Suzuki City Team to Debut at Houston

Courtesy of Suzuki City Team

Matt Goerke - Suzuki City Team.

After a spectacular freshman season on the professional level of AMA supercross and motocross in 2008 highlighted by an impressive fifth overall in the AMA Motocross class with New Zealand’s Cody Cooper, the Suzuki City team is poised to continue their success into 2009 and beyond with the addition of Matt Goerke and Steven Clarke to their team roster. Both riders will compete in the Eastern Regional Lites series of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, aboard RM-Z250s.

“Our goal is to be strong and consistent and improve on last year’s results,” states Michael Nasakaitis, team manager. “For 2009 we dropped our number of riders to two. I wanted to focus on just a couple riders this year because with hurdles such as the economy and the sponsors’ ever-shrinking budgets, it was a lot of work to get this team together. But the bottom line is we are going racing.

The Suzuki City team will make their 2009 debut at the Houston round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross series this Saturday, January 24, 2009, inside Houston’s Reliant Stadium.

Matt Goerke
The leader of this young team is 22-year-old Matt Goerke, who is a multi-time amateur national motocross champion hailing from Lake Helen, Florida. Goerke made his professional debut in the summer of 2004 and has shown steady improvement ever since. He’s coming off of a very strong season where he raced with the MDK KTM team, earning #34 for the 2009 season. Goerke will contest the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Series aboard the #34 RM-Z250, a bike he’s very excited to race. “I love the Suzuki,” says Matt, who dropped 12 pounds in the off-season in preparation of competing aboard the Lites bike. “It handles so good. I never rode a bike that handles this good and I feel that I’m riding well on it. I plan on being up front and on the podium, a lot.”

Vitals
D.O.B.: May 1, 1986
Residence: Lake Helen, Florida
Bike: RM-Z250
Number: 34


Steven Clarke
The other and younger half of the Suzuki City team is rookie Steven Clarke, who will be making his professional debut in AMA Supercross this weekend in Houston. Born in West Midlands, England, Clarke has been traveling back and forth to the United States for the past several years, gaining valuable experience on the ultra-competitive U.S. amateur motocross circuit. The 18-year-old bases himself out of the infamous Millsaps Training Facility in Cairo, Georgia, and has been rigorously training and testing for the Houston opener. “Supercross has always been a big goal for me,” admits Clarke, who will be wearing #77. “I’ve been working hard at being a supercross rider; I’ve always liked the jumps and the whoops, so we’ll see how it goes.” Clarke is also very confident in his team and equipment. “I think Suzuki City is a great team and we got some factory backing this year and if Michael [Nasakaitis] keeps pushing at it this team will go a really long way,” he continues. “Cody Cooper had a great season last year and hopefully this year I’m going to put in a good year to help push Suzuki City that much farther.”

Kawasaki's ATV Team Poised for Success

Courtesy of Kawasaki Racing

Monster Energy Kawasaki's Josh Creamer.

With two seasons of racing under its belt on the Kawasaki KFX®450R, the Monster Energy Kawasaki ATV Racing Team is looking to have its best season yet in 2009.

The Monster Energy Kawasaki ATV Racing team returns to the competitive AMA ATV National Motocross Series with a two-man team looking for the Kawasaki’s first-series win. Returning for his third year, Josh Creamer has been a key component to improving the Kawasaki race machine. Last year he earned four podium finishes, including one moto win aboard the KFX450R. He knows what it takes to win and is very eager to be on top of the podium.

New to the team in 2009 is Chad Wienen, the 2008 AMA Pro ATV Open winner and an AMA ATV race winner. Wienen healed from injury during the 2008 season and came back to dominate the last several races in the series, including the ATV Open win at Steel City Raceway. Wienen’s drive to constantly improve and see results fits perfect within the Kawasaki racing philosophy.

“Chad and Josh are great friends on and off the track and have always pushed each other to higher levels of performance,” said Team Green™ Manager Reid Nordin. “I can only see that increasing now that they are teammates. Chad possesses great finesse on the track and knows how to race from a strategic standpoint. Josh knows how to push the limits of the KFX450R and has a never-quit attitude. The two are shaping up to be a great fit for the 2009 season.”

Along with competing in the AMA ATV National Motocross Series, Kawasaki will be backing its commitment in other ATV series’, particularly in the WORCS and New England ATV Series’ (NEATV).

The DATS Racings team will be back for its third season in the WORCS ATV Series. The team already has one championship in the ProAm class and is looking to add to that in 2009. In the NEATV, Joe Haavisto brought Kawasaki two championships in 2008 in the Pro and Pro-Am classes and is looking to make it back to back championships in 2009.

In just a short amount of time, the Monster Energy Kawasaki ATV Racing Team is poised to be one of the top teams. The steady improvement from its inception shows the dedication every team member has to winning.

Ducati Starts 2009 With Month Of Events

Ducati Starts 2009 With Month Of Events

Courtesy of Ducati

Ducati welcomed 2009 with the new Monster 1100s, hitting show rooms in January.

Hot on the heels of its most sucessful year ever, Ducati North America is carrying its momentum into 2009. The first three weeks of the year have brought on a flurry of activity, including the Grand Opening of Ducati New Orleans, the showroom launch of the 2009 Monster 1100 S, and a New Year party to remember in New York City.

Following months of preparation, Ducati’s grand entrance to 2009 began with the unveiling of the third showroom in the Ducati Retail Design program: Ducati New Orleans. The gorgeous new 1,500 foot space opened its doors on January 9th with a distinctive gala, attended by several government dignitaries. After six months of construction, Ducati is ready to put its mark on the Big Easy with Louisiana style. The new showroom can be seen at www.ttrno.com.

Adding to the excitement of the New Orleans Grand Opening was the showroom launch of the 2009 Monster 1100 S. Sixty of the new ultimate naked bikes met the public in fancy dress, wearing exciting paint schemes and accesories as entrants in Ducati’s customization contest for dealers. The competition was stiff, but in the end the award for the best Monster went to Del Amo Motorsports in Redondo Beach California, for their Los Angeles themed Monster. All of the competing Monster 1100’s can be seen at www.ducatiusa.com.

Check out the details of the Welcome party for Nicky Hayden here.

Ducati New York had news of their own, hosting a New Year bash surrounding the Manhattan round of the International Motorcycle Show. Festivities included a live Muay Thai fighting match to launch the new 2009 Ducati Streetfighter S, catering by renowned chef Johnny Iuzzini, the unveiling of the new Ducati line of sunglasses by Oakley, and a showing of the Pegram Racing AMA Superbike. Noteworthy attendees included Ducati CEO Michael Lock, AMA Superbike racer Larry Pegram, and 500 eager Ducatisti.

The year has much more coming from Ducati, including a welcome party for Kentuckian Nicky Hayden to it’s MotoGP team this weekend in Southern California.

For more information on Ducati and its line of sport motorcycles please visit www.ducatiusa.com.

Dorna CEO Ezpeleta on Kawasaki withdrawal

Following Kawasaki´s announcement, confirming that the Japanese manufacturer would suspend its factory MotoGP activity, Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has revealed that a Kawasaki privateer project is under consideration.

Prior to Kawasaki´s announcement regarding their withdrawal from MotoGP, Carmelo Ezpeleta, the CEO of MotoGP Rights Holders Dorna Sports, met with representatives of the Japanese factory to acknowledge their decision and discuss the possibility of having Kawasaki machinery run by a privateer team.

`First of all, I would like to clarify the fact that what Kawasaki has suspended is its MotoGP racing activities through its factory team,´ stressed Mr Ezpeleta.

`We had a meeting in Osaka on Thursday (8th January) where Kawasaki explained their problems and the difficulties they had with continuing as a factory team,´ Mr Ezpeleta continued. `Under these circumstances we agreed to cooperate collectively, in order to find a possible solution to their problems which may allow them to continue as a privateer team.´

Kawasaki made their MotoGP debut in 2003 after a string of wildcard entries in the last races of the 2002 season. Since then the Akashi-based factory has secured three podium finishes, with Olivier Jacque second in China in 2005, Shinya Nakano also securing second in Holland the following year and finally in 2007, with Randy de Puniet taking his maiden MotoGP podium with second at Motegi.

Prior to their MotoGP effort, the Japanese factory had participated in the premier category of World Championship competition in two separate periods, firstly from 1970 to 1975, when Ginger Molloy finished runner-up in their first season. Dave Simmonds took victory at Jarama one year later to finish the series in fourth place overall, whilst Mick Grant clinched the Tourist Trophy in 1975.

The second chapter of Kawasaki´s 500cc experience came in a two-year period at the start of the 1980s. Kork Ballington was unable to add to their catalogue of victories but he did take two third place finishes in 1981.

Kawasaki quit MotoGP

Kawasaki have pulled out of the MotoGP World Championship as part of the company's efforts to cut spending amid the global financial crisis.

MORE STORIES

• Carter on Kawasaki pull-out
• 2009 World Championship standings

Kawasaki Heavy Industries became Japan's latest motorsport casualty after a trio of the country's carmakers announced similar plans last month.

The worldwide economic downturn was blamed for Honda's withdrawal from Formula One and the exit of Subaru and Suzuki from the World Rally Championship.

"We have taken the final decision not to continue in MotoGP," Kawasaki's Katsuhiro Sato told Reuters. "It is something we have been considering since mid-December.

"In the current economic climate and unless the situation improves it is difficult to say if we will return."

Kawasaki had competed in motorcycling's premier class since the 2003 season with annual costs of around £29 million.

Slumping car sales due to the credit crunch ended the F1 ambitions of Honda, who scored just 20 points in the last two seasons despite an estimated annual budget of over £197 million.

Suzuki and former winners Subaru then left the WRC, leaving Citroen and cash-strapped Ford as the only manufacturers in next year's title race.

Toyota, who have yet to win an F1 grand prix since their debut in 2002, are the last Japanese manufacturer standing in the two main FIA-backed World Championships.

Kawasaki have felt the bite with sales of bikes in the United States and Europe badly hit by the economic slump, but they have also struggled on the track.

Dutch-based Kawasaki Motors Racing failed to win any races in MotoGP, their best result being French rider Randy de Puniet's second place in Japan in 2007.

Rivals Yamaha, who won last year's MotoGP championship with Italian Valentino Rossi, told Reuters they would compete in the 2009 season and have no plans to leave the sport.

Honda and Suzuki will also continue to participate in MotoGP despite their recent troubles, Honda providing six bikes and Suzuki two.

Kawasaki's 2009 line-up would have been American John Hopkins and Italian Marco Melandri, who had just switched from Ducati.

"Everything is up in the air and people want answers," Hopkins said before the announcement.

Kawasaki's departure, assuming their two bikes are not taken on by an independent team, leaves the MotoGP grid with 17 riders. Points are awarded down to 15th place.

Reuters

Carter on Kawasaki pull-out

Wouldn't it have been fascinating to have been a fly on the wall during Wednesday's talks between Kawasaki and GP bosses DORNA?

MORE STORIES

• Kawasaki quit MotoGP
• Carter: Crucial season for MotoGP

The ones that took place before Kawasaki announced it was pulling out of the 2009 MotoGP season.

On one side, a company which is much more worried about its global business in these difficult times than it is in going round in circles on incredibly expensive prototype machines with little hope of toppling the likes of Yamaha, Ducati or Honda.

On the other, an organisation which may have to put out a seriously depleted grid for this year's championship - so much so that there's talk of less than 17 bikes on the grid by the time the first round gets underway.

I bet everyone was being really nice during the talks; very professional across the table. And I also bet there was some chatting going on through gritted teeth.

I can totally understand why a company such as Kawasaki Heavy Industries would want to stop the big-money drain on its green cash reserves for the time being, especially in light of recent performances over the past few seasons.

And I don't think anyone can blame them. KHI is a business and the single, sole purpose of a business is to get out into the world and make money.

It's as simple an equation as that and, as the world tightens its belt quicker then Fern Britton after having a gastric band fitted, making enough money to keep yourself afloat over the coming months and years is getting increasingly hard.

Things are tough and I have been told by others in the paddock that Kawasaki MotoGP has found itself in a similar position to the one that Honda car racing faced a couple of months ago - and the 'Big H' decided it was going to stop the rot by pulling out of Formula One.

F1 is a much bigger concern than MotoGP for a factory, but the same aim remains: employing people and making things to sell; trimming back and hunkering down until things recover is the obvious option to take. When they have done that, they can get back to the fun: like going round in circles at insanely fast speeds.

But this announcement from Kawasaki is indicative of how the financial squeeze is being felt in the MotoGP world right now. It's all up in the air, leading to a lot of wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth by the MotoGP faithful amid the prolonged speculation.

Some blame Dorna, some blame Kawasaki; some blame the Americans and the collapse of the sup-prime market or whatever.

But in reality it's just a case of racing finding out that, in the global scheme of things, racing at the prototype level takes a back seat when the money men are furrowing their brows and getting their big red pens out.

That's what happened at Honda in F1 and could happen even more in the most expensive avenue of motorcycle racing. Inventing, developing and racing hand-built prototype exotica for 498 races a year all around the globe is a pretty expensive way to puff out the corporate chest.

Which is where having a big sponsor like Fiat or Repsol is a good thing - because the team are not relying solely on the factory for money to cover the costs of racing.

Mind you, there are a few rumours at the moment saying that there may be some trimming to come from a couple more MotoGP corners yet.

Elsewhere it may not be all doom and gloom: for example in WSB, where Kawasaki continues its interest in 2009 with a passion.

Tony Carter / Eurosport

Kawasaki ZX-RR 2002-2008

A brief history of Kawasaki's MotoGP project from 2002-2008.

Kawasaki's 'suspension' of its factory MotoGP activities for 2009 marks the end of a challenging chapter for the Japanese company, whose ZX-RR motorcycle is the only factory entry not to have won a grand prix since the 990cc four-stroke era began in 2002.

The following is a brief summary of Kawasaki's MotoGP project from 2002 - 2008...

2002 Pacific Grand Prix: The ZX-RR makes its MotoGP debut towards end of the 2002 season, in the hands of Kawasaki's WSBK race winner Akira Yanagawa, on home ground at Motegi. Yanagawa qualifies the angular-looking machine 18th out of the 22 riders, but crashes out of the race after an engine failure, sustaining a broken pelvis in the process.

2002 Malaysian Grand Prix The injured Yanagawa is replaced by Kawasaki's former World Supersport champion Andrew Pitt for the remaining three rounds of the season, starting at Sepang in Malaysia, where Pitt takes the ZX-RR to its first MotoGP finish (albeit 19th and last).

2002 Valencian Grand Prix Pitt scores the ZX-RR's first MotoGP points by claiming twelfth (out of 14 finishes) in the Valencia season finale.

2003 Japanese Grand Prix The ZX-RR's first full season of racing starts at Suzuka, Japan, with a full two-rider line-up of Pitt and former 500cc race winner Garry McCoy.

2003 French Grand Prix McCoy scores his first ZX-RR points, and claims Kawasaki's best finish of the season, with ninth place in a wet French Grand Prix at Le Mans (round four). McCoy scores points on only two further occasions.

2003 Valencian Grand Prix McCoy finishes the season 22nd in the world championship, with 11 points, with Pitt 26th and last on just 4 points. Test and development rider Alex Hofmann impresses by being top Team Green rider in wild-card appearances at Mugello and Assen. Both McCoy and Pitt leave Kawasaki after the Valencia finale. Kawasaki finishes seventh and last in the constructors' championship (19 points) and 12th and last in the teams' championship (15 points).

2004 Japanese Grand Prix New season begins with Hofmann promoted to a full time race seat alongside former 250cc world championship runner-up and 500cc podium finisher Shinya Nakano.

2004 Pacific Grand Prix Nakano takes the ZX-RR to its first ever MotoGP podium finish; third position on home ground at Motegi (round 12).

2004 Malaysian Grand Prix Nakano qualifies third on the grid at Sepang for the ZX-RR's first front row start. Finishes eighth in the race after a poor start.

2004 Valencian Grand Prix Nakano finishes the season tenth in the world championship with 83 points and only four non-scores, while Hofmann collects 51 points for 15th position. Kawasaki also takes fourth in the constructors' championship (95 points) and seventh in the teams' championship (134 points).

2005 Spanish Grand Prix Nakano and Hofmann both retained for 2005 and start the year with fifth and eleventh places at the Jerez opener. For Nakano, it is his best result of the season.

2005 Chinese Grand Prix Injured Hofmann replaced for round three by Olivier Jacque, who promptly stuns by finishing in second position - just 1.7sec behind Valentino Rossi - on his ZX-RR debut in soaking wet conditions at Shanghai. That result remains the joint best for a ZX-RR rider and the closest that a ZX-RR has come to victory.

2005 Valencia Grand Prix 2005 ends with Nakano retaining tenth in the championship with a Team Green best of 98 points, despite no podiums, while Hofmann finishes 19th. Kawasaki holds fourth in the constructors' championship (126 points) and rises to sixth in the teams' championship during what was, on paper, its best MotoGP season.

2006 Spanish Grand Prix Kawasaki raises eyebrows by 'reluctantly' dropping Hofmann in favour of rookie Randy de Puniet for the 2006 season, while Nakano remains for a third and final season. Nakano starts the year in style at Jerez with his first front row qualifying performance since Sepang 2004, but finishes seventh in the race. de Puniet doesn't reach the flag.

2006 Dutch TT Nakano scores his second (and final) ZX-RR podium, and equals Kawasaki's best MotoGP result between 2002-2008, by finishing second at Assen in a race best remembered for a last turn showdown between Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards.

2006 Australian Grand Prix In addition to his third place start at Jerez, Nakano illustrated his and the Bridgestone-shod ZX-RR's raw speed by qualifying second on the grid three-times during 2006, the last occasion being at Phillip Island.

October 2006 Kawasaki confirms that star rider Nakano will leave the team (for an ill-fated satellite Honda ride) at the end of the 2006 season.

2006 Valencian Grand Prix Nakano's final season at Kawasaki ends with 14th in the world championship and 92 points, while de Puniet's first in MotoGP is marked by 16th position and 37 points. Kawasaki slips to sixth in the constructers' championship (109 points) and seventh in the teams' championship (129 points).

November 2006 Kawasaki splits from Harald Eckl, who had run its MotoGP team since 2002, due to his 'serious involvement with a competitor's MotoGP activities'. Kawasaki takes its restructured MotoGP race team 'in-house' for 2007 but the upheaval, combined with scepticism over the team's new 800cc machine, mean no top riders are interested and Jacque - who had been given a test and development role after his Shanghai success - finds himself promoted to a full time race seat alongside de Puniet for 2007.

2007 Catalan Grand Prix Despite its troubled 'birth', Kawasaki's first 800cc machine shows potential in the hands of de Puniet, who claims his first front row start at round seven in Catalunya. By contrast, Jacque suffers a difficult, accident littered, start to the season - scoring points in just one race - and steps back to the role of test and development rider after missing Catalunya due to injury.

2007 British Grand Prix 250cc and World Supersport race winner Anthony West drafted in to replace Jacque from Donington Park onwards, where the Australian scores five points on his ZX-RR race debut.

July 2007 Competition manager Michael Bartholemy confirms that Kawasaki has signed John Hopkins for 2008 and 2009. Hopkins goes on to finish fourth in the 2007 world championship for Suzuki with four podium finishes.

2007 Japanese Grand Prix de Puniet scores his first and only Kawasaki MotoGP podium with second place at round 15, Motegi. It marked the ZX-RR's third, and perhaps last, rostrum finish.

August 2007 With Hopkins confirmed, West and de Puniet look set to fight for the remaining 2008 seat, but de Puniet surprises the paddock - and Kawasaki - by signing for Honda LCR before any final decision about Hopper's team-mate is made. West is duly confirmed as staying at Kawasaki, alongside Hopkins, five days later.

2007 Valencian Grand Prix de Puniet finishes eleventh in the world championship with 108 points while Kawasaki takes fifth in the constructors' championship (144 points) and seventh in the teams' championship. West scores points in all but one of his eleven starts, with a best of seventh.

January 2008 Kawasaki causes a stir by debuting a prototype 'screamer' engine during testing at Sepang, but it is never used in a grand prix. Indeed, Kawasaki opts not to introduce a new 2008 version of the ZX-RR, opting instead to develop the 2007 model.

January 2008 Hopkins injured at Phillip Island test, forcing him to miss vital pre-season development.

2008 Portuguese Grand Prix Hopkins finishes fifth during his third ZX-RR start. It would be his best result of the season and possibly as a Kawasaki MotoGP rider.

2008 Catalan Grand Prix Hopkins fractures vertebrae in Friday practice highside in Barcelona but returns to take tenth in the race.

2008 Dutch TT Hopkins sustains leg fractures in 230km/h qualifying fall at Assen, forcing him to miss both the Dutch TT and next two rounds.

2008 Czech Republic Grand Prix West scores MotoGP best of fifth at Brno, the highlight of an often miserable season in which he struggles with a chronic lack of rear traction.

September 2008 Kawasaki confirms signing of former MotoGP World Championship runner-up Marco Melandri to ride for Kawasaki in 2009 and 2010. "I'm confident that Marco will adapt quickly to Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR and that, together with John, he'll be able to take us to the next level with the development of the all-new 2009 bike," said Bartholemy. "What is certain is that, with Marco and John, we will go into 2009 with our strongest rider line-up since Kawasaki made their full-time return to the premier class in 2002."

October 2008 A deal for Jorge Martinez 'Aspar' to run a third ZX-RR in 2009 breaks down over rider choice; Aspar needs a Spaniard to please the sponsors lined up to back the project while Kawasaki wants Nakano to return.

2008 Valencian Grand Prix What might have been the ZX-RR's final season ends with Hopkins 16th in the championship and West 18th, out of 18 full time riders. Kawasaki is fifth and last in the constructors' championship with just 88 points and is ninth out of ten in the teams' championship.

October/November 2008 Kawasaki takes part in post-season testing at Valencia and Phillip Island - during which Melandri makes a promising debut on the ZX-RR.

January 2009 Kawasaki announces 'suspension' of factory MotoGP activities for 2009 as a result of the worldwide financial crisis. The ZX-RR could yet race on if a privateer team, such as Aspar, can be found to run the machines, and Kawasaki can provide the necessary technical support. This scenario may also represent the best chance for Hopkins and Melandri with all other scheduled 2009 seats already occupied.

Ducati satellite teams shift gears

The withdrawal of a major sponsor may force Ducati’s satellite MotoGP teams to shuffle their rider line-ups.

Spanish sports publication AS reports that Italian telecommunications company Alice is pulling its sponsorship of the Ducati-powered Pramac Racing team. With the loss of the sponsorship, Pramac Racing may be forced to run one rider for 2009. Pramac had planned to race a pair of young riders for 2009, Mika Kallio and Niccolo Canepa, but AS reports the team will only retain Kallio who finished third in the 250cc Grand Prix championship in 2008.

Canepa, a Ducati test rider that played an important role in the development of the 1098R and Desmosedici GP8, would not be left adrift however. AS reports the 20-year-old Italian will be transferred to Ducati’s other satellite squad, Onde 2000 to partner with the returning Sete Gibernau.

Such a move would keep five Ducati bikes on the MotoGP grid, with Kallio, Canepa and Gibernau joining factory team Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden. More importantly, it would not decrease the number of entrants in the premiere class. Kawasaki is expected to formally announce its withdrawal from MotoGP racing this week, decreasing the number of entrants to 17.

Keeping Canepa on a Ducati bike makes sense for the manufacturer. His youth and experience on a Desmosedici make him a rare commodity. As Loris Capirossi and Marco Melandri have shown in recent seasons, few riders seem to be able to make the most of the machine’s potential.

French rider dies in Dakar Rally

French Dakar competitor Pascal Terry has been found dead after having been missing since the rally’s second stage Jan. 4.

Rally organizers released a statement saying Terry, 49, was found at 2:10 am Argentine time (4:10 am EST) on Jan. 7 in a remote area in Argentina between Santa Rosa and Puerto Madryn.  

“The motorcyclist was found in an area that is very inaccessible with very dense vegetation 15 meters from his bike,” organizers said in a statement. “He had taken off his helmet and had taken shelter with food and water next to him.”

Terry had informed race organizers that his Yamaha 450WRF had run out of fuel and he had obtained some fuel from another rider. Terry later sent out an alert and a search was launched. Organizers attempted to contact Terry on several more occasions but were unable to get a response.

Argentine police are conducting an investigation and a cause of death has yet to be determined.

Terry is the first competitor to have died during the Dakar Rally in South America. More than 30 people have died in the rally’s 31-year history which had been held in Northern Africa before moving to South America for 2009. Eric Aubijoux of France and Elmer Symons of South African died in the previous rally in 2007. The 2008 Dakar Rally was called off due to concerns about terrorist organizations.

A native of the Manche region of northern France, Terry was a longtime fan of the Dakar Rally. The 2009 rally was Terry’s first, racing for Team MD Rallye Sport. His profile on the Dakar Rally’s official website says Terry admired Thierry Sabine, the founder of the rally who died in a helicopter crash during the 1986 race, and that taking part in the first South American Dakar Rally was a nice homage.

“The destination was actually the detonator, a renewal,” says Terry in his profile. “It made me jump into a dream.”

Terry convinced his friend Pascal Gilbert, a veteran of the 2000 and 2004 rallies, to race in the 2009 Dakar Rally.

“I wasn’t necessarily going to do it again,” says Gilbert in his profile on the Dakar Rally website. “But we will help one another and do the race together, which will make it nicer. Additionally, he is very fit and mentally very strong.”

Terry and Gilbert joined Team MD Rallye Sport with the goal of finishing it together.

“I truly believe that it will be sensational,” Terry says in his profile. “The place seems fabulous. We will witness a great moment and I will do all I can to enjoy every stage of the race”.

Kawasaki announces MotoGP pull-out

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. has officially announced the suspension of its MotoGP racing program.

The announcement confirms the speculation that began after word of a withdrawal from racing began to spread through the European press in late December.

The “quickly changing business environment” was cited as the main reason behind the decision.

“As the world economy is not likely to recover in a short period due to the major impact of the financial crisis, Kawasaki decided to suspend its MotoGP racing activities from 2009 season onward and reallocate management resources more efficiently,” states the official announcement.

The announcement also suggests that Kawasaki’s Superbike programs will continue, stating the manufacturer “will continue racing activities using mass-produced motorcycles as well as supporting general race-oriented customers”.

Kawasaki’s announcement was expected earlier in the week. MotoGP promoter Dorna Sports began negotiations with the manufacturer and the team’s management to convince Kawasaki to reconsider. Kawasaki was reportedly under contract to compete through to 2011. Kawasaki has participated in MotoGP racing since 2003.

Dorna is reportedly seeking options that would allow the team to continue racing without the support of the manufacturer. Aspar Racing Team chief Jorge Martinez told Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport that he had been contacted by Dorna to assume control of the race team and its Ninja ZX-RR bikes.

The announcement made no mention of the Kawasaki team’s two contracted riders, John Hopkins and Marco Melandri.

Kawasaki is the latest Japanese manufacturer to announce the suspension of racing activities. Honda has previously announced the suspension of its activities in Formula One racing and AMA Road Racing. Suzuki and Subaru have also announced the withdrawal of its World Rally Championship teams.

09 SX season Live on SPEED Saturday Night

Feld Motor Sports announced today the 2009 Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, original-airing television schedule on CBS Sports and SPEED. Coverage of the 2009 season began with the season preview show on Saturday, December 27 on CBS Sports. Like the 2008 season, each Monster Energy® Supercross race in 2009 will be broadcast in HD.

SPEED will air the opening round of Monster Energy® Supercross live from Angel Stadium on Saturday, January 3 from 7:00-10:30 p.m. PST. The television team, consisting of pit reporter Erin Bates, analyst Jeff Emig and play-by-play announcer Ralph Sheheen, will deliver the live race call. SPEED will air a combined 28-plus hours of original programming throughout the 2009 season in addition to the repeat airings, which have yet to be announced.

CBS Sports will close out the season with a wrap-up show Sunday, May 3 recapping what is expected to be one of the most competitive seasons ever. In total, CBS Sports will carry nine hours of Monster Energy® Supercross coverage.

“Partnering with CBS Sports and SPEED once again gives supercross strong network and cable coverage to new and existing Monster Energy® Supercross fans,” said Todd Jendro, senior director of supercross, Feld Motor Sports, Inc. “CBS Sports kicked off the year off with its annual Monster Energy® Supercross preview show that foreshadowed what could be one of the greatest seasons ever. Eight more hours of network coverage on CBS Sports will follow. SPEED will dedicate original and repeat airings of the AMA Supercross class and the AMA Supercross Lites class. Additionally, 2009 will be the first year that AMA Supercross Lites class racing will be next-day aired.”

“We are looking forward to another season of supercross with our new partners at Feld Motor Sports,” said Rick Miner, SPEED SVP of Production & Network Operations. “Our new long-term deal will ensure the continuing process of developing exciting and innovative coverage of some of the network’s most popular motorcycle racing.”

For the complete television schedule: www.supercrossonline.com/tvList

New Year No Limits: History Made!

Maddo and Millen Say “Peace Out” to the Laws of Physics

Robbie Maddison did it! The likeable young Australian has defied Sir Isaac Newton’s law, jumping 99 feet, 9 inches vertically, landing on top the mock Arc de Triomphe in front of Paris Las Vegas. He then dropped back down to terra firma, freefalling more than 50 feet onto an extremely skinny quarterpipe-style ramp and into the pages of history, setting yet another Guinness World Record.

Maddo ponders what is to come pre-jump. Easy to see why he was nervous. We were nervous just standing up there, let along having to jump the massive gap. The kid has some guts.

Maddo was far less sure prior to this stunt than he was for last year’s Guinness World Record distance jump, telling us prior to the feat that it had “a lot higher stakes if things go wrong. As far as nerves go, I don’t even know if I can compare them, it’s like 10 times worse. But I just want to do stuff that people see and say, ‘man, this is gnarly’.”

After a typical pre-show and gut wrenching build up, the friendly young Aussie dropped down the ramp, grabbing first, then second, then third gear, launching off the ramp with the throttle pinned to the stop. Just as planned, he made it look easy, landing perfectly on top of the ramp, waving to the crowd before clicking up two gears and dropping back in; a massive freefall to say the least. Such a massive fall, in fact, that Maddo pulled his glove off after to find his hand broken and gushing blood. But it didn’t put a damper on the Aussie’s spirit one bit, just added a quick trip to the hospital to get it wrapped up before celebrating.

No doubt about it, the kid has a talent for making the impossible possible, and making it look totally effortless. He is well on the way to making a name for himself as the modern day Evil Knievel. We were on site to see Maddo make history and have video highlights of it right here, plus an interview with the man right after, so be sure to check it out!

"It’s been a milestone in my life to overcome the fear to do this,” said Maddo, in tears after his historic jump. “It was hard to get myself to even ride off the top. Hopefully this means something to some little kid out there and will inspire him to go big. I think my hand is broken and cut pretty good but wounds heal, I’ve proven that.”

Doing it at night only made things harder...

At the other end of The Strip, Rhys Millen made good on his promise of backflipping a trophy truck ramp-to-ramp, but came up ever so short on the landing. Everything looked to be going perfectly, but at the last minute the track started to rotate, landing off to one side, causing it to swap and roll on the landing. Millen, a multi-time Formula Drift Champion and Hollywood stunt driver, was hurt last year practicing, but came back this year only to come oh so close to doing it perfectly. We were unable to attend due to the distance of the two and their closeness in time, but watching on live TV was absolutely breathtaking.

“It’s nothing unless you drive away,” said a dejected Millen after the jump. “I really don’t know what happened. The speed felt right, it just had twisted to the driver’s side. It almost felt too good. Man, so close but so far. Really is a bummer."

Red Bull’s New Year No Limits has once again delivered; the crowd and viewers at home were on the edge of their seats the entire time.

09 SX season Live on SPEED Saturday Night

Monster Energy AMA Supercross
Feld Motor Sports announced today the 2009 Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, original-airing television schedule on CBS Sports and SPEED. Coverage of the 2009 season began with the season preview show on Saturday, December 27 on CBS Sports. Like the 2008 season, each Monster Energy® Supercross race in 2009 will be broadcast in HD.

SPEED will air the opening round of Monster Energy® Supercross live from Angel Stadium on Saturday, January 3 from 7:00-10:30 p.m. PST. The television team, consisting of pit reporter Erin Bates, analyst Jeff Emig and play-by-play announcer Ralph Sheheen, will deliver the live race call. SPEED will air a combined 28-plus hours of original programming throughout the 2009 season in addition to the repeat airings, which have yet to be announced.

CBS Sports will close out the season with a wrap-up show Sunday, May 3 recapping what is expected to be one of the most competitive seasons ever. In total, CBS Sports will carry nine hours of Monster Energy® Supercross coverage.

“Partnering with CBS Sports and SPEED once again gives supercross strong network and cable coverage to new and existing Monster Energy® Supercross fans,” said Todd Jendro, senior director of supercross, Feld Motor Sports, Inc. “CBS Sports kicked off the year off with its annual Monster Energy® Supercross preview show that foreshadowed what could be one of the greatest seasons ever. Eight more hours of network coverage on CBS Sports will follow. SPEED will dedicate original and repeat airings of the AMA Supercross class and the AMA Supercross Lites class. Additionally, 2009 will be the first year that AMA Supercross Lites class racing will be next-day aired.”

“We are looking forward to another season of supercross with our new partners at Feld Motor Sports,” said Rick Miner, SPEED SVP of Production & Network Operations. “Our new long-term deal will ensure the continuing process of developing exciting and innovative coverage of some of the network’s most popular motorcycle racing.”

For the complete television schedule: www.supercrossonline.com/tvList

2008 Yamaha YZF-R1 Project Bike

Traction levels are consistent and the tire never "goes off" even through a full 30-minute session. Another bonus was how compatible the tires were with the bike.

Most of us remember the time when we first discovered motorcycling. For a lucky few it was as a kid riding with the family. Or perhaps it was on your neighbor's rusty, oil-leaking dirt bike. Well, for me it was when one of my friends rolled into our high school parking lot on a shiny new sportbike. That was it. I knew right then that I had to have one. A few months later and after what seemed like never ending early mornings at school followed by late nights working, I had a big enough down payment to make one my own.

And it didn't take me long to realize one of the simple joys of sportbike ownership - styling it out. At the time I was all about looking cool. The fluorescent green windscreen, the obnoxiously loud aftermarket muffler; yeah, I was that guy and I loved it.

Since then a lot has changed in the sportbike accessory world. Not only has the quality of the finished product increased, but the sheer abundance of aftermarket options has exploded. Even the OEMs now recognize how popular accessorizing your bike is and many, like Yamaha, have a full catalog of dealer available parts to up-style your ride. So after a decade or so since our first attempt at pimpin' our ride, we're having another go with the goal of improving or bike's performance and overall grin factor on both the street and the racetrack - all without the gaudy green windscreen.

If you're a sportbike enthusiast then the 2008 Yamaha YZF-R1 needs little introduction. This iconic-looking 1000 was the original liter-classer. Its combination of an agile, lightweight chassis, powerful high-revving engine all wrapped in edgy, streamlined bodywork set the standard for fashionable sportbikes. At a standstill the R1 exudes both speed and style. And when in the saddle, a simple wide-open rap of the throttle in any gear is all it takes for it to get your attention - fast.

We began our endeavor buy installing some of Yamaha's aforementioned GYTR accessories. All the components are direct replacement and can be installed at home by most garage mechanics.

First, a replacement comfort seat was installed with an extra layer of gel padding for enhanced coziness on those long rides. Externally the seat features some detailed embroidery as well as an R1 logo emblazed on it.

We also put on a dark smoke windshield that looks far sportier on the street, yet when tucked in behind it at speed you can still see through it. A carbon fiber tank pad and a carbon fiber trim piece on the triple clamp help give it more of a personalized look, as does the solo rear seat cowl.

GYTR Dual Slip-On Carbon Fiber Mufflers (designed for closed-course use only) replaced the plain looking stockers. Installation was almost too easy. Simply loosen the rear tail section, then unbolt the stock mufflers where they are mounted in the tail section as well as where they connect to the exhaust mid-pipe and voila' your done. Installation was literally a 30-minute ordeal start to finish. Since the R1 is fuel-injected no jetting changes were necessary. After installation, the bike ran reasonably well, however, if you really want to optimize fueling you're going to need an aftermarket fuel-injection module (more on that later.)

We were surprised by how light the stock mufflers have become, but the replacements were even lighter. We were also astonished by the fit and finish of the pipes. The carbon fiber is real and looks super trick yet the brushed stainless-steel end caps help keep things elegant. Typically, there is some period of break-in with mufflers when they eventually get louder, but after over a thousand miles both on the street and racetrack, they sound exactly the same as the day we installed them - deep and throaty, and as long as you keep the rpms low they aren't overly loud. However, swing the throttle wide-open for a second and you'll instantly become the bad boy in your neighborhood, so use some discretion. Keeping them looking good has also been a painless exercise as the carbon fiber is simple to wipe down, although the end caps do need a little more TLC as they get pretty hot and grease and road grime more easily sticks to them.

To match the increased airflow through our upgraded mufflers we installed a GYTR High Flow Air Filter. The GYTR piece is a direct replacement for the OE paper filter. Not only does the filter flow more air while still providing excellent filtration, it's washable, meaning it's the last air filter you'll ever have to purchase for your R1.

Horsepower and torque gains were modest with the GYTR High Flow Air Filter and GYTR Carbon Fiber Slip-On's, however, once mapped properly throttle response was far more precise and overall driveability was significantly improved.

When installed together, however, the stock fuel-injection mapping can't keep pace with the increased flow in and out of the engine. Most of the time the engine runs reasonably well but on deceleration it would pop and sputter - exhibiting tell tale signs of a lean, fuel starved engine. Unfortunately the bikes fueling requirements can't be directly changed via the stock ECU, which means that an aftermarket fuel injection module needs to be installed.

This led us to Bazzaz Performance, whose Southern California operation has become renowned for its sophisticated engine management products; which were originally developed while founder, Ammar Bazzaz, worked as an engineer for the Yoshimura Suzuki squad during current AMA Superbike rider, Mat Mladin's first three AMA Superbike titles in 1999-2001. Currently Bazzaz has developed an entire line of state-of-the-art engine management hardware and software that bring superbike levels of technology to the consumer.

We knew we needed a fuel-injection module so we could remap the Yamaha's eight fuel-injectors for a stronger, more precise running machine. Bazzaz Performance solves that problem with its all encompassing aftermarket unit that incorporates the fuel module, a quick shifter and traction control. Yes, traction control!

We lugged our bike over to Bazzaz's combined design and manufacturing facility and engineer Chris West began the task of installing the Z-Fi TC system. The setup itself is comprised of an additional black box (looks like another ECU) and another wiring harness that simply plugs in and works in tandem with the original wiring harness. It uses all of the bikes OE sensors so installation is literally plug-and-play but it did require removal of the rear seat, fuel tank, airbox, side lowers, as well as lowering the radiator in order to access the spark plug coils.

Also installed was an optional 12-position Traction Control Adjustment Switch which includes an up/down map selection toggle mounted on the left handlebar. The TC switch allows the rider to adjust the traction control sensitivity on-the-fly while the map toggle enables the rider to choose between two different pre-programmed fueling maps.

Installation was completed in about three hours. Afterwards we put the bike on Bazzazs' in-house dyno in order to build a custom map for our bike. (Each kit comes with a pre-built map for your application, however if you want to do it right you're going to need to build a custom map.)

Before rolling it on the dyno, West installed the optional Z-AFM Air Fuel Mapping Kit which consists of an air fuel sensor and amplifier box that plugs into the any of the Z-Fi products, and allows for self-mapping of the motorcycle.

Yeah, no joke, the system actually builds its own map by itself! All the user or tuner needs to do is ride the motorcycle on the street, track or dyno and the ultra-sophisticated Z-Fi module computes optimum fueling for every 500 rpm and 10% of throttle position input based on the user selected air-fuel ratio. Each Z-Fi system also includes a USB cable and proprietary Z-Fi Mapper Software that permits tuners to make adjustments to any of the fuel map, quick shift, or traction control settings.

An optional 12-position Traction Control Adjustment Switch which includes an up/down map selection toggle, both mounted on the left handlebar. The TC switch allows the rider to adjust the traction control sensitivity on-the-fly while the map toggle enables the rider to choose between two different pre-programmed fueling maps.

Now that our R1 was running impeccably, it was time for us to test it out on the open road on our way up to this year's Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. As soon as we thumbed the starter it was clear that we had a far better running motorcycle than before. Throttle response at all rpm's had increased significantly and the popping and backfiring that we had encountered with the stock map was completely eliminated. The precise fueling is complemented well by the quick shifter, which allows for fast and easy wide-open throttle upshifts. It's like you have one long gear - simply slam the throttle open and bang gears as fast as you can. After experiencing the rapid shifting bliss of the quick shifter, it makes bikes with conventional shifters passe.

Even more impressive is the traction control. Despite what you'd think out on the street it's highly noticeable when in its maximum plus-5 setting. Under hard acceleration when the tires are cold, you can hear the bike sputtering and cutting out. And when the tires eventually warm-up it becomes less noticeable, but when you try and loft a second gear wheelie, it doesn't actually sound like its cutting out but power is reduced which makes it really hard to loft the front wheel up. However, you can simply dial back the handlebar mounted switch which lessens its effects and can even be turned off completely.

We never really experienced any sketchy situations in which to test the TC system on the street, so we brought it out to a Pacific Track Time trackday at Buttonwillow Raceway. The racetrack and the 100-degree weather typical at B-willow in the summer meant we were going to need some sticky, high-quality rubber that wouldn't put us into the gravel. So we mounted up Bridgestone's newest street tires: the Battlax BT-016.

Developed courtesy of our leather-clad friends in MotoGP, the new 'Stones feature multiple compound construction. The front tire features a 3-Layer Compound (3LC). A center compound for stable handling and good wear resistance is joined on each side by a softer shoulder compound for increased grip and good feedback at lean. The rear tire takes things a step further by utizing their proprietary 5-Layer Compound (5LC) technology. Like the front, the center compound gives good stability and wear resistance, while a slightly softer compound is sandwiched between the even softer shoulder compound, which provide great side grip and feel at full lean.

Between the Bridgestone BT-016 tires and the Bazzaz traction control system the only thing keeping Heed from pushing our R1 any harder was the fear of scuffing his spiffy new Shift leathers.

We began our day at the track with the traction control system set totally off. And we've got to hand it to Bridgestone as the new Battlax street tire is fantastic. Not only do they warm-up incredibly quickly, the outright grip and feel, especially from the rear, is out of this world.

Given the temperatures were over a 100-degrees the tires definitely became a bit greasy after only a few laps, but when they did spin it was always controllable and never caught us off guard. Traction levels are consistent and the tire never "goes off" even through a full 30-minute session. Another bonus was how compatible the tires were with the bike. Only a few quick suspension changes were necessary and the tires didn't seem to make the bike any more nervous yet still kept a pleasant amount of side-to-side flickability.

Once we were comfortable we started dialing in the traction control setting. I had originally thought that it would be the end all cure to rear-end slides. I assumed that it would be just like the system in my car where you mash the accelerator and the tires don't squirm whatsoever. But on the R1 it was far different. You could still spin the rear tire on command. It did, however, quell the power when under hard acceleration out of the corner. Before we hit the track next time we're going to experiment with an additional TC internal setting to see if we can get it to cut in earlier at our next trackday.

For Phase 2 of our project R1 we're going to send our fork off to Traxxion Dynamics for some internal modifications as well as installing a new Penske rear shock. We're also going to install a few accessories from Lockhart Phillips USA that will help enhance its looks out on the streets. Stay tuned...