MotoGP

Rizla will make a welcome return to Suzuki at the next test

Rizla has officially re-signed with Suzuki as reported here at the start of the month, sending out an official press release regarding the matter overnight. The deal was on the rocks there for quite a while it seems, but Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi’s form over the off-season has had a small part in convincing the cigarette paper company to stay. It looks like Suzuki got it right with the GSV-R at just the right time, but now we are going to have to wait and see if they can keep it up over the course of the season.

“This is very positive news for Suzuki to continue our partnership with Rizla in today’s current difficult climate. We have enjoyed a very close relationship, both on and off the track, with Rizla during the past three years and have certainly considered all the representatives of Rizla as part of the team,” said team manager Paul Denning.

“Our on track performance during the first two tests has also been very encouraging and shows how much hard work the factory has put in during the off season. The GSV-R has certainly come a long way since last year and we know there is still more to come – Chris and Loris were both very impressed with the new bike, but we know there is still a lot of work to do. The Suzuki team will continue to work hard to keep improving, and we are very positive about our prospects for 2009 in partnership with Rizla.”

The official MotoGP website has revealed that 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden has been working with the American Motorcycle Industry Council to promote safe riding within the U.S. armed forces. The Kentucky Kid took part in a photo shoot at the Los Alamitos air base in California, which will be used in the safety campaign in US armed bases in American and other countries.

Also on MotoGP’s official website, Marco Melandri has spoken out about his future on the Hayate Racing Team. “The contract with Kawasaki has been cancelled. I had to make a big financial sacrifice, but the most important thing that I wanted was to find trust,” he told the website. “I have nothing to lose. One month ago I had one foot outside the world championship and now I have a team that is working solely for me. My motivation is this, and to show Kawasaki that they made a mistake in choosing to pull out their factory support.”

Hayden has been in safety campaigns in the U.S.

Melandri knows that it won’t be easy, but if he can regain his form from 2007 and earlier there’s every chance that he could surprise many and land himself a ride elsewhere in years to come. But one good point in all of this is that MotoGP finally has a real privateer team on private equipment. Hayate will be up against it this year, but many will be cheering for them as the underdogs.

The 125 and 250 Grand Prix categories are currently testing at Estoril in Portugal, with teams completing the second of three days of testing overnight. Leading the way in the 250 class was Hector Barbera with a 1:41.113, slightly ahead of Alvaro Bautista and defending champion Marco Simoncelli. The trio was only separated by 0.026, which signals a very competitive season coming up. The 125 class was lead by Julian Simon, who has been in top form during the pre-season, and his 1:45.046 put him over a second in front of Pol Espargaro and Andrea Iannone.

The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup riders will have their first test of the year at the end of this month in Estoril, including young Aussies Josh Hook, Dylan Mavin and Arthur Sissis. With three young talented rookies from Australia all determined to outdo each other, there’s every chance that our youngsters could rise to the challenge to take their first Rookies victory in 2009.

Another kid to keep an eye on is young Matt Davies, a 13-year-old who has won the 70cc Metrakit Festival of Champions here in Australia over the past two seasons. Davies competed in the British Aprilia Superteens Challenge at Mallory Park on the weekend, finishing fifth overall in his first attempt – and first ride on the production-based RS125. The last young Aussie to learn his trade in the Superteens series was none other than Casey Stoner. We’ll keep you up to date with his progress.

World Superbike
Infront Motorsport’s Paulo Flammini has said that he’d like KTM to join the Superbike World Championship as soon as next year if the Austrian manufacturer is satisfied with its RC8R in the German Superbike Championship this year, hoping that the orange machines will line up on the grid and join fellow newcomers BMW and Aprilia in the WSBK category.

The KTM RC8R could be in WSBK as soon as 2010. Image: Jurgen Weisz (KTM Images)

KTM competed in the European Superstock 1000 Cup series last year on the standard model RC8, but now that they has the more powerful 1200cc RC8R they are seriously looking at an SBK assault. It’s believed that the reason they have chosen to compete in the German Superbike series is so they could begin to test the waters of more electronics, which would prepare them for World Superbike quite a bit better than using Superstock spec machines. The riders will be Stefan Nebel and Didier Van Keymeulen, who are both qualified as competitive riders in their own right – Nebel is a three-times German champion.

Another report coming from Europe this week is that Flammini and the FIM are seriously looking at ways to reduce costs in World Superbike, which has already begun by limiting Supersport and Superstock Friday practice from the next round onwards. It was hinted back then that there would be more testing and practice restrictions to come, and now it seems that those restrictions will be made to feature testing at only the official Pirelli tyre development tests. These tests would likely happen right before the season, and maybe one or two during the season.

Australian Motocross
Defending Australian MX Nationals Champion Jay Marmont is now a father, with his partner Abbey giving birth to baby daughter Lila over the weekend. The CDR Rockstar Yamaha rider is the favourite to regain his crown this season, and MotoOnline.com.au extends our congratulations to the entire Marmont family.

In other MX Nationals news, FullNoise has reported that the series will trial a new medical unit at the opening round of the series at Albury Wodonga at the start of next month. Motorsport Solutions will provide the service in order to offer immediate medical response if a rider is injured, and their medical crew will be strategically place around the circuit at the opening round. Any medical advancement is a great step forward for Australian Motocross, so well done to event promoters WEM.

American Supercross
We’ve had an update regarding Aussie rider Michael Byrne this morning from his management company, providing us news on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki AMA Supercross rider who was injured at Daytona over a week ago. Here it is:

McClellan Nichols Sports Syndicate LLC athlete Michael Byrne sustained a fractured humerus after a nasty collision at the AMA Supercross event at Daytona last week. Byrne had a pin placed today to aide the healing process and will likely be out for 4-6 weeks. “The past few years have been tough for me injury wise” said Byrne. “The support of my sponsors has been phenomenal and I look forward to getting back out there and showing them what I can do.” Michael would like to thank his sponsors for their support: Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki, Answer, Alpinestars, Bell and Smith.