The top WCC racers have been gearing up for the 2010 season.  Vanessa Gareau, Marie-Josee Boucher and Kana Matsumoto took part in the Dominican Republic Superbike Championship’s first round in March, while Natalie Catherine Provost and Genevieve Lesieur have been busy testing in Florida over the winter months.

Long-time sponsor and official tire supplier of the WCC, Orion Motorsports/Pirelli, has announced today that it will award the 2010 Women’s Cup Champion with a $2000 gift certificate to assist the Champion in taking on the best of the Pros in the 2011 Parts Canada National Superbike Series.  Pirelli service provider Orion Motorsports’ Kevin Graham commented, “We are very proud of the part that Pirelli has played as the spec tire supplier for the WCC.  We realize how important high quality racing tires are and just how much of a racing budget that tires can take up. We wanted to help the top lady move on to the Pro ranks just as we have assisted the top Amateur champions in the past.”

Source:  Motourage

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If true, Ducati’s disappointment at losing their star may well be mitigated by the knowledge that the other three ‘aliens’, namely Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo’s contracts are likewise up as well at the end of this season. Rossi to Ducati perhaps?

The Italian GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) riding Italian Racing Red? An interesting notion without a doubt; however perhaps Jorge Lorenzo might be a better fit at Ducati for 2011; without a doubt he’d love to have the number 1 status within a team and the opportunity to come out from under Rossi’s considerable shadow.

And where would that leave Dani Pedrosa? To Yamaha?! Let’s watch with interest…

…Full Story…

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Appropriately, Pedrosa rode a trials bike onto the stage before a machine he is more familiar with – his Honda RC212V race bike – was dramatically lowered from the roof of the arena. Andrea Dovizioso, Pedrosa’s Repsol Honda team-mate was also due to attend the team launch but, having suffered from a fever over the last few days and with the final pre-season test taking place in Qatar this coming week, the Italian wisely elected to stay at home to speed his recovery. Dovizioso sent a special message to his fans from his home in Forli, Italy.

In 2010 the partnership between Repsol and Honda will enter its 16th season and it is an association which has made “Repsol Honda” one of the most recognisable team names in motorcycle racing history. Pedrosa and Dovizioso will be riding the latest evolution of Honda’s 800cc four-stroke RC212V race machine, which features a new chassis and swing-arm and an upgraded electronics package.

Dani Pedrosa: “To be here for the Repsol Honda Team launch and to see the support of all our fans is a great feeling. I’m feeling really motivated for the coming season and our targets are clear – to improve in every area and consistently fight for race wins. I’m starting this season in a really positive mood. In general it has been a very good winter for me and much better than the last one. I have been able to do a lot of physical training and work on my fitness levels. Also I was able to rest after the end of the last season and, even though I had a small operation to remove a screw from my wrist, the recovery period after this was very short and I can begin the year in very good shape. The training will help me a lot throughout the season to maintain my maximum performance.”

He continued: “At the last test in Sepang we couldn’t make all the progress we would have like to have done, but we still have two more days of testing ahead of us and we will take the maximum profit from them to prepare for the first race. In Qatar we will be working to improve a few more areas with the machine and I’m sure that when we solve these issues we will take a big step forward – and I hope to do it in Qatar. I’m looking forward to this season.”

Andrea Dovizioso: “I’m really sorry not to able to attend the Repsol Team Launch but unfortunately high fever and flu are keeping me in bed, and at this moment of the season with the Qatar test taking place next week, our priority is to be fit and ready for the last test of the winter. Our common goal is to be competitive from round one – we all want to see the Repsol Honda machines fighting at the front every Sunday.”

Dovizioso added: “We have all worked hard during the winter: Honda has improved all aspects of the package, and from our side we have been committed in training as well as giving direction to the development team. We know that it won’t be easy but we will give our best to fight with the fastest riders every race weekend. I’m very happy to be in the factory Repsol Honda Team for a second year.”

The Repsol Honda Team begins its assault on the MotoGP World Championship at the opening round of the season on April 11th at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, and will be present at the final pre-season official test at the same circuit on Thursday 18th and Friday 19th of March.

Press release courtesy of Repsol Honda

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Source: MotoGP

Dovizioso was happy with his day’s work on Friday as he brought his time down by a further two-tenths of a second from the previous day, taking in 46 laps in the Malaysian heat as he completed a three-quarter race distance in the afternoon.

“If we consider the two days in total this second test session has represented a big step forward compared to the last time we came here at the beginning of February,” said Dovizioso, whose best lap time was 2’01.439. “I’m satisfied that we could lap consistently and for the race this is very important. We did a race simulation and the pace with race tyres was good.”

He continued: “Today I can’t be totally satisfied with seventh on the timesheets and this was because I wasn’t able to use the soft tyre at its best to improve the lap time. It’s something we’ll have to analyse because getting a good grid position for the race is important. Of course there is still work to do to get closer to Valentino and Casey, but anyway, all-in-all I’m very confident.”

Pedrosa, who completed 57 laps on Friday with a best time of 2’01.478, was just behind his team-mate on the timesheet as the eighth quickest rider and he outlined the aims for Qatar.

“We put in a lot of work today and tried many things on the machine to improve our pace,” said Pedrosa. “We made some progress with the feeling from the engine which is positive, though we didn’t really get the results we were looking for elsewhere, and some of the issues we had yesterday are still there. So, there’s plenty for us still to do before Qatar.”

He added: “The team is working really hard and we’re positive that there’s a lot more to come. Of course I can’t say that eighth is where I want to be on the timesheets at the end of this test, so we’ll definitely look to move things forward in Qatar.”

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Source: MotoGP

Two more days of testing for the San Carlo Honda Gresini team began on Thursday with Marco Melandri and Marco Simoncelli picking up where they had left off in the last session at Sepang three weeks ago.

Intense heat put the riders through a gruelling workout and both took to the track at 10am riding their RC212V machines, decked in the new 2010 Team San Carlo Honda Gresini livery. Work focused around setting up the new Honda RC212V, in particular the suspension and electronic settings, and both riders reported positive results at the end of the session.

Marco Melandri: “It has been a very tough day but also very enjoyable. With the data from the last test we knew we were going to able to work much better from the start today and begin to reap some of the rewards of our hard work. Now I am closer to the front guys and this is an important step forward. There is obviously still a lot of work to do but the results today give us a real confidence boost. Unfortunately I still don’t have a feeling that allows me to get the best out of the soft tyre otherwise we could have gone even faster. All in all I’m happy and looking forward to tomorrow.”

Marco Simoncelli: “I am continuing the learning process in MotoGP and I am pleased to work like this, without overdoing it. My objective is to continue to improve my lap times but at the same time find a better feeling with the RC212V. Today wasn’t easy, that’s for sure, because of the heat, which everybody knows I don’t like, but I think I can be happy. I’m starting to ride the bike how I want to and how my mechanics, who like me are new to this category, want me to and we’re making progress. We learn something new every day – I know we don’t have many days left until Qatar but I am sure that by then we’ll be holding our own.”

Press release courtesy of San Carlo Honda Gresini

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Source: MotoGP

Former Tech 3 MotoGP and 2007 AMA Superbike Corona Honda rider James Ellison returns to the team focused and determined after finishing runner-up in 2009 following weeks of uncertainty over his BSB return when he was left without a ride. However, Swan Honda seized the chance to re-sign the Kendal rider who last rode for the team during the 2008 season. Ellison was the most consistent title contender in 2009 and was the only rider to score points in each of the 26 races taking 14 podium finishes, with four of those race victories.

Ellison said: “I’m so grateful to Shaun Muir and SMR for giving me the opportunity to race in BSB this year. I know the whole Swan Honda team have pulled out all the stops to give me this chance to fight for the title. It’s been a very difficult winter not knowing if I would be racing, as I was left in a really difficult position at the end of 2009. I knew that if I had any chance of winning the championship it was with this team, so my first phone call was to Shaun when I was left without a ride.

“The team was strong when I was with them in 2008, but they have moved on so much since then. This is all down to their work ethic and solid team structure, which is exactly what I need to go one better in the championship this year. I class the team as family and I know the Honda like the back of my hand, so I’m confident we will be strong out of the gates and I am really looking forward to working with my old crew chief Mick Shanley again. I want to thank my fans, friends, family and my wife Sarah for standing by me and always believing in me; I promise I won’t let you down this year!”

Team Owner Shaun Muir concluded: “To say I am delighted to have James back on board is an understatement. We were disappointed to lose him at the end of 2008, but James is determined and passionate about his racing and took his best opportunity at that time. He left us on good terms and for that reason have held him in high regard. He brings a real hunger and desire to challenge for the title and I have no doubts that Stuart and James will bring the best out of each other. The whole team have worked together for a number of years now and this is the first year where there is a real competition in our own garage, something that is vital in challenging for a championship. I am sure that it is going to be a great first year for Swan Honda.

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The Repsol Honda Team began the first official test of 2010 today as the MotoGP winter break came to an end at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. With an unchanged rider line-up of Spaniard Dani Pedrosa and Italian Andrea Dovizioso, the factory Honda squad once again rolled up the garage shutters and got back out on track in preparation for the coming season.

Although HRC’s engineers and test riders have continued development of the RC212V during the winter testing ban, today was the first time that Pedrosa and Dovizioso had turned a wheel on the 800cc V4 Honda since November 11 last year. So both riders spent the time reacclimatising to riding MotoGP machinery after a two-month layoff, and performed shakedown tests of the latest enhancements and machine updates completed by HRC over the winter period.

Dovizioso completed 51 laps today and declared himself satisfied with the performance of his RC212V and encouraged by the potential shown by his machine. On a day when outright lap times were not the priority, the 23-year-old finished in sixth place with a best time of 2’02.630. Pedrosa, who won the final race of the 2009 season, began the test steadily, completing 51 laps on board the 2010 RC212V. Once more displaying his favoured number 26 on the front of his bike, 24-year-old Pedrosa felt no ill effects following a minor operation he underwent in December to remove a screw from his left wrist, and finished the day with a lap time of 2’02.866, which was good enough for eighth on the timesheets.

Dani Pedrosa:

“This was a normal first day of testing for us. It’s been a long time since we last rode the bike and so it took some time to get used to the speed once again and work back into the rhythm – this is natural. We weren’t looking for lap times or high performance and we spent a lot of the day working on the Öhlins suspension because this is a major change for us this season compared to last. The feeling from my left wrist where I had a screw removed in December was good, so this is positive. Generally, I took it carefully today and we have plenty of places where we can make further improvements – starting tomorrow.”

Andrea Dovizioso:

“This is a very important test and it’s good to be back on the bike after such a long winter break. This was a positive first day and I’m happy with the updated machine that Honda has brought here. We have a lot of work to do before we’re ready and many things that need to be tested, so today’s lap times are not indicative of our potential. The work that Honda has done on the electronics has made a big improvement, and also the feeling from the chassis is better. We’re concentrating on improving a pace that we can maintain throughout the race, and that’s what we’ll continue with tomorrow. There’s plenty still to test but this first session has been important to confirm we’re heading in the right direction.”

The Repsol Honda riders will return to the track tomorrow to wrap up this two-day test, before returning to Sepang at the end of February for further pre-season testing.

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Source: MotoGP

After a difficult start to their first day aboard the 2010 version of the RC212V, San Carlo Honda Gresini’s all-Italian line-up of Marco Melandri and Marco Simoncelli were pleased to have completed their first laps on the new prototype.

The pair spent most of the first of two days testing at the Sepang circuit on finding their respective set-ups, as well as focusing on the power and traction combination of each machine. With an air temperature of 32°C both riders were tired by the close of the day, but are looking forward to returning on Friday for further work.

“It hasn’t gone at all bad today, nor has it been brilliant, but as far as first days go I’m quite satisfied,” explained MotoGP rookie Simoncelli, who totalled 54 laps and clocked a best time of 2’03.563. “We tested several things to try and work out which direction to go in, and now we need to look at what we have found. I’m sure that by analysing the data we’ll be able to put the pieces together and to work in the right direction tomorrow.”

He continued: “I also need to understand this bike a bit more to give the right kind of feedback. With the 250 it was easier to get results after just a few modifications but with the MotoGP bike it’s harder to find the right settings. One positive thing is that compared to the bike I tested previously the rear traction has improved, but it’s a bit harder for me on the front because I’m finding it tough to work out its limits. In any case, I’m confident about tomorrow and am sure that we will do much better.”

Team-mate and seasoned MotoGP campaigner Melandri stated: “Today was difficult for us and I think the only reason is that we lost a lot of time by starting off with a completely wrong setting. We worked all day in one direction and things were just getting worse, however as we worked our way backwards we realised that we were going completely the wrong way. Unfortunately when we finally started to work in another direction it began to rain so I was only able to do a single lap, but the feeling was instantly better.”

Melandri, who managed 50 laps and a best turn of 2’03.609, added: “On a positive note we haven’t used too many tyres today so we’ll have more to use tomorrow, as well as a much clearer idea of which way we need to work. At the end of the day I’m satisfied. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the bike is quite different from the one we tested at Valencia last year, and I continued in the way we had with the bike at that test, but it’s clear we need to go another way. It’s a shame to have lost time, but we’ll make it up tomorrow.”

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Source: MotoGP

Dani Pedrosa begins his preparations for his fifth season in MotoGP on Thursday with the first of two days of testing at the Sepang International Circuit. In December he underwent surgery to remove a screw in his left wrist to improve mobility and reduce pain, and just hours before he takes to the track in Malaysia to work on the RC212V he will ride this season Pedrosa gave motogp.com his thoughts on the test and the challenges ahead in 2010.

How are you feeling physically, and can you say you’re starting the pre-season in good shape?
Yes. Throughout last season I had problems with my wrist but didn’t say anything. I held out to the end of the season, giving my maximum, but after it finished despite the fact I wasn’t riding a bike and wasn’t putting any pressure on my wrist it was still painful. So I decided it was best to get the screw taken out. The recovery period was two to three weeks and the results until now have been very positive. I have been training, and have done a little motocross. The wrist has responded well despite how recently it was operated on. These few days will be a test on my wrist as well, but from the moment I had the screw removed it has felt better. I feel recovered and ready for this first test.

In the last few years you have suffered injuries in pre-season (Sepang 2008, Qatar 2009) that have affected your condition ahead of the start of the season. This season it is important to use all the test days…
Yes, the priority is to take advantage of all of the days of testing available, because this time around more than ever there are not many days. Therefore these are very important tests and it is vital we avoid making any mistakes and are in good shape for the first race.

What is the plan for this first test?
To continue where we left off in Valencia. We’ll carry on testing the Öhlins suspension which is a big change after so many years with the Showa. We will see how they react with small modifications to the chassis. There is also myself: I’ve not ridden for three months so I need to get back on the bike and find a rhythm, speed and also a physical level.

The electronics will be an important aspect over these two days?
Yes, these are one of the most important aspects of the 800cc bikes and we have to try and configure it in the best possible way. Last year it was one of our weaknesses, especially when braking, and here at this track there is lots of braking so we’ll try to find the best setting for this.

What do you expect to have at the first race in Qatar on April 11 that you don’t have now?
I want the bike to be totally to my liking and to be able to ride it with everything in unison. This gives you great confidence, and is so important.

With the engine limitations that take effect this year (six to be used across the 18 races) reliability will be more important than ever. How do you view this?
I think reliability is a strong point of Honda bikes, which are always competitive and have very few problems. Of course it will be difficult because you also never know what will happen, if you have a crash or something like that. But Honda has a cautious approach and always provides durable engines.

Do you think there will be a change to the ‘four aliens’ this season?
That can change at any time. Evidently last year the level was clear, but the race changed with every Grand Prix. The order was different every weekend. One rider can win one day, another can win on another – the competition is very high. As for the other riders, that will become clear during the season.

What do you think about the fact there are five Spanish riders in the premier class for the first time?
It’s a very high number. If you look back in the past, it’s very hard to find one or two riders. But it’s very positive for us now.

This is your fifth year in the premier class and your contract ends after this campaign. Do you feel there is a special pressure on you in 2010?
I think it is an important year, but it is for everyone. You know at the start of every year it will be close and maybe everyone is a bit nervous, but everyone will be very focused and ready for every race.

What’s the reason for your change back to the number 26?
It’s a mark of gratitude to my fans who have followed me through difficult moments such as the 2008 campaign, and especially 2009. I’ve done it for them, I know they like it, and they know my number and can follow me.

But you hope to change it for the number 1?
Even in the best scenario, I wouldn’t change it! I’m not sure, but first I have to earn it.

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Source: MotoGP

In their statement to the press, Siggy rested their blame on S2’s financial mismanagement  of the team’s funds saying, “the decision has been made after a close evaluation of the team’s poor economic situation which was created during this year’s expanded venture by participating in both Championship classes. A huge financial project that was poorly executed by the team’s investors as a result of failure to [fulfil] their financial commitments for the 2009 season.”

Stiggy joins the list of successful teams who are having difficulty turning podiums into dollar signs. As a privateer team, Siggy Honda had a remarkable year in WSBK, and started the season off with a third place podium finish (along with three other podium finishes during the season). With the team scoring 11 top-5 finishes in 2009, there’s little wonder why Leon Halsam took the title as best privateer rider, finishing the Championship in sixth place.

However, it’s thought that running two bikes, in two teams, in two series was too much of a financial stretch for the team, and the cause of S2 pulling it’s support from Stiggy in October.

Team principal, Johan Stigefelt, has wasted no time in finding a new job however, with reports linking him to a technical director position at Reitwagen Racing.

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