RideoffroadUK Back on Track Putoline Hard Enduro – Scunthorpe – Sunday December 2nd

Courtesy of Carly Rathmell – Freelance Sports PR

After a two month break for various other commitments, Rideoffroaduk are refreshed and ready to resume a winter events schedule.

First on the calendar, on December 2nd, back by popular demand, the new Putoline supported Hard Enduro. The concept worked really well at our first event at the end of September, the format is simple – regular Hare & Hounds format, same class structure, over a course designed to take people out of their comfort zone without man made obstacles which most riders simply can’t do. Yes it will be harder than a regular Hare & Hounds although it will NOT be a bike wrecker or dangerous for the average Sportsman. There will be shorter harder routes, and longer easy routes around the hardest sections of the 600 acre Scunthorpe quarry complex. This will allow the more experienced riders a chance to save time each lap if their ability level suits.

Spectator access is superb from a raised paddock area, the course will feature hill climbs, descents, rock gardens, and water splash sections to test all riders. The postcode for this event is DN21 4JH, located less than 5 minutes from the M180.

Rider access from 12 noon Saturday, spectator access from 7am Sunday race day, Spectator admission is a bargain at £10 per car!! Unlimited car parking area in this huge quarry.

In January ROR will run two regular Winter Warmer Hare & Hounds events at a new enduro venue in North Lincolnshire., The new venue features a cool MX track with great facilities, as well as an overdose of fast open, free flowing Enduro going. More details via the ROR website mid December.

For more information visit www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk

On line entries www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk/events

Phone entries 07576 095137

FIM Motocross & SuperMoto World Championships Changes to the Regulations

Courtesy of Youthstream Media

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 21 November 2012 – The Motocross and SuperMoto Grand Prix Commission, composed of Mr Giuseppe Luongo, President of Youthstream, Dr Wolfgang Srb, Director of the CMS/FIM, and Mr Takanao Tsubouchi, MSMA Secretary General, met in Teutschenthal, Germany, on 22 September 2012, and unanimously adopted the following changes to the 2013 Regulations, which will be adopted on 1 January 2013.

Mr Stéphane Desprez, FIM Chief Executive Officer, also attended this meeting.

Motocross
1. FIM Standards for Motocross Circuits

• Art. 047.3.4 Speed
The course, if possible, should be of a type, which restricts the average speed to a maximum of 65 km per hour (the average calculated for one complete race).

• Art. 047.3.10 Repair and signalling zone
New paragraph: The repair and signalling zone must have a corridor in the pit lane to allow an uninterrupted passage throughout the entire length. This corridor should be marked by white lines throughout the entire event and remain free of parked motorcycles, equipment and people. Furthermore, there should be no excessive speed or overtaking in the pit lane. Riders should ride in a disciplined manner within this area.

• Art. 047.4 Track marking and fencing
c) Track marking
New text of the paragraph: The exterior of the track may be marked by course markers, straw bales, foam rubber blocks, earth banking, advertising banners and flexible fencing green in colour.

2. FIM MX1, MX2, MX3, Women’s Motocross World Championships, FIM Motocross of Nations and FIM Veteran Motocross World Cup Regulations
• Art. 2.2 Acceptance of entries
The maximum age limit of 23 years for the MX2 class is no longer valid for the FIM Motocross of Nations.

• Art. 2.10 Rider Behaviour and Assistance (in addition to paragraph 28)
Watering of starting lanes by riders and/or team staff is prohibited.

• Art. 4.19 Official signals

Yellow flag, waved: Immediate danger, prepare to stop, no overtaking, jumping not allowed.
Red Cross flag: Medical staff on the track, proceed with extreme caution. Riders must roll each jump individually with no overtaking until past the area of concern.

3. FIM Junior Motocross World Championship

• Art. 035.8.1 Acceptance of entries
In any case, the FIM and/or the FIM Championship Promoter can enter additional riders in each class before the end of the technical verifications prior to the event (not exceeding the maximum allowed number of entries per Federation and class).

SuperMoto

1. FIM S1 SuperMoto World Championship and FIM SuperMoto of Nations Regulations

• Art. 042.10.2.3 & Art. 043.10.2.3 Tyres
There will not be an Official Tyre Supplier, appointed by the FIM Championship Promoter. The participants are allowed to use tyres of their own choice. There is also no limit on the number of tyres that can be used.

• Art. 42.19 SuperPole
Abolished. There will be no more SuperPole.

• Art. 042.20 Races
Each FIM SuperMoto World Championship event will run two Races.

• Art. 042.20.1 Starting order
The order in which riders take their starting positions for the two Races is based on their respective results in Time Practice.

Snowcross

1. FIM Snowcross World Championship Regulations
The FIM Snowcross World Championship will be run according to the Race Direction System (as in FIM MX1, MX2, MX3, Women’s Motocross, the FIM Veteran Motocross World Cup, the FIM Motocross of Nations, the FIM S1 SuperMoto World Championship & the FIM SuperMoto of Nations). CMS Official Mr. Kurt Ljungqvist will be appointed as FIM Snowcross Race Director.

LINKS
Youthstream
FIM

Photo: Start at at the 2012 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations

Valencia test ends on a high as Márquez shines on debut

Courtesy of FIM LIVE

The second day of testing got off to a slow start as a wet track stopped the majority of the grid heading out, yet with two hours left a dry enough line had formed for Dani Pedrosa to set the fastest time of the day and for all MotoGP™ newcomers to make their debut.

Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Márquez, one of the most hotly anticipate switches this year, made an instant impact on his first ever outing on a MotoGP™ machine, as he set the seventh quickest time of the day, just over one second off the top. His teammate Dani Pedrosa, who was the first out on track with slick tyres, was evaluating the 2013 Honda against the one he raced with last Sunday. He topped the day with the fastest time of 1.32’322.

Ducati Team’s new-boy Andrea Dovizioso continued to familiarise himself with the Desmosedici on day two, finishing sixth, whilst teammate Nicky Hayden carried on his work evaluating new parts and chassis settings and ending the session in fourth. Pramac Ducati’s Andrea Iannone had been one of the riders to brave the wet track in the morning, yet continued with his familiarisation process in the afternoon, ending the timesheets in ninth. New Ducati test rider Michele Pirro, in for the injured Ben Spies, was well on the pace once the track dried out and finished in eighth place.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Bradley Smith was the first Rookie out on track this morning as he made his debut on the M1 Yamaha. The Brit looked pleased with his first outing, and ended the afternoon in 11th, just over two seconds off the front. His teammate Cal Crutchlow, still nursing an injury in his hand from his crash on the weekend, took to the track with just under an hour remaining to evaluate some minor upgrades on his Yamaha, finishing in second place overall.

Go & Fun Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista was pleased the track dried out in time, as the Spaniard set out evaluating his 2012 machine against an upgraded version with some new parts. LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl on the other hand was lapping on a similar machine to Pedrosa, the new 2013 model, where the only significant difference is the electronics package. It was however announced today that the German will continue with his team in the 2014 season as well, although the bike with be a “full factory” version. Bautista was fifth fastest and Bradl third.

Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaró, who was one of the busiest riders out on track in the morning, put in a number of laps early on, whilst teammate Randy de Puniet was more active in the afternoon in the dry, as both continued work on their respective chassis. Espargaró ended the day in 15th and De Puniet in 10th. Came IodaRacing Project’s Danilo Petrucci was able to start work on his new Suter chassis for the final few hours, though commented with the introduction of standard electronics available from next year, the team may switch to those in future tests. Petrucci was 13th fastest at the conclusion of the test.

Avintia Blusens’ Hiroshi Aoyama decided to sit out the day and will return in Jerez with the team for a test later this month, while Héctor Barberá kept putting in the laps to familiarise himself with his new BQR-FTR machine. His time saw him end the day in 14th. NGM Mobile Forward Racing riders Colin Edwards and Claudio Corti decided not to go out on track.

Elsewhere, the Yamaha Factory Racing duo of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi had a difficult session at their test in Aragón, which was marred with rain and a crash for Lorenzo. Lorenzo was fortunately unhurt in the crash. Rossi commented afterwards that he was happy with the bike, and that apart from the increase in power, not much had changed from the last time he rode the 800cc bike in 2010.

Communication MotoGP – www.motogp.com