James Toseland's pursuit of a second World Superbike
Championship will go down to the final round after a dramatic
crash in the second race of the 12th round in Italy.
HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider Toseland will travel to next
weekend's finale at Magny-Cours in France with a 29-point lead
over Alstare Suzuki rider Max Biaggi and is still in prime position
to regain the crown he won in 2004 with just 50 points available.
But while the title looked all but secure back in early August when
his commanding double win at Brands Hatch opened up a 66-point
lead at the top of the standings, Toseland will now have to bank
two decent finishes in France to reclaim his title in his last
Superbike race before moving to MotoGP next season.
Toseland claimed third in race one behind Biaggi and Xerox
Ducati rider Troy Bayliss at the Vallelunga circuit near Rome but
crashed in race two and was only able to finish 11th after
rejoining the field as Bayliss won from Biaggi.
The Sheffield-born rider admitted that he had endured "the
hardest race of the season" after problems with his machine's
traction control but was not too disheartened as he stands on the
cusp of regaining his title.
He said: "We've gone from a really dominant and strong position
on Saturday to struggling today.
"The guys made a great job of rebuilding my number one bike
after the superpole crash and I chose to ride it. This was my
decision and maybe it wasn't the best decision because we
struggled to get the traction control working.
"There was no improvement from race one to race two and race
one was bad enough - definitely the hardest of the season so far."
ukpress.google.com - photos from motograndprix.it
Crash puts Toseland party on hold
Bayliss still a force -ozzy go- news.com.au
Australian Troy Bayliss might be aged 38 but he proved again he
is well prepared for another title at the world superbike
championship next season.
Bayliss and hometown hero Max Biaggi dominated the
penultimate round of the series at Vallelunga in Italy, setting up a
thrilling finale in France next weekend.
Biaggi (Suzuki) and Bayliss (Ducati) swapped first and second
places in both 24-lap encounters while British championship
leader James Toseland (Honda) wasted another opportunity to put
the title beyond doubt.
Toseland, who had crashed during qualifying, tumbled in race two
while battling with Australian Troy Corser (Yamaha).
He was able to remount and finish in 11th place, meaning he
takes a 29-point lead into the final round over Biaggi, with Japan's
Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) the only other rider capable of taking the
crown at Magny Cours.
Earlier in the day, Toseland had increased his lead from 41 to 44
points after finishing a solid third in race one behind Biaggi and
Bayliss, but his hard work came undone when he slid off in the
second round.
"The guys made a great job of rebuilding my number one bike
after the Superpole crash and I chose to ride it,'' Toseland said.
"This was my decision and maybe it wasn't the best decision
because we struggled to get the traction control working. "There
was no improvement from race one to race two and race one was
bad enough - definitely the hardest of the season so far. "Having
said all that, we've come out of today with a 29-point advantage.''
While Toseland continues to grind his way to the title, Bayliss was
in sparkling form at Vallelunga, claiming pole position on Saturday
before sharing the spoils with Biaggi. In race one a fired-up
Biaggi was just too strong in front of 80,000 fellow Italians before
Bayliss countered with a start-to-finish victory, his seventh of the
year. ''
"It's been a really hard day, it's pretty warm out there and
Vallelunga is a very physical track,'' Bayliss said. "In the second
race I wanted to change the rear tyre but my chief engineer
wanted me not to and I went with his decision. "It paid off so I put
that win down to him.'' news.com.au
photos from ducati.com & suzuki-racing.com
World Superbike - GP of Vallelunga
Vallelunga, Italy, September 30, 2007
2007 FIM Superbike World Championship Round 12
Vallelunga Superbike Race 1
1. Max Biaggi (Italy/Suzuki) 24 laps, 39:24.967
2. Troy Bayliss (Australia/Ducati) -5.638 seconds
3. James Toseland (Great Britain/Honda) -7.452
4. Noriyuki Haga (Japan/Yamaha) -10.079
5. Michel Fabrizio (Italy/Honda) -22.257
6. Lorenzo Lanzi (Italy/Ducati) -25.662
7. Regis Laconi (French Rep./Kawasaki) -34.811
8. Fonsi Nieto (Spain/Kawasaki) -38.075
9. Shinichi Nakatomi (Japan/Yamaha) -39.070
10. Vittorio Iannuzzo (Italy/kawasaki) -47.702
21. Troy Corser (Australia/Yamaha) -24 laps, DNF, crash
Vallelunga Superbike Race 2
1. Troy Bayliss (Australia/Ducati) 39:30.861, 24 laps
2. Max Biaggi (Italy/Suzuki) -1.431 seconds
3. Noriyuki Haga (Japan/Yamaha) -4.466
4. Troy Corser (Australia/Yamaha) -13.766
5. Roberto Rolfo (Italy/Honda) -20.848
6. Ruben Xaus (Spain/Ducati)-21.930
7. Lorenzo Lanzi (Italy/Ducati) -29.847
8. Fonsi Nieto (Spain/Kawasaki) -29.986
9. Shinichi Nakatomi (Japan/Yamaha) -40.126
10. Max Neukirchner (Germany/Suzuki) -40.733
11. James Toseland (Great Britain/Honda) -42.544, crash
Superbike World Championship Standings after Race #23
1. James Toseland (Great Britain/Honda) 396pts/8 wins/14 top-3
2. Max Biaggi (Italy/Suzuki) 367pts/3 wins/16 top-3
3. Noriyuki Haga (Japan/Yamaha) 363pts/4 wins/13 top-3
4. Troy Bayliss (Australia/Ducati) 341pts/7 wins/12 top-3
5. Troy Corser (Australia/Yamaha) 267pts/8 top-3
6. Lorenzo Lanzi (Italy/Ducati) 192pts/1 top-3
7. Ruben Xaus (Spain/Ducati) 187pts/1 win/2 top-3
8. Roberto Rolfo (Italy/Honda) 177pts
9. Max Neukirchner (Germany/Suzuki) 136pts
10. Michel Fabrizio (Italy/Honda) 136pts/1 top-3
11. Regis Laconi (French Republic/Kawasaki) 122pts
12. Yukio Kagayama (Japan/Suzuki) 116pts/2 top-3
13. Fonsi Nieto (Spain/Kawasaki) 98pts
14. Jakub Smrz (Czech Republic/Ducati) 66pts
15. Shinichi Nakatomi (Japan/Yamaha) 61pts
16. Karl Muggeridge (Australia/Honda) 53pts
17. Josh Brookes (Australia/Honda) 40pts
18. Steve Martin (Australia/Honda) 27pts
photos from suzuki-racing.com & ducati.com
Round one done and dusted -ozzy go- fullnoise.com.au
2007 New Zealand Motocross Championships Round 1
Pleasant Point, Timaru, New Zealand, 30th September, 2007
Pleasant Point 500cc class
1. Cody Cooper (Honda) 2-1-1
2. Daryl Hurley (Suzuki) 1-4-2
3. Justin McDonald (Honda) 4-3-4
4. Cheyne Boyd (Yamaha) 3-2-13
5. Peter Broxholme (Honda) 6-6-3
6. Ryan Marmont (KTM) 5-4-6
7. Nick Saunders (Kawasaki) 8-7-5
8. Matt Haworth () 7-8-7
9. Aden de Jager () 11-9-8
10. Nathan Brochtrup (Honda) 9-10-9
Pleasant Point 250cc Class
1. Luke Burkhart (Suzuki RMZ250) 1-1-1
2. Michael Phillips (Kawasaki KX250)
3. Damien King (Yamaha YZ250)
4. Brad Groombridge (Kawasaki KX250)
5. Shayne King (Honda CR250)
Pleasant Point 125cc class
1. Damien King (Yamaha) 2-1-1
2. Justin McDonald (Honda) 1-2-2
3. Michael Menchi ()
4. Jesse Wiki (Kawasaki)
5. Hayden McKay (Yamaha)
Fanning Claims Quiksilver Europe Crown, Can Clinch Title Next Week -ozzy go-
2007 Foster’s ASP World Tour Stop No. 7 - September 29, 2007
2007 Quiksilver Pro Europe
1. Mick Fanning (Australia)
2. Greg Emslie (South Africa)
3. Joel Parkinson (Australia)
3. Troy Brooks (Australia)
5. Taj Burrow (Australia)
5. Raoni Monteiro (Brazil)
5. Rodrigo Dornelles (Brazil)
5. Neco Padaratz (Brazil)
9. Pancho Sulivan (Hawaii)
9. Ricky Basnett (South Africa)
9. Royden Bryson (South Africa)
9. Bernardo Miranda (Brazil)
9. Phillip MacDonald (Australia)
9. Dayyan Neve (Australia)
9. Luke Munro (Australia)
9. Michel Bourez (Tahiti)
17. Kelly Slater (USA) Andy Irons (Hawaii) Cory Lopez (USA)
Mark Occhilupo (Australia) Trent Munro (Australia) Bobby
Martinez (USA) C.J. Hobgood (USA) Kai Otton (Australia) ...
Foster’s ASP World Tour Ratings after Stop No. 7
1. Mick Fanning (Australia) 64700pts/2 wins/6 top-3
2. Kelly Slater (USA) 5450pts/1 win/3 top-3
3. Taj Burrow (Australia) 4243pts/2 wins/3 top-3
4. Joel Parkinson (Australia) 4905pts/2 top-3
5. Andy Irons (Hawaii) 4741pts/1 win/2 top-3
Tucson falls to Kopp, Coolbeth is the Champion -ozzy go- amaflattrack.com
2007 AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship
USA Race Park - Tucson, AZ, September 29, 2007
Tucson Grand National Twins
1. Joe Kopp (#3 Harley-Davidson)
2. Kenny Coolbeth (#1 Harley-Davidson)
3. Rich King (#80 Harley-Davidson)
4. Jared Mees (#21 Harley-Davidson)
5. Bryan Bigelow (#11 Harley-Davidson)
6. Rob Pearson (#27 Harley-Davidson)
7. Jake Johnson (#14 Suzuki)
8. Chris Carr (#4 Harley-Davidson)
9. Shaun Russell (#28 Harley-Davidson)
10. Tim Eades (#72 Harley-Davidson)
AMA Grand National Twins Championship Standings
1. Kenny Coolbeth (225pts/6 wins/9 top-3) Harley-Davidson
2. Jared Mees (202pts/3 wins/9 top-3) Harley-Davidson
3. Bryan Smith (147pts/4 top-3) Harley-Davidson
4. Jake Johnson (143pts/3 top-3) Suzuki
5. Chris Carr (138pts/1 win/3 top-3) Harley-Davidson
6. Joe Kopp (129pts/1 win/2 top-3) Harley-Davidson
7. Shaun Russell (43pts) Harley-Davidson
8. JR Schnabel (45pts) Suzuki
9. Jethro Halbert (22pts) Harley-Davidson
10. Rich King (64pts/1 top-3) Harley-Davidson
12. Nick Cummings (53pts/1 top-3) Honda
13. Johnny Murphree (50pts/1 top-3) Harley-Davidson
'The Ghost' Kelly Pavlik, New Middleweight King - Pavlik comeback stuns Taylor -ozzy go-
Pavlik knocks out Taylor!
Unbeaten middleweight Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) scored an
incredible seventh round knockout of previously unbeaten
reigning champion Jermain Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KOs) to claim the
WBC/WBO middleweight championship on Saturday night at
Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Both fighters came out and traded
bombs in a great round one. Taylor floored Pavlik in round two
after a violent barrage and had Pavlik in big trouble. Pavlik barely
managed to survive a very rocky round, but somehow regrouped
and had a good round three. After several rounds of excellent
two-way action, Pavlik landed a big right hand in round seven and
his follow up attack sank Taylor to the canvas in Pavlik's corner.
Referee Steve Smoger stopped it at 2:14. At the time of the stop,
Taylor was far ahead on all three official cards by scores of 58-
55, 59-54, 58-55. There is a rematch clause in the contract, so
Pavlik-Taylor II might not be far off. boxnews.com.ua
Red Riders Race Report: Redmond Supermoto- ozzy go-
Jeff Ward kept his eyes on the prize at Redmond, taking a well-
considered second place on his Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Honda
CRF450R to stay just three points behind in the season’s
standings, with plenty of time—three more rounds—left to make
up the deficit on his main rival, Mark Burkhart.
Veteran MX, Indy Car and Supermoto Star Ward slotted into
second at the start behind Burkhart, but was unable to quite
match the leader’s pace. Troy Herfoss would eventually move up
to challenge Ward for the second-place spot, but Ward’s superior
strategy in passing lapped riders kept him ahead at the wire.
After standing on the second step of the winner’s podium, two-
time series champion Ward said: “I’m really happy to be up here
and I need to find some more speed to get a little closer to Mark.”
All Access Honda’s Micky Dymond brought his CRF450R home in
fourth, with Honda riders Jason Conlon in sixth and Cassidy
Anderson in eighth, making it four CRF450Rs in the top ten.
Ward and Burkhart came into the Redmond round tied in the
points standings, and their close points... read the full story
Burkhart Pulls Away At Oregon Supermoto -ozzy go- cyclenews.com
Currie wins the Lites class while Atkins tops the Unlimited race
Mark Burkhart (pictured) claimed his fifth win of the AMA Supermoto
Series at the seventh stop on the championship schedule in Redmond,
Oregon, today, beating Troy Lee Design/Red Bull Honda’s Jeff Ward
by over nine seconds in the premiere-class final.
Burkhart put his Graves Motorsports Yamaha into the lead at the start
of the 14-lap race and slowly pulled away was Ward was left to deal
with the pressures of a hard-charging Troy Herfoss on the factory
KTM. Herfoss loss sight of Wardy, however, when the front-runners
encountered lappers during the late stages of the race, but held on to
claim his third podium finish of the season, behind Burkhart and Ward.
All Access Honda’s Micky Dymond was fourth with Steve Drew on a
Mach 1 Yamaha in fifth.
Burkhart, who is looking for his first Supermoto-class title, came into
the Redmond event tied with Ward in the series standings but left with
a three point advantage (158 to 155) with just three rounds remaining.
In the Unlimited class, series points leader Benny Carlson went down
on the opening lap of the final, leaving his Aprilia teammate Darryl
Atkins with the early lead. Atkins took full advantage the situation
and rode away to his first win of the year, while Husqvarna’s David
Baffeleuf and Husaberg mounted Robert Loire finished second and
third, respectively.
Redmond was not kind to the series points leader in the Lites division,
either, as David Pingree went down while leading on the opening lap
of the Lites final and got up holding his wrist. The Troy Lee Honda
backed rider was taken to a nearby hospital for x-rays. click on ozzy
got to the full story on cyclenews.com
Redmond AMA Supermoto
2007 AMA Supermoto Championship Round 7 - Deschutes County Expo Center - Redmond, OR, September 29, 2007
Burkhart breaks championship tie with convincing win -ozzy go- amasupermoto.com
Redmond AMA Red Bull Supermoto
1. Mark Burkhart (#6 Yamaha YZ450F)
2. Jeff Ward (#1 Honda CRF450R)
3. Troy Herfoss (#7 KTM 450SX)
4. Micky Dymond (#43 Honda CRF450R)
5. Steve Drew (#73 Yamaha WR450F)
6. Jason Conlon (#294 Honda CRF450R)
7. Benjamin Carlson (#45 Aprilia RXV450)
8. Cassidy Anderson (#15 Honda CRF450R)
9. Chris Fillmore (#11 Kawasaki KX450F)
10. David Baffeleuf (#23 Husqvarna SM450RR)
AMA PPG Supermoto Championship Standings after Round 7
1. Burkhart (Yamaha Graves Motosports) 158pts/5 wins/5 top-3
1. Jeff Ward (Troy Lee Designs Honda) 155pts/1 win/7 top-3
3. Micky Dymond (All Access Honda) 122pts/1 win/1 top-3
4. Troy Herfoss (KTM Hard Equipment) 118pts/3 top-3
5. Steve Drew (Mach1 Yamaha) 102pts
6. Chris Fillmore (Monster Energy Kawasaki) 95pts/2 top-3
7. Jason Conlon (CHM Exhaust Honda) 82pts
8. Cassidy Anderson (Troy Lee Designs Honda) 71pts/2 top-3
9. Ben Carlson (Factory Aprilia Rip It Energy Racing) 69pts
10. Robbie Horton (Monster Energy Kawasaki) 67pts
Atkins gets his first -ozzy go- amasupermoto
Redmond AMA PPG Supermoto Unlimited
1. Darryl Atkins (#54 Aprilia RXV550)
2. David Baffeleuf (#23 Husqvarna TC510)
3. Robert Loire (#502 Husaberg FS650c)
4. John Lewis (#21 KTM 560SX-F)
5. Ben Carlson (#1 Aprilia RXV550)
6. Ryan Pugh (#112 KTM 560SMR)
7. Adam Cini (#33 Husqvarna SMR510)
8. Cory Gabbert (#718 KTM 560SMR)
9. Graham Gustin (#833 KTM 560SMR)
10. Travis Marks (#64 KTM 560SMR)
AMA Red Bull Supermoto Unlimited Standings
1. Ben Carlson (Rip It Energy Aprilia) 163pts/5 wins/6 top-3
2. Darryl Atkins (Rip It Energy Aprilia) 123pts/1 win/3 top-3
3. Robert Loire (Husaberg) 118pts/2 top-3
4. Kurt Nicoll (HMC KTM) 111pts, 1 win, 5 top-3
5. Travis Marks (Rockstar KTM) 97pts
6. Josh Chisum (KTM) 93pts/2 top-3
7. Brian Capper (KTM Hard Equipment) 80pts
8. John Lewis (KTM Hard Equipment) 72pts, 2 top-3
9. Cory Gabbert (KTM Hutt.com) 70pts
10. Donald Wanat (Rockstar KTM) 66pts
Currie takes control of Lites title race -ozzy go- amasupermoto.com
Redmond AMA Hot Wheels Supermoto
1. Brandon Currie (#2 Yamaha YZ250F)
2. Adam Cini (#33 Husqvarna TC250)
3. Dalton Dimick (#27 Kawasaki KX250F)
4. Robbie Smith (#660 Yamaha YZ250F)
5. Steve Marty (#138 KTM 250SX-F)
6. Andrew Hyder (#995 Yamaha YZ250F)
7. Jamie Siever (#90 Yamaha YZ250F)
8. Michael Corbino (#779 Yamaha YZ250F)
9. Cameron Welsh (#752 Yamaha YZ250F)
10. Tyler Teegarden (#209 Kawasaki KX250F)
AMA Hot Wheels Supermoto Lites Standings after Round 7
1. Currie (Graves Motorsports Yamaha) 163pts/3 wins/7 top-3
2. David Pingree (Troy Lee Designs Honda) 144pts/4 wins/6 top-3
3. Adam Cini (LA Fuel Husqvarna) 129pts/3 top-3
4. Dalton Dimick (Monster Energy Kawasaki) 105pts/1 top-3
5. Jamie Siever (Scott's Speed Shop Yamaha) 96pts
6. Matt Abbott (Monster Energy Kawasaki) 83pts, 1 top-3
7. Andrew Hyder (Yamaha of Columbus) 78pts
8. Steve Marty (Thor Vortex KTM) 57pts
9. Chad Cose (BP Racing KTM) 50pts
10. Troy Lee (Troy Lee Designs Honda) 49pts
ad pics from speedtv.com
Pole for Bayliss as Toseland falls - Super Troys Oz Masters at Vallelunga Superpole
Troy Bayliss claimed pole position for the penultimate round of the World
Superbike Championship at Vallelunga in Italy, while Britain's James
Toseland crashed to leave himself way back in eighth.
Toseland, 26, who can be crowned as world champion for the second time
this weekend if results go his way, was chasing the top spot on his
Superpole lap when he lost the front end of his Ten Kate Honda at a slow
left-hander and fell to the floor.
Despite failing to set a time, a rule change put in place at the start of the
season will see him start both races from eighth, by virtue of his time in
regular qualifying.
His crash left the way clear for Troy Corser to put himself into the top
spot. But that did not last long either as reigning world champion Bayliss
guided his Ducati around the track in a brilliant 1:35.890.
It was enough to give the 38-year-old Australian his sixth pole of the
season and the 18th of his career by just 0.126 seconds from his
compatriot Corser, on a Motor Italia Yamaha.
Ruben Xaus' Sterilgada Ducati and the Alstare Suzuki of local hero Max
Biaggi, who needs to beat Toseland in both races to retain his title chances
into the Magny-Cours season finale, completed the front row.
Corser's team-mate Noriyuki Haga, who will keep his title hopes alive by
being within nine points of Toseland's weekend haul, headed the second
row with Lorenzo Lanzi's Ducati and Michel Fabrizio's DFX Honda next up.
Behind Toseland, the top ten was completed by his team-mate Roberto
Rolfo and Shinichi Nakatomi, who took his Yamaha France entry into a
career-best tenth place. uk.eurosport.yahoo.com 
Vallelunga, Italy, September 29, 2007
Vallelunga Superbike Superpole
1. Troy Bayliss (Australia/Ducati) 1:35.890
2. Troy Corser (Australia/Yamaha) 1:36.016
3. Ruben Xaus (Spain/Ducati) 1:36.737
4. Max Biaggi (Italy/Suzuki) 1:36.925
5. Nori Haga (Japan/Yamaha) 1:36.996
6. Lorenzo Lanzi (Italy/Ducati) 1:37.428
7. Michel Fabrizio Italy/ (Honda) 1:37.430
8. Roby Rolfo (Italy/Honda) 1:37.589
9. Shinichi Nakatomi (Japan/Yamaha) 1:37.775
10. Marco Borciani (Italy/Ducati) 1:37.902
11. Max Neukirchner (Germany/Suzuki) 1:37.942
12. Regis Laconi (French Republic/Kawasaki) 1: 38.067
13. Jakub Smrz (Czech republic/Ducati) 1:38.110
14. Vittorio Iannuzzo (Italy/Kawasaki) 1:38.153
15. Fonsi Nieto (Spain/Kawasaki) 1:38.619
16. James Toseland (Honda) crash
photos from motograndprix.it & yamaha-racing.com
Corser On Provisional World Superbike Pole Position At Vallelunga -ozzy go- yamaha-racing.com
Yamaha Looking Good in First and Third on Day One
The first day of qualifying at Vallelunga went well for the Yamaha
Motor Italia WSB Team today, with Corser claiming provisional
pole and Haga just behind in third.
The day started off wet and quite cool following overnight rain,
with temperatures only hitting 19˚C compared to the scorching
50˚C experienced during testing here in July. The difference in
weather conditions meant that the data gathered in the test
proved less helpful than hoped during this morning’s free
practice. But both Corser and Haga didn’t let this faze them and
got on with the job of finding the best set-up for the conditions.
By the end of the session Corser was fastest with Haga in fourth.
This afternoon’s qualifying session was a dry affair, giving the
team the chance to find a dry set-up. Both riders spent the
session in the top four until Corser pulled it out of the bag in the
last ten minutes to take the provisional pole position. Haga put in
a strong performance to finish third, in front of his key focus for
the weekend – Toseland. click on ozzy go to the full story
2007 FIM Superbike World Championship
Vallelunga, Italy, September 28, 2007
Provisional Superbike Qualifying
1. Troy Corser, Australia (Yamaha YZF-R1) 1:37.537
2. Troy Bayliss, Australia (Ducati 999F07) 1:37.578
3. Noriyuki Haga, Japan (Yamaha YZF-R1) 1:37.951
4. Max Biaggi, Italy (Suzuki GSX-R1000K7) 1:37.962
5. James Toseland, Great Britain (Honda CBR1000RR) 1:38.111
Gavin Gracyk AMA Interview -ozzy go- amamotocross.com
All summer everyone has been talking about Gavin Gracyk’s
impressive rides. And why not - especially with all the hard
times that the 23-year old privateer has been going through?
Rebounding back from numerous injuries and personal
tragedies, Gavin soon became both a media darling and
everyone’s favorite feel-good success story. Get to know
Gracyk, and you will have a whole new level of appreciation
for his on-track success this past summer. I caught up with
the Ohio native at Glen Helen, where he finished eighth
overall and ninth in the 2007 AMA Toyota Motocross
Championship Presented By FMF series. click here to the
interview on amamotocross.com
Updated - October 3, 2007 - RacerX
Help Gavin Gracyk's Dad
Gavin Gracyk at Glen Helen - tedescophoto.com
Ricky Carmichael RacerX Interview -ozzy go-
5 Minutes With...Ricky Carmichael September 28, 2007
The greatest AMA rider of all time, Ricky Carmichael, retired from
first class motocross last weekend in Budds Creek, Maryland. The
multiple AMA Motocross and Supercross champion walked away
from the sport with a classic victory against the best riders in the
world. Finishing with 3-1 results, Carmichael helped Team USA
win the biggest prize in motocross, the Motocross of Nations. Here
is what he thought about his weekend. click on ozzy go to the
interview on racerxill.com
Team Belgium - Looking back on their podium -ozzy go- mxlarge.com
A strong team effort (Steve Ramon, Ken De Dycker, Jeremy Van
Horebeek) has put Team Belgium on the third spot at the MX of
Nations today in Budds Creek (US). The American team with
Carmichael, Villopoto and Ferry dominated the event, the French
team was runner up. More than 45.000 people witnessed how
Ricky Carmichael won the last ever major motocross event of his
amazing career. World champ Ramon was second in the
individual MX1 standings, De Dycker came second overall in the Open class.
After a disappointing first heat (engine failure for Van Horebeek)
and in spite of the absence of Kevin Strijbos, the Belgian team
showed great speed and determination this weekend. The
cornerstones of the unexpected success were De Dycker’s second
in race two and Ramon’s fourth in the final heat. A surprisingly
strong Van Horebeek, only 17, came home tenth overall in the
combined Open-MX2 battle.
The podium in Budds Creek is the 13th consecutive rostrum finish
for Belgium. The Belgian team received VIP support at the race
this weekend from Mr. Dominique Struye, Belgian ambassador in
the US and Miss Cynthia Reekmans, TV host and godmother of
Team Belgium. click on ozy go to the full story on mxlarge.com
pic from suzuki-racing.com
Bayliss: I want to go out with a couple more wins -ozzy go- ducati.com
SBK reaches fever pitch with penultimate round at first-
time Vallelunga circuit
Vallelunga (Italy), Thursday 27 September : The World Superbike
Championship reaches the penultimate round of 13, which takes
place this weekend at the Vallelunga circuit on the outskirts of
Rome. The production-based racing series will be competing for
the first time ever at the Italian track, which over the years has
been spruced up and lengthened to 4.110 km to accommodate
international racing competition.
As a circuit, Vallelunga offers a mixed technical challenge to the
World Superbike riders, who have to tackle several relatively fast
and sweeping corners before entering the final slow and twisty
part of the track.
Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) added one more win to his season
tally three weeks ago in the German round at the Eurospeedway.
This enabled the 38 year-old Australian to close the gap to points
leader James Toseland (Honda), but he remains in fourth place
and a repeat of his 2006 title win is now extremely unlikely even
though still theoretically possible. With four more points-scoring
races still to be held, here and in France, Troy will realistically be
aiming for third in the table, although the runner-up slot could
also be on the cards.
Troy Bayliss, 4th in championship (296 points)
Troy tested here in the official FGSport tests at the start of July,
ending up second quickest behind Ruben Xaus (Ducati). Last
week's private session at the Ducati Xerox Team's chosen test
track enabled him to put some more mileage in but it mainly
involved sorting out the new 1098 F08 machine.
"We did test there last week but basically we were getting a feel
for the new bike so we didn't learn a lot to help us in the race"
said Troy. "I'm really looking forward to racing at Vallelunga and
trying to improve my overall position because right now I'm
fourth and there's a possibility that I could better that. Second is
a good possibility, third looks a bit more realistic, but most
important is that I want to go out with a couple more wins. I like
Vallelunga because it's got a lot of character about it. It's a very
physical track especially the first section because you're in sixth
and fifth gear so whenever you have to change direction you
have to put a lot of physical input into the bike, and the rest of it
is quite 'Mickey Mouse', but it's a track where spectators will
enjoy and it could make for good racing so I'm really interested
to see how it's going to pan out." click on ozzy go to the full story
The hammering continues - MXoN -ozzy go- mxlarge.com
Here it is nearly a week ago we arrived at Budds Creek for the
2007 Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations. It was going to be a war.
We expected Ricky Carmichael to dominate, we expected to see
the three (Villopoto, Cairoli and Townley)MX2 hero's go to battle,
in the end what sits in my mind is the sight of our GP riders being
humbled like never before. It wasn't just a beating, it was the
darkest dark.
I have been to nearly 20 Motocross of Nations, starting back in
1987 in Unadilla. There has not been one race I have seen the
Grand Prix riders so outclassed. I can tell you, I didn't enjoy it
one little bit, and I can't imagine how it felt for the riders
themselves. Even in 1996 when Jeremy McGrath, Steve Lamson
and Jeff Emig won easily, there were still battles going on. The
Americans might have won everything with McGrath going 1-1
and Lamson taking the Open/MX2 race, but nothing like this years
domination, not even close.
There is no doubt that Ryan Villopoto had a one-off performance,
a day that he was even faster than in normal conditions. He
couldn't be that much better than Tim Ferry and Grant Langston,
or is he. Villopoto didn't just... click on ozzy go to the full story
MX Legends Birthday: Bob Hannah -ozzy go- motorcyclemuseum.org
Bob Hannah will go down in history as one of the greatest American
motocross racers of all time. He won a total of seven AMA national
championships and when inducted in 1999, Hannah was one of only
two riders in the history of AMA motocross racing to win
championships in 125cc motocross, 250cc motocross and Supercross.
Hannah easily ranks as the most versatile motocross racer of his era
and perhaps of all time. During his 15-year racing career, Hannah
won nationals in the 125cc, 250cc and 500cc categories as well as
Supercross and Trans-AMA. When he retired from racing, Hannah
held the record for the most career wins in both the AMA Supercross
and AMA 250cc national motocross.
Hannah was born on September 26, 1956 in the rugged Mojave
Desert town of Lancaster, California. His father was a motorcyclist and
Hannah grew up riding on the handlebars of his dad’s bikes. When he
was 7, Hannah got his own bike and rode countless hours in the high
desert surrounding his hometown. The one thing Hannah did not do in
those early years was race. He explains:
"My father was against racing. He did not mind me riding, but at the
same time he didn’t want me getting hurt. So I never raced until I
was 18 years old and living on my own."
By the time Hannah hit the motocross tracks of Southern California,
he was more than ready. Even though he didn’t have racing
experience, he had practically lived on a motorcycle since grade
school and likely had more hours on a bike than any of his fellow
competitors. Hannah won his first and only race in the amateur ranks.
After his dominating debut, local racing officials told the young
Hannah he would have to move up to the expert ranks.
In 1975, his first full year as an expert, Hannah rode in just two
AMA nationals. His best finish was sixth overall in the AMA 125cc
National in San Antonio, Texas. Not bad for a rider with less than
a year’s racing experience under his belt.
In 1976, Yamaha took a chance on the 19-year-old Hannah, who
was largely unknown outside of the local Southern California
motocross circles. Yamaha signed Hannah to race the 125cc
outdoor nationals. He started out the year with some success on a
250cc machine in the AMA Supercross Series, but his real strength
was on the 125cc bikes at the outdoor motocross circuits.
The AMA 125cc National Motocross Championships were only two
years old when Hannah launched into his first full season in the
series. Honda and its rider, Marty Smith, dominated the 125cc
nationals for the first two years. Smith was gunning for his third-
straight title and he was the heavy favorite coming into the ’76
season. At the first round of the 125 MX series, the famous
Hangtown Nationals in Plymouth, California, Smith made the early
laps of the first moto look like a replay of 1974 and ‘75. Eight laps
into the relatively dull race the crowd came to its feet when
Hannah, on his No. 39... full story on motorcyclemuseum.org
pics from onthepiperacing.com
Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations - What an event -ozzy go- mxlarge.com
With a total of 75000 spectators, and marking the event’s
comeback to America after a 20 year absence, last weekend’s
Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations was one of the most successful
events that promoter Youthstream has ever organized. Under
President Giuseppe Luongo’s guide, Youthstream has been
working hard for this event, offering the crowd a magnificent
show. But there is more beyond what the crowd can see, and with
an established promoter like Youthstream, having contacts and
influence all over the world, there is plenty of backstage activity.
Youthstream is very active in supporting Wings for Life, a three
year old foundation studying spinal cord injuries and trying to find
a cure for spinal paralysis. Wings for Life, founded by Heinz
Kinigadner and Red Bull’s Dietrich Mateschitz, brought lots of
important guests into a special press conference, where
Youthstream President Giuseppe Luongo confirmed his company’s
commitment in supporting the foundation.
Giuseppe Luongo talks at the Wings for Life press conference
Legendary Ricky Carmichael has been the focus of the entire
weekend, as this was the multiple champion’s last appearance in
the event. In this occasion, Ricky took the chance to thank
Youthstream for having organized the event in the latest years,
and for having brought the... click on ozzy go to the full story
photo from motocross.com
RacerX Number Cruncher: Larry Brooks -ozzy go- racerxill.com
Welcome to the Shift Number Cruncher. It’s a gnarly
week around here for me so I have a quick one for you
this time. If you recall Racerhead a couple weeks ago,
we ran a letter that Larry Brooks sent us expressing his
displeasure with our inability to remember him when we
ran some of the numbers he raced with during his long
and successful career. He did forget we ran him in the
#36 cruncher, though. Brooks has played a huge role
in the sport for the better part of the last three decades.
He was a super-fast racer and an even stronger team
manager for some of the biggest names in the sport.
We felt we owned him a little payback so we dug up
some pictures and history. This one’s for you, Larry!
click here for the full story on racerxill.com
AMA Supermoto Championship heads to Pacific Northwest -ozzy go- amasupermoto.com
WHR Motorsports is set to host its first AMA Supermoto Championship event this
Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in
Redmond, Ore.
Entitled the Yamaha Rampage in Redmond, this year’s race marks the first time
the AMA Supermoto Championship has visited the Pacific Northwest and the state
of Oregon.
“This event will help expose the sport of Supermoto to motorcycle enthusiasts and
fans throughout Central Oregon and the Northwest,” said promoter Lee Collins.
“We have thought of the fans first in every step of planning for this event.
Families can expect exciting racing and entertainment on September 29.”
With a panoramic view of the beautiful Cascade Mountain Range, the Deschutes
County Fair and Expo Center is situated on the outskirts of Redmond. The venue
offers ample parking, easy access and a wide range of event areas all set on 132
artfully landscaped acres reflecting the high desert scenery.
Spectators will be able to choose between 2,500 covered grandstand seats located
in front of the dirt section or an additional 1,000 seats in the paddock area in front
of the Parts Unlimited UrbanCross jumps and start/finish line. The track features
approximately 3,800’ of asphalt and 1,700’ of dirt.
The championship scenario in the premier AMA Red Bull Supermoto class has
turned into a two-rider battle and heats up for the final four-race stretch drive. At
the last round in Nashville, Graves Yamaha’s Mark Burkhart claimed his fourth
victory of the season and drew into a tie for the series points lead with Troy Lee
Designs Honda’s Jeff Ward, who has garnered one win and four runner-up finishes
to put himself into title contention.
“It helped me a lot winning in Nashville because now it turns the series into a four
race shootout”, said Burkhart. “I want to win..." click on ozzy got to the full story
Vallelunga: World Superbike Round 12 Preview -ozzy go- motorcycle-usa.com
As World Superbike action gets ready to invade Rome and
launch its attack on the Vallelunga circuit, four riders, all
from different manufacturers, are still alive in the hunt for
the championship title. With two events and four races
remaining, the opportunities for the quartet to grab a share
of the unclaimed 100 points and to close the 41-point lead
that Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's James Toseland holds are
dwindling.
There are four riders that still mathematically have a chance
of winning the championship title. Toseland has the inside
line to the crown with 375 points and eight race wins. The
26-year-old Brit could quash his challenger's hopes with a
double podium this weekend. the Honda rider looked in total
control of the championship up until Lausitz where he fell
off the pace, finishing ninth in the first race and salvaging
a fourth in the second.
Yamaha Motor Italia's Noriyuki Haga sits in second place
with 334 points and four wins. Haga needs another double
podium like the one he posted at Monza to keep the
pressure on Toseland all the way to the wire. Haga made
up 25 points during the last round at Lausitz and needs to
concentrate on winning this weekend and letting the other
variables fall into place.
"I don't think I've ever felt closer to the championship title
than I do now; everything is coming together and the bike
is feeling the best it's ever done. My focus for this weekend
is to chip away at that points margin a bit more; it's all about
winning this weekend," Haga said of the championship. click
on ozzy go to the full story – pic from motograndprix.it
Chris Vermeulen says give Casey Stoner credit -ozzy go- motorcyclenews.com
Chris Vermeulen believes it is time for people to stop detracting
from Casey Stoner’s impressive 2007 success and start paying
him some more respect for an outstanding world championship-
winning campaign.
Casey Stoner wrapped his first world title in Japan last weekend,
but the Aussie's critics have said he only won the title because of
the performance advantage held by Ducati and Bridgestone.
Chris Vermeulen and Casey Stoner are close pals and the factory
Suzuki rider said: “I think it is incredible what Casey has done this
season. He has done an awesome job. "A lot of people say it is
the bike, that Ducati is the best and is so fast. It is quick and
Casey has some advantages but I’m sure the Ducati also has
some disadvantages but no one talks about them. "There are
three other Ducatis out there and he is wiping the floor with those
guys every week.”
Vermeulen said the most impressive thing about his compatriot in
2007 has been his ability to withstand the intense pressure from
Valentino Rossi in races like Qatar, Shanghai and Barcelona. click
on ozzy go to the full story - pic from rizla-suzuki-motogp.co.uk
Steve Parrish on Casey Stoner -ozzy go- news.bbc.co.uk
I first met MotoGP's new champion Casey Stoner when he was a
young lad slumming it in a camper van in Penrith in the Lake
District.
His parents had brought him over from Kurri-Kurri in Australia to
Europe to help him follow his MotoGP dream, which took him all
over England and then Spain.
He simply would not be where he is today without the dedication
shown by his parents - he owes a great deal of debt to them for
the sacrifices they made.
He was a quiet little lad back then, much like he is now.
He is not at all gregarious and is quite an introvert, but he has a
steely determination and focus which is quite unusual in someone
so young.
His father is the one who saw it in him and that is what drove him
to put so much effort in to his son's career. And it has paid off in
spectacular style. click on ozzy go to the full story - pic from
caseystoner.com
Toseland can win title on Sunday
If James Toseland can extend his title lead by nine points at Vallelunga on
Sunday, then he will be crowned the 2007 World Superbike champion one
round early.
The Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider heads into the penultimate round 41
points clear of Yamaha Italia's Noriyuki Haga, with 100 points still to be
won. Therefore if Toseland can push his title lead up to 50 points by the
end of Sunday's pair of races, then he will have an unstoppable advantage.
"We are so close to the end of the season now, but it still feels a long way
away to me - particularly after what happened in Lausitz," said 2004 world
champion Toseland, who struggled at the German round. "I still have a
good advantage, but I know that in racing anything can happen and you
can't relax until you have two hands firmly on the trophy. I am trying to
focus on the individual races and getting on the podium, but I am not
letting go of my lead without a fight."
"With the championship reaching its final stages and James still leading
the title chase, we are feeling a bit of pressure," admitted team manager
Ronald ten Kate. "To be honest though, I believe the real pressure is on
our rivals, because they have to make up the points while we just have to
maintain the current lead. During the test at Vallelunga we concentrated on
race distance and we have a good set-up for the CBR1000RRs. Hopes are
high that we can secure two solid results for James and Roby [Rolfo] this
weekend."
As well as Toseland and Haga, third in the championship Max Biaggi (53
points from Toseland) and defending world champion Troy Bayliss (79
points from Toseland) also have a mathematical chance of winning the
2007 title. crash.net -photo from motosport.com
Nicky Hayden and Repsol Honda team wrap up positive Motegi test -ozzy go- nickyhayden.com
The Repsol Honda Team completed its second day of testing at
Motegi today with Nicky Hayden gathering more valuable data
ahead of the final three races of the 2007 season. The Team
continued its evaluation of Michelin’s latest tyre technology along
with further tests of a new fairing and clutch parts. When the
track closed at 4.45pm, Hayden had completed another 89 laps
and shaved his fastest Motegi lap time down to 1m 47.277s – a
useful improvement of 0.617s over yesterday.
After two races on successive weekends, followed by this two-day
test, the hard-working Repsol Honda squad now takes a breath
before its next intercontinental adventure. The back-to-back
Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix take place on October 14
and October 21, with the final race of the season at Valencia,
Spain scheduled for November 4.
“Well, we almost had Motegi to ourselves – there weren’t a lot of
guys going around out there. We did a lot more work today,
testing the new fairing and some clutch parts. It was not so much
parts we might be using this..." click on ozzy go to the full story
Josh Hayes Road Racer X interview -ozzy go-
Tuesday Conversation: Josh Hayes September 25, 2007
Josh Hayes was so dominant in the 2007 600cc classes that he’d
wrapped up the Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme title prior to the
last round and had a shot at the Pro Honda Oils Supersport crown
despite a mid-season DNF. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca,
however, was unkind to the Erion Honda rider (in much the same
way that getting hit by a Mac truck itches). A Supersport crash left
him with broken bones in both feet, a last-second mechanical
problem nearly made him miss the FX race, and a huge crash in
the FX race itself—which he was leading at the time—left him
conducting this interview from a couch. The season now
concluded, he’s facing one more mission: to heal up in time for
his October wedding to USGPRU and WERA racer Melissa Paris.
click on ozzy go to the interview - pic from amasuperbike.com
Stoner set to celebrate at Phillip Island
Australia's new MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner has arrived
in Australia after last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.
Stoner has been confirmed as this year's champion with three
rounds still to race after finishing ahead of former world champion
Valentino Rossi in Motegi.
The next round of the MotoGP competition is a fairytale return to
the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island and Stoner says it will
be an emotional day for him.
"Now that the championship's finished, we've got to concentrate
on winning a few more races, and you know home GP is number
one at the moment," he said. "But it's definitely going to be hard
work again. We struggled a little bit last weekend and ... we
seemed alright in testing at the beginning of the week, we should
be alright."
Stoner says he has been thinking about being crowned as world
champion for a long time. "We've been working towards this for a
lot of years," he said. "So it's not just something that's just come
on in one big bang, and we've kind of been expecting it for the
past few races so we understand what it is." abc.net.au
photo from ducati.com
The Greatest MX Prodigies
Ron Lechien (1983/16-year-old) AMASX250 victories
Damon Bradshaw (1988/16-year-old) Int.SX250 victory
Rick Johnson (1981/17-year-old) AMAMX250 victories
Tony Di Stefano (1974/17-year-old) AMAMX500 victories
Marty Tripes (1972/16-year-old) AMASX250 victory
Broc Glover (1977/17-year-old) AMAMX125 title
Travis Pastrana (2000/16-year-old) AMAMX125 title
James Stewart (2002/16-year-old) AMAMX125 title
Marty Smith (1974/17-year-old) AMAMX125 title
Ricky Carmichael (1997/17-year-old) AMAMX125 title
Brad Lackey (1972/19-year-old) AMAMX500 title
Brian Swink (1991/17-year-old) AMASX125 title
Ryan Villopoto (2006/18-year-old) AMAMX125 title
Mark Barnett (1978/17-year-old) AMAMX125 victory
Robbie Reynard (1993/16-year-old) AMAMX125 victory
Damon Huffman (1993/17-year-old) AMASX125 victories
Jim Pomeroy (1972/19-year-old) AMAMX250 victory
Mike LaRocco (1988/17-year-old) AMASX125 victory
Kevin Windham (1996/18-year-old) AMASX125 title
Dave Strijbos (1984//16-year-old) MXGP125 victory
André Malherbe (1973/17-year-old) MXGP125 title
Georges Jobé (1980/19-year-old) MXGP250 title
David Thorpe (1982/19-year-old) GPMX500 victory
Eric Geboers (1980/17-year-old) MXGP125 victory
Rob Herring (1987/18-year-old) MXGP250 victory
Stefan Everts (1991/18 year’s old) MXGP125 title
Jean Michel Bayle (1987/18 year’s old) MXGP125 victories
Sebastien Tortelli (1996/18-year-old) MXGP125 title
Grant Langston (2000/18 year’s old) MXGP125 title
Marc Velkeneers (early 80's) MXGP125 victories
Joel Robert (1965/21-year-old) MXGP250 title
Ron "Machine" Lechien in 1984
2nd of Ricky Johnson in US Outdoor 250cc
1st in USGP 250cc at Unadilla at 17!