Monday, February 28, 2022

SportbikeTrackGear.Com Returning As Title Sponsor Of The MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship – MotoAmerica

Sportbike Track Gear will again be the title sponsor of the MotoAmerica SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship in 2022. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

MotoAmerica, the premier road racing series in North America, is happy to announce that, after an extremely successful first season of title sponsorship of the Junior Cup class in 2021, Sportbike Track Gear will again be the title sponsor of the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship in 2022.

Owned and operated by the VanDenBroucks (commonly known as the Vans), Sportbike Track Gear started life as a trackside vendor and has since turned into a highly successful motorcycle apparel and parts website, SportbikeTrackGear.com. The Vans are heavily involved in the MotoAmerica series not only from a sponsorship perspective but also as a family. Their son, Max, competes in the series with his father Brian serving as his crew chief and mentor.

“It was a great experience for us to be involved in the MotoAmerica Series last year with our sponsorship of the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship,” said Brian Van. “And racing in the series with our son Max makes it even better. Last year was special as it was our first season as the class sponsor and our first full season of MotoAmerica racing with Max. This year will be even more exciting with a season under our belt.”

Max Van finished his first full season of SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup racing ranked seventh in the championship with a best finish of fourth at Road America.

“It’s great that SportbikeTrackGear.com had a successful season with us in 2021 and are returning as a class sponsor again in 2022,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “It’s really cool that they are not only a class sponsor, but they also sponsor the class that their son races in. We enjoy seeing families at our events successfully working together and the Vans are the perfect exa mple of that.”

The SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship opens its season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, April 22-24.

2022 MotoAmerica SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Series Schedule

April 22-24                Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta                 Braselton, GA

May 20-22                 VIRginia International Raceway                  Danville, VA

June 3-5                     Road America                                              Elkhart Lake, WI

June 24-26                 Ridge Motorsports Park                              Shelton, WA

July 8-10                    WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca         Monterey, CA

July 29-31                  Brainerd International Raceway                 Brainerd, MN

August 19-21            Pittsburgh International Race Complex    Wampum, PA

September 9-11        New Jersey Motorsports Park                     Millville, NJ

September 23-25     Barber Motorsports Park                             Birmingham, AL

For the full 2022 MotoAmerica schedule and to purchase tickets for MotoAmerica events, click HERE

For information on how to watch the MotoAmerica series, click HERE

Quartararo “on the limit for nothing” in “sad” MotoGP qualifying

The Yamaha rider admitted he was “totally lost” after ending Friday practice down in 11th, but looked to have made a turnaround in form for Saturday’s FP4 in which he displayed a strong race pace.

But that form didn’t carry over into qualifying, with the Yamaha rider ending up over six tenths off the pace in eighth with a lap that was also six tenths slower than his pole time from 2019.

“Last week we make a mistake in FP4, but the qualifying for me was just the circumstances that we changed something and it was not working,” Quartararo said when asked by Motorsport.com if he suffered the same issues as in Portugal.

“Today FP4 went pretty well, I had a great FP4, and to be honest in a bad situation right now because – I don’t know if it’s the track or not – two years ago we managed to get much better pace, we were in 29

“Franco [Morbidelli] last year make a 1m30.0s if I’m not wrong, and we are both seven tenths slower.

“So, I’m really not happy how things went, and I would like to understand why because already on the braking with the hard it was way too soft.

“So, tough to understand, but I would like to know why we had such a bad feeling today.”

Quartararo added that he felt like he was on laps that would challenge for pole because he was having to push through a lack of “front support”.

“The front tire from FP3 to FP4 we just changed to hard and was such a better feeling, but on the qualifying we just had no front feeling, no front support, the turning was really bad,” he said.

“I didn’t manage to get the lap, but I make two laps in 1m30.6s and I was looking like I was racing for the pole position.

“I felt so much on the limit for nothing, and to be honest it’s quite strange and sad to don’t know what happened.

“We need to understand because tomorrow’s going to be a long race and I still don’t know why we are that slow.”

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Quartararo’s plight comes as Ducati locked out the top three with Jorge Martin on pole, while four Desmosedicis occupy spots in the top five.

Commenting on this, the Frenchman noted: “Well, for a non-Ducati track to have four riders in the top five, I think it’s a little bit of a Ducati track right now.

“But all these riders are really fast, but the thing is two years ago we made the pole position, we were doing pace of 1m30s low in the qualifying and right now to make a 1m30s is a nightmare.

“So, can’t understand what is happening and we miss a lot of things.”

European MotoGP: Vinales: Strange situation, nightmare season, lost opportunity | MotoGP

Maverick Vinales may only be 19 points from the top of the MotoGP standings, but he fears the 2020 season will be another lost title opportunity, as a combination of setbacks take their toll on the factory Yamaha rider with three races to go.

The most obvious is a pit lane start (five seconds after the race begins) for Sunday’s opening Valencia round, after needing to use a sixth different engine this season due to Yamaha’s valve problems at Jerez.

“I knew from many races ago that I would use the sixth engine,” said Vinales, who effectively lost three of his five engines at the opening Jerez round. “Anyway we cannot do anything more, honestly. Because we made a mistake in Jerez and we pay all the season.”

But the Spaniard also spoke of the ‘stressful’ and ‘complicated’ situation caused by his inconsistency on the latest M1, labeling much of the season as a ‘nightmare’ as he feels increasingly powerless to influence the performance of the bike.

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“I feel very strange, honestly, because it’s too many things,” Vinales said. “First of all about the engines, because I’m struggling all season with the engines, but also it’s not the best on the bike.

“For sure, for one specific track, one specific tyre, one specific temperature it’s working well, like we see in Misano and Jerez, but the rest of the season has been a nightmare for us.

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“I only had a good feeling in a few races, in the rest I was not competitive enough. Then the team, every time more people are leaving from my side [due to Covid protocols, including one of Vinales’ crew testing positive on Friday and four other team members also going into self-isolation] and we don’t have good replacements.

“So I feel more alone with the bike and we cannot make anything because we don’t have enough experience and enough let’s say information to change the bike.

“So finally what we do is arrive here and if the bike is working well, it’s perfect. But if the bike doesn’t work you have to delete all the weekend.

“Basically, we don’t improve after Misano and it’s been very complicated. So for me it’s been a very stressful situation, because the more that I do, I change everything, the situation is the same.

“So what do I do? I reduce a lot of my competitivity on the track because the only thing I do is to get angry, get sad and a lot of frustration because nothing is working.

“So what I’m trying to do now is to help the team, trying to give good feedback and I cannot do more. I need to wait until I have a good weapon. If [not] I try not to hurt myself because there are many years ahead for me at Yamaha.

“And especially to not ‘blow up’ myself because in this situation sometimes you blow up yourself because who has the culpability in this case? As a rider, you always take everything into you because you are the one riding the bike.”

Vinales isn’t the only Yamaha rider to struggle with inconsistent form. Like the Spaniard, Petronas title contenders Quartararo and Morbidelli (on the A spec bike) have also only made three visits to the podium this season.

But that’s of little consolation to Vinales, who knows the absence of six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez provided a ‘perfect’ chance to finally win the title.

“Marc is not here so it was a really good opportunity. Honda and Marc are on another level, so for sure it was a perfect situation to win the title. But you know we have lost 2017 and 2020 by the same mistakes,” he said.

“So we’ll see. I don’t want to think too much. I’m calm. I have a perfect situation at home. Perfect people in my life. And my life is really good. So I just want to ride the bike, enjoy and be happy.”

But looking ahead to what is expected to be a dry race, Vinales admitted: “It worries me because the grip is very low. In FP2 I was in a lot of trouble with the bike and we won’t have time to set-up the bike and this is a big problem for us.”

And he made clear: “If the bike is not working, I mean if I cannot make amazing lap times to catch the front guys, I will not risk to crash and get injured or whatever.

“We will try to give the maximum as always. But we’ll see the feeling tomorrow. If I have a good feeling I will push, if not no. It’s not necessary to push because without an amazing feeling I won’t reach above P14 or P15. Two points don’t make anything.”

Suzuki title leader Joan Mir qualified in fifth, with Morbidelli ninth and Quartararo 11th. Vinales’ team-mate Valentino Rossi wants to start 18th.

MotoGP, Quartararo: “The hard tire didn’t work, tomorrow I’ll try the medium”

Fabio Quartararo, the new MotoGP world champion, wants to start from a seventh place on the starting grid. Fresh from his celebrations after the Misano GP, the Yamaha rider declared that winning the title won’t stop his hunger for victory. Nonetheless, at the green light of the Portuguese GP El Diablo, he’ll be starting from the third row and will have to make a comeback.

“With the team, we’ve made some changes to the bike that sometimes work, but they absolutely didn’t work today,” Quartararo began. “I struggled a lot in what should be my strong point, which is the last sector. The grip wasn’t what I expected. I’m not saying I didn’t do at least one clean lap, but I struggled a lot in a sector where I’ve always done well, and now I didn’t. Even in the FP4, the sensations on the bike weren’t good. The medium tire seems to be the best, and I’ll try it tomorrow morning. We have to change something.”

You just said that grip is a problem for you, and Pol Espargaro talked about the problem of bumps at the last corner. Did they bother you too?
“No, I had great sensations all weekend but, in qualifying, the bike jumped a lot and moved. I had some difficulties in the FP4 with the hard rear tire but, like I said, I’ll try the medium tomorrow morning. The feeling was rather strange in qualifying, so I’ll see what I can improve tomorrow, but it’s not related to the bumps for me.”

Can you give more details on the problems you perceived?
Honestly, I had an incredible pace this morning! I started with a tire that had eight laps and ended up with twenty-one. On the last lap, I almost set the best time. This afternoon, with the hard tire, I tried to do some laps and change the set-up a bit. The set-up I tried wasn’t very good, and it was difficult to be consistent. At turns nine and twelve, I lost a lot of time. I couldn’t get the bike to turn. I didn’t feel good at all, so I’ll have to start from a new base tomorrow, and I’ll start with the medium.”

Are you afraid that the bike isn’t competitive?
“Not at all. I tried to change because it was the tire that made the difference in April. With the medium this morning, I did twenty-one laps, and I was lapping at 1’40”100, so the tire holds, but I wanted to try the hard one, and it didn’t work.”

Francesco Bagnaia said you’re the biggest threat to tomorrow’s victory…
“I think I have a good pace. Obviously, Mir will also be very strong tomorrow. I think the race will be very long here, and my pace is pretty good.”

How to safeguard your artwork or art collections on the decentralized web

In March of 2021, an artist who goes by the name neitherconfirm listed 26 NFTs for digital portraits. Then, the same artist switched out the image files and replaced them with photos of carpets. The move was a harmless in-joke referencing the idea of a “rug pull,” a term used to describe a type of scam promotion in the crypto art world. But it demonstrated an issue with how most NFTs work right now: art collectors need to be aware of how and where their artworks are stored so that they can’t be lost (or changed into something else, like a photo of a rug).

Before we start, a quick refresher on what NFTs are: non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are one-of-a-kind digital assets that represent ownership. They can represent ownership of basically anything, but for our purposes, we’re talking about digital art. NFTs are traceable through a public ledger known as a blockchain (most commonly, the Ethereum blockchain) that can’t be destroyed or counterfeited.

NFTs have experienced skyrocketing growth in the last year because they allow for transparency and verifiable provenance of digital artworks—like photographs, videos, and much more—regardless of whether or not those artworks exist in the real world. Collectors have seized on the idea, investing thousands of dollars into owning these tokens, preserving digital art and moments of digital heritage, and supporting artists they love in the process.

It’s important to understand, however, that when you buy an NFT, the token will not contain the artwork (for instance, a jpeg file) and the metadata it represents. Instead, NFTs use links to direct you to a metadata file that provides much of the essential information about your artwork, including, in most cases, a link to where you can find the actual image.

Neitherconfirm put it simply: “the token itself is not the artwork.” In other words, that metadata file and the image itself don’t live on the blockchain (that would cost a fortune) but somewhere else on the internet. While the blockchain itself is built to be immutable, that “somewhere else” where your artwork and most of its details actually live—for example, a web page belonging to the marketplace or artist who created it—could be another story altogether.

Right now, information on the internet is largely centralized, meaning it’s stored by server farms belonging to single companies. If the company that’s storing your artwork goes under for whatever reason and that link goes offline, then you’re out of luck. Your file is gone. That’s a risk if you’re using traditional (HTTP) URLs.

An early example of this kind of crash can be found over a decade ago, when the web hosting service Yahoo! GeoCities went dark. Archivists were able to save an estimated one million of the 38 million pages it hosted. Imagine if those pages hosted artworks worth millions of dollars, and you have a serious problem.

Here’s where the idea of the decentralized web comes into play. An alternative to the traditional web is something known as the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), a distributed, peer-to-peer network. The traditional web uses “location-based addressing,” where you enter an address and are directed to your file. But the IPFS uses another system called “content-based addressing,” where every file has a one-of-a-kind hash you can use to locate it. These data hashes are called content identifiers (CIDs), and they operate like digital fingerprints or permanent records, allowing us to confirm the integrity of the data.

Using the IPFS, then, you can enter the CID associated with the artwork, and as long as someone on the network is hosting it, you can find it. When The New York Times journalist Kevin Roose famously turned his column into an NFT (it sold for $560,000), for example, he uploaded an image of said column to the IPFS.

With the IPFS, you can search for your file based on what it is, not where it is. Ideally, you have multiple “nodes” (computers run by people all over the world) hosting it. In that case, it doesn’t matter if one specific URL breaks. As long as one person still has it, you can retrieve it. The IPFS was designed with permanence in mind, and that makes it uniquely suited to NFT art.

Of course, there are some risks with this method too, and it can’t guarantee that your artworks will be safe. The main issue is that the file must be hosted somewhere to be accessible; you’re no longer relying on a centralized server, but you are trusting that the file will be available on the network. If they get deleted or all the nodes where it’s hosted go offline, you’re in trouble.

For that reason, more collectors are now being proactive about ensuring that their files stay online well into the future. NFT buyers can protect the future of their collection, for instance, by paying to have their files hosted through IPFS at all times.

That could mean running an IPFS node themselves, which is doable but challenging, or it could mean using an IPFS pinning service like Pinata, which allows them to save data on an IPFS node. These usually come with affordable monthly fees, which many see as an investment in their collections.

Experts in this space compare this kind of digital maintenance to the maintenance you’d expect with a work of physical art. You wouldn’t store a print in conditions that would cause it to deteriorate, so the same care can and should be extended to digital art. Filecoin, developed by Protocol Labs, the same people who created the IPFS, adds longer-term data persistence by allowing users to make storage deals with miners, who are paid to store their data.

Another popular option for decentralized NFT storage is Arweave, which was created to operate as a permanent, global hard drive. Through Arweave, collectors can pay nodes a one-time fee to hold onto their data permanently (200 years and beyond). The nodes are incentivized to keep that data by earning Arweave’s native token, AR. While we might not have found the perfect solution yet, we’re getting there, with innovators setting more ambitious goals for a decentralized future. The artworld is experiencing a moment of massive change, and going forward, it’ll be up to us collectively to find creative ways of ensuring our NFTs last for decades, rather than seasons.

Join the Vault waitlist to get early access and be the first to find out how you can create, buy, sell, and earn.

The post How to safeguard your artwork or art collections on the decentralized web appeared first on 500px.

[NDN/ccn/comedia Links]

RT @terrelljstarr: My new daily outfit. I’ll be out in the field following citizens who volunteered to take up arms. Stay tuned!...


[NDN/ccn/comedia Links]

MotoGP, Mad Miller, wet poles on slicks!

The script was drastically rewritten. Those who expected an easy pole for Marc Marquez at Rio Hondo were quickly disappointed. As the moments ticked by, track conditions saw the asphalt dry out, although sections were still wet, to justify the risky gamble made by Jack Miller who, after an initial outing on rain tires, decided to go back out on slicks. It was a decision that left some perplexed at first, but one that proved to be a simply perfect strategy.

The script was drastically rewritten. Those who expected an easy pole for Marc Marquez at Rio Hondo were quickly disappointed. As the moments ticked by, track conditions saw the asphalt dry out, although sections were still wet, to justify the risky gamble made by Jack Miller who, after an initial outing on rain tires, decided to go back out on slicks. It was a decision that left some perplexed at first, but one that proved to be a simply perfect strategy.

Jack took some enormous risks, considering the fact that at least a couple of corners were still very wet. He did some circus numbers, several times risking a crash, but then the Australian pulled the time of 1’47”153 out of his hat that derailed the competition on the final attempt. “He had balls”, said team manager Francesco Guidotti, acknowledging the madness of his rider in taking his first MotoGP pole:

“It was truly impressive – the Pramac rider said – during my lap, I kept calm and I am happy with the result.” For the record, it has been since the Grand Prix of Phillip Island in 2012 that an Australian, namely Casey Stoner, that an Australian has started from the front.

Five minutes from the end, Marc Marquez also decided to take a gamble with the slicks like Miller, but after only one lap, he went back to the garage, putting the rain tire back on. It was a decision that cost him a lot of time and in the end, the Spaniard had to settle for a sixth place time that leaves him rather disappointed (+0.601). If number 93 has a bitter taste in his mouth, the opposite is true for his teammate, Dani Pedrosa, who did the second best time in qualifying at just over a tenth and a half from the leader:Jack was incredible – the Spanish acknowledged – Partly because turns 8 and 9 were full of water, so I decided to use the rain tires and I am happy with the performance.”

Closing out the front row is the M1 ridden by Johann Zarco, just 35 thousandths behind Pedrosa’s Honda: “It was very complicated – the Frenchman admitted – I also had a bike ready with slicks, but I preferred going out with the rain tyres. To be honest, I don’t know if I would have been able to do what Jack did.” In any case, the Frenchman’s Yamaha proved to be the best one in qualifying, whereas Maverick Viñales (+1,891) and Valentino Rossi (+2,173) did a session to forget, respectively ninth and eleventh with Cal Crutchlow between them. Both of the Yamaha riders confirmed the difficulties in mixed conditions that they had already demonstrated during FP4.

Going back to the high end of the standings, it was a brilliant ride by Tito Rabat (+0.528) on his Ducati after surprising yesterday already, going straight through to Q2. He will be in the first spot of the second row, followed by the Suzuki ridden by Alex Rins (+0.598). speaking of Ducati, Andrea Dovizioso (+1.094) had to settle for eighth place behind Aleix Espargaró’s Aprilia (+0.692). The Spaniard was fastest in Q1, snatching the spot from the Italian by the skin of his teeth.

Unable to go through to the decisive session, on the other hand what Jorge Lorenzo, who will have to start from the 14th spot on the grid behind Karel Abraham too. Danilo Petrucci suffered the same fate, usually a specialist in the wet, but only 18th today. Besting him were Redding, Pol Espargaró and the rookie, Simeon.

Speaking of rookies, it was the last row with the 22nd best time for Franco Morbidelli, who was only able to beat out Syharin and Nakagami, whereas Bautista, Luthi and Smith will be on the row ahead of him..

THE TIMES

Is Razgatlioğlu set for a bombshell MotoGP™ switch?

The next question, if true, is who does Razgatlioğlu sign for? Yamaha, given that’s where he rides in WorldSBK, would surely be in pole position. But would Razgatlioğlu sign for a non-factory outfit? The murmurings last year suggested not. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP have already signed Franco Morbidelli until the end of 2023, and alongside the Italian is current World Champion Fabio Quartararo – no space at the inn then, surely? Unless – like Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team) – Yamaha fancy luring Razgatlioğlu in with a full factory deal in their Independent Team, or Quartararo unexpectedly leaves Yamaha for whatever reason.

Ultra Rare Honda RC213V-S Highlights 2022 Retromobile Auction

Many motorcycle manufacturers are eager to tout MotoGP technology in their latest sportbikes. From Ducati’s 2022 Panigale V4 to KTM’s limited-edition RC 8C track bike, MotoGP tech frequently trickles down to a company’s production bikes. However, that process usually takes a lot of time. In 2015, Honda wanted to fast-track its on-track success to the consumer market with the ultra-premium, ultra-rare RC213V-S.

Chiefly drawing from Marc Marcquez’s 2014-2015 Honda RC213V MotoGP prototype, Team Red delivered a street-legal MotoGP replica packing a 90-degree, 999cc V4. In standard form, the four-pot mill pumped out 159 horsepower and 75.2 lb-ft of torque. With Honda’s Sport Kit, however, the V4 realized its full potential with 215 ponies and peak torque of 87 lb-ft.

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In addition to the fire-breathing powerplant, Honda outfitted the race replica with a cassette-type gearbox and dry slipper clutch. The chassis didn’t go ignored either, boasting an Öhlins TTX25 front end, TTX 36 rear shock, magnesium wheels, and a Brembo braking system. All those top-spec components and advanced technologies aren’t cheap though, and the RC213V-S carried a $184,000 price tag as a result.

Apparently, that MSRP hasn’t depreciated in the past seven years, with French auction house ArtCurial presenting a 2015 Honda RC213V-S at its Retromobile 2022 event. With zero miles on the odometer, the auctioneer estimates that the special-edition superbike will sell anywhere between €200,000 ($226,745 USD) and €300,000 ($340,117 USD).

For those consummate collectors out there, this RC213V-S example is number 112 of 150 units produced. However, the bike also comes equipped with the Sport Kit, practically begging the new owner to ride it. Those with enough disposable income for the MotoGP replica can attend ArtCurial’s Retromobile 2022 auction on March 18, 2022. The 2015 RC213V-S will be in Lot 326 and ArtCurial offers absentee bidding and online bidding options as well.

Sunday, February 27, 2022

MotoGP, Vinales contradicts Rossi: “I’m more competitive with the new engine”

Last week he proved to be the fastest Yamaha rider and he has confirmed that once again today. We’re talking about Maverick Vinales, who rounds out day one of testing at Jerez in fourth place, just behind Nakagami on the Honda.

“I’m fairly pleased – starts Maverick – we’ve improve on our flying lap time compared to last year and we’re working hard on our race pace too. This is the path we’re following during the Jerez test and I have to say that our traction has improved too, I can be quicker and more consistent”.

Maverick is therefore looking pretty confident.

“I’d say that we have slightly clearer ideas, engine aside though, we need to take a step forward in terms of set-up, exploiting the acceleration. The important thing is to keep calm and take it one step at a time. I definitely feel stronger than I did during the last race”.

While Rossi’s M1 is faced with a one and a half second gap from the front, Maverick’s Yamaha appears to have another gear.

“We’re working with the same mentality as at Valencia, though it’s harder to complete a strong flying lap here. Considering my riding style, I prefer an engine that allows me to be more aggressive in braking. Now I can enter the turns faster and maintain better speed”.

So Thursday promises to be a crucial day for Vinales.

“My comments are clear and together with the team we’ll make the right choice. We need to be precise, as we have a lot of material available. The plan is to make a definitive decision tomorrow”.

Lastly, a word about Esteban Garcia, the Spaniard’s new crew chief, as well as the track conditions.

“I’m getting on great with him, he’s very calm and easy to work with. The asphalt has got worse, especially turn eight”.

Wayne Rainey To Ride Again At Goodwood Festival Of Speed – MotoAmerica

Three-time 500cc World Champion Wayne Rainey will ride his 1992 championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June.

The following is from the Goodwood Festival of Speed…

  • Legendary motorcyclist Wayne Rainey to make Festival of Speed debut
  • Three-time World Champion set to ride racing bike for the first time in 29 years
  • Rainey, who is paralyzed from the chest down, will take to the Hill on his 1992-championship-winning Yamaha YZR500
  • The Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard will take place June 23-26
  • 2022 event set to celebrate “The Innovators – Masterminds of Motorsport”

Goodwood is proud to announce that three-time 500cc World Motorcycle Champion Wayne Rainey will make his first appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard (June 23-26).

Renowned for its unrestricted access to the mighty machines of motorsport and the riders and drivers who made them famous, this year’s Festival of Speed will be no exception. Across the weekend, fans will be able to watch Rainey take to the iconic Goodwood hillclimb on the Yamaha YZR500, with which he won the 1992 World Championship 30 years ago.

Goodwood is delighted that the Festival of Speed will reunite Rainey with a racing bike for the first time in 29 years, following the accident at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Rainey’s exploits at the Festival of Speed follow his first return to riding in 2019 at the Sound of Engine Festival in Suzuka, Japan.

As we prepare to celebrate ‘The Innovators – Masterminds of Motorsport,’ Rainey’s ride will be made possible by the innovation of the Yamaha Motor Company as they reconfigure the 30-year-old Yamaha YZR500 so it can be ridden using handlebar controls alone. Rainey himself has masterminded his way through a career in motorsport spanning four decades, first as a three-time World Champion, then as a team manager, and currently as President of MotoAmerica.

Rainey won 24 500cc Grands Prix and three World Championships.

Wayne Rainey said: “I’m incredibly excited to not only be attending my first Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer, but to be riding my 1992 Yamaha YZR500 up the famous hillclimb. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that I just couldn’t pass up. I want to thank the Yamaha Motor Company for preparing my 1992 YZR500 and adapting it for me to ride, MotoAmerica for helping make the entire project fly, and The Duke of Richmond for really making this a reality. I can’t wait to meet the fans who come from all over the world for the Goodwood Festival of Speed.”

Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl said: “The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an amazing event that is a showcase for two and four-wheel motorsports legends – both human and mechanical. Wayne Rainey is a true motorcycle racing legend who achieved three 500cc World Titles with Yamaha before his career-ending accident and injury. The thought of Wayne riding the legendary 1992 Factory YZR500 bike that he rode to his final championship victory is something truly amazing that I for one never imagined could be possible. I know it will mean so much to Wayne, and it will be something truly special for all the fans at Goodwood and all around the world. We are proud to be able to support Wayne make his dream come true.”

The Duke of Richmond said: “I am absolutely delighted that Wayne and his family are able to join us at this year’s Festival of Speed and that we will see him take to the Hill on the bike with which he won his last World Championship 30 years ago. Every year the Festival showcases spectacular stories from the world of motorsport, and we are privileged that Wayne is sharing his with us this summer.”

Wayne Rainey
With 82 500cc Grand Prix starts, Wayne Rainey won 24 races and took 64 podiums while his battles with arch-rival Kevin Schwantz have become the stuff of motorcycling legend. At the time of his accident in 1993 he was leading the World Motorcycle Championship and was just three races away from winning his fourth title.

Following his accident, Rainey became the team manager of the Marlboro Yamaha Team before retiring in 1998. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007, named a FIM Grand Prix ‘Legend’ in 2000 and has a corner of the Laguna Seca Circuit named in his honour.

Savings to be made on tickets bought before April 1, 2022
Those planning to attend the Festival of Speed this summer have the opportunity to save on tickets when bought by 31 March 2022. The 2022 Festival of Speed qualifies for the UK Government’s ‘creative industry tax relief,’ with a reduced VAT rate of 12.5% until March 31, 2022. We are pleased to be able to pass this saving on to our customers, which will apply to a number of entry products. Ticket prices will remain at the reduced VAT rate until the end of March, when it will return to the full rate of 20% from 1 April 2022.

Jack Miller ‘stoked’ after leading Australian MotoGP, finishing seventh

JACK Miller delivered so many brilliant one-liners after stirring his ride to the seventh in the Australian Grand Prix, it’s hard to know where to start.

“I didn’t see anything; I was just s***ing myself!” was a good one, when foxsports.com.au asked him if he saw the fans excitement when he leapt into the race lead off the start.

“Maybe I need to break my leg more often,” was another, citing his standout performance just 23 days after breaking his leg in a training incident, Miller riding the Phillip Island weekend with a plate and eight screws holding the two parts of his tibia together.

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RESULTS: Click here for full results from Australian Grand Prix

REPORT: Marquez wins Australian GP thriller, boosts points lead

Did the leg give him any trouble during the 27 laps of the race?

“Not until I took it off the footpeg to put my leg down to do a burnout in front of my parents’ grandstand,” he quipped.

“I was like ‘ooh, that’s a bit stiff!’ It didn’t really give me any grief. Once it was on the bike, it was fine.”

From fifth on the grid, Miller’s leap from the line was matched only by that of eventual race-winner Marc Marquez, and when the factory Honda bowled slightly wide through Doohan Corner, the home crowd’s hero didn’t need to be asked twice.

“I got a decent start and then Marc ran wide and opened the door for me,” he explained. “So I just pushed through because I thought, f***, what better place to be on the first lap than first.

“I was just thinking in my head, Jesus is this really happening?”

He pulled the best part of a second over the chasing pack before reining himself in — too late, he felt — to conserve the soft rear Michelin tire he’d chosen for the race.

“Honestly, on the third lap I buttoned off a little bit just to try and allow the others to come through,” Miller said. “I probably pushed too hard on those first three laps and burnt maybe a little bit too much tire than I should’ve.

“I wanted whoever was behind me — I honestly thought it was Marc at that point in time — I just wanted them to come through on me because I wanted a marker, someone to set the pace so that I wasn’t out there spinning my tire off it’s head and destroying it — but I probably did that a little bit too much.

“Once I got a few laps behind Marc and understood what he was doing on his tire — in terms of like Turn 3 and especially over Lukey — I started doing that but it was probably too little, too late.

“But I’ve learned what I need to do, let’s say, for next year hopefully.”

The first time Miller’s leg gave him grief — doing a post-race burnout. Pic: Mark StewartSource: News Corp Australia

Miller would remain in the thick of a heated eight-bike battle for the lead — “It just felt like Moto3 all over again to me,” he joked — until the closing laps when it came time to pay the price for his early charge.

“I was on the same (engine) map the whole way through, which was my tire conservative map,” he said. “I stayed on that pretty much the whole way through the race.

“I looked at the lap board, saw it was 3 laps to go so I tried to have another little dig to close the gap to Crutchlow, but I just started spinning too much and that’s what caused the tire to run out of grip, let’s say, in the drive area.

“In the last lap I threw it into Turn 2 and that’s where I really lost all my time.

“I was maybe about half a second behind Crutch, I flicked it over quite aggressively into Turn 2 and she nearly came around on me.

“But at the same time Iannone had the exact same problem as me. I think he was on the edge of the tyre. He threw it in and we both almost high-sided on entry, just simply down to having finished the tire on the left side.”

Beyond the strong run to seventh, Miller said his performance throughout the weekend gives him confidence heading into his final two races aboard the Marc VDS Honda.

“(I’m) stoked considering I broke my leg three weeks and a day ago, leading the home grand prix for the first couple of laps and to be mixing it with the boys right ’til the end was good,” he said.

“I haven’t had that many strong dry races. We’ve been there or thereabouts but never for the whole race, and today was a really good run. Okay, we didn’t quite get the top five but we were close, and I’m happy about that.

“I’m happy to have the factory bike behind me of Dani, and also a lot of factory bikes behind me. It was a good weekend in general and I feel really confident now and really happy with myself.

“Looking forward to the last two races. Malaysia, nice and hot, just like my house in Townsville, and Valencia, another left-handed track that I normally go pretty good at.”

Arm struggles had Quartararo “scared” in Assen MotoGP race

Quartararo was robbed of a victory at the Spanish GP in May when he suffered arm pump in his right arm which required surgery following the Jerez race.

He hasn’t had many issues with his arm since, but the physical nature of the Assen track this weekend meant he “stuggled” during the Dutch GP.

Taking the lead on the opening lap, Quartararo was forced to spend several tours stuck behind the Ducati of Francesco Bagnaia before eventually making a move stick on lap six.

From there, Quartararo went on to dominate the race, opening up a gap of over four seconds at one stage, sealing victory by 2.7s at the checkered flag.

However, he feels he could have lapped even quicker than he did had it not been for the issues he was having with his right arm.

“This one was tough,” Quartararo said in parc ferme after the race.

“[It] was a really tough race because I was struggling to overtake Pecco and I struggled a little bit all weekend with my right arm.

“And in the race, to be honest, I could go three, four tenths faster every lap.

“But I was feeling really bad and at half race to be honest I was a little bit scared.

“But I keep the pace and I can be happy because it was the battle with Maverick [Vinales] on the Saturday, he won, so the points arrive on Sunday. So, I’m so happy.”

Read So:

This is Quartararo’s fourth win of the 2021 season, and with nearest title rival Johann Zarco fourth in the end, the Yamaha rider’s championship lead has swelled to 34 points heading into the five-week summer break.

Quartararo headed a Yamaha 1-2 at the checkered flag, with poleman and teammate Vinales working his way through to second after dropping to fifth on the opening tour.

Vinales dominated headlines coming into Sunday’s race after it was reported that he is considering quitting Yamaha at the end of the 2021 campaign and moving to Aprilia following his deterioration in his relationship with the team.

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MotoGP, Quartararo: “Without my arm problem, I would’ve battled it out with Vinales and Marquez”

There were two Yamahas on the Assen podium. The first one was Maverick Vinales’, the other Fabio Quartararo’s, the star of a race made up of intelligence and perseverance. Hats off to the performance of the French rider who reaffirmed his potential in the Netherlands.

“It was a really great race” began Quartaro. “Among other things, I was even able to take the lead in the first few laps. It’s something unparalleled for me, since I used to see these champions in action as a child and dreamed of being like them. I’m obviously satisfied with the podium, even though I was already struggling with my arm in the middle of the race, and the wind certainly didn’t help things. But I bit the bullet to keep myself attached to the group of the best.”

You dued it out with Maverick and Marc, but then you were forced to give up.

“I gave it my all in the beginning, since I wanted to be attached to the leading group. We were just a few riders, so it was easier to control the situation as compared to other races. That was my strategy, but unfortunately I struggled. My pace in Barcelona was better and, on that occasion, four riders ended up falling. But what matters is being able to get back on the podium.”

How much did the problem with your arm influence everything?

“Maybe I wouldn’t have brought home the victory like Maverick, but I could have been faster. Certainly, this result gives me more confidence. Like I said, too bad I had no strength in my arm. I would have taken the podium home anyway, but maybe I would have been able to duel it out with Vinales and Marquez.”

The Yamaha seemed very difficult to control.

That’s true. The fact is that on the outside, there’s less speed wobble, and the bike was more stable. That’s why I was trying to avoid the internal trajectory with the wind that was complicating things further. But I only figured this out in the final. We tried to find solutions during the weekend. However, it’s fine how it is, since all this will serve as an experience for me to improve in view of the next races.”

You’ll be in Germany in a week.

“The next GP is at the Sachsenring. Getting back on the track after only seven days will be useful, and the fact that the track has so many left-hand turns, I consider it a positive aspect from a physical point-of-view Like I said, I’m happy, given that I’m continuously learning at every round, and I gain more confidence with my bike. Unfortunately, my arm is not 100% at it’s best yet, but I’ll please the bullet. Personally, I’m confident because we started at the beginning of the season with the top ten as our goal, then it was the top six, and now we’re on the podium.”

This podium is leading you even more towards the title of rookie of the year.

“The goal of the season is undoubtedly that. I think we’re following the right direction, and the feelings are good, even if the road ahead is still long.”

Saturday, February 26, 2022

Vinales deposits Marquez in second practice

Honda had already gained the approval of MotoGP technical director Danny Aldridge to use his version of the controversial appendage first used by Ducati in Qatar, with the winglet finally breaking cover on Marquez’s bike during the Spaniard’s second run.

For PRIME users:

By that stage, the reigning champion had already beaten his benchmark time from the morning’s opening practice session, moving to the top on a 2m05.276s early on, before laying down a 2m04.719s on his next lap.

That remained the lap to beat until the final five minutes of the session, when the soft-tyre runs began in earnest, but Marquez found himself giving a tow to the Pramac Ducati of Jack Miller – who duly set a time 0.005s faster to take the top spot.

Next time round, Marquez was on course for the fastest time but pulled over late in the lap to allow Miller by. But moments before, Yamaha rider Vinales had eclipsed both Miller and Marquez riding on his own, setting a 2m03.857s.

Marquez tried to respond on his final flying lap, but had to settle for second, falling short of Vinales’ time by 0.044s.

Valentino Rossi briefly made it a Yamaha 1-2 with his 2m04.003s lap, and ended up third, just over a tenth slower than Marquez and 0.002s up on Miller in fourth.

LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow completed the top five, followed by Alex Rins on the Suzuki and KTM’s Pol Espargaro, who profited from sitting behind Andrea Dovizioso’s Ducati on his best lap.

Grabbing the final three provisional Q2 spots were Petronas Yamaha pair Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo and the second Pramac bike of rookie Francesco Bagnaia.

Dovizioso was the biggest name to miss out on a space in the top 10, ending up almost a tenth down on Bagnaia, and with rain forecast for Saturday morning the Italian faces having to fight through the first segment of qualifying.

Works teammate Danilo Petrucci also ended up down in 13th, a place ahead of top Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro, while Jorge Lorenzo’s tough weekend continued in 16th place.

Second practice times:

Quartararo’s MotoGP future “still open” as Yamaha frustrations continue

Quartararo ended last weekend’s Sepang test unhappy as Yamaha failed to make any top speed gains with its bike compared to its 2021 challenger, while little has changed this weekend at the Mandalika test.

The Frenchman already said back in November he would not sign a 2023 Yamaha deal until he saw tangible progress with the package come the 2022 pre-season.

And though Yamaha has openly stated re-signing the 2021 world champion is its “top priority”, Quartararo said on Saturday in Indonesia that his future remains open.

“Obviously, I expected a bigger improvement of the bike,” Quartararo said. “And that makes my future open. I have to look at the best option for me.”

With Yamaha’s lack of top speed gains, Quartararo has now placed everything on his qualifying performance to assist him in his 2022 title defence, as his race pace is strong.

But, despite ending Saturday’s running at Mandalika fourth and comfortably the top Yamaha rider, he is “worried” about the fact he is “missing something” on this area compared to last year when he scored five straight poles and nine other front row starts.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

When asked by Motorsport.com if qualifying was now key to his 2022, he replied: “Yes, that’s for sure and I don’t feel so great at the moment on the qualifying.

“So that’s what I’m more worried about, because on the pace I can go super, super fast on the used tyre.

“But the new tire and one lap, I miss something compared to last year.

“So, this is the biggest difference and I feel like I have to improve that area.”

He added: “On qualifying what I’m missing is the difference between used tires and new tires is much less than before.

“And I feel like it’s quite difficult. And I don’t understand why it’s such a small difference”

Teammate Franco Morbidelli rode the 2019 and 2021-spec M1s last year, but also noted that the difference in engine between them is minimal, noting: “The engine for sure is better than 2019, that’s for sure.

“The difference between 21 and 22 is much smaller than between 19 and 21.”

Read So:

MotoGP, Quartararo: “Battling and winning against Marquez is more enjoyable”

The first race in Qatar is just over a week away, and Fabio Quartararo will be the man to beat. A role that is rightly his after winning the world title last season. For the French rider, defending his podium isn’t a problem, which he confirmed in an interview with DAZN Spain.

“I have fulfilled my dream of becoming world champion, and now I want more,” he said. “But I don’t feel any additional pressure. If anything, now I’m more motivated to reconfirm myself. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone.

He’ll soon be going up against Marquez, who will finally be able to start the championship without obstacles, unlike what happened in the recent past. This is also good news for Fabio.

The pleasure of going up against Marc is different than what you feel when you go up against other riders, and winning against him is another thing. I have to be honest,” he stated.

Quartararo then glossed over his future.

I’d say that Yamaha is my brand, but I want to have the best bike and the best project, and nothing has been decided yet,” he stated.

The last comment was about Pedro Acosta, the very young prodigy who won the Moto3 title during his debut in the World Championship last year.

It surprised me a lot. I expect him next year in the MotoGP,” the French rider concluded.

Back To The Banking, A Return To Daytona: Part 15, 2018-2019 – MotoAmerica

Danny Eslick won his fourth Daytona 200 in 2018, riding a TOBC Yamaha YZF-R6. Photos By Brian J. Nelson.

With the news that MotoAmerica is headed to Daytona International Speedway in March of 2022 for the Daytona 200, we decided the perfect way to build excitement for the event would be to start digging through the history books and memory banks. Since Paul Carruthers is literally as old as the Speedway itself and covered almost 30 Daytona 200s as a journalist while working at Cycle News, it was a no-brainer that it would be him who would take on the task of trying to recall the good and the bad. And since we are the home of the AMA Superbike Series, we figured we’d have him start his look back with the 1985 Daytona 200 – the first of the 200s to feature Superbikes – and go from there. This week, we focus on the 2018 and 2019 Daytona 200s.

2018

Winner: Danny Eslick. Yamaha YZF-R6

TOBC Racing’s Danny Eslick dominated the 77th running of the Daytona 200 with by a 26-second margin, winning the race for the fourth time in five years. The Oklahoman also became just the third rider to win four or more Daytona 200s with Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel sharing the record for victories in the iconic race with five apiece.

With four Daytona 200 wins, Eslick is a victory away from matching Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel with those two winning five 200s each.

“We’ve kind of set our name in the books here at Daytona – we’ve done pretty well,” Eslick said. “The biggest thing is the crew here at DIS. This is the only race (of the season) where we do pit stops.”

The Turning Point: Polesitter Valentin Debise was hopeful of becoming the second French rider to win the Daytona 200, but it all went wrong when he crashed out of the lead on just the 10th lap at more than 100 mph. Debise was diagnosed with a compression fracture of the third lumbar vertebra.

Newsworthy: Second place and some 26 seconds behind Eslick was Cory West with Robertino Pietri rounding out the top three with a last-lap pass of Geoff May.

Pietri’s third-place finish in the Daytona 200 matched the third-place finish posted by his father Roberto Pietri in the 1982 Daytona 200.

Michael Barnes, the 2016 winner of the Daytona 200, had a strong outing going until mechanical problems knocked him out of the race.

John Ashmead, the career leader in miles completed in the Daytona 200, ended the race in 18th to amass a total of 4533 miles.

Kyle Wyman came out on top of a final four-lap sprint to the finish to win the 2019 Daytona 200.

2019

Winner: Kyle Wyman, Yamaha YZF-R6

N2 Racing Yamaha’s Kyle Wyman earned his first Daytona 200 victory after coming out on top of a four-lap sprint to the finish following a late-race red flag. Just 1.2 seconds separated Wyman from sixth-placed Geoff May at the end of 200 miles of racing.

“To win it like this, Daytona, in a four-lap sprint race, it’s just unreal,” Wyman said. “I’m speechless – what a race. The highs and lows of a 200-mile endurance race, you know. I ran out of fuel on the last lap of the second stint and was just gutted. I was riding around in third place (toward the end), but the red flag came out and I had another shot.”

Wyman ended up beating Sean Dylan Kelly by just .213 of a second.

The Turning Point: The late-race red flag made the difference in the race as it gave Wyman and runner-up Sean Dylan Kelly the chance to race for victory. Kelly was a lap down when the red flag came out, but he was allowed to restart on the lead lap going into the four-lap sprint and he made the most of it with a second-place finish in his Daytona 200 debut.

Newsworthy: On the Friday before the race, Kelly became the youngest rider in the 78-year history of the Daytona 200 to take pole position. Kelly lapped at 1:49.064 (115.859 mph) to best Bobby Fong and Jason Aguilar.

The margin of victory for Wyman over Kelly was just .213 of a second.

Bobby Fong rode his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki to third place with four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes finishing fourth. Brandon Paasch rounded out the top-five finishers. Danny Eslick’s bid to become the third five-time winner of the Daytona 200 ended with mechanical problems early in the race. Eslick had qualified eighth.

MotoGP star Quartararo’s future ‘wide open’ amid Yamaha disappointment

Reigning MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo has admitted that his future has been left “wide open” after yet another disappointing day of testing the 2022 Yamaha M1 at the Mandalika Bay circuit, hinting on the record how serious his concerns with the Japanese manufacturer’s lack of development seem to be.

The Frenchman has been expressing unhappiness since the very first time he tried the new machine back in Misano in September, and hasn’t gotten any more complimentary since then, as the Yamaha contingent essentially continue to ride the 2020-spec bike into yet another season – and continue to concede top speed to rivals despite it being the one area where Quartararo specifically asked for improvements.

But, with rumors circulating about rival offers coming his way and with his disappointment evident again today despite finishing fourth, he admitted when asked by The Race that continuing lack of development means he’s now considering his entire future.

Fabio Quartararo Yamaha Mandalika MotoGP

“I was expecting much better,” said a frustrated Quartararo, “a much better bike for this year. So, of course, my future is not clear at the moment.

“Let’s say for me it still isn’t the moment to talk about it, but my future is wide open and we need to look at the next project.”

What’s clear is that nothing is going to change in time for the 2022 season, either. With only one day of testing now remaining before the opening race of the season in Qatar next month, Quartararo says the slow engine will remain how it is.

Fabio Quartararo Yamaha Sepang MotoGP

“It’s what we have for the season,” he admitted. “I mean, maybe we can find something, but it’s our standard – last year we were on average 9k[ph] per hour [off], today we are at 9k. I mean, we didn’t make any step forward. And that’s it, I think I don’t need to think too much about this, but just about my riding and trying to fight for the best.

“It’s something really big that’s missing, to be honest. But then, to be honest, if I’m focusing too much on that, then my mentality will not be the same. I go for the maximum.

“If the bike is not enough, I’m not an engineer, so at the end what I can do is to push myself to the limit and see what I can do to really fight for the championship and for victory, that for me is most important to fight for the championship.

“To be honest, we have not made the steps I expected.”

Fabio Quartararo Yamaha Mandalika MotoGP

Quartararo once again tried hard to put a relatively positive spin on the day – something that he’s been adamant about doing throughout testing after learning harsh lessons about the importance of his own attitude during the tumultuous 2020 season, where he won three races but eventually finished the season eight overall despite leading much of the championship.

But even that attitude was unable to keep him smiling after another day at the new Indonesian circuit where yet another of the five factory Ducatis on the 2022 grid topped the time sheets in the hands of Luca Marini, negating the area where Quartararo was perhaps strongest early in 2021 – his time attack.

“We need to worry about eight Ducatis,” he laughed when asked about Marini’s time by The Race. “They are all almost. They have eight bikes and they have eight fast riders. Of course the rookies are taking a little bit more time, but I’m sure that soon they will come because [Gresini rookie Fabio] Di Giannantonio was super fast today and will make steps forward every time. It’s not going to be easy.

“When we put our race tire this afternoon I did a really good pace, [1m]32.4[s] with a really used tire, and I think tomorrow we will see our real pace, because I will make kind of a race simulation long run, let’s say, I will not make 27 laps, but I think between 15 and 20 laps, and we will see our real pace, and I think it’s really fast.

Fabio Quartararo Yamaha Mandalika MotoGP test

“But let’s see. I’m super happy about my pace, and I think on qualifying what I’m missing is the difference between used tire and new tire is much less than before, and I feel like it’s quite difficult and I don’t understand why it’s such a small difference.”

So should Quartararo decide to walk away from Yamaha in frustration, what options are realistically on the table for him? It seems that one door that would have been open as recently as last year is now closed, with Ducati making it clear that it is “not looking outside” its current rider pool, according to team boss Paolo Ciabatti.

And, with both KTM and Aprilia seeming unlikely options, that means the only two cards left on the table are Suzuki and Honda. It’s uncertain if the former could meet Quartararo’s likely high wage demands, even if a rather competitive-looking 2022 GSX-RR – which had a very strong showing today in terms of top speed – is potentially making him think.

But at Repsol Honda, they’ve both got the money and arguably the bike to tempt him, with an all-new RC213V maybe more rider-friendly than it has been since the 990cc days of 15 years ago.

Marc Marquez Honda Mandalika MotoGP

There are already rumors circulating that contact has been made between the two parties back in Europe ahead of flying overseas for testing. Honda is keenly aware of the need to bolster the depth of its line-up following a terrible year and a half without its six-time champion Marc Marquez after his early 2020 injuries, and has already shown signs of moving away from its ‘all- in’ rider strategy of the past by switching the balance of the bike away from Marquez’s preferences and towards something more neutral.

That could well be enough to open the biggest door to Quartararo, should he be true to his word about just how unhappy he is at Yamaha, not just handing Honda a potential successor to Marc Marquez but, just as importantly, denying a proven champion rider to its rivals.

MotoGP, New Suzuki fairing: the “catfish” slims down its whiskers

Until today, all the engineers had put their cards on the table regarding the aerodynamic changes for 2019. The only exception was KTM, which aligned itself with the competition when it came to aero fairings. Suzuki, however, decided to stop dillydallying and, at the end of the day, Alex Rins was trying out the new fairing.

As can clearly be seen in the photos, the Hamamatsu engineers have greatly lightened the shapes of the aerodynamic appendages on the GSX-RR. If before the aero fairings were very bulky, so to speak, and they were almost a natural extension of the shape of the windshield dome, now they are more detached from the line of the bike and are even thinner.

Also, in the new version, they continue along the sides of the fairing but, once again, they’re thinner, losing the window-like opening of the previous version.

As was specified, today Rins tried the new fairing and, at the end of the short test, he said he was satisfied: “It’s better than the previous one.

Now they’re waiting for the competition’s move.

Joan Mir with the 2018 fairingAlex Rins with the new fairing

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Daytona 200: Final Entry List With 50 Riders Released

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Friday, February 25, 2022

Strength In Numbers: 139 Road Racers Set To Compete At Daytona On March 10-12 – MotoAmerica

Last year’s Daytona 200 with Sean Dylan Kelly, Michael Barnes, Kyle Wyman, Brandon Paasch, Tyler O’Hara, and Danny Eslick leading the way. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

MotoAmerica’s first event at Daytona International Speedway will feature 139 riders who will compete in four different race classes with three of those classes racing for the first time ever at the “World Center Of Racing.”

The Daytona 200

For the 80th running of the iconic Daytona 200, a total of 50 riders will practice, qualify, and race for the opportunity to win the race, accept the trophy, wear the Rolex, cash the check, and add their name to the lists of legends who have won America’s premier motorcycle road race, which is the only one on the MotoAmerica schedule that goes for 57 laps and includes upwards of three pit stops to change tires and refuel.

Among the riders entered in this year’s Daytona 200 are three former AMA/MotoAmerica Superbike Champions (Josh Hayes, Josh Herrin, and Jake Gagne), two former Daytona 200 winners (four-time winner Danny Eslick and last year’s winner Brandon Paasch), five MotoAmerica Superbike riders (Jake Gagne, Cameron Petersen, Richie Escalante, Hayden Gillim, and Geoff May), and three British Superbike series riders (Harry Truelove, Matt Truelove, and Brandon Paasch).

Twins Cup Championship

A total of 46 Twins Cup riders will compete in two nine-lap feature races, and the field is made up of a mix of veteran twin-cylinder riders )including defending class champion Kaleb De Keyrel) and former SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup riders who have moved up a class in 2022.

Mission King Of The Baggers Championship

The hugely popular Mission King Of The Baggers Championship will start its season for the first time at Daytona International Speedway, and 18 riders are entered to practice, qualify, and compete in two eight-lap feature races as well as the three-lap Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge, which is a “dash for cash” with $5,000 going to the winner. Defending class champion Kyle Wyman and 2020 class champion Tyler O’Hara headline the list of riders, along with former MotoAmerica Superbike rider Bobby Fong, former MotoGP rider Jeremy McWilliams, two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee, and two-time AMA Supersport Champion and former British Superbike and American Flat Track competitor James Rispoli.

Super Hooligan National Championship

A field of 24 riders will take to the high banks of Daytona International Speedway for two six-lap Super Hooligan National Championship races, and these competitors will be aboard everything from Harley-Davidson XR1200s, Fat Bobs, Softails, and Dyna Low Riders; to Indian FTR1200s and Chiefs; to Ducati Hypermotards; to KTM 890 Dukes; and there’s even a BMW R nineT in the mix. A rag-tag bunch, to be sure, and they call them “Super Hooligans” for nothing. But, it’s sure to produce some great racing.

All told, that’s 139 road racers competing in four different classes, and in nine races over three days. Do not miss it.

To check out the complete Daytona Entry List, click HERE

For the full 2022 MotoAmerica schedule and to purchase tickets for MotoAmerica events, click HERE

For information on how to watch the MotoAmerica series, click HERE

New number part of reset after “two worst years”

Vinales has used 25 as his number for most of his racing career, carrying it in his title-winning campaigns in CEV 125cc and Moto3, as well as for the entirety of his premier-class tenure so far.

But the Spaniard will switch to number 12, which he’d used in the early years of his career, next season, as it will be freed up in MotoGP by Marc VDS Honda rookie Tom Luthi’s return to the intermediate class.

“When I was just a kid, I was riding a bike always, I was between 12 and 100, which I was [using] in motocross,” Vinales said.

“For me was something I wanted to change some years ago but I never had the chance. Because when I jump to Moto2, Luthi was with 12, then I jump to MotoGP the first year, and I don’t know why [I didn’t change it] – I wanted to do it, but never had the right time to do it.

“Now I felt I need to do something different. You know, next year I’m going to have a new engine, new crew chief, everything new – so it was the time to change.”

Vinales has won four MotoGP races since joining Yamaha from Suzuki two years ago, yet has endured many frustrations after a near-perfect start to his stint with the Iwata firm.

He has often cut a dejected figure as the Yamaha bike has largely struggled to match Ducati and Honda, while 2018 has seen a rift between him and veteran crew chief Ramon Forcada.

Asked whether he was hoping for a fresh start next year, Vinales said: “Yes. [It] was the two worst years for me in the world championship.

“So I want to change everything. I just try to go back [to] when I was so good.”

Yamaha has made progress relative to its rivals as of late, and its riders will be hopeful of making up further ground in the off-season.

This will kick off with next week’s post-race test in Valencia, where Yamaha will trial 2019 engine specifications.

Vinales’ new rider coach Julian Simon will start work with the Spaniard on Tuesday as the test kicks off, but the 25-year-old rider will have to wait until the subsequent test in Jerez for new crew chief Esteban Garcia to join him.

Additional reporting by Oriol Puigdemont

Maverick Vinales, Yamaha Factory Racing

Maverick Vinales, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / LAT Images

Aprilia “closer than ever” to “very difficult” first MotoGP win

The 2021 MotoGP season proved to be a breakout campaign for Aprilia, as Espargaro guided it to its first podium in the modern premier class era seven years into its comeback.

Aprilia – entering its first campaign since its comeback as an outright manufacturer team having previously run its operation in conjunction with Gresini Racing – made major changes to its RS-GP last year having been the only marque able to freely develop its bike coming into and throughout 2021 owing to concession regulations.

The marque has apparently made further gains with its bike in 2022, ending the Malaysia test second overall and the Indonesia test fourth overall.

Asked whether he felt Aprilia had to win a race this year to truly show its progress, Espargaro replied: “Yes, for sure. Last year we achieved the first podium, so obviously we are going to try to win.

“But it’s very difficult. I think this year the championship is going to be the most difficult of the history of MotoGP for sure because the level of the riders and the level of the bikes is unbelievable.

“But yes, we are closer than ever to this target. Even if it’s a very difficult target, we are closer than ever.”



Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team


© Autosport.com
Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team

Photo by: MotoGP

Looking ahead to the 2022 campaign, Espargaro believes a realistic target will be to finish in the top six in the riders’ standings this year and score close to 200 points, having amassed 120 in 2021.

“What’s going to make me happy is difficult to give a clear answer, because I’m always very ambitious – maybe too much,” he added.

“So, I can do a good championship, maybe finish in the top six and I will not be happy enough. But this is part of life, part of sport.

“The important thing is to be satisfied with the job and the work you’ve done. And the thing to be satisfied with will be to improve the championship of last year.

“This will be very important. Last year we finished eighth in the championship, so if this year we are close or even score more than 200 points and to be able to stay inside the top six of the championship, I think it will be a realistic championship.

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“You cannot finish eight [one year] and then win the championship the next, this is not realistic even if this is what I want.

“But we are working very hard, we are not super, super happy about our pre-season.

“It’s just one more pre-season, we know this is not racing, but we are doing good, the bike has been working good from the first laps Lorenzo [Savadori, Aprilia test rider] did in Malaysia.”