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Kawasaki Racing Team Reboot At Barcelona Launch

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 15:32:45 +0000

The official 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship entry from KHI, the Kawasaki Racing Team, was unveiled in central Barcelona today, 9th February, with a full spectrum of sponsors, partners and media in attendance, at the very beginning of what has been described as a ‘reboot’ for Kawasaki’s most prestigious involvement in road racing.

As well as the first showing of the new model Ninja ZX-10RR in its official 2017 livery returning KRT riders Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes were sporting the colours of team partners Motocard, Elf Total and Monster Energy.

A dynamic behind-the-scenes video featured 2013 champion Sykes and 2015/2016 champion Rea during winter testing, as well as pointing the way forward to 2017 and beyond. The video can be viewed after 19.30 CET using this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLIU_PPTUy8

The theme of the 2017 KRT campaign is of a reboot – of drawing a line on the considerable recent success to refocus on the new challenges and possibilities that any new season presents.

Rea and Sykes were joined on stage at the Cine Comedia in Barcelona by other team members and Kawasaki staff, plus local dignitaries and sponsors. A high level of interest was evident at the team launch, from both local and international media outlets.

With the European winter testing season now complete the final pre-season tests will be the official organisers’ two day event, on 20th and 21st February at Phillip Island in Australia. Only a few days later the new season will begin, with the first two racedays unfolding on Saturday 25th February and Sunday 26th February.

Jonathan Rea, the 2015 and 2016 world champion, stated: “It is really nice that every year KRT really pull out all the stops for our team launch. The last few years it has been in beautiful iconic spots in Barcelona and again this year we are in this really cool cinema, pretty much in the heart of the city. It is nice to jump into my new leathers, see the finished bike and have so many other people around to share in the excitement of a new season. After celebrating the championship I have just refocused on testing since then. We have had such a productive off-season and now I am excited for the year to start.”

Tom Sykes, the 2013 world champion, stated: “There has been a lot of work and preparation put in during the off season from everybody and now we are announcing the team officially. It is getting to that time where we will be flying to Australia soon. It is all going to start happening very fast and tonight is the beginning of that. I am hoping to go to Phillip Island and be very competitive in the opening round. I have been trying my hardest in the winter to adapt to the bike. I would like to arrive strongly in the first round in Australia.”

Mr Ken Ondo, Senior Manager Kawasaki Heavy Industries Racing Department, stated: “As a global marketing exercise that takes Kawasaki, the Ninja brand and our valued riders and team staff to all corners of the globe; the Kawasaki Racing Team have a considerable responsibility not simply to win races but to be our ambassadors. They are our “shop window” as they strive for success, presenting themselves as a professional team and creating a platform for Kawasaki Heavy Industries to showcase its design and engineering expertise.”

Guim Roda, KRT Team Manager, stated: “As you probably know 2016 was a very successful year for us. We achieved all the objectives within our reach. Our riders Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes topped the first two positions in the overall classification and Kawasaki obtained the Manufacturers’ title for second consecutive year in the World Superbike Championship. But, after that nearly perfect season, we’re back to work to challenge again in 2017. Every season needs to start from scratch and there’s no place for old kudos. This is our message for this year and the motto of this team launch.”

Steve Guttridge, Racing Manager Kawasaki Europe, stated: “KRT have had a very successful 2016. Historical even! Since 2012 we have achieved three world titles, three runner-up positions and two consecutive Manufacturers’ titles, but in the demanding world of motorcycle racing this is now history. Every season we have to start again and we are very fortunate to start from the same fantastic base of the KRT team of staff and our riders Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes. The winning foundation is there already. Even so we reboot every year. We reboot our objective. That is: to be champions again and create another history of success for Kawasaki. And we do it all together; manufacturer, sponsors, suppliers and team members.”

Source and photo: Kawasaki Racing Team

Marvin Musquin captures his first-career 450SX victory at Arlington Supercross

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 15:28:37 +0000

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team’s Marvin Musquin rode a flawless race on Saturday to capture his first-career 450SX victory at Round 6 of the 2017 AMA Supercross Championship in Arlington, Texas. Musquin’s teammate, Ryan Dungey, finished 4th to maintain his championship points lead in the class.

KTM-mounted riders finished 1-2-3 in 450SX Heat 1 as Ryan Dungey stole the early lead in the race. Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/WPS/KTM’s Blake Baggett jumped into the 2nd place position at the beginning of the race with Marvin Musquin close in 3rd. Musquin eventually made the pass on Baggett to overtake 2nd as he charged toward his teammate Dungey in the lead. In the end, Dungey claimed the heat race victory by less than one second over Musquin, with Baggett coming in three seconds behind for 3rd.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Trey Canard made his return after missing the last four rounds due to injury. Canard lined up in 450SX Heat 2, where he got off to a mid-pack start. Canard climbed his way into a 4th place transfer position but ultimately got passed back to finish in 5th.

Canard put forth a solid performance in the semi-final race, where he transferred into the Main Event with ease after capturing 2nd place behind Eli Tomac.

Main Event
The 450SX Main Event was red flagged shortly after the gate drop due to a downed rider on the track. Upon the restart, Musquin shot out of the gate aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to capture the early lead, while Canard settled into a top-five position. Meanwhile, Dungey didn’t get off to the best start as he rounded the opening lap in 13th place.

Musquin maintained his focus out front as he rode a near perfect Main Event, leading all 20 laps en route to his first-career 450SX victory.

Musquin: “I was super calm, trying to stay relaxed and not put any pressure on myself. I had a great start and worked on pacing myself and I was just doing my laps out there and it happened. The biggest thing was that I didn’t make any big mistakes and I stayed on my bike. Today I was more relaxed and I’m really happy.”

Following a mid-pack start, Dungey quickly worked his way through the pack and into the 5th place position just before the halfway point. From there, the reigning champion continued to push ahead where he fell just short of a podium position with a 4th place finish.

Dungey: “Overall it was a good night. Obviously our positioning wasn’t the best off the restart but I gave it my all to fight my way back up there. We caught a couple breaks to move into 4th and all-in-all we made up some ground in the big picture.”

Canard had a strong start to the Main Event as he maintained a top-seven position through the first five laps of the race. Unfortunately Canard experienced two crashes that ultimately dropped him outside of the top 10 running. In his first event back from injury, Canard was able to salvage 11th place for the day.

Canard: “It was really nice to be back on the bike. I actually hadn’t gotten any races under my belt until tonight so it was good to put some time out there. I felt good on the bike all day, although I’m not quite where I want to be fitness/speed wise. But I feel like the next few races we can get things to where we want them and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Next Round: February 18, 2017 – Minneapolis, MN (USA)

Source: KTM

Photo: S. Cudby / KTM Images

2017 Motocross Line-Up Presented at the Official Yamaha Racing Press Conference

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 15:10:16 +0000

As the new racing season draws closer, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. took a moment between pre-season testing activities to gather all of the Official Yamaha Race Teams, both On and Off-Road, for an Official Race Teams Press Conference. The special event took place on the 7th of February at the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team headquarters in Gerno di Lesmo, Italy, where all of the Official line-ups and their 2017 liveries were presented to the international racing media.

Hosted for the third year running by MotoGP Championship commentator Gavin Emmett, the event saw an impressive 15 teams and 41 riders and their team managers unveil their impressive Yamaha machinery to the gathered press and partners. Prior to the teams unveiling, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V's Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Eric de Seynes, took a moment to share his insights on the 2017 line ups, and on Yamaha's racing strategy with some additional information and statistics regarding the Off-Road market sales.

Kicking off the motocross sector, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V's Motocross Racing Manager Erik Eggens shared the strategy for the coming year before making room for the Monster Energy Yamaha MXGP Factory Team, who were present to reveal their 2017 colours. 2015 MXGP World Champion Romain Febvre and 2014 MXGP Vice World Champion Jeremy van Horebeek took to the stage as Yamaha's factory squad. Both riders are feeling fitter and faster than ever, and are determined to take their YZ450FM's to the top in 2017.

Meanwhile, Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP have stepped up from MX2 this year and will join the Factory Team in the premier class. The team has placed a YZ450F in the very capable hands of highly acclaimed motocross talents Arnaud Tonus and Shaun Simpson. Tonus is a former MX2 Grand Prix winner who is making a welcomed return to the FIM Motocross World Championship after spending the past two years racing in America, while Simpson is one of Great Britain's finest who claimed his first ever MXGP Grand Prix win onboard a Yamaha back in 2013 in the sand of Lierop, The Netherlands.

"It feels to be great back on Yamaha, I haven't spent too much time on a YZ450F, I loved my YZ250F though, so the 450 is new but I think it fits really well with my style and I am just looking forward to Qatar and being up front in MXGP" Tonus said.

Set to shake things up in MX2, Gavin Emmett introduced the Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team that boasts three highly touted youngsters, Benoit Paturel, Brent Van doninck and Alvin Östlund. "We have already achieved our goal for 2017," Hans Corvers, Kemea Team Owner said, "Benoit's goal for last season was top five, so the next step was top three, and he has already achieved that as well. The next thing will be to be world champion and I think he has a good chance." All three riders are eager to put their YZ250F's on top of the box.

Next up and set to take on another full-throttle season in the world's most prestigious Amateur series, the European Championship EMX250, former MX1 World Champion David Philippaerts has joined forces with the SDM Course MX Team to form the all-new ASTES4-TESAR Yamaha Official EMX250 team. The youthful team will cast the 2015 Junior 125cc Motocross World Champion Maxime Renaux, with last year's Junior 125cc Vice Champion Roan van de Moosdijk and Latvian talent Kãrlis Sabulis.

After entering the 2016 YZ125 bLU cRU Cup and winning it, young Swedish hopeful Tim Edberg landed a dream ride on the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team alongside two other kids that are chalked as a couple of the most promising young riders in Europe, Rick Elzinga and Thibault Benistant.

Last but by no means least, as the leading manufacturer in women's motocross Yamaha will be the envy of all other brands as the official supporter of three of the fastest ladies on the planet, Kiara Fontanesi, Nancy van de Ven and Courtney Duncan. The current vice world champion Van de Ven and the four-time WMX world champion Fontanesi have each formed their own teams. Van de Ven has named her team NVD Yamaha Official WMX, while Fontanesi's is Fonta Yamaha Official WMX. Fellow title threat Courtney Duncan will be riding under the watchful eye of former MX1 vice world champion Josh Coppins on his team Altherm Yamaha Official WMX.