“To wrap it all up at my home race and on my birthday is perfect.” Stoner told reporters after the race. Italian riders Marco Simoncelli and Andrea Dovizioso were second and third, respectively.

Stoner only had to finish in the top six to win the championship after the 2010 MotoGP champion rider Jorge Lorenzo missed the race after crashing out in the morning warm-up session that left him being rushed to hospital with a hand.

24 year-old Jorge Lorenzo, was concerned that the crash may have left him with a permanent disability.  He underwent plastic surgery on his left hand and will miss next weekend’s Malaysian MotoGP.

“After the crash I was very worried that I would not have full feeling in my finger again,” Lorenzo told reporters.

Casey Stoner wins his first MotoGP championship for Honda Repsol.  His previous victory was in 2007 riding for Ducati.

MotoGP Round 16, Phillip Island Australia Grand Prix

1 Casey Stoner (Aus) Honda 42mins 02.425secs
2 Marco Simoncelli (Ita) Honda 42:04.635
3 Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Honda 42:04.879
4 Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Honda 42:15.585
5 Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 42:33.311
6 Randy De Puniet (Fra) Ducati 42:51.225
7 Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati 43:18.739
8 Toni Elias (Spa) Honda 42:05.177
9 Loris Capirossi (Ita) Ducati 42:09.187
10 Karel Abraham (Cze) Ducati 42:45.142

The current championship leader, Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner finished in second place and extends his lead to 28 points at the top of the MotoGP 2011 Championship.

Repsol Honda Team’s Andrea Dovizioso took third place, while Yamaha Factory rider Jorge Lorenzo managed to claw his way back through the field to finish in fourth place, ahead of Ducati’s seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi.

British rider Cal Crutchlow was passed fit to race after fracturing his left collarbone in five places no less than two weeks ago in the qualifying for the British MotoGP at Silverstone.

With his Assen Dutch MotoGP victory, Ben Spies’ becomes the first former World Superbike rider to win a MotoGP race since Troy Bayliss in 2006.

Round 7: Dutch MotoGP
1 Ben Spies (US) Yamaha 41min 44.659 secs
2 Casey Stoner (Aus) Honda 41:52.356
3 Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Honda 42:12.165
4. Valentino Rossi (Ita) Ducati 42:15.343
5. Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati 42:27.831
6. Jorge Lorenzo (Sp) Yamaha 42:29.195
7. Colin Edwards (US) Yamaha 42:52.771
8. Hiroshi Aoyama (Jpn) Honda 42:55.412
9. Marco Simoncelli (Ita) Honda 43:09.584
10. Toni Elias (Sp) Honda 43:10.875

After seven rounds, Ben Spies victory lifts him to joint sixth position with Ducati’s Nicky Hayden in the MotoGP 2011 Championship.

MotoGP 2011 Championship
1   Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda Team) 136
2   Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) 108
3   Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda Team) 99
4   Valentino Rossi (Ducati Marlboro Team) 81
5   Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro Team) 71
6   Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) 61
=   Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) 61
8   Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini) 51
9   Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) 46
10 Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini) 39

Stoner started in pole position on the grid after being the fastest rider in all qualifying sessions, setting a new Silverstone lap record in the process.  Apart from an intentional slow pull away and first couple of laps while he accustomed himself to the treacherous spray and judged the track for potential hazards, he lead the race, finishing with an amazing 15 second lead over Repsol Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso.

Race contenders Marco Simocelli, Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies lost control of their bikes, while Valentino Rossi, who started in 13th position could only finish 6th as he continues his struggle to tame his Ducati.

Casey Stoner is the first Honda rider to win three consecutive MotoGP races since Valentino Rossi in 2003.  That victory was Stoner’s fourth of the season in his 150th GP start.  He now leads the 2011 MotoGP as the teams and their riders head to the Dutch TT on Saturday 25th June at the Amsterdam Assein Circuit for Round 7 of this season’s championship.

The only British rider, Cal Crutchlow missed the chance the impress in front of a packed crowd of over 78,000 when he crashed out in qualifying on Saturday and broke his collarbone.

British MotoGP Result:

1 Casey Stoner (Australia) Honda 47:53.459
2 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 48:08.618
3 Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 48:14.939
4 Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati 48:20.443
5 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Suzuki 48:29.028
6 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Ducati 48:57.985

MotoGP 2011 Championship:

1 Casey Stoner (Australia) Honda 116.0 points
2 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 98.0
3 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 83.0
4 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Ducati 68.0
5 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 61.0
6 Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati 60.0
7 Hiroshi Aoyama (Japan) Honda 43.0
8 Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 37.0
9 Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha 36.0
10 Karel Abraham (Czech) Ducati 33.0

Honda motorcycles are behind no less than five teams in this season’s British Superbike Championship with Australian Glen Richards of Team WFR Honda leading the way for Honda riders after four rounds.

Based in Yorkshire, the WFR Honda team race on CBR1000RR Fireblades.  The team are new this season to the BSB Evo Championship and have got off to a flying start.  Graeme Gowland, who made his Superbike debut in 2009, is the other WFR Honda team rider while Alex Lowes left the team in May after failing to agree on a new contract.

WFR Honda were formed from the Embassy Racing squad who were so successful in previous Supersport and Superstock 1000 Championships. While riding for the Embassy Racing Team Glen Richards won back to back championships in 2007 and 2008 and now, along with his new WFR Honda Team is keen to impress in the British Superbike championship.

But Honda does not only excel in superbike racing.  Along with its full range of motor cars it is also known for other vehicles from lawn mowers to quad bikes; and they are not just used for racing!

Philippa is a farmer in Oxfordshire and uses her Honda ATV to tend to a herd alpacas! A far cry from racing around a track but it is the first of four new film shorts to be shown as part of the ongoing Honda television sponsorship of Channel 4 documentaries during 2011.

The new mini-documentaries each focus on a real-life Honda owner who put their Honda vehicle to more obscure uses.

Each of the short films is like a mini-documentary created by Hollie Newton at Wieden + Kennedy (W+K) and includes a unique website link relating to its story allowing viewers to see extra content online.

Honda will also be using social media with Facebook and Twitter campaigns to accompany the TV sponsorship deal linking to an online hub at www.honda.co.uk/stories where the videos will be available in full along with articles and other interesting stories. There is also a competition in the ‘Take Part’ section of the website, where Honda owners can upload their own stories and photographs, explaining the unusual ways in which they use their own Honda products.

W+K, the company behind the films, will select their favourite story and make it into the final mini-documentary to be shown later in the year as part of the Channel 4 campaign.

Honda will continue to use the strap line ‘Documentaries on 4, sponsored by Honda’ throughout 2011 for these new films, which were first aired last week during the Cutting Edge documentary, ‘Bums, Boobs and Botox’.

Sponsored Post

In the past Honda have been very much involved with Formula One racing.  They had two spells racing under the name of Honda Racing F1 Team, first in 1964 to 1968 and then again from 2006 to 2008.  Between 1983 and 1992 they returned to F1 supplying engines for other teams.  In 2000 they began another successful period of supplying engines, this time to the British American Racing (BAR) Team; and at the end of the 2005 season they had bought out BAR and once again there was a Honda Racing Team in Formula One.

In December 2008 Honda once again quit F1 racing stating the current economic climate as the reason, and the team were sold in February 2009 to a management buy-out led by team principal Ross Brawn.

Honda has continued its involvement in other motor sports and sponsorship deals across a wide spectrum of sport and entertainment and recently announced it will be continuing its sponsorship of Channel 4 documentaries throughout 2011.  The new campaign will continue with the strapline ‘Documentaries on 4, sponsored by Honda’.

Martin Moll, Head of Marketing at Honda (UK) said, ‘”I am very excited that our continued relationship sponsoring Channel 4 documentaries allows us to focus on our customers, highlighting their warm – sometimes quirky – personal experiences of Honda products either for fun or as a necessary part of their daily livelihood.  We hope that this campaign will unveil further examples from our customers, one of which will be nominated to be brought to life on TV for a final set of idents later on in the year”.

Four new mini-documentary films have been commissioned to accompany the Channel 4 sponsorship.  The films were created by Wieden + Kennedy (W+K) and each include a unique website link to further related content online.

Each film stars a real Honda customer and shows how they use their own Honda vehicles in their everyday life. The first of four films introduces Philippa and how she uses her trusted Honda ATV on her Oxfordshire farm.

Chris Groom and Sam Heath, Creative Directors, Wieden + Kennedy said, “We knew there were all sorts of people using all sorts of Honda products in extraordinary ways. A documentary format provided the perfect platform to celebrate them.”

As part of the campaign Honda will also be using Facebook and Twitter and linking to an online hub at www.honda.co.uk/stories where the videos will be available in full along with articles and other interesting stories.  There is also a competition in the ‘Take Part’ section of the website, where Honda owners can upload their own amusing and interesting stories and photographs, explaining the unusual ways in which they use their own Honda.  

W+K will select their favourite story and make it into the final mini-documentary to be shown later in the year as part of the Channel 4 campaign.

Sponsored Post

Honda returned to the FIM Superbike World Championship this year with a  new Castrol Honda team, with team riders British born Jonathan Rea (currently sixth in the WSB 2011 standings) and the Barcelona born Ruben Xaus (16^th).

The Castrol Honda team are racing on Honda’s CBR1000RR Fireblades, and managed by the Dutch-based Ten Kate Racing.

While Honda provide the bikes and use sponsorship deals in World Superbike racing they are known for their own sponsorship deals in both sport and media.  Viewers of Channel 4 may be aware of their on-going sponsorship deal with Channel 4 documentaries which began in 2010 with the now familiar strapline ‘Documentaries on 4, sponsored by Honda’.

They have recently renewed the sponsorship contract and commissioned four new mini-documentary films.

Each film will be shown during Channel 4 television documentaries such as Cutting Edge.  The films do not use professional actors but instead focus on telling a story of real-life Honda customers and how they use their Honda vehicles in very special ways. The first of four films tells how Philippa, an alpaca farmer uses her Honda ATV on her Oxfordshire farm.

Martin Moll, Head of Marketing at Honda (UK) said, ‘”I am very excited that our continued relationship sponsoring Channel 4 documentaries allows us to focus on our customers, highlighting their warm – sometimes quirky – personal experiences of Honda products either for fun or as a necessary part of their daily livelihood.  We hope that this campaign will unveil further examples from our customers, one of which will be nominated to be brought to life on TV for a final set of idents later on in the year”.

Chris Groom and Sam Heath, Creative Directors at Wieden + Kennedy (W+K) who created the films said, “We knew there were all sorts of people using all sorts of Honda products in extraordinary ways. A documentary format provided the perfect platform to celebrate them.”

To accompany the new Channel 4 campaign, Honda are using Facebook and Twitter and an online hub www.honda.co.uk/stories where the videos will be available in full along with articles and other interesting stories.  There is also a competition in the ‘Take Part’ section of the website, where Honda owners can upload their own amusing and interesting stories explaining how they use their own Honda.  The films’ creators, W+K will select their favourite story and make it into the final mini-documentary to be shown later in the year as part of the Channel 4 campaign.

Sponsored Post

Honda is involved at the very highest level of all motor sports with sponsorship deals and advertising that has made the Japanese company one of the most recognised brands in the world; and the leading motor company has recently announced it will be continuing its television sponsorship of Channel 4 documentaries during 2011.

This year Honda are using a series of new mini-documentaries each using a true-life Honda owner who put their Honda vehicles to more obscure uses.  The first of four films sees an Oxfordshire alpaca farmer named Philippa using her trusted Honda ATV to tend to her farm animals.

Each of the short films is like a mini-documentary and were created by Hollie Newton at Wieden + Kennedy and includes a unique website link relating to its story allowing viewers to see extra content online.

Honda will also be using social media with Facebook and Twitter campaigns to accompany the TV sponsorship deal linking to an online hub at www.honda.co.uk/stories  – www.honda.co.uk/stories – where the videos will be available in full along with articles and other interesting stories.

Martin Moll, Head of Marketing at Honda (UK) said, ‘”I am very excited that our continued relationship sponsoring Channel 4 documentaries allows us to focus on our customers, highlighting their warm – sometimes quirky – personal experiences of Honda products either for fun or as a necessary part of their daily livelihood.  We hope that this campaign will unveil further examples from our customers, one of which will be nominated to be brought to life on TV for a final set of idents later on in the year”.

There’s also a competition in the ‘Take Part’ section of the website, where Honda owners can upload their own stories and photographs, explaining the unusual ways in which they use their own Honda products.  This doesn’t have to be a car!

Wieden + Kennedy, the company behind the films, will select their favourite story and make it into the final mini-documentary to be shown later in the year as part of the Channel 4 campaign.

Honda will continue to use the strapline ‘Documentaries on 4, sponsored by Honda’ throughout 2011 for these new films, which were first aired last week during the Cutting Edge documentary, ‘Bums, Boobs and Botox’.

Sponsored Post

Honda are to continue to sponsor Channel 4 documentaries throughout 2011.  The new campaign will continue with the well known strapline ‘Documentaries on 4, sponsored by Honda’ which started last week during the Cutting Edge documentary, ‘Bums, Boobs and Botox’.

The new sponsorship includes short films with real-life Honda customers and how they use their vehicles in less conventional and interesting ways. The first of four films introduces a Honda owner called Philippa who uses her Honda ATV to tend to the alpacas on her Oxfordshire farm.

Each of the short films is like a mini-documentary and were created by Hollie Newton at Wieden + Kennedy and includes a unique website link relating to its story allowing viewers to see extra content online.

Chris Groom and Sam Heath, Creative Directors, Wieden + Kennedy said, “We knew there were all sorts of people using all sorts of Honda products in extraordinary ways. A documentary format provided the perfect platform to celebrate them.”

Honda will also be using social media with Facebook and Twitter campaigns to accompany the TV sponsorship deal linking to an online hub at www.honda.co.uk/stories  – www.honda.co.uk/stories – where the videos will be available in full along with articles and other interesting stories.

There’s also a competition in the ‘Take Part’ section of the website, where Honda owners can upload their own stories and photographs, explaining the unusual ways in which they use their own Honda products.  This doesn’t have to be a car!

W+K will select their favourite story and make it into the final mini-documentary to be shown later in the year as part of the Channel 4 campaign.

Martin Moll, Head of Marketing at Honda (UK) said, ‘”I am very excited that our continued relationship sponsoring Channel 4 documentaries allows us to focus on our customers, highlighting their warm – sometimes quirky – personal experiences of Honda products either for fun or as a necessary part of their daily livelihood.  We hope that this campaign will unveil further examples from our customers, one of which will be nominated to be brought to life on TV for a final set of idents later on in the year”.

Sponsored Post

In a race that only twelve riders would complete, motorcycle fans were treated to an afternoon of thrills along with plenty of spills through the course of the race at the wonderful Jerez circuit in Southern Spain.

Casey Stoner led the race from the start followed closely by Jorge Lorenzo and Marco Simoncelli and it was the Italian who appeared to be the surprise package of the afternoon when he breezed past both Lorenzo and Stoner early in the race, opening a gap between himself and the championship rivals.

Valentino Rossi was another Italian finding the wet conditions working in his favour aboard the Ducati and he quickly moved up the field passing Lorenzo and closing in on Stoner.

On lap eight Rossi attempted to pass Stoner into turn one, but he lost the front end of the Ducati, taking out Stoner’s Repsol Honda which slid into the gravel trap on top of the Ducati.

While the accident ended Stoner’s race, Rossi was able to get back aboard his bike and complete the rest of the race, finishing in fifth position.

Meanwhile Simoncelli continued to impress from the front for a few laps before losing the front end of his bike going into turn one allowing Lorenzo to take the lead.

Following an uncharacteristic slow start from the line Dani Pedrosa had by now found some pace to move up to second place, but he too was being threatened by Ben Spies. The Yamaha rider eventually passing Pedrosa only to lose his bike several corners on.

By now Lorenzo had built up a significant advantage over the field and Pedrosa looked certain to complete a Spanish one-two on home soil.  Colin Edwards who had moved up to third following the loss of Spies became a victim of the track himself late on riding into the gravel and allowing Nicky Hayden to pass and take the final podium position.

Another fantastic MotoGP race in which reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo claimed his first wet weather win while the weather also played it’s part in levelling the playing field amongst this years Championship hopefuls.

2011 MotoGP World Championship Round 2- Jerez Results:

1 25 1 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 141.0 50′49.046
2 20 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 140.1 +19.339
3 16 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 139.7 +29.085
4 13 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 139.6 +29.551
5 11 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Ducati Team Ducati 138.2 +1′02.227
6 10 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP Ducati 137.9 +1′08.440
7 9 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Ducati 137.7 +1′14.120
8 8 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 137.4 +1′19.110
9 7 24 Toni ELIAS SPA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 136.4 +1′42.906
10 6 21 John HOPKINS USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 136.2 +1′48.395
11 5 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 136.0 +1′51.876
12 4 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 133.6 1 Lap

Predictably it was Dani Pedrosa who shot into the lead from the start of the race, making the early running before being passed by fellow countryman Lorenzo. A tasty battle between the pair ensued which drew in Stoner and the three riders jostled for supremacy in the first half of this Grand Prix.

Around the midway point Stoner gradually pulled out a lead on his rivals as he sensed a possible victory with Pedrosa struggling to maintain the pace  despite battling bravely with Lorenzo for second position.

In a race where the first six riders were always in with a shout for the podium places, the third Honda factory rider, Dovizioso was in another brilliant battle with Marco Simoncelli throughout the race for fourth position.

Meanwhile Lorenzo’s new team mate at Yamaha, Ben Spies was caught up in the pack following an early exit from Randy de Puniet who high sided his bike, and found himself battling against Rossi on the Ducati for sixth place.

Having lined himself up for a couple of moves on the multiple world champion to no avail, Spies eventually launched past Rossi to claim the place for himself, with a spectacular overtake.

It was fantastic to get the season up and running and the signs are that we should be in for yet another season of exciting motorctycle racing. The Honda’s will take some beating but Lorenzo has already proved that the task is not impossible.

Other tracks will favour different manufacturers, but right now Stoner has thrown down the gauntlet to his rivals and it is down to them to respond.

Qatar MotoGP result:

1 C Stoner (Aus) Honda 42:38.569
2 J Lorenzo (Sp) Yamaha @ 3.440
3 D Pedrosa (Sp) Honda @ 5.051
4 A Dovizioso (It) Honda @ 5.942
5 M Simoncelli (It) Ducati @ 7.358
6 B Spies (US) Yamaha @ 10.468
7 V Rossi (It) Ducati @ 16.431
8 C Edwards (US) Yamaha @ 26.293
9 N Hayden (US) Ducati @ 27.416
10 H Aoyama (Jpn) Honda @ 28.920
11 C Crutchlow (GB) Yamaha @ 34.539
12 H Barbera (Sp) Ducati @ 34.829
13 K Abraham (Cz) Ducati @ 37.957

Germany’s Bradl was the runaway winner in the 600cc Moto2 class, leaving Iannone and Luthi fighting each other for the runners up spot throughout the race. Iannone eventually grabbed second place, crossing the line less than a second ahead of Luthi and over 4 seconds behind Bradl.

Bradley Smith was best of the Brit’s, earning himself a ninth place finish on his first outing in the class, while Scott Redding finished the day in 31st place.

Moto2 race result:

1 S Bradl (Ger) Kalex 40:38.549
2 A Iannone (Ita) Suter @ 4.330
3 T Luthi (Swi) Suter@ 5.137
Other riders:
9 B Smith (GB) Tech3 @ 18.910
31 S Redding (GB) Marc VDS @ 1:23.743

125cc race result:

1 N Terol (Sp) Aprilia 38:28.687
2 S Cortese (Ger) Aprilia @ 7.710
3 S Gadea (Sp) Aprilia @ 9.147