Friday, December 31, 2010
Cosworth considering KERS supply in 2013 | Interview
Lotus legacy is unclaimed - Lopez
MotoMatters.com HQ Moving - On Hiatus Until Early January
MotoMatters.com headquarters is a whirlwind of boxes, paint, wallpaper, hoovering and packing tape (duct tape, naturally). Because of the move, there is little or no time to keep our loyal readers up to date with the world of world championship motorcycle racing.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The bikes of 2010: BMW S1000RR
In its second year of existence, the factory BMW S100RR reached the podium twice and took a Superpole win, as promises were finally delivered on in full competitive trim.
What looked like potentially the most effective conventional four-cylinder machine in the pack went through a series of evolutions between 2009 and 2010, the machined and glued-together modular rear swingarm proving to be a point of focus in terms of rolling metal. An extensive test programme ensured that the many small advances in set-up and electronics got regular evaluations.
The incredibly narrow machine, all angles and stylistically pointed bodywork, came as a result of its skinny engine - despite having the widest bore and shortest stroke in its class, 80 x 49.7mm. Clever and compact, it featured a compression ratio of 14:1, not excessively high. BMW claims 210bhp, but it was probably a little more than that at the end of the year.
?Finger' cam followers allowed the engine to rev higher than most others, and there was a cam design change for Brno. Intake trumpet lengths were altered at Misano, where a new rear suspension unit, and a new link, also arrived.
48mm wide Dell'Orto throttle bodies supplied the mixture to the engine. The unique E-gas ride-by-wire technology provided the interface between rider input and throttle valves. A homemade RSM5 BMW Motorrad Motorsport EFI system was used and in 2010 a whole new traction control philosophy came in, from the third round of the season onwards.
BMW used the proven �hlins TTX suspension as well as the new 2010 advances, which meant either TTX20 or TRVP25 front forks, and at the back RSP40 or TTX36 rear shocks. The bike used by Corser was two kg heavier than that used by Xaus, mainly due to Corser's desire to change weight distribution. He also used Nissin brakes, while Xaus used Brembo units.
Hamlin has successful knee surgery
Geoff Aaron Tops Denver EnduroCross
Monday Race Report
Polish extreme off-road specialist Taddy Blazusiak has dominated this year's GEICO AMA EnduroCross series, setting himself up to win a second straight EnduroCross title by sweeping the first four rounds of the series. At round five in Denver's National Western Complex, the factory KTM rider came into the race with a chance to wrap up the title early, needing only to finish on the podium to do so. However, a damaged front brake caliper on the second lap of the main event slowed Taddy's pace just enough to give Geoff Aaron the space he needed to delight the highly partisan crowed with his first win of the year.
Photo Gallery: Geoff Aaron Tops Denver EnduroCross - Dirt Rider Magazine
Official 2010/2011 SBK World Superbike Yearbook & 2011 Fast Dates Calendar
A must have for any Superbike enthusiast.
The official 2010 FIM Superbike World Championship Yearbook, from one of the most important motoring sector publishers, Giorgio Nada Editore, is now available from FastDates.com.
Photo Gallery: Official 2010/2011 SBK World Superbike Yearbook & 2011 Fast Dates Calendar - Sport Rider Magazine
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
F1 New Year?s resolutions ~ revealed!
Josh Strang Topples the Titan
Monday Race Report: Dirt Rider checks in on the Titan GNCC in Tennessee.
Josh Strang has struggled somewhat in the last few rounds of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series, however, the FMF/Makita Suzuki rider returned to the form that carried him to four-straight victories at the start of the season, as the Aussie rider topped series rival Charlie Mullins to win the Titan GNCC in Lafayette, Tennessee.
Photo Gallery: Josh Strang Topples the Titan - Dirt Rider Magazine
Josh Strang Topples the Titan
Monday Race Report: Dirt Rider checks in on the Titan GNCC in Tennessee.
Josh Strang has struggled somewhat in the last few rounds of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series, however, the FMF/Makita Suzuki rider returned to the form that carried him to four-straight victories at the start of the season, as the Aussie rider topped series rival Charlie Mullins to win the Titan GNCC in Lafayette, Tennessee.
Photo Gallery: Josh Strang Topples the Titan - Dirt Rider Magazine
Bill Simpson?s Impact Racing products losing certification
The announcement comes while SFI and HANS [...]
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
BMW Motorrad by Speedbrain
Well prepared to enter the Dakar adventure
The Dakar 2011 is approaching fast for Team "BMW Motorrad by speedbrain". As bikes and equipment are on their way by sea to South America , the 14-men squad under the guidance of team principal Wolfgang Fischer feels well prepared for their debut appearance in the rally legend.
The race gets underway on 1 January 2011 in Buenos Aires. Four riders will compete aboard speedbrain BMW G 450 RR motorcyles, having secured backing from BMW Motorrad and Monster Energy.
Rally routinier Frans Verhoeven, who has been developing the bike all throughout 2010, provided major input when it came to building a competitive race weapon based on the BMW 450 X. Being a multiple stage winner, the Dutchman has a lot of experience regarding the Dakar. He?s certainly a top rider to reckon with.
David Fretigne unfortunately is a questionmark. The Frenchman injured himself during the Rally Oil Libya Maroc and, although making good progress, will have to see whether doctors give green lights to compete. This may only happen shortly before the start. Meanwhile Jose Helio Goncalves Rodrigues Filho, also know under the name "Ze Helio", sits in standby mode. The Brazilian already rode for speedbrain in the Rally dos Sertoes. The multi-time rally champ has a lot of knowledge from racing all over South America, he could make an excellent replacement.
Paulo Goncalves and Pedro Bianchi Prata from Portugal complete Team "BMW Motorrad by speedbrain". While Bianchi Prata performs sometimes a back up supporting role for his team pilots, Goncalves is an eventual front-runner. The former Motocross ace has shown several times before that he can go pretty quick on a rally bike. Goncalves finished the Portimao-Marrakesch 2010 on the podium.
The nearly 6,000 mile long Dakar 2011 does its best to create the thrill and challenges which the previous editions have presented since the beginning in 1979. The Argentina/Chile route consists of everything from sand dunes to mountainous conditions: over the plains of Patagonia, across the Atacama Desert and through the Andes Mountains (all in the heat of summer south of the equator).
Team "BMW Motorrad by Speedbrain" is working closely with Team Monster Energy X-Raid, which is entering the Dakar 2011 with BMW X3 and Mini All4 race cars. Both teams are using synergy effects in the logistics.
Brad Keselowski Gets Nationwide Crew Chief Paul Wolfe for Cup Team
Filed under: Crew Chiefs, Sprint Cup, NASCAR
No driver competing in NASCAR's two top series showed greater disparity in results in 2010 than Brad Keselowski, who won the Nationwide series championship with six victories while eking out a couple of top-10 finishes in a forgettable Sprint Cup campaign.Both cars came from Penske Racing, and when Roger Penske is involved, nonperformance won't stand.
Thus, the organization announced Tuesday that Paul Wolfe, Keselowski's championship-winning crew chief in Nationwide, has been promoted to become his Sprint Cup crew chief, replacing Jay Guy.
In addition to the six victories and the championship, Keselowski and Wolfe scored 29 top-10 finishes in 35 races. Twenty six of those were top fives -- a series single-season record. He also won five poles, led 1,147 laps and had an average finish of 5.2.
By contrast, in his Sprint Cup car, Keselowski had no victories, one pole position, no top fives and just two top 10s -- 10th-place finishes at Martinsville and Talladega late in the season. He led 41 laps and had an average finish of 22.4.
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Geoff Aaron Tops Denver EnduroCross
Monday Race Report
Polish extreme off-road specialist Taddy Blazusiak has dominated this year's GEICO AMA EnduroCross series, setting himself up to win a second straight EnduroCross title by sweeping the first four rounds of the series. At round five in Denver's National Western Complex, the factory KTM rider came into the race with a chance to wrap up the title early, needing only to finish on the podium to do so. However, a damaged front brake caliper on the second lap of the main event slowed Taddy's pace just enough to give Geoff Aaron the space he needed to delight the highly partisan crowed with his first win of the year.
Photo Gallery: Geoff Aaron Tops Denver EnduroCross - Dirt Rider Magazine
Jimmie Johnson's NASCAR Dynasty May Make Him Greatest Champion
Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR
HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Jimmie Johnson joined his team on the crowded stage, hurriedly set up on the Homestead-Miami Speedway front stretch and, with confetti flying in the air, raised NASCAR's crown jewel, the Sprint Cup Series championship trophy, for an unprecedented fifth consecutive time.
Only seven-time champions Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt have more hardware. And as the humble, low-key Californian hugged his wife, kissed his infant daughter, embraced his dad and gazed out into the crowd, Johnson was struck by something that helped him realize he had finally made it.
"There was a fan standing right up front with an 'I Hate the 48' T-shirt and he gave me the thumbs-up and said, 'Congratulations,' '' the driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet recalled with a laugh. "I have people tell me they hate me, but they respect me and that's always cool. If this takes it to the next level, then right on.''
So it is for the most dominant race car driver in NASCAR history. The more he wins, the more trophies he collects, the more people clamor for someone else to step up.
How about, instead, we honor this great accomplishment and appreciate the good fortune to be witnessing sports history.
Monday, December 27, 2010
2011 Triumph Daytona 675R
Full Ohlins suspension, Brembo mono bloc brakes, factory quickshifter and carbon fiber bodywork
- New model for 2011
- Factory-fitted Öhlins suspension as standard
- Unique Daytona 675R graphics and paint
- Factory-fit quickshifter and Brembo brakes
- 124bhp, 53ft.lbs.torque three-cylinder engine from award-winning Daytona 675
- Two year unlimited mileage warranty
Carmichael Amateur Daytona Supercross Returns
MX Sports Presents the Second-Annual Ricky Carmichael Daytona? Amateur Supercross Championship on March 6 and 7
Morgantown, W.Va. (December 21, 2010) - MX Sports, producers of the AMA Amateur Motocross Championships, is pleased to announce that the second-annual Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross Championship will take place on Sunday, March 6, at the Daytona International Speedway, following the Daytona Pro Supercross event. On Monday, March 7, Carmichael will host Ricky Carmichael University, with riding instruction from the 15-Time AMA National Champion and friends.
"We were thrilled to hold an amateur race on the storied grounds of Daytona last year, and we're going to make this year's event even better," says Tim Cotter, director of MX Sports. "We learned a lot at the first annual event, and we're excited to put those lessons to work and help this event grow. With big thanks to Ricky, his family and friends, we believe this event is about to become a mainstay on the amateur circuit."
"I'm really excited to be back for year two," says Carmichael. "As far as racing goes, Daytona is home to me, and it's a great feeling to give back to the sport that made me who I am today. The racing should be fun to watch, and I'm really looking forward to applying what I know to help these riders in Monday's school. This is a supercross country, and you have to be able to ride it to succeed."
Sign up for the events begins on December 28. Riders can access the pre-entry link at www.mxsports.com
Sunday's race allows the top amateur riders in the world to race on the coveted Daytona Supercross track. After filling every gate position last year, this year's event expands to run under the lights into Sunday evening, allowing more classes, more laps and more riders.
MX Sports organizes the event by utilizing their nearly 30 years of experience operating the AMA Amateur Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn Ranch. The class structure includes classes for youth riders on 50cc bikes all the way up to vet and senior classes. The race will follow a supercross format, using heat races and last chance qualifiers to seed the field of riders into a main event in each class. Unlike the Loretta Lynn Ranch format, riders do not need to qualify at other races in order to participate in the Daytona event. Full online signup information is posted on MXSports.com
Monday's Ricky Carmichael University marks the only U.S. riding school opportunity with the 15-time AMA National Champion. RC and his team will share exclusive riding secrets during a one-day-only Supercross camp on the Daytona track, with breakfast, lunch, instruction and plenty of riding included.
Amateur riders and their families are encouraged to come down early and camp on the Daytona infield, where hookups are available. Move in, sign up and camping begins on Saturday, March 5, so amateur families can watch the pros compete on Saturday night in the Daytona Supercross. Amateur racing takes place on Sunday, March 6, with Ricky Carmichael University commencing on Monday, March 7.
About MX Sports
MX Sports, Inc. is a Morgantown, West Virginia-based motocross production company. The group coordinates the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships, which includes a national qualifying program consisting of 52 Area Qualifying races held annually from February through May and 12 Regional Championship races conducted in June at select motocross facilities across the country, leading to the national championship finals during the first week of August at the home of country music star Loretta Lynn in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. In 2010, MX Sports helped create the inaugural Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross and Ricky Carmichael University. For more information, please visit www.mxsports.com
BMW Motorrad by Speedbrain
Well prepared to enter the Dakar adventure
The Dakar 2011 is approaching fast for Team "BMW Motorrad by speedbrain". As bikes and equipment are on their way by sea to South America , the 14-men squad under the guidance of team principal Wolfgang Fischer feels well prepared for their debut appearance in the rally legend.
The race gets underway on 1 January 2011 in Buenos Aires. Four riders will compete aboard speedbrain BMW G 450 RR motorcyles, having secured backing from BMW Motorrad and Monster Energy.
Rally routinier Frans Verhoeven, who has been developing the bike all throughout 2010, provided major input when it came to building a competitive race weapon based on the BMW 450 X. Being a multiple stage winner, the Dutchman has a lot of experience regarding the Dakar. He?s certainly a top rider to reckon with.
David Fretigne unfortunately is a questionmark. The Frenchman injured himself during the Rally Oil Libya Maroc and, although making good progress, will have to see whether doctors give green lights to compete. This may only happen shortly before the start. Meanwhile Jose Helio Goncalves Rodrigues Filho, also know under the name "Ze Helio", sits in standby mode. The Brazilian already rode for speedbrain in the Rally dos Sertoes. The multi-time rally champ has a lot of knowledge from racing all over South America, he could make an excellent replacement.
Paulo Goncalves and Pedro Bianchi Prata from Portugal complete Team "BMW Motorrad by speedbrain". While Bianchi Prata performs sometimes a back up supporting role for his team pilots, Goncalves is an eventual front-runner. The former Motocross ace has shown several times before that he can go pretty quick on a rally bike. Goncalves finished the Portimao-Marrakesch 2010 on the podium.
The nearly 6,000 mile long Dakar 2011 does its best to create the thrill and challenges which the previous editions have presented since the beginning in 1979. The Argentina/Chile route consists of everything from sand dunes to mountainous conditions: over the plains of Patagonia, across the Atacama Desert and through the Andes Mountains (all in the heat of summer south of the equator).
Team "BMW Motorrad by Speedbrain" is working closely with Team Monster Energy X-Raid, which is entering the Dakar 2011 with BMW X3 and Mini All4 race cars. Both teams are using synergy effects in the logistics.
Harvick wins Truck race in Martinsville
“That’s pretty cool. Don’t know that I’ve ever won four [...]
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Roof of Africa
Monday Race Report: Chris Birch clinches hattrick at the Roof of Africa
Kiwi Chris Birch (KTM) recently secured his third consecutive and well-deserved victory at the legendary Roof of Africa Extreme Enduro Rallye in Lesotho, South Africa, ahead of Jade Gutzeit (RSA, Yamaha) and Andreas "Letti" Lettenbichler (GER, Husqvarna).
Photo Gallery: Roof of Africa - Monday Race Report - Dirt Rider Magazine
Aric Almirola Riley-D\\\\\\\'Hondt Motorsports KEVIN WINDHAM
A Suzuki's Day In The Last GP Of The Season
The MXGP Race Report
The 2010 FIM Motocross World Championship arrived to its end in Fermo with Clement Desalle and Ken Roczen being the overall winners. Antonio Cairoli and Marvin Musquin had an unfortunate weekend suffering both two small injuries which prevented them from finishing the season on top of the rostrum.
Photo Gallery: A Suzuki's Day In The Last GP Of The Season - Dirt Rider Magazine
Group Lotus to become Renault title sponsors
Following the return of the Lotus name to Formula One in 2010, under licence from Group Lotus to Lotus Racing, the announcement marks the complete return of the British sportscar manufacturer to the sport...
Saturday, December 25, 2010
KBC and D2M Partner for Dealer Direct Sales
KBC America Inc. is pleased to announce today that they will be partnering with D2M to sell and supply their products directly to dealers.
KBC America Inc. is pleased to announce today that they will be partnering with D2M to sell and supply their products directly to dealers.
MotoMatters.com HQ Moving - Site Operating At Half Strength
If MotoMatters.com has seemed to be relatively dormant over the past few days, there's a very good reason. MotoMatters.com HQ is being relocated, from the Netherlands' oldest university town to a small town in the east of the country, close to the city at the heart of Operation Market Garden. As a consequence, MotoMatters.com staff - or more specifically, your humble correspondent - is spending an inordinate amount of time on matters such as removing old wallpaper, packing up a couple of years' worth of MotoGP memorabilia, and sorting through those piles of papers that have been sitting there doing nothing for the past thirteen years we have been in the house.
Future F1 cars could have windscreens | F1 Fanatic round-up
Ducati video with Nicky Hayden – Special Corse Christmas project
Ducati releases a video with Nicky Hayden showing the Ducati Corse MotoGP crew working on a special Christmas racing project
In this video released by Ducati Corse (the racing arm of Ducati), Nicky Hayden is shown inside the forbidden walls of the firm’s racing development/design section, in addition to the newly completed Ducati museum and the factory itself. Hayden is then shown with a top-secret project being developed by the Ducati Corse crew. It’s also interesting to note that they refer to him as the “star”…when they’ve just hired Rossi.
Photo Gallery: Ducati video with Nicky Hayden ? Special Corse Christmas project - Sport Rider Magazine
Friday, December 24, 2010
2011 Sportbike Roundup
Details and images of all the new sportbikes as they become available
- RSV4 Factory APRC SE
- Tuono V4 R
- Dorsoduro 1200
- RS4 125
Your View: What other historic F1 icons should not be brought back?
More Tests Lost To The Weather: WSBK At A Wet Portimao, Moto2 At A Freezing Barcelona
Reports of testing are starting to sound increasingly like a broken record, with weather being a constant factor preventing the teams from testing properly. The second day of testing for a small group of World Superbike riders at Portimao turned into another washout, with heavy rain and cold temperatures wracking the Portuguese coast.
Despite that, the teams present went out and tested anyway, focusing instead on setup and working on known issues. At the end of the day, it was Ruben Xaus who got his name atop the timesheets on his very first outing on the Ten Kate Honda, finishing three tenths of a second ahead of BMW new boy Leon Haslam, and over a second ahead of his Ten Kate teammate Johnny Rea. Alstare Suzuki's Michel Fabrizio matched the pace of Rea, who was a couple of tenths quicker than BMW's Troy Corser. Two former factory riders on new machines - James Toseland on a BMW and Noriyuki Haga on an Aprilia - propped up the bottom of the timesheets, though the conditions leave the times being set devoid of meaning.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Opens Up About Team Shake-Up and His Popularity
Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR
LAS VEGAS -- The only suspense in Thursday's announcement of NASCAR's 2010 Most Popular Driver Award rested with the winner. For the eighth consecutive year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. claimed the honor -- tops among the 1.5 million fan votes -- once again proving his popularity is soaring even if his on-track efforts have fallen flat."Oh yeah, I was surprised,'' Earnhardt claimed moments after accepting the award during NASCAR Champion's Week. "You just never know. There's the performance factor we've suffered from on the race track, there's the new guys coming into the sport all the time. You never take it for granted.''
The same could be said for winning.
Earnhardt hasn't won a race in nearly three seasons and hasn't even been consistently competitive in the No. 88 National Guard-Amp Energy Chevrolet, while his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson will be crowned champion for the fifth consecutive year in Friday night's lavish NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Banquet at the Wynn Las Vegas.
The juxtaposition isn't lost on the third-generation driver, son of the late seven-time champion, Dale Earnhardt. The 2004 Daytona 500 champ and 18-race winner is hoping a three-way crew chief swap at Hendrick will infuse new life into his career. And it can't happen soon enough.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
False alarm for Melandri shoulder pain
One of the most highly-awaited riders for next year's Superbike World Championship, Marco Melandri, gave his team and fans a few worrying moments�last week when he had to have a check-up on what he thought was a serious pain in his shoulder.
The 28 year-old, who is scheduled to make his WSBK debut next year for Yamaha after nearly a decade in GP racing, said on his Twitter profile: "I had a big pain with no reason, that's wierd".
Luckily a scan did not reveal anything�and the Italian rider is now able to prepare for the next tests for Yamaha in the new year. "Everything is going good. I'm just getting old," he reassured his fans. "I need to be back on my R1 as soon as possible!".