Scott Redding arrived at Jerez determined to close the gap on the leading riders at the recent Valencia test, but the 17-year-old British rider’s aim was thwarted when the extreme weather that has caused problems throughout Southern Europe meant conditions on track were less than ideal for fast lap times.
Instead Scott continued to refine the set-up of his Suter MMX Moto2 bike for the first two days, making the most of the infrequent partly dry sessions to evaluate changes to both chassis and suspension settings before, inevitably, being chased back to the Marc VDS Racing Team pit box by the return of the rain.

Scott managed to string together a succession of faster laps in wet conditions this afternoon, to move up to ninth position on the timesheet, just 1.5 seconds behind former MotoGP podium finisher, Alex de Angelis, who was fastest on track today.
For Vincent Lonbois the dismal weather conditions at Jerez made an already steep learning curve even steeper. The 19-year-old Belgian rider continued to adapt his riding style to get the best from his Suter MMX Moto2 machine and the Dunlop tyres. However, Lonbois’ progress was handicapped by having to learn his way around the Jerez circuit and frequent interruptions to his test schedule because of the rain.

Like his teammate, Lonbois took advantage of the slightly improved conditions this afternoon to set his fastest lap of the test, finishing in 20th position on the timesheet as the afternoon session was brought to a close.
With rain disrupting both official Moto2 tests so far this year, the Marc VDS Racing Team will return to Jerez for further testing next week, in a bid to make up for the all-important track time lost to the weather.


Scott Redding
Best Time 1′57.171
“We’ve not really managed to accomplish very much during these three days at Jerez, mainly because of the continual rain. Whenever the rain stopped we’d head out on track, only to be chased back to the pit box when it started again. Even when it stopped raining long enough for the track to start drying out, there were loads of damp patches ready to catch you out. The constant interruptions meant it was impossible to settle into a rhythm on the bike, but we did manage to try a few different settings in between the rain showers. All in all, this test has been a bit of a washout. The plan now is to come back next week, when I hope the weather will have improved, as we definitely need a bit more time on the bike before the start of the season.”



Michael Bartholemy
Moto2 Team Manager
“We started testing later than most of the other Moto2 teams, but we were sure that we would be on the same level by now. Unfortunately, the weather at the two official Moto2 tests so far has been so bad that it’s severely limited our track time and we’re not exactly where I hoped we’d be at this point in the season. Scott and Vincent have worked well here in Jerez, but it’s been difficult for them to push as hard as they need to, because track conditions just weren’t suited to fast lap times. Scott certainly has the potential to run at the front from the first race, but to realise this potential so early in the season we must get more track time. For this reason, we will return to Jerez to test again next week, when we hope the weather will be much improved.”

Source: Marc VDS Moto2 Racing Team

As the level of the Rookies Cup has got higher and higher the organisers have had to make the selection process ever more stringent. The competition to get into the Rookies Cup has become as intense as the Cup itself so they are now giving it a well deserved title: “Road to Rookies Cup”.
The Road starts with the online application through the website at www.redbullrookiescup.com

Applicants will fill in a good deal of information about themselves and their motorcycle experience. Once accepted onto the Road they will send in their competition results through the 2010 season to further inform the Selection Panel about their progress during the year. The top performers on the Road to Rookies Cup will be featured in a special section on the Rookies Cup website so that everyone can see who is likely to be invited to the Selection Event, planned for early October.

The very best of the riders who take the Road to Rookies Cup will be invited to that crucially important Selection Event and this year the Selection Panel will have more information than ever before about the prospective Rookies to make sure that the future World Champions get a chance to prove themselves in the 2011 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.

So if you have your heart set on Grand Prix stardom – or of course if you know someone who could be ideal material for this championship, then get on the case now…

“Bancaja traditionally backs sport and has done since 2001,” said Jose Luis Olivas. “Since 2007 we have been title sponsor of this team and in two years we have had two World Champions and two vice-Champions. It’s not possible to ask for any more.”
Jorge Martínez ‘Aspar’ stated: “We will fight to become the new 125cc World Champion and also in Moto2, which will not be easy. The biggest challenge will be in MotoGP, where we will make out debut with Héctor Barberá.”

During the ceremony the bike which Terol and Smith will ride for the 2010 season was also unveiled.

Source: motogp.com

“It’s a two-year deal which is optional for both parties at the end of the first year, after we see how things go. I’m really happy to be signed up with them, they seem a great bunch of guys and I can’t wait to get out and test with them on Monday,” said Danny. “The plan is to get out there (Valencia) on Sunday and test on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then take it from there.”

“I’ve met the entire crew and they seem fantastic, and the mechanics seem brilliant. We have a good team there for sure and hopefully we can do a good job,” he added.
Following the Valencia test Danny and his new team will head straight to Jerez for the second official test of 2010, which is scheduled to run from March 6-8.

“I’ll just be getting the feeling with the bike for the first time and start working with the team. It’s pretty late on to try and adapt a team, so that’ll be the main thing throughout testing. We’re just going to make sure we’re ready and we’re fast for the first race,” said Danny.

The 19 year-old has been keeping fit during the winter in preparation for the 2010 season, and has undertaken some intense physical training.
“A few of my friends are in the Royal Marines so when they’ve been home over the winter I’ve been training with them and it’s something else! It’s unbelievable how fit they are and what they have to do, running five miles with a ten kilo bag on their back!” he added.

Danny will ride an Aprilia RSA machine for the Andalucia Cajasol team in the 2010 World Championship.

Source: motogp.com

“It’s been quite productive, it’s been our first few days that we’ve worked together and the first few days with the bike, which was only put together last week,” Benson told motogp.com. “The weather hasn’t really been good and the first day was half wet and half dry, but yesterday (Thursday) was pretty good and Scott got out and did a few laps. Really it’s just a matter of understanding him and the bike, and just trying to work out the plan for Valencia really, so it’s gone okay so far.”

Montmeló raised some small issues for working on at Valencia, where Scott and the other Moto2 participants will be provided with the official Honda engines to be used in 2010.
Benson continued: “We have found a few areas we need to look at but it’s really more Scott getting used to the bike at the moment. He needs to keep going out and making decent long runs and we have a couple of things planned for Valencia, so if the weather is good there we can try them – just chassis settings to make Scott a little bit more comfortable on the bike. There’s a little bit of chatter that he’s not really happy with and we have to work on that. That’s probably the biggest single thing: trying to get rid of that.”

Benson, who brings his vast experience from working in MotoGP to Moto2 for 2010, says there is a big difference between the new intermediate category and the premier class.
“So far it has been very relaxed,” he said. “It’s a lot different; there are no electronics, no engine tuning, no gear-box ratios – this is a lot simpler. But in saying that you are really going to have to be very, very sharp on your chassis set-ups and things like that, because that’s the only thing which is going to make a difference between the bikes.”

Aside from the experienced Benson, Scott will also have Valentino Rossi’s Öhlins suspension technician Mike Norton working with him in 2010.

Source: motogp.com

But the Kent rider has been given an 11th hour reprieve with an offer to join the Andalucia Cajasol team.
He told MCN: “It’s all been a bit of a nightmare really and at one stage I was really worried I was going to be left without a ride.
I knew the WRB team were having some funding issues but they always seemed confident they could find sponsorship.
They are gutted and they’ve already said if they can find the money for a team next year then they’ll offer me a deal.”

“Right now I’m concentrating on the Andalucia Cajasol team. Things are looking really good with them and I should hopefully be on an RSA bike. Dorna and IRTA have been a massive help too so its gone from being a pretty desperate situation to one that’s looking really positive.”

Source: MCN

The day started with sunshine, but in cold conditions some wet spots still remained on the track from Wednesday. Julián Simón experienced one as he fell after five laps early in the day, but the Spaniard climbed back aboard the RSV of the Mapfre Aspar team to clock a 1’49.8 later on. Tech3’s Yuki Takahashi registered the same time, after an inactive Wednesday.

Kenny Noyes (Jack&Jones by A. Banderas) was the sixth and final rider to come in under the 1’50.0 marker, setting his time in the morning to make him the quickest of the early session. Roberto Rolfo dislocated his left shoulder after falling on his fourth lap and will now require four weeks recuperation, following a promising start to the day.

Claudio Corti on the Suter of Forward Racing, Alex Baldolini (Caretta Technology Race Dept) and Dominique Aegerter (Technomag-CIP) all timed in at under 1’51.0, a time which Mike di Meglio – who experienced a fall in the afternoon – recorded. The Mapfre Aspar man was uninjured, and was joined by Pons Racing’s Sergio Gadea on that pace.

The first rider out on track for the day was Scott Redding of the Marc VDS Racing Team on his Suter, and the Brit was one of three riders – Mashel Al Naimi (Blusens-STX) and Fonsi Nieto (G22 HolidayGym) the others – grouped on 1’51.2. Axel Pons (Pons Racing) and Raffaele De Rosa (Tech3 Racing) were fractionally slower.

Thomas Lüthi’s (Interwetten Moriwaki Racing) morning crash failed to dent his enthusiasm and he was back out in the afternoon to lap at 1’51.8, with Robertino Pietri (Italtrans STR), Joan Olivé (Jack&Jones by A. Banderas) and Stefan Bradl (Viessman Kiefer Racing) – on his first day at the test – getting in at 1’52.0 or just under. Vincent Lonbois of the Marc VDS Racing Team had a minor fall in the afternoon.

Unofficial times from day two:
Shoya Tomizawa – Technomag-CIP – 1’49.4
Jules Cluzel – Forward Racing – 1’49.6
Yonni Hernández – Blusens STX – 1’49.6
Julian Simon – Mapfre Aspar Team – 1’49.8
Yuki Takahashi – Tech 3 Racing – 1’49.8
Kenny Noyes – Jack&Jones by A. Banderas -1’49.9
Roberto Rolfo – Italtrans STR – 1’50.0
Claudio Corti – Forward Racing – 1’50.1
Alex Baldolini – Caretta Technology – 1’50.3
Dominique Aegerter – Technomag-CIP – 1’50.7
Mike di Meglio – Mapfre Aspar Team – 1’51.0
Sergio Gadea – Pons Racing – 1’51.0
Mashel Al Naimi – Blusens STX – 1’51.2
Fonsi Nieto – G22 HolidayGym – 1’51.2
Scott Redding – Marc Vds Racing Team – 1’51.2
Axel Pons – Pons Racing – 1’51.4
Raffaele De Rosa – Tech 3 Racing – 1’51.5
Thomas Luthi – Interwetten Moriwaki Racing – 1’51.8
Robertino Pietri – Italtrans STR – 1’51.9
Joan Olivé – Jack&Jones by A. Banderas – 1’51.9
Stefan Bradl – Viessmann Kiefer Racing – 1’52.0
Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – 1’52.8
Vladimir Leonov – Vector Kiefer Racing – 1’52.9
Yannick Guerra – G22 HolidayGym – 1’53.6

Source: motogp.com

Scotland’s Search for a Star 2010

Over the last 10 years McIntosh Moto Ltd has run a competition to give children a chance to access the world of Minimoto racing without the expense of buying a bike. We are giving 10 lucky children the chance to win a minimoto to use for the 2010 Scottish Minimoto season. Yes, a bike to keep and race for a season. Open to all kids even with no experience. This competition for 7 to 13 year olds will consist of a 10-minute practice and a 10-minute qualification to be judged on lap times and rider style. 5 of the bikes will be for the 7 to 9 age group, 5 for the up to 13 years. If you are a lucky winner and you receive a bike you will be required to purchase your own safety clothing at a discounted price.

McIntosh Moto Ltd would also like to stress it is a motorcycle sport, which can also be dangerous.

The competition will be held at Kartstart Kirkcaldy (01592 650200 Michelston Ind estate) on Sunday 28th March. Sign on will be 10am and we hope to be finished by 12 noon. We will supply you with knee sliders, elbow pads, gloves and a helmet if you do not have your own. You will be required to wear strong but loose clothing and boots that cover your ankles. Motocross boots do not flex in the correct way so we recommend you do not use these.

Dates you must be able to attend if you win a bike:
Bike Presentation date TBA.
All 8 Scottish Championships rounds see calendar.
Also selected practice days.

Racing is a very big commitment and needs 100% input from both the child and the parents. Please do not enter unless you fully understand this.

This competition is backed by Visordown magazine, Melville Motor Club, Knockhill Race Circuit, Kartstart Raceways and 3 times British Superbike Champion Niall Mackenzie whose own 2 sons both competed in the Scottish Minimoto Championship.

Racers like Kev Coghlan, Deane Brown, Timmy Hastings, Jimmy Storrar, Michael Robertson and David Paton to name only a few have all started their careers on minimotos and are now house hold names in the world of Scottish road racing & are all behind Scotland’s Minimoto X Factor competition.

We will also be at the Scottish Motorcycle show stand H56A if you require any more information. If you have any questions do not hesitate to call.

Event Organiser
Alan McIntosh

As the exclusive supplier of tyres to the championship, Dunlop engineers and fitters will be working hard with the teams at the Valencia circuit from 1st to 3rd of March, putting the prototype chassis through their paces. This will also be the first opportunity for the teams to run with the highly tuned Honda 600cc Moto2 engines which will be the standard across the class.

As all competitors will run with the same engine and tyre choices, development work has been focused on prototype chassis, which are free from limitation. Most teams now have a rolling bike and some have been conducting private tests over the winter with substitute engines. Some of the team choices for chassis include Mapfre Aspar who will be running an RSV chassis, Stop and Go Racing who have opted for Eskil Suter chassis, Gresini Racing Team will race a Moriwaki chassis and JiR Moto2 who are running a TSR chassis. Tech3 have been working extensively on their bike (pictured) over the winter and have already yielded impressive results.

The provisional rider line-up looks set to provide close racing with a huge talent pool gathered for the season. The list includes no less than four 125cc World Champions with Thomas Luthi (2005), Gabor Talmacsi (2007), Mike di Meglio (2008) and last year’s champion Julián Simón. Add to this a number of 250cc riders and MotoGP stars Toni Elias and Alex de Angelis and it looks set to be quite a season.