MotoGP: Donington Results

The Doctor was out. Dovizioso, Edwards, and De Puniet were in.

Tyler Hopper

AllAboutBikes.com Staff Writer

The final MotoGP visit to Donington Park ended with a first ever premier class victory by Andrea Dovizioso and first podium finishes in 2009 for Colin Edwards and Randy de Puniet. The Doctor, Valentino Rossi, experienced a fall at the Fogarty Esses with 11 laps to go. Rossi was unable to add another victory to his laundry list of wins at Donington.

Early on into the race, volatility and indecision plagued the riders. As rain began to fall, the riders were left guessing whether or not they made the right tire choice. Toni Elias led for lap one, but Jorge Lorenzo grasped the lead, possibly as a result of being talked out of running wet tires, but took a fall when he graced a greasy rumble strip and couldn’t restart the Yamaha M1. Elias succumbed to the same fate as Lorenzo, taking a fall in the same spot on lap 7.

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AMA Tech Dir. Suspended

AMA Pro Racing suspends Technical Director Al Ludington indefinitely following Mid-Ohio event; Ludington apologizes for actions…Janson to oversee at-event Technical Operations in interim

Press Release

AMA Pro Racing officials have announced the indefinite suspension of the organization's Technical Director of Competition Al Ludington for conduct detrimental to the sport of professional motorcycle racing following this past weekend's AMA Pro Road Racing event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The indefinite suspension will preclude Ludington's participation in AMA Pro Road Racing events commencing with next weekend's round at Heartland Park Topeka following his actions and behavior at Mid-Ohio on Saturday, July 18, in an exchange with AMA Pro American Superbike rider Johnny Rock Page, which was caught on film (click here for YouTube video). Ludington has issued a letter of apology to Mr. Page and the overall AMA Pro Racing community.

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H-D Shut Down

H-D to Shut Down Production for 14 Weeks

Dealer News Press

Harley-Davidson plans production shutdowns and line rate adjustments at powertrain operations in Menomonee Falls and Wauwatosa, Wis., and at motorcycle assembly operations in York, Pa., and Kansas City, Mo.

The shutdowns and line rate adjustments are part of the OEM's plan to cut production by 25 to 30 percent and lay off up to 1,000 workers in an effort to reduce output, match demand and shrink inventories.

Sportster and V-Rod motorcycle final assembly operations and V-Rod motorcycle powertrain production in Kansas City, and production of Sportster motorcycle powertrains in Wauwatosa will be shut down for approximately 14 weeks in 2009, including the entire fourth quarter. The company anticipates that other production operations will be shut down for a total of approximately five weeks over the rest of 2009.

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FMF Takes Ducati to Next Level

FMF Takes Ducati to Next Level

FMF Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FMF APEX TAKES DUCATI TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Rule one of the racing universe, when something works great, it looks amazing. The FMF Apex is no exception. The Apex is made in-house 100% in the USA, and FMF uses the highest quality aerospace titanium and carbon fiber components.

The diamond shape of the Apex Race Exhaust System is form fitted to match perfectly with today’s most advanced sport bikes, maximizing cornering clearance and handling performance. The outlet shape mirrors the system shape providing an extremely high exhaust flow rate, and a distinct sound that no other system can match. The Apex exhaust system is sure to turn heads and help you get a bigger thrill out of every ride.

The Ducati Streetfighter is an amazing track bike, One of the few complaints is in regard to the stock heal guard, riders complain about the heal guard pushing their foot away from the peg and not allowing the proper foot placement that is essential for high-speed cornering. FMF addresses this with a very compact race inspired heal guard.

Apex improves handling through mass centralization. The stock system places nearly fifteen pounds up high, off axis and far outside of the bikes center. The Apex slip-on improves exhaust weight centralization by over 55 percent. Apex utilizes stock exhaust sensors for best possible air/fuel delivery.

American made carbon fiber supplied by aerospace/ DoD vendor. Apex also features a lightweight, ultra strong interlocking mount system.

• Designed by racers for racing

• Includes quiet insert(s)

• Incredible sound

• Aerospace quality carbon fiber and titanium

• Most advanced slip-on exhaust on the market

• Integrated fit for maximum cornering clearance

• Handcrafted in USA

MODEL	YEAR	PRODUCT NAME	TYPE	PART#	RETAIL$	SAVINGS (LBS)
MONSTER 6100	09	APEX	SLIP-ON	045282	$1,099.99	6.2
MONSTER 1100	09	APEX	SLIP-ON	045282	$1,099.99	6.2
SUPER 848	08-09	APEX	SLIP-ON	045245	$1,099.99	6.3
SUPER 1098	08-09	APEX	SLIP-ON	045245	$1,099.99	6.3
SUPER 1098	09	APEX	SLIP-ON	045245	$1,099.99	6.3
STREETFIGHTER	09	APEX	SLIP-ON	045297	$1,099.99	6.4

Contact: Donnie Emler • Tel. 310-631-4363 ext 246 • Email: littled@fmfracing.com

Mid-Ohio SportBike: Race 1

Eslick Takes his Fourth Win at Mid-Ohio

AMA Pro Racing Press Release

Danny Eslick grabbed his fourth career AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL victory on the No. 9 GEICO Powersports/RMR Buell 1125R in Race One of the Honda Super Cycle Weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Eslick started the day strong by claiming the pole in Saturday morning's final qualifying effort. The grid was set by that result as the weekend's basic qualifying and Superpole sessions were canceled due to a Friday afternoon rain shower. By the end of the race's first lap, Eslick had built up a .551 second lead over the No. 88 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R of Jamie Hacking, who steadily chipped away at the lead over the ensuing laps before taking the point in Turn 6 on Lap 7. Hacking held the lead for two laps until mechanical troubles sidelined him for the race on Lap 9.

"I got a good start, right off the bat and led a couple of laps," said Eslick. "I didn't see anybody coming through, which usually happens as everybody's really aggressive the first few laps. I knew we had kind of pulled away and then Jamie came by. I think I was on the brakes the first time and he came up. He came by me and we battled back and forth for a lap or two and when he had his problem, I almost ran up his exhaust pipe. He did a good job getting his hand up and out of the way, so good job there. It could have been real ugly in that spot."

Graves Yamaha teammates Josh Herrin and Tommy Aquino held an aggressive battle for position throughout the 21-lap sprint race. At the end of the first lap, Aquino's No. 6 Yamaha YZF-R6 led Herrin's No. 8 Yamaha YZF-R6 to the line, but the rookie couldn't hold the position and was passed by Herrin on Lap 2. The Graves duo moved up the ranks as attrition hit riders Hacking and Martin Cardenas, who was running in third position aboard the No. 36 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600 before low siding at the exit of Turn 8 on Lap 5. Aquino was able to squeeze by Herrin again on Lap 9 before Herrin used a block pass on Lap 10 to get by both Aquino and Jake Zemke's No. 1X Erion Honda CBR600RR to take second position.

"I think when (Tommy) passed me, he went to put a move on Jake going into (Turn) 5 on the brakes and I just decided I am going to get both these guys and just dove in there and made a move," said Herrin. "It wasn't purposefully a block pass, but it sort of ended up being a block pass. I just rode defensive from there and luckily we held on to second."

Aquino was also able to get past Zemke, challenging Herrin for the remainder of the race and allowing Eslick to slip away to a 2.318 second lead by the end of the race. The third place finish was Aquino's his first AMA Pro podium finish.

"It was really hard," said Aquino. "I was going as hard as I could, my tires were spent and I was just trying as hard as I could to stay where I was at and try to take a position if I could. I am really happy with this podium. It is my first podium with AMA Pro Racing. I really just have to thank my team."

Zemke turned the fastest lap of the race in Lap 6 at 1:28.160 and ran as high as second before finishing fourth. Chaz Davies rounded out the top five on the No. 57 Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team Aprilia RSV1000R. Points leader Cardenas recovered to finish 12th and holds the championship lead over Eslick 264-244.

Mid-Ohio SportBike: Race 2

Eslick Wins Barn Burner in Day Two at Mid-Ohio

AMA Pro Racing Press Release

Danny Eslick's No. 9 GEICO Powersports RMR Buell 1125R came out victorious in a battle that went down to the wire with the eventual second-place No. 88 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R of Jamie Hacking in the second of two AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Six official lead changes came between the riders that claimed the top two spots over the course of the 21-lap sprint race that opened Sunday's races at the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tires.

The excitement began on the sighting lap, with Jake Zemke's No. 1X Erion Honda CBR600RR losing power in Turn 4. Last season's Formula Xtreme champion was forced to run back to the pits and start from the rear of the grid on his backup bike. A clean start followed and Eslick led the field through the first set of turns before being passed by Hacking in Turn 6. Eslick regained the top spot in Turn 1 on the following lap. That set of passes would set the tone for the two riders, occurring in the same fashion on Laps 14 and 15. Hacking recaptured the lead in Turn 6 on Lap 16 and was able to hold off a rushing Eslick for four more laps.

On the final lap, Eslick took a page from the Kawasaki rider's book and looked to the inside in Turn 6, but was unable to complete the pass. This set him up for an inside line through the Esses and the pair leaned on each other as they made their way through. The No. 9 Buell emerged as the leader and led the field to the finish.

"Jamie was real strong out of the keyhole," said Eslick. "He was strong out of it and strong into it, and I was good through the middle. We went back and forth a couple times. (The last lap pass) was the cleanest pass I could definitely make. There was some contact, but it was good. Jamie would have stuck it in there just as hard as I would have."

Josh Herrin's No. 8 Graves Yamaha YZF-R6 also presented a challenge, passing Hacking on Lap 3 and taking the lead from Eslick on Lap 7. Herrin officially led two laps, although he and Eslick traded the lead twice on Lap 8 before Eslick was able to take the lead from the Yamaha for the final time on Lap 9. Herrin finished 12th after an off-course excursion on Lap 13 allowed Hacking to challenge Eslick for the final portion of the race. In all, Hacking led for seven laps and earned his sixth podium and fifth second-place finish of the Daytona SportBike season.

"The race today was great," said Hacking. "We were pushing hard the entire race. I was stronger on this side of the race track and Danny was stronger back there in the back and it just made out for a really good race, close racing. I put everything I had into the last couple laps there and I thought I had the door closed enough. He muscled his way in there and made a clean pass. I had made that pass before and there were no hard feelings. He rode a great race, and we pulled away from everybody else this weekend."

Martin Cardenas recovered from a crash in Saturday's Daytona SportBike race to run clean and consistent, claiming the final spot on the podium aboard the No. 36 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600. The Colombian now leads the Daytona SportBike standings by 10 points over Eslick, 285-275. Hacking is close behind in third with 241 points.

"It was a hard race for me because my confidence wasn't very good after two races, two crashes," said Cardenas. "So today that was the best I could do. These guys were a little bit faster than me, and I tried to stay with them, but five laps from the end I made a mistake and almost crashed and so I decided that third place was good enough for today."

Fourth place went to the No. 54 Latus Motors Racing Buell 1125R of Taylor Knapp, who pulled double-duty this weekend racing, where he also earned a top-10 finish on the No. 44 Taylor Knapp Racing Buell 1125RR in the final American Superbike race of the weekend. Roger Hayden encountered electrical problems in Saturday's race, but had a strong showing Sunday to complete the top five on the No. 95 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R. Zemke climbed 11 positions on the first lap and powered through the field to salvage a 10th place finish.

Next up for AMA Pro Daytona SportBike is a doubleheader at the Tornado Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka on the weekend of July 31-August 2.

World MX1: Round 3

Double Podium for Teka Suzuki in Belgium

Team Suzuki Press Release

The third round of the 2009 United Telecom Belgian Motocross Championship saw both Teka Suzuki World MX1 riders circulating at speed for the first time since April and Ken De Dycker and Steve Ramon were able to take their works RM-Z450s to second and third places overall at the Nismes circuit in some changeable weather conditions.

Across the stony, slippery course in the south of the country, De Dycker and Ramon had to play second fiddle to Clement Desalle, but the sight of both Suzuki riders on the podium was a positive outcome for the team in the midst of a summer break and just two weeks before their home Grand Prix at Lommel, Limburg for what will be the 12th round of 15 in the FIM World Championship.

De Dycker was not able to claim victory for the third time in a row but his scorecard of 2nd, 2nd and 3rd in the three motos was enough to guarantee the second step.

"I'm not too happy really," he commented. "Things went OK in practice but my arms tensed up in the first moto and I struggled to feel good on the track for the rest of the day. It was really hard and stony with not many ruts, so it wasn't an easy run."

Nismes represented the first competitive outing for Ramon since the 2007 World Champion fractured his C7 vertebrae at the Grand Prix of Benelux 10 weeks ago. The 29 year old rode to 3rd, 5th and 2nd positions for an effective and steady comeback.

"It was a pretty good day and I think it was the right decision to race here, even if I have never been a fan of the track and actually found it pretty dangerous in some places," he said. "The first moto was ruined a little bit by arm-pump and I had a bad start in the second but the third was the best and after De Dycker had made a mistake I could keep speed with Desalle. The meeting went like I expected and now I will continue getting ready for Lommel."

Teka Suzuki World MX1 will compete in the next meeting of the ADAC MX Masters German series at Tensfeld this weekend.

German 125cc GP

Marquez’s podium hopes end in gravel in closing stages of German 125cc GP

KTM Press Release

Red Bull KTM Moto Sport’s talented young Spaniard Marc Marquez was denied a podium place on Sunday at the German 125cc GP on the Sachsenring when he slid off the track in the closing stages of the race.

Marquez was able to remount and finally finished back in sixteenth place, two behind KTM teammate American Cameron Beaubier. A series of slick maneuvers and patience had allowed him to slip from fifth to third place going into the final lap and he seemed to have the minor podium firmly in his grasp. The 16-year-old Spaniard was already sizing up fellow Spaniard Joan Olive with just a lap and a half to go. He moved up from fifth to fourth place before then advancing to third. But then he was involved in a spectacular high side after a too close encounter with fourth placed Nicolas Terol on the final lap. Fortunately he was not seriously injured.

Marc Marquez: "My start was not so good but I did manage to overtake a couple of riders in the first lap. The times were much faster today because it was dry and initially I didn't have such a good feeling for the bike. But that changed, especially when it looked like I was going to make the podium. But then on the straight just before the last corner Olive went zigzag and we touched. The unlucky thing was that he touched my brake lever and when I wanted to brake it no longer worked. The crash looked very spectacular, but luckily I am in very good physical shape so I wasn't hurt."

Marquez has started the day well being the fastest in the morning warm-up after winning a very creditable third place on the front line grid in Saturday's qualifying. The race was in dry weather in contrast to a difficult qualifying session on Saturday when riders battled rain and a slippery surface on the traditional German circuit.

For Marquez's young teammate Beaubier, also just 16 years old, it was his best finish so far this season and he finished with two championship points.

Cameron Beaubier: "My start was okay and I was able to pass some guys but they were taking be back during the first lap. It was a constant battle and when I started to go faster I made a mistake went off the track. Later in the race I tried very hard to close the gap to the guys in front of me and I was lucky to score two points today. During warm up I saw that our bike set up was much better and I was confident for the race."

Team boss Harald Bartol: "The situation with Marquez in the final lap was not completely kosher, but that's racing. Marc again did do a very good race. It was just a pity that the brake lever got bent so badly in the fight with Olive. As regards to Cameron I think he would have been able to pick up even more points with some better concentration. But on the other hand, I have to admit that this circuit doesn't give you many chances to relax.”

E3 World Championship: Mexico

Cervantes takes 2-1 result in E3 in Mexico

KTM Press Release

Ivan Cervantes of the KTM Enduro Factory Team came away from the two E3 World Championship rounds in Mexico’s Valle de Bravo with an excellent 2-1 result to further boost his title chances with just four races to go.

The team's Spanish rider finished second behind Frenchman Sebastian Guillaume on Saturday, continually picking up his performance on the difficult track as the day progressed. Riders tacked the challenges of hard terrain on top of altitudes of up to 2200 meters in the mountainous lakeside resort just two hours from Mexico City. Cervantes went one better in Sunday's race, recovering from a crash in the second test, where he lost about 30 seconds to take the victory on the day. He now has a 22-point lead in the standings with four races still in hand.

Cervantes KTM team-mate Samuli Aro was just off the podium in fourth place for both races and is currently in fourth place in the standings. Aro however was the winner of the KTM Super Test on Friday night which was held on the shores of the lake at Valle de Bravo. The Super Test drew large crowds to watch the world's best Enduro riders in action and is a new feature of the championship that is proving to be a crowd winner and a value added attraction for the sport.

Fabio Farioli, team boss of the KTM Enduro Factory Team reported that the well run event was much tougher than riders had first expected, with the high altitude affecting both bikes and riders.

E3 Results Round Eleven :

1. Sebastian Guillaume, France, Husqvarna

2. Ivan Cervantes, Spain, KTM

3. Christophe Nambotin, France, Gas-Gas

4. Samuli Aro, Finland, KTM

5. Fabio Mossini, Italy, Honda

E3 Results Round Twelve:

1. Ivan Cervantes, Spain, KTM

2. Christophe Nambotin, France, Gas-Gas

3. Sebastian Guillaume, France, Husqvarna

4. Samuli Aro, Finland, KTM

5. Fabio Mossini, Italy, Honda

Standings after Round Twelve:

1. Ivan Cervantes, Spain, KTM 274

2. Christophe Nambotin, France, Gas-Gas, 252

3. Sebastian Guillaume, France Husqvarna, 241

4. Samuli Aro, Finland, KTM, 238

5. Marcus Kehr, Germany, KTM, 163

British Supersport: Mallory Park

Martin and Gearlink Kawasaki take the victory

Press Release

Chris Martin followed up team-mate Ben Wilson's win at the previous round by storming to victory in the Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship race at Mallory Park for Round 7 of the series on Sunday.

The Gearlink Kawasaki duo were formation flying at the front of the pack, with Martin then able to gradually edge an advantage over his team-mate on track in the wet conditions.

Ian Hutchinson was quick off the line and was able to put himself third for the Padgetts Honda team, giving him the best result of the season.

For fourth there was an all-Australian tussle between title contender Billy McConnell on the MAP Raceways Yamaha and Brendan Roberts on the NW200 Coca-Cola Zero Yamaha.

The pair who previously battled together in the Virgin Yamaha Cup were swapping places in a bid for supremacy, with McConnell able to put himself ahead and hold it to the line.

Championship leader Steve Plater was only able to manage a seventh place for the HM Plant Honda team, but still holds an 11 point advantage in the overall standings ahead of Brands Hatch.

Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship race result:

Chris Martin (Gearlink Kawasaki)

Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) +7.143s

Ian Hutchinson (Padgetts Honda) +10.969s

Billy McConnell (MAP Raceways Yamaha) +15.294s

Brendan Roberts (NW200 Coca-Cola Zero Yamaha) +15.469s

Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship standings:

Steve Plater (HM Plant Honda) 109

Billy McConnell (MAP Raceways Yamaha) 98

Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) 92

Daniel Cooper (Centurion Racing Honda) 81

James Westmoreland (Centurion Racing Honda) 72

The next round of the British Superbike Championship takes place at Brands Hatch GP on August 7-9.

Spring Creek Motocross, Millville, MN

Tyler Hopper

AllAboutBikes Staff-Writer

The Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota saw Yamaha rider Josh Grant hold the lead for most of the race to win in Moto 1. Grant passed Suzuki’s Chad Reed in the second lap, after which Reed stuck on Grant for the rest of the race, coming up short of the win nearly two seconds behind. Davi Millsaps stuck in third place for the majority of the race until lap 12 where he experienced problems that forced him to drop out.

On lap 15, Honda rider Ivan Tedesco, in fourth place, tried to fight off Michael Byrne and Tommy Hahne but came up unsuccessful. Following suit from Hahne and Byrne, Andrew Short began a passing attempt on his teammate, Tedesco, but couldn’t pull it off and finished one second behind Tedesco in sixth. Reed and Grant swept the field finishing nearly a whole minute ahead of Michael Byrne who finished third.

Moto 2 started with Ivan Tedesco, Honda Red Bull Racing, in the lead. Chad Reed took the lead from Tedesco at the beginning of the race and finished in first. Tedesco finished Moto 2 in second. On lap six, Millsaps overtook Brayton, KTM, for third. Suzuki rider, Byrne, overtook Short to move into fourth followed by Kyle Regal, Brayton, and Cody Copper. Josh Grant was unfortunate to experience a bad start, forcing him to battle the field from next-to-last, with an eventual finish in the top ten.

MotoGP Sachsenring, Germany

Round 9 of the MotoGP Championship at Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland seemed like déjà vu of Barcelona, with Rossi and Lorenzo battling for first in the last laps of the race.

Tyler Hopper

AllAboutBikes Staff-Writer

In the difficult, squally conditions, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner filled the front line. The launch of the race saw Rossi take and early lead with Dani Pedrosa, Randy De Puniet, and Stoner close behind.

With still cold tires, on one of the few right-handers of the circuit, De Puniet crashed as he went up and over a slight right on one of the fastest corners on the circuit. Stoner nearly misses him as he goes down and slides off the track into the gravel.

Pedrosa chases Rossi’s tail and Nicky Hayden makes a move on Loris Capirosi, making his way around him on the outside. Into the start finish straight the front five breaks away and Andrea Dovizioso is the fastest man on the circuit so far in round 9 with only two laps down.

Dovizioso makes a move on the inside as Lorenzo tries to hold on to outside line, but Dovizioso takes the place from Jorge. Stoner moves to 3rd place, while Dovizioso receives pressure from Lorenzo as he tries to take back what was stolen from him moments earlier.

With 26 laps to go, Rossi tries to pull away from the pack as Stoner goes through Pedrosa into second. Stoner gets on the tail of Rossi on the second half of the track where he is strongest, looking for his chance to move into the leadership position.

With 24 laps to go, Stoner moves toward the inside of Rossi and takes him as they approach the start line. Coming up from fourth, Pedrosa begins to close in on Rossi and Lorenzo follows close behind. Rossi starts to slow down give Lorenzo and Pedrosa the opportunity to plan an overtaking, and Stoner gets the chance to pull away as they storm into the last half of the circuit.

Rossi sits on the tail of Stoner, he starts to take the outside but changes his mind. Into the starting line, with 18 to go, The Doctor still trails stoner, closing in and looking aggressive into the first two turns.

The sun begins to shine with 17 laps to go. Pedrosa starts to catch up with the pack. Rossi on the rear wheel of Stoner through turns 13 and 14 and Lorenzo moves up on Rossi. At around the half way point, in lap 15, Stoner pushes hard and Lorenzo and Rossi come up empty handed.

Pedrosa pushes hard and closes the gap, making it a 4 way battle for the podium. With 13 to go, Rossi takes the lead, and his fellow Yamaha rider follows him into second. Stoner and Pedrosa have to push even harder to make up for the dominance of the Yamaha machines. In turn 1, with 9 to go, Stoner is lagging behind number 1 and 2, the Yamahas lead the way, and Stoner begins to trail farther back, hope for his victory is diminishing.

Rossi pulls out an advantage on the front straight with 7 to go, Stoner and Pedrosa struggle to stay in the race. Lorenzo nearly makes it past Rossi on turn 12 in lap 24. Crossing the line with 6 to go, Lorenzo gets on the tail of Rossi and Pedrosa gets on the tail of Stoner. Two and two they race down the track, horizontally attacking the turns.

Lorenzo is showing signs of an overtaking, and side by side he and Rossi go into the first turn, Lorenzo leads. Pedrosa moves into third. The line up is Lorenzo, Rossi, Pedrosa, and Stoner. Rossi closes in on Lorenzo with three and a half laps to go, Rossi begins to make a move on Lorenzo, but falls back and rides his tail. On inside of turn one, Rossi sneaks past Lorenzo with two to go. Lorenzo only has two laps to take back the lead.

At the front, Rossi tries to pull away and take advantage of his lead; he doesn’t want to let Lorenzo get around him. Across the straight, Lorenzo goes around the outside, but Rossi takes shuts him down along the inside. With nearly half of a lap left, Lorenzo closes in, looking down across the inside of Rossi’s bike, but The Doctor defends his position. As they approach the finish line, Lorenzo accelerates, lining his front tire up with Rossi’s rear as they cross the line. But Lorenzo didn’t have enough room to get past Doctor Rossi. Finishing the podium in third, Pedrosa is followed by Stoner in fourth and Alex DeAngelis in fifth.

Reed Extends Points Lead

With Second Victory of the Season at Spring Creek and Dungey Goes 1-1 in Front of Hometown Crowd to Tighten Points

Press Release

The second half of the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship got underway on Saturday as Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki's Chad Reed, of Australia, took his second win of the season at the Honda Motocross National from Spring Creek MX.

Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki's Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., completed an overall sweep for the Suzuki stable, winning the overall in front of his hometown fans in the 250 Class.

Reed's return to the series continues to be successful after a two-year hiatus. After a strong outing in the first moto, Reed cruised to the overall win with a dominating performance in moto two. The winner from the series' last round,

JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha's Josh Grant, of Riverside, Calif., looked like the rider to beat for the second straight race after taking the opening moto victory. However, the rookie was involved in a first-lap crash in the second moto and had to work his way through the field to ninth place.

"I was disappointed (with the first moto)," explained Reed. "I felt I had a win in me. But we made some changes (to the bike) between races and I felt a lot more comfortable in the second moto. I think this weekend was a huge weight off of my shoulders. I definitely felt more myself and was able to put in a much better effort and ride strong in both motos."

Honda Red Bull Racing's Ivan Tedesco, of Tallahassee, Fla., garnered the runner-up position (5-2) while Reed's teammate and fellow countryman Michael Byrne earned his first overall podium of the season in third (3-4). Reed's point lead extended to 37 points over Honda Red Bull Racing's Andrew Short, of Smithville, Texas.

Dungey's overall sweep resulted in his third overall victory of the season, but his first since the third round of the championship in Texas. Stellar starts in each moto put the Suzuki rider up front early from which he never looked back, fending off the challenges of points leader Christophe Pourcel, of France. Dungey also captured the overall in Millville last year, becoming the first 250 Class rider to go back-to-back at Spring Creek since the 2003-2004 seasons.

"From High Point on it's been a little bit of a struggle," stated Dungey. "It doesn't mean anything if you're the fastest guy in practice and can't get a good start. I've been working really hard on some stuff and so is Suzuki. It's awesome to get a 1-1, my first of the season, and especially do it at my home track."

British SBK-Mallory Park

British SBK-Mallory Park

Press Release

Race 1

Ellison wins dramatic opening race at Mallory Park

James Ellison was gifted his second race win of the season at Mallory Park in a dramatic opening race, when the leading six riders crashed at the Hairpin causing a red flag with seven laps to go.

Ellison said: "I was actually expecting a podium before the start of this race and I rode really hard. I had to take avoiding action when Leon Camier was almost taken out by Richard Cooper. I then got my head down and put in a fastest lap and took it as it came. You have to take wins as they come and it is fantastic for me."

The race was red flagged when Josh Brookes crashed at the Hairpin, taking out race leader Simon Andrews, who had taken the lead from Chris Walker just a few laps earlier. The incident on track then collected Walker, Tommy Hill, Karl Harris and John Laverty.

Walker had taken the lead on the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha from Hill and Andrews but it was a dramatic opening lap, with Richard Cooper crashing out at Charlies. Leon

Camier was just behind and was forced to come to a complete halt on the Airwaves Yamaha to avoid him, with Brookes also taking to the grass on the HM Plant Honda.

Camier was then languishing down in 23rd place when he rejoined, whilst at the front Walker got off to a storming start from Hill who had managed to avoid the tangle at the Chicane. Andrews then took the lead on the fourth lap when he dived down the inside Charlies pushing Walker to second. The Hydrex Hondas were close behind, with Stuart Easton getting the better of team-mate Karl Harris at the Hairpin. Easton's race was short-lived though as he was forced out with a technical problem on the Hydrex Honda on lap 13.

Andrews then held the lead despite coming under pressure from Walker and Hill, with the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha making his move to take the lead on the run into the Hairpin on the 19th lap.

In the meantime Brookes had worked his way up through the pack from 12th on lap two to close down the leading trio and was then looking to find a way past Hill on the Worx Crescent Suzuki. Hill and Andrews though were attacking Walker, with the pair able to take the inside line into Gerrards on lap 20 to move ahead and relegate him to third.

Andrews then had the lead from Hill, Walker and Brookes, but on lap 23 on the approach to the Hairpin Brookes crashed out, with his stricken HM Plant Honda collecting the race leader.

The top six race leaders were then involved in the incident, which gifted the win to Ellison, his second of the season. Camier who had worked his way up to eighth before the red flag was then second and Graeme Gowland took his maiden BSB podium finish with third place.

Michael Rutter was fourth on his debut with the SMT Honda squad, ahead of Julien Da Costa, Gary Mason and Steve Brogan.

ViSK British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli, Mallory Park, race one result:

James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha)

Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha)

Graeme Gowland (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha)

Race 2

Camier wins red flagged race two

Leon Camier and Airwaves Yamaha won the second race of the day at Mallory Park; after a battle with Chris Walker and Richard Cooper, when the race was red flagged due to standing water and heavy rain.

Walker took the whole shot off the line on the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha, from Tommy Hill and Cooper, with the Team Co-Ordit Yamaha rider able to dive down the inside at Edwinas. The move pushed the Worx Crescent Suzuki rider wide and dropped him down the order to seventh, only for Michael Rutter to then pass him on the SMT Honda.

Hydrex Honda's Stuart Easton nightmare weekend continued when he opted for the wrong tire and was forced to retire just four laps into the race. At the front though, Cooper took the lead in a BSB race for the first time in his career; passing Walker at Charlies with a decisive move down the inside.

Camier though was in range and ready to mount an attack on the riders ahead of him; he was almost touching fairings with Walker as the pair diced through Charlies on lap seven, but it wasn't until a lap later he was able to get past. The Airwaves Yamaha rider forced his way through at Gerrards and this time he held the place.

Camier then was targeting Cooper who was defending hard but Camier was determined to get by, he went for the line into Gerrards and Cooper was unable to challenge back.

Then it was the tussle for third with James Ellison challenging Walker for third, with the pair side-by-side as neither wanting to settle for fourth place. The pair were inseparable, but Ellison was just able to take the advantage before getting the better of Cooper to move second.

Cooper then dropped back behind Walker who put his Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha on the podium for the second time this season, ahead of John Laverty who secured his best result of the weekend on the Buildbase Kawasaki.

ViSK British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli, Mallory Park, race two result:

Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) Lap 15

James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +2.032s

Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +3.738s

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

Sachsenring Race - July 18^th: Kornfeil's perfection, Fagerhaug's misfortune.

Press Release

A flag to flag win for Czech 16 year old Jakub Kornfeil in treacherous conditions at the Sachsenring boosted him to second place in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. Points leader Sturla Fagerhaug crashed chasing him on the wet and slippery track but the 17 year old Norwegian still has a 25 point advantage after recovering to cross the line 12th and pick up 4 points.

In a drama-packed race, pole man Danny Kent crashed out of 2nd place exiting the final corner having just passed 16 year old South African Mathew Scholtz. That gave Scholtz 2nd and 3rd to 15 year old Californian Jake Gagne. Kent remounted and the 15 year old Englishman crossed the line 6th.

Kornfeil's race story was simple. "I got in front at the start and I just felt great, the bike and the tyres were perfect. It rained all day but stopped before the race so we started to get a dry line and I could just go quicker and quicker. I watched my pit board and saw that my gap was just getting bigger and bigger so I didn't worry and for me it was an easy race."

For everyone else the story was completely different and Hayden Gillim was just one of those who had a fantastic 'if only' tale. He was the fastest man on the track mid race, lapping quicker than Kornfeil as he charged through from 15th at the end of lap one. "I was enjoying it, it was hard but great fun. I felt good and I was passing the guys and watching my pit board where Danny (Walker) was telling me where I was and how far ahead or behind. Then it got to where he was showing me in 4th and I could see the group right in front so I knew I could get a good result."

"I got past Danny (Kent) but then just pushed it too hard, got on the gas to much in turn 4, the tight right hander where you start to climb back. It snapped around and threw me off. I got to the bike pretty fast but they had to empty the stones out of the fairing so that cost some time. I got going again and worked my way back to 7th or 8th and was battling with Pardo but then got a bit anxious again, the back came round and there was no saving it. That was the end of the race, I'm OK but for some sore knuckles and I've got a bit of something in my eye.... but that was fun," concluded the 14 year old American who finished 2nd in last year's AMA U.S. Rookies Cup.

Gillim had set such a pace in his charge that he might conceivably have worried Kornfeil. Another 'might have' was Fagerhaug's effort. "Jakub made such a great started and raced away while everyone else was so slow in the opening laps," explained Fagerhaug. "I had to work my way through and by the time I got to second (lap 2) he had a big lead (3.5 seconds). I pushed hard to catch him and I guess I pushed too hard because I was catching him and I had plenty of laps to do it in. I highsided (lap 5) and just got back to the bike as quick as I could. I lost a lot of time and it took me a few laps to get back to riding OK. The right hand side of the bike was quite damaged, the footrest broken and the exhaust bent, lucky there are not too many right handers but it was hard going."

There were others who knew they were a touch lucky as there were 8 fallers, some twice, all without injury. 2nd placed Mathew Scholtz was among those who benefited. "There were a lot of guys crashing and that helped me,' said Scholtz. "I got in front of Danny going onto the last lap but he passed me again right at the end. I couldn't believe it when his bike went sideways at the last corner and there was the flag, I was second."

"It was pretty slippery out there," said 3rd placed Gagne. "I just kept riding it as hard as I could and staying out of trouble. Then I started seeing the guys crashing and without me doing too much I was getting higher up the places, I didn't expect to get on the podium but I'll take it."

World SBK: Rea Quickest

Rea grabs top slot in two-day WSB test at Imola, Neukirchner injured again

World Superbike Press Release

Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) put in a quick lap right at the end of the two-day official Superbike test to take the top slot at a sweltering Imola track in preparation for the round here on September 27. The Northern Ireland youngster set a time of 1 minute 48.670 seconds around the 4.936 km circuit to edge out Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), who had been quickest until then, from the top slot by two-tenths of a second. Texan Ben Spies finished third overall, the Yamaha World Superbike man not improving on his time from yesterday. Points leader and the only other WSB race winner this year Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) did not take part in the test as he is recovering for the next round at Brno.

"It's really motivational coming to a new circuit and finding your feet" declared Rea. "Our approach was a bit different than normal in that we forgot about setting up the bike and getting me up to speed first. Now we've had a lot of time on the bike the package is very strong and finally I'm happy after we went round in circles a bit at Donington. The team has put a massive effort into it, so a big thanks to them for everything. I put my fastest time in on a qualifier, but we've been consistently fast on both days, in the top 5, and I did a long-run and the tire was pretty good so hopefully they can bring that for the race. Where we are right now is good so I'm really happy."

Max Neukirchner, back on his Alstare Suzuki for the first time since the Monza incident, high-sided at the Tamburello ninety minutes into the morning session. He was stretchered to the medical centre but a further X-ray scan at Imola hospital revealed a D12 dorsal vertebra fracture in his lower back as well as three minor cracks in the right L1, L2 and L3 lumbar vertebrae. Neukirchner will return to Germany and must remain at total rest in a plaster cast for 30 days.

Fourth place went to Ducati DFX Corse's Lorenzo Lanzi, who was perfectly at home around his local circuit, while Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike) also made progress in today's morning session to move up to fifth. John Hopkins (Stiggy Racing Honda) ran well this morning to finish sixth, but was then advised to sit out the afternoon session as his recent injuries are still not fully healed. Ruben Xaus (BMW Motorrad) made considerable progress over the two days, moving his S1000 RR up the timesheets to finish seventh overall, but team-mate Troy Corser could only manage seventeenth. Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda), Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) and Shinya Nakano (Aprilia Racing) completed the top 10, the Italian fact

Preview: 2009 TT DVD

The Official DVD Review of the 2009 Isle of Man TT is due to be released on July 27th, but you can enjoy a sneak preview of the action right now

Isle of Man TT Official Press Release

The Official DVD Review is an action-packed and comprehensive look back at the fastest TT ever. Over almost four hours of comprehensive coverage, the Official Review brings you breathtaking action footage as records tumble over the legendary Mountain course.

Watch the trailer here.

Produced for the first time by North One Television, the TT 2009 review offers unrivalled coverage of this unique event.

There’s more on-board cameras with leading riders than ever, letting viewers experience the incredible 37.73-mile circuit from the rider’s point-of-view. Plus, the Hi-Motion camera captures spellbinding ultra-slow motion sequences which demonstrate exactly how much skill and courage it takes to control 240bhp Superbikes at speeds in excess of 190mph.

The Official Review rounds up all the practice week action, including Australian Cameron Donald’s stunning unofficial lap record and his TT-ending practice crash – complete with post-smash interview.

There’s complete coverage of every race over the Mountain course, including an incredible 15th TT win and new outright lap record of 131.578mph AVERAGE lap speed for John McGuinness. There’s also a popular double for Yorkshire’s Ian Hutchinson, an emotional return to the top step of the podium for the Dunlop name and an unexpected, but thoroughly deserved, victory for Steve Plater in the blue riband Senior TT.

The review also records a stunning 14th TT victory for sidecar legend Dave Molyneux during a TT packed with emotional highs and lows for the three-wheel crews.

Incredible camera angles, aerial footage and on-bike action are skillfully combined to bring you the full story, with informed commentary from ex-racers Steve Parrish and James Whitham keeping you fully up to speed. Plus, the Official Review takes you on-board at the Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight TT races – held on the 4.25-mile Billown Circuit – and takes a look at the inaugural TTXGP.

This was the first-ever race for clean emission motorcycles, putting the Isle of Man TT back at the cutting edge of racing technology and making headlines around the world – the Official Review’s special feature explains why TTXGP was such an important and ground-breaking achievement.

As ever, the TT attracted some famous fans and the Official Review features two of the biggest. There’s an interview with legendary ‘Voice of Motorsport’ Murray Walker O.B.E. and the historic lap by MotoGP great Valentino Rossi, the reigning World Champion taking a break from his busy schedule to achieve an ambition held since childhood – lapping the TT course.

You can order the Official DVD Review of the 2009 Isle of Man TT here.

MotoGP: By the Numbers

Numbers and statistics for the latest round of the MotoGP World Championship

MotoGP Press Release

159 – At Sachsenring, Valentino Rossi is scheduled to make his 159th successive premier-class GP start without missing a race. This will take the record for successive premier-class starts from Alex Barros, who started 158 successive races.

61 – With his tenth place finish at Laguna Seca, Marco Melandri has scored 61 points from the first eight races of the year. This is four more than top Kawasaki rider of last year John Hopkins scored throughout the complete 2008 season.

18 – Dani Pedrosa’s win at Laguna Seca ended an 18 race sequence without a win for Honda in MotoGP, since Pedrosa won in Catalonia last year. This is the longest sequence of races in the premier-class without a Honda win since they re-entered Grand Prix racing in 1982.

16 – Valentino Rossi has been on the podium sixteen times in the seventeen races since finishing second in Germany last year. The only occasion he has not finished on the podium during this period was when he crashed at Le Mans and re-started to finish 16th.

15 – Spanish riders have started from pole on fifteen occasions across the three classes in 2009. None of these riders have gone on to win the race after starting from pole.

11 – Race day in Germany will be the 11th anniversary to the day of the very first Grand Prix event to be held at the newly built Sachsenring circuit in 1998.

3 – Sachsenring is one of just three current circuits where Rossi has not started from pole in the premier-class; the others are Laguna Seca and Misano.

3 – There are only three riders in the 250cc class who have scored points at all seven races held so far in 2009; Hiroshi Aoyama, Hector Barbera and Raffaele de Rosa.

MotoGP: Round 9

MotoGP Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland

Tyler Hopper

AllAboutBikes.com Staff-Writer

With Yamaha and Ducati dominating the top three spots in championship points, both manufacturers face stumbling blocks on the road to Deutschland. Jorge Lorenzo, currently in second place, and Casey Stoner, in third, will be competing at less than 100 percent heading to Sachsenring, Germany, for the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.

When Lorenzo arrives for the ninth round, he won’t be concerned with the media; his attention will be with the Clinica Mobile, whose staff helped prepare him for the Laguna Seca race after his qualifying crash. The crash resulted in a collarbone injury, a micro fracture in his right foot and two bruised ankles.

Casey Stoner, who suffered a crash during qualifying at the Laguna Seca race, has recently been diagnosed with slight gastritis and mild anemia. Stoner said, “I still don’t feel like I am 100 percent, but the biggest problem now is that my ribs are very painful after the crash in qualifying in the U.S. It will be probably another hard weekend in Germany, but as always, we will do our best to stay as much as possible close to the lead of the Championship.” Stoner managed to finish fourth at the Red Bull Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, despite his misfortune in qualifying. That kind of performance, at a time when he needed it, is an indication of how much Stoner wants to stay in the battle for the championship.

Two riders looking forward to top performances this weekend are Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi. Coming off of a victory in the US, Pedrosa looks forward to the race in Germany. “I’ve had some good results at this track and I take a lot of confidence into the race weekend at Sachsenring because we’re probably in the best shape we’ve been in for a while,” stated the Pedrosa. “The win in Laguna Seca was really important for me and the team because it proves we’ve been making progress and we now have the pace to win races.”

Rossi is looking to continue his run for the title this weekend. Rossi said, “Sachsenring isn’t one of my favorite tracks but I’ve had some great races there and generally it suits Yamaha well, which is good. We need another good result to keep our lead because our rivals are so strong and we can’t afford to make any mistakes. Last year there was a lot of rain in Germany but in fact we were able to take a great second place. I hope this year we can go one better.”

WSBK: Imola Testing

Fabrizio blitzes Superbike field in day 1 of WSB testing at Imola

World Superbike Press Release

Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) stormed to the top slot in the first day of official Superbike group testing at the Autodromo di Imola Wednesday. After 265 minutes of heat-sapping track action at the revised Santerno circuit, the young Italian slammed in an impressive time of 1 minute 49.164 seconds in the final seconds to edge Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) off the top slot. Fabrizio is running singleton for the Ducati factory squad at Imola as points leader Noriyuki Haga is scheduled to return at Brno following his recent Donington crash.

"On the last lap I put on a new tire to set my time, one of the development tires that Pirelli brought along for this extreme heat," declared Fabrizio. "We worked a lot on the set-up, something we've never managed to do really well during the championship, and we worked on the traction control to try and get the best out of the engine in view of Brno. I really wanted to prove to Ben that I'm right there with him. There are still five rounds left and I think he realizes that by now!"

Right throughout the day the battle had been between Spies and Fabrizio, but they were joined at the end by a group of riders who also set impressive times. Next up was Britain's Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), just five-tenths down on the front man, while Ruben Xaus (BMW Motorrad) showed great progress for the German squad by powering through into an impressive fourth slot with his quickest time of the day in the closing stages. Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), fastest in the morning, maintained his good form in the afternoon, improving his time to end up fifth.

Three Brits took the next three positions, but all were over the 1m50s mark, Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) coming in ahead of Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike) and Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda), while Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati DFX) and Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare BRUX) completed the top ten runners. Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare BRUX) eased himself back into the WSB scene with an encouraging 14th position, but there was little joy today for Aprilia Racing, as Shinya Nakano and Max Biaggi could only take their RSV4 machines to 12th and 17th respectively.

In the Supersport sessions, Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) proved to be too strong for the opposition on the first day, the Coventry man posting a time that was six-tenths quicker than Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) hauled himself up to third place, one tenth behind, Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport) also lapped within a second of the leader to finish fourth, just ahead of Mark Aitchison (Honda Althea) in fifth.

Schwantz School at Indy

Schwantz School Headed For The Brickyard

Press Release

Join 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a special two-day Schwantz School on August 21-22. Students will have the unprecedented opportunity to lap the same track that Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden and the rest of the world's best will tackle one week later during the second running of the Red Bull Indianapolis GP.

Schwantz and his team of instructors will offer a comprehensive, corner-by-corner look at IMS's 16-turn, 2.6-mile road course. Classroom instruction, conducted by Schwantz and his chief instructor, will cover visual awareness and concentration, body position and steering, lines and reference points, gear selection and shifting, and braking. Schwantz will also lead a track walk to further enhance the learning experience.

Michelin Pilot Power-shod Honda CBR600RRs and Suzuki GSX-R600s will be provided, with Arai helmets and Dainese riding gear available for rental. Students will receive an inaugural Schwantz School T-shirt, a photo CD and a video DVD. Special awards for the safest and most-improved students are planned. Drinks and snacks will be offered both days, along with lunch each afternoon. A special Schwantz family BBQ is scheduled for Friday evening.

The Schwantz School at Indy is limited to 34 students, all of whom must be 18 years of age. Price is $2750.00. Online registration opens at 11 a.m. EST on Wednesday, July 15, at schwantzschool.com. For more information, call 866.223.5649 or 205.702.2712.

MotoGP: Suzuki’s Hopeful

Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen hope to bounce back from their Laguna Seca disappointments this weekend

MotoGP Press Release

The Rizla Suzuki team went into the last round in the U.S. in spirits high after the successful incorporation of a new engine in the GSV-R and a series of top five results in the preceding races, but things did not go according to plan for Loris Capirossi or Chris Vermeulen in California.

Capirossi crashed out of the Laguna Seca contest - his second DNF this year - to leave him frustrated and sitting tenth in the World Championship standings. He now gets a chance to put that right at Sachsenring, where he finished seventh last year despite carrying a nasty arm injury.

The Italian rider – who got his best result from eight premier-class starts at the Sachsenring in 2007 when he finished second – gave his thoughts ahead of the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, saying, “The last couple of races have been a bit tough on us, which has been pretty difficult as we have worked so hard to get everything right. The crew have certainly been giving all they can and we just didn’t get the solutions we were looking for.”

He continued, “We have still managed to learn a lot of things about how the Suzuki GSV-R behaves in different situations and on different types of Bridgestone tyres, so all that will be very useful to us in Germany. Sachsenring is not a track that needs a lot of power and speed, but it does require careful balance because you are on the side of the tyre so much. It is a track that I certainly enjoy racing at and believe that we can do well at - we will just have to see what happens this weekend!”

His team-mate Vermeulen did at least finish the race at Laguna, but the Australian’s eighth place finish was well below expectations at a track where he had been on the podium on his previous two visits, with tyre choice apparently letting him down.

Looking ahead to the visit to Sachsenring, where he rode a great race in the rain last year to also mount the rostrum despite starting in 14th on the grid, Vermeulen commented, “I got a third at Sachsenring last year and although that was in the wet I am sure we can try and repeat that this year in whatever weather we have to contend with. The bike is still working well and seems to improve every time we go out on it The crew have got a good base package and if that works from the start at Sachsenring - and we can get the tyres to match the bike - then I see no reason why we can't be competitive from the first day.”