Casey Stoner

The Marlboro Ducati rider Casey Stoner is on pole position for tomorrows Australian MotoGP at Philip Island while this years Champion Valentino Rossi is in twelfth place after crashing out during the session.

The Australian set a time of 1:28.665 creating a new track record followed by Jorge Lorenzo on the Fiat Yamaha in second place only a tenth-of-a-second behind Stoner.

Nicky Hayden on the Honda finished in third position ahead of Randy de Puniet and Tech 3 Yamaha rider James Toseland.

Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa will start in sixth on the Repsol Honda followed by Yamaha rider Colin Edwards and Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso.

Shinya Nikano on the Honda is in ninth ahead of the Honda of Alex de Angelis who rounds off the top ten qualifying riders.

Rossi crashed out at while exiting the Southern Loop with only fifteen minutes of the session remaining, he was unhurt and returned to the pits before rejoining the track.

Here are the results;

Pos  Rider             Bike           Time
 1.  Casey Stoner      Ducati    (B)  1:28.665
 2.  Jorge Lorenzo     Yamaha    (M)  1:28.734  + 0.069
 3.  Nicky Hayden      Honda     (M)  1:28.756  + 0.091
 4.  Randy de Puniet   Honda     (M)  1:28.808  + 0.143
 5.  James Toseland    Yamaha    (M)  1:29.031  + 0.366
 6.  Dani Pedrosa      Honda     (B)  1:29.277  + 0.612
 7.  Colin Edwards     Yamaha    (M)  1:29.513  + 0.848
 8.  Andrea Dovizioso  Honda     (M)  1:29.558  + 0.893
 9.  Shinya Nakano     Honda     (B)  1:29.710  + 1.045
10.  Alex de Angelis   Honda     (B)  1:29.925  + 1.260
11.  Loris Capirossi   Suzuki    (B)  1:29.942  + 1.277
12.  Valentino Rossi   Yamaha    (B)  1:30.014  + 1.349
13.  Toni Elias        Ducati    (B)  1:30.202  + 1.537
14.  Sylvain Guintoli  Ducati    (B)  1:30.297  + 1.632
15.  Chris Vermeulen   Suzuki    (B)  1:30.545  + 1.880
16.  John Hopkins      Kawasaki  (B)  1:31.157  + 2.492
17.  Marco Melandri    Ducati    (B)  1:31.939  + 3.274
18.  Anthony West      Kawasaki  (B)  1:31.995  + 3.330

Leon Haslam Passing Troy Bayliss 2008

Leon Haslam who is currently running in second place in the British Superbike Championship for the HM Plant Honda team has signed for Johan Stigfelt’s Stiggy Motorsport team for the 2009 season.

The 25-year-old British rider said,

“To get the opportunity to join the Stiggy team is excellent news for me.  The team that Johan is putting together for his move into Superbike World Championship, and the technical package he is preparing, is all very exciting.  I’m sure we will be competitive in 2009.  I’m looking forward to working with the team and I’m pleased to be able to continue both my own and my family’s association with Honda.”

The team are expected to run with two riders although the second rider has not yet been named and they will continue to run in the Supersport World Championship after four successful seasons.

Williams Toyota 2008

The Williams Toyota team have now confirmed that their two drivers will remain unchanged for the 2009 Formula One season.

Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima will continue to race for the team while Nico Hulkenberg will remain as their official test driver.

Nakajima, has improved considerably during the 2008 season giving him a good foundation for the coming year while team-mate Rosberg has shown his increasing maturity on track.

Frank Williams has said,

“I am delighted we are able to maintain continuity with our drivers going into 2009.  Nico Rosberg continues to be one of the most capable drivers in the sport.  Kazuki is getting stronger all the time and has more to offer and Nico Hulkenberg is developing well.”

Hulkenberg, is currently leading the Formula 3 Euroseries, will continue his role with an increase in his work load next year due to new technical regulations, making the development and testing critical to the team.

Sylvlain Guintoli - Rizla Suzuki 2009 BSB

The MotoGP rider Sylvain Guintoli is switching to the British Superbikes for 2009 and has signed for the Rizla Suzuki team.

Guintoli was dropped by Alice Ducati for the 2009 season and said to MCN,

“I am very interested in the project because I want to find somewhere I can win races and to be in a team very motivated to work with me.

I think this is a great opportunity for me.  BSB is a really good championship and for me it would be a great chance to show that I can be at the front.

The team is good and the bike is good and Tom Sykes has done very well.  I need to find somewhere I can build new links and step back to step forward.”

Ryuichi Kiyonari

Ryuichi Kiyonari, the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider has broken his collarbone on the second day of testing on Friday.

On Thursday, Kiyonari was on the Magny Cours track along with Michael Schumacher testing the Honda, but while testing on the Friday he high-sided as he was exiting the Adelaide hairpin.

The current German Superbike champion, Martin Bauer will ride as a replacement for Kiyonari this weekend at Magny Cours for the penultimate round of the championship.

Kiyonari is expected to be back on form for the ultimate race at Portimao as it was a clean break and is expected to heal quickly.

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne, the 2008 British Superbike Champion has signed for the Sterilgarda Ducati team in World Superbikes for 2009.

Byrne has signed a one year deal with the Italian team and if rumours are true he is likely to riding alongside the Sterilgarda Superstock rider Alex Polita.

Confirmation is expected shortly to announce his new ride for 2009 with the Yamaha Italia World Superbike team alongside Tom Sykes.

The Yamaha team will now have two rookies in their team after losing their current riders, Noriyuki Haga who has signed with Xerox Ducati and Troy Corser, who is going to the new BMW team.

Shane Byrne 2008 BSB Champion

Shane ‘Shakey Byrne’ won the British Superbike Championship for 2008 this weekend on the Airwaves Ducati.

Race One

Leon Camier took the victory in the first race at Silverstone on the Airwaves Ducati despite a poor start putting him back to ninth place at the end of the first lap behind his team-mate Byrne.

The front three riders Leon Haslam, Cal Crutchlow and Tom Sykes started to put a gap between the rest of the pack until on lap three, Sykes on the Rizla Suzuki tried to pass Haslam at the final chicane.  He was unable to stop in time and took himself and Haslam out of the race.  Sykes was eventually excluded from the race one results and will start race two twelve places back on the grid from his qualifying position.

On lap five, James Ellison on the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda caught the back of Michael Laverty under braking going into the final chicane ending the race for both of them, and allowing Byrne to move up to third place.

Karl Harris had to retire from the race on lap seventeen after developing mechanical problems with the Team Yamaha machine.

Here are the results;

Pos - Rider – Bike – Team - Time

DNF - Scott Smart - Kawasaki - Hawk Racing - 23:32.820
DNF - Karl Harris - Yamaha - Team Yamaha - 23:36.119
DNF - Guy Martin - Honda - Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 13:30.203
DNF - Michael Laverty - Suzuki - Relentless Suzuki by TAS - 5:50.819
DNF - James Ellison - Honda - Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 5:51.030

Race Two

Leon Haslam on the HM Plant Honda took the chequered flag in race two after dominating the race from the start.

Karl Harris and Cal Crutchlow were fighting each other for second place on lap two, taking turns for the position until Crutchlow got it all wrong and went straight on at the bend.

Tom Sykes had to start from seventeenth on the grid after his penalty from race one but by lap four had moved into sixth place while on the next lap, Byrne passed Harris to take second position.

On lap fourteen Sykes had passed Harris to take the final step of the podium, a fantastic race after starting near the back of the grid.

Crutchlow retired from the race on lap fifteen after developing mechanical problems with his machine.

Here are the results;

Pos – Rider – Bike - Team - Time

DNF - Cal Crutchlow - Honda - HM Plant Honda - 20:26.247
DNF - Atsushi Watanabe - Suzuki - Rizla Suzuki - 18:21.045
DNF - Scott Smart - Kawasaki - Hawk Racing - 11:13.790
DNF - Guy Martin - Honda - Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 4:40.200
DNF - Chris Burns - MV Agusta - STP Superbike - 1:37.029
DQ - Gary Mason - Honda - Quay Garage - 29:25.215

Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi took the victory yesterday at the Japanese Grand Prix and also claimed his sixth MotoGP World Championship title.

The Fiat Yamaha rider only needed a third place to regain the title for the first time since 2005 but took the lead from lap fourteen to finish 1.943 seconds ahead of Casey Stoner on the Ducati Marlboro.

Rossi was slow off the line and Stoner took the lead after shooting ahead of pole sitter and team-mate of Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo.

Dani Pedrosa on the Repsol Honda followed Stoner in second with his team-mate Nicky Hayden slotting into third ahead of Lorenzo.

Rossi soon passed Lorenzo to claim third place and set about hunting down the front two riders.  He passed Pedrosa on lap ten before taking the lead four lap later.

Of course, Rossi could not leave the track without one of his awaited antics and did not let his fans down as he stopped at a desk set up on the track with a friend acting as a lawyer.  He produced a helmet with the number 8 as well as him and all the team wearing T-shirts with ‘Sorry for the delay’ written on in Italian.  His lawyer then had Rossi sign the helmet and it was given a stamp, the helmet was later signed by everyone in Rossi’s garage before going to the museum set up in Rossi’s home town.

Rossi dedicated his championship to the late Norick Abe who was killed in a road accident last year and who was a hero of Rossi’s.

Here are the results;

Pos  Rider             Bike            Time
 1.  Valentino Rossi   Yamaha    (B)   43:09.599
 2.  Casey Stoner      Ducati    (B)   +   1.943
 3.  Dani Pedrosa      Honda     (B)   +   4.866
 4.  Jorge Lorenzo     Yamaha    (M)   +   6.165
 5.  Nicky Hayden      Honda     (M)   +  24.593
 6.  Loris Capirossi   Suzuki    (B)   +  25.685
 7.  Colin Edwards     Yamaha    (M)   +  25.918
 8.  Shinya Nakano     Honda     (B)   +  26.003
 9.  Andrea Dovizioso  Honda     (M)   +  26.219
10.  John Hopkins      Kawasaki  (B)   +  37.131
11.  James Toseland    Yamaha    (M)   +  37.574
12.  Randy de Puniet   Honda     (M)   +  38.020
13.  Marco Melandri    Ducati    (B)   +  39.768
14.  Sylvain Guintoli  Ducati    (B)   +  45.846
15.  Anthony West      Kawasaki  (B)   +  55.748
16.  Toni Elias        Ducati    (B)   +  59.320
17.  Alex de Angelis   Honda     (B)   +1:12.398

Retirements:

     Rider             Bike           Laps
     Chris Vermeulen   Suzuki    (B)  16
     Kousuke Akiyoshi  Suzuki    (B)  0

Cal Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow on the Repsol Honda took pole position for tomorrows eleventh round of the British Superbike Championship.

Crutchlow recently announced that he would be riding for the factory Yamaha World Supersport team next year, but knows that he could still take second place in the championship as their are only his team-mate, Leon Haslam and Tom Sykes to fight for the rest of the points.

Haslam will start alongside Crutchlow in second place with Michael Rutter on the North West 200 Ducati in third and Karl Harris on the RM Racing Yamaha in fourth.

Tom Sykes will start from fifth on the Rizla Suzuki followed by Shane Byrne on the Airwaves Ducati, who only needs to collect seven points tomorrow to take the championship.

Leon Camier is in sixth place on the second Airwaves Ducati ahead of James Ellison in seventh place after a disastrous qualifying session.  The rider had to use his second bike after the rear wheel spindle jammed on his number one bike.

Michael Laverty on the Relentless Suzuki will start in ninth place followed by Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda.

Guy Martin, team-mate of Ellison on the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda crashed out in the first session damaging the bike and damaged his hand, he will be starting from twenty-first on the grid.

Here are the results;

1. Cal Crutchlow GBR HM Plant Honda 1min 25.489secs
2. Leon Haslam GBR HM Plant Honda 1min 25.790secs
3. Michael Rutter GBR NW 200 Ducati 1min 25.952ecs
4. Karl Harris GBR Rob Mac Racing Yamaha 1min 25.976secs
5. Tom Sykes GBR Rizla Suzuki 1min 26.012secs
6. Shane Byrne GBR Airwaves Ducati 1min 26.136secs
7. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Ducati 1min 26.175secs
8. James Ellison GBR Hydrex Bike Animal Honda 1min 26.555secs
9. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki 1min 26.912secs
10. Gary Mason GBR Quay Garage Honda (CUP) 1min 27.011secs

11. Stuart Easton GBR MSS Discovery Kawasaki 1min 27.279secs
12. Scott Smart GBR Hawk Kawasaki 1min 27.282secs
13. Simon Andrews GBR Lloyds Jentin Yamaha 1min 27.514secs
14. Billy McConnell AUS MSS Discovery Kawasaki 1min 27.652secs
15. Jason O’Halloran AUS SMT Honda 1min 27.805secs
16. Tristan Palmer GBR Tena for Men Honda 1min 28.140secs
17. Atsushi Watanabe JPN Rizla Suzuki 1min 28.151secs
18. David Johnson AUS Maxxis Honda 1min 28.179secs
19. Peter Hickman GBR Red Viper Honda 1min 28.607secs
20. Martin Jessopp GBR Riders Racing Honda (CUP) 1min 29.021secs

21. Guy Martin GBR Hydrex Bike Animal Honda 1min 28.530secs
22. John Laverty GBR NW200 Ducati (CUP) 1min 28.538secs
23. Chris Burns GBR STP MV Agusta (CUP) 1min 29.135secs
24. Dan Stewart GBR Wilcock Consulting Honda (CUP) 1min 29.394secs
25. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge/Ice Valley Honda (CUP) 1min 29.594secs
26. Leon Morris GBR Brookspeed Ducati (CUP) 1min 30.461secs
27. Francis Williamson GBR Moto Rapido Racing Ducati (CUP) 1min 30.832secs
28. Shannon Etheridge AUS MAR Adept Kawasaki (CUP) 1min 31.609secs

Felipe Massa

Felipe Massa in the Ferrari will start in pole position tomorrow for the first ever floodlit grand prix in Singapore followed by the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton in second place.

Hamilton had more than his share of trouble in the second qualifying session, aborting his first run due to running wide at the first corner and could only manage tenth on his second run.

The second Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen will start from third on the grid followed by Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber in fourth.

Heikki Kovalainen in the second McLaren is in fifth and should have been followed by Nick Heidfeld in sixth but he has since been penalised by stewards for impeding Rubens Barrichello in the Honda.  It happened in the first qualifying session when Barrichello caught up with Heidfeld as the BMW Sauber driver was entering the pits.  Barrichello was also fined €10,000 for not using the declaration zone when driving into the pits after being slowed down by Heidfeld.  Heidfeld will lose three grid places as a penalty and will start in ninth place.

Sebastian Vettel in the Toro Rosso will now start in sixth place ahead of Timo Glock in the Toyota and Williams driver Nico Rosberg in eighth.

The second Williams of Kazuki Nakajima will start in tenth place followed by Jarno Trulli in the second Toyota and Jenson Button for Honda.

Trulli, who had missed most of the first qualifying session after his big accident in practice went out and hit the barrier on his first flying lap and lost the nose cone.

Both Williams drivers got their cars into Q3 for the first time this season with Nakajima scoring his best qualifying result of his career so far.

Mark Webber in the Red Bull is in thirteenth place ahead of team-mate David Coulthard and the two Renault drivers, Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet in fifteenth and sixteenth places respectively.

Alonso’s Renault developed a fuel problem and stopped out on track before he could even set a time in Q2 leaving him way down the grid after an impressive weekend on track.

Sebastien Bourdais in the second Toro Rosso will start in seventeenth place followed by Rubens Barrichello in the Honda and the two Force India drivers, Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella.

Here are the results;

Pos  Driver       Team                 Q1        Q2        Q3       Laps
 1.  Massa        Ferrari              1:44.519  1:44.014  1:44.801  16
 2.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes     1:44.501  1:44.932  1:45.465  14
 3.  Raikkonen    Ferrari              1:44.282  1:44.232  1:45.617  16
 4.  Kubica       BMW Sauber           1:44.740  1:44.519  1:45.779  18
 5.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes     1:44.311  1:44.207  1:45.873  19
 6.  Heidfeld     BMW Sauber           1:45.548  1:44.520  1:45.964  19
 7.  Vettel       Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1:45.042  1:44.261  1:46.244  15
 8.  Glock        Toyota               1:45.184  1:44.441  1:46.328  21
 9.  Rosberg      Williams-Toyota      1:45.103  1:44.429  1:46.611  17
10.  Nakajima     Williams-Toyota      1:45.127  1:44.826  1:47.547  20
11.  Trulli       Toyota               1:45.642  1:45.038            12
12.  Button       Honda                1:45.660  1:45.133            14
13.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault     1:45.493  1:45.212            12
14.  Coulthard    Red Bull-Renault     1:46.028  1:45.298            16
15.  Alonso       Renault              1:44.971                       6
16.  Piquet       Renault              1:46.037                       6
17.  Bourdais     Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1:46.389                       6
18.  Barrichello  Honda                1:46.583                       7
19.  Sutil        Force India-Ferrari  1:47.940                      10
20.  Fisichella   Force India-Ferrari  No time                        2

Max Biaggi - 2008

Max Biaggi, currently riding for the Sterilgarda Ducati team has signed a two-year contract to ride for Aprilia in the World Superbike Championship from 2009.

Between 1991 and 1996, Biaggi rode for Aprilia on the 250’s where he won the championship three times and an announcement of his decision is due to go ahead at the weekend in Rome.

The Aprilia team have been doing extensive testing of the new RSV4 Superbike during this season with the test riders Alex Hoffman and Alex Debon.

The Director of Product Development and Sporting Activities of the Piaggio Group, Leo Francesco Mercanti said,

“Biaggi was our number one choice, I’m delighted to have him back with us.  Max is a rider who has written a number of important chapters in Aprilia’s racing history.  He was involved in the company’s first major triumphs, and the seasons of Aprilia domination, all of which enabled this young company to join the ‘greats’ of motorcycle racing.  Today, with Biaggi and the Aprilia RSV4 we begin a new challenge.  We are convinced that with him, we will be able to put to the best possible use all of our passion, our expertise and desire to win.”