DUNGEY WINS AGAIN

Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey has made history by becoming the 2010 AMA Pro Motocross Champion - and securing his second title of the year this weekend at Southwick MX in Massachusetts.

The 20-year-old rookie has gained enough points in the series with his complete domination of the 450 motocross class to take home the trophy with two races still left on the schedule. He claimed the 2010 AMA Supercross title in May, making him the youngest rookie racer ever to do so, and has now added the Pro Motocross championship to his list of accomplishments, making him the only rookie ever to clinch both titles.

Dungey has been unstoppable on his Suzuki fuel-injected RM-Z450 and has taken home the win in the past nine races in a row and won 16 out of 20 motos

"What Ryan has done, no one has ever done before including McGrath, Stewart and Carmichael," Said Team Manager Roger DeCoster. "No one has ever won both the Supercross and a National Championship back to back as a rookie. It's pretty impressive. Sometimes, because Ryan is such a subdued nice guy, you don't really realise what a big thing that he has done. I expect more and more perfection, but you look back and see that he is doing things that no one has ever done before - it's pretty impressive."

Dungey went into Southwick focused on racing his best race, like always. He lined up at the gate determined to give his best performance on the sandy, technical track in Massachusetts, and at the start of moto 1, Dungey started near the front of the pack. He moved into second place and stayed there most of the race. During the last lap, he was battling for the lead when the opportunity to move up presented itself and he took the lead with less than a lap to go.

With the championship in view, Dungey lined up for moto 2 focused on finishing strong again. He moved into the lead early in the race and by the time the chequered flag flew, he was more than 24 seconds ahead of second place and clinched the title by ending the day 151 points ahead of second place with only two races left on the schedule.

"This feels great," Dungey said after the race. "It's a lot of hard work and a lot of long weeks in the off season to prepare for this, but its all the better when you pull it off and win the championship. It's not all me, everyone on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team put 110 per cent into everything they do and that's all I could ever ask. We work well together and enjoy working together at the same time. It makes it fun."

"The Suzuki family is ecstatic to add this championship to our trophy case," Rod Lopusnak, Suzuki's National Sales Manager for the Motorcycle Division, said. "Looking back at the last year it is hard to find one word other than 'Champion' to express what Ryan, the RM-Z450 and Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki have accomplished in their rookie season!"

Yoshimura R&D of America Vice President Don Sakakura said "Congratulations to Ryan Dungey for his awesome, record-breaking rookie season! Ryan's courage, superior skills, and diligent conditioning were instrumental in his dominating motocross season and accomplishments which Ryan will surely cherish for a lifetime. His Suzuki RM-Z450 performed flawlessly all season long, and we must offer sincere appreciation to the Suzuki engineering team abroad, as well Roger DeCoster and his team of race technicians.

"It's been a perfect season; probably a season we will remember for the rest of our lives," DeCoster said. "It's never happened before - a rookie has never won back-to-back championships. Ryan has done it."

Dungey has made history winning a total of four national titles in the past two years. He won two titles in 2009, the AMA Supercross Western Regional Lites and the 250 Motocross championships, both on the RM-Z250, as well as being the hero of Team USA at the Motocross of Nations in Italy. Now with the 2010 Supercross and the Motocross title in his possession, Dungey was named the captain of Team USA and hopes to keep the Motocross of Nations championship in the U.S.

The next AMA Pro Motocross race takes place at Steel City in Delmont, PA, on September 4th. And Dungey, despite having clinched the title, will be focused on battling for the lead there.


Source: Suzuki NZ

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COOKSLEY NAMED TO LEAD NEW ZEALAND

Tony Cooksley

Words & Pic by Andy McGechan

With so many years of international experience under his wheels, Auckland veteran Tony Cooksley was the obvious choice to manage the three-rider Team New Zealand at this year’s Motocross of Nations in the United States.

The 54-year-old Yamaha stalwart was named to guide the trio of Kiwi racers – Motueka’s Josh Coppins, Tauranga’s Ben Townley and Hawera’s Brad Groombridge – at this year’s edition of the fabled Motocross of Nations (MXoN), set for Colorado on September 25-26.

Not only is Cooksley a former world champion – having won the world veterans’ motocross crown on a Yamaha YZ250 in 2007 – but he also has vast experience actually racing in the big annual MXoN event.

Cooksley was a part of the 1984 team drafted together at the last minute by the Kiwi contingent of riders who were already in Europe at that time, racing at the International Six Days Enduro in Holland.

The MXoN was raced that year in Finland and Cooksley agreed to be a part of New Zealand’s debut at the event. The American quartet of David Bailey, Rick Johnson, Johnny O'Mara and Jeff Ward won that weekend, one of the first of many American successes that were to follow in later years, but at least New Zealand was on the scoreboard.

Cooksley also raced for Team New Zealand (in the United States) in 1987, teamed with Taranaki brothers Darryll and Shayne King, and again in 1991 (in the Netherlands), teamed with Troy McAsey and Daryl Atkins.

New Zealand has never won the event but has placed on the podium on three memorable occasions – in 1998, 2001 and 2006 -- and Cooksley rates New Zealand’s chances of being there again this time around.

“I believe it will be hard to beat the Americans, especially on their own turf, and France, Belgium and Australia will be fancied too, but I feel we have a good chance of getting inside the top six and maybe even on the podium,” said Cooksley.

“The track is a long way above sea level, so bike settings might be an issue, but Ben’s raced there before and his knowledge will be a help. I don’t know how the altitude might affect the riders though.

“It’s a huge honour for me to be chosen to manage the team. I’m really looking forward to it.”

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KAWASAKI WINS INDY MILE

By: Ollie S
Source: Kawasaki NZ

SMITH GIVES KAWASAKI THEIR FIRST AMA PRO FLAT TRACK WIN

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (August 28, 2010) - History was made on the fabled Indiana State Fairgrounds mile oval as Kawasaki / Monster Energy / Werner-Springsteen Racing's #42 Bryan Smith captured the first AMA Pro K&N Filters Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com Twins Main event in a hard fought, twenty five lap battle.


Lancaster Harley-Davidson / Dallas Fort Worth Honda's Chris Carr grabbed the early lead from series points leader #3 Joe Kopp on his Latus Harley-Davidson / ENI USA R&M backed Ducati, then repeated the feat as the race was red flagged on lap three, when Stevie Bonsey fell in turn three.

Carr picked up where he left off, but now Smith and Zanotti Racing's #5 Jake Johnson were right behind. On lap six Smith took control, but White's Harley-Davidson / SNIP's Matt Weidman was up high on the cushion and flying to the front. Unfortunately for Weidman, when the high line went away, he backed up as fast as he had come forward.

As the race reached the mid-point it became a two rider race. Smith and Carr went back and forth several times, but as the laps wound down Smith took control. The race would end with Carr just over a tenth of a second out. "I've been dreaming about this all year," said Smith. "And it wasn't a nightmare either. I was sure, as soon as we got to these tracks with long straight-aways, the Kawasaki's power was let us finally win one."
"I just couldn't draft him (Smith)," said Carr. "I could get close, but he just had too much power."

Harley-Davidson Motor Company's Kenny Coolbeth brought his #2 Harley-Davidson home third over two seconds off the lead.
Johnson took control of fourth and rode home a lonely three seconds off the pace. King's Kustoms / KK Motorcycle Supply's Sammy Halbert finished an uneventful fifth as Joe Kopp made a late race pass of Rookie of the Year front runner, Moroney's 1-800fasthog.com's #99B PJ Jacobsen.

Defending Series Champion # 1 Jared Mees work his way up to fourth before sliding back to an eighth place finish. It was another eight seconds back to Matt Weidman.
The K&N Filter's dash for Cash saw Chris Carr dominate as points leader Joe Kopp suffered a blow to his points total when he couldn't get his Ducati to fire and he received no points. Sammy Halbert and Bryan Smith rounded out the podium as all three received "Special Edition, Nicky Hayden watches."
When JD Beach announced he was moving up to the Expert ranks for the Labor Day races in Springfield he said he wanted to win the Peoria, IL TT and the Indianapolis, IN Mile before taking on the challenge.

Impressively Beach accomplished just that as he led the last eleven laps of the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Grand National Championship main on his #95C Red Bull / Top 1 Oil backed Honda. Price Truck Line / Kennedy Wheels' #22L Michael Toon and Van's Yamaha / Woody Kyle Racing's #24P Jeffery Carver finished a very close second and third.

Carver's points lead continues to grow in the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Grand National Championship. Carver now leads defending Champion Brad Baker by 31 points with James Rispoli another thirty six points back.
The K&N Filters Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com points standing are still being le by Joe Kopp, but Sammy Halbert and Jake Johnson are closing in, just twelve and fourteen points back respectively.

INDIANA STATE FAIRGROUNDS
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
RESULTS: August 28, 2010
AMA PRO K&N GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED by MOTORCYCLE-SUPERSTORE.COM MAIN (25 laps; 18 riders): 1. Bryan Smith (Kaw); 2. Chris Carr (H-D); 3. Kenny Coolbeth (H-D); 4. Jake Johnson (H-D); 5. Sammy Halbert (H-D); 6. Joe Kopp (H-D); 7. PJ Jacobsen (H-D); 8. Jared Mees (H-D); 9. Matt Weidman (H-D); 10. Willie McCoy (H-D); 11. JR Schnabel (H-D); 12. Larry Pegram (Duc); 13. Luke Gough (H-D); 14. Brandan Bergen (H-D); 15. Rob Pearson (H-D); 16. Shawn Baer (Tri); 17. Steve Murray (H-D); 18. Jethro Halbert (H-D); 19. Stevie Bonsey (H-D).
Time: 22: 59.491 --RED FLAG--

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DUCATI SUPERBIKE BOMBSHELL

It's official! Both Ducati and the organisers of the World Superbike Championship confirmed last Friday that the Italian manufacturer has decided not to enter a works team in the 2011 series.
The Borgo Panigale manufacturer has built a large part of its history and reputation on the back of its wins in the world championship for production-based bikes, in which it has taken part since the very start and in which it has obtained 16 Manufacturers’ and 13 Riders’ titles with its strictly twin-cylinder production models.
As recently as last year Ducati was fighting for the championship title right down to the final round of the season at Portimao, proving the outright competitiveness of its flagship model, the 1198, and demonstrating the extremely well-balanced nature of the current technical regulations.
“We are disappointed and also a bit surprised at Ducati’s decision,” declared Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports, “especially since we have been asked numerous times for a change in the regulations to bring about a better balancing of twin-cylinder 1200cc machines towards the four-cylinder 1000cc bikes, but it must be mentioned that last year, without the presence of a phenomenal Ben Spies, the Ducati 1198 would have dominated the championship with Haga and Fabrizio, and it is therefore difficult for us today to comprehend this decision, which of course we must respect.
"Moreover the FIM Superbike World Championship can today boast the participation of six manufacturers in addition to Ducati, with Aprilia, BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha and is therefore obliged to maintain a total balance in the regulations, without privileging one or other manufacturer in particular."
Despite its 'factory team' decision Ducati has, apparently, confirmed that it will continue technical support for private teams that will be competing with its models in the 2011 championship and that the development of its new generation of hypersport bikes, in both homologated and Superbike race versions, will continue.

Ends

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BMW FROM TIP TO TOE

Here's the official press release on the big BMW ride:

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of BMW GS motorcycle, and to raise money for the New Zealand Westpac Helicopter Trust, riders from the BMW Owners Register of New Zealand and visiting BMW aficionados from overseas will be riding the entire length of New Zealand in November.

Riders will be taking in as many opportunities as possible to get "off the beaten track" on their BMW GS series bikes, known for their of dual purpose, off-road/on-road capabilities.

"This is just a great example of how many of our members seek to combine their motorcycling adventures with practical ways to benefit our community," said Rob Hargreaves, National President of the BMW Owners Register of New Zealand.

This epic off-road adventure starts at Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island on Sunday 14 November and ends in Invercargill at the bottom of the South Island where riders will join the festivities at the Burt Munroe Challenge from 24 - 28 November. The Burt Munroe Challenge is an event that honours Burt, his ingenuity, determination, and love of speed and motorcycles.

Ride organiser and member of the BMWOR Canterbury branch Justin Ryan said, "A few of us were kicking around ideas for this ride earlier this year and thought if we're going to spend two weeks riding the length of the country then we should use that opportunity to raise money for charity. We decided it would be the Westpac Helicopter Trust. The trust provides a service that, unfortunately, motorcyclists have drawn on over the years".

The Auckland based Westpac Rescue Helicopter is the only rescue helicopter service in New Zealand that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Over the past 40 years of operation, the service has performed more than 12,000 rescues and is internationally recognised for its pioneering work in saving lives. The funds raised from this event will be used for the ongoing operational costs of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. The running costs for most helicopter rescues are between $3,000 and $7,000 per hour.

So far, over 75 GS riders have registered their interest, with a core group of 10 undertaking the whole ride and others joining and leaving at different points.

To find out more, please visit http://bmworcantab.wordpress.com/category/gs-anniversary-ride.

For further information on BMW Motorrad, please visit www.bmwmotorrad.com.au

Source: Bikedeadline

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MOTOMART WINS 2 MTA AWARDS

MOTOMART picks up two honours at MTA Awards.

Wellington motorcycle dealership, MOTOMART has scooped two top awards at this year's 2010 Regional MTA Awards winning 'Best Wellington Motorcycle Dealership' as well as the Supreme Regional Motorcycle Award.

Over 450 MTA Members and their partners attended the Oxford Finance 2010 Regional MTA Awards held at Te Papa, Wellington. The biannual event celebrates the achievements of the motor industry from the Wellington region including the Horowhenua and Wairarapa.

Around 30 awards were presented to MTA Members including nine supreme awards which were presented by special guest, V8 supercar driver, Greg Murphy.

Source: Bikedeadline.

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TOUGH WEEKEND FOR KIWI RIDERS IN FRANCE

By Andy McGechan

It was a mixed weekend for the Kiwi riders contesting this year’s FIM World Junior Motocross Championships in France.

Mangakino’s Kayne Lamont (Suzuki) DNFed his first 125cc moto but scrambled back to record an 11th placing in the second moto, giving him 17th overall for the event.

Rangiora’s Isaiah McGoldrick (KTM) fared less well, finishing out of the points both times, while his younger brother, Micah (KTM), managed to finish 32nd overall in the 85cc class.

“France was very hot and there was over a 100 riders in my class,” said Micah McGoldrick.

“I was sitting in the top five in moto 1 and 2, and feeling strong and good on the bike but making too many mistakes, which cost me a good finish. That’s racing for you: Thinking you’re going to do well and it all goes bad and you’re just gutted it did. But I’m going to move on and come back stronger and faster.”

Micah’s big brother, Isaiah, also enjoyed the experience.

“My goal at this event was to Qualify into the top 40 and I  qualified 23rd, so I was happy with that,” said Isaiah McGoldrick.

“On race day, things went backwards though. In moto one, I had a very hard crash around the high-speed sweeping first corner. In this crash my front tyre went flat. I went into the pits and put on a new front wheel, then went back onto the track.

“But I got black flagged for re entering the track after being back in the pits. So that was a DNF.

“In the halfway point of moto two I was sitting 26th. I had another massive crash, going over the bars on a table top. I got back up but pulled out of the race because I was really shaken up from the crashes. It was a super painful weekend.”

So, instead of the Kiwi trio, the weekend instead belonged to American rider Jake Pinhancos (65cc), Henry Jacobi, from Germany (85cc), and French sensation Jordi Tixier (125cc).

USA got on the top step for the nations classification. France was second and 2009 winner Australia had to settle for third position this year.

Look for a full report in your next issue of Kiwi Rider magazine.

RESULTS

Juniors 65cc top-ten

1 PINHANCOS Jake USA AMA KTM 25 25 50

2 HSU Brian TWN FMI KTM 22 22 44

3 TODD Wilson AUS MA KTM 20 18 38

4 SIKYNA Richard SVK SMF KTM 16 16 32

5 VAESSEN Bas NED KNMV KTM 12 15 27

6 EVANS Mitchell AUS MA KTM 13 14 27

7 PAPI Brock USA AMA METRAKIT 11 12 23

8 CROWN Joseph USA AMA KTM 0 20 20

9 PRAMMER Lukas AUT OeAMTC KTM 10 10 20

10 ZONTA Filippo ITA FMI KTM 18 0 18

Juniors 85cc top-ten

1 JACOBI Henry GER DMSB KTM 25 20 45

2 GAJSER Tim SLO AMZS KTM 18 25 43

3 EKEROLD Stefan GER DMSB KTM 22 9 31

4 JONASS Pauls LAT LaMSF SUZUKI 7 22 29

5 KOVAR Vaclav CZE ACCR KTM 14 15 29

6 CERVELLIN Michele ITA FMI HONDA 15 13 28

7 DE WAAL Micha Boy NED KNMV SUZUKI 11 16 27

8 BOGERS Brian NED KNMV KTM 5 18 23

9 MANN Scott AUS MA KTM 20 2 22

10 OLSEN Thomas Kjer DEN DMU SUZUKI 9 10 19

Juniors 125cc top-ten

1 TIXIER Jordi FRA FFM KTM 25 25 50

2 SAVATGY Joey USA AMA SUZUKI 22 20 42

3 RAUCHENECKER Pascal AUT OeAMTC KTM 16 22 38

4 JAULIN Sulivan FRA FFM YAMAHA 20 16 36

5 DESPREY Maxime FRA FFM YAMAHA 14 15 29

6 OLSEN Stefan DK DMU SUZUKI 15 12 27

7 BERNARDINI Samuele ITA FMI KTM 12 14 26

8 HANOUSEK Roman CZE ACCR KTM 10 11 21

9 BISCEGLIA Matt USA AMA YAMAHA 18 2 20

10 PATUREL Benoît FRA FFM YAMAHA 13 6 19

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FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - BRAZIL

Posted by: Ollie S
Source: Pirelli

22 August 2010, Campo Grande (Brazil)

The mechanical problem experienced by Clement Desalle’s Suzuki delivered the MX1 title into the hands of champion Antonio Cairoli who with the Pirelli Scorpion MX confirmed a successful defence of his crown. It was a triumphant day for KTM at the Grand Prix of Brazil but it was also a momentous occasion for Pirelli, having equipped the first nine of ten riders in the top ten of the classification. With second position overall in MX2, standings leader Marvin Musquin now has one hand on the championship and could wrap up the 2010 series at Lierop, Holland in two weeks.

WEATHER: Sunshine TEMPERATURE 28° HUMIDITY 47% TERRAIN Hard-pack

MX1
Antonio Cairoli had planned to celebrate his 2010 world championship at Lierop in two weeks and the penultimate round of the series, instead his victory at the new circuit in Campo Grande combined with the mechanical failure experienced by Desalle meant an early celebration for the KTM rider and team using the 350SX-F booted with Scorpion MidSoft 32 front and rear. The timing of the success was not completely expected but there is no doubt that Cairoli thoroughly deserves his spoils and in the alliance with Pirelli has owned seven of the thirteen rounds this season so far. The same tyre combination in Campo Grande was used by the next eight riders. Second place was earned by David Philippaerts followed by Max Nagl, Steve Ramon, Rui Goncalves, Davide Guarneri, Joshua Coppins, Tanel Leok and Clement Desalle. One of the revelations of the 2010 campaign, Evgeny Bobryschev, did not take part after a crash in practice caused several cracked ribs.

Cairoli in action

Overall Classification:

1. Antonio Cairoli KTM
2. David Philippaerts Yamaha
3. Max Nagl KTM
4. Steve Ramon Suzuki
5. Rui Goncalves KTM

World Championship standings:

1. Antonio Cairoli KTM Team Red Bull De Carli 578
2. Clement Desalle Suzuki Team Teka 471
3. David Philippaerts Yamaha Team Yamaha Monster 441
4. Max Nagl KTM Team Red Bull De Carli 420
5. Steve Ramon Suzuki Team Teka 408

MX2
The Brazilian stage saw MX2 championship leader Marvin Musquin lose a set of duels with Ken Roczen but the Frenchman only has to wait two weeks for the Grand Prix of Benelux in the sand of Lierop to place his hands on the title for the second year in succession. The works KTM rider, using Scorpion MidSoft 32 front and rear, finished runner-up to the German Suzuki representative at both times of asking. The absent Jeffrey Herlings was joined on the sidelines by Red Bull KTM team-mate Shaun Simpson who also dislocated his shoulder (left) on the first lap of the opening moto. Yamaha’s Gautier Paulin was out of luck after his involvement with the Simpson incident led to a broken water pump and a DNF. In the second moto he took fourth place but could have been one position higher if it had not been for a crash on a slippery part of the terrain in the waves section.

Overall Classification:

1. Ken Roczen Suzuki
2. Marvin Musquin KTM
3. Jeremy Van Horebeek KTM
4. Arnaud Tonus Suzuki
5. Zach Osborne Yamaha

World Championship standings:

1. Marvin Musquin KTM Team Red Bull Factory 571
2. Ken Roczen Suzuki Team Teka 499
3. Steven Frossard Kawasaki Team CLS 430
4. Jeffrey Herlings KTM Team Red Bull Factory 391
5. Zach Osborne Yamaha Team Yamaha Bike-it 329

Cairoli

David Philippaerts won first heat

MX1 podium in Campo Grande

Clement Desalle

Marvin Musquin, MX2 leader

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ROSSI DUCATI TEST IN DOUBT

VALENTINO Rossi's hopes to test the Ducati V4 MotoGP at the end of season Valencia test in November looks unlikely, with Executive Officer of Engineering Operations at Yamaha, Masao Furusawa citing contractual agreements as a reason it may not take place.

Riders are usually contracted for a calendar year, which means Rossi's current Yamaha contract runs out on December 31.

Speaking after the race at Brno on Sunday, August 15, Rossi said his work at Yamaha was done.“I think that here in Yamaha my work is finished,” said Rossi. “The situation within Yamaha has changed a lot since 2004. Now the M1 is maybe the best bike in MotoGP, Yamaha have great riders, so it looks like they don’t need me any more.”

Rossi has won four MotoGP World Championships in his seven years with Yamaha and has now signed a two-year deal with Ducati for 2011-2011 and is excited at the prospect of linking up with the Bologna factory.

“I’m very curious and very motivated for this new challenge and I think it will be very interesting,” he stated.

“I think an Italian rider on an Italian bike will be great for all Italian fans. I think we’ll have a lot of fans cheering for us.”

He hopes to test the V4 Ducati at Valencia after the final grand prix in November.

“If Yamaha say no I’ll be very upset and sad,” said the 31 year-old Italian.

“Only Honda have said no to me in the past and that relationship was very different to the one between me and Yamaha. If I can’t do it then I don’t understand the relationship between me and Yamaha!”

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ANSTEY SETS ULSTER RECORD

Chris Anstey averaged 216kph over the 12km Ulster circuit

Kiwi Bruce Anstey and his Relentless by TAS Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike have made history by becoming the World's fastest combination of rider and machine ever in Ulster Grand Prix at Dundrod in Northern Ireland, averaging an astonishing 133.977mph in the final race of the day.

Anstey's record-breaking lap aided his Superbike win in the final race of the day, taking the TAS Racing team's top step tally to 12 at 'The Ulster'. And judging by the reaction of the 30,000 strong crowd at the County Antrim venue, the London-based Kiwi was also the event's most popular winner around the 7.401-mile circuit.

Anstey was unfortunate not to have also taken the opening Superbike race win in a six-lap thriller that involved up to six riders. The 41-year-old suggested in a succinct manner afterwards during a radio interview, that backmarkers probably blighted his cause at the Lindsay Hairpin on the final circuit, but was happy in the circumstances with second place.

Cameron Donald overcame a mid-week medical for a viral infection and fought bravely in all of today's races. After a mediocre start to the day in the Superstock encounter, where he finished 11th, the Cookstown-based Aussie got himself in the thick of the action in both Superbike races. In the opening race he overshot at Cochranestown losing out on the opportunity of a podium return to Dundrod. But in race two his lap times were only bettered by his world record-breaking team-mate and those who flanked him on the podium. Donald eventually finished fourth with a best lap of 133.401mph.

Bruce Anstey:
"I said before today that our bikes were very competitive and while I missed out in the cat-and-mouse game for victory in the opening Superbike race, I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. Granted, there wasn't much in it between the top four or five guys today, but ultimately we proved that the GSX-R1000 in Relentless Suzuki trim is not only the best, but the fastest road racing Superbike on the planet. A big thank you to all the boys in the team today for a big effort - they work hard all year and it's nice to give them something to boast about at the end of a tough season."

 Cameron Donald:
"A tough day at the office it really was today. My Superbike was working great and I really thought I had a win on the cards in the grand final. I ended up lapping inside the old lap record, so I have to take the positives from a good final race. Big congratulations to Bruce for taking the win and bettering my new lap record which only lasted for a lap!"

Philip Neill - Team Manager:
"Fair play to both guys today. We have never hidden the fact that it's taken them both a bit of time to find their best form this season, for one reason or another, but as a team we are extremely pleased with our season. Cameron overshot in the opening Superbike race and Bruce was a tad misfortunate and we lost out. But in the final Superbike race - the one the fans all remember - we had two GSX-R1000s right in the mix for honours, and this is testament to the quality of our machinery.

'What can you say about Bruce Anstey? We have used all the superlatives before. The bottom line is this: when he wants to prove a point, and I don't say this lightly - he is the best road racer in the world. And to produce a performance like that, not having raced since the TT in June, is mind-boggling.

"Cameron dug deep today while suffering the effects of a viral infection and I'm pleased with his efforts. He was there-or-there-abouts in both Superbike races and in places was quicker than his rivals; he can't be faulted for giving it his best shot.

"It has been a good season for us in general so far. We have had two BSB wins; we dominated at the North West 200 with Alastair Seeley and although two podiums at the TT is a little short of what we have come to expect, we have ended the international road racing season on a high note here at the Ulster Grand Prix.

"I'm more pleased today for the boys in the team as they were pretty deflated after the TT. People don't see it, but they work very hard behind the scenes and today is for them and of course our sponsors. Loyal people like Suzuki, Relentless and the likes of Ian Glenn from Beacon and everyone else who continues to support us."

Source: Suzuki NZ

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JEREMY BURGESS: WITHER NOW?

By MICHAEL ESDAILE

WITH the announcement that seven times World MotoGP Champion Valentino Rossi has signed for Ducati, the question now on motorcycle grand prix fans minds is: will his long-serving crew chief Jeremy Burgess join him?

There are those who believe Burgess will follow Rossi to the Ducati team, pointing to a remark Burgess made several years ago in an interview. When he was asked how long he would remain in MotoGP, Burgess reportedly stated: "for as long as Valentino wants to race."

That would make it seem Burgess joining Ducati to head Rossi's crew is a forgone conclusion. But it is doubtful that when Burgess made that statement that he ever envisaged Rossi going to Ducati.

And word in Italy is that Burgess will not be part of the Rossi-Ducati team. The Italians have never allowed a non-Italian in such a high profile position, let alone a crew chief with a team of foreign mechanics. Burgess is Australian, as are the other key players in Rossi's Yamaha GP team.

Would JB stay at Yamaha?

That seems unlikely as Jorge Lorenzo has forged a close and successful relationship with fellow Spaniard Ramon Forcada and Texan Ben Spies, who will move up to the factory Yamaha team in 2011, has a close and successful working relationship with fellow American Tom Houseworth.

Burgess flies back and forth to his Adelaide home during breaks in the GP season and after 30 years in grand prix racing, with all the travel that involves, it is not inconceivable that he may make the decision to quit the GP scene at the end of the 2010 season.

However, there is another option: rejoin Honda.

When Burgess left Honda Racing Corporation at the end of the 2003 season, it was only after considerable persausion from Valentino Rossi. Burgess, a very loyal Honda employee, had initially indicated he wanted to stay with HRC, a company he joined in 1983, and work with Nicky Hayden.

It says a lot about Rossi's persausiveness that Burgess eventually decided to leave Honda to go to Yamaha, a move that saw the duo take the championship in their very first year with the new team, and a further three more world championships since then. In fact, Rossi has not won a premier class world championship without Burgess as his crew chief.

With apparently no place for Burgess at Ducati, and a new vice-president at HRC in the form of Shuhei Nakamoto who has adopted a radical (for Honda) policy of hiring the best people for the job, regardless of nationality, perhaps the veteran Aussie may be tempted back to his old employer - to work with Casey Stoner.

Under Nakamoto's direction, HRC signed Yamaha electronics technicians Andrea Zugna and Cristian Battaglia to work on the new electronics package fitted to the 2010 Honda RC212V and also tempted former Ducati man Livio Suppo away from the Bologna factory, to act as commercial director and team manager for the factory Repsol Honda team.

Now Honda has signed 2007 MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner to a two-year deal with the factory team, as teammate to current Repsol rider Dani Pedrosa.

Burgess was keen on Stoner as a prospect for Yamaha before the young Aussie was signed by Ducati at the end of 2006. It is clear Stoner needs someone of Burgess' vast experience in his corner. The 2009 and 2010 Ducati V4s have proved a real handful and neither Stoner nor his team-mate Nicky Hayden appear to have had any success in sorting that.

Stoner definitely needs someone like Burgess to help him make the Honda a regular challenger to the current ruling force of Jorge Lorenzo and the Yamaha YZR-M1 in 2011.

But the man himself is saying very little about his future intentions, no doubt quietly enjoying reading the speculation from various journalists around the world.

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ROSSI & DUCATI: CONFIRMED

VALENTINO ROSSI AND DUCATI TOGETHER FROM 2011

The official press release from Ducati:

Brno (Czech Republic) August 15th 2010 - Ducati and Valentino Rossi have signed a two year agreement for the nine-times World Champion to race with the "Rossa" of Borgo Panigale in the Ducati Marlboro Team from 2011.

The arrival of Valentino in Ducati opens a new and exciting chapter in the Italian factory's sporting history and, indeed, of the whole MotoGP Championship. The opportunity of lining-up such an extraordinary rider and character is considered by Ducati to be a huge value to the whole Ducati MotoGP project.

"We are delighted to announce that Valentino Rossi will be with us from 2011," commented Gabriele Del Torchio, President of Ducati Motor Holding. "He is a paragon of excellence in the world of motorcycling, coherent with our Italian company which is a standard-bearer for "made in Italy" excellence. These are key values for success in technology, design and sportsmanship. In addition to the strong and passionate intent of both parties, this agreement has been made possible by the committed support of our shareholder Investindustrial and all the sponsors associated with the Ducati Marlboro Team, sponsors which have believed in this opportunity and share and support our choices, De Torchio added.

"Firstly, Valentino is a great fan of motorcycles and so it has always been a pleasure for me to listen his opinions," said Filippo Preziosi, Ducati Corse General Director. "Until the Valencia GP he will remain a competitor, one so great that he has always given a special value to our victories, but as soon as he rides the Ducati for the first time, we will work together on every single detail that will develop a bike capable of showing his huge talent. Working with Valentino is one of the most exciting things for every engineer and it's good to know we will have this opportunity next season."

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SHERWOOD EYES UP CAPUT MUNDI

By: Ollie S
Images: A. Schelbert & B. Gardi - redbullxfighters.com


Kiwi FMX legend-in-the-making and Red Bull Athlete Levi Sherwood has taken out the fifth stage of the Red Bull X-Fighters 2010 World Tour in front of the Battersea Power Station in London.


Having won the Moscow leg of the X-Fighters 2010 World Tour earlier in the year the 19 year-old Palmerston North bred sensation destroyed the competition with a near faultless finals run pulling out his signature trick the "ruler flip".


Sherwood's overall win at Battersea combined with his earlier overall in Moscow sees Sherwood jump to third in the X-Fighters standings behind Andre Villa and Nate Adams.


Italy marks the battle ground for the final stop of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour on October 1st, where X-Fighters riders will throw everything humanely possibly to claim the X-Fighters 2010 crown. Using the Caput Mundi as one of the most surreal backdrops of the tour so far, Levi Sherwood is in for a very good chance of making X-Fighters history.

For more great images and videos or to follow the Red Bull X-Fighters 2010 World Tour pop over to Red Bull X-Fighters

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ROSSI AND YAMAHA CONFIRM SPLIT

Finally it's official. Rumours that MotoGP star Valentino Rossi was leaving Yamaha for Ducati have been swirling around for the past two months and this morning these rumours were officially confirmed by both parties in a joint statement issued by Yamaha.

The statement reads:"Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. would like to announce that the partnership between Valentino Rossi and Yamaha will come to an end at the close of the season, when Valentino will move on to new challenges.

Yamaha and Valentino have enjoyed seven fantastic seasons of racing, during which time they have won four MotoGP World Championships together.

Valentino has played a huge part in the history of Yamaha and he will always remain an important part of Yamaha's heritage. Yamaha is extremely grateful for Valentino's contributions to its racing successes over the past seven years and it would like to wish him the very best in his future racing endeavours.

Yamaha will be putting all its efforts into ensuring a successful and happy end to the partnership over the remaining races.

Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, said "On behalf of the Yamaha Motor Group, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for the amazing seven years that we have spent together. Valentino joined Yamaha in 2004 at a moment when Yamaha was struggling in road racing after eleven seasons without a championship victory. Valentino's victory at his first GP race for Yamaha in South Africa in 2004 was an incredible moment and was just the first of many more race wins that have thrilled MotoGP fans and Yamaha fans around the world. His unsurpassed skills as a racer and a development rider enabled him to win four MotoGP world titles to date with us and helped Yamaha develop the YZR-M1 into the ‘the bike of reference' for the MotoGP class.

"There have been so many wonderful experiences and victories and we are very proud to have been able to make history together. Whilst we regret Vale's decision to move on, at the same time we fully respect his decision to search for a new challenge and we wish him the very best for 2011 and beyond.

"For the remaining eight races of 2010 Valentino will remain a Yamaha Factory rider. As such he will continue to benefit from our full support and we hope and expect to see some more race wins with him ‘in blue' before the season is over!"

Valentino Rossi
"It is very difficult to explain in just a few words what my relationship with Yamaha has been in these past seven years.

"Many things have changed since that far-off time in 2004, but especially ‘she', my M1, has changed. At that time she was a poor middle-grid position MotoGP bike, derided by most of the riders and the MotoGP workers. Now, after having helped her to grow and improve, you can see her smiling in her garage, courted and admired, treated as the ‘top of the class'.

"The list of the people that made this transformation possible is very long, but I would like to thank anyway Masao Furusawa, Masahiko Nakajima and ‘my' Hiroya Atsumi, as representatives of all the engineers that worked hard to change the face of our M1. Then Jeremy Burgess and all my guys in the garage, who took care of her with love on all the tracks of the world and also all the men and women that have worked in the Yamaha team during these years.

"Now the moment has come to look for new challenges; my work here at Yamaha is finished. Unfortunately even the most beautiful love stories finish, but they leave a lot of wonderful memories, like when my M1 and I kissed for the first time on the grass at Welkom, when she looked straight in my eyes and told me ‘I love you!'

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SHOULDER INJURY PUTS HERLINGS OUT

Source: Motocross Planet - Images: Archer. R/KTM Press
Jeffrey Herlings, who burst onto the MX2 GP season in 2010 as the rising star of the Red Bull KTM Factory Team and has proved himself as a top rider in the most elite company, is out for the rest of the season to heal an injured shoulder.
Jeffrey, just 15 years old, crashed heavily on his shoulder in the second moto in Loket, Czech Republic last weekend after a blistering performance in the first moto that saw him finish third and move into third in the championship standings behind factory teammate Marvin Musquin and rival Ken Roczen.


Everts confirms Herlings withdrawal from the last three GPs
Red Bull KTM team boss Stefan Everts told KTM Racing News that after a second medical opinion that established the shoulder injury was more serious that a simple dislocation, it had been decided that Jeffrey would not race in the remaining three GPs of the 2010 season. "The damage to the shoulder was worse that we thought and there is still some bleeding. He will need surgery and it is better that he concentrates on healing the injury and recovering to be completely fit for the beginning of 2011. Jeffrey is still very young and he has nothing more to prove about his performance on the bike. He has won two GPs and has proven that he is up with the best and the fastest on the world championship tracks. The injury is unfortunate but that's racing, and like all champions he will come back to the track stronger than ever," Everts said.


Time to heal, says Jeffrey
Speaking by telephone from his home in the Netherlands Jeffrey also said he considered that withdrawing from the last three GPs was the right decision. "Now I have to take at least six week's rest before I can have the surgery on my shoulder," he said, "The muscles are still very swollen and the swelling has to go down before the operation. After that I will need 2-3 months of recovery time but that means I will be fit and ready to race at the beginning of the 2011 season. I have had a lot of good races this year and I have shown that I can race with all the good guys and get good results. I know there will be a lot expected of me going into next season so now I'll have time to recover and to get really fit again in time for the first races."

Herlings delivers a stellar first season
Jeffrey has had a stellar first season with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team. He had the pleasure of winning his first career GP at home in the Netherlands and followed it up with a second win in Latvia. He was three times second on the overall podium (Portugal, Sweden and Belgium) and was third in Lombardy, Italy. He won four individual motos, was placed second in four races and was third six times to underline that despite his entry into senior world championship level racing at such a young age, he is a professional that can deliver on all kinds of terrain.


The entire Orange family join in wishing Jeffrey a speedy and complete recovery and look forward to him being "Ready to Race" for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team at the beginning of the 2011 season.

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STURGIS RALLY POLICE REPORT

The famous Sturgis Rally is on again. A Report on the rally's site has the following 'Rally Tally' Police statistics:

Sturgis

• Driving under the influence: 52
• Misdemeanor drug arrests: 32
• Felony drug arrests: 12
• Other felony arrest: 1
• Total tickets: 231
• Total warnings: 780
• Vehicles seized for drug possession: 1
• Non-injury accidents: 1
• Injury accidents: 10

Full report is here

You can follow the Rally activity here:

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/sturgisrallydaily/

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BRONZ NEWSLETTER

Welcome to the August edition of the BRONZ newsletter.

Included this month is the President's Report from 2009/2010, an update from BRONZ Wellington and details on upcoming charity rides. Read On and Ride Safe.

BRONZ AKL Meeting

The next BRONZ meeting will take place on Wednesday August 18th at 7.30pm at Danish House, Rockridge Ave, Penrose. Meetings take place once a month, on the third Wednesday of the month. We would love to see some new faces so if you wish to contribute please come along.

AGM

Prior to the usual monthly committee meeting a very brief meeting will be convened to ratify the decisions taken at last months AGM, in accordance with clause 7.5 of the constitution.

The President’s report for 2009/2010 is attached.

BRONZ Blog

All the BRONZ newsletters are now available online here http://bronzcoms.blogspot.com/
News updates will also be posted and the blog includes direct links to the BRONZ website.


Motorcycle Safety Levy Establishment Group

BRONZ Wellington have recently attended the first meeting as members of the ‘Motorcycle Safety Levy Establishment Group’.

“In March 2010 the Government approved the introduction of a Motorcycle Safety Levy (MSL) to help fund motorcycle safety initiatives to reduce injuries and fatalities to motorcycle, scooter and moped riders.

ACC has set up a MSL Establishment Group to develop the foundations for how the MSL programme will be administered and operated.

The establishment group is made up of eight people representing the following groups: Ulysses Club of NZ Inc, Bikers Rights Organisation of NZ (BRONZ), Women’s International Motorcycle Association (WIMA), Motorcycling New Zealand, Scoot NZ, NZ Classic Scooter Club, Motor Industry Association, Ministry of Transport and the NZ Transport Agency. Seven of the group members are motorbike or moped riders.”

Local Road Safety

Noticed loose gravel, slippery tar snakes, pot holes or a diesel spill on a nearby road?

Report road hazards to the relevant agency and help protect yourself and others from the danger.

The contacts for Auckland are listed below.

BRONZ also has business cards with this information on them available upon request.

NZ Transport Agency:    0800 444 449    (North Island)
0800 444 449    (South Island) www.nzta.govt.nz
Manukau City Council:    09 262 5104    www.manukau.govt.nz
Waitakere City Council:    09 839 0400    www.waitakere.govt.nz
Auckland City Council:    09 370 2020    www.aucklandcity.govt.nz
North Shore City Council:    09 486 8600    www.northshorecity.govt.nz

Events:

RRRS

Ride RIGHT Ride SAFE is a rider training course that runs once a month. Divided into alternate riding and non-riding segments, the course is made up of riding and classroom segments. Exercises in motorcycle control, counter steering, including its use for cornering, as well as exercises in braking and the theory of motorcycle control, techniques of motorcycle riding and protective gear are all included.

When: Next course August  15
Upcoming Courses: September 19, October 17, November 21
Where: Whenuapai Air Base
Cost: $60 for full day
Contact : Finn  on 09 625 5533 or 027 484 6326 or bronzrrrs@hotmail.com
Blue September Coastal Bike Ride

The blue September Coastal Bike Ride is a ride around the coastline of NZ. This is an event to support Blue September during September. The purpose of the ride is to raise awareness of Prostate Cancer which kills 600 men every year throughout NZ.

Riders may join the ride at any stage throughout the country and are asked to contribute $10 towards the Prostate Cancer Foundation in exchange for a commemorative patch and BBQ sausage. Please wear a blue scarf if possible.

When: Saturday September 4th, 1pm
Where: Caltex Grand Drive, Orewa
Why: To raise awareness of and money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation
Contact: John Bourne on 022 640 5738
2010 Pink Ribbon Ride

When: Sunday October 10th, 9.30am
Where: Auckland Netball Centre car park, 7 Allison Ferguson Drive, St Johns, Auckland
Depart: 10.30am sharp!
End Venue: Western Springs Stadium car park
Why: To raise awareness of and money in support of Breast Cancer victims
Contact: Julez on 021 614 646 or vist www.wima.org.nz
Badges will be on sale for $10. The non-riding public is invited to meet at the end venue to show their support, enjoy a BBQ and inspect the spectacle of assembled motorcycles.

If you are aware of any upcoming events please contact the webmaster on bronzweb@gmail.com, with details on what and when and a contact number. Alternatively you can contact BRONZ via P.O. Box 96187, Balmoral, Auckland, 1342

www.bronz.org.nz

Aims of BRONZ:

To Promote road safety through road user education

Education Rather Than Legislation Saves Lives

To protect and promote the rights of the motorcyclist to decide his/her own future as a road user

Let Those Who Ride Decide

To promote and protect the general welfare of the motorcycling public

What Does Being A Member of BRONZ Mean?

BRONZ is a voluntary, non-profit organization. Your membership fee goes back to you, the member, via research into proposed legislation and road safety, regular newsletters and other social activities (eg Toy Runs, Blood Run, Easter Egg Run).

Your membership entitles you as a member and a motorcyclist to a say in how the organization is run. You are entitled to vote on issues that will affect the future of motorcycling and you may contribute anything that you feel is important. You are not obliged to attend any meetings or other functions regularly, although to get the full benefit of what BRONZ offers it is suggested that you avail yourself to as many as possible.

Branch meetings are open to everyone, members are welcome to bring a friend.

Being a member of BRONZ does not interfere with membership of any other organization or club. As a member of BRONZ you are expected to behave in a manner that will not be detrimental to the good name of BRONZ and the image of motorcycling.


Contact BRONZ

Les Mason
Auckland President
Les.mason@gmail.com

Finn Nielsen
Ride RIGHT Ride SAFE Coordinator
bronzrrrs@hotmail.com
    
Peggy O’Neal
Secretary
bronzauckland@hotmail.com

John Maloyd
Webmaster
bronzweb@gmail.com
    
Big Dave
Press Officer
09 523 5308
mail@davidcohen.co.nz

www.bronz.org.nz

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MV AGUSTA SALE - UPDATED

Autoblog web site reports the sale of MV Agusta, back to previous owner,  Claudio Castiglioni, for a rumored 'nominal' One Euro, or more than $100 million less than they paid for it 2 years ago.

Here's the press release posted:

HARLEY-DAVIDSON FINALISES SALE OF MV AGUSTA

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 6, 2010 -- Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HOG) has concluded the sale of its subsidiary, MV Agusta, to Claudio Castiglioni and his wholly owned holding company, MV Agusta Motor Holding, S.r.l., effective today.
Castiglioni is the former owner of the Italian motorcycle maker and has served as MV Agusta's chairman since 2008, when Harley-Davidson acquired the company.

In October 2009, Harley-Davidson announced its intention to sell MV Agusta as part of a new corporate strategy to focus resources on the Harley-Davidson brand. Since then, Harley-Davidson has held discussions with various potential MV Agusta buyers.

"MV Agusta is a proud brand and we wish Mr. Castiglioni and the company's employees well," said Harley-Davidson President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Wandell. "Our decision to divest MV Agusta reflects our strategy to focus our efforts and our investment on the Harley-Davidson brand, as we believe this provides an optimal path to long-term growth."

There's more on Autoblog.

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal has picked up the story.

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HD RIDE DAY CANCELLATION

It is with regret that, due to circumstances beyond our control, the Ride Day at Hampton Downs this Friday, August 13th will not take place.

My apologies to all of you that have booked. We will be hitting the phones to talk to you all to discuss options as soon as we can or feel free to give us a call on (09)412 6266. For those of you that didn’t book, but were planning to turn up, you can now go to work on Friday - sorry.

Our future Ride Days are going ahead as normal, so the next one will be on:

Sunday 22nd August

So please go to www.hamptondownsridedays.co.nz to book your place.

See you at the track

Enjoy the ride.

Darren

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SH1 AKL CLOSURES - SEPT 4

The Southbound lanes of the Southern Motorway (SH1) will be closed for a maximum of 36 hours from 5pm Saturday September 4 between Gillies Ave and Greenlane. The closure will enable the switch to the new southbound Newmarket Viaduct in time for the Monday morning commute.

Avoid the Southern Motorway (SH1) if you're planning to travel anywhere around Auckland on Saturday night or Sunday. The closure will cause significant delays throughout Auckland's road network.

You can help yourself and others beat the frustrations that this may cause by only travelling by car if really necessary.
Should you need to travel by car, please consult the detour maps by clicking on the map or this link. These detours will provide you with the best travel option to key destination points, however delays are inevitable.

Either switch your mode of transport, or keep it very local this Father's Day.

This single weekend closure and opening of the new bridge will allow us to open the fourth southbound motorway lane from the city to Greenlane by early 2011, reducing journey times and peak hour frustrations for regular commuters, and providing an improved driving experience for all Aucklanders.
We encourage you to forward this email or mention the closure to friends, staff, colleagues and customers. The more people who are aware of the closure and its potential impacts, the easier it will be for everyone.
Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

Tommy Parker
NZTA State Highways Manager, Auckland and Northland

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PRICE CORRECTION - HYOSUNG ST7 TEST

The ST7 features in this month's KR

DOH! - We published the wrong price on the Hyosung ST7 test.

Please note that we still feel this is a great value for money bike at the correct price of $12,995.


Apologies for any inconvenience.

Find out more about the bike here

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THREE-PRONGED KIWI ASSAULT

By Andy McGechan

The McGoldrick brothers, Micah (left)
and Isaiah, flying out this week.
Photo by Andy McGechan,
BikesportNZ.com

It will be a three-pronged Kiwi attack at this year’s Junior Motocross World Championships in France.

But, while the numbers may be down – the event being staged on the other side of the planet, rather than Taupo – the quality of Team NZ will still be very high indeed.

Last year’s top-performing Kiwis Hamish Dobbyn and Courtney Duncan won’t be heading to Dardon Gueugnon, in France, for this year’s edition of the stand-alone event on August 22.

But there are still high hopes that a New Zealand rider will finish on the podium with Rangiora brothers Isaiah and Micah McGoldrick and Mangakino’s Kayne Lamont in top form.

Marty McGoldrick said he would not be accompanying his sons to France but they would be well managed by Christchurch motocross coach Anthony Sproull.

They fly out later this week, touching down at Heathrow Airport before heading to Frankfurt, in Germany.

“They will be met in Germany and looked after by Bodo Schmidt and his race team,” said Marty McGoldrick.

“The boys could also have the opportunity to race in Germany. The support that the boys will be receiving looks good. There will be time to train and personalise their race bikes, as a mechanic will be on hand.”

Isaiah McGoldrick (16) finished 23rd in the 125cc class at the world championships last year, when they were staged in Taupo, while his 14-year-old brother Micah placed 8th overall in the 85cc class.

“The problem over there may be finding decent places for them to ride and train ... a lot of the tracks are under water at the moment. Bodo Schmidt has helped Kiwi riders in the past and he’ll sort something out.

“He’s also arranging spare bikes and parts and a race truck for the boys to use.

“Micah is riding faster now than he was at this event last year but I think just to make it into the top 40 would be a great achievement.”

Lamont, meanwhile, has been building up to the big French race by posting several strong results in Europe.

The 17-year-old has been in Europe since April, contesting several rounds of the British Motocross Championships as well as selected rounds of the European Motocross 125cc Championships.

He put himself on the top step of the podium at round six of the Red Bull British 125cc Championships at the Howton Court circuit in Pontrilas, south Herefordshire, close to the Welsh border.

He then challenged the elite of the MXY2 class at round five of the British Motocross Championships at Foxhills, in Swindon, finishing the day first-equal with the championship leader, Britain’s Connor Walkley (Team Green Kawasaki).

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

Related feature: here

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FINALLY! YAMAHA WINS A SUPERBIKE RACE

By MICHAEL ESDAILE

INCREDIBLE as it may seem, especially after last year's stunning performance from Texan Ben Spies who won 14 races on the off-set crank YZF-R1, it has taken until the tenth round of the 2010 HANNspree Superbike World Championship for the Sterligarda Yamaha team to take its first win of the 2010 season.

The breakthrough win came for the team on Sunday, August 1 when English rider Cal Crutchlow finally converted a pole position into a race win, and perhaps to make up for the team's under-achievement this year, he did it in style - taking both races at the revamped Silverstone circuit in England. To underline just how successful Spies was on this bike with this team last year, at the same point in the 2009 season he had scored 10 of his 14 wins.

After winning the 2009 Supersport World Championship on the Yamaha World Supersport Team YZF-R6 last year, Crutchlow stepped up to the team's Superbike for 2010 with one advantage over Spies - he had raced at all the tracks the series visits.

He put the Sterligarda Yamaha on pole for the second round at Portimao, crashed in the first race but still managed to finish 14th, then podiumed with a third place finish in race two.

Crutchlow on the charge

At round three he again snatched pole position, but did not make it to the podium in either race. At the fifth round at Monza, he got on the podium in the first race with a third place finish, then took pole position at Kyalami in South Africa, but again failed to make it to the podium. His next podium was in the second race at round seven in Utah, USA. At the ninth round, at Brno in Czechoslovakia, Crutchlow took his fourth pole position of the season and managed to convert that into a podium finish with third place in the first race.

So going into the Silverstone round, Crutchlow had four pole positions and four third place finishes to his name and was eighth in the championship.

After his Silverstone double, he had jumped to fifth in the championship and with three rounds (six races) still to go, could conceivably take fourth in the title chase away from Spaniard Carlos Checa.

Sky TV commentator Steve Martin put Crutchlow's impressive Silverstone performance down to the cooler track temperature suiting the way the Yamaha delivers its power. So how come Spies was able to win no matter if the track was hot, or cool last year? Well, looking at a sample of the races run so far this year, the race pace in 2010 has been considerably faster than it was in 2009 and it takes good set-up skills and the correct chassis geometry to get tyres to work well without overheating in a variety of conditions. So whether it was the cooler track condition at Silverstone, or perhaps Crutchlow sat down and looked at video of Spies' impressive performances last year: whatever the reason, he certainly turned in two stunning rides on the YZF-R1 Yamaha.

Crutchlow leads Rea

Not only had he vastly improved his championship ranking, he had cleaned house: pole position, two race wins and fastest lap in both races. This was a man absolutely on top of his game, and his long, high-speed slide around the final corner and across the finish line was one of the best expressions of the dirt-track art outside of a clay surface.

Fellow Brit Johnny Rea was the bridesmaid in both races. He started well and led the way in both races with Crutchlow following as they gapped the rest of the field. In the first race Crutchlow engaged him in corner-to-corner combat around mid race before making his escape in the second half. In the second 18 lap affair, the Yamaha man stalked the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider until four laps from the end. When he pounced, Rea struck back, then ran wide, letting the Yamaha man back in front. From there Crutchlow got his head down and went for it, his best lap of the weekend, 2m 05.421s, clocked with a lap to go. That was just over a tenth of a second under his pole position time and was better than the tenth fastest MotoGP bike at Silverstone in June (Aleix Espargaro, Pramac Ducati). While Rea was happy with his pair of second place finishes, fellow Brit Leon Haslam was forced to put a brave face on things. He really needed a win to try to pull back the 68 point championship lead Max Biaggi (Alitalia Aprilia) had established after the Czech round at Brno on July 11. As Haslam said later, "I made a bad start in the first race, but managed to close the gap on the leaders and was getting ready to mount an attack on Jonathan (Rea), then had gearbox problems for the last seven laps, so couldn't push harder and get closer to him. A podium is not bad though, and it was good to be up there with two other Brits."

Haslam was sixth at the end of the first lap, battled with Troy Corser and took fifth, then got by Biaggi for fourth before tracking down Xerox Ducati man Michel Fabrizio and eventually taking third just as the race got to the halfway point. From there he steadily caught the leaders, then ran into the gearbox problem and had to settle for third.

Leon Carmier

Behind him the final order was Fabrizio, Biaggi, Leon Camier on the second factory Aprilia, Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati), James Toseland (Sterligarda Yamaha), Shane Bryne (Althea Ducati) and Corser on the first of the factory BMWs. The Aussie had been as high as fifth early on before steadily being falling back to finish tenth.

In the second race Rea again shot into the lead chased by Crutchlow, Biaggi, Haslam and Corser.

In a determined mood, Corser nipped by Haslam, then got the drop on Biaggi to have the BMW running third after a lap. Pressing on to make sure Rea and Crutchlow did not get away, Corser crashed at the start of the second lap when the BMW tucked its front Pirelli and sent him off in a shower of sparks into the gravel trap.

Haslam also got past Biaggi, who never really looked settled at Silverstone, and tried to go with the front-runners. However, he found he didn't have the grip he needed to do that so tried to salvage as many points as possible.

Another Leon had other ideas. Starting well back on the grid, 2009 British Superbike Champion Leon Camier had the second factory up to tenth after a lap, was sixth after four laps, got by former two-time World Superbike Champion James Toseland for fifth and suddenly was right behind team-mate Biaggi with Haslam a little further ahead.

In the first race Camier had passed Biaggi, then let his team-mate back in front. But with a podium position beaconing in the second race, he decided to go for it. As a result, in successive laps he passed his team-mate, and Haslam, and set after the leaders. Although he made some impression, he came up six seconds short at the finish, but was happy to be on the podium for the third time this seson. Camier made the podium in race one at Assen (where he was third), then scored a second place finish (behind Biaggi) in the second race in Utah. By denying Haslam another podium, he thus reduced the damage to Biaggi's championship lead.

2 out of 2

"We used a different engine in race two, but everything else was the same, including the tyres," Haslam said. "However, this time the grip feeling was completely different and I really had to work hard to keep in the top four or so. On the last lap, I had a big fight with James (Toseland). He passed me, but I was determined to get him back and that's what I did. On the last turn, he tried to get round the outside of me at the beginning of the start-finish straight and hit me, breaking my tail fairing and exhaust bracket in the process. It was a bit of a hairy moment, but happily we both stayed on our bikes and crossed the line OK. It was a tough end to a hard race but, just like race one, I was happy to finish ahead of Max (Biaggi). It would've better if I could've got some more points, but that's how it went today."

Meantime, the other Leon could not hide the smile on his face.

"A fantastic day," beamed Camier. " Too bad about the sixteenth starting position. Unfortunately mistakes in Superpole come at a high cost! As the practices showed, the feeling on this circuit was very good from the start and in the race I was able to really push, truly earning a lot of positions. In the first race I finished behind my team-mate. In race two I was able to lock onto the front group straight away, although Crutchlow and Rea unfortunately were already away. I'm happy for a podium in front of my fans. It's also a nice reward for my team and for Aprilia."

For his part, Biaggi was rather sanguine.

"I come away from this weekend quite satisfied, even if these are not the placings I could have achieved," said Biaggo of his 5-6 placings. "It was difficult here, above all adjusting my RSV4 on the bumpy Silverstone track. In race two I finished sixth, behind five English riders. I think that the home field factor really gave them some extra motivation today."

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