Bench Racing: MotoGP 2009

[85138]

Rossi !!!!!!

Whew! And congratulations to the great Valentino. He had me on edge riding that hard in the wet when he didn't need to, to win the world title. But that's part of what makes him who he is.

And still seem as thrilled as if it was his 1st championship.

 

[mika]

MotoGP.com:

bbc.co.uk: Matt RobertÔÇÖs column ÔÇô Is Rossi the best of all time?

motorsport.com: Rossi asks Ferrari for another F1 test

motorcyclenews.com: Kevin Schwantz to head Suzuki satellite squad in 2011?

 

[mika]

MotoGP.com:

Yamaha unveils Ben SpiesÔÇÖ livery for Valencia

Valencia extends MotoGP contract until 2016

superbikeplanet.com: Bamshell ÔÇô Ducati Manager Suppo leaving team?

roadracingworld.com: Bridgestone to supply asymmetric rear tires for MotoGP event at Valencia

bridgestonemotorsport.com: Round 17 Valencia preview

Motosport.com : Valencia Previews
Fiat Yamaha
Parmac Racing
Duacti
Rizila Suzuki

 

[mika]

MotoGP.com:

Spies: Valencia ÔÇÿthe first stepÔÇÖ for 2010

Livio Suppo leaves Ducati Marlboro and moves to Honda

motorsport-total.com translated: Stoner on Valencia and the team boss

motorcyclenews.com: Valentino Rossi ÔÇÿcuriousÔÇÖ about Ben Spies

motomatters.com: Suppo to be HRAC Marketing Director, Uamamo to remain team manager

visordown.com: Tardozzi ÔÇô Why I quit Ducati
Related
gpone.com: David Tardozzi leaves Ducati Superbike
And
gpone.com: Earthquake in Ducati Livio Suppo switch to Honda

fim-live.com: Rossi ready to party!

 

[mika]

MotoGP.com:

Friday practice should begin shortly in Valencia and may be over with by the time you get around to checking in. I donÔÇÖt plan on a report this evening but will be up for qualifying on Saturday.

The Valencia race may be turn out to be the exclamation point on the Fiat Yamaha season, the hate trick race for Stoner or the first shot at MotoGP glory if Ben Spies can pull of his version of the Miracle on Ice. What ever happens in the MotoGP ranks it is the final GP for the 250cc class. The agile 100lb/100hp machines have always put on a great show and the last one should be no different.

motormatters.com: MotoGP Valencia preview ÔÇô end of an era

bbc.co.uk: Stoner focused on 2010 title bid

motomatters.com: Ezpilita mulls a return to 1000cc

 

[mika]

MotoGP - FP1 - Valencia
01 Casey STONER - Ducati Marlboro Team - 1′32.813
02 Jorge LORENZO - Fiat Yamaha Team - 1′33.195
03 Dani PEDROSA - Repsol Honda Team - 1′33.241
04 Valentino ROSSI - Fiat Yamaha Team - 1′33.499
05 Randy DE PUNIET - LCR Honda MotoGP - 1′33.910
06 Alex DE ANGELIS - San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1′34.106
07 Colin EDWARDS - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1′34.123
08 Andrea DOVIZIOSO - Repsol Honda Team - 1′34.382
09 Loris CAPIROSSI - Rizla Suzuki MotoGP - 1′34.427
10 Nicky HAYDEN - Ducati Marlboro Team - 1′34.462
11 Mika KALLIO - Pramac Racing - 1′34.696
12 Marco MELANDRI - Hayate Racing Team - 1′34.859
13 James TOSELAND - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1′34.865
14 Toni ELIAS - San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1′34.873
15 Ben SPIES - Yamaha Factory Racing - 1′35.052
16 Chris VERMEULEN - Rizla Suzuki MotoGP - 1′35.131
17 Gabor TALMACSI - Scot Racing Team MotoGP - 1′35.25875
18 Aleix ESPARGARO - Pramac Racing - 1′35.458

 

[mika]

Through qualifying the story line is building up to a hat trick StonerÔÇÖs season end as he takes the pole for the Valencia GP. Rossi is partying and took fourth. Spies improved from Fridays practice session and turned in a very respectable 9th.

1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 1'32.256 22 26 312.8
2 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1'32.519 29 31 0.263 0.263 313.8
3 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1'32.537 24 30 0.281 0.018 310.6
4 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1'32.922 20 25 0.666 0.385 306.3
5 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 1'33.085 26 28 0.829 0.163 307.7
6 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 1'33.154 30 30 0.898 0.069 309.5
7 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP HONDA 1'33.391 25 25 1.135 0.237 306.8
8 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 1'33.475 23 25 1.219 0.084 312.1
9 11 Ben SPIES USA Sterilgarda Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1'33.539 26 28 1.283 0.064 309.3
10 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1'33.678 34 34 1.422 0.139 310.0
11 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing DUCATI 1'33.809 26 28 1.553 0.131 312.3
12 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 1'33.844 25 27 1.588 0.035 310.4
13 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 1'34.097 25 25 1.841 0.253 307.8
14 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 1'34.107 28 28 1.851 0.010 307.0
15 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team KAWASAKI 1'34.188 27 27 1.932 0.081 306.9
16 44 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing DUCATI 1'34.308 29 29 2.052 0.120 307.0
17 41 Gabor TALMACSI HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP HONDA 1'34.357 25 27 2.101 0.049 307.3
18 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 1'34.537 27 29 2.281 0.180 304.5


motorgp.com: Valencia as seen by Pedrosa

 

[mika]

GO BEN!

MotoGP.com:

motorcyclenews.com: Ben Spies thrilled with top ten

motorsport.com: Valencia GP ÔÇô Bridgestone qualifying report

motogp.com team go for a Stoner win

Who would have thought life would be so good driving a Fiat?
Yamaha-motor-Europe.com: Lorenzo takes 16th front row of season, Rossi qualifies fourth, Spies ninth

motogp.com: Rossi takes BMW M Award and enjoys M3 GTS

teamtech3.fr: Fantastic fifth gives Edwards boost for season finale

teamtech3.fr: Edwards and Toseland set competitive times in Valencia

rizla-suzuki-motogp.co.uk: Uphill task for Rizla Suzuki pair in season finale

autosport.com: Struggling Dovizioso pins hopes on start

motomatters.com: Saturday images from Valencia

motomatters.com

 

[mika]

MotoGP.com:

Stoner was on top on the warmup session for todayÔÇÖs race. I was getting a hat ready to throw out on the ice for the a hat trick when he failed in the warm up lap..

 

[mika]

So much for predicting story lines.

Valencia MotoGP race result:


1 D Pedrosa (Spn) Honda
2 V Rossi (Ita) Fiat Yamaha
3 J Lorenzo (Spn) Fiat Yamaha
4 C Edwards (US) Tech 3 Yamaha
5 N Hayden (US) Ducati
6 T Elias (Spn) Honda
7 B Spies (US) Yamaha
8 A Dovizioso (It) Honda
9 M Kallio (Fin) Ducati
10 A de Angelis (SM) Honda
11 R de Puniet (Fr) Honda
12 J Toseland (GB) Tech 3 Yamaha
13 A Espargaro (Sp) Pramac
14 L Capirossi (Ita) Suzuki
15 C Vermeulen (Aus) Suzuki
16 G Talmacsi (Hng) Honda
17 M Melandri (It) Kawasaki


What a 'Wild Card' weekend for Ben Spies. 18th in his first practice he was 5th in warmups today finishing in the top 10 with a P7. It's only one race and the there will be many a slip between cup and lip before any rider tastes the 2010 MotoGP Championship champagne, but it looks like we will have a Yank in the thick of the hunt.

 

[mika]

MotoGP.com:

Official Results

On Saturday Dani Pedrosa told reporters his race day hope was for a fast start and to hold off competition. The other riders had their plans also.

Sunday morning was cold to start with and Casey Stoner was on top of the warm up charts. Our hero Ben Spies improved his performance once again. When the session was done he was in 5th place ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and with a gap of only 0.967 between his best time and StonerÔÇÖs.

All of the events leading up to the race pointed to a Stoner Hat trick to finish the season, but the final results of a race weekend are determined by the race results. Anything can happen during a race and everything that lead up to that point becomes filler to race results. That is why they hold the races.

The grid lined up and took off for its warm up lap before the start of the race. Stoner high sided on this lap and was unable to return to the grid for the start of the race. Jorge Lorenzo almost did the same thing. StonerÔÇÖs exit set Pedrosa up for his fast start and he took advantage of it and turned it into a race win.

Off the track things are getting interesting at Yamaha. In old TV sitcoms ThreeÔÇÖs Company but at the Yamaha teams it sounding like three is a crowd. The news from Yamaha Racing during the year has been full of Rossi and Lorenzo in MotoGP and Ben Spies over in World Superbike; until this weekend when Spies made his MotoGP wild card debut after wining his WSBK Championship. Rossi has handed an ultimatum to Yamaha for Jorge Lorenzo to be dropped by the team or he just may go ride for Ducati.

"I could change bike, ride for Ducati and try to win the world championship with an Italian bike. That would be a great motivation.

"But I prefer at this moment to stay with Yamaha because the love between me and Yamaha, our relationship, is something special.

"To change bike would feel unfaithful. So for Yamaha it is important that I finish my career with them and for me it is also important. "

The nine time champion has always been great at generating stories filled with bravado. It would be easy to discount this as the Yamaha alpha dog marking his territory as new dog Ben Spies enters the Yamaha MotoGP camp.

Monday RossiÔÇÖs attorneys will dash a letter off to him explaining the complications of his contract with Yamaha after checking to make certain his retainer is paid up to date. The press will write stories and rumors will fill the internet. While we will dismiss most as alpha behavior out of Rossi because of the challenge of Lorenzo and Spies to his dominance I think we will be only partly correct.

Events this past week in Japan may have more to do with RossiÔÇÖs most recent out break of bravado. Rather than feeling threatened on the track by Lorenzo and Spies he may feel a threat on the balance sheet that would make it harder to deal with a resurgent Stoner or Pedrosa. Yamaha appears to be committed to the premier class along with WSBK. However; recent draconian cuts in other racing programs, Yamaha reporting major financial loss and the stepping down of is head are not lost on the cleaver Rossi. The alpha dog may be marking his turf for the new head of Yamaha and his minions to see as they pilot the company forward into the 2010 racing and motorcycle selling season.

 

[mika]

MotoGP.com:

Riders and teams ready for three day test

fim-live.com: Hard work ahead for Spies

crash.net: ÔÇÿGrid strategyÔÇÖ blamed for Stoner warm up lap disaster

visordown.com: Divizioso ÔÇô I couldnÔÇÖt re-pass Spies


First day test times are in from Valencia.

1 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Ducati 1:32.660
2 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Yamaha 1:32.685
3 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Yamaha 1:32.826
4 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Honda 1:33.088
5 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Ducati 1:33.358
6 Ben Spies Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1:33.496
7 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Honda 1:33.675
8 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing Ducati 1:33.726
9 Randy De Puniet LCR Honda Honda 1:33.775
10 Marco Medlandri San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1:33.839
11 Aleix Espararo Pramac Ducati 1:33.878
12 Colin Edwards II Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1:33.929
13 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki Suzuki 1:34.144
14 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1:35.229
15 ?ülvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki Suzuki 1:35.772


Including all disclaimers that this is only one day of testing and Spies own admission that he has much work to do; Ben Spies is doing that work an impressive manner. On a new bike with a new team he is making steady improvements. 2010 will go a long way toward raising the interest of Americans in MotoGP.

 

[mika]

FIM: 2010 provisional calendar of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix

Dates / Grand Prix / Circuits

April 11* Qatar Doha/losail

April 25 Japan Motegi

May 2 Spain Jerez de la Frontera

May 23 France Le Mans

June 6 Italy Mugello

June 20 Great Britain Silverstone

June 26** Netherlands Assen

July 4 Catalunya Catalunya

July 18 Germany Sachsenring

July 25*** United States Laguna Seca

August 22 Czech Republic Brno

August 29 Indianapolis Indianapolis

September 5 San Marino & Riviera di Rimini Misano

September 19 Hungary Balatonring

October 10 Malaysia Sepang

October 17 Australia Phillip Island

October 31 Portugal Estoril

November 7 Valencia Ricardo Tormo - Valencia


*: Evening Race
**: Saturday
***: Only MotoGP class

Reserve circuit, "Motorland Aragon Circuit"

 

[mika]

MotoGP.com:

Stoner and Hayden continue their progress for Ducati

Test a success for pleased Fiat Yamaha team


teamtech3.fr Spies shines at Valencia test

rizla-suzuki.motogp.co.uk: Big steps for both riders at Valencia test

Valencia Tests Day 2 Times

Pos Rider Team Fastest lap Prev. Gap Lead. Gap Laps
1 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 1:31.939 - - 62
2 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 1:32.195 +0.256 +0.256 44
3 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 1:32.528 +0.333 +0.589 55
4 Ben Spies Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1:32.942 +0.414 +1.003 61
5 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 1:32.981 +0.039 +1.042 84
6 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 1:33.025 +0.044 +1.086 46
7 Randy De Puniet Lcr Honda MotoGP 1:33.111 +0.086 +1.172 76
8 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing 1:33.125 +0.014 +1.186 84
9 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1:33.211 +0.086 +1.272 64
10 Marco Melandri San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:33.326 +0.115 +1.387 85
11 Aleix Espargaro Pramac Racing 1:33.345 +0.019 +1.406 74
12 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 1:33.546 +0.201 +1.607 44
13 Hector Barbera Aspar Team 1:34.206 +0.660 +2.267 100
14 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:34.230 +0.024 +2.291 79
15 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1:34.540 +0.310 +2.601 74
16 Hiroshi Aoyama Scot Racing Team 1:35.261 +0.721 +3.322 88
17 Xavier Simeon Gresini Moto 2 Team 1:37.279 +2.018 +5.340 58
18 Joan Olive Promoracing 1:37.881 +0.602 +5.942 86

ItÔÇÖs more than a little early to plan a celebration but the folks at visordown.com are talking about find their local tout and placing a small wager on the need for one.

 

[mika]

MotoGP.com:

Final tests in Valencia finis with Stoner fastest on day three

Tech 3 wrap up season with Spies well settled

rizla-suzuki-motogp.co.uk: Bautista ends Valencia test on a roll

Pos Rider Team Fastest lap Prev. Gap Lead. Gap Laps
1 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 1:31.900 - - 35
2 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 1:31.944 +0.044 +0.044 38
3 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 1:32.805 +0.861 +0.905 40
4 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 1:32.825 +0.020 +0.925 51
5 Marco Melandri San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:32.936 +0.111 +1.036 36
6 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing 1:32.988 +0.052 +1.088 39
7 Aleix Espargaro Pramac Racing 1:33.275 +0.287 +1.375 55
8 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1:33.464 +0.189 +1.564 43
9 Hector Barbera Aspar Team 1:33.787 +0.323 +1.887 57
10 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:33.856 +0.069 +1.956 35
11 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1:34.163 +0.307 +2.263 45
12 Hiroshi Aoyama Scot Racing Team 1:34.821 +0.658 +2.921 47
13 Joan Olive Promoracing 1:38.718 +3.897 +6.818 37
14 Xavier Simeon Gresini Moto 2 Team 1:39.151 +0.433 +7.251 12
15 Kenny Noyes Promoracing 1:45.427 +6.276 +13.527 2

motorcyclenews.com: Scot Honda out of MotoGP

With this post I am ending the coverage of 2009 MotoGP season. I will be posting MotoGP, WSBK and other racing news I come across in the Bench Racing and Morning Reads thread for the winter.