Stoner on track again with Honda 2012 prototype

The original plan was to have a one day test with Stoner and one with Pedrosa, however, due to the outcome of proceedings from last weekend in Le Mans with Dani's injury, HRC determined to complete one more day with Casey and test rider Ito Shinichi in order to finish the intended testing program.

With windy conditions and temperatures a little cooler than on Tuesday, Stoner ran 25 laps in the morning without any issues and Shinichi took over in the afternoon. HRC engineers were happy with the data acquired.

view this : perry scales, truck scales, moving quotes

Valentino Rossi tests 2012 Desmosedici GP12 Ducati 1000cc MotoGP bike at Jerez

Labelled the Desmosedici GP12, Rossi finished 50 laps on the Friday morning following the Spanish Grand Prix and the second round of the MotoGP championship where he notably collided with Australian rider Casey Stoner.

As always the Italian was excited and smiling after completing the test at the Jerez circuit.

"In my opinion, it’s more pleasurable, more fun to ride. It was the first time we had it on the track, so we had some job to do, but the engine is nicer.

"It’s a lot of fun, and you can do some pleasant slides. It’s the bike we’ll ride next year, so it was very significant—and also very nice—to be among the first to take it on the track."

Ducati technical boss Filippo Prezios Filippo Preziosi was also happy with the early hitout on the GP12.

Start of sidebar. Hop to end of sidebar.

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

"To be able to work with Vale for a full day is more than any technician could ask,” he said.

"We gathered substantial feedback that we’ll translate into further design and development for next year’s bike.

"We know that our competitors are also working hard and rising their 2012 bikes, but that just makes the challenge better.”

view this : perry scales, chicago movers, texas coatings

Pedrosa: "This year will be very spirited"

The Repsol Honda rider, satisfied with the official Tests held at Sepang, faces the last meeting in Qatar before the start of the Championship.

The start of the Championship is future and Dani Pedrosa as well as his team-mates of the Repsol Honda Team, Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso, have shown that they are the MotoGP competitors in shape during the pre-season. The Repsol Honda rider is certain of his and his bike’s chances, after winter Tests in which he has suffered none of the bodily or technical problems he had had in previous years.

From the first test in Valencia in November 2010 until the last tests held at Sepang, where have you enhanced the most with your bike?

“Basically, the bike has not changed so much, so what we have tried to do is to get better it in the most critical areas, such as the braking or the electronics.”

What is your assessment of the last tests in Sepang?

“The best thing is that this year we have better foundations, opposing to what happened in the previous years, when we had to develop and improve the bike during the Championship. This season we start with a very positive training that will allow us to face the first race of the Championship with a good level of presentation.”

Is there something still to be done in the next Qatar test or will it just be used to get ready the first race of the Championship?

“There are always things to be done, but the main aim of the Qatar test will be to learn to make the most of the set-up we will use in the race. If the track situation are good, we will be able to take advantage of it.”

view this site : perry scales, moving quotes, texas coatings

Stoner getting into the groove with his new team

Repsol Honda new recruit Casey Stoner ran a stunning final lap to better Valentino Rossi’s best lap time around Sepang Circuit with a sensational time of 2:00.171 to top the timesheets in the MotoGP pre-season hard for a second successive day.

Covering 42 laps for the day, the 2007 world champion bettered Rossi’s time of 2:00.271, which the nine-time world champion recorded previous year on his Yamaha M1 during the last day of the second test meeting in Sepang.

Rossi, however, was not at the circuit to catch that sparkling run by the Australian as the Ducati Marlboro new recruit had skipped yesterday’s sitting due to sickness.

Day Two was also a day that the three-man Repsol Honda team sent a strong message of their meaning to wrest back the world crown as the Australian team-mates – Spaniard Dani Pedrosa and Italian Andrea Dovizioso took second and third spots correspondingly.

Pedrosa clocked the second fastest time of 2:00.229 while Divizioso came in at 2:00.531 around the 5.543km track.

“We had a really good day today. From the start I felt more comfortable with the bike again, like I unspoken the bike a little better,” said Stoner, who switched from Ducati to Honda this year.

view this site : chicago mover, moving quotes, chicago movers

Dani Pedrosa: Rossi is Rossi…

Dani Pedrosa says Valentino Rossi can never be inexpensive as a title contender, despite the somewhat unpromising start to the seven-time MotoGP world champion's career as a Ducati rider.

Rossi finished the first pre-season test of 2011 in a modest 11th position overall, while Pedrosa – jointly with Honda stablmates Casey Stoner and Marco Simoncelli – have been in the middle of the main pace setters.

Despite this, Pedrosa is refusing to get rid of Rossi from the equation of title challenger, maintaining the Italian has the aptitude to turn things around in time for the start of the new season.

“The great unknown amount will perhaps be Rossi,” he said in his latest blog. “It's his first year with Ducati and in Malaysia he wasn't amongst the fastest riders. But Rossi is Rossi, and you can not at all rely on anything. Even when he's in last place on the Saturday he still has the ability to surprise.”

Additionally, Pedrosa is wary of reigning champions Yamaha, pointing out that and Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies carry on to display the most convincing race pace.

“Right now the Honda RC212V seems to be performance well. We'll see what happens when we get to the first GP of the year, because the whole thing could change there. You never know, but at the instant everything points towards a tough World Championship.

“The Yamaha continues to have a good rhythm lap upon lap. Lorenzo, as the defending Champion, is a rival to beat, and Spies had a huge season in 2010 and will certainly be better this year.”

view this site : chicago movers, moving quotes, chicago mover

Honda presents its sporting programme in Tokyo

The HRC riders flew directly to the Japanese capital from Sepang, where they took part in a stunning occasion to mark the start of the season.

The Welcome Plaza headquarters of Honda Motor Company in Tokyo was the setting for the Japanese factory's appearance of its 2011 sporting programme this week, which included national and international behavior connecting both motorcycling and motorsport.

The three riders on the Repsol Honda team this year, Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Casey Stoner, flew straight from Sepang for the event, along with Japanese rider Hiroshi Aoyama. Also present was Gresini Racing Moto2's Yuki Takahashi, who represented the middle category riders, the class to which Honda is the official engine supplier.

During the event, at which Honda Motor Company President and CEO Takanobu Ito was present, Dani Pedrosa commented that he was “very pleased both with the result of the Sepang Test and the condition of my shoulder after the operation this winter”. With regards to his aims for the season, Pedrosa said that “the most significant thing is to continue working hard and learning, which is the only way to get better and to get better each year. I hope to be reliable and get good results in every race.”

view this site : local piano movers, moving quotes, local moving service

First MotoGP Test of 2011 ends with Simoncelli on top

The San Carlo Honda Gresini rider ended Thursday at the Sepang Test with the fastest time of the entire three days. Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo were second and third fastest respectively, with Valentino Rossi tenth.

The first on-track MotoGP action of the year completed at Sepang on Thursday, and in an exciting opening chapter of the pre-season period it was Marco Simoncelli who topped the third and final day’s timesheet in Malaysia. The San Carlo Honda Gresini rider posted a 2’00.757 on his second of 42 laps, an effort that registered the best time of the entire Test and which was just 0.239s off Valentino Rossi’s 2009 circuit best lap.

The Ducati rider has also been one of the main focuses of concentration throughout these three days, and he ended Thursday tenth in the timings with a lap of 2’01.842 – 1.085s off his fellow compatriot’s scorching marker.

Casey Stoner has been in fine form throughout this Test and the new Repsol Honda employ was one of four riders to join Simoncelli under the 2’01” mark on the final day. The Australian’s effort of 2’00.811 was noted on his 38th of 42 laps, thus ongoing his pattern of setting his best time late in the day and showing no lingering effects of a fall at Turn 5 earlier on.

World Champion Jorge Lorenzo was just 0.088s off Simoncelli as he placed his factory M1 as the highest Yamaha of the day. The Spaniard, who performed a tyre test in the afternoon, was exactly 0.1s faster than Andrea Dovizioso, whose Repsol Honda machine was the third RC212V inside the top four by the close of play..

view this site : chicago movers, moving quotes, chicago mover

Repsol Honda trio sustain solid momentum

Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso engaged three of the top four positions on the timesheet on day two of the Sepang Test.

The Repsol Honda team enjoyed another creative day of Testing at Sepang on Wednesday, as Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso all finished inside the top four on the timesheet whilst accomplishing a solid amount of work on the development of their RC212V machines.

Pedrosa topped the timings with the initial and so far only lap under 2’01”, lapping at 2’00.770 on only his fourth turn of the circuit in the morning. The Spaniard spent the day trying out different chassis set-ups, the new RC212V engine and also worked on deferment with Öhlins technicians.

“I think it's the first time I've ridden so fast on this track, but you're just fresh in the morning and I did four very good first laps,” said Pedrosa, whose best attempt was just 0.252s off Valentino Rossi’s circuit best lap, set in 2009. “I was not looking for a time, but I saw that the track situation were good and I pushed. The closer you get to the limit, the clearer the changes you are doing on the bike become, which guide you in the right direction.”

He continued: “Today I tried the new engine, which has enhanced from Valencia, some chassis configurations and rear shocks. Tomorrow the plan is to carry on comparing both bikes and it would be great to come away with the chassis and engine determined for the next test."

view this site : chicago movers, moving quotes, chicago mover, motorsports

MotoGP 2011: The new season

In less than one month’s time the first representative MotoGP Test of the year takes place at Sepang as the clash for the final 800cc title gets underway.

The 2010 crusade is still fresh in the memory but already the focus has turned to 2011. With the first Official Test in training for the new season coming right away after the final round of the year in Valencia back in November, the enthusiasm at the final 800cc season before the opening of a 1000c engine capacity limit in 2012 is merely adding to the expectation that the 2011 season will be one to savour.

Looking at the foremost contenders for the 2011 MotoGP title the defending World Champion Jorge Lorenzo will be at the front position, as he aims to underline his status as the new dominant force. Having been so consistent in 2010 and finishing 16 of the 18 rounds on the podium on his M1, the factory Yamaha rider displayed a level of adulthood that was very much improved in contrast to his previous premier class campaigns.

As Lorenzo opts for stability with Yamaha two of his chief rivals ride with new teams in 2011. Casey Stoner becomes a factory HRC rider and his show in the Valencia Test hinted at what was an instant similarity with the RC212V, whilst Valentino Rossi has filled the Australian’s seat at Ducati as an all-Italian match-up adds to the charming grid. Rossi may not have enjoyed as contented an introduction to his new machine as Stoner did to the Honda, but such is the nine-time World Champion’s established track record he can be predictable to be pushing hard on the Desmosedici come March 20th at Losail.

Along with Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa will hope to benefit from the constancy of residual with the same set-up in 2011, and for the 2010 runner-up it will be his sixth season on the factory Honda team. Having been Lorenzo’s longest contestant until injury struck towards the end of 2010, Pedrosa’s sights will be resolutely set on a first premier class title.

As much as the ‘top four’ carry on to be spoken of in one bracket, the gap at the back them is being closed all the time and there are a number of riders who will not only be sure of breaking into that elite, but who have proven they have the aptitude to run at the front.

view this site : Chicago movers, Chicago mover

Recap 2010: Gran Premio d’Italia TIM

MotoGp's comprehensive summary of the fourth round of the season at the Mugello Circuit offers you the chance to re-live the best of the action, with easy one-click access to the video highlights.

Mugello played host to the World Championship on the first weekend of June as round four called on the beautiful Tuscan countryside, and with the weather remaining fine throughout the three days it was an eventful stage in Italy.

The official pre-event saw some World Championship riders attempt to make a traditional Italian pizza, although their dough skills failed to match up to their abilities on board a motorcycle! The serious business began later that afternoon as a quintet of the MotoGP stars – Nicky Hayden, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso and Marco Simoncelli – attended the pre-race press conference as anticipation for the race grew.

The time for talking was soon over as the on-track action commenced and it was reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi who took control of the opening practice session, setting the fastest time as Casey Stoner experienced a difficult start to the session.

Guareschi: “We have high aims for 2011”

The Ducati Team Manager discusses the 2010 campaign with Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden and also previews 2011 in a video feature interview.

Vittoriano Guareschi reviewed his first season as Team Manager of the Ducati factory team in a special post-season interview, which can be viewed in the attached video, discussing the 2010 campaigns of Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden.

“This year has gone well and not so well for us. We suffered at the start, wasting some good opportunities, but in the end we have recovered. We started the season with a GP10 that had an engine that was unprecedented, a big bang version in contrast to the screamer that was used the year before. We had to work on the set-up for Casey and make the bike as familiar for him as possible,” said Guareschi, who continued to review the Australian’s season.

“At the start of the year, and until mid-season, we weren’t able to extract the full potential of the engine. Starting at Aragón we found a set-up that satisfied him fully and then we became main players. If it had been like this from the very start of the year then we would have been amongst those fighting for the title until the end.”

Rossi hoping to race at ‘100 per cent’

Valentino Rossi says the flowing nature of the Phillip Island course should prove less troublesome for his injured shoulder this weekend as he looks to build on his Malaysian Grand Prix success.

The Italian romped to his first win since suffering with both shoulder and leg injuries in separate accidents with a victory at Sepang, Rossi subsequently reviving his hopes of securing third in the MotoGP standings.

With less than a week to prepare for the Australian Grand Prix, Rossi is looking forward to racing at Phillip Island, claiming the fast, sweeping bends – and minimal harsh braking points – will create fewer problems for his pained shoulder.

"I hope I can race at 100 per cent here in Australia," the FIAT Yamaha rider said. "On paper it looks good for my shoulder because although there are many fast changes of direction there isn't so much heavy braking here. We will see."

"The Phillip Island track is great; something different compared to other tracks. It's so fast and it's important to find the right line. Here it is difficult to find the right balance between the fast and slow corners, but it always makes for great racing, especially in MotoGP."

Rossi is currently positoned third in the standings, though Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso are just one and two points behind respectively.

Stoner evaluates new forks

The Ducati Team rider noted an improved front-end feeling on his factory Desmosedici GP10 at the Brno test.

Casey Stoner and his Ducati Team worked with a new set of the front forks at the official MotoGP test at the Brno on Monday, but the rain cut short the day’s work as the Australian began to gain a positive sensation and set the second best time.

Seeking a solution to the front-end problems that have affected his machine this season Stoner reported a good feeling with the new part, but commented that he will need further time on them before knowing for certain whether they will improve his overall set-up.

"We tried a new fork today and as far as we could tell the feeling is positive. Unfortunately we were only able to get a couple of the hours in this morning because immediately after lunch it started to rain and we couldn't complete the test,” said Stoner, who is now likely to use the new fork at the next round at the Indianapolis.

“I believe we can use the new forks, whether or not they’re a big improvement I don’t know. We started to get quite a good feeling with them but at the beginning of the season I had a good feeling with the other forks and I crashed when everything felt great.”

“We don’t know if we’ll continue using them or not, we have to get a little bit more data and feedback and see of it’s going to work. Other than that we basically have the same bike as we’ve had all year.”

Stoner happy with German result after fight for third

The Ducati Team rider held off Valentino Rossi for the final podium spot at the Sachsenring to take his third top-three finish in the succession. Casey Stoner said that he felt the benefit of the race restart at the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, where he took the third place after a red flag saw the Sachsenring contest run a shortened second race.

Randy de Puniet’s crash on lap nine halted the original race, and the 25-minute interval before a second 21-lap contest began the allowed Stoner and his Ducati team to change the rear tyre he was using, an alteration that the Australian said made a big difference.

“I thought it was going to affect us in a bad way but it was actually helped us slightly,” said Stoner of the restart. “In the first part of the race we had a new rear tyre that wasn’t producing the grip that the tyres had been in all weekend. I just wasn’t able to keep up with the lap times being set by the Dani and Jorge.”

“For the second part of the race we went back to a tyre we were using in qualifying yesterday so it already had laps on it, and immediately it felt better with the more grip and a better feeling in mid-turn. We were able to run a lot faster lap times, maybe three or four-tenths of a second consistently. I tried to chase the top two down but didn’t quite have the pace.”

“I saw Valentino coming and he had a much higher pace than me and I thought he would just take off if he got the past. So I tried to do everything I could to stay with him and when I got an opportunity to overtake him it and came down to the last two laps,” explained Stoner. “We had a few nice passes and I just had to go for it in the last corner, and it worked out. I’m pretty happy with the result, and we managed to pick up the points when we needed to.”

Stoner: Impossible to pass Pedrosa

After running wide into turn one on lap six of Sunday's Catalan Grand Prix, Ducati's Casey Stoner spent most of the race trying to overtake the Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa.

Pedrosa had also run wide at turn one, at the very start of the race, and the battle between the rumoured 2011 team-mates was initially for the third position, which then became a fight for second when Andrea Dovizioso fell.

But Stoner simply couldn't find a way past, crossing the line 0.2sec behind Pedrosa to nonetheless claim his second podium in a row. Race winner Jorge Lorenzo was five seconds in the front.

"The mistake was my own fault. I got a bit too much speed down the main straight - I got a slipstream off both Jorge and Dovi - so I decided to just go with wide rather than risk losing the front and going into everyone," said Stoner, who had spent the opening laps battling for the lead.

"The bike didn't feel too good. We changed the set-up after warm-up and it was difficult to ride at the start, but better at the end. I got past de Puniet and then as I came up behind Dani I thought I could run better lap times than him. I thought I'd try to pass him, but that was just an impossible battle.

"Dani rode really well today, he didn't make any mistakes. He was coming out of the corners good, clean. Didn't give me an opportunity to get past. I was on his rear wheel for most of the race, but just wasn't able to get the job done. So hats off to Dani.

"But we've got to be happy with another podium today."

Having put his nightmare start to the season behind him, Stoner has now moved up to sixth in the championship, just two points behind fourth placed team-mate Nicky Hayden.

"I am happy to see that Casey is back to being… well, Casey!" said team manager Vittoriano Guareschi. "Even after running off track he recovered with a lot of determination and tried his best to the end but he could do no more than he did."

Hayden meanwhile had a 'tough' ride to eighth.

"What a tough race!" said Nicky. "We thought we had found something in the warm-up this morning using a worn tyre but in the race with the extra grip from a new tyre the balance just wasn't the same.

"I was really struggling over the first few laps and held myself up on my elbow a couple of times. The situation improved in the second half of the race, I was able to push a little harder to the point where I thought I could make up some positions.

"I lost too much time behind Melandri though and we finished eighth. It's not a great result but at least we have brought some points home and we're now fourth in the championship. If we want to stay there we have to do much better and get back to the level and we were at a couple of races ago.”

Casey stoner

Nationality	Australian
Date of birth	16 October 1985(1985-10-16)
Place of birth	Queensland, Australia
Website	caseystoner.com.au
Current team	Ducati Marlboro
Bike #	27
Championships	1 (2007)
Race starts 133	133
Wins	27
Podium finishes	56
Pole positions	23
Fastest laps	22
Points	1649
2009 position	4th (220 pts)

MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo Fastest in First Practice at Catalunya

World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo has continued on his torrid run with the fastest time in Friday qualifying for Sunday’s Catalunya Grand Prix north of Barcelona.

On a day when temperatures reached nearly 90 degrees, and track temperatures soared, the Fiat Yamaha-riding Majorcan was at his best. He went to the top of the order in the fifth and in the ninth minutes, before settling in with a fast lap on the 14th. About five minutes later, Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner was almost suddenly on top.

Just past the halfway mark in the 60-minute session, Lorenzo went to the top with a lap of 1:43.405. He lowered it on to each of his next two laps, finishing with a best of 1:43.259 with over 24 minutes remaining.

Stoner upped his pace with about 13 minutes to run, turning a pair of fast laps, the second of which came within .153 of a second of Lorenzo, but no closer.

Casey Stoner is a professional motorcycle racer. Born and raised in Southport, Queensland, Stoner raced from a young age and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a racing career. After first competing internationally in the 2002, he won the title of the 2007 MotoGP World Champion when he succeeded American Nicky Hayden.

In 2008, Stoner was named Young Australian of the Year as well as Nickelodeon´s Australian Kids Choice Awards.

Casey Stoner

Nationality	Australian
Date of birth	16 October 1985 (1985-10-16)
Place of birth	Queensland, Australia
Website	caseystoner.com.au
Current team	Ducati Marlboro
Bike #	27
Championships	1 (2007)
Race starts	132
Wins	27
Podium finishes	55
Pole positions	23
Fastest laps	22
Points	1633
2009 position	4th (220 pts)