Video: Josh Brookes Shows Us the Fastest Line over “The Mountain” at Cadwell Park

The Mountain at Cadwell Park, as it is known, is like the British version of the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca: another one of those special points on a race track, that would not exist on the computer-generated courses we see today. Famous for lofting bikes into the air, The Mountain makes for spectacular photographs, and should be on every rider’s track day bucket list. Finding the fastest racing line over The Mountain can be difficult though, as riders have to contend with keeping the front of their motorcycles down, but such is not the case for HM Plant Honda’s Josh Brookes…

Lost Knee Puck Hinders Hayden at Indy

Track conditions were the talk of the paddock this weekend at the Indianapolis GP, as riders battled the changing tarmac surfaces, and undulating bumps of the Indy infield. Perhaps most vocal of his displeasure with the course was Ducati rider Casey Stoner, who called the Indianapolis Motor Speedway not a world class track, and specifically complained about plastic drains that would catch riders as the ventured in towards the edge of the track (Rossi also complained of these drains). Teammate Nicky Hayden was less critical before Sunday’s race though, saying that Stoner’s comments could be applied to many of the courses on the MotoGP calendar. However after losing a knee puck to one of the drainage grates that Stoner criticized earlier, Hayden may be re-thinking his tune.

Rossi Waiting to Hear if Burgess Will Retire

Talking after the Indianapolis GP, Valentino Rossi explained that he is waiting to hear from Jeremy Burgess as to whether the Australian Crew Chief will retire next season. Assured of the fact that Burgess would not stay behind at Yamaha, and would not work with another rider, Rossi stated the buzz around whether Burgess would move with the Italian to Ducati, hinges as to when Burgess plans on retiring from motorcycle racing.

Nicky Hayden Renews Contract with Ducati

Under the lights of the Indy Mile, where motorcycle racing began for the Kentucky-born MotoGP racer, Nicky Hayden has signed a two-year contract with Ducati Corse for the 2011 & 2012 seasons. Not the biggest surprise in the paddock, Hayden’s contract renewal has never really been questioned this season as the American started the season off with series of strong finishes and continues to be a strong brand ambassador for Ducati in the United States. Hayden will be joined the next two years by former teammate Valentino Rossi, the pair rode for Repsol Honda in 2003, with Hayden finishing the season 5th in his rookie GP season.

World Superbike Responds to Ducati Exodus

Infront Motor Sports, rights holder to the World Superbike Championship series, has responded to the news that Ducati Corse will be leaving the series in 2011. Responding with an official press release, IMS’s message essentially boils down to poking holes in Ducati’s statement about technical regulations. Stating that the 2009 season was dominated by the Ducati 1198 Superbike, sans one Ben Spies, the Italian firm has clearly been able to be competitive with the current formula. IMS goes on to basically say that WSBK is about more than one manufacturer, and can’t cater to Ducati’s whims even if they do have a lengthy history together.

Ben Spies to Factory Yamaha Team

As expected, Ben Spies and Yamaha have announced that the current World Superbike Champion and MotoGP rookie will move up to the factory Yamaha team (noticeably not called Fiat-Yamaha in the press release) for the 2011 season. Spies’ move to the factory squad has lovingly been referred to as the “second worst-kept secret in MotoGP,” right after Rossi’s departure from the Fiat-Yamaha team to Ducati Corse.

Colin Edwards – “I’m going fishing. Screw this sh*t.”

No one makes the MotoGP media center come alive with emotion more so than Colin Edwards. A veteran of the sport, and born with no filter between his brain and mouth, the Texan Tornado captured the spotlight during the pre-race press conference at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. A stark contrast to the polished veneers of other riders, Edwards isn’t afraid to tell things the way he sees it, even if it involves some colorful language. To get an idea of what we mean, check out a portion of the press conference transcript after the jump.

Ducati Trademarks “Diavel” Name in the UK

Ducati has recieved a trademark with the UK Intellectual Property Office for the Bolognese word for devil, or “Diavel”, which according to MCN is to be the name of the company’s new performance cruiser (shown here in a render done by Bar-Design exclusively for Asphalt & Rubber). Interestingly enough, Ducati has not trademarked the Diavel name with the United States Patent & Trademarks Office (USPTO). However with the British government, Ducati has reserved the Diavel mark for virtually every use possible, including lifestyle items like shirts, perfume, watches, and our personal favorite: skin cleansing lotions and creams.

Casey Stoner Ducati 1198S Phillip Island Replica

Missing three races because of a mystery illness, Casey Stoner put any critics he had from his sudden departure in 2009 to bed with his masterful race at Phillip Island. Racing in front of his home crowd, Stoner slid around the Australian course to a decisive victory, in what we called one of the top races of 2009. Making the moment even more special for Australian fans, and Ducatisti alike, was the special race livery that Stoner ran for his home race. Hoping to commemorate that race and Stoner’s contributions to the Marlboro Ducati team (Stoner is leaving Ducati for HRC next year), a French Ducati dealership in Moulins-lès-Metz has decided to sell a limited number of Casey Stoner Ducati 1198S Phillip Island replicas.

Norton Returning to MotoGP Racing

German magazine Speedweek is reporting that Norton will be back in GP racing for the 2012 season with a two-man team. Speedweek’s highly respected Austrian journalist Gunther Wiesinger has received word that Norton has requested two spots on the 2012 MotoGP grid, and has signed a request to join the series when it returns to the 1000cc format. It’s unclear at this time if Norton will be entering as a claiming rule team (CRT), or be listed as a factory prototype, which could have a dramatic affect on the team’s success in the series.

MotoGP: Fiat-Yamaha Qualify 1-2 at Laguna Seca Despite High-Sides from Lorenzo and Stoner

Sat 07/04/2009 @ 6:53 pm, by Jenny Gun

Home » News » MotoGP: Fiat-Yamaha Qualify 1-2 at Laguna Seca Despite High-Sides from Lorenzo and Stoner

Working at the Yamaha North American office must have paid off for Fiat-Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, as they take the first two spots on the grid for tomorrow’s start of the US GP.

“George” will start from the pole position, at Seca while he looks to gain the 5 points that Rossi holds over him in the MotoGP Championship standings. With Rossi in the second spot on the grid, they will be joined by the lone Ducati of Casey Stoner.

The trio have been leading the week at Laguna Seca, and were the only riders to break into the 1′21″ marks during today’s qualifying session. Lorenzo and Stoner may have been treading too closely to the edge though, as both riders suffered high-sides while going through the Wayne Rainey corner. Both riders were taken off in stretchers from the track, but Stoner was seen walking to the medical unit. More on this as we get it.

With everyone trying to squeeze the most out of their race bikes this weekedn, the Repsol Honda team has seen some good results, as Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso take the 4th and 5th spots respectively. Pedrosa is still recovering from his off at Mugello, but seemed un-phased while on the bike today. Pedrosa is a remote, but possible contender for a podium finish tomorrow, if Repsol can find a way to get the Honda to match the times of Yamaha and Ducati.

However, it seems doubtful though that we’ll see an American on the podium this weekend. Colin Edwards qualified 7th on the grid, and Nicky Hayden will start right next to Edwards in the 8th spot. Both riders have had a hard time adjusting their bikes to the Californian track, but have still said they hope to perform well in front of the home crowd.

Qualifying Results from MotoGP at the US GP at Laguna Seca:

Pos	No.	Rider	Bike	Time	Diff	Diff. Prev.
1	99	Jorge LORENZO	YAMAHA	1′21.678	-	-
2	46	Valentino ROSSI	YAMAHA	1′21.845	0.167	0.167
3	27	Casey STONER	DUCATI	1′21.910	0.232	0.065
4	3	Dani PEDROSA	HONDA	1′22.113	0.435	0.203
5	4	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	HONDA	1′22.135	0.457	0.022
6	24	Toni ELIAS	HONDA	1′22.146	0.468	0.011
7	5	Colin EDWARDS	YAMAHA	1′22.490	0.812	0.344
8	69	Nicky HAYDEN	DUCATI	1′22.540	0.862	0.050
9	7	Chris VERMEULEN	SUZUKI	1′22.633	0.955	0.093
10	65	Loris CAPIROSSI	SUZUKI	1′22.662	0.984	0.029
11	33	Marco MELANDRI	KAWASAKI	1′22.842	1.164	0.180
12	15	Alex DEANGELIS	HONDA	1′23.004	1.326	0.162
13	59	Sete GIBERNAU	DUCATI	1′23.106	1.428	0.102
14	14	Randy DEPUNIET	HONDA	1′23.147	1.469	0.041
15	52	James TOSELAND	YAMAHA	1′23.390	1.712	0.243
16	88	Niccolo CANEPA	DUCATI	1′23.912	2.234	0.522
17	41	Gabor TALMACSI	HONDA	1′24.528	2.850	0.616

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Tagged under: America, Casey Stoner, crash, Ducati, Fiat Yamaha, high-side, Jorge Lorenzo, Laguna Seca, MotoGP, US GP, Valentino Rossi

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