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Monday, 04 May 2009 00:00 |
Valentino Rossi took a stunning win in Jerez today, his first of the season and the 98th of his career taking him 11 points clear at the top of the championship. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo had a disappointing home race, crashing out on lap 24 when closing on the final podium position.
The reigning World Champion had looked in trouble yesterday but an overnight set-up change saw him fastest in warm-up and he lined up confident that he would be able to mount a challenge. Starting from fourth on the grid, Rossi held his position at the start and managed to pass Lorenzo on the final turn of the second lap. Casey Stoner was the next target and the Italian quickly began to close the gap, setting the fastest lap of the race on lap four. Rossi and Stoner exchanged a couple of entertaining passes in the next few laps before the Yamaha rider made it stick at the end of the seventh lap, with the gap to Dani Pedrosa in the lead then standing at 1.2 seconds. The middle section of the race saw Rossi making little headway into the Spaniard's lead but at two-thirds distance he suddenly found a new rhythm and started shaving tenths off the gap, making the definitive move and claiming the lead with 10 laps to go. From then on there was only one winner and the irrepressible 30-year-old brought his M1 home 2.7 seconds clear of second-placed Pedrosa. Ever the joker, Rossi took advantage of the moment to replicate one of his most famous post-race stunts ten years on, making a stop on his victory lap to pop into a track side portable toilet, to the delight of the 120,000-strong crowd.
After his dazzling pole position Lorenzo was fully expecting to challenge for the win but the higher track temperature today caused problems and he lacked the grip and pace of yesterday. The Mallorcan, who turns 22 tomorrow, spent most of the race in a lonely fourth position but in the final stages began to close on Stoner and looked like he might have a podium chance. With the gap down to under half a second the excitement began to build in the 99 side of the garage but with just four laps to go he lost the front and went down, emerging unhurt from the gravel trap but with damage to his foot peg and throttle meaning there was no chance to finish the race.
Rossi now leads Stoner by 11 points in the standings, whilst Lorenzo slips to third, 13 points adrift of the Australian. The MotoGP paddock will reconvene on French soil in ten days time for round four in Le Mans.
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Tuesday, 28 April 2009 00:00 |
Yamaha's James Stewart stands on the brink of capturing the 2009 AMA Supercross and FIM World Championships after clinching his eleventh win of the season and the thirty-sixth of his career at the Rice-Eccles Stadium and watched by 40,612 spectators in Salt Lake City for the penultimate round of the campaign.
The 23 year old guided his YZ450F - a motorcycle that has owned 12 of the 16 races run thus far - to the chequered flag ahead of main title rival Chad Reed and now holds a 6 point advantage with just one meeting remaining. Stewart became the first rider to give Yamaha eleven victories in a season and have increased the manufacturer's total to 67 triumphs since the turn of the century, more than a third more than their nearest competitor.
"My biggest thing is just to try to stay away from the drama because at the end of the day, you want to race a guy and go to sleep knowing that you raced him as hard as you could, and clean, and didn't take anybody out," said Stewart on the tense situation between himself and Reed.
"He wanted to win tonight, and I wanted to win tonight, and I think I just got lucky enough and I was able to pull it off, so I feel great," added the LandM San Manuel rider who won the sixth main event to take place in Utah and became the first rider to gain victories in both classes at the venue.
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Sunday, 26 April 2009 23:59 |
Yamaha Red Bull De Carli's Antonio Cairoli scaled a world championship podium for the second time in succession with the runner-up position at the Eurocircuit in Valkenswaard and the Grand Prix of Benelux for the fourth round of fifteen in the 2009 FIM series. The Sicilian keeps his position as leader of the standings and with a chequered flag in the first outing in Holland has secured three moto victories from the last four. He was joined on the rostrum by team-mate Tanel Leok who took third spot on the YZ450F, and with Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team's David Philippaerts in fifth and Josh Coppins in seventh, four Yamahas filled the top seven.
Several new jumps and sections had been added to the dark and rutted sand at the all-weather circuit near Eindhoven. The surface churned up and became rougher throughout the meeting, increasing the physical and technical demands of the two motos. The qualification heat on Saturday saw Coppins take third position but Cairoli and Philippaerts were victims of a first corner tumble and pile-up. Cairoli emphatically attacked the terrain from almost last to finish 7th while Philippaerts - restarting even further back - was 14th. Tanel Leok was 5th.
Race-day dawned overcast and damp thanks to rainfall during the night. Thankfully the conditions became brighter later on for the 20,000 spectators, and some fantastic racing lay ahead with up to six riders disputing podium positions at the end of an unforgettable and almost indescribable first moto.
Cairoli took his third chequered flag in succession when he emerged victorious from a frantic scrap in the final five minutes of the opening race that saw crashes for protagonists Steve Ramon and Marc de Reuver. Positions changed seemingly with every corner as the clock ticked down on the moto. Cairoli's achievement was all the more remarkable for the fact that he had broken three spokes on his front wheel on the third lap. Philippaerts -who led at one point - tired in the closing stages and was just beaten to 5th by Leok.
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Sunday, 26 April 2009 23:57 |
It was another mixed weekend's racing for the Yamaha World Superbike Team at the famous TT circuit in Assen. An incredibly close first race Saw Ben Spies take the chequered flag a mere 0.154 seconds ahead of Championship rival Noriyuki Haga. Although initially the race leader, the American Yamaha rider had struggled to find a good race pace for most of the race, dropping back from first to third position on lap 11 behind race leader Haga and second place Leon Haslam.
Spies tucked in and followed the pair until the three laps from the end of the race when he and Haslam spent three corners abreast in a heart stopping battle for second position. There was no daylight between the bikes as they exited turn five, Spies coming out the victor and setting off after Haga as the penultimate lap drew to a close. He attempted a pass on the hairpin where Haga had passed him earlier but failed to take top spot, eventually pulling a daring pass on the last corner he shot through to take the chequered flag.
Tom Sykes enjoyed a good first race, starting from eighth on the grid the British rider made a strong pass up the inside on the first corner to move up into sixth position. The back straight then offered the opportunity to pass again and move up to fifth. Two laps later and another clever move up the inside on turn one saw Sykes into fourth position. He hung on with good race pace and held fourth for the chequered flag. Race two saw a difficult start and a lot of work to do. Sykes fought hard to make up places and briefly fought with Rea for fifth before settling for a sixth position finish.
Spies leaves Assen still second in the championship with 120 points, trailing leader Haga by 60. Team-mate Sykes heads to Monza in sixth place in the standings with 70 points.
Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1st,dnf)
"We got the win in race one and everything was pretty good with that. It took me a while to find a good race pace but as the tyres started to go off I found it and we managed to make some moves, it was pretty exciting at the end, really fantastic racing with both Haslam and Haga. Race two I was feeling good, the bike, even only a lap and a half in, felt better than with the tyres in race one. I was pushing and got out wide in turn one and touched the Astroturf piece and high-sided. It's a shame as I felt really good and the bike felt right. You never know if you can win the race but I felt we could have had a faster race than the first. We'll build on it though, we had a good test in Monza so we're set up for there and I haven't hurt myself today so it's ok."
Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team (4th,6th)
"The first race went ok, I was pretty pleased with the results. I managed to make a couple of passes early and move up but then lost some feeling in the front which held me back. Race two was not what I expected. I got a horrendous start and left myself a lot of work to do. I worked hard over the next few laps to make some passes but unfortunately let the front group get away. I was bitterly disappointed with that because I knew I could run with the front. I'd just like to thank all the boys for this weekend putting so much hard work in. We had two offs and I left them with some work to do but they came through and had my bikes ready for me to race."
Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
"The first race was unbelievable, Ben was really impressive and deserved the win. In the second race he had a bad high-side, and unfortunately missed the opportunity to challenge Nori for the second win. Tom had a good fourth in the first race and a good sixth in the second. He's coming along really well. I think he'll get the podium he's chasing soon. We're ready for Monza and confident of success."
Circuit Length: 4555
Weather: Sunny
Lap Record: 2'04.685 (Chris Vermeulen, 01/01/2005)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1'37.626 (Ben Spies, 26/04/2009)
Last Years Winner: Troy Bayliss
2009 WSB The Netherlands - Assen 26/04/2009
Race 1
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Ben Spies Yamaha USA 36'31.338
2 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 0'00.154
3 Leon Haslam Honda GBR 0'00.779
4 Tom Sykes Yamaha GBR 0'08.775
5 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 0'11.275
6 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0'16.126
7 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 0'19.555
8 Regis Laconi Ducati FRA 0'19.760
9 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 0'23.006
10 Troy Corser BMW AUS 0'24.285
11 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 0'26.003
12 Karl Muggeridge Suzuki AUS 0'27.814
13 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 0'36.962
14 Ruben Xaus BMW ESP 0'39.025
15 Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 0'41.505
19 David Checa Yamaha ESP 0'56.425
Race 2
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 36'31.712
2 Leon Haslam Honda GBR 0'02.678
3 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0'04.603
4 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 0'08.981
5 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 0'12.104
6 Tom Sykes Yamaha GBR 0'14.575
7 Carlos Checa Honda ESP 0'17.449
8 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 0'17.729
9 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 0'18.167
10 Troy Corser BMW AUS 0'25.056
11 Ruben Xaus BMW ESP 0'32.617
12 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 0'32.688
13 Brendan Roberts Ducati AUS 0'37.415
14 Matteo Baiocco Kawasaki ITA 0'55.088
15 Luca Scassa Kawasaki ITA 0'55.325
Best Lap
Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
Leon Haslam Honda GBR 1'38.730
Rider Standings 26/04/2009
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points
1. Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 180
2. Ben Spies Yamaha USA 120
3. Leon Haslam Honda GBR 94
4. Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 80
5. Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 75
6. Tom Sykes Yamaha GBR 70
7. Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 65
8. Regis Laconi Ducati FRA 64
9. Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 53
10. Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 44
11. Carlos Checa Honda ESP 40
12. Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 39
13. Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 39
14. Troy Corser BMW AUS 35
15. Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 33
Manufacturer Standings 26/04/2009
Pos. Manufacturer Points
1. Ducati 180
2. Yamaha 145
3. Honda 109
4. Suzuki 76
5. Aprilia 68
6. BMW 43
7. Kawasaki 10
RACE REPORT 26/04/2009
Crutchlow maintains championship lead in Assen
Yamaha World Supersport riders Cal Crutchlow and Fabien Foret got caught up in the closest race of the 2009 World Supersport Championship so far. Intense racing and constant battles for position were the mainstay of the Supersport action. After a bad start Crutchlow worked hard to move back up the field, closely followed by team-mate Foret behind him. By lap six Crutchlow had made it to fourth, taking Sofuoglu for the position whilst Foret pushed on from seventh place.
Lap seven saw Foret move up again behind his team-mate and the two then fought a close battle for position as they moved through the ranks to the top spot before dropping back again. Laverty was a constant presence during the battles, eventually slipping through to take the lead spot. A near miss between the two Yamaha riders into turn four when Crutchlow missed a gear and went wide, causing Fabien to run wide as well. Pitt then tried to take them both on the inside, losing the front and crashing out.
Crutchlow then displayed the incredible race pace the fans are used to seeing, and three laps to the end pulled the fastest lap of the race, with a 1.40.836 while he chased Laverty. The battle continued to the flag, two laps before the end the riders touched but managed to stay on, Laverty eventually taking the chequered flag with Crutchlow a mere 0.107 seconds behind. Foret kept up his pace to finish in fourth, 1.777 seconds behind the race leader.
Crutchlow leaves Assen still leading the championship by six points whilst Foret moves up to seventh position with 28 points.
Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Supersport Team (2nd)
"I had a bad start, I don't really know what happened, it was just unfortunate I felt like I was in neutral gear. I worked my hardest to get back through. Unfortunately Fabien and I got caught up together and it held us up a bit. Team Yamaha did a great job for me, we're here again on the podium and still leading the championship so it's all good. It was a fantastic job by Eugene Laverty, so well done to their team as well."
Fabien Foret, Yamaha World Supersport Team (4th)
"I'm pretty happy and pleased to have got my confidence back. I had a good race, I'm just a bit disappointed with what happened with Cal, it was unavoidable but it held us both up and made it harder for me to challenge for a podium spot and a potential race win."
Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager
It was a very, very exciting race I can tell you that! With a second and a fourth place we are still leading the championship by six points with Cal. Both riders fought really hard today, Cal was especially fast at the end and Fabien has definitely found more of his confidence and previous race pace. We go to Monza in a good position and looking forward to extending our championship lead."
Circuit Length: 4555
Weather: Sunny
Lap Record: 2'08.865 (Katsuaki Fujiwara, 01/01/2005)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1'40.313 (Cal Crutchlow, 26/04/2009)
Last Years Winner: Andrew Pitt
2009 WSS The Netherlands - Assen 26/04/2009
Race 1
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Eugene Laverty Honda GBR 35'45.160
2 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 0'00.107
3 Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 0'00.178
4 Fabien Foret Yamaha FRA 0'01.777
5 Kenan Sofuoglu Honda TUR 0'01.901
6 Mark Aitchison Honda AUS 0'05.492
7 Anthony West Honda AUS 0'12.551
8 Barry Veneman Suzuki NED 0'12.841
9 Robbin Harms Honda DNK 0'13.567
10 Michele Pirro Yamaha ITA 0'19.657
11 Patrick Vostarek Honda ITA 0'24.316
12 Gianluca Nannelli Triumph ITA 0'25.803
13 Massimo Roccoli Honda ITA 0'26.255
14 Katsuaki Fujiwara Kawasaki JPN 0'26.439
15 Garry McCoy Triumph AUS 0'44.902
19 Kevin Bos Yamaha NED 1'04.653
22 Yannick Guerra Yamaha ESP 1'08.389
23 Twan Van Poppel Yamaha NED 1'25.061
Best Lap
Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'40.836
Rider Standings 26/04/2009
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points
1. Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 74
2. Eugene Laverty Honda GBR 68
3. Kenan Sofuoglu Honda TUR 65
4. Anthony West Honda AUS 52
5. Andrew Pitt Honda AUS 43
6. Mark Aitchison Honda AUS 34
7. Fabien Foret Yamaha FRA 28
8. Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 27
9. Barry Veneman Suzuki NED 25
10. Matthieu Lagrive Honda FRA 25
11. Michele Pirro Yamaha ITA 24
12. Robbin Harms Honda DNK 23
13. Massimo Roccoli Honda ITA 20
14. Katsuaki Fujiwara Kawasaki JPN 13
15. Garry McCoy Triumph AUS 12
20. Doni Tata Pradita Yamaha IDN 1
Manufacturer Standings 26/04/2009
Pos. Manufacturer Points
1. Honda 95
2. Yamaha 74
3. Kawasaki 38
4. Suzuki 25
5. Triumph 19 |
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Sunday, 26 April 2009 23:56 |
After it looked at one point on race-day as if the Grand Prix of Japan would be a complete washout, the sun broke through the dark clouds and streamed onto the Motegi circuit as the Fiat Yamaha team enjoyed a clean sweep of the top two spots. With qualifying having been cancelled yesterday due to the heavy rain, both riders started the race from the front row of the grid according to their times from Friday's free practice. Following a stunning race, Jorge Lorenzo took the glory of standing on the top step of the podium, after coming through a brilliant scrap with his team-mate Valentino Rossi, who finished a close second.
Starting from third on the grid Lorenzo briefly lost a position on the first lap, but was soon back up to his starting spot as they crossed the line for the first time. With a superior pace to his compatriot Pedrosa it seemed as though the Mallorcan was being held up, and sure enough on lap three the Spaniard edged into second place. Once there he had the unenviable task of closing a two-second gap to his team-mate Rossi, but gradually edged nearer his colleague. The two enjoyed a good head-to-head fight, swapping positions at the V-corner before Lorenzo finally found a way past Rossi. From that point there was no looking back, and as Rossi was entangled in the battle with Pedrosa behind, Lorenzo sealed a glorious second victory in MotoGP.
Leading from the first corner, Rossi had opened up the gap on the Spaniards in the early stages, but once Lorenzo had found a way past, it was Pedrosa who caused the champion most problems. With Pedrosa attacking on several occasions, the Italian was forced to keep his wits about him, but always seemed to have enough edge to keep ahead. The killer move come heading into the tunnel at turn five, and the race was decided as Rossi pulled away from Pedrosa in the latter stages.
With Lorenzo leading the championship on 40 points, one ahead of Rossi, the MotoGP World Championship moves on to his home race at Jerez in just a week's time.
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