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Saturday, July 16, 2011
Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner secured his sixth pole position for the 2011 season, 0.252s ahead of team mate and two time premier class winner at the Sachsenring circuit, Dani Pedrosa. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) lead the session at the 40 minute mark, to finally post his best lap of 1’21.933 to take the final front row spot.
Perfect conditions at the German circuit allowed the MotoGP class riders to post their best times of the weekend, with Stoner the first rider to break 1’22” with 16 minutes remaining, followed by Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team) then Pedrosa, and finally Lorenzo, who was the final rider to post a time inside the 1’21” times.
Simoncelli’s time of 1'21.954 put him in fourth place and is only the third time this season the Italian did not qualify on the front row. Joining 24 year old Simoncelli is Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing), who finished 8th last year in Germany, with a time of 1'22.056. The American was followed by Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), who is still looking for his first podium at Sachsenring, his best finish thus far at the circuit a fifth.
Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) heads up the third row after posting his best lap of 1'22.368. The Texan’s best finish thus far was a fourth in 2007. Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team), who finished seventh in 2010, joins Edwards in eighth position, while as Randy de Puniet (Pramac Racing) completes row three with a posted time of 1'22.503 and Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) completes the top ten riders.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Loris Capirossi
Twenty-one seasons in MotoGP and nine in the premier class make Loris Capirossi's experience in the sport worthy of high accolades. For 2011, he kicks heels with Pramac Racing aiming to clinch 100 podiums in the championship. Capirossi started his career in the 125cc class at the tender age of 17, became champion in his debut season in 1990 and managed to defend it the following year. In the 250cc category, he clinched the title in his seventh attempt. The premier class then knocked and he eventually made the switch in 2000. In 11 seasons in the top class, he registered eight wins with Honda and Ducati. He is thus the only rider along with Valentino Rossi to have won a race in all categories. Although his stint with Suzuki has been far from what he is capable of, he is certainly one to watch.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Randy de Puniet
2010 marked Randy de Puniet's 13th season in the MotoGP championship and fifth in the premier class as the Frenchman registered his best finish in that category in ninth place. For 2011, he rides for the Pramac Racing team hoping to improve upon that and stay healthy, as a broken leg hindered his performances a year ago. With three years in the 125cc class and five in the 250cc category, he has never finished higher than third in the championship. In the premier class, de Puniet has only two podiums against his name, but is soon expected to add a few more.
Article and image Source http://www.espnstar.com/motorsport/moto-grand-prix/riders/profile/?series=motogp&id=11
Friday, July 8, 2011
Nicky Hayden
Now in his ninth overall season in Moto GP and his third with Ducati, Nicky Hayden is yet to relive the results that he produced during his championship-winning year in 2006. The American arrived in the sport when he first took the wheels of a Honda in 2003, a bike he rode until 2008. He managed to clinch his first win in 2005 with it and followed up with a title the next year. After two more seasons with the Japanese manufacturer in which he added just five podiums, the "Kentucky Kid" moved on to Ducati for 2009, struggling in his debut year with the Italian team. However, in 2010 he seemed to come to grips with the bike and has emerged yet again as a potential title contender.
Article and Image Source http://www.espnstar.com/motorsport/moto-grand-prix/riders/profile/?series=motogp&id=15
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Valentino Rossi
Seven-time MotoGP premier class champion Valentino Rossi will be aiming to add another feather in his hat by switching to Ducati for 2011. The Italian has won the championship a record nine times and has etched his name in the top rungs of motorsport. He made his first appearance in the 125cc class in 1996 and won the title in only his second year. He then moved to the 250cc category where he finished runner-up in 1998 and clinched the title a year later - a feat he repeated in the 500cc category in just two years. After that, he won four consecutive titles in the premier class. Over the last five seasons Rossi has won the title twice, but 2010 was a disappointment after he broke his leg early in the season... making him all the more hungry for 2011.
Article and Image source http://www.espnstar.com/motorsport/moto-grand-prix/riders/profile/?series=motogp&id=9
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Marco Simoncelli
Marco Simoncelli's consistent performances in his debut season in the premier class lifted him to eighth place in the championship despite failing to register a single podium place throughout the year. However, riding with the San Carlo Honda Gresini team for 2011, he will look to break into the top three and register a career first. Simoncelli made his MotoGP debut in 2002 in the 125cc class where he spent four seasons before graduating to the 250cc category for another four years. There he clinched the championship in his third season with a Gilera, but failed to defend it in the following year by finishing third. Nevertheless, the Italian rider had earned enough to be sure that he took the wheels in the premier class for 2010.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Hiroshi Aoyama Rider
After making his debut in the 250cc class in 2000 and having spent a decade in the category, Hiroshi Aoyama got his ticket to the premier class for 2010 when he clinched the 250cc title the preceding year with seven podiums that included four wins. The Japanese rider's rookie campaign, however, was hampered abruptly in 2010 due to a back injury. He returns to the unfinished business of completing a full season with the San Carlo Honda Gresini team in the premier class for the first time in his career.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Jorge Lorenzo Rider
Reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo embarks on the new season with an aim to defend his title from a grid that consists of three former champions. The Spaniard clinched his maiden title with the factory Yamaha team - with which he made his 2006 premier class debut - by winning half the races of the 2010 calendar after just three seasons with the squad. The fact that he outshined teammate Valentino Rossi makes it even more notable. Lorenzo started his career in 2002 in the 125cc class and moved onto the 250cc category in 2005, clinching back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007. He entered the premier class the following year. He finished fourth and runner-up in his first two seasons, but his maturity in the top level saw him convert his potential into a title in 2010. For 2011, the Mallorcan now looks to emulate his 250cc achievements.
Article and image Source http://www.espnstar.com/motorsport/moto-grand-prix/riders/profile/?series=motogp&id=10Sunday, July 3, 2011
Andrea Dovizioso - Honda Rider
With three seasons under his belt, Andrea Dovizioso remains with Honda for the 2011 season, his third year with the factory team. He made his premier class debut with the Japanese manufacturer in 2008 albeit with a satellite team and has had consistent performances since then. The Italian rider has proved that he can be a front-running contender highlighted with nine podiums, including one win. 2010 was his most successful season when he managed to step on the podium seven times. He has won a title in MotoGP once in the 125cc class - in 2004 - before impressing in the 250cc category for three years in a row where he has been twice runner-up and a had a third place in the final standings. With these statistics, it's easy to see Dovizioso is one to keep an eye on.
Article And Image Source http://www.espnstar.com/motorsport/moto-grand-prix/riders/profile/?series=motogp&id=2
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Colin Edwards
American Colin Edwards spent his first eight years in MotoGP without a single win to his name, but the eleven podiums he collected on the way is an indication of his true potential. Selected for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team for 2011, his valuable experience is now his biggest asset, especially considering that he is partnering with another rookie for the season. The Texan's latent talent is further highlighted by the fact that he has won the World Superbike championship twice. With these statistics behind him, the 'Texas Tornado' will be looking to improve his best standing in MotoGP - fourth, achieved in 2005 - to prove that finishing in 11th place during a barren 2010 was a mere blip of his true performance.
Article and Image Source http://www.espnstar.com/motorsport/moto-grand-prix/riders/profile/?series=motogp&id=4
Friday, July 1, 2011
Ben Spies
"Elbowz," as he is popularly known, Ben Spies teams up with world champion Jorge Lorenzo for the 2011 season in the Yamaha factory team. Spies made his MotoGP debut straight into the premier class in 2008 with three wild-card outings that year in the hands of a Suzuki. The Texan immediately impressed but switched to the World Superbikes for 2009 and clinched the championship in his first attempt. That year he also made a single appearance in MotoGP. In 2010, he leaped in for the full season with the Tech 3 Yamaha team and finished a respectable sixth in the final standings. He also earned the Rookie of the Year title and collected two podiums and a pole position a year ago. With that kind of talent, it won't be long before the American earns his first win in the MotoGP championship.
Article and Image Source http://www.espnstar.com/motorsport/moto-grand-prix/riders/profile/?series=motogp&id=5
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