BOMBER’S SGP COMEBACK IN CARDIFF

Courtesy of Speedway Grand Prix

Chris Harris has been handed the wild card for the Fogo British FIM Speedway Grand Prix at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on June 1 to see if he can repeat his epic win of 2007.

Harris exploded into the limelight in the Welsh capital six years ago, when he stormed past Aussie great Leigh Adams and triple world champion Jason Crump, before diving under double world champion Greg Hancock on the last bend to win one of the most epic finals in the SGP series’ 18-year history.

The Team Great Britain skipper, who spent six straight seasons as a full-time SGP rider from 2007 to 2012, is determined to steal in-form international colleague Tai Woffinden’s thunder in Cardiff when dons the famous No.16 race jacket.

Woffinden has become the darling of the British fans this season after reaching his maiden Grand Prix final in Bydgoszcz on April 20, which put him fourth in the World Championship standings.

But Bomber is determined to thrust himself back into the limelight on world speedway’s biggest stage.

He said: “Tai is having a fantastic year and looking at what he’s doing, he’s probably the best rider around at the minute. He’s flying and he’s the man. But if I can go there and outshine him at Cardiff, it would be nice and very satisfying, just to show I’m still here and remind people not to forget about me.

“It would be nice to go there and win it. This time around, I go there with no pressure. I’m not in the series and no-one is going to be looking at me as a contender to win it. I’ll go there and enjoy the weekend and hopefully get the best result I can.

“I’m very happy to have been given the call. I’m obviously disappointed not to be in the Grand Prix full-time, but it’s a great honour to be asked for this one. I’d like to thank BSI Speedway and the FIM for giving me the opportunity to get back in it for Cardiff.”

Harris starts in the SGP qualification quarter final at Austrian track St Johann on June 8 and is determined to fight his way through to the GP Challenge at British club Poole on August 24, where the top three riders earn World Championship berths for 2014.

He said: “I definitely want to be back in there for 2014. When I knew I wasn’t in there for this year, my goal was always to get back as soon as possible. I’m working hard, things are going well and I’m taking slow steps. I’m enjoying my racing and I’m feeling good in myself. I’m training hard as well and everything is coming along nicely.”

Harris is joined in Cardiff by track reserves Craig Cook and Josh Auty. Cook, who doubles up with Belle Vue and Edinburgh, wears the No.17 race jacket, while Birmingham and Scunthorpe rider Auty lines up at No.18.

Swedish referee Krister Gardell takes charge of the biggest meeting on the World Championship calendar.

Tickets for the Fogo British FIM Speedway Grand Prix are available from www.speedwaygp.com or www.seetickets.com.

Notes to Editors:
For further information, interviews or photographs, please contact:
Nicola Sands, Marketing & Communications Manager, BSI Speedway
T (direct): +44 (0)208 233 7636 Email: nicola.sands@imgworld.com

BSI Speedway
BSI Speedway is an IMG company and rights holders of the FIM Speedway World Championships
FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) and FIM Speedway World Cup (SWC).

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Paulo Goncalves finishes runner-up at Sealine Cross Country Rally

Courtesy of FIM NEWS

It doesn´t get closer than this. In one of the most dramatic finishes in rally history, Speedbrain rider Paulo Goncalves misses the win at the Sealine Cross Country Rally by a heartbeat. The Portuguese offroad ace finishes the four-day desert race in Qatar behind Marc Coma and by one of the smallest margins imaginable in this endurance sport.

Goncalves and Coma fought tooth and nail at this second round of the FIM Cross Country Rally World Championship. After more than 14 hours of timed special stages and over 1,600 kilometres of race distance the final decision came down to the wire. Goncalves started the day lying 2:04 minutes behind Coma in the overall standings. Coma was scheduled to open Friday´s decisive proceedings, with Goncalves following two minutes behind.

And indeed the long-time Speedbrain pilot could close the gap under once again tricky navigation circumstances. The two Iberians powered their bikes to the limit and all the way to finish line. Ultimately, after 286 additional kilometres of special stage on Friday, both took the chequered flag at the Sealine Beach Resort side by side – with Goncalves missing out on the overall victory by just four seconds.

Paulo ´Speedy´ Goncalves: “I am extremely happy about this top result for my Speedbrain team. It has been a very difficult and close race. Marc Coma and I battled tooth and nail, fair and square. Congratulations to him for this narrow victory. We have shown that the Speedbrain 450 Rally bike is capable of winning and competitive in all types of terrain. The world´s best are riding on the same level nowadays. To finish this race without major mistakes and without technical problems is an achievement in itself. It´s a confirmation of our intensive work. I´m already looking forward to the next race and feel motivated to battle for the win again.”

Quinn Cody: “The Sealine Rally here in Qatar has everything to measure yourself and prepare further challenges. I´m not fully back to my best, but I´m improving, learning more about navigation and I´m gaining my confidence back. My new Speedbrain 450 Rally is an incredible bike on every type of soil: sand, stones, full throttle, whatever. I can´t wait for the next races and know what I have to keep working on. Thanks for the great support by Speedbrain and Monster Energy.”

Wolfgang Fischer: “A fantastic start to our world championship campaign, even if we missed the victory by a few seconds both in Abu Dhabi and Qatar. We´re delighted to be that competitive as a new manufacturer and we´ve been able to further gain ground. Congrats to Paulo, he´s done a superb job twice and showed no nerves. We´re now second in the world standings. The recent customer version of the Speedbrain 450 Rally will be available shortly.”

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Villopoto secures third title

Courtesy of FIM NEWS

After an intense three-rider battle that lasted the entire Main Event, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto secured his third consecutive Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 43,149 inside Salt Lake City’s Rice-Eccles Stadium. Villopoto needed his 450SX Class-leading ninth win of the season, and the 33rd win of his career, in order to achieve the feat. Rockstar Energy Racing’s Jason Anderson broke through to win his first career 250SX Class Main Event on a wild night in the Western Regional Championship.

Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey was the first rider out of the gate in the 450SX Class Main Event, claiming the Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award with Villopoto alongside. The champion wasted little time in making a pass on Dungey for the lead and then set a torrid pace over the opening laps to open a two-plus second advantage.

Millsaps got alongside Dungey on Lap 2 and made the pass for second, setting his sights on Villopoto. Eventually, Millsaps and Dungey closed the gap on Villopoto following the halfway point with all three riders sitting within a second of one another at one point. Millsaps had an opportunity to make a move for the lead, but Villopoto withstood the pressure and the difficulty of getting through lapped traffic to lead all 20 laps and clinch the title on a high note.

“It’s unreal,” said Villopoto, who tied his career best total of nine wins in a season. “It was a crazy race and the track was really technical. Any little mistake would make it anyone’s game. We [Monster Energy Kawasaki] started the season off really rough and had a lot of stepping stones to overcome, but we did it as a team and we did it well.”

Villopoto became the fifth rider in Monster Energy Supercross history to win three championships, joining Bob Hannah, Jeff Stanton, Jeremy McGrath, and Ricky Carmichael. He also joined Hannah, McGrath, and Carmichael as the only riders to win three titles consecutively.

Millsaps overcame a start outside the top five to finish second, with Dungey in third. The pair sits second and third in the championship, respectively, and are separated by three points heading into the final race of the season next weekend.

In the Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Main Event, GEICO Honda’s Zach Osborne captured the Nuclear CowboyzHoleshot Award with teammate Eli Tomac and Anderson closely behind. Anderson made a quick pass on Tomac prior to the conclusion of the opening lap and then passed Osborne for the lead on the following lap.

As Anderson started pulling away, Tomac started to go in the opposite direction. The winningest rider in the Western Regional Championship this season had the opportunity to take over the points lead after Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen failed to qualify for the Main Event. However, Tomac continued to lose positions, eventually dropping to ninth place.

Out front, Anderson won by over five seconds, leading every lap of the Main Event.

“It’s crazy,” exclaimed Anderson. “The last five laps were definitely tough to be out front. To come out with a win, I’m stoked. This team has been there for me from the beginning and to get a win for them is awesome. I always seem to race well here [in Salt Lake City]. I’m not sure what it is, but I like it.”

Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda’s Cole Seely charged to a runner-up finish, while Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Martin Davalos overcame a start outside the top 10 to finish third. Tomac rebounded from his early difficulties to battle his way to a sixth-place result.

“I started the race in second, but just blew it in the whoops,” said Tomac. “It was a section that just got me all day. There were a couple passes where I got through them ok, but there were others where I got wild and out of control.”

“It was a bad night, definitely not what I came here to do,” said Roczen, whose crashes in the Heat Race and Last Chance Qualifier prevented him from making the Main Event.

“I wanted to finish the season off strong, not with a DNF at the second-to-last race. As much as I had bad luck tonight, I did get a little break with Tomac finishing sixth, so I still have the championship lead going into Las Vegas [season finale] next weekend. I will need to ride the race of my life there.”

Roczen entered the night with a 20-point advantage over Tomac, but now just five points separates the duo heading into the final stop of the Western Regional 250SX Class Championship.

Monster Energy Supercross will bring the 2013 season to a close next weekend from Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday, May 4.

450SX Class Results: Salt Lake City
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
2. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
4. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
5. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
6. Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha
7. Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Suzuki
8. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM
9. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki
10. Chad Reed, Australia, Honda

450SX Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 346
2. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 318
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 315
4. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 261
5. Chad Reed, Australia, Honda, 224
6. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 220
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM, 202
8. Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha, 177
9. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 174
10. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki, 165

Western Regional 250SX Class Results: Salt Lake City
1. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
2. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
3. Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Kawasaki
4. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM
5. Christian Craig, Wildomar, Calif., Honda
6. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
7. Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Suzuki
8. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki
9. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., KTM
10. Travis Baker, Romoland, Calif., Yamaha

Western Regional 250SX Class Points
1. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM, 163
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 158
3. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 135
4. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki, 124
5. Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Kawasaki, 114
6. Zach Osborne, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 111
7. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha, 96
8. Christian Craig, Wildomar, Calif., Honda, 87
9. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki, 87
10. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., KTM, 87

Sykes and Laverty share wins

Courtesy of FIM NEWS

The eni FIM Superbike World Championship has put in today another great show as riders from four of the five classes battled out for the best positioning in the respective races in front of an enthusiastic crowd (that reached a total of 52.000 spectators over the whole weekend). Blue skies characterised the last day on track for the joy of all riders, starting from Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), who was able to set a new lap record for the Superbike class in race 1 and to win by domination ahead of Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) – previous lap record holder from 2010 – and Eugene Laverty.

The Irishman, together with his Aprilia Racing Team crew, found the right set-up adjustments to match Sykes’ pace in Race 2 and thanks to a last-lap manoeuvre was able to snatch victory from today’s pole-sitter.

Race 1

Tom Sykes got the 6th race win of his career – the 1st of 2013 after a lonely race at the front, thanks to an incredible pace that allowed him to pull away from the chasing pack in the early laps. The 27 year old from Huddersfield has given Kawasaki the first victory after 7 long years: last time out was Chris Walker, in 2006, to win Race 1 on the iconic Dutch circuit.

Tom Sykes: “The bike was working well and was very consistent today. Race one was great for us and we did all we could. To be honest I surprised myself a little but the Ninja ZX-10R is working great. That first race was nice and believe me, to see that pit board gap get bigger every lap is magical for a rider. When Eugene came past me in race two I realised it was much easier to follow than to lead round here and it was just unfortunate that exiting the final chicane on the last lap I hit the kerb on the inside when I was trying to pass him, and I was out of the seat.”

Jonathan Rea finished with a solid 2nd place after a successful overtaking manoeuvre on Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) at Turn 13. Second works Aprilia rider Eugene Laverty was part of the 3-way battle for 2nd place but had some hard time in the last part of the race.

Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) was 5th at the chequered flag ahead of Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Aprilia), who was very competitive in the early laps but couldn’t keep the pace of the leaders as the race progressed.

BMW’s unlucky race saw Chaz Davies lining-up on the last row of the grid after the warm-up crash that forced his crew to a quick rebuild of his BMW S 1000 RR. The Welshman made his way up to a 7th place finish after a good start. An unfortunate Marco Melandri – who was supported today by six-time World Motocross Champion and close friend Tony Cairoli – suffered a technical problem on his bike during the warm-up lap and was forced to pull in before the start of the race.

Race 1 results: 1. Sykes (Kawasaki) 22 Laps/99.924 km in 35’35.042 average 168.487 kph; 2. Rea (Honda) 8.786; 3. Guintoli (Aprilia) 8.792; 4. Laverty (Aprilia) 9.225; 5. Baz (Kawasaki) 14.231; 6. Giugliano (Aprilia) 16.150; 7. Davies (BMW) 22.570; 8. Cluzel (Suzuki) 24.751; 9. Camier (Suzuki) 30.311; 10. Checa (Ducati) 35.277; 11. Neukirchner (Ducati) 44.355; 12. Fabrizio (Aprilia) 52.580; 13. Badovini (Ducati) 59.736; 14. Clementi (BMW) 1’02.010; 15. Aitchison (Ducati) 1’21.861; 16. Sandi (Kawasaki) 1’25.717; 17. Iannuzzo (BMW) 1’42.710; RT. Melandri (BMW).

Race 2

A close battle between race 1 winner Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty, who pulled away at the front in the early laps. Sykes stayed on the lead until lap 19, when Laverty decided to take the plunge and made a move on the Brit at Turn 6. Sykes managed to stay with the Irishman until the end and tried his final shot at the win at Turn 16, with the two riders crossing the line side by side. A 0.089 seconds margin allowed Eugene Laverty to score his 5th career win, the 2nd this year after Phillip Island Race 2.

Eugene Laverty: “The little time we had with a dry track created a few problems in Race 1. In fact, before the second race we made some changes to the RSV4, which we usually don’t do because of how risky that is. Actually the changes made worked really well. Despite feeling very comfortable on the bike I didn’t think I would have stayed with Sykes. But in the end I was able to keep up with his pace. Four laps from the end I overtook Tom, even pulling away a few metres, but then the wind kept me from being precise so he was able to cling back onto me. Winning today was important. We back in the fight for the championship and we were able to leave the troubles from Aragón behind us.”

Loris Baz successfully defended his 3rd place over Jonathan Rea, who ended on a positive note a difficult round for the Pata Honda Team. A below-par race for Chaz Davies and Sylvain Guintoli, 5th and 6th respectively at the chequered flag.

Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) rode bravely from last place on the grid to a 7th place finish, while his team mate Jules Cluzel was forced to pull in during lap 16 due to a technical problem. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet) had a perfect start of the race but struggled to keep the pace, eventually finishing 8th ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma Aprilia) and Carlos Checa (Team Ducati Alstare). An unfortunate Davide Giugliano crashed out of Turn 2 during lap 6, while he was in 3rd place. The Italian rider was OK straight after the crash unlike his Aprilia RSV4 that went on fire.

Race 2 results: 1. Laverty (Aprilia) 22 Laps/99.924 km in 35’36.814 average 168.347 kph; 2. Sykes (Kawasaki) 0.089; 3. Baz (Kawasaki) 5.848; 4. Rea (Honda) 5.890; 5. Davies (BMW) 7.359; 6. Guintoli (Aprilia) 7.404; 7. Camier (Suzuki) 21.095; 8. Melandri (BMW) 27.267; 9. Fabrizio (Aprilia) 30.233; 10. Checa (Ducati) 32.401; 11. Badovini (Ducati) 39.924; 12. Neukirchner (Ducati) 43.904; 13. Clementi (BMW) 1’00.169; 14. Sandi (Kawasaki) 1’01.853; 15. Aitchison (Ducati) 1’02.664; RT. Cluzel (Suzuki); RT. Giugliano (Aprilia); RT. Iannuzzo (BMW).

Standings (round 3 of 15): 1. Guintoli 111; 2. Laverty 83; 3. Davies 83; 4. Sykes 83; 5. Rea 63; 6. Baz 58; 7. Fabrizio 53; 8. Melandri 51; 9. Cluzel 41; 10. Giugliano 33; 11. Camier 30; 12. Checa 29; 13. Haslam 29; 14. Neukirchner 29; 15. Badovini 20; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Aprilia 131; 2. BMW 99; 3. Kawasaki 94; 4. Honda 70; 5. Suzuki 52; 6. Ducati 40.

World Supersport – Lowes out-brakes Sofuoglu for the win

After the disappointment of the Aragon round, Sam Lowes (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha) and reigning Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki) were back at the front for a two-way fight for race win at TT Circuit of Assen. The two riders shared the lead over the course of the 21 laps, but it wasn’t until the last lap that the final battle took place: Sofuoglu overpowered Lowes on the straight that leads to Turn 6, but couldn’t do much when Lowes got along the inside of him – entering the last chicane – to cross the line in 1st place.

Championship leader Fabien Foret (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki) got an important 3rd place finish despite the 7.2 seconds gap from the lead at the chequered flag. The Frenchman looked strong halfway through the race, closing the gap with the front runners before eventually falling back. Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport) got a terrible start of the race from the 11th grid slot, but was able to make his way through the field to a final 4th.

Florian Marino (Intermoto Ponyexpres Kawasaki), substitute for injured David Salom, rode a great race finish 5th ahead of Roberto Rolfo (ParkinGO MV Agusta Corse), who got his best finish so far in 2013, and Jack Kennedy (Rivamoto Honda), early protagonist of the race before losing a lot of ground.

Race results: 1. Lowes (Yamaha) 21 Laps/95.382 km in 34’51.011 average 164.215 kph; 2. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 0.026; 3. Foret (Kawasaki) 7.228; 4. Vd Mark (Honda) 18.927; 5. Marino (Kawasaki) 19.004; 6. Rolfo (MV Agusta) 19.179; 7. Kennedy (Honda) 19.774; 8. Coghlan (Kawasaki) 22.501; 9. Antonelli (Kawasaki) 28.453; 10. Zanetti (Honda) 29.027; 11. Iddon (MV Agusta) 29.420; 12. Leonov (Yamaha) 34.503; 13. Roccoli (Yamaha) 35.421; 14. Russo (Kawasaki) 35.486; 15. Ivanov (Kawasaki) 37.003; etc.

Standings (round 3 of 14): 1. Foret 54; 2. Vd Mark 49; 3. Lowes 45; 4. Sofuoglu 45; 5. Antonelli 29; 6. Scassa 26; 7. Zanetti 24; 8. Kennedy 24; 9. Rolfo 17; 10. Roccoli 14; 11. Russo 13; 12. Leonov 12; 13. Marino 11; 14. Salom 11; 15. Coghlan 11. Manufacturers: 1. Kawasaki 70; 2. Yamaha 53; 3. Honda 49; 4. MV Agusta 17; 5. Suzuki 4.

Superstock 1000

A final lap thrilling battle saw Eddi La Marra (Barni Racing Team Ducati) getting a close victory on the finish line by just 0.023 seconds over defending Champion Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad GoldBet).

The two riders had an incredible last lap, that started with La Marra closing the small gap to the front and waiting for the right time to overtake: the Italian rider made a successful move at Turn 13 but Barrier was ready to counter-attack entering the last chicane. Because of his last attempt for the win, the Frenchman was forced to take a different line on the kerb and couldn’t get up to speed on the exit, so the two rode side by side to the chequered flag, followed by 3rd place Niccolò Canepa (Barni Racing Ducati).

That’s the 2nd career win for La Marra, 2012 STK1000 runner-up, who is now second in the standings behind Championship leader Barrier and tied up in points with team mate Canepa. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) got the better in the end of Jeremy Guarnoni to eventually finish 4th ahead of the MRS Kawasaki rider.

Race results: 1. La Marra (Ducati) 13 Laps/59.046 km in 21’35.907 average 164.028 kph; 2. Barrier (BMW) 0.023; 3. Canepa (Ducati) 0.106; 4. Mercado (Kawasaki) 5.638; 5. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 5.768; 6. Lanusse (Kawasaki) 9.387; 7. Jezek (Ducati) 15.320; 8. Savadori (Kawasaki) 15.745; 9. Bergman (Kawasaki) 20.564; 10. Bussolotti (BMW) 21.238; 11. Lussiana (Kawasaki) 32.883; 12. Walraven (Suzuki) 38.314; 13. Moser (Ducati) 43.213; 14. Andreozzi (Kawasaki) 49.582; 15. Suchet (Honda) 53.599; etc.

Standings (round 2 of 10): 1. Barrier 45; 2. La Marra 36; 3. Canepa 36; 4. Mercado 29; 5. Guarnoni 24; 6. Lanusse 20; 7. Jezek 18; 8. Bussolotti 14; 9. Savadori 8; 10. Bergman 7; 11. Ferrer 7; 12. Gildenhuys 6; 13. Andreozzi 6; 14. Lussiana 5; 15. McFadden 5. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 45; 2. BMW 45; 3. Kawasaki 29; 4. Honda 6; 5. Suzuki 5.

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Hermunen rules in Italy

Courtesy of FIM NEWS

The sun came up today at the International Circuit of Volturno, which hosted the first Grand Prix of the season, where Mauno Hermunen won both the Sunday races in S1 class and Frederic Guerin won the European Championship Supermoto and the Young Trophy.
S1

SHR TM Mauno Hermunen today won both the heats. In race one he had a good start and battled with Ivan Lazzarini for the first position, just from the third lap he got the leadership until the end.In race two the Finnish rider, after switching positions several times with Thomas Chareyre, easily rode in first position from the beginning until the end, with the best time of 1’15.827 obtaining the first Red Plate of the season.

TM Racing Factory team TM Thomas Chareyre did not have a good qualification yesterday, so he started in fourth row, but in both heats he pushed hard on the gas and managed to gain the second position from the nine lap in race one. In race two, the defending Champion took the holeshot, made a consistent race and finished on the second step of the podium.

Third step of the podium is for the French Luc1 Awatrol HONDA Sylvain Bydart, who made two consistent results after finishing fourth in race one and third in race two. He feels very happy because after four years without appearing in the FIM Supermoto World Championship, he still has to get used to fight with the best Supermoto World riders.

Fourth position for the Italian Champion L30 Racing HONDA Ivan Lazzarini, who had a very good start in race one and obtained the hole shot, he dominated the first two laps but Mauno Hermunen was coming much faster from behind and he finished third. In race two the Italian rider has been fighting until the end for the third position but Bidart finally overtook him.

The fifth overall position was for Shr TM Petr Vorlicek, who did not have a very good day yesterday and it was difficult for him go up to the front, so he finished with an seventh place in race one, improving by two positions in race two and following his team mate Matthew Winstanley,  who had a good start in race one until being third in the first part of the race, but then he did some mistakes and lost some positions and had to be satisfied with a sixth position in both heats followed by Brt Suzuki Andrea Occhini, Harbike Racing TM Thomas Travincek and Fast Wheels APRILIA Adrien Chareyre who closed the top ten.

S1 Race1 Top Ten: 1. Hermunen Mauno (FIN-TM) 2. Chareyre Thomas (FRA-TM); 3. Lazzarini Ivan (ITA-Honda); 4. Bidart Sylvain (FRA-Honda); 5. Ravaglia Christian (ITA-Honda); 6. Winstanley Matthew (GBR-TM); 7. Vorlicek Petr (CZE-TM); 8. Occhini Andrea (ITA-Suzuki); 9. Travnicek Tomas (CZE-TM); 10. Nastran Uros (SLO-Honda).

S1 Race2 Top Ten: Hermunen Mauno (FIN-TM); 2. Chareyre Thomas (FRA-TM); 3. Bidart Sylvain (FRA-Honda); 4. Lazzarini Ivan (ITA-Honda); 5. Vorlicek Petr (CZE-TM); 6. Winstanley Matthew (GBR-TM); 7. Occhini Andrea (ITA-Suzuki); 8. Travnicek Tomas (CZE-TM); 9. Ravaglia Christian (ITA-Honda); 10. Chareyre Adrien (FRA-Aprilia).

S1 Overall Top Ten: Hermunen Mauno 50 points; 2. Chareyre Thomas 44 p; 3. Bidart Sylvain 38 p; 4. Lazzarini Ivan 38 p; 5. Vorlicek Petr 30 p; 6. Winstanley Matthew 30 p; 7. Ravaglia Christian 28 p; 8. Occhini Andrea 27 p; 9. Travnicek Tomas 25 p; 10. Chareyre Adrien 21 p.

S1 Championship Top Ten: Hermunen Mauno 50 points; 2. Chareyre Thomas 44p; 3. Bidart Sylvain 38 p; 4. Lazzarini Ivan 38p; 5. Vorlicek Petr 30 p; 6. Winstanley Matthew 30 p; 7. Ravaglia Christian 28 p; 8. Occhini Andrea 27 p; 9. Travnicek Tomas 25 p; 10. Chareyre Adrien 21 p.

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Fujinami wins at home

Courtesy of FIM NEWS

Takahisa Fujinami – Repsol Montesa claimed a sensational win in front of his home fans on the second day of the Japanese Grand Prix, his first since he last won in Great Britain back in 2010.

Fujinami produced three consistent laps to finally edge out Jeroni Fajardo – Beta who had held the lead for two out of the three laps, before his day fell apart on the final tour. Despite his late collapse Fajardo still managed to salvage second place, as yesterday’s victor Toni Bou – Repsol Montesa had a rare bad day at the office and finished in third spot. Adam Raga – Gas Gas and James Dabill – Beta completed the top five on a day when the scores were much lower than they were twenty-four hours earlier.

Despite his opening day victory, Bou looked surprisingly nervous on the first lap today and this was not helped when he stalled his bike in section seven due to an issue with the electronic mapping. This obviously unsettled Toni and he was to quickly add another five marks to his score when his hand slipped off the throttle as he approached the final step in the very next hazard. Bou’s lap one total of eighteen marks put him down in eighth and a long way behind the early leader Fajardo who only dropped four marks over his opening two laps.

With much ground to make up Bou mounted one of trademark fight backs and dropped only two further marks on his closing two laps, but on this occasion this was only enough to elevate him to the lower tier of the podium. With the sun shining overhead for the second day in a row the much drier conditions saw the scores tumble compared to Saturday’s totals. Although Fajardo looked to have the victory within his grasp Fujinami kept him under pressure with some almost equally low and consistent lap totals. With the massive home crowd behind him, Takahisa delivered some exceptional rides right when it mattered and just as Fajardo began to crack to steal an important win on Honda’s turf. Bou still leads the title race, by two points from Fujinami with Raga in third at this early stage in proceedings.

Jack Sheppard – Beta produced a stunning closing lap performance to steal the win in the Junior class from Belgium’s Maxime Warenghien – Sherco. Sheppard’s third lap score of just three marks gave him his first win in this division despite Warenghien also recording a single digit lap total. France’s Cedric Tempier – Sherco completed the rostrum on day two only one mark further back as yesterday’s Spanish front running duo of Jorge Casales – Gas Gas and Pol Tarres – Sherco could only manage eighth and fifth positions respectively this time out. Sheppard’s third place on Saturday followed by his win today sees him top the Junior standings by five points from Warenghien, which confirms the importance of consistency in this highly competitive category even at this early stage in the campaign.

French rider Kenny Thomas – Beta showed his liking for the drier conditions as he managed to hang onto a single mark win despite a spirited fight back from Bradley Cox – Beta on the closing lap. Thomas was relatively consistent over the three laps whilst Cox suffered a nightmare second tour before he posted the best lap score of the trial to finish off with. Although disappointed to have missed out on the victory, Cox was just relieved to be back in contention after he slumped to seventh spot yesterday. Saturday’s runner up Quentin Carles de Caudemberg – Beta completed a solid weekend with third place today. Thomas now heads the general standings three points clear of his compatriot Carles de Caudemberg, with yesterday’s victor Pietro Petrangeli – Gas Gas in third spot overall after he took sixth position today.

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Los Cabos Open of Surf Offers Free Trip to Cabo

Courtesy of Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North America

LOS CABOS, Baja California Sur/ Mexico (Thursday, April 25, 2013) – The Inaugural Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6-Star Los Cabos Open of Surf is set to unfold at the iconic Mexican surf destination of Zippers from June 17-23 and the Los Cabos Tourism board is currently offering a free trip for two via their ‘Jump on Board to Cabo’ campaign. 



By liking the Los Cabos Tourism page on Facebook, you will be entered in a random drawing for a free two-person trip during the Los Cabos Open of Surf waiting period. In addition to the free vacation, the winner will receive complimentary perks with the package including VIP passes to events, concerts and additional festivities unfolding during the upcoming surf festival. 

To enter for the free Jump on Board to Cabo trip become a fan of the Los Cabos Tourism page at www.facebook.com/loscabostourism from now until May 20. 



The Los Cabos Open of Surf represents the second stop on the 2013 ASP North America regional series and is the first of two events scheduled to unfold in Mexico this year. In addition, the Cabo event’s ASP 6-Star status offers crucial points towards surfers’ ASP WCT qualification campaigns and will draw premier surfing talent from around the globe.  



LIVE webcast of the Los Cabos Open of Surf will be available via www.aspnorthamerica.org 


Jerez Welcomes Yamaha as MotoGP Returns to Europe

Courtesy of Yamaha Factory Racing

Grand Prix of Spain   5th May 2013 – Jerez de la Frontera

 

Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 30th April 2013
Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi arrive in Southern Spain this week for the first European Grand Prix of the 2013 season, the Gran Premio Bwin de España on the 5^th May at the Circuito de Velocidad de Jerez de la Frontera.

With two rounds gone, reigning world Champion Lorenzo arrives currently tied on points at the top of the Championship standings with fellow Spaniard and premier class rookie Marc Marquez. After a challenging race weekend in Austin with a track not best suited to the capabilities of the YZR-M1, Lorenzo will be keen to begin his weekend in Jerez, the Andalucian track has accorded him and impressive run of victories with two 250cc wins in 2006 and 2007 and a further two premier class victories in 2010 and 2011. Last year saw him take second on the podium, just 0.9 seconds from a third potential premier class win. Lorenzo still holds the Jerez record for the fastest lap and the best pole, both from 2008. The 2013 Championship challenger made his MotoGP debut in the 125cc class at Jerez, although he was forced to miss the first qualifying session because he was too young. The future star turned 15yrs of age before the second session, going out to ride in front of his home crowd for his first Grand Prix experience.

Valentino Rossi arrives eager to attack the European tracks he knows intimately aboard his YZR-M1. Rossi sits in fourth in standings after Qatar and Austin, just 11 points adrift of the top spot. The nine-time World Champion has an impressive record at Jerez with a staggering six premier class wins and two additional victories in the 125cc and 250cc classes. In 13 starts at Jerez Rossi has taken nine podium finishes.

The Jerez circuit was built in 1986 with the first Grand Prix taking place one year later. The 4.423km Jerez circuit sits within a natural amphitheatre and is characterised by numerous quick direction changes and few hard braking points.

Jorge Lorenzo   ”We arrive in Jerez, a nice track that is really special for all the Spanish riders involved in this Championship and always supported by the huge crowd on the grandstands. We have to keep calm and think about the Championship because it is so long. Normally Jerez is a better track for Yamaha but you never know with this level of riding where you are going to find your best circuit. Jerez is smaller than Austin and the straight is much shorter, this will give us less disadvantage. The flowing corners will also help us a lot. Jerez is one of my favourite tracks and we will be competitive there for sure.”

Valentino Rossi   ”Jerez will be a very important race. I believe and hope that we can be very fast as we have been in testing. We will have to work well and aim for the podium. We still have something to do, especially for the set up of the bike but we have some ideas. Furthermore on Monday after the race we will be testing there and we’ll have the opportunity to try different things. Jerez, Le Mans and Mugello are all circuits that are favourable to us and where we will be fine.”     Profile

Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager

”Jerez is one of our favourite tracks, bus also for our major rivals I would say. Our bike should work better there than it did in Austin. So we hope to be much more competitive in Jerez. The grip is a completely different level but everybody will have better grip on that track. Hopefully we are able to close the gap and to compete, to fight and to get the benefit of extra grip as we did in Qatar. The podium is our goal. There are many races to go and the podium is our aim for every one.”

	Massimo Meregalli Team Director
”We have great expectations for Jerez, we had a really good test there so we know we can already start with a good set up. Both riders were very fast and consistent during the three days we rode there pre-season. We are really looking forward to this coming weekend and we are confident of a good result. After the race there will be other tests and it will be very important to try new things. ”

Jorge Lorenzo Age 25 Lives Barcelona (Spain) Bike Yamaha GP victories 45 (24 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc) First GP victory Brazil, 2003 (125cc) First GP Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc) GP starts 181 (87 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc) Pole position 52 (26 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc) World Championships 4 (MotoGP 2010/12, 250cc, 2006/7)
	Valentino Rossi Age 34 Lives Tavullia (Italy) Bike Yamaha GP victories 105 (79 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory Czec Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts 278 (218 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole position 59 (49 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc) World Championships 9 (MotoGP 2009/08/05/04/03/02, 500cc 2001, 250cc 1999, 125cc 1997)
	Circuit informations Technical Informations Circuit Jerez de la Frontera Location Jerez de la Frontera, Spain Length (m) 4423 Width (m) 11 Turns 13 Turns righ 8 Turns left 5 Pole position left Record Lap Time 1’39.731 Rider D.Pedrosa Bike Honda Year 2010 Best Lap Time 1’38.189 Rider J.Lorenzo Bike Yamaha Year 2008 2012 Results 1st C.Stoner (Honda): 45’33.897 2nd J.Lorenzo (Yamaha): +0.947 3rd D.Pedrosa (Honda): +2.063
	Yamaha Factory Racing c/o Yamaha Motor Racing srl | Via Tinelli 67/69, 20050 Gerno di Lesmo (MI) Italy | yamahamotogp.com