2011 KTM 125 Duke Officially Named

After holding an online contest to name its 125cc four-stroke based learner street bike, KTM has shockingly come to the conclusion that it should stick to its Duke nomenclature. Schedule to be the 2011 KTM 125 Duke, KTM debuted the concepts at the 2009 EICMA show in Milan. KTM’s plan is to engage young riders with the “Ready to Race” mantra, making them lifetime Team Orange riders with this stepping-stone model

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.

WSBK: Race 2 at Portimao is All Over, But the Crying

Mon 10/26/2009 @ 1:56 am, by Jenny Gun

Home » Racing » WSBK: Race 2 at Portimao is All Over, But the Crying

With Race 1 changing two riders’ fate, the last race of the last round of the 2009 World Superbike Championship would be the only redemption left, until next year. Just as catastrophe changed the Championship in Race 1, disaster here in Race 2 could just as easily swing the pedulum. With this pressure still looming, Spies and Haga both had to be ready for a fight to the finish. Spoilers after the jump.

Despite his crash in Race 1, Haga found himself with the upper-hand in Race 2. Needing to best Spies by a margin of 15 points, Haga needed to win Race 2, and watch Spies finish 7th or lower in the pack. Surely knowing that this would be a lot to ask from the young American, who has been basically flawless all season; Haga would need to see a chink in Spies’ armor if he were to finally catch his unicorn that is the World Superbike Championship.

Fastest off the line was Shane Byrne, who has been fairly docile all season. Trailing was Ben Spies, although the American would quickly lose his position to Fabrizio, Haga, and Rea. Choosing to stay out of the fray with those riders, Spies held back in 5th place where he could comfortably win the World Superbike Championship title.

It wouldn’t be easy sailing for Spies though. Joining him was Max Biaggi, who is normally a level-headed rider, but for whatever reason, his hard racing and questionable passes on failing tires gave worry to Spies. Later recalling that Biaggi “really freaked me out”, Spies found himself battling the Italian for 5th place, which was the last thing the American wanted to do.

Somehow avoiding disaster, Spies would finish 5th for Race 2, clinching the World Superbike Championship in his rookie year. With this finish, it was of no consequence that Haga finished 2nd, behind teammate Michel Fabrizio.

After watching Rea lead for most of the race, Fabrizio finally got past the Ten Kate Honda man. Rea’s tires just didn’t seem able to go the distance, and as a result Haga was able to follow Fabrizio by, moving into the 2nd place position.

With the end of Race 2, we see the end of the 2009 World Superbike season, which is a bittersweet moment for us here at Asphalt & Rubber. We can think of reason why both riders, Haga and Spies, should have won this year’s Championship.

For Haga, he will have to try again next year where he’ll be once again campaigning with the Xerox Ducati squad. While for Spies, his journey will begin sooner rather than later, as he makes his a wildcard entry at the MotoGP’s last stop of the season in Valencia, Spain. At Valencia, we’ll get to see our first glimpse into how Team Texas will fair next year, which is an exciting prospect for American interest in MotoGP racing.

Results from Race 2 of World Superbike at Portimao, Portugal:

Pos.	Num.	Rider	Country	Bike	Diff
1	84	M. Fabrizio	ITA	Ducati 1098R	-
2	41	N. Haga	JPN	Ducati 1098R	1.195
3	65	J. Rea	GBR	Honda CBR1000RR	1.494
4	67	S. Byrne	GBR	Ducati 1098R	5.553
5	19	B. Spies	USA	Yamaha YZF R1	5.842
6	3	M. Biaggi	ITA	Aprilia RSV4 Factory	7.374
7	22	L. Camier	GBR	Aprilia RSV4 Factory	9.658
8	96	J. Smrz	CZE	Ducati 1098R	10.434
9	11	T. Corser	AUS	BMW S1000 RR	17.010
10	50	S. Guintoli	FRA	Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9	24.509
11	71	Y. Kagayama	JPN	Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9	27.195
12	23	B. Parkes	AUS	Kawasaki ZX 10R	34.825
13	14	M. Lagrive	FRA	Honda CBR1000RR	35.135
14	99	L. Scassa	ITA	Kawasaki ZX 10R	1′01.842
15	94	D. Checa	ESP	Yamaha YZF R1	1′09.782
16	100	M. Tamada	JPN	Kawasaki ZX 10R	1′30.818
17	25	D. Salom	ESP	Kawasaki ZX 10R	4 Laps
RET	15	M. Baiocco	ITA	Ducati 1098R	7 Laps
RET	91	L. Haslam	GBR	Honda CBR1000RR	14 Laps
RET	7	C. Checa	ESP	Honda CBR1000RR	15 Laps
RET	111	R. Xaus	ESP	BMW S1000 RR	15 Laps
RET	10	F. Nieto	ESP	Ducati 1098R	15 Laps
RET	77	V. Iannuzzo	ITA	Honda CBR1000RR	19 Laps

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Tagged under: Ben Spies, Johnny Rea, Michel Fabrizio, Noriyuki Haga, race, Race 2, world superbike, World Superbike Championship, WSBK

Comment:

Jack Brown says:

10/26/2009 at 12:17 AM

WSBK: Race 2 at Portimao is All Over, But the Crying http://bit.ly/4ZT38
Lenny George says:

10/26/2009 at 12:18 AM

WSBK: Race 2 at Portimao is All Over, But the Crying http://bit.ly/2piYjt
JerSooz Enterprises says:

10/26/2009 at 6:06 AM

WSBK: Race 2 at Portimao is All Over, But the Crying http://bit.ly/3tfi5h

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