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Monday, 23 February 2009 00:00 |
The Yamaha World Superbike team has enjoyed a successful final pre-season test at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia. The two day test was the final shakedown for the 2009 YZF-R1 in advance of the season opening race this coming weekend and was a valuable opportunity for both riders to get to know the track.
Three-time AMA Superbike champion Ben Spies ended the final day of testing with a quick 1.32”36 lap time, a mere 0.2 of a second off fastest rider Michele Fabrizio. Fellow Yamaha World Superbike team rider Tom Sykes had a crash on the start of the second day of testing and spent a large part of the day resting before going back out again for a final run. He too stepped up the pace and finished the day with an overall time of 1.32”10, a great result considering he missed most of the day’s track time after his fall.
Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike team – 1.32”36 (160 laps)
“It was a good test for me. We worked on a lot of race stuff, we had some tires to test and get through for Pirelli then we got up to speed on the track and did some longer stints getting the bike to work on race setup. We were looking good for race pace, we did a race simulation and it felt really good. For sure we only got two days testing on the track and the whole race weekend is going to add some adrenaline. I’m extremely happy with the bike and the team is working really well so I can’t wait to get started.”
Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike team – 1.32”10 (100 laps)
“I was more than happy with day one, having never seen Phillip Island before, I went out and pulled a 1.33”2, which wasn’t too bad considering it’s a new track for me. We worked on some minor adjustments and worked on getting a good base setting for the bike. I’m more than confident in its capabilities and set up, we’re pretty much on the times. Going into day two I knew I could improve, but unfortunately on my first run, getting up to speed I had a fall. I wasn’t even busting myself and not sure how it happened, got on it a bit too soon at the exit of turn 2, ran wide by two feet and where the tarmac ripples slightly the rear end low sided, I caught it then high sided the other way! Luckily I have no serious injuries so will be fighting fit and raring to go at the weekend. I went back out again at the end of the second day and found my pace again easily so am still confident to fight for the podium.”
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Monday, 16 February 2009 00:00 |
Stewart shares AMA series lead after sixth win
After a first round DNF, LandM San Manuel Yamaha rider James Stewart has cut back a 23 point deficit and now joint-leads the 2009 AMA Supercross series (also an FIM World Championship) after recording his sixth consecutive victory in San Diego last Sunday.
The 23 year old Floridian notched his 31st career AMA success at the Qualcomm Stadium in southern California and thanks to Joe Gibbs Racing's Josh Grant's win at Anaheim I in early January, the YZ450F remains unbeaten after seven meetings in the seventeen race competition.
Stewart - competing at the scene of his first of his 31 triumphs in 2002 - grabbed the holeshot and proceeded to establish a margin over reigning champion Chad Reed, who would go on to finish second to the Yamaha rider for the sixth time.
"I think a lot of people wouldn't have thought, after Anaheim I, that I could be leaving California for the east coast tied for the points lead, but it's a testament to my team and the work they put in every week," said Stewart. "They worked their butts off to make me comfortable, and I really do feel comfortable now. The track was definitely tough. I just had some good luck. The track was slick, but, man, this San Manuel Yamaha was awesome. I can't wait for Atlanta!"
Yamaha are the most prolific manufacturer at the San Diego meeting, having claimed 13 of the 26 main events held so far in the city.
For the first time this season Josh Grant was not able to finish in the top five. The rookie slipped off in the first corner and was recovering positions through the pack when he 'cased' a jump and hit his throat on the bars, forcing his retirement.
Round eight will take place in the confines of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. If Stewart or another YZ450F racer takes the chequered flag then Yamaha will equal their streak of eight successive wins record in 2000.
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Monday, 09 February 2009 00:00 |
Unstoppable Stewart takes fifth consecutive win
Round six of the 2009 AMA Supercross series and the third and final stop in the Anaheim stadium, Los Angeles, was the scene of LandM San Manuel Yamaha rider James Stewart's latest triumph and his fifth win in a row. The 23 year old's imperious streak of success continues on the YZ450F and his masterful escape to victory from gate-to-flag means that Yamaha maintain their 100% record in the current campaign as Joe Gibbs Racing's Josh Grant claimed the opening event.
The 51st Main at Anaheim witnessed Yamaha's 18th collection of the winner's garland and thanks to Grant's sensational debut effort they have swept the LA trio of races.
Stewart's latest accomplishment came after another electric start in which he was able to front the field and keep Chad Reed at bay, despite a greasy surface from rainfall before and during the action. The distance between the two protagonists fluctuated throughout the twenty minute duration but the AMA Motocross champion was never viably threatened and celebrated his 30th SX career victory when he crossed the line.
"I saw Chad behind me. We stayed the same distance, then I pulled away and soon got caught up with the lappers; he came close again and it was good racing. I think, for me, it was kind of tough because the lappers were battling each other and I knew he was following close behind, but hey,it was a great race. I put myself in the best position and I was able to get a win," said the victor, who passed everyone up to 6th position.
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Sunday, 08 February 2009 00:00 |
Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo rounded off the first test of the 2009 season in strong style, with the Italian finishing second, less than one tenth off Casey Stoner. His Spanish team-mate was seventh and inside the lap record pace for the first time this week.
Rossi continued to focus mainly on electronics on the last day as he looked to fine-tune the 2009 M1 step-by-step. With the stitches in his hand and foot he decided not to attempt a long-run, but was able to improve on his time from previous days by half a second and recorded a best lap of 2’01.137.
Lorenzo had struggled to find confidence on the first two days of tests but on the final day found his rhythm with the new Bridgestone tyres. He was delighted to complete a long-run of 22 laps and his best lap of the day, in a time of 2’01.907, was over a second quicker compared to previous times during this test.
The next stop for the team is a night test at Doha in Qatar on 1st, 2nd and 3rd February.
Valentino Rossi - Position: 2nd Time: 2'01.137 Laps: 43
I am leaving this place feeling happy, because we’ve made a good start. Everything went well: my pain is less, the bike is good and I am feeling better and better. We finished everything we wanted to do on the bike and the setting and the rhythm is quite good. The lap time is fast so we have made a good start. We didn’t do the long run, but actually we didn’t need to. Without my injury maybe it would have been possible, but in this situation we decided to leave it. My injuries are getting better each day because they’re only cuts and they’re healing fast. I don't think that they made much difference to my speed here and by the Qatar test I will be back in perfect shape. I did the fastest lap today with the hard Bridgestone tyre, so it means that the bike is good. For sure we need to improve some more but since this year we have less testing, this performance has been very important. The first test of the year is always difficult, even if you trained a lot in the winter, so I am happy! Qatar will be interesting, because last year we weren’t strong there, but then last year the bike was not yet ready when we went to the first race in Doha. I am really looking forward to the next text there.”
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Friday, 06 February 2009 00:00 |
The 2009 Yamaha Red Bull De Carli team was officially presented to press and partners in Italy this week. The forthcoming FIM World Championship will see the successful squad entering new ground with their priorities aligned to the premier MX1-GP category for the first time. After two MX2-GP world championships in the last four years with the YZ250F, De Carli – with riders Antonio Cairoli and Tanel Leok – has been applying his technical tuning expertise to the YZ450F for an attempt at the crown that Yamaha has owned for all but one of the five years since the inception of the class.
Many eyes will be on the full-time maiden MX1-GP season of former double MX2 champion Cairoli who sensationally won the 2007 British Grand Prix in a one-off wild-card appearance with a near-standard YZ450F. The Sicilian has been working and training diligently to master the physical demands of the larger machine over the winter and is now hungry to take to the start gate for the first time since rupturing his knee ligaments at the 2008 South African Grand Prix; an injury that ruined his quest for a third MX2-GP title. Cairoli is also the defending MX1 Italian champion in 2009.
Tanel Leok – winner of the 2008 Irish Grand Prix – begins his sixth season in MX1 and his first with the YZ450F. The strong and aggressive Estonian is expecting to add to his impressive tally of six GP podiums.
With a long and impressive heritage in the MX2-GP division (formerly 125cc) De Carli has not abandoned his roots and teenager Alessandro Lupino will begin his second year with the team after showing encouraging results during the latter half of 2008.
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