Asphalt & Rubber

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: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at Phillip Island

Sun 10/18/2009 @ 11:59 am, by Jenny Gun
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Home » Racing » MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at Phillip Island

MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at Phillip Island Casey Stoner Phillip Island Australian GP 560x401

With good race action distracting specators from the looming wet weather at Phillip Island, the Australian GP proved to be another decisive step in the MotoGP Championship. An early “rubbing is racing” moment, could very well have shaped the the way this season will finish, but with racing still to occur at Sepang, Malaysia and Valencia, Spain, no one is declaring victory just yet. Click past the jump for spoilers and a full race report.

It was really a two-man show at Phillip Island this Sunday. The start was taken by Dani Pedrosa, who may have missed his calling as a drag bike racer with his consistent rocket launches from the starting grid. However, gobbling up Pedrosa quickly were Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi. For Stoner, the race meant pride in front of a home crowd, and a final ushering of silence to any of his critics. While for Rossi, the race meant 25 free points.

Watching his teammate Jorge Lorenzo crash in the first lap, Rossi knew that if he could keep his bike upright, and finish well, he would come out of Australia with a strong points advantage. With these two motivations in contention, the result of Casey Stoner on the top podium almost comes without question. That is not to say that Rossi didn’t make Stoner earn that top step honor. Keeping within tenths of a second of the Ducati throughout the whole race, Rossi kept the pressure on at Phillip Island. Riding with his head instead of his heart though, Rossi refrained from any risky passes, knowing that each lap was closer to locking in another MotoGP Championship.

The pace that Rossi and Stoner blazed was too much for the rest of the pack, even Pedrosa finished an astounding 20 seconds behind the pair. Alex de Angelis would be the number four man, 32 seconds behind Stoner’s finish, with the rest of the pack a more respectable distance from this time.

Lorenzo now trails Rossi in the Championship points by 38 points, which means that Rossi only needs 13 more points to win the Championship outright. To put this in finishing terms, Lorenzo will have to win the next two races, and have Rossi only manage 10th and 11th place finishes at Sepang and Valencia. If Rossi should DNF in either of those races, Rossi would have to finish 4th in the other race to clinch a Championship victory, but a 5th place finish would hand the Championship to Lorenzo. This analysis assumes Lorenzo victories in Malaysia and Spain, which Casey Stoner is making harder to do, as shown by today’s results.

Race Results from MotoGP at the Australian GP at Phillip Island, Australia

Pos. No. Rider Manufacturer Time Diff
1 27 Casey STONER DUCATI 40′56.651
2 46 Valentino ROSSI YAMAHA 40′58.586 1.935
3 3 Dani PEDROSA HONDA 41′19.269 22.618
4 15 Alex DE ANGELIS HONDA 41′29.353 32.702
5 5 Colin EDWARDS YAMAHA 41′32.536 35.885
6 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO HONDA 41′35.133 38.482
7 33 Marco MELANDRI KAWASAKI 41′41.112 44.461
8 14 Randy DE PUNIET HONDA 41′41.592 44.941
9 36 Mika KALLIO DUCATI 41′50.996 54.345
10 24 Toni ELIAS HONDA 41′57.856 1′01.205
11 7 Chris VERMEULEN SUZUKI 42′02.068 1′05.417
12 65 Loris CAPIROSSI SUZUKI 42′02.601 1′05.950
13 41 Gabor TALMACSI HONDA 42′14.602 1′17.951
14 52 James TOSELAND YAMAHA 42′14.636 1′17.985
15 69 Nicky HAYDEN DUCATI 41′27.127 1 lap
Not finished first lap
99 Jorge LORENZO YAMAHA

Top 5 Related Posts:

  1. MotoGP: Grip Becomes a Factor for Qualifying Down Under at Phillip Island and the Australian GP
  2. MotoGP: Portuguese GP, Oh What a Difference a Day Makes in Estoril
  3. MotoGP: Qualifying from the Malaysian GP
  4. MotoGP: Qualifying at the Portuguese GP & The Prodigal Son Returns
  5. Casey Stoner Ducati 1198S Phillip Island Replica

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Comment:

  1. Gordon Bengston says:
    10/18/2009 at 1:39 PM

    MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at …: Motorcycle news, Industry Rumors, MotoGP, Worl.. http://bit.ly/fGTr1

  2. NascarFest says:
    10/18/2009 at 2:20 PM

    RT @ClassicCarsBits: MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at Phillip Island http://bit.ly/fGTr1

  3. Jack Brown says:
    10/18/2009 at 3:03 PM

    MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at … http://bit.ly/2hbB0r

  4. Ernest R. Schultz says:
    10/18/2009 at 3:08 PM

    MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at … http://bit.ly/20khHn

  5. Kerry Powell says:
    10/18/2009 at 3:37 PM

    MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at … http://bit.ly/1JYQLw

  6. Leone says:
    10/18/2009 at 9:00 PM

    MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at …: Riding with his head instead of his heart thou.. http://bit.ly/4scais

  7. Miguel says:
    10/22/2009 at 7:30 AM

    Valentino has a clear path to be world champion, after lorenzo’s crash. I would have liked the excitement continue until the last race.

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