Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) continued his recent run of positive form as he powered to the provisional pole in the opening qualifying session for the sixth round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at Kyalami. The 24-year-old Italian, who dominated the pre-season testing session here last December, set a new official benchmark of 1 minute 38.103 seconds around the 4.246 km circuit.
Second place went to Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), the British rider four-tenths of a second behind Fabrizio, with his Honda CBR machine showing major signs of a renaissance in the last couple of races. Texan rookie sensation Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) moved up from 14th to third in the last few minutes of the session, while Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) was back on form with the final provisional front row slot.
Shinya Nakano was next up for Aprilia, followed by points leader Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), whose arm is still swollen following last Sunday's incident at Monza. Jakub Smrz (Guandalini Ducati), Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike), Max Biaggi (Aprilia) and Ruben Xaus (BMW) make up the top 10, while South African champion Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki World Superbike Racing Team) caused a few eyebrows to be raised at one point as he was running in an impressive third place before ending the session in twelfth. Suzuki Alstare riders Yukio Kagayama and Fonsi Nieto, in for the injured Max Neukirchner, struggled today, finishing in 15th and 22nd position respectively.
Laconi taken to hospital after crash
Friday, 15 May 2009 17:32
During the first lap of the morning's free practice session, Regis Laconi (Ducati DFX) crashed in the section between Turn 11 and Turn 12. Unfortunately in the crash the French rider, despite not hitting any obstacle, suffered a severe trauma to the cervical vertebrae. Transported by helicopter to the nearby Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg,
Laconi suffered two broken cervical vertebrae (C3 and C5), severe concussion and a contusion of the lung. A CT scan for eventual neurological damage, proved to be negative and for the moment he is in an induced coma and in a stable condition. After consultation with Dr. Maurizio Zorzi, the South African neuro-surgeon who was called from Pretoria to check on the patient's condition, it was decided not to operate immediately and to postpone any eventual intervention for a few days.
Barring complications, a further three weeks will be required before a clear clinical picture of the situation can be made, during which the French rider will have to remain totally immobile.
Kyalami Superbike - Free Practice 1st Session
Friday, 15 May 2009 13:42
1 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'40.067 2 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.102 3 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.119 4 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.137 5 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'40.322 6 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'40.498 7 132 Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'40.502 8 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'40.514 9 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'40.531 10 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'40.599 11 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'40.623 12 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'40.652 13 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'40.738 14 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.801 15 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'41.099 16 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'41.317 17 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'41.324 18 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'41.713 19 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'41.783 20 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'42.073 21 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'42.389 22 49 Whyte S. (RSA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.400 23 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'42.496 24 17 Martin S. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'42.775
Kyalami Superbike - Qualifying 1st Session
Friday, 15 May 2009 16:15 1 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'38.103 2 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'38.506 3 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'38.600 4 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'38.865 5 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'38.998 6 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'39.055 7 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'39.230 8 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'39.258 9 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'39.284 10 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'39.357 11 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'39.370 12 132 Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'39.388 13 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'39.389 14 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'39.470 15 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'39.475 16 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'39.788 17 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'39.961 18 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'40.105 19 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'40.192 20 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'40.304 21 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.308 22 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'40.544 23 49 Whyte S. (RSA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'41.737 24 17 Martin S. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'42.015
Sete Gibernau riding one of Fausto Gresin Fausto Gresini's Hondas in 2005
Nationality
Spain Spain Spanish
Date of birth
December 15, 1972 (1972-12-15)(age 36)
Place of birth
Barcelona
MotoGP Record
Current team
Grupo Francisco Hernando
Bike number
59
List of Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champions
0
Race starts
174
Wins
9
Podium finishes
30
Pole position
13
Fastest lap
8
Points
1342
2009 championship position
15th (8 pts)
Manuel Sete Gibernau Bultó (born December 15,1972 in Barcelona) is a Spanish MotoGP rider, currently residing in Switzerland. He retired from racing in 2006 but has returned to MotoGP in the 2009 season.
Valentino Rossi has mentioned Stoner, followed by Gibernau as his hardest rivals ever. Gibernau was known for his wet-weather abilities and was occasionally referred to as rainmaster. However despite his flair, he was all too often let down by an apparently temperamental nature. In-race setbacks could disproportionately affect his competitiveness, both negatively and positively. His career started slowly until he found his motivation and his intermittent flair became consistent. Then he was the principal challenger for Rossi's crown until 2005. 2006 brought a series of emotional, technical, and injury set-backs, apparently sapping his motivation. It culminated in a major mid-season no-fault racing incident which effectively eliminated him from the championship.
The Ducati Marlboro team replaced him with Casey Stoner for 2007. He turned down offers from Kawasaki, Sito Pons and Ilmor team and decided to retire from all forms of motorcycle racing. In 2008 he announced his return to MotoGP for the 2009 season. He is arguably one of the best riders in MotoGP never to have won the title.
Biography
Gibernau's grandfather was Francisco Xavier "Paco" Bultó, who founded the Bultaco motorcycle company after Montesa pulled out of Observed Trials in 1956. During Gibernau's youth, Bultaco was run by his uncle, Don Paco Bultó.
After trying many different bike categories, in particular those built by his uncle, Seté finally turned to high-speed racing in 1996. Then World Champion Wayne Rainey supported him in the Open Ducados competition, and he ran for one year with a Yamaha TZ250. He moved up to 500 cc machines with the team for 1997, and in 1998 replaced injured Takuma Aoki on a two cylinder Honda. His breakthrough came when he replaced the injured Mick Doohan at Honda during 1999, helping him to 5th overall. Gibernau failed to perform well for the team in 2000.
1990 - 2000
1990 - Debut in the "Gilera Cup" Championship.
1991 - Junior Champion in the Spanish and Catalan Championship.
1992 - European Championship, 250cc class.
1993 - Third classified in the Spanish Championship, 250cc class, Yamaha; took part to the Spanish GP race as a wild card in the 250cc class.
1994 - Fifth classified in the Spanish Championship, 250cc class.
1995 - Third classified in the Spanish Championship, 250cc class.
1996 - Twenty-first classified in the World Championship, 250cc class, Team Yamaha Rainey.
1997 - Thirteenth classified in the World Championship, 500cc class, Team Yamaha Rainey.
1998 - Eleventh classified in the World Championship, 500cc class, Honda Factory Team.
1999 - Fifth classified in the World Championship, 500cc class, Honda HRC Team.
2000 - Fifteenth classified in the World Championship, 500cc class, Honda Repsol Team.
2001/2 - Suzuki
Gibernau joined Suzuki for 2001, a season in which he took his maiden victory in the rain interrupted race at Valencia. 2002 proved to be a highly inauspicious year for both Gibernau and Suzuki in general with only Akira Ryo taking a podium at the season opening race in Suzuka.
However, in the year's last race, Seté turned in an incredible performance, turning in fastest lap after fastest lap and making up tremendous ground on Rossi before finally crashing out in the last few laps. This was a sign of things to come.
2003 MotoGP season
For 2003 he joined Fausto Gresini's Movistar Honda team for 2003. Tragically, his Japanese team-mate Daijiro Kato died (in accident) in the season-opening race at Suzuka, Japan and this tragedy seemed to inspire the notoriously temperamental and spiritual Gibernau. With Kato's #74 on the bike alongside his traditional #15, Seté managed not only to win the next round in Welkom but also challenge Valentino Rossi for the championship throughout the year. 2003 was Gibernau's most consistent season, winning 4 races including the Dutch TT, to gain a total of 277 points - the second highest ever total not to win the title (behind Casey Stoner with 280 in 2008). Valentino Rossi has described 2003 in his career as "...the year of Gibernau, it was hard until the end...".
Sete vs Rossi Ger 2003
2004 MotoGP season
There was much anticipation surrounding the 2004 championship as Valentino Rossi had made surprising move to Yamaha and Gibernau's pre season and early season speed would indicate he was in perfect position to seize the title. Gibernau finished on the podium in the first 3 races, winning 2 of them and had gained the perfect start to 2004 with Rossi at times struggling to come to terms with his new bike. However, a run of victories went Rossi's way after the French round and didn't abate until Rio de Janeiro where one of the two most surprising incidents of Gibernau and Rossi's rivalries occurred.
Gibernau and Rossi were level on points, and Gibernau had the edge on Rossi for most of the weekend. Despite Kenny Roberts, Jr. taking pole, Gibernau was showing formidable race speed. Despite a poor start Gibernau carved through the field passing his rivals and Rossi seemingly with ease - until he crashed out, losing the front into the second last turn. Rossi, seeking to capitalise, pushed harder but he too then crashed out at the very same corner as Gibernau only a few laps later. Gibernau again crashed out in Germany, this time Rossi stayed aboard but could only manage 4th, moving 13 points ahead of Gibernau in the championship. Rossi then put in a consistent run of podium finishes to take out the championship, despite Gibernau winning at Brno and Losail
At the 2004 Qatar race their previously good-natured rivalry spilled over, as Rossi accused Gibernau of pressuring officials to disqualify his qualifying result for allegedly later tampering with the track patch from which he started, to get better grip off an unusually dusty surface. However, it was Gibernau's team, not Seté himself, who had noticed the track alteration and they asked race organisers to investigate. The security cameras' tapes showed Rossi's team tampering with the track, doing extended burn-outs (spinning tyres) on his starting zone which embedded rubber across it and provided better grip. Race organisers moved Rossi to the back of the grid. The media reported that Rossi put a curse on his rival that weekend; Gibernau never won another race.
2005 MotoGP season
Tensions between Gibernau and Rossi came to a head at the first race of 2005 at Jerez. Gibernau led most of the race with Rossi a close second. On the second-last lap, Rossi attacked and passed Gibernau to take the lead and then opened a gap on Gibernau. However, Rossi made a mistake and was re-passed by Gibernau with one lap remaining. On the final corner, Rossi made an aggressive pass on Gibernau to take the lead and win the race. During the pass, Gibernau and Rossi came into contact and Gibernau was unable to complete the turn and ran wide into the gravel; he did not fall and was able to continue on and finish second. The pass was controversial amongst observers; some considered it overly aggressive or even dirty racing while others felt it was a brilliant racing move. The Spanish crowd booed and whistled at Rossi after the race. Gibernau was unimpressed with Rossi's move but neither he nor his Gresini team lodged a formal protest.
Subsequently, Seté did not have a strong season, finishing the championship in 8th overall. Meanwhile team-mate Marco Melandri finished ahead of Gibernau in the 2005 championship. But 2005 did bring some joy to Gibernau as he easily took out both BMW awards.
Sete Vs Rossi Jerez 2005
2006 MotoGP season
Gibernau replaced Carlos Checa at the factory Ducati team, showing prodigious speed with his new team for 2006 in pre season testing.
Gibernau retired from the opening race at Jerez after qualifying in 2nd place, due to electronics issues on his Ducati. Seté took some time to come to terms with the booming Ducati Desmosedici. He did have a run of point scoring finishes in the early races of the season, at times proved to be faster than his experienced team mate Loris Capirossi. He managed to silence his doubters by taking pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, ahead of home-town favourites, Capirossi and Rossi. He finished fifth in the race, despite completing the race with a bleeding left foot, after his left boot protector fell off during the race.
The remains of Gibernau's motorcycle after his crash at Barcelona in 2006.
The seventh round at Catalunya in Barcelona shaped the rest of Gibernau's season and the rest of his career, in an extraordinary crash described later by race commentators as "Terrifying" and "I have never been so scared in my life, commentating a race". In the crowded first corner, a fast right-hander, Gibernau's teammate Capirossi moved left around traffic across Seté's faster line (over 124 mph (198 km/h) at the point of the accident, according to the datalogger) and collected his front brake lever, locking Seté's front wheel and flipping his bike end over end. It only narrowly missed landing on the unconscious Seté. In the resulting group crash, 6 riders went into the gravel, 5 bikes were wrecked, 3 riders were taken to hospital, and race organisers stopped the race. Seté's ambulance itself then had an accident on the way to hospital, hitting a bus just 50 metres from the hospital entrance, although he did not suffer any further injury. It was later confirmed that he had concussion and had broken a bone in his hand and re-broken the collar bone broken at Assen, necessitating the removal and replacement of the metal plate.
Caduta MotoGp Barcellona 2006
The injuries came at a bad time - Catalunya was the first of 5 races in 6 weeks. Gibernau missed the following two races at Assen and Donnington Park. Despite feeling weak, he raced in the German and USA races and was never far behind his fitter teammate on identical machinery: on the Sachsenring he finished only 3 places behind Capirossi, and at Laguna Seca he finished only 2 places behind. But within 3 days of returning to Barcelona was back in hospital: the titanium plate in his collar bone had weakened, causing complications. He missed the round at Brno in the Czech Republic.
His fitness improved and he managed a commendable 5th place at Sepang in Malaysia on Sunday 10 September, and had a podium 3rd snatched from him in a "last-gasp effort" by Rossi at Philip Island in Australia. After another 4th place at the Japanese Grand prix, Seté was fastest in the first ever 800 cc test at Motegi. In the second-last round of the season Seté was riding in 5th place when Casey Stoner crashed in front of him too close to avoid and brought Seté down with him. Gibernau suffered a broken fifth metacarpal in his hand and had apparently re-bent one of the titanium plates in his collar bone.
Retirement
Gibernau lost his ride at the end of 2006, when Ducati announced 17 October 2006 that Casey Stoner would replace him on the new-for-2007 800 cc bike alongside Capirossi. Kawasaki offered him a place, but Gibernau decided instead to retire from all motorcycle racing, saying at a press conference on 8 November 2006: "If I had accepted the offers to continue just for the sake of carrying on then it wouldn't have made me happy, especially if it was just for money."
Return to MotoGP (2009)
Gibernau returned to action, testing the Desmosedici GP9 at the Mugello circuit, alongside official test rider Vittoriano Guareschi, in a three day run starting on 17 June 2008. There was speculation that he could replace the uncompetitive Marco Melandri aboard the second Factory Ducati for the later races in the 2008 season. Despite positive results Ducati MotoGP Project Director Livio Suppo was unwilling to confirm any definite future for Gibernau with the team.[16] Sete again tested the Desmosedici GP8 and GP9 on a three day test beginning on 1 July 2008 at the Mugello circuit. He recorded a best time of 1´50.5 on board the GP8 on race tyres, just a few tenths off this year's race record at Mugello set by Casey Stoner. He clocked a 1´48.9 on 30 July at Mugello on qualifying tyres which would have placed him 7th on the starting grid for the 2008 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix.
After a few months of speculation, on 23rd Oct at Valencia, it was officially confirmed that he would return to race in 2009 on Onde 2000 Ducati, a Ducati satellite team run by Angel Nieto. The squad is backed by Onde 2000, a Spanish building concern. With number 15 taken by Alex de Angelis, a new figure has been used for Gibernau's comeback campaign. Gibernau chose 59, in reference to the year in which his grandfather's Bultaco company produced their first bike.
He began testing for the new team at Valencia. Gibernau's quickest lap was a 1´34.451 riding the Onde 2000 Ducati GP8, that placed him a modest 14th on the 18-rider timesheets, almost 2sec from fastest man Casey Stoner (using the GP9 Ducati). At Jerez, in his first official test since return to motogp, he ranked 9th among 14 riders, notably faster than Niccolo Canepa on Alice Ducati and Vitto Guareschi on the factory Ducati.
Gibernau admitted that, at 35, among the current crop of young motogp stars - "I´m going to have to work very hard and I´m ready for that...". He admitted he was not back in MotoGP to win races, but rather to enjoy himself on the bike. Gibernau acknowledged the bikes had changed a lot in the two years he had been absent from the sport. He noted that the Ducati was now very competitive with lot of potential. "Cornering speed is extremely quick and compared to 2006 there's a lot more electronics. You must trust it almost with your eyes closed, and I still can't do it. I think the rider should do certain things, while instead you must let the bike do it."
Valentino Rossi said he is looking forward to renewing his rivalry with the former foe... “I am sorry I didn't see Sete on the track when we tested in Valencia because I think it's quite a big emotion for us to be together on the track again after all our great battles. I am happy to see him back. We spoke a little bit in the summer when he was thinking about coming back and I’m looking forward to racing him again.” Gibernau suggested he might try to rebuild his relationship with Rossi, after falling out with the Italian in the final years of their battles. "With Vale I enjoyed myself both on and off the track. Then life changes, but the experience is still positive. I did some fantastic races against a guy considered perhaps the strongest rider of all times. That for me is cause of pride. The relationship on a personal level was excellent for a while, then it changed, but I have big respect for Valentino. Perhaps now a good relationship can be rebuild again."
Personal life
Presently residing in Switzerland, Gibernau is well educated, he speaks fluent Spanish, Catalan, Italian and English; plus some French and German. His hobbies include cycling and water skiing.
Gibernau's ex-wife is the Spanish supermodel Esther Cañadas. She was always supportive of Gibernau and could often be seen in the pit garage during races, cheering him on. He formerly rode with a number 15 good luck charm, but rode with a charm given to him by Cañadas when they became a couple. However after one year as a married couple they announced their separation in mid 2008.
Like most riders, he has his superstitions - he always puts his right boot on first.
11th World Supersport Championship, 3rd Le Mans 24 Hours
2005:
Winner Le Mans 24 Hours, 2nd Bol d’Or 24 Hours
2004:
World Champion Endurance, Winner of Oschersleben 24 hours and Zhuhaï 6 Hours rounds
2003:
3rd World Champion Endurance
2002:
13th GP250 World Championship
2001:
17th GP250 World Championship
2000:
19th GP250 World Championship
David Checa moves on up to World Superbike in 2008, having raced in the World Supersport Championship for the last two seasons with the Yamaha GMT94 Team.
The younger brother of Yamaha MotoGP star Carlos, David has considerable GP experience, having raced in the 250 class between 2000 and 2002, although he actually started racing in 1996. David came to international attention when he finished fourth in the 1998 European Supersport Championship. That was followed by a year as Ducati's test rider, before embarking on a three-year 250GP sojourn.
In 2003 David made a successful transition to four-strokes, racing an R1 in the Spanish championship and winning the Oschersleben 24-hour race with the GMT94 team. The introduction of the third-generation R1 in 2004 saw Checa and GMT94 dominate the Endurance World Championship to capture the title.
The team's decision not to defend its title in 2005 led to a slightly disjointed campaign, although Checa was successfully entered into the two key 24-hour races – the Le Mans and the Bol d’Or. He formed part of the winning GMT94 trio at Le Mans and finished second at the Bol d’Or. As the main tester for Pirelli’s WSB control tyre that year as well, the Spaniard contested a handful of WSB races. He impressed with each WSB outing, scoring points at every race and taking a best of ninth place at home in Valencia. Those performances also brought him to the attention to Yamaha's MotoGP operation and he was drafted in to ride the YZR-M1 as a substitute for the injured Toni Elias at three GPs.
In 2006 Checa embarked on a full season in World Supersport and shone at round six of the championship were he finished fourth. He ended that year in 11th following a fifth place at the last round at Magny-Cours. Last year David continued his WSS challenge, showing consistency to finish 12th overall.
For 2008, Checa remains loyal to the Yamaha GMT94 team, making the move with them back into World Superbike alongside his long-time team mate Sébastien Gimbert.
Personal opinion: he is a pretty strong rider, he is improving constantly, I hope this year he will continue to, maybe this year he will finish in the top 10
Jakub Smrz superpole lap Phillip Island
www.OnTheThrottle.tv interviews Ducati 1098 rider Jakub Smrz during HANNspree FIM World Superbike Championship round 6 at Miller Motorsports Park in the U.S. The best Motorcycle roadracing.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jakub Smrž (born April 7, 1983 in České Budějovice, Czech Republic) is a professional motorcycle road racer currently competing in the Superbike World Championship.
Current team Guandalini Racing by Grifo's
He first entered the 125cc World Championship in 2000. He was 17th overall in 2001, then divided his time between 125cc and the 250cc championships in 2002. He remained in the 250cc World Championship until 2006, finishing 12th overall with a best of 7th that year.
For 2007 he was the surprise choice to replace Roberto Rolfo at the formerly race-winning SC Caracchi Ducati team in the Superbike World Championship. On a customer Ducati 999 F05 he frequently troubled the top 16 in qualifying. He finished the season 14th with a best race result of 8th.
In 2008 he roding a customer Ducati 1098 RS 08 for the Guandalini Racing by Grifo's teamand finished 13th.
Personal opinion: wan last year in BSB a head of Sykes and Haslam, didn’t have the best start of the year, lets hope things will improve for him.
Shakey's high side at BSB Race 1 at Brands Hatch (Oct 2006). The race was red flagged but thankfully Shakey was up and walking within a few minutes. Saw his bike in the pits after though and was a bit on the bent side! In 2009 season Rides with: Sterilgarda On: Ducati 1098R
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shane Byrne (born 10 December 1976 in Lambeth, London), often known as Shakey, is a British motorcycle road racer. He is a 2003 and 2008 British Superbike champion, World Superbike race winner, and MotoGP competitor. He currently lives in Spain with his Czechoslovakian girlfriend Petra. Shane and Petra recently celebrated the birth of their first child, a boy named Zack.
Early days
While working as a road tester for Colin Schiller's Fast Bikes magazine, Shakey sat and passed his motorcycle test on a Ducati 996 SPS. A test he did at a wet Oulton Park in this era impressed Paul Bird, twice his future boss.
Shane emerged in the British Superbike Championship in 1999, initially on a private Kawasaki. In 2001 he was 8th in the championship with 5 top-5 finishes, and was comfortably champion of the Cup for privateers - he was the privateer winner in 22 races out of 26.
Success
He then joined Renegade Ducati for 2002, taking his first BSB win, and replaced reigning champion Steve Hislop with MonsterMob for 2003. He stunned the paddock by storming to a string of wins, taking the title with ease. He impressed further by achieving a double win at Brands Hatch for the British round of the Superbike World Championship.
International racing
For 2004 he joined fellow Brit Jeremy McWilliams in MotoGP with Aprilia, although he missed several races through injury. He spent much of 2005 racing for Kenny Roberts' team on a KTM MotoGP bike, before they were forced to pull out due to an internal dispute between the chassis and engine manufacturers. He raced in Malaysia and Qatar for Camel Honda, but did not impress Honda enough to earn a 2006 ride.
Back to Britain
For 2006 he returned to the British Superbike championship with Rizla Suzuki. His first podium came in race 7, despite a severe stomach bug that weekend. He missed races 11 and 12 after a 187 mph crash caused by a brake failure, although he was not seriously hurt. At Knockhill he qualified 2nd, and followed a 2nd place finish in race 1 with the team's first win of the season in race 2. This was despite the team's bikes having been stolen and dumped in a barn alongside horse manure a week previously. At the final round of the season he was running 3rd when he highsided, being knocked out in the process. Although he again escaped serious injury, he was unable to contest the final race of the year, which meant he slipped from 4th to 6th in the championship standings.
For 2007, Byrne was re-united with his former Monstermob boss Paul Bird who was now running the Stobart Vent-Axia team, a privateer team using the 1000cc Honda Fireblade. The Honda was competitive from the start, giving Shane more opportunities to fight at the front. He finished fifth overall, with a win, a pole position, and nine further podiums.
For the 2008 British Superbike championships, Byrne competes for the Airwaves Ducati squad on a Ducati 1098 alongside Leon Camier. The combination was immediately dominant. He won three of the opening four races - in the second race at Oulton Park he went wide on lap one, dropping to 13th place, but fought back. Almost immediately after he passed Cal Crutchlow for third place, Leon Haslam hit Tom Sykes, giving Byrne the lead. This race was stopped four laps early, after several riders including Crutchlow and Karl Harris fell. In race 2 at Snetterton he was held up by a crashing Harris on lap 1, dropping to 13th before fighting back to win. He finished each of the first 14 races on the podium, often coming through the field after poor starts.
World Superbikes
24 hours after clinching the British Superbikes Championship, Byrne confirmed that he would contest the 2009 World Superbikes championship with the Sterilgarda Ducati team, teamed with Alex Polita. This is his first full-time World Superbike campaign, although he has made successful wild card appearances in the past
Personal opinion: had a few bad injuries in his short carrier, he lost a kidney and his spleen in a near-fatal motocross accident, and managed to break his right Femur twice, and his ankle and hand in 2008 and other parts in other races, lets hope that this year he will have less injuries and we will be able to finally see how good he really is.
Britons Tommy Hill made a welcome visit to MCN's offices last week thanks to his friend and fellow World Supersport rival, Craig Jones who's being ferrying Hill around in his car all week. Hill is now up and about on crutches after spending nearly two months in a wheelchair following his sickening crash first time out on the Hannspree Altea Honda CBR600RR at Calafat where he badly broke his Femur, ankle and hand.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tommy Hillis a British motorcycle road racer, born 9 February 1985 in Lingfield, Surrey, who races for Virgin Mobile Yamaha in the British Superbike (BSB) championship. Hill's early racing life included a near-fatal motocross accident in which he lost a kidney and his spleen. As a result, medical problems including a bout of food poisoning in 2006 have dogged his career.
He switched to droad racing in 2001, and first earned his BSB ride by winning the Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup in 2003, finishing every race in the process. In his first BSB season he became the youngest rider ever to start a race on the front row of the grid, and he was the only one of the team's four 2004 riders to be retained for 2005 - team boss Rob McElnea commenting that "He really did prove himself beyond everyone’s expectations this year". In 2005 he took 2 further front row starts, as well as his first BSB win at Cadwell Park, finishing 12th overall in the series.
For the 2006 British Superbike season he was the only Yamaha rider to retain his ride, leading a young team with Billy McConnell and Kieran Clarke. Tommy was also entered for the Superbike World Championship race at Silverstone as a wild card. In changeable qualifying conditions he stunned the experienced regulars by taking pole position, and then finished both races in the lower reaches of the points.
In 2007, Tommy was joined in the Virgin Yamaha squad by James Haydon, who returned to the team for whom he raced in 2001 and 2004. From 12th on the grid in damp conditions he briefly lead the second race of round 4 at Oulton Park, but ultimately faded to 7th, the Yamaha failing to match other bikes on performance.
After a handful of World Supersport rides on an SSP Yamaha alongside his 2007 BSB commitments , Hill switches to the series full time, with the Hannspree Altea Honda team. On his very first test he crashed, breaking his femur, ankle and hand, causing him to miss the first five rounds of the season. . A further crash in his comeback race at the Nürburgring rebroke his femur.
The Althea team kept faith in him for 2009, signing him to be their sole World Superbike rider, owning to his BSB experience
Ryuichi Kiyonari(清成龍)(born September 23, 1982, in Saitama, Japan) is a professional motorcycle road racer. He is the 2006 and 2007 British Superbike champion, and he currently rides for Hannspree Ten Kate Honda in the Superbike World Championship. He also won the 2008 Suzuka 8-Hour race, teamed with his regular WSBK team-mate Carlos Checa. He has a reputation for being at his best when leading races from the front.
Early years
Kiyonari first raced in 1988 in motocross, which he later stated that he did not especially enjoy. He began circuit racing in 1996, and first raced in the All-Japan 125cc Championship in 1998. He continued in this class until 2001, with a shortage of big results, other than 9th place in the 2000 Suzuka 8-Hour race. However, for 2002 he switched to the All-Japan Supersport championship, which he won with four victories. He also took an All-Japan Superbike Championship victory at TI Aida.
MotoGP
He moved to MotoGP in early 2003 to replace the late Daijiro Kato in Fausto Gresini's Telefónica Movistar team. However, he received little support within the team, especially as team-mate Sete Gibernau challenged for the title, and failed to score much in the way of results. There were eight minor points finishes, leaving him 19th overall with a best of 11th.
British Superbike Championship
After coming 6th overall in the British Superbike Championship in 2004, 'Kiyo' won the first four races of 2005, before injuring his ankle in a heavy crash in round 5. He was back for round 9, and retook the championship lead from team-mate Michael Rutter, but eventually was overhauled by the improving Ducati of Lavilla and he finished the season runner up. He also raced in the Valencia Grand Prix for Sito Pons' Camel Honda team, finishing in the points.
In 2006 Ducati again had the upper hand early in the season, with Kiyonari closest to their riders, Lavilla and Leon Haslam. A double victory at Silverstone in the penultimate round kept him in close contention for the title. However, in the double point final round at Brands Hatch, after a win in race one (he was leading when Shane Byrne's heavy crash caused a stoppage - much to Haslam's visible frustration), Kiyonari only needed to finish third in the final race. Kiyonari finished 2nd in the shortened race behind Haslam, thus winning the championship by 8 points.
The 2007 season started at Brands Hatch, a track Kiyo admits he does not like, and his results there were unspectacular, with Jonathan Rea and Leon Camier performing better on their Hondas. However, he took a double win in round three, and a further win in race 2 at Oulton Park, to lie second to Lavilla after four rounds. Finally defended his British champion status at Brands Hatch to win the championship for the second time in succession.
Superbike World Championship
In 2008 Ryuichi Kiyonari made his Superbike World Championship debut, having reached an agreement with the reigning champion team Ten Kate Honda, to partner Carlos Checa and Kenan Sofuoğlu.
In the second race at Monza, Kiyonari nearly had his first SBK win. Kiyonari was in front as they braked for the final entry into the Parabolica but went wide on the exit and Noriyuki Haga and Max Neukirchner edged him out - Haga for the win and Neukirchner claiming second by a gap of just .009. Kiyonari finished third with a gap of .051, his first Superbike podium. His first two wins came at Brands Hatch, beating Troy Bayliss in race 1 and Noriyuki Haga in race 2. He briefly led the very next race at Donington Park, but fell on lap 2. However, he did win the second race in very wet conditions, visibly sliding the rear end of his bike on many occasions. Kiyonari broke his collarbone in a testing crash at Magny Cours, 2 weeks prior to the event, meaning he missed the race.
For 2009, Kiyo stays with the Ten Kate Honda team, partnering Carlos Checa and Jonathan Rea. His bike is backed by Honda Europe rather than Hannspree.
Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) dominated both races in round 3 of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia.
In front of 65,000 spectators the Japanese rider notched up wins number 35 and 36 in his ten-year long World Superbike career to lead the table with 135 points.
Team-mate Michel Fabrizio also had a positive weekend, the young Italian taking second and third while the remaining podium places went to Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare) in race 1 and rookie Texan Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) in the second encounter.
Race 1
Haga led virtually from lights to flag after moving past early leader Neukirchner at the start of lap 3, the championship leader adding a chunk of points to his advantage over Spies, who then crashed out while fighting with the German. Fabrizio took the second slot to give the factory Ducati team a 1-2 finish. Front-row man Regis Laconi (Ducati DFX) finished just one place away from the podium, while Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing) was the first Honda rider to the flag ahead of Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare).
Yamaha's race was saved with the positive form of Tom Sykes in seventh ahead of Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing), who recovered well from a lowly grid position. Broc Parkes finished an encouraging tenth for Kawasaki, with Superbike rookie John Hopkins (Stiggy Racing Honda) one place behind. Riders who crashed out included Troy Corser (BMW), who was running fourth in the early laps, and Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who remounted but retired.
Noriyuki Haga: “Not so bad! Anyway I had a good feeling this weekend, bike and the team have both been working well. At the start it was good but I had already decided I would go into the lead in the early laps. Finally I kept my own race. Of course I want to win both races today but it's not so easy. I now have a very good feeling with this bike, it is so easy to ride, that's why I was able to push, also I did very consistent laps with this tyre.”
Michel Fabrizio: “For me Valencia is very difficult but this result is fantastic. I grew a beard to bring me good luck, and it worked so maybe I will keep it now! It's a great result for the team, we have worked very well from Friday after the first disappointing couple of races.”
Max Neukirchner: “Even for us it was really hard. We were always in the top 10 this weekend but didn't find perfect set-up. But during the practices we changed some things and in the end we found a very good way and I am so happy to finish on the podium. I was in second place for so long, but even with this result I'm so glad for my team and our new sponsor.”
Race 2
Haga dominated the second race in a similar fashion, this time taking the lead on lap 5. He then pulled out to win by over five seconds, taking a new lap record in 1 minute 34.618 seconds in the process. Spies managed to prevent a second Ducati 1-2 of the day with the runner-up slot but never managed to challenge Haga for the win. Third went to Fabrizio, who again had to hold off Laconi throughout the 23 laps for the final podium slot.
Haslam scored another fifth place, again the best Honda rider to the flag, ahead of Checa and Neukirchner, who faded away with tyre problems after starting off well. Biaggi came home in eighth place again, after prevailing in a five-way battle with Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda), Sykes, Shane Byrne (Ducati Sterilgarda) and Hopkins. The final point went to Corser, while Parkes failed to get into the top 15.
Noriyuki Haga: “We did a great job this weekend. I think one of the reasons is that after Qatar I did some ‘age training! But anyway today 50 points is a great advantage over Ben and I'm very happy with this double win.”
Ben Spies: “I was trying as hard as we could in the first couple of laps, but had a couple of problems and didn't quite get rolling. By the time we got into second, I would have needed to be right on the back of Nori to stay with him because he was riding at a really good pace. I just didn't quite have those 3 or 4 tenths today so I will come back at Assen and try to step it up.”
Michel Fabrizio: “I didn't expect these results here at Valencia, at the most a top 5 position, because it's a difficult track for me. I'm really happy, the team gave me a lot of confidence. It was a really tough battle with Laconi, who was right behind me throughout the race. He brakes really late, I'm amazed he never managed to pass me!”
from: http://eurosport.yahoo.com
Full World Superbike Championship rider standings (After 3 rounds of 14 - Previous position in brackets)
1. (1) Noriyuki Haga Ducati Xerox 135 points
2. (2) Ben Spies Yamaha WSB 95
3. (3) Max Neukirchner Suzuki Alstare Brux 65
4. (11) Michel Fabrizio Ducati Xerox 60
5. (5) Leon Haslam Stiggy Honda 58
6. (7) Regis Laconi DFX Ducati 56
7. (4) Max Biaggi Aprilia 54
8. (6) Tom Sykes Yamaha WSB 47
9. (10) Yukio Kagayama Suzuki Alstare Brux 35
10. (8) Jonathan Rea Ten Kate Honda 33
11. (13) Ryuichi Kiyonari Ten Kate Honda 32
12. (14) Carlos Checa Ten Kate Honda 31
13. (9) Shinya Nakano Aprilia 27
14. (16) Shane Byrne Sterilgarda Ducati 26
15. (12) Troy Corser BMW Alpha 23
16. (15) Jakub Smrz Guandalini Ducati 18
17. (17) Ruben Xaus BMW Alpha 17
18. (-) Roberto Rolfo Stiggy Honda 9
19. (20) Broc Parkes Kawasaki WSB 8
20. (18) Tommy Hill Althea Honda 6
21. (19) Roberto Rolfo Stiggy Honda 3
22. (-) Makoto Tamada Kawasaki WSB 2
Full World Superbike Championship rider standings (After 3 rounds of 14 - Previous position in brackets)
Personal opinion: after his 2005 injury and the move in 2006 to Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse from Caracchi Ducati, he wasn’t able to repeat his early years performance, so far the move back to riding a Ducati even if it is as a privateer in DFX Corse team seams to be good for him, as he is already improved his results from the last few years. There is a definite improvement from the race in Qatar to the race in Australia,
Regis Laconi Goes Nuts
Laconi at the 2002 Dutch TT, has an embarrassing ducky-fit at a marshall trying to help him.
French World Superbike rider Régis Laconi and his great tough fight with his Ducati at Philip Island track in 2005. At the end it was impossible to save what is pity - it could be even more awesome.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and motorcycle-usa.com
Régis Laconi born July 8, 1975 in St. Dizier France is a professional motorcycle racer. In 2008 he competes in the Superbike World Championship for Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse. He was runner-up in 2004, and has won races in both 500cc and the Superbike World Championship.
Early career
Régis has a French mother and Italian father. He started racing in 1991 in the French 125cc championship. He won this title in 1992, the French 250cc title a year later, and the European 250cc title in 1994. For 1995 he went to the 250cc World Championship, but was never a front-runner in his two seasons there.
500cc
1997 was his first season on a 500cc Grand Prix bike, but his World Championship season was ended by injury. With Red Bull backing he returned for 1998, riding a Yamaha for three years. He finished 10th, 11th and 12th in the series in this time, but won at Valencia in 1999.
Superbike World Championship
For 2001 he was a factory Aprilia WSBK rider. He lead the first lap of the season, but struggled for much of the season on circuits he did not know. Until the final round at Imola his best result was a 4th, but he benefitted from knowing this circuit (which, like himself, was new to WSBK after being familiar in 500cc). He qualified 2nd, and won the second race, after running strongly in race 1 before being taken out by a fall for champion Troy Bayliss.A move to MotoGP for 2002 was not successful, with a best result of 8th, so for 2003 he returned to WSBK for the Caracchi Ducati team, doing enough to earn a factory ride for 2004 by taking 5 podium finishes, finishing 4th in a relatively weakened championship.
He and team-mate James Toseland were clear favourites for the 2004 title, which Toseland took at the final round of the season, in spite of Régis taking 5 poles and 7 wins, and having what is seen as the stronger team of mechanics. His 2005 season was interrupted by injury, and for 2006 he switched to Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse. He finished the season behind his two team-mates in the championship, taking 15th place, with Chris Walker in 9th and Fonsi Nieto in 10th.
He remained with the team for 2007 and finished 10th overall. He continues with the same team for 2008. At Misano the team ran in a localised San Marino livery, but unfortunately both he and team-mate Makoto Tamada crashed in race 1, forcing Laconi to run race 2 in the conventional green Kawasaki livery.
After a frustrating 16th place finish in 2008 Laconi left the PSG-1 Kawasaki squad. Laconi is now one of many to campaign the 1098R as a privateer. The Frenchman will ride for the DFX Corse banner for 2009.
Personal opinion: a nice looking guy, did a full season in WSBK in 2004, for Renegade alongside Noriyuki Haga. He was 8th overall with a best of 3rd, but it would be unfair not to mention his impressive victory in a British Superbike race at Brands Hatch on one of the team's 3 ventures into the series. In torrential rain, this was the only Ducati win in the series all year, even though this was the title-winning bike in both 2003 (Shane "Shakey" Byrne) and 2005 (Gregorio Lavilla). And a very impressive career BSB, he already has 1 podium this year, came 3rd in race 2 – Philip Island- Australia.
LEON HASLAM - RD 1 PHILLIP ISLAND
Leon Haslam - Portimao Test 2009
History- from:http://www.leonhaslam.com
NAME: Leon Haslam
DOB: 31 May 1983
PLACE OF BIRTH: England
HOME TOWN: Smalley, Derbyshire
HEIGHT: 5'7"
WEIGHT: 67 kg
MARITAL STATUS: Girlfriend, Oli
HAIR COLOUR: Brown
EYE COLOUR: Green
NICKNAMES: Pocket Rocket or Unibrow
FAVORITE FOOD: Fajita's or Pizza
FAVORITE DRINK: Banana Milkshake
OWN CAR: Ford-Ranger Thunder
OWN MOTORCYCLE: 999 Ducati
FIRST ROAD RACE: Brands Hatch 1997
FIRST WIN: Silverstone 1998
FAVORITE UK CIRCUIT: Cadwell Park
FAVORITE WORLD CIRCUIT: Phillip Island, Australia
MOST SUCCESFUL SEASON: BSB 2006
BEST MOMENTS: Five BSB wins from seven races at the end of 2008
FAVORITE RACE IN YOUR CAREER: Win and last lap challenge at croft wet race 2006 and BSB 2005- Oulton Park, when I had to start from pit lane
AMBITIONS: To be MotoGP Champion
FAVORITE ALL TIME RIDERS: Valentino Rossi, Ron Haslam, Freddie Spencer
MOST RESPECTED RIVAL: Jeremy McWilliams
SPORTS HERO FROM ANOTHER SPORT: Eric Cantona
LIKES: Rambo films and honest people
DISLIKES: Broccoli and people who lie and are two faced
AIMS FOR 2009: To establish myself and team as WSB front runners
THOUGHTS ON WORLD SUPERBIKES: "We've got a tough year ahead but Stiggy has assembled a very good team and very good machinery."
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1995: National Young Motocross Champion 1997: Scooter Championship at age 14 1998: Young Rider of the Year Award - MCN 1999: Winner Under 23 British Championship 2001: Youngest ever rider to compete in 500cc World Championship 2002:7th in Portugal in debut season in 250cc GP class 2003: 12th in British Superbike Championship 2004: Winner of BSB race at Brands Hatch and named 'Rookie of the Year ' 2005:4th in British Superbike Championship 2006: 2nd in British Superbike Championship Man of the Year 2006 Rider's Rider of the Year 2006 2007: 3rd in British Superbike Championship 2008: 2nd in British Superbike Championship
Personal opinion: Had a pretty good year last year, considering he didn’t know most of the tracks, the winter training didn’t go as well, since his fight with his team mate Collins Edwards he had a lot of bad luck, a very bad crash in the test in Sapang, that left him a bite shaken, and now had another bad crash in Jerez, I hope he will sort the problems he has with Edwards and his luck changes. Or maybe if he strips less (not that I mind so much if he does…) and plays the piano less he will win more.
James Toseland Vs Tiff Needell
James Toseland on BBC Sports Personality Of The Year 2007
In Short - from: http://www.jamestoseland.com
James Toseland is Britain’s only MotoGP contender in the 2008 series and is already being hailed as the next Barry Sheene. The 27-year-old became the youngest-ever World Superbike Champion at just 23 years old and claimed the title again in 2007 before making the step into motorcycle racing’s premier class.
James Toseland Biography
James Toseland, World Superbike Champion at just 23 years old, has rocketed into a league of biking legends, following in the footsteps of Carl Fogarty, Troy Bayliss and Neil Hodgson.
Despite his relative youth, the Doncaster-born rider has more racing experience under his leathers than some of the series' other veterans. Early competition in trials and motocross awarded him an impressive haul of trophies and ultimately laid the foundations of a promising career in road racing.
James quickly worked his way up through the ranks of 125cc racing and into British Supersport and shone in the European Championship. However, it was in 1998, at the tender age of 17, when he was given his big break and was chosen by Castrol Honda to ride the CBR600 in the World Supersport series.
Never one to turn down a challenge, over the next two seasons, James finished 18th and 11th overall before returning to Britain to ride in the 2000 British Superbike Championship.
Despite missing almost half the season through injury, the Yorkshireman finished 12th and was quickly snapped-up by GSE Racing for its World Superbike campaign. An impressive 13th place in the 2001 series, including sixth at Brands Hatch, was enough to confirm the rider as a clear World Superbike contender.
Since then, James has emerged as a world-class rider. In only his second year in the World Superbike series in 2002, he made his name as a regular top-six finisher and scored his first-ever podium finish at Assen. In 2003, he ended fellow Brit Hodgson's winning streak with an impressive win at Oschersleben and earned his first pole position in the final round at Magny-Cours.
An extraordinary 2004 season with Ducati followed, with James making the history books as the youngest-ever World Superbike Champion. Despite a relatively tough 2005 season with the Ducati team - when he finished fourth overall - James bounced back in 2006 to take second position overall with Winston Ten Kate Honda.
2007 heralded his seventh consecutive, and final year as a permanent fixture on the Superbike grid - this time with HANNspree Ten Kate Honda. After a thrilling season of racing, James once again lifted the World Superbike crown, with a winning margin of just two points over Noriyuki Haga. The win ensured James left the World Superbike stage in the best possible manner.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2008
Toseland was again linked with the Pramac d'Antin MotoGP team, although rumours had also abounded of a ride with a Honda outfit, and even of Ten Kate Racing making the step up to the premier class and taking Toseland with them. But eventually Toseland confirmed a move to MotoGP for 2008 on 1 August 2007 when he announced that he had signed a one-year contract with factory supported Yamaha team Tech 3. For 2008 Tech 3 switched from Dunlop to Michelin tyres it was also confirmed that Toseland's teammate would be Colin Edwards. Toseland has signed a deal with British leather company BKS to supply him with suits whilst competing in the 2008 MotoGP world championship.
Facing eight unknown tracks, Toseland had reason to expect a tough season, but he was immediately more competitive than expected. He qualified in second place and finished sixth in the opening race in Qatar on the 9th March 2008.
He then qualified in 8th place and finished sixth in Jerez on the 30th March despite suffering from bronchitis.
Toseland has shrugged off criticism from fellow MotoGP riders about his aggressive riding style. Chris Vermeulen,Andrea Dovizioso and world champion Casey Stoner have both been vocal in their displeasure of Toseland's aggressive overtaking moves. James has downplayed the talk and stated that his moves are "hard but fair", and that it is his job to overtake his rivals when he has the chance to do so.
Before the British MotoGP round at Donington Park, Toseland said that if he was to be the first Briton to win in 27 years at the top level that he would strip naked on the ride back to the pits. However, he crashed in the first corner of the race, but picked his bike up to finish in 17th place, his worst finish of the season to that point, over a lap behind the winner Casey Stoner.
Toseland struggled through the middle part of the season for top 10 finishes, achieving two 9th places (Holland and the United States). One of James's better showings was at Brno where he finished 13th, ahead of his team mate Colin Edwards. Amidst Bridgestone dominance he was the third-highest finisher on Michelin tires, the first being Andrea Dovizioso placed in 9th. At Phillip Island he ran 3rd for a while but ultimately faded to 6th after frantic battles with the works Yamahas of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, plus Dovizioso and Shinya Nakano.
Overall Toseland had a very mixed first year in the Moto GP class, finishing 11th overall in the championship with 105 points. Inconsistency was one of the main problems, with Toseland unable to record regular top 10 results despite having only 2 DNF's.
2009
It was confirmed that Toseland would stay on for 2009 with the Tech 3 Yamaha team, racing alongside Colin Edwards as he did in 2008, after the team extended Toseland's current deal 2 races into the 2008 season. Yamaha have also decided to continue their relationship with the Tech 3 brand through to 2010.
In pre-season testing Toseland suffered a major accident and was diagnosed with concussion.
Friday, 15 May 2009 17:32 
