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.

WSBK: Superpole Overcomes Slippery Imola Track

Sat 09/26/2009 @ 9:53 pm, by Jenny Gun

Home » Racing » WSBK: Superpole Overcomes Slippery Imola Track

With track conditions at the Imola causing a near mutiny during the practice sessions, there was a panic in the WSBK paddock as to whether racing would occur at the Bologna circuit this weekend. After track officials cleaned the Imola tarmac, it became too slippery to ride upon. Whether due to the mixture of oil and water on the track, or the absence of the usual layers of rubber forming on the race line, the conditions caused riders to refuse to take to the track over safety concerns.

Commenting about the conditions, Ben Spies stated the course was slipperier than full wet conditions. Max Biaggi was also heard saying that the course was too slippery for racing, and that Sunday’s races could not take place on the course under these circumstances. Despite this, WSBK Superpole action still occurred, read on for more.

Scrambling to correct the error, the folks at Imola cleaned the surface again, declared the problem solved, and sent out WSS riders to begin their practice session. With the matter apparently resolved, this weekend’s stop at Imola, Italy could recommence, and it seems fitting that an Italian rider should take the Superpole at the resurgence of this historic Italian track.

Michel Fabrizio won the Superpole, with a squeaker over American Ben Spies. Fabrizio would seem to be out of the Championship hunt, but Spies still seemed to prefer to have his 10th Superpole victory, making a comment afterwards that he was surprised that Fabrizio didn’t help him out on this one, after taking him out of Race 1 at Brno. Spies is feeling the heat from Noriyuki Haga, who barely trails Spies by 18 points. With Haga lurking only .15 seconds behind Fabrizio, tomorrow’s races are shaping up to be some good ones. This Championship isn’t over yet folks.

Superpole Results from World Superbike at Imola, Italy:

Pos	No.	Rider	Bike	Time	Diff
1	84	M. Fabrizio	Ducati 1098R	1′47.735	-
2	19	B. Spies	Yamaha YZF R1	1′47.778	0.043
3	65	J. Rea	Honda CBR1000RR	1′47.834	0.099
4	41	N. Haga	Ducati 1098R	1′47.885	0.150
5	96	J. Smrz	Ducati 1098R	1′48.156	0.421
6	3	M. Biaggi	Aprilia RSV4 Factory	1′48.665	0.930
7	67	S. Byrne	Ducati 1098R	1′49.092	1.357
8	58	M. Simoncelli	Aprilia RSV4 Factory	1′49.338	1.603
Out after Superpole 2
9	11	T. Corser	BMW S1000 RR	1′48.971	0.892
10	91	L. Haslam	Honda CBR1000RR	1′48.992	0.913
11	57	L. Lanzi	Ducati 1098R	1′49.060	0.981
12	10	F. Nieto	Ducati 1098R	1′49.105	1.026
13	7	C. Checa	Honda CBR1000RR	1′49.168	1.089
14	9	R. Kiyonari	Honda CBR1000RR	1′49.340	1.261
15	14	M. Lagrive	Honda CBR1000RR	1′49.641	1.562
16	66	T. Sykes	Yamaha YZF R1	1′49.681	1.602
Out after Superpole 1
17	71	Y. Kagayama	Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9	1′49.906	1.522
18	23	B. Parkes	Kawasaki ZX 10R	1′50.012	1.628
19	111	R. Xaus	BMW S1000 RR	1′50.152	1.768
20	31	K. Muggeridge	Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9	1′50.414	2.030

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Tagged under: Ben Spies, Bologna, imola, italy, Johnny Rea, Michel Fabrizio, Noriyuki Haga, world superbike, WSBK

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