In a textbook repeat of his domination of last year's qualifying in World Supersport, Cal Crutchlow again today left his competitors standing to smash the Brno lap record, over three tenths faster than the previous record taken by Troy Bayliss in 2008. Crutchlow dominated the entire Superpole, running the first two sessions on a race tyre, he was fastest in each heat and nearly half a second clear of his closest rival in the second Superpole.

Crutchlow's team mate James Toseland struggled to replicate his British counterpart's performance. Toseland made it through the first heat using a race tyre then switched to a qualifier for the second. He struggled to improve on his time with the stickier tyre and changed to his second qualifier mid-session. Again this did not produce faster times and so Toseland will start tomorrow's two Brno races from tenth position on the grid.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (1st, 1'58.018)

"It's great to be on pole today but I'd rather give away the pole for a race win, but you've got to take them when you can. I really enjoyed the Superpole, it was a good session for us, and we were strong through it all. We're working well and I'm pleased with that but Max is definitely the one to beat tomorrow. All credit to the guys who are on the front row. I can see it being a big battle tomorrow; I don't see one guy heading off but at least ten at the start and maybe five at the end. The lap was good, I think I could have done a 1.57 because I ran really deep into one corner which cost me a bit of time. We had another qualifier left sat in the garage but I didn't need it in the end."

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (10th, 1'59.699)

"I really struggled with the qualifier tyres today. I made it through the first session with no problems with a race tyre and was confident that we could get through the second with the qualifier. Unfortunately I couldn't find the grip I was expecting. Our race pace is good, so it's going to be important for me to have a good start to get with the front pack when they break."

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager

"Cal did an incredible record lap today in Superpole. His race pace is also really good here this weekend so we have every confidence he can achieve a good result in both races tomorrow. James is going to have a tougher start than Cal on the third row but his race pace is also quite good so it's important for him to have a good start and then I believe he can stay with the front pack and challenge them."
Circuit Length: 5403
Weather: Hot and Sunny
Lap Record: 2'03.747 (Noriyuki Haga, 01/01/2005)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1'58.018 (Cal Crutchlow, 11/07/2010)
Last Years Winner: Ben Spies

There were no easy points to be had today for the Yamaha Sterilgarda team as a hot track surface and rapidly disappearing grip tested the skills of both riders. Despite being mobbed by riders in the first corner of race two, Cal Crutchlow fought back with an inspired push, coming from ninth all the way up to take third from Michel Fabrizio by lap 19. He held for a further three laps but was passed back with two laps to go, taking fourth at the line.

Race one had seen Crutchlow lose the front early on as he pushed on to catch the leaders, forcing retirement from the race. Race two also saw Crutchlow make the new lap record as he worked his way through the pack, scoring an impressive 1’36.546. Team mate James Toseland also experienced a tough race day at the Misano circuit. Starting from a less than perfect 13th on the grid on the hard to overtake track, Toseland fought to pass several riders, taking tenth at the line. Race two saw him losing the front end going into a corner on the tenth lap and forcing early retirement. Crutchlow leaves Misano in tenth place in the championship standings on 120 points, just ten behind Leon Camier in ninth. Team mate Toseland sits in seventh on 138 points, just 23 points adrift of Checa in fifth as they head to Brno in two weeks time.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (DNF, 4th) “I had an ok start in race two, but got beaten up a bit in the first corner on the first lap and basically had to recover from then on. I was disappointed to lose out to Fabrizio at the end, I just lost a bit of drive out of the corner and he managed to get back under me. To come here and do the race pace we did at these grip levels was incredible, hopefully we can make some improvements at this week’s Imola test and be even better. Race one was a stupid mistake, I had a full tank of fuel and just pushed the front a bit too hard trying to catch the front runners and lost the front, but I think I redeemed myself in race two.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (10th, DNF) “What can you say, another tough weekend. I’ve got the pace when the tyre grip is good but just find it difficult when losing the grip on the bike to keep with the other bikes coming off the corners. We need to work hard on this area as it’s so important. We’ll meet about it tonight, if we can improve that it’ll be a big help. The time I’m losing on the corners to the others means I have to keep catching up on the brakes which means pushing the front, which is why I crashed in the second. Brno is a little bit faster and flowing so if we can keep the revs high we shouldn’t have too many problems.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager “After the test last week we were expecting better results. By Friday we realised this weekend was going to be tougher than we thought. Cal did a good job in the second race, although unfortunately he crashed in the first. He didn’t have the best start in the second and he was pushing really hard to catch the front pack. Unfortunately this meant he destroyed his rear tyre which meant at the end the rear grip was suffering but he pushed to the line for fourth. James had a difficult weekend, for sure starting from the fourth row is always hard. He did what he could and unfortunately he didn’t finish the second race due to a crash. Fortunately he is not hurt. Tuesday and Wednesday we will go to Imola to test and hopefully we can fix some of the issues we have.”

Yamaha Motor Racing is pleased to announce that Wataru Yoshikawa, their experienced Japanese test rider, will join the Fiat Yamaha Team from the Barcelona round of the MotoGP World Championship. The two-time Japanese Superbike Champion will ride in the place of the injured Valentino Rossi, with Rossi's team and the YZR-M1, until the Italian is back to full fitness following his broken leg.

It is expected that Yoshikawa will be with the Fiat Yamaha Team for at least three races, after which more should be known about Rossi's expected return date.

Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl, said "we have considered many different scenarios and candidate riders to fill the temporary vacant seat in the Fiat Yamaha Team. We had always planned to use a rider from within the Yamaha Motor and Tech 3 family but for each rider we considered who is in active competition, their move to the Fiat Yamaha Team would have created another problem for their own racing program or for the teams in which they are engaged. Finally, after a great deal of consideration, we have selected Wataru Yoshikawa, our Japanese YZR-M1 Test rider, to join us as our substitute rider. We provisionally plan for three races (Catalunya, Sachsenring and Laguna Seca) but we will adjust the plan accordingly when we know more about Valentino's expected date of return.

"The benefit of Wataru's presence in our team will be threefold. Firstly he brings with him a wealth of experience riding the YZR-M1. Secondly his presence allows us to fulfill our contractual obligations and to join the team's quest to accumulate points for the Team Championship. Thirdly he will gain valuable first hand MotoGP race experience in three challenging circuits which will surely be very useful to assist him and Yamaha with the future development of the YMR-M1.

"We look forward to welcoming Wataru into our team while we wait for Valentino's return to full fitness."
Wataru Yoshikawa added "I'm happy to have this chance to stand-in for Valentino while he is recovering and to compete in MotoGP again for the first time since 2002, when I raced at Motegi. Looking at the Fiat Yamaha Team results with the 2010 YZR-M1, I can see that the winter developments were correct and now I am looking forward to having the chance to gather some ‘real racing' data, which will be very helpful for the future development of the M1."

The Piaggio Group has officially presented the Piaggio Mp3 250 three-wheel scooter on the Chinese market. Beginning in August, the Mp3 – whose unique technology and safety features have made it a market hit in Europe – will be marketed in the People’s Republic of China through the dealers of the Piaggio Zongshen Foshan Motorcycle Co. Ltd. joint venture, in which Piaggio holds a 45% share. Later on, Piaggio also plans to market the Mp3 Hybrid model in China; the world’s first scooter with a hybrid combustion/electric engine, the Mp3 Hybrid was presented yesterday for display in the Italian Pavilion at Expo Shanghai 2010.

The presentation to the Chinese press at the Expo’s Italian Pavilion was attended by Piaggio Group top management led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Roberto Colaninno, the Italian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Riccardo Sessa, and Zuo Zongshen, Chairman and CEO of the Zongshen Group. The presentation was followed by a session of test rides on the Mp3 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in People's Square in central Shanghai, watched by a large crowd of journalists and the Chinese public.

During the press conference, Chairman and CEO Roberto Colaninno illustrated Piaggio Group growth strategies and prospects in Asia. “The launch of the Mp3 on the Chinese market is part of a new phase in Piaggio Group operations in China and on the Asian continent,” Colaninno explained. "For the first time a product with the Piaggio brand is being offered to Chinese consumers. The vehicle we have chosen presents a high technology and innovation content and has set new standards in active safety, and the hybrid model is a worldwide first for our Group.” The Piaggio Group’s industrial and commercial growth strategy in Asia to date has won it the leadership of the Indian market for 3- and 4-wheel light commercial vehicles, and a significant market share in the Vietnamese scooter sector after the start-up in June last year of Vespa production at the factory in the Vietnamese province of Vinh Phuc. A Vespa model developed specifically for the Indian market is to be manufactured in India: the industrial plan approved by the Piaggio

Board of Directors on 3 June envisages construction of a new factory in India, with an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles, and the sales and marketing launch of the new product by the end of 2012. “We are working on additional investments on the Chinese market for three- and fourwheel commercial vehicles, the introduction of new models to join the Vespa and expand our two-wheeler offer on the Vietnamese market, and the development of new models in the automatic ‘Cub’ segment,” continued Roberto Colaninno. "This growth strategy – supported by the Group’s new worldwide organisational structure – will enable us to boost our production and marketing operations in Asia over the next few
years, and generate double-digit revenue growth.”

Another key factor in the Group strategy, whose objectives will be set out in the Three-Year Plan to be examined by the Piaggio Board of Directors in July, will be the creation of R&D Centres to develop electric engines for the Chinese market, in cooperation with leading university research bodies.

Today the Piaggio Group operates in the People’s Republic of China through the Piaggio Zongshen Foshan Motorcycle Co. Ltd. joint venture headquartered in Foshan, in Guangdong province. Established on 15 April 2004, the company is owned with equal 45% shares by Piaggio and the Zongshen Group of Chongqing – one of China’s primary engine and two-wheeler manufacturers, founded and chaired by Zuo Zongshen – and by the Municipality of Foshan (10%). The industrial and commercial joint venture has production operations in China and markets components, engines, scooters and motorcycles based on Piaggio patents and technology in China and around the world. Piaggio Zongshen Foshan Motorcycle – whose results are not included in the Piaggio Group consolidated financial statements – manufactures more than 210,000 vehicles a year, reporting annual turnover equivalent to approximately
80 million euro.

On the 26th of June the legendary Assen circuit will witness the 80th edition of the famous TT race. To celebrate the event in style the Yamaha Classic Racing Team will be present and will be displaying iconic Yamaha race bikes from across the decades of the manufacturer’s racing history. The Team will be joined by living legend Giacomo Agostini who will ride the circuit on a classic Yamaha racer.

Racing fans visiting the TT paddock area will be able to get up close and personal with historical GP machines raced to glory from 1964 to 1985 including: 125cc 1 cylinder, 350cc 3 cylinder, 750cc 4 cylinder and all two stroke machines. Added to the line up this year is the 1965 125cc V4 (RA31A) machine that delivered a 1, 2 world championship victory to riders Bill Ivy and Phil Read and the manufacturer’s title to Yamaha in 1965. Another new iconic bike present will be the 350cc twin (OW16) that Agostini raced to world championship victory with in 1974 in the 350cc class.

In homage to the Assen TT Agostini will ride his celebrated 1975 YZR500 OW23 racebike on the circuit. This is the original machine that he rode to his last ever world title victory in 1975 and has special significance as it was also the machine he rode to victory on at the Assen TT in that year. This rare and historically important racebike is being flown over by Yamaha from Japan for this occasion, and is a rare opportunity to see and hear it being ridden by Agostini on track as he did 35 years ago.

For more information on Agostini’s victories with Yamaha and the build up to the 80th Assen TT please click the following link to enjoy the Yamaha video: video

“I am very happy to see that the interest for our classic racing activities is growing and growing,” said Yamaha Classic Racing Team Manager, Ferry Brouwer. “One thing that the public generally appreciates is that the historical machines as well as the racing legends can be approached quite easily, although depending a bit on the venue that we're at. I'm very proud that Giacomo Agostini is participating on the major events this year and we are very grateful that the Yamaha headquarters in Japan have given Ago the opportunity again to ride on his original and legendary machine that he steered to his final word title in 1975.”

The Yamaha Classic Racing Team will return to Assen later this year for a second iconic event, the Centennial Classic TT on the 18th and 19th September. Agostini will again ride for the team at this event and will be joined by other iconic riders from the golden years of racing including: Rodney Gould (1970 250cc world champion with Yamaha), Dieter Braun (1973 250cc world champion with Yamaha), Chas Mortimer (1973 125cc vice champion with Yamaha), Bruno Kneubühler (1974 125cc vice champion with Yamaha) and Steve Baker (1977 500cc vice champion with Yamaha).

The Yamaha Classic Racing Team calendar for 2010 includes the following dates:

26 June - Assen, Netherlands
24,25 July - Imatra, Finland
14,15 Aug - Schotten, Germany
22 Aug - Eext, Netherlands
18,19 Sept - Assen, Netherlands
2,3 Oct - Imola, Italy

At a meeting yesterday in Milan chaired by Roberto Colaninno, the Board of Directors of Piaggio & C. S.p.A. approved the strategic guidelines and industrial plan of a new Piaggio Group initiative in India for the production and sale of two-wheel vehicles, beginning with a Vespa LX 125 model specially developed for the Indian market.

India’s two-wheeler market – the world’s second-largest – grew at an average annual rate of 7% between 2004 and 2009, with 8.4 million vehicles sold in 2009. Of the total, the scooter segment accounted for 15% of the total market, with sales totalling 1.3 million units in 2009 and estimated average annual growth of more than 13%.

The plan approved yesterday by the Piaggio Board of Directors provides for the construction of a new facility in India to produce up to 150,000 units/year and the launch of a Vespa LX 125 model by the end of 2012.

The Plan will entail investments totalling 30 million euro in financial years 2010 and 2011, with the goal of achieving revenues of approximately 70 million euro in 2015 – when investment payback is projected – on sales of approximately 110,000 scooters. The investment is covered by the programmes drawn up under the Three-Year Plan approved by the Group Board of Directors on 2 July 2009.

The new Piaggio industrial initiative in India will have the support of the Group’s local industrial and commercial operations through the Piaggio Vehicles Private Ltd. subsidiary, whose extraordinary growth – from 35,000 vehicles produced and sold in 2003 to more than 182,000 in 2009 – has established Piaggio as the leader in threewheel light commercial vehicles on the Indian market.

At its Baramati plant, Piaggio Vehicles Private Ltd. is also completing industrialisation of the new 1 and 1.2 litre diesel and turbodiesel engines intended for the new Piaggio commercial vehicles to be marketed on the European and Asian markets.

During the meeting the Chairman reported to the Piaggio Board of Directors on Group performance in the first five months of 2010.

Despite the weakness in demand in the European market in general, and the Italian market in particular, Piaggio Group performance from January to May 2010 was positive, with a 5.8% increase in consolidated net sales to 654.1 million euro in the first five months of 2010, compared with 618.5 million euro in the year-earlier period.

Specifically, in the EMEA area, in the two-wheeler and commercial vehicles businesses the Group reported revenues for 444 million euro, down 4.9% from the first five months of 2009; by contrast in Asia (commercial vehicles in India, twowheelers in Vietnam and Asia-Pacific) Group revenues amounted to 200 million euro, an improvement of 74.2% from 115 million euro in January-May 2009.

The manager in charge of preparing the company accounts and documents, Alessandra Simonotto, certifies, in accordance with paragraph 2 art. 154 bis of Legislative Decree no. 58/1998 (Consolidated Financial Act), that the accounting disclosures in the press release correspond to the documentation, the ledgers and the accounting records.

WASHINGTON: Pentagon officials hosted their fourth annual motorcycle safety event May 8 here to rev up interest in learning the right way to ride.

World-class riders including Keith Code, the director of the California Superbikes School, and Jeff Tilten, the co-producer of the safety film "Semper Ride," came out to lend support and show their skills during demonstrations to reinforce the message to both riders and military leaders that it takes training to handle motorcycles.

Several years ago a rise in the number of servicemembers getting injured or killed in off-duty motorcycle accidents drove the creation of the annual joint-service event, said Tad Davis, the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for environment, safety and occupational health.

"We had a situation where we were losing about 20 (servicemembers) a year, (then) in 2006 it doubled," he said. "That's when, bells and whistles went off."

Mr. Davis said the growing popularity of motorcycles contributed to the alarming numbers. From 1999 to the present, "we went in this nation from about 2 to 3 million to over 8 million people riding bikes."

In the Army alone, he noted, "we have over 100,000 soldiers and civilians riding motorcycles."

Newcomers to riding are at high risk, Col. Earle Thompson said. "If you take a guy that's never ridden before and he goes out and buys a 600cc sports bike, he can very easily let that (bike) get away from him in a hurry."

The two-day safety event held in a Pentagon parking lot has grown each year in size and scope. More than 1,000 defense officials, servicemembers and civilians were expected to turn out to watch freestyle motocross and street bike freestyle shows and participate in other activities. This year also marked the first appearance of professional riders from the Semper Ride team of Marine motorcyclists.

Among first-time visitors was Army Master Sgt. David Newmer, who was wounded on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan and is recovering from a fractured leg and internal injuries at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. Despite the inherent risks of motorcycles, Sergeant Newmer said, he plans to ride again as soon as his leg heals. The key to safety is to take advantage of training opportunities.

"There's no excuse," he said. "The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has a big network, and (training) is available to each and every rider, regardless of experience."

Navy Rear Adm. Arthur Johnson, commander of the Naval Safety Center, agreed that inexperienced riders driving at excess speeds cause the most accidents. Military leaders simply discouraged motorcycle enthusiasts in the past, he added, but a new mindset is to facilitate safety awareness and training "so our people can be successful with this high risk activity."

That new attitude brought in Keith Code four years ago to customize a training course, called the Advanced Motorcycle Operators School for the military. The champion rider and instructor announced some results.

"As of today," he noted, "none of the over 700 riders trained in the AMOS program have had any serious mishaps."

More recent statistics show that the military's emphasis on safety is paying off. Navy officials report that motorcycle fatalities dropped by 61 percent in 2009 over prior years. The Army also has seen a significant drop in fatal accidents.

However, Mr. Davis said, it's imperative not to become complacent. He warned that motorcycle skills are perishable, and he recommended that riders renew training at least every three years.

WASHINGTON: On May 7 and 8, Airmen here can participate in a joint motorcycle safety event in the Pentagon's parking lot. This event will feature riding exhibitions, freestyle shows, bike inspections and instruction opportunities to educate participants on the fundamentals of motorcycle safety.

The primary goal of the event is to curtail the "Spring Spike" of preventable accidents and prepare for the Critical Days of Summer campaign.

As the weather improves during the spring and summer months, officials see a rise in Airmen fatalities corresponding to increased participation in outdoor activities. According to Maj. Gen. Frederick Roggero, Air Force chief of safety, "during the Spring Spike, the uptick in mishaps is typically associated with reckless behavior, which includes excessive speed, high risk maneuvers, failure to wear protective equipment and excessive alcohol."

In a recent memorandum, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz wrote, "Our goal is zero fatalities in preventable private motor vehicle mishaps." To accomplish this goal, Air Force safety officials urge Airmen to operate motor vehicles in a responsible manner to include wearing seatbelts, obeying posted speed limits and avoiding distractions while driving.

According to Col. Roberto Guerrero, Air Force Safety Center vice commander, there were 11 fatalities involving private motor vehicles between March 1, 2009, and May 22, 2009. Of those, eight involved motorcycles. Colonel Guerrero emphasized education and training are essential, and the key to success is encouraging every Airman to develop a 24-7 safety mindset.

"It is critical to evaluate potential consequences before every decision we make," Colonel Guerrero said. "There are countless examples of Airmen who drove their motorcycle too fast, lost control and fatally injured themselves or someone else. In order to mitigate risk and save lives, we need to enforce personal risk management and ensure every Airman complies with the rules."

Colonel Guerrero described the up-coming motorcycle event as "an excellent venue to refresh motorcycle safety awareness and engage motorcycle riders in the National Capital Region."

"We're looking forward to great event and ask for your participation and support," he said.

Motoconcepts Yamaha's Kyle Chisholm was the first YZ450F rider across the line at a boggy, slippery and treacherous Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City for the penultimate round of the 2010 AMA Supercross/FIM World Championship. The 22 year old finished 5th in a rain-hit event for a personal best result; leading Michael Byrne and Justin Brayton across the line in 6th and 7th respectively.

Floridian Chisholm weathered arguably the most technical terrain the riders have experienced in the sixteen events held so far this year to seal his top five finish by over seven seconds from Australian Byrne. The SX class main event actually had to be shortened due to showers (even snow!) and was run over 15 laps instead of the usual 20 in front of a sodden 38,882 attendance.
Josh Hill

In the sixth main event to take place in the Utah metropolis, conditions were so tough that new champion and fourth-place finisher Ryan Dungey was actually lapped. Brayton was holding third at one stage but then faded back after his rear brake failed and Chisholm was able to run in the top three before being relegated to fifth.

San Manuel Yamaha's Josh Hill had another poor meeting and his 19th spot means that he is virtually resigned to 5th place in the championship after having been in contention for the title thanks to five podiums from the first six events. Despite his misfortune with a rib injury the 20 year old is still Yamaha's highest placed rider in the standings, although Brayton in 6th needs just 4 more points to overtake.

"Everything was going good at the beginning of the season," he said. "I got a whole bunch of podiums in a row and I left the western swing of the series tied for the points lead but Indianapolis went horribly. I just didn't ride a good main event there. I was ready to do better in Atlanta, but then I 'endo-ed' in the same rhythm section where Villopoto fell in the main event and broke three ribs. Ever since then I haven't been able to breathe at all after a few laps in the main event. Then, just when my ribs were starting to feel better [before St. Louis], I crashed again and re-broke them. I mean, I can't sleep, much less ride 20 laps in a main event. I'm still fast and every week I feel like I can get on the podium at least, but after a few laps in the main event, I can't breathe."

Team-mate and 2009 champion James Stewart has been out of action since round three with a broken scaphoid. The San Manuel rider is allegedly considering some appearances in the AMA Motocross Nationals with a view towards the 2010 Motocross of Nations in Colorado on September 26th.

Seattle West Coast Lites event winner Broc Tickle was 6th in Utah, after a bad start, and ends the season with 4th in the championship ranking on the YZ250F.

The final round of the Supercross campaign will take place at the Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas next Saturday.
Circuit Length: NA
Crowd: 38, 882
Weather: Wet

Associated Press is reporting that Harley-Davidson Inc has warned its employees in Wisconsin that it might move the Milwaukee Operations to another state if they can't cut mllions in costs.

This is a huge warning and to compare this think of Coca-Cola moving out of Atlanta or Ford leaving Michigan. This means that Wisconsin is at a risk of losing 100s of jobs.

As you would expect, politicians are doing everything they can to make sure that the big HD doesn't move out but only time will tell how this issue settles.