Lorenzo wins in Jerez Spain

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo used his M1 to deliver victory in front of his home crowd at Jerez. Team mate Ben Spies was denied his first MotoGP podium as a factory rider with just three laps remaining of the race.

Lorenzo wins whilst Spies crashes out

The second race of the 2011 MotoGP Championship was played out on treacherous track conditions that claimed a number of victims over the 27 laps. Slipping comfortably into second in the first lap Lorenzo stayed in contention in the top three for several laps, graduating to first position as rivals Stoner, Rossi and Simoncelli all crashed out of contention. A steady rhythm saw the reigning World Champion take the chequered flag, his first ever professional race career win in the wet.

Spies initially dropped to sixth after starting fourth. However in the latter stages of the race, he gained half a second a lap on second place man Pedrosa. He caught and passed him, raising the possibility of a Yamaha one two on the podium. The Texan’s race was brought to a premature end on turn five, as slippery conditions and worn race tyres caused him to lose the front and slide off the track.

Lorenzo’s victory propels him to the top of the MotoGP Championship standings with a tally of 45 points, nine points clear of Pedrosa in second. Spies heads to the next round in Estoril in four weeks time having dropped to 12th in the standings with ten points and looking to make up for today’s disappointment.

Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha Factory Racing

"It has been one of my most patient races. It’s a great victory, which we needed and I feel so good. This is also the first time I have won in wet conditions, the first time ever! Now we are working to improve our bike, taking as many points as possible on the way. The King of Spain said to me that he would bring me good luck after our meeting last February in Madrid, he was right! With the competition so high this year, I never imagined I would be leader in the championship after two races. I am so happy to have won this weekend!”

Ben Spies, Yamaha Factory Racing

“I didn’t think of it as a race today, it was more a race of attrition. Once we moved into fourth behind Hayden, I knew I could get past so just waited for the right moment. Pedrosa was only a few seconds ahead of me and I thought for sure we could get on the podium. Lorenzo was obviously going to win but I knew we could go one two. I put it all out there and caught Pedrosa. As soon as I passed him I knew that we had second place under control, he wouldn’t be able to get back by, but I needed to not make any mistakes. Every corner after I passed him I slowed down, taking it easy then all of a sudden I was on the floor. Obviously it was my mistake, but looking at the data, I was going slower than I had all race. It was one of those things; I think the tyres were the limiting factor today. I think it was a great show for the crowd though!”

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LCR HONDA MOTOGP TM ON MOTOR SHOW

LGS Lap Sports News LCR HONDA MOTOGP TM ON MOTOR SHOW

The 35th edition of the Bologna Motor Show (Internationale Automobil Ausstellung), LCR Honda MotoGP Team Manager Lucio Cecchinello and some members of the large motor sports have a special talk show with the new LGS Sports Lab (the company aims related organized to offer innovative services to the world of sport).

Unlike the first 125 riders in the MotoGP class, full-time team manager in 2004, is the doctor Claudio Costa (former Chief Orthopedic Rizzoli Hospital in Bologna, founder of the Mobile Clinic and Doctor of nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi) and Franco Hooks (former MotoGP rider and Security Commission in charge) have demonstrated the discussion attended together with Dipl.-Ing. Mazzola (Ferrari F1 consultant), Thomas Biagi (Formula 3000) and the lawyer Italo Giorgio Minguzzi (former high school teacher, lawyer and a big fan of sports and competitions).

Genial organized by RAI TV commentator Fabrizio Binacchi the meeting included not only the MotoGP riders experience and talent, but the human aspect and the emotion. And, above all, the delicate transition period between the end of the careers of pilots' and the simple life of every day.

Support to the athletes in this important moment is the main objective of LGS Sports Lab, founded by Mrs. Lorenza Guerra Seràgnoli who was very impressed by, ideas and suggestions from customers experiences that will be an additional feedback for their innovative project impressed. Passion, competition, sacrifice, disappointment, injury, leadership, coaching, etc. .. some of the main topics during the talk show and Dr. Costa are discussed Franco Uncini and Lucio Cecchinello offered their personal stories.

Dr. Costa said: "Sport is like a training ground for life" from the values that you get from him and the many ways in which the comparison with the variety, the encounter with the efforts, the happiness of victory and the disappointment of defeat . All these elements form the personalities of the athletes for the rest of their lives in the best way to deal with. "

Doctor Minguzzi said, "I'm happy because I had the opportunity to work with many riders Loris Reggiani Cecchinello and I can say that the athletes are very strong and very sensitive at the same time, if you have a consultant for a wish. You must first sportman to be his friend. "

"These people live a special life and follow their dreams as a child. As a consultant, is always a pleasure for me to join them at the beginning of their careers share their successes with them, work their way to the end of racing ".

Lucio Cecchinello said. "Self-respect, sacrifice and willpower are the values linked to an athlete and represent a personal possession, which is essential for the future, Franco I was very sad when I retired from competitive racing, because I face a different way of life after 15 years on the bike. "

"Now I have a new incentive, because my experience for the young rider as a team manager and in the meantime I have a chance, with the main organizers (FIM, MSMA and Dorna), able to transfer my little support for the exciting sport cooperation ".

Franco Uncini, said: "Getting injured is a mosaic of break it needs time and patience to assemble the parts again and if it happened to me in '82 I was lucky when Dr. Costa was on my side .. "

"A pilot without competition is like a fish out of water. It 's very difficult to build a new life from racing and I think that sport has to offer LGS Laboratory of great help to these athletes."

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DUCATI AND AMG JOIN FORCES

Source: Alison Fraser; NF Importers, AUS

Ducati to cooperate with AMG

Los Angeles (USA) – Ducati and AMG will work together closely in the future. The initial aim of the cooperation between the performance brand from Affalterbach and the Italian manufacturer of high-performance motorcycles is to develop common marketing activities. The cooperation agreement was signed today, during a press conference at the Los Angeles Auto Show, by Gabriele del Torchio, President and CEO of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A and Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

"We are especially proud to have AMG as one of our sponsors for the Ducati MotoGP Team. I am also very pleased that our joint marketing activities are well under way. In AMG we have found a partner who perfectly reflects our brand values of high performance, motorsport, excitement and our sense of unmistakable style and design," said Gabriele del Torchio, President and CEO of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.


"I am very pleased that we are able to announce our strategic cooperation with Ducati today. AMG and Ducati ideally complement each other, as both companies share the same values: racing as the driving passion, and high performance plus exclusivity as the central brand messages of both AMG and Ducati. This long-term cooperation will help us to jointly access new customer groups," said Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.


The first visible results of the cooperation between Ducati and AMG will be joint marketing and sponsoring activities. AMG will support the Ducati MotoGP Team as the Official Car Partner from 2011, for example. During selected AMG events, participants will be able to test ride Ducati motorcycles, and Ducati customers will similarly have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the latest AMG high-performance cars at events.

Ducati President & CEO Gabriele del Torchio with Mercedes-AMG CEO Ola Källenius

Joint events are planned for the members of the AMG Private Lounge, in which more than 13,000 AMG customers worldwide are registered. The partners are currently examining the further activities and strategic steps they might undertake together in the near future.

Ducati and AMG: racing, high performance, exclusivity
Founded in 1926, Ducati has been producing sport-inspired motorcycles since 1946. Their motorcycles are characterised by “Desmodromic” performance engines, innovative design and avant-garde technology. Covering several market segments, Ducati's range of motorcycles are divided into model families which include: Desmosedici RR, Hypermotard, Monster, Multistrada, Streetfighter, Superbike and the brand new Diavel. These authentic icons of Made in Italy” are sold in over 80 countries around the world, with concentration on the European, North-American and Japanese markets. Ducati is currently involved in both the World Superbike Championship and, with an official team, the World MotoGP Championship. In Superbike Ducati has won 16 of the last 20 Manufacturers' titles as well as 13 Riders' titles.

Ducati have participated in MotoGP since 2003, and took both the Manufacturers' and Riders' titles in 2007. AMG was founded in 1967, and is seen as a pioneer in motorsports and performance enhancement. In the following years AMG developed from a two-man operation to a company of worldwide renown. Numerous racing victories, technological tours de force born of the racetrack, unique high-performance cars and an unmistakable brand experience such as e.g. the AMG Driving Academy have come together to form a decidedly exclusive brand image. Founded in 1999, Mercedes-AMG GmbH is an autonomous vehicle manufacturer. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, AMG is responsible for all development processes relating to the chassis, engine, suspension, brakes, electronics, aerodynamics, interior and design, right up to final approval of the complete AMG car. Mercedes-AMG GmbH also manages all marketing and sales related aspects in its own right.

Ducati President & CEO Gabriele del Torchio posing with Mercedes-AMG CEO Ola Källenius

The SLS AMG as a masterpiece in AMG's history
The SLS AMG presented in 2009 is an automotive masterpiece from Mercedes-AMG GmbH. As the first automobile independently developed by the company, the super-sports car is the highlight in AMG's more than 40-year history. It not only takes AMG into a new era, but also demonstrates development expertise of the very highest order. AMG's special focus is on the heart of any automobile, namely the engine. The company's core expertise in developing and producing powerful engines has been assiduously perfected right from the start. In the ultra-modern AMG engine shop, highly qualified specialists follow the traditional "One man - one engine" philosophy to produce high-performance AMG V8 and V12 engines to the highest quality standards.

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MOTO2 TEAMS FOR 2011

IN A FORMAL statement, the Federation Internationale de Motoclisme (FIM) has released the names of the teams who will be contesting the World Moto2 Championship in 2011.

The FIM statement reads as follows:
"The Selection Committee comprising delegates of the FIM, Dorna and IRTA met on 31 October in Estoril (Portugal) to select the final teams which will be invited to participate in 2011

"Accepted teams now have until 5 November to confirm their riders and until 12 November to lodge a security deposit with IRTA. Should any of the accepted teams propose riders not acceptable to the Committee, or if the security deposit is not paid, then consideration will be given to other teams."

ACCEPTED TEAMS
Forward Racing
G22 Racing Team
Gresini Racing
Holiday Gym Racing *
Interwetten Moriwaki Moto2 *
Iodaracing Project
Italtrans Racing Team
Jack & Jones by A. Banderas
JIR Moto2
Mapfre Aspar Team
Marc VDS Racing
Monlau Competicion *
MZ Motor
QMMF Racing Team
Racing Team By Quereseno
Stop and Go Racing Team
Tech 3 Racing
Technomag CIP
Tenerife 40 Pons
Tuenti Speed Up
Viessman Kiefer Racing
WTR/Speed Master Team *

* One entry only. All other teams two entries.

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DERBI TAKES TITLE

Thanks to his emphatic win in the Iveco Australian 125 Grand Prix, the young Spanish rider, Marc Marquez clinched the World Manufacturer's Championship for Derbi for the 2010 Moto GP season.

For the Catalan-based manufacturer, founded in Martorelles in 1922 and now part of the Piaggio Group, the title earned at Phillip Island is the 20th world championship it has taken. These comprise nine manufacturer's titles and 11 riders championships.

Derbi machines made their World Championship début at Barcelona in May 1962 in the Spanish Grand Prix on the old Montjuic street circuit. In the hands of Jose Busquets, the 50cc Debri finished runner-up to the Kreidler of German rider Hans Georg Anscheidt and ahead of the Honda of Swiss rider Luigi Taveri.

However, it was six years before the Spanish manufacturer scored its breakthrough GP win. This came on June 14, 1968 when Australian Barry Smith won the 50cc race on the motorcycling world's most legendary track, the Isle of Man TT course.

It was the first victory for a "Bala Roja" (red bullet), as the Derbi was called by Spanish enthusiasts.























Australian Barry Smith on the 50cc Derbi in 1968.

Great champions have since raced and won with the Derbi. To name a few, Jorge Martínez 'Aspar' (32 wins ), Angel Nieto (30), Japanese rider Youichi Ui (11), Jorge Lorenzo (4) and Frenchman Mike di Meglio (4).

The nine Manufacturer titles have been earned by Derbi in the 125 class (four times), 250 class (twice) and 50 cc (three times).


This year Derbi had already celebrated an historic marker in GP racing – 100 victories – thanks once again to Marquez when he the German 125 Grand Prix in August. With the Phillip Island win, Derbi has chalked up 105 GP victories.

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STONER: DEMOLITION MAN

Stoner and Lorenzo share a moment on the podium.

By Michael Esdaile 
Photos: Peter Geran

CASEY Stoner did a total demolition job on the Fiat Yamaha team at Phillip Island on Sunday, October 17. He managed to edge out newly crowned World MotoGP Champion Jorge Lorenzo in the run to Doohan Corner off the start and from there the Marlboro Ducati man was never headed.

In winning his fourth consecutive Australian MotoGP race, Stoner racked up his 30th grand prix win, and his 23rd in the 800cc class, two more than the next most successful man, Valentino Rossi.

And with Fiat Yamaha’s Rossi trailing over the finish line almost 18 seconds behind in third place, Stoner moved back into third in the 2010 World MotoGP Championship points table, edging out Rossi 205 to 197 points.

Stoner admitted he had been feeling a lot of pressure leading into the race, with large sections of the Australian public and press expecting him to win. He also explained that he had used the same chassis geometry that had proved so successful at Aragon and Motegi, with adjustments to the suspension spring rates and damping, as well as the swing-arm pivot height.

Lorenzo said that when he starts he is focused on the first corner, but this time he saw Stoner’s rear wheel in his peripheral vision and was surprised to see the Australian had a brand new, unscrubbed tyre on the Ducati.

Lorenzo said he tried to beat Stoner to the first corner, to prevent the Australian running away with the race, but to no avail. And when he finished the first lap and saw the ‘minus 1.5 second’ message on his pit board, he knew it was going to be a long, tough afternoon.

Lorenzo stuck at his task, pulling away from the battle for third place quite comfortably, but ahead of him Stoner was slowly but steadily getting away.

Hayden leads Rossi

Stoner’s Ducati team-mate Nicky Hayden was a bit of a surprise performer, running around the outside of several riders in the Southern Loop to annex third at the end of the first lap.

He then got into a tustle with Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Gresini Honda), while a little further back Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) were also in a tustle.

However, Dovizioso pulled out after just two laps and by then Rossi had worked his way up from ninth to sixth. For several laps Simoncelli and Hayden traded places for third spot while Rossi closed in on Spies. For a while the four riders were running nose-to-tail but then Rossi got in front of them and Hayden went with him.

Spies heads Simoncelli and Rossi halfway through the race.

That left Simoncelli and Spies battling corner-to-corner for fifth place, with Spies getting the upper hand and keeping it with four laps to go.

By then Stoner was 6.5 seconds ahead of Lorenzo – and 18.5 seconds clear of the Rossi/Hayden battle over third.

With three laps to go Hayden outbraked Rossi at Honda Corner and was looking for another podium but Rossi had other ideas, returning the favour, with interest on the final lap, carting his soon to be team-mate wide in the middle of the same corner and making good his escape.

Demolition man.

Stoner said once he had pulled the gap over second placed Lorenzo out to four seconds, he selected a less aggressive engine map and short-shifted to reduce engine rpm and save fuel to ensure he made it to the finish.

He also said that saved the rear Bridgestone from being destroyed.

So in the end, he won by more than eight and a half seconds over Lorenzo, and more importantly, beat Rossi by 17.997 seconds.

Hayden was 18.035 seconds behind and fifth placed Spies took the chequered flag 22.1 seconds behind the Australian.

For full results, click on:
http://resources.motogp.com/files/results/xx/2010/AUS/MotoGP/RAC/Classification.pdf?v1_cf9fea97

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STONER SENSATIONAL IN WARM-UP

Stoner Sensational

By Michael Esdaile
Photos: Peter Geran

DUCATI'S Casey Stoner was absolutely sensational in Sunday morning's MotoGP warm-up session at Phillip Island, scorching around the 4.448 km circuit to leave all his rivals trailling in his wake.

Stoner had the 800cc V4 Ducati sliding at maximum bank angle over Lukey Heights as well as spinning up the rear Bridgestone in the run up through the Hayshed section.

In the end, Stoner recorded a best lap of 1m 30.942s - the only rider to break into the 1m 30s zone all session.

Once again Stoner was in a class of his own on a track that was very cold - just 14 degrees. He ran a total of nine laps, all but one of them faster than the previous one.

Second fastest was San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli with a best lap of 1m 832s - almost two seconds behind Stoner!

On Saturday afternoon, Simoncelli recorded his best qualifying performance of the year with fourth fastest time.

“I am really happy because we have qualified on the third row for the last few races but yesterday I managed it and with a little bit more I could have been on the front row! I'm really pleased with this although being honest I have to admit that Spies is probably a bit faster. We have made a good step on Saturday morning though and now all we have to do is look ahead to the race. The wind was a bit of a problem, especially when I was on my fast lap. I was behind Stoner at that point and I honestly cannot understand how he manages to go so fast!"

Simoncelli's team-mate MArco Melandri was seventh fastest and ran off the track at one point but kept the Honda upright in the wet, muddy grass, and eventually rejoined. However Texan Ben Spies was not so lucky, running off and slipping off the Yamaha, but was unhurt.

Malaysian Grand Prix winner Valentino Rossi managed third fastest time, 1m 32.915s.


To check each rider's performance in Sunday morning's warm-up, click on: http://resources.motogp.com/files/results/xx/2010/AUS/MotoGP/WUP/Analysis.pdf?v1_b2698c5c

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CAPIROSSI A NON-STARTER

RIZLA Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi has been forced to withdraw from today’s Australian Grand Prix due an injury sustained in Saturday afternoon's qualifying practice.

Capirossi was able to walk away from a very fast crash near the end of the afternoon session and appeared to be unhurt, but further examinations by the medical centre at the Phillip Island circuit and the Clinica Mobile diagnosed an injury to his left groin.

Capirossi hoped to be fit to ride in Sunday afternoon’s race, but further investigations found a strain to the adductor muscle at the top of his left thigh and the medical staff had no choice but to declare him unfit to ride. He has now returned to Europe to get further treatment on the injury and plans to be fit for the Portuguese Grand Prix in two-weeks’ time.

“I am so disappointed that I have had to withdraw from the race," Capirossi said. "I did not want to, but the doctors said that the strain would have made it difficult for me to hang on to the bike and control it for the whole race, so they had to declare me unfit. It was been quite a miserable three races for me and now I need to get back home and make sure I am as fit as possible for the last two races. I still have a lot to do this season and I want to end the year as competitive as possible.”

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SPIES EYES ROOKIE PRIZE

MONSTER Yamaha Tech 3 rider Ben Spies will launch his bid to clinch the Rookie of the Year title from the front row of the grid in today's Australian MotoGP race.

The Texan produced another excellent qualifying performance at a blustery Phillip Island. Spies' confidence ahead of qualifying was sky high after he recorded third fastest time in Saturday morning's practice session. And the former World Superbike champion was always a major threat to record his third front row of an amazing debut season after a terrific start to Saturday afternoon's qualifying session.

Spies crew made further adjustments to the suspension set-up on his YZR-M1 to gain crucial rear grip at the technical and spectacular 4.448km track. The modifications paid immediate dividends with Spies never outside of the top three once a lap of 1.31.387 put him on top of the time sheets with just 19-minutes completed.

In sunny but cool and breezy conditions that saw air temperatures marginally higher than Friday at 12 degrees, the 26-year-old then posted a lap of 1.31.386 to consolidate his place in the top three.

But his bid to try and challenge for a repeat of his Indianapolis pole position was foiled when light rain spots began to fall on the picturesque Phillip Island circuit. Each time Spies commenced a fast lap on the softer compound Bridgestone rear tyre, he noticed rain spots on his visor.

Avoiding taking unnecessary risks, he backed off but his earlier time still secured him a front row start for the 27-lap race.

"I'm really happy to be on the front row again but a little bit surprised. I was really happy with my pace and the lap times earlier in the session but each time I tried to go quicker in the last part I'd have spots of rain on my visor. I'd warm up the tyres and see nothing but as soon as I'd push going into the first corner to start a fast lap, I was getting a lot of rain on my visor.

"I didn't want to take a big risk when I knew I was already pretty close to the front row. My qualifying time is a pace that I can run in the race, so I'm happy with that. I'm confident because I haven't finished a session thinking I put in a great session. So if we can put everything together and ride really well and the bike is working good, maybe I can fight for the podium.

"I've got the lap time to make the podium but I just want to make the bike better for the last ten laps of the race. It would be nice to clinch the Rookie of the Year title. It would be another box ticked in what has been a really positive season so far."

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ROSSI ON THIRD ROW

Valentino Rossi came in for some bad luck in the final stages of the session and could only manage to qualify eighth. After Friday's downpours Saturday was largely sunny, but strong winds and biting cold made it another testing day on track for the riders.

Rossi has been searching for a comfortable set-up all weekend and he made some improvements ton Saturday but was still lacking race pace in comparison to his rivals. He was hopeful of making a challenge for the front row but luck was not on his side today as all three of his planned qualifying laps, when he was using the softer Bridgestone tyres, were interrupted.

He was hampered first by another rider, then a crashed bike on track and then the weather, as it started to spit with rain with three minutes of the qualifying session to go.

The Italian will start from eighth on the grid, in the middle of the third row.

"I was really unlucky today because with each of the softer tyres, when I think I could have improved a bit, I had problems. First it was Espargaro, then Hayden's bike on the track and then it began to rain, so I couldn't use any of the tyres how I wanted in the end. We start from the third row, which will be very hard, especially because our race pace isn't that strong and we don't have the right set-up yet.

"We need to work hard to try to improve. The conditions aren't good and it's a great pity because this is a fantastic track but you can't enjoy it in this cold, because it takes so long for the tyres to get to the right temperature. Tomorrow will be hard, but we will see what we can do," he said on Saturday afternoon.

Rossi has finished on the podium 12 times in his 13 visits to Phillip Island across all three GP classes.

The only race at Phillip Island he did not finish in the top three was on his first visit, riding a 125cc Aprilia in 1997, when he finished sixth. In 1998 and 1999 he won the 250cc races and since then has had ten podiums in the premier-class including
five victories, the last of which was in 2005.

He has finished second to Casey Stoner for the last two years in Australia.

Phillip Island is one of just four current circuits where Rossi has never started
from pole riding a Yamaha – the others are Laguna Seca, Silverstone and Aragon.

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LORENZO'S VIEW

UNDERLINING his consistency this season, in starting from second on the grid for this afternoon's MotoGP race at Phillip Island, Jorge Lorenzo has secured his 15th front row start of the season.

In a qualifying session made difficult by cold temperatures and windy conditions at the ocean-side track, Lorenzo and his Fiat Yamaha crew focused on improving their time in the fourth split, where they found they were losing time this morning, and were able to make some improvements although there is still more to be done.

The new World Champion spent a brief sojourn at the top of the time sheets before being ousted by Casey Stoner and he was unable to come any closer to the Australian's time, settling for second place and the middle of the front row.

"These conditions were really risky because it was so cold and also incredibly windy. It was hard to stay on the bike sometimes! I'm happy with my race pace which is unusual for me here because I've never been so strong in MotoGP at this track, but I think we've done a good job. I wanted pole today but the weather and Casey stopped me - he is so quick here. We have the second best time so it is okay and I am feeling very calm after last weekend. We hope the weather is like this or better tomorrow, with no rain, and then we will go for it and see what happens in the race. I am ready for the race; I just want to enjoy it."

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MOTOGP FAST FACTS

• Casey Stoner starts from pole for the third time this year. Stoner will be aiming to win his home Grand Prix for the fourth successive year. This is Stoner’s 25th pole across all classes, achieved on his 25th birthday.

• New world champion Jorge Lorenzo will start from second place on the grid, which is the fifteenth time this year he has been on the front row. This will be Lorenzo’s 50th start in the MotoGP class.

• Ben Spies returns to the front row for the first time since he qualified on pole at the Indianapolis Grand Prix.

• Heading up the second row of the grid as the fastest Honda rider in qualifying is Marco Simoncelli, who starts from his best grid position since moving up to the MotoGP class for 2010. Simoncelli has won the 250cc race at Phillip Island for the last two years.

• Fifth fastest qualifier is Colin Edwards, who has equalled his best grid position of this year that he also had at Motegi and Mugello.

• Sixth on the grid, Nicky Hayden still holds the lap record at Phillip Island; set on the way to finishing third in 2008.

• Heading the third row of the grid is Randy de Puniet, who will be aiming to improve on his previous best MotoGP result at Phillip Island: sixth place in 2007 riding a Kawasaki.

• Valentino Rossi is the eighth fastest qualifier, which is his worst grid position since he was tenth on the grid at the Valencia Grand Prix in 2008. Following his win at Sepang, Rossi will be aiming for back-to-back wins for the first time since the Catalan GP and Dutch TT last year.

• If any of the four Yamaha riders win the race, it will be the first win for Yamaha at Phillip Island during the 800cc era of MotoGP.

• Andrea Dovizioso is ninth on the grid, which equals his lowest qualifying position of the year, which he had at the Spanish GP

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EDWARDS LOOKS FOR BEST RESULT OF YEAR

COLIN Edwards had a productive day at Phillip Island on Saturday, the 36-year-old in good form in the morning to register the second fastest time behind home crowd favourite Casey Stoner.

Edwards was able to comfortably lap inside the top ten during qualifying before modifications to improve turning performance enabled him to drastically drop his lap times.

The changes saw Edwards immediately go half a second faster, a 1m 31.521s lap moving him from eighth to fourth with eight minutes remaining. He knocked a further tenth off on his next lap and looked like claiming his best qualifying result of the season - until Marco Simoncelli dropped him back to fifth in the closing minutes. Edward's best time of was less than a tenth of a second behind team-mate Ben Spies.

"It was almost my best qualifying result of the season but I'm happy with fifth and being so close to Ben on the front row gives me a lot of confidence for the race. I have felt really good on the bike today and finishing second on Saturday morning gave me a lot of confidence. I had a fairly good set-up with the bike but I was just missing a little bit of turning performance. We left the bike for the start of qualifying and I was basically doing the same lap times as the morning. So we made some changes to the front for my last rear tyre and immediately I was able to go half-a-second faster. It just felt easy and I gained so much confidence that I could put the bike where I wanted it to be on the track. I'm happy with my race pace and I'm ready, so hopefully I can get my best result of the year. We'll have to see what the weather throws at us but I'm ready for anything."

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PEDROSA FLIES HOME

By Michael Esdaile
Photos :Peter Geran

REPSOL Honda's Dani Pedrosa decided against racing in the Iveco Australian MotoGP on Sunday after the end of the official qualifying session on Saturday afternoon.

Pedrosa explained that although he could ride his V4 Honda, he did not feel confident in being able to have full control over race distance, especially in windy conditions. He said he was having great difficulty countering the strong side-winds at Phillip Island.

He said that while he did not have any great pain in his left shoulder, he lacked his usual level of strength and decided it was wiser to sit out the race and rest it rather than risk further injury to it, "or worse."

Pedrosa revealed that while his left arm could be manipulated in a range of motions, he was having a lot of difficulty doing that himself.

When he crashed at the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, he went down hard on his left shoulder and as well as the four fractures to his clavicle, he had significant soft tissue damage, not to mention a lot of swelling.

The collarbone was screwed and plated in Spain and that part of the injury seems to be perfectly fine. It is the other damage that hampered his progress at Phillip Island.

Asked if he thought it had been unwise to try to return to racing so soon, Pedrosa said "no, I had to try to find my level."

Now he has, he realises he needs to rest the shoulder a little longer before trying again in the final two races left in the 2010 season.

He indicated there were further upgrades to his Repsol Honda to try, but in the condition he was currently in, he had postponed trying those at Phillip Island. However, he said he was very happy with the way the team had worked hard to improve the Honda over the course of the season and was looking forward to testing the 2011 version.

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STONER TAKES POLE

By Michael Esdaile
Photos: Peter Geran

In dry but blustery conditions, Australian Casey Stoner celebrated his 25th birthday by storming to pole position at Phillip Island on Saturday, October 16 for Sunday’s Iveco Australian Grand Prix.

Stoner turned in a stunning 1m 30.107s on his pole winning lap, more than half a second clear of next fastest man, newly crowned world champion Jorge Lorenzo - and almost 1.3 seconds ahead of third fastest man Ben Spies.

Compared with the first practice session on Friday, Saturday’s qualifying was a dream – even with the blustery wind. To start with, the track was dry and there was no rain. On top of that, the track temperature was the warmest it had been for the MotoGP bikes all weekend, 22 degrees Celcius. Hardly blazing hot but a huge leap from the 10°C of Friday morning, or the 12°C of Saturday morning, when Stoner had also topped the time sheets with a 1m 31.243s effort.

The Australian Marlboro Ducati rider was in a class of his own even then, his best lap an astounding 0.757 seconds faster than the next rider, Texan Colin Edwards on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 bike who managed a 1m 32.00s best lap. In that session Stoner was the only rider to break into the 1m 31s zone.

Edwards’ team-mate Ben Spies had a good outing on Saturday morning too, with third fastest time, 1m 32.101s, ahead of Lorenzo’s 1m 32.168s best.

But with the track temperature another 10°C warmer for Saturday afternoon’s qualifying, the times came down, but still no one could get close to Stoner’s effort.

Lorenzo was the only other rider to make it under the 1m 31s barrier, with a 1m 30.775s effort. Spies was again third fastest, with a 1m 31.386s effort, to round out the front row.

San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli pulled a fast time out of nowhere, snatching the front position on the second row of the grid with a 1m 31.402s effort at the last possible moment.

Alongside him Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden completed the second row while Randy De Puniet (LCR Honda) headed the third row from Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha) and Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda).

Dovizioso’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa was probably wondering why he had bothered flying all the way from Spain after the operation on his left collarbone, struggling to get comfortable in the treacherous conditions.

In the end, Pedrosa was down on the the back of the grid, alongside the Paginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati of Hector Barbera and the Rizla Suzuki of Loris Capirossi.

But the Repsol Honda team announced at 6.00 pm on Saturday evening that Pedrosa had decided to sit out the rest of the weekend as he was unable to properly control his bike (see separate story).

But while Pedrosa was in some discomfort, Stoner was a very happy chap. Although he did not get close to his 2008 pole record of 1m 28.665s, he was satisfied with his performance in the difficult conditions.

“I always seem to celebrate my birthday here at Phillip Island but I guess there are worse places to be,” Stoner said. “We have had virtually every single condition you could imagine thrown at us this weekend do we’ll have to wait and see what happens tomorrow before we make any decisions on set-up, but so far I think we have done the best possible job in every condition.

“I am quite happy with the setting in the wet even though we had a fully wet session, which made it difficult to get a good reading from the bike. We have had two good sessions today, making progress in the last half an hour this morning and another big step again in the last half hour this afternoon. With the two soft tyres I was able to make a substantial improvement to the lap time and we’re in the best possible position for tomorrow, so I’m pretty happy.”

For the full list of qiualifying times, click on: http://resources.motogp.com/files/results/xx/2010/AUS/MotoGP/QP/Classification.pdf?v1_ff1b8727

Stoner on his way to pole position at Phillip Island on Saturday, October 16. Note the generous sized holes in the nose of his Ducati's fairing, designed to reduce the impact of gusty side-winds.

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CROSBY AUTOBIOGRAPHY

By Michael Esdaile

FORMER Grand Prix star Graeme Crosby has written a book about his life in motorcycle racing and while we have yet to sight a review copy, we know it will be a great read.

Former colleague at the old REVS Motorcycle News, Peter Donaldson, has his copy and said he couldn't put it down.

This reporter was privvy to reading a few of the draft chapters some months ago and was very impressed with Crosby's writing ability, which is not too far removed from the way he tells a story.

There are so many aspects to Crosby's racing career that he over-delivered to his publisher, giving them the difficult task of deciding what to leave out.

Entitled Graeme Crosby, Larrikin Biker, it is now on sale at bookstores throughout the country.

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LORENZO & STONER GO AT IT!

Lorenzo gets down to it in treacherous conditions at Phillip Island while Colin Edwards has a 'moment' over the top of Lukey Heights. (Photo: Peter Geran).

By MICHAEL ESDAILE

WITHIN just just a few laps of the wet weather delayed first practice session at Phillip Island, Australian Casey Stoner put the Marlboro Ducati at the top of the time sheets, then pulled in and watched the monitors while his mechanics made adjustments to the bike, adding half a litre of oil at the same time.

While he was sitting watching the monitors, Jorge Lorenzo then started cranking out the fast times, getting down from just under 1m 50s to 1:41 with ten minutes to go.

Stoner was then back in action on the Ducati, just a few tenths of a second slower than Lorenzo's Yamaha, with Nicky Hayden next, a couple of tenths slower. The only other rider also in the 1m 41s was last year's 250 World Champion Marco Simoncelli on the San Carlo Gresini Honda.

While the cold wind started drying the racing surface, the riders were still on wet weather tyres with nine minutes remaining.

Lorenzo set his fast time - 1m 41.146s - on his twelfth of 20 laps when the track was much wetter, but when his Bridgestone wets were in good condition. By the time he pitted, his rear tyre was shredded.

“Today was the first day on the bike after we won the title and I am still very happy,” said Lorenzo as he warmed up after getting off the bike. “We can’t stop now. We have to keep going and finish this season in the best way possible, working for the future. The conditions today were really hard – wet, cold and windy. I am very happy to be fast in the rain because it didn’t used to be this way. But we need to be prepared because it could be a hard weekend. I would like to ride in the dry but we will have to wait and see what happens.”

“Those were nasty conditions. I mean nasty!” Nicky Hayden said afterward. “It wasn’t so much the wet but the wind. It was blowing really strong and it took a little while to get comfortable with being blown around so much. Other than that, the bike worked well in the wet. We made a little bit of a change to help it turn and I was able to go okay. Obviously it would be all for nothing if the forecast is right and the conditions are dry from here on but at this track you have to be prepared for anything and take advantage of every situation.”

Spray flies from the rear tyre of Stoner's Ducati in the wet first practice at Phillip Island. (Photo: Peter Geran).

For his part, Casey Stoner agreed conditions were difficult and did not give the “ideal way to prepare.”

“We would prefer a fully wet session but it started to dry towards the end and that denied us the opportunity to confirm the settings or get a full understanding of the conditions.”

Finally, veteran Valentino Rossi said the weather “was at the limit of what you can race motorcycles in.”

He added that “it is even more amazing because yesterday was beautiful. I hope it will be better tomorrow but it doesn’t look too hopeful. My setting here in the wet was okay and I feel quite happy on the bike but I didn’t want to push it too hard in these conditions. I think we can improve it more but we need to see how the weather is tomorrow. We hope for sun!”

Andrea Dovizioso was sixth fastest on the Repsol Honda. Note that his clear rain suit has shredded and the left-hand side of his tyres are shot. (Photo: Peter Geran).

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SPIES SITS IT OUT

TEXAN Ben Spies did just three laps in the wet and cold first practice session at Phillip Island on Friday, October 15, then parked the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha for the rest of the day.

Spies reckoned it was too wet and cold to make it worthwhile continuing.

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BURGESS & CO TO DUCATI?

IT SEEMS to be almost definite that Australian Jerry Burgess and his pit crew will join Valentino Rossi at Marlboro Ducati in 2011.

Burgess has been non-committal about his MotoGP future since it was announced that Rossi was joining the Ducati squad in 2011 but American journalist Henny Ray Abrahams was reporting on Friday, October 15 that the deal had been done.

Prior to this, all that was known was that none of the men on Rossi's side of the Fiat Yamaha had committed to staying on; it had been announced by Yamaha's Lin Jarvis that they would not be with the Yamaha outfit in 2011.

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PEDROSA BACK!

By MICHAEL ESDAILE



JUST two weeks after breaking his left collarbone in three places in practice for the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi on October 1, Spaniard Dani Pedrosa was back in action in the rain-delayed first practice session at Phillip Island in Australia on October 15.



Early in the session Pedrosa was eighth fastest steadily working his way back into action on the wet track.



His Ohlins suspension man, Dunedin's Paul Trevathon, says that Pedrosa goes about every practice and qualifying session in a very methodical manner, always working to get heat into the tyres before starting to push for lap times.



Pedrosa was injured in Japan when the throttle on his Repsol Honda stuck open. While the Honda runs an electronic throttle control system, unlike many such bikes that use an electronic controller directly on the end of the throttle twist-grip, the Honda has a push-pull cable system running from the throttle to the control box.



But after seven laps in the cold and wet first session at Phillip Island, Pedrosa came into the pit and decided to sit the rest of the session out.



“The plan today was simply to check my condition on the bike – in these conditions I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. What I can say is that I had some strength to move on the bike and put pressure on the handelbars, which is good. However, I didn’t feel very comfortable with the leathers because they were tight and there was pressure.”

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