it. He's got the fastest pace of anyone here. He just has to get the starts and get out in front.
"Tommy's team-mate Yukio Kagayama has had a steady weekend in terms of qualifying (12th) and race result (13th) but significantly he started today's race well and was a hurdle for Brookes to overcome in the early stages of the race, so he was a tactical help to Tommy today. Hopefully tomorrow, Yukio can get good starts and help again. We'll see.
"No question, though, it's all on for tomorrow. And with five points being the difference between first and second places - and ten points being the point's difference between Tommy and Kiyo - we're looking for wins to make the title ours."
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship
Round 12, Oulton Park:
Swan Combi Roll for Pole:
1. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 1m:35.236s
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +0.064s
3. James Ellison (Swan Honda) +0.601s
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.870s
5. Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +0.938s
6. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +1.026s
7. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +1.323s
8. Tommy Bridewell (Tyco Quay Garage Honda) +1.359s
9. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +1.380s
10. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +9.001s
12. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +1.675s
Race one:
1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda)
2. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki)+0.821s
3. James Ellison (Swan Honda) +5.707s
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +8.459s
5. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +14.627s
6. Tommy Bridewell (Tyco Quay Garage Honda) +15.001s
7. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +16.839s
8. Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +20.109s
9. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +28.032s
10. Loris Baz (Motorpoint Yamaha) +32.829s
13. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki)+34.725s
Championship standings after Oulton Park race one:
1. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 609
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 599
3. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 589
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 583
5. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) 546
6. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 530
15. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 84


 

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