MOTOGP SEASON FINALE FREE PRACTICE:  Yamaha Factory rider Ben Spies made it count this afternoon in difficult weather conditions to take third on the grid for tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Valencia.

The Texan completed his fastest lap on a used set of tyres having patiently circled waiting for a gap in the changing weather to put in a qualifying time.

Katsuyuki Nakasuga faced yet another treacherous day of unpredictable weather as he learnt his way around the twisty Valencia circuit.

A fresh rear tyre towards the end of the qualifying session saw him exit the pits in confident mood to set a qualifying time however the drops of rain on the track meant he was unable to improve on 15th position.

Ben Spies
Position 3rd – Time 1.33.057 – Laps 22
“Qualifying was really hectic today for all the riders. There was a sprinkling of rain all the way through which makes you very nervous about how much to push. I have to say thank you Yamaha for a great bike. It’s working great here so we just need to pray for some dry time for the race. We’re going to get some rest tonight and try to make sure we end the season on a high tomorrow.”

Katsuyuki Nakasuga
Position 15th – Time 1.35.999 – Laps 25
“Today was quite difficult with the different weather conditions. I did feel that I understood the track a little bit better. This afternoon in qualifying we changed to a new tyre and I felt good with it but unfortunately was not able to make a better time as I was unsure how much to push with some rain falling. Tomorrow I will do my best for Yamaha; the experience will also help me in the future as a test rider!”

Wilco Zeelenberg – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“It’s been a very challenging weekend for Nakasuga-san to learn a complicated track in difficult weather conditions. Yesterday was pretty wet and this afternoon in qualifying there were spots of rain throughout. There’s been no clear run in one weather condition for him which has added to the complexity of the task. Under the circumstances we’re happy with his progress. It’s going to be a tough race tomorrow but we are all behind him.”

Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“I think Ben really proved what he could do this afternoon, he didn’t surprise me, I was confident for him. I was a little worried about the weather but he did a great job despite the tricky conditions. To start from the front row considering all the problems we’ve had recently shows he is a tough rider. Unfortunately Nakasuga-san didn’t find the best conditions to learn a new track, Valencia looks simple but it isn’t. He knows what he has to do so I’m sure he’ll deliver the best result possible tomorrow.”

Crutchlow and Hayes ready for season finale

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow will start his quest to win the coveted MotoGP Rookie of the Year title in tomorrow’s GP Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana from 11th position on the grid.

The British rider set a best time of 1.34.329s in cool and windy conditions at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit this afternoon to finish less than 0.2s away from claiming a spot on the third row of the grid for tomorrow’s season ending 30-lap race.

This afternoon’s qualifying session took place on a dry track, despite spots of rain falling intermittently during the session as threatening grey clouds hung over the 2.489 miles circuit.

Crutchlow is looking forward to a strong battle with Karel Abraham in the final race of the 800cc era tomorrow as the fight to be crowned 2011 MotoGP Rookie of the Year goes down to the wire.

The Czech Republic rider will start one place higher up on the grid but Crutchlow is confident he can end his first year with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team on a high note by claiming the Rookie of the Year prize for the second successive season for the French-based squad.

Josh Hayes, who is replacing injured American Colin Edwards, got his first chance to experience the true potential of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine today.

Both practice sessions yesterday took place in wet conditions, but today the 36-year-old got his first taste of carbon brakes and Bridgestone’s slick tyres with the third practice and qualifying taking place on a dry track.

Despite learning about the potential of the YZR-M1 machine while also continuing to gain knowledge of the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, which he only experienced for the first time yesterday, the double American Superbike Champion produced an exceptional display to post a best lap of 1.36.042 and he will start from 16th position.

Cal Crutchlow
Position 11th – Time 1.34.329 – Laps 25
“Today wasn’t the easiest day and I’d have liked to have qualified inside the top 10. Finding a good set-up with the bike has been quite difficult and the weather conditions haven’t made it any easier with such little dry track time. The problems are similar to what I’ve been experiencing in the last few races. It is hard for me to stop and turn the bike but I’m still confident I can have a strong race tomorrow. We’ll analyse the data tonight and see what we can come up with to improve my feeling with the bike. I’m sure it will be a good battle with Karel tomorrow. We have been so close on the timesheets all weekend, so it could be an exciting battle for the Rookie of the Year award. I’d love to win it for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team after Ben Spies won it last year.”

Josh Hayes
Position 16th – Time 1.36.256 – Laps 25
“Having got the chance to ride the Yamaha YZR-M1 machine in the dry, all I can say is it is an incredible machine. The power and acceleration compared to the superbike I race in America is incredible. The carbon brakes are impressive too and the chassis works much differently in these conditions than I expected. It is definitely not easy adapting to this bike and the big thing is that I just need more time to understand it. This afternoon’s session started off on rain tyres, but the track was completel y dry and three times during the session you would ride around and big rain spots would start to hit you. I am not sure how the Bridgestone tyres work with some moisture on the track. And I didn’t want to push too hard and crash because that would cost me precious time I need to understand the bike and learn the track. All in all I am happy with the job I’ve done for the Team but obviously as a racer you always want more and I’d like to be a bit closer to the regular guys. But I’ve had two wet sessions, one dry and one session where conditions were a bit dodgy, so the weather hasn’t helped my preparations much. I’m really looking forward to the race though and it will be great to be part of the last 800cc race.”

MotoGP’s tragic loss of rising star Marco Simoncelli in Sepang two weeks ago has left all with heavy hearts but determined to put on a good show in honour of their fallen competitor.

The race is the last in Yamaha’s 50th anniversary of Grand Prix racing so the team will wear the red and white YZR-M1 WGP50th Anniversary Edition livery for the last time. 2010 World Champion Jorge Lorenzo continues to recover from surgery to his hand following his injury sustained in Australia.

As a result he will not participate in this weekend’s Grand Prix and will be replaced by Japanese Yamaha test rider and All Japan Superbike competitor Katsuyuki Nakasuga.

Yamaha Factory rider Ben Spies arrives for the last race of season committed to racing although still recovering from injuries sustained in Phillip Island.

The Texan was also recovering from injury for the 2010 season finale at Valencia. Despite the pain he impressed, qualifying sixth and finishing just off the podium in fourth.

Ben Spies
“I can’t believe I won’t be battling Marco on the track this weekend, it’s an incredibly sad way to finish the season. I’m going to honour him in the best way I know how, on the track. As with last year I arrive in Valencia recovering from injuries, but will of course give 100% of my efforts into performing to the best of my ability.”

Katsuyuki Nakasuga
“It was a great honour to be chosen to ride for Jorge at Sepang and here at Valencia. Due to the tragic loss of Marco Simoncelli in Malaysia the race was cancelled. This weekend the track will be new for me but I will try as hard as I can to deliver good results.”

Wilco Zeelenberg
“This is the last round of the season, looking to the condition of the Championship and riders, and more significantly the tragedy in Sepang it’s good that we can now wrap it up. The feeling of the crew, like all those in the paddock has been affected deeply by what happened, we intend to honour Marco through our actions this weekend. Jorge continues to recover well from his surgery but unfortunately not quickly enough to ride to his potential this weekend. We look forward to having him with us on Saturday and Sunday to provide support for our replacement rider. The team are ready to give Nakasuga-san all the help he needs to get to grips with the Valencia circuit as quickly as possible.”

Massimo Meregalli
“This is going to be a difficult and challenging weekend for many reasons. Everyone is affected by the sad passing of Marco Simoncelli. This last race of the season would usually be marked by a party to celebrate our year but this is not now in keeping with the mood and feeling of the team. As such we will wrap up with our yearly technical presentation and a quiet team dinner. We have Nakasuga-san with us having to learn the Valencia circuit for the first time, and Ben still not 100% after his crash in Australia. Despite this we will give our maximum effort to mark the final race of our 50th anniversary year and to honour the memory of Marco Simoncelli.”

Jorge Lorenzo
Age: 24
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 38 (18 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 161 (65 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 44 (16 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 3 (MotoGP 2010, 250cc, 2006/7)

Ben Spies
Age: 26
Lives: Longview Texas / Lake Como Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 1
First GP victory: Assen, Netherlands, 2011
First GP: Donington, UK, 2008 (MotoGP)
GP starts: 36
Pole positions: 1
World Championships: 1 (WSB 2009)

Grand Prix Results: Ricardo Tormo Valencia 2010
1. J.Lorenzo Yamaha 46’44.622
2. C.Stoner Ducati +4.576
3. V.Rossi Yamaha +8.998
4. Ben Spies Yamaha Tech 3 +17.643

Ricardo Tormo Valencia Record Lap
C.Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1’32.582

Ricardo Tormo Valencia Best Lap
V.Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 1’31.002

Valencia poised for emotional season finale

An emotional weekend lies in store for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and the rest of the MotoGP paddock when the 2011 World Championship campaign concludes at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia on Sunday.

The French-based squad will join the close-knit MotoGP community in paying tribute to Marco Simoncelli after the immensely popular 24-year-old lost his life in a tragic accident during the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang last month.

British rider Cal Crutchlow is determined to put on a good show in honour of the Italian rider as he looks to end his rookie MotoGP campaign on a high note.

Crutchlow still has plenty to race for on Sunday with the coveted Rookie of the Year prize up for grabs. He holds a one-point advantage over Karel Abraham and he is confident he can claim the prestigious title for the second successive season for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team after Ben Spies scooped the award in 2010.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team welcomes a new member to its ranks this weekend with double American Superbike champion Josh Hayes joining Crutchlow for the 30-lap Generali Grand Prix of the Comunitat of Valencia.

The 36-year-old has been drafted in by Tech 3 to replace Colin Edwards, who is recovering from left arm and shoulder injuries he sustained in the same accident that claimed the life of Simoncelli in Sepang.

Hayes has never raced at the 2.489 miles circuit before and this weekend gives him the first opportunity to experience Yamaha’s prototype YZR-M1 MotoGP machine. Hayes is under no illusions about the difficult task he faces in adapting to the YZR-M1 and Bridgestone tyres but he is determined to enjoy the experience of testing himself against the world’s elite riders in the last 800cc MotoGP race.

Edwards underwent successful surgery yesterday (Tuesday) at the University General Hospital in Houston to re-attach cartilage to his left humerus bone, which connects the shoulder to the elbow.

The four-week recovery period though prevented Edwards from participating in Valencia in what was scheduled to be his last appearance for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team before he moves on to a fresh challenge in 2012.
Cal Crutchlow

“This weekend isn’t going to be easy for anybody in the paddock after Marco’s accident in Malaysia, but racing is the best way we can honour him and I’m sure that is definit ely what he would have wanted. MotoGP lost an amazing character and a phenomenally gifted rider and my thoughts and prayers are with Marco’s family and friends. All of us will go out this weekend determined to put on a good show that Marco would be proud of. I also want to wish Colin a speedy recovery and I’m looking forward to seeing him back on track soon. Valencia was the first place I rode the Yamaha YZR-M1 a year ago and I’ve come on leaps and bounds since then, so hopefully I can finish the season on a high. The Rookie of the Year title is at stake and I’ll be proud to win it after a close battle with Karel all season. I’m also looking forward to testing the new Yamaha 1000cc bike next week. The bike has been very impressive in Brno and Misano and I’m really excited to see what 2012 has in store.”
Josh Hayes

“I would like to say a hu ge thanks to Yamaha US, GYTR, the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha Team, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and Lin Jarvis from Yamaha Motor Racing for giving me this opportunity to race in Valencia. The circumstances leading to me being given this chance to ride the Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP machine are not how I would have chosen at all. My aim will be to represent Yamaha and Monster Energy in the best way I possibly can while trying to do Marco and Colin proud. Obviously I am facing a huge challenge having to learn a new circuit while also trying to the adapt to the bike and the Bridgestone tyres as quickly as I possibly can. I honestly don’t have any expectations going into the weekend other than to enjoy myself and do a good job for Yamaha and Tech 3. I am certainly very excited to experience Yamaha’s MotoGP bike for the first time and be part of the final race in the 800cc era.”

Only a few days beforehand multi AMA Champion James Stewart confirmed his signature with the powerful JGR racing team to steer YZ450F technology in the 2012 AMA Supercross and Motocross series for what will be his fourth year in ‘blue’.

Stewart, who claimed the seventeen round contest in 2009 in what was his first season with Yamaha and his LandM squad, battled against a broken wrist in 2010 and was part of an exciting four-rider chase for the title in 2011.

The 26 year old last won a main event at Seattle this past April. JGR committed to Yamaha in 2008 and have now extended their agreement for the next three years to become one of the leading outfits for the company in the United States and the off-road racing scene.

“Joining our long term partnership with Yamaha along with the signing of James Stewart and the 2012 YZ450F at our disposal there is nothing holding us back from achieving all of our goals for 2012,” said Coy Gibbs about his team’s outlook on the 2012 season.

“Yamaha’s relationship with JGR has been a very positive one and we were very happy when they chose the YZ450F as their bike when they started the team in 2008”, said Yamaha Motor Co. Racing Division Manager, Keith McCarty, “and now with a long term contract the YZ450F and Yamaha will play an even bigger part in the team’s future.”

The motorcycle took centre-stage at Europe’s busiest and most popular Supercross meeting as Chisholm finished second, first and third on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings in Paris to claim the King of Bercy accolade in what was the 29th edition of the event. The American travelled over for the second year in succession with support from Yamaha France and aced his first main event victory in front of what was a raucous Saturday night crowd.

The AMA Supercross series begins at the Anaheim Stadium in Los Angeles on January 7th.

“Joining our long term partnership with Yamaha along with the signing of James Stewart and the 2012 YZ450F at our disposal there is nothing holding us back from achieving all of our goals for 2012,” said Coy Gibbs about his team’s outlook on the 2012 season.

“Yamaha’s relationship with JGR has been a very positive one and we were very happy when they chose the YZ450F as their bike when they started the team in 2008”, said Yamaha Motor Co. Racing Division Manager, Keith McCarty, “and now with a long term contract the YZ450F and Yamaha will play an even bigger part in the team’s future.”

The motorcycle took centre-stage at Europe’s busiest and most popular Supercross meeting as Chisholm finished second, first and third on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings in Paris to claim the King of Bercy accolade in what was the 29th edition of the event. The Americantravelled over for the second year in succession with support from Yamaha France and aced his first main event victory in front of what was a raucousSaturday night crowd.

DONT FORGET THIS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The AMA Supercross series begins at the Anaheim Stadium in Los Angeles on January 7th.

The annual Supercross of Paris Bercy has been once more a huge success. Jake Weimer was one of the fastest riders in Bercy, and put his Monster Kawasaki on the final podium.

For its 29th anniversary the French classic met some of the fastest SX riders, including Americans Jake Weimer and Nick Wey, or regular GP contenders such as Tommy Searle, Gregory Aranda or Dylan Ferrandis.

Thanks to Weimer and Aranda there was one Kawasaki on the podium each night, and for his first attempt in a European Supercross Jake Weimer finished third in the ‘King of Bercy’ classification.

Riding his factory Monster Kawasaki in Paris, Jake Weimer was always among the fastest riders and posted twice the best lap time in the practice sessions.

Third on Friday and second on Sunday in the main event, Jake lost his chance to become “King of Bercy” when he hit a neutral and crashed on Saturday. But it was a great experience for him, who missed most of the Supercross season after his injury; he proved in Paris how fast he can be on a SX track!

Called just one week before the event to replace Christophe Pourcel, Tommy Searle flew to Paris after just a couple of hours of training on his KX 450 F Kawasaki since the Motocross of Nations! Tommy improved his results night after night; eleventh, seventh and finally sixth on Sunday despite a crash, he gained more experience in Supercross and was the best European competitor behind Frenchmen Soubeyras and Izoird, both Supercross experts.

Third overall before the third and last day, Nick Wey confirmed his good performances in the Monster Cup for his second race on a Kawasaki. Fifth and then fourth during the first two nights, Nick was unfortunate to crash on Sunday while recovering from a poor start.

As usual Gregory Aranda was one of the fastest riders in Bercy; twice winner and later runner-up of the Super Pole session – each rider has a single lap to post a fast lap – Greg got a strong podium on Saturday with a third position. But he retired on Friday after a collision at the start of the main, and crashed pretty hard in the tunnel on Sunday during his last race for the Bud Racing Kawasaki team. He suffers a concussion, and went to the hospital for more exams after his crash.

Team mate Dylan Ferrandis was unfortunate aboard his KX 250 F; excellent on Friday with a fourth position in the SX Tour, Dylan crashed in the main event. Racing mainly the SX Tour class, he missed the qualification for the International program on Saturday and Sunday, due to race incidents.

Jake Weimer: “I had some good and some bad moment here in Bercy, overall the result is pretty decent. I won a couple of heat races, put some good lap times, it could have been better but it’s like it is! I had fun there and I would be pleased to be back next year; it was my first time in Bercy, I was excited and I knew what to expect with the crowd and the stadium. More than anything, anytime you can line up behind the gate and race is a good practice; Bercy was a good practice for me, I would have like to do better but I did a couple of faults including a crash on Saturday. My speed is decent right now, but my starts were up and down; when you have a bad start then it’s tough to ride in front, but overall it was a very good experience.”

Tommy Searle: “It was a last minute choice to race here; I got a phone call from Jean Jacques Luisetti last Wednesday when I was in holidays in the US. I had just four days on the bike before coming here as I didn’t ride since the Nations, but thanks to Mitch he provided some very good material. I was unprepared for this race and I didn’t like this, but I had fun and overall it was not so bad. I’m sure I could have been faster but this race was not so important for me, I didn’t want to take any risks. Each day I was better, I enjoyed the main event as during fifteen laps you can push and learn a lot. It was a nice weekend for me, I was happy to see my family and my friends who came to support me.”

Nick Wey : “I think that I had a very good chance of winning on Sunday; I didn’t got such a good start in the main and I knew I really need to make some quick passes but I made a mistake and crashed, it happens! A lot of time in the US I struggled with my speed this year, and it was good to be fastest in the practice session in Paris and coming to the main on Sunday I really wanted to do well as I still had a chance to be King of Bercy. Since I’m back on the Kawasaki I have great feelings and that would have been nice to be on the overall podium, but that didn’t happen. Anyway it was a good weekend for me.”

Dylan Ferrandis: “Friday was excellent for me; it was tough to race this event on a 250, but I went at least one time in the main event. I was unlucky as they put the red flag when I was leading the SX tour; then Soubeyras jumped on me on Saturday, for sure it could have been better. But I had also some nice battles with Nick Wey, and that’s positive as Nick got some great results here.”

Overall classification: 1.Chisholm (USA, Yamaha); 2.Tomac (USA, Honda); 3.Weimer (USA, Kawasaki); 4.Alessi (USA, Suzuki); 5.Soubeyras (FRA, Honda); 6.Izoird (FRA, Suzuki); 7.Searle (GBR, Kawasaki); 8.Wey (USA, Kawasaki); 9.Barcia (USA, Honda); 10.Aubin (FRA, Honda)…12.Aranda (FRA, Kawasaki)….17.Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki).