Friday, January 31, 2014

Yamaha MotoGP Team Amps Up Sponsorship Through 2015 Season with SuisseGas




























 
New Official Sponsor Announcement

SuisseGas Steps Up Official Sponsorship with Yamaha Factory Racing

  • Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 31st January 2014
Following a successful first year together, Yamaha Factory Racing can today confirm that Official Sponsor SuisseGas has reached an agreement with the Team for the next two years. The two-year contract will see the energy brand receive greater exposure with the Team as their sponsorship commitment increases.
 
The SuisseGas logo will now be visible on both Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi’s YZR-M1 motorcycles for the full season in addition to two extra logos for the opening round in Qatar and subsequent Mugello and Misano rounds.
 
Established in 2008, SuisseGas is one of the leading supplier’s of natural gas in Italy to both industrial and civil clients.


 
 


COMMENTS
 
 
Lin Jarvis Yamaha Motor Racing, Managing Director
 
 
“After a successful first season together in 2013, the decision to collaborate further with SuisseGas through 2014 and 2015 is a very welcome one. We consider them a very important partner for Yamaha Factory Racing and are confident we will continue to benefit from the mutual satisfaction gained. As a premium brand involved in many sporting disciplines we share a great synergy. We look forward to strengthening our relationship through a number of initiatives at GP circuits and also away from race weekends.”
 
 
Gianluca Borelli SuisseGas, Business Development Manager
 
 
“We are very proud to be able to continue as Official Sponsor, the route taken last year alongside the Team Yamaha Factory Racing, for the 2014 and 2015 MotoGP season. It is a matter of great satisfaction being associated with a winning team and two World Champions such as Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi. This is a major sponsorship for us that fits seamlessly into policy in support of high-profile sports teams and that our Group strongly wanted to pursue since its inception.”
 
 
NOTES
 
SUISSEGAS - Company Profile

 
The SuisseGas Holding Group was established in 2008, and it’s constituted by SuisseGas Sa and SuisseGas Italia S.p.A.
 
Within the European market, SuisseGas deals with transport, storage, exchange and delivery of natural gas to businesses and private homes.
In order to move with flexibility, the company owns a portfolio of transportation capacity and storage modulus.
 
The activity of SuisseGas includes all intermediate steps needed for a particular purchase, and more specifically the management of transport, storage and trading. Through the network of pipelines belonging to third parties, SuisseGas manages imbalances and supervises daily activities to the point of delivery.
 
It also manages inventories and analyzes withdrawal profiles and capacity.
 
The company is aware of the complexity and the uncertainty about the delivery, the acquisition and use of natural gas. For this reason, SuisseGas supports its clients in identifying proper management tools and flexibility in order to achieve the desired result with the highest level of efficiency.
 
Each action of SuisseGas is aimed at providing energy to the best market conditions, to meet the needs of companies and families.
 
Since 2013 SuisseGas offers power as well: gas and power for business and family.
 
SuisseGas Energy Effects. Put in motion the energy that suits you best.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yamaha Factory Racing
c/o Yamaha Motor Racing srl | Via Tinelli 67/69, 20855 Gerno di Lesmo (MB) Italy |
yamahamotogp.com
 

Thursday, January 23, 2014

AMA Hall of Fame Breakfast in Daytona on March 14 to Feature Yamaha Motor Corp. as Presenting Sponsor







Yamaha Motor Corp. will be presenting sponsor for AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast at Daytona, March 14

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- January 23, 2014 -- The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame is pleased to announce that Yamaha Motor Corp. will be the presenting sponsor of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast at Daytona, presented by Yamaha, on Friday, March 14, in Daytona Beach, Fla.

This year's special guest will be motorcycle inventor, designer, racer and Hall of Famer Craig Vetter. Vetter's iconic Windjammer fairings were ubiquitous in the 1970s and '80s, and he designed bikes like the Mystery Ship and the Triumph X-75 Hurricane before turning his attention to high-mileage motorcycles, a cause he still champions today with a series of contests.



Jeff Heininger, chairman of the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, said the Hall of Fame is very pleased to welcome Yamaha as presenting sponsor.

"Like Craig Vetter, Yamaha has a strong tradition in the touring motorcycle arena, and the company has been a strong supporter of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame over the years," he said. "We're glad to have them onboard, and we look forward to a great event with Craig Vetter and other Hall of Famers in attendance at our Breakfast at Daytona, presented by Yamaha."

"Just as we are very proud of our own heritage, we are equally as proud of the tremendously creative contributions to motorcycling's history as those made by this year's honoree, Craig Vetter," said Yamaha General Manager of Communications Bob Starr. "Craig's designs influenced much of what the touring and sport market is today, and Yamaha is indeed proud to join the AMA in honoring this icon of the industry."


Taking place during 2014 Daytona Bike Week on Friday, March 14, at the Daytona 500 Club inside Daytona International Speedway, the fundraising breakfast will include a live interview with Vetter on stage, an audience question and answer period and an autograph session with the AMA Hall of Famer. Tickets for the breakfast, the proceeds from which support the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and its mission to promote motorcycling's heritage and history to this and future generations, are available now at www.motorcyclemuseum.org.
 

About the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation

Founded in 1990 by the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, the goal of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is to tell the stories and preserve the history of motorcycling. Located on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio, the Museum's three major exhibition halls feature the machines and memorabilia of those who have contributed notably to the sport. The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to motorcycling, including those known for their contributions to road riding, off-road riding and all categories of racing, as well as those who have excelled in business, history, design and engineering.

More information can be found at www.motorcyclemuseum.org.  

Contact: Grant Parsons
Phone: (614) 856-1900, ext. 1199
E-mail:
gparsons@ama-cycle.org


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship is Heading Back to Springfield June 23-26, 2014






AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship heading to Springfield, Ill., June 23-26

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- January 22, 2014 -- The country's fastest amateur dirt-track racers, who one day will dominate the professional ranks, will go head to head this June 23-26 at the 2014 AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship in Springfield, Ill.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Riders are shown in action on the half-mile at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, IL. during the 2013 AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship event. The event will be returning to the mecca of flat track racing in June 2014 and again will be promoted and captained by one of the greatest in the business, Steve Nace Racing Promotions. Photo courtesy of the AMA by Yve Assad/The Fast and Dirty.com.
 
 
 
 
"Since 1975, the AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship has recognized the best amateur dirt-track racers in the country with national titles," said AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant. "This event is one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur motorsports championships in America, and we're thrilled to once again return to Springfield, Ill., home to some of the sport's most historic moments."

Steve Nace of Steve Nace Racing will promote the event. 
 
"We are excited to return to the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield for the 2014 AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship," Nace said. "With the rich history of AMA Grand National Championship motorcycle racing and the talent we have seen in the past year in the up-and-coming younger racers, it will be an exciting week of racing as each rider will have as his or her goal the right to be called an AMA Grand Champion." 
 
The AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship crowns amateur and youth champions in individual dirt-track disciplines, including mile, half-mile, TT and short-track events.
 
Monday, June 23, will feature competition on the mile. On Tuesday, June 24, racers will head to the short track during the day, while youth riders will compete on the TT that evening. On Wednesday, June 25, all racers will have a turn on the TT course. Then, on Thursday, June 26, the half mile will take center stage. June 27 will be used as a rain date if needed.

Online entry is available at www.stevenaceracing.com.

In addition to championships in individual disciplines, AMA Grand Championships are awarded to the riders in each class who have the highest point totals across all four types of dirt-track racing. The fastest riders in premier classes also compete for the AMA Dirt Track Horizon Award, which honors the amateur racer poised for success on the pro level.

For more information about dirt-track competition, see the Racing section of www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
 
About the American Motorcyclist Association
 
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling.
 
For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.

Media contact: James Holter
Phone: (614) 856-1900, ext. 1280
E-mail:
jholter@ama-cycle.org

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

AMA Celebrates Top 2013 Amateur Motorcycle Racers at Championship Banquet






AMA Championship Banquet recognizes top amateur motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle racers

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- January 21, 2014 -- The country's best amateur motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle racers from the track, trail, desert and everywhere in between were honored at the American Motorcyclist Association Championship Banquet on Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Aladdin Event & Conference Center in Columbus, Ohio. More than 700 competitors and fans attended the banquet, which celebrated the 2013 racing season and announced the recipients of several special awards.

AMA President & CEO Rob Dingman congratulated the AMA racers and their families on a successful year and thanked them for their contributions to the sport of motorcycling.

"Each of you is here tonight because you love competition," Dingman said. "You have earned the right to be here because you have excelled in your racing discipline, or you have made it possible for a family member or friend to succeed thanks to your support. You, and the hundreds of thousands of AMA racers who came before you, make this sport what it is today. Since 1924, racers of all backgrounds and skill levels have competed in AMA-sanctioned events and have contributed to the collective wisdom, passion and talent that has shaped our sport."

Laurette Nicoll and Greg White emceed the banquet, which awarded national championship trophies, placement medals and AMA No. 1 plates to competitors in more than a dozen AMA-sanctioned disciplines. Special awards included AMA Athlete of the Year honors. 

The AMA's highest competitive honors, the AMA Athlete of the Year Awards, recognize a rider from each of the two categories of national championship competition: AMA National Championship Series and AMA Grand Championships.

The late Kurt Caselli, the overall champion of the 2013 AMA FMF/GPR Hare & Hound National Championship Series, won the AMA National Championship Series Athlete of the Year Award. The 2013 title was Caselli's third overall AMA Hare & Hound National Championship. Caselli, who was poised to transition to world motorcycle rally racing in 2014, passed away while competing in the Baja 1000 in November 2013.

"On behalf of myself and the family, we want to say thank you so much for all the support we've been getting, and thank you so much for selecting Kurt for the AMA National Championship Series Athlete of the Year," said Sarah Jean White, Caselli's fiancée, who accepted the award on his behalf on a recorded video message. "That is such a huge deal, and Kurt would be so honored to accept this award."

Jeffery Lowery won the AMA Grand Championship Athlete of the Year Award. Lowery, from Newark, Ohio, was the AMA Dirt Track Horizon Award Winner in 2013, winning AMA national titles in the 251-500cc DTX class and the 450cc Modified class at the AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships in Springfield, Ill. 



 
 
 
After winning the AMA Horizon Award at the AMA Grands in Springfield, IL. last summer, Jeffrey Lowery was presented with the 2013 AMA Grand Championship Athlete of the Year Award at the AMA Banquet last Saturday night, where he is shown talking with show emcee Greg White. Photo courtesy of the AMA by Jeff Guciardo.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"It's a true honor to represent dirt track," Lowery said. "It's great to get the recognition for everything that we do and all the great racing that goes on in dirt track motorcycle racing. There are so many great people who have come through the sport of dirt track. Last night, I took a tour of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame museum, and it is full of dirt track racing because it is the history of motorcycle racing. It's just such a great thing to be involved with."

Hannah Hodges was the AMA Female Rider of the Year. Hodges, from DeLand, Fla., was the Girls Sr. (12-16) class champion at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship.

"This award is really cool," Hodges said. "AMA is really big, with so many different disciplines. There's a bunch of competition, so to be a part of it and win this award is really cool. I'm just happy to be a part of it. I want to be the first girl to qualify for a men's AMA Pro Motocross National some day."

Aiden Tijero was the AMA Racing Youth Rider of the Year. The Ripon, Calif., resident was the 65cc (10-11) Limited class champion at the 2013 AMA Red Bull Amateur National Motocross Championships, Presented by Amsoil. Tijero also was the 65cc World Champion at the 2013 FIM Jr. Motocross World Championships.

"This is one of the biggest awards you could get," Tijero said. "I can look back at it when I'm older, like my dad's age, and I can say, 'I remember this so much like it was yesterday,' and that's how I want it to be. I want to remember everything about this. I love this sport. It's my favorite sport."

The AMA ATV Athlete of the Year Award was won by Brett Musick, the 2013 Pro-Am champion in the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series. The Verdunille, W.Va., resident finished on top of a highly competitive field to win the 2013 title.

AMA Veteran/Senior Rider of the Year was Steve Ellis. Ellis, from Irvine, Calif., was the Vintage Super Senior A and the Vintage 201-250cc A class champion in the AMA Vintage Motocross National Championship Series.

The AMA also presented the AMA Sportsman of the Year award. This award recognizes a racer, former racer or individual who has gone above and beyond to transcend their role for the betterment of the sport of motorcycle competition. The 2013 AMA Sportsman of the Year award was presented to longtime AMA International Six Days Enduro Team organizer and volunteer Richard "Gunny" Claypoole. Claypoole recently retired from what has been a decades-long commitment to put the United States on top of the world's most prestigious off-road team championship.

Sponsors who helped honor the 2013 AMA Champions at the banquet included Traveline Travel, and a number of companies who generously donated raffle prizes and other items for the champions: FMF, Motul, Matrix, Atlas, Bell Helmets, Motion Pro, WPS/Fly Racing and Barnett. 
 
Other special awards included:
 
AMA Media Award
Mark Kariya

Motocross Organizer of the Year
Feld Motor Sports

Off-Road Organizer of the Year
East Coast Enduro Association

Track Racing Organizer of the Year
American Sportbike Racing Association

ATV Organizer of the Year
Michael Coburn Racing

Recreational Road Riding Organizer of the Year
Laconia Motorcycle Week

Recreational Off-Road Organizer of the Year
Tri County MC

AMA Club of the Year
Polka Dots Michigan
 
About the American Motorcyclist Association
 
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling.
 
For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.

Media contact: James Holter
Phone: (614) 856-1900, ext. 1280
E-mail:
jholter@ama-cycle.org


Sunday, January 19, 2014

Team HRC Reflects on Their 1st Dakar Rally in 26 Years after Winning 6 Stages with Barreda & Rodrigues




















Dakar 2014   End of the Rally   19/01/2014











TEAM HRC satisfied with Rally Dakar 2014, begins work on the 2015 edition.

Six stage victories –five for Joan Barreda- in which the team was constantly in podium positions until the penultimate stage, as well as being the only team to have completed the entire competition without changing a single engine, are just some of the notable points that TEAM HRC can highlight after two tough and intense weeks of racing in the Rally Dakar 2014.

In the world’s hardest off-road event TEAM HRC chalked up six wins out of a possible thirteen, with eleven podium places for the riders. Joan Barreda took the honours in stages 1, 3, 7, 10 and 13, and Sam Sunderland won on the second day.
 
Hélder Rodrigues was the top finisher for TEAM HRC, in fifth overall place, Joan Barreda ended in seventh and Javier Pizzolito twenty-third. None of them needed an engine change which goes to show the high level of reliability and durability of the Honda CRF450 RALLY. Sam Sunderland and Paulo Gonçalves were both unable to finish the race after incidents in stages four and five respectively.
 
The riders from Honda Argentina Rally Team, Laia Sanz and Pablo RodrĂ­guez also saw the race through until the end. Laia Sanz was the top female rider, in seventh position in the ninth stage, achieving the highest final classification for a woman in the bike category. Pablo finished the Dakar in 32th place.
 

Video Stage 13                             Video Behind the Scenes 13


The team bosses give their evaluation of TEAM HRC in the 36th edition of the Rally Dakar:


Katsumi Yamazaki   TEAM HRC Team Director
Our Dakar 2014 is over, one in which so many things have happened in the span of two weeks. The most amazing of all was what happened to Paulo Gonçalves’ bike. He had a problem, the bike caught alight and we lost his participation. Sam too, had to drop out of the race.
On the other hand Pizzolito, HĂ©lder and Barreda put in consistent daily performances, always giving their best every day. I’m very pleased with these riders. Not only the riders, but also all the team behind them. Everyone did their job well.  I’m proud to have such a work team. Besides, we have only used the machine for our own
TEAM HRC riders. It’s a very positive sign for Honda, who have built and developed the engine and the bike, with very clear criteria; to be highly durable, reliable and with a great performance. I’ve very pleased with them.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To be honest, this 2014 result hasn’t been a particularly generous one, but we never gave up trying to achieve our goal; victory. So, next time round in the Dakar, we’ll try and remedy this target that has escaped us.
I’d also like to commend the support-riders: Pablo RodrĂ­guez, Laia Sanz and Jean De Azevedo. They have done a fine job.  
It has been a very positive year for Honda so far. It has been a great start for the next Dakar. Because, for me, next year’s Dakar 2015 began yesterday. Thanks for all the support over the last few months.










Martino Bianchi   TEAM HRC General Manager
I’m very pleased with this Dakar. Maybe not totally, but happy all the same. And I’m pleased because everyone did such a great job. It’s a tricky task handling two teams, five riders and putting everyone in their place with the same clear aim. We came really close to it. Barreda won five stages, and Honda took the honours in six, double the amount of any other team. It’s proof that we’ve got a great bike and fine riders; maybe we are lacking a bit of experience in this demanding and gruelling race, but I’m sure that we will be in the running for victory in the next Dakar.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
That is why we should be pleased with the results that we’ve achieved up until now, especially when you consider that we didn’t need an engine change in the entire 9000 kilometres of racing. This has been the big test of the reliability of our engine.
We are also really proud of our ‘support team’ on the pre-production model who also managed to finish the race. We began to develop the bike last April, and Laia Sanz and Cacha RodrĂ­guez have shown that it is a fine, very competitive bike. Honda and HRC have done a great job with the new Honda CRF450 RALLY.


























Saturday, January 18, 2014

Team HRC's Barreda Closes Out Final Stage 13 of the Dakar Rally with Win, Finishes 7th Overall, Rodrigues 5th Overall










Dakar 2014   Stage 13   18/01/2014




















Joan Barreda closes the Dakar with another victory, the sixth for the new Honda CRF450 RALLY

The Rally Dakar 2014 has run its course. It was a fight to the finish for the TEAM HRC riders as the 36th edition of the world’s toughest race drew to a close. HĂ©lder Rodrigues finished the highest of the Honda riders in fifth place, with Joan Barreda in seventh with five stage victories under his belt. All the Honda CRF450 RALLYs finished the gruelling rally with the same engines, signalling a huge success for the brand and highlighting the machine’s great potential.  


Fifth overall place in the Rally Dakar went to HĂ©lder Rodrigues. The Portuguese rider nearly went from zero to hero aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY, beginning the opening days with stomach problems and still having the chance of a podium place on the last day.
 
Joan Barreda last night arrived back at the bivouac in La Serena exhausted after finishing the 349 km liaison thanks to the help of another rider who accompanied him back to the camp. Barreda had taken a heavy fall at kilometre 265 of the special, where the front end of his Honda CRF450 RALLY received some heavy damage. The rider was forced to stop and check the state of the different navigation components before hitting the road again. Nevertheless, in trying to make up for lost time, he fell again, this time causing an electrical problem, which required him to seek assistance from a fellow-rider.   
 
Today, after the mechanics fixed up the damaged bike parts, Joan Barreda was off again, storming home to victory once more. The rider from CastellĂłn, Spain has now chalked up a total of five victories, and finishes in seventh overall position.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Javier Pizzolito finished his fifth Dakar. The Argentine rider proved himself to be consistent in the latter part of the race, finishing two stages in the top ten. The ‘water carrier’ of HĂ©lder Rodrigues finished the rally in 23rd place .
 
 
 
 
 
Sam Sunderland, the winner of the second stage, was forced out of the race in the fourth round after a fall which broke the exhaust, causing overheating and meant that he was unable to finish the marathon stage.  
 
Portuguese Paulo Gonçalves finished three times in the top ten over the course of the first four days, but on a dreadfully tough fifth day some dry shrubs got caught up in his exhaust and set the bike on fire in dramatic fashion. He could only watch helplessly as the flames engulfed the machine.
 
TEAM HRC is enormously satisfied with the job done by riders Laia Sanz and Pablo RodrĂ­guez from Honda Argentina Rally Team, and Jean DeAzevedo from Honda Brasil Rally Team. Laia Sanz finished in seventh, the best stage finish for a female in the Dakar, and 14th overall on the Honda CRF450 RALLY pre-production model that will be available to rally riders later in 2014. Pablo RodrĂ­guez improved in the final stages finishing in 32nd place. Jean DeAzevedo had to retire in the fourth stage after an incident where the sump took a heavy hit from a rock.  
 
Laia Sanz: "As the race went on I started to realize that I was further ahead than I had expected. I was very surprised to find myself up against people that before I hadn’t seen. I had a problem one day with a waypoint but for the rest I’ve been very consistent and I’m pleased about it".  
  

Video Stage 12         Video Behind the Scenes 12                  

Joan Barreda   1st   1:59'44   TEAM HRC
Today is the last day of the Dakar. For us it feels tough because I lost a lot of time with a problem after a fall at kilometre 200 But today I was back in the saddle like a pro, and I did a really good job in the special. In the end it wasn’t the result that we were working for in the Dakar. Well, now it’s time to go home and try to get to grips with what happened, how and where we went wrong and see how we can sort them out for next year.

 
 
 
 





Helder Rodrigues
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
+01'23
 
 
 
TEAM HRC
 
The Dakar has finished and it’s been the hardest one that I’ve done yet. Honda has proved that it’s got a great bike. No one has had to change their engine even once in the two weeks of racing and that’s really important for us. I had a few problems last week, but nothing significant. I lost a bit of time, but the second week went better. I didn’t achieve my goal, but am happy to finish another Dakar.

 
 
 
 





Javier Pizzolito
 
 
 
20th
 
 
 
+11'53
 
 
 
TEAM HRC
 
One more Dakar over. It’s not to be sniffed at! Maybe it wasn’t the general standings that we were hoping for, or the individual or collective ones either. It’s been a year of hard work where we’ve put together a really competitive bike with a lot of promise.
I started the Dakar with a lot of problems in the third stage. But I was able to overcome them a lot better than my rivals.















Pablo RodrĂ­guez: "I’m very happy. It has been a very tough race but we’ve managed to finish. The bike was excellent and caused no trouble at all. I was able to come back in a couple of stages and do a good job. You’ve got to learn from some mistakes and keep looking to improve things". 




Classifications Stage 13
 
1
Joan Barreda
01:59'44
ESP
HONDA
TEAM HRC
2
Olivier Pain
+00'40
FRA
YAMAHA
Yamaha Racing
3
Helder Rodrigues
+01'23
POR
HONDA
TEAM HRC
4
Joan Pedrero
+01'35
ESP
SHERCO
Sherco Rally Factory
5
Cyril Despres
+02'30
FRA
YAMAHA
Yamaha Racing
6
Mickael Metge
+03'31
FRA
YAMAHA
Yamaha Racing
7
Daniel Gouet
+04'08
CHI
HONDA
Tamarugal Honda Racing XC Rally Team
8
Kuba Przygonski
+04'17
POL
KTM
KTM Rally Factory
9
David Casteu
+05'16
FRA
KTM
Team Casteu
10
Ivan Jakes
+07'20
SLO
KTM
Nad Ress Adventure


General standings Dakar 2014
 
1
Marc Coma
54:50'53
ESP
KTM
KTM Red Bull Rally Factory
2
Jordi Viladoms
+01:52'27
ESP
KTM
KTM Red Bull Rally Factory
3
Olivier Pain
+02:00'03
FRA
YAMAHA
Yamaha Racing
4
Cyril Despres
+02:05'38
FRA
YAMAHA
Yamaha Racing
5
Helder Rodrigues
+02:11'09
POR
HONDA
TEAM HRC
6
Kuba Przygonski
+02:31'46
POL
KTM
KTM Rally Factory
7
Joan Barreda
+02:54'01
ESP
HONDA
TEAM HRC
8
Daniel Gouet
+03:10'34
CHI
HONDA
Tamarugal Honda Racing XC Rally Team
9
Stefan Svitko
+03:50'10
SLO
KTM
Oraving Slovnaft Team
10
Ivan Jakes
+03:58'09
SLO
KTM
Nad Ress Adventure
















 

2013 AMA Grand National Champion Brad Baker Reports on His Win at the Superprestigio Dirt Track Race in Spain
















2013 AMA Grand National Champion Brad Baker returned to the States this week after taking the big win in front of a crowded house in Barcelona, Spain last weekend in the 2014 Superprestigio Dirt Track Race.

After taking the trip across the pond after being invited to the event by 2013 MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez, the two spent part of the week in preparation for the big event by practicing at Marquez' track in the Barcelona area. And when the evening's festivities started to wind down, the two were pitted against one another in the Superfinal event along with a host of other racers which also included Americans Merle Scherb and Kenny Noyes.

Baker obviously came out on top of the battle after slight contact with Marquez during the final event sent the MotoGP Champ sprawling to the ground in turn one a few laps from the end of the main, with Baker going on to wheelie across the finish line as the checkers were displayed by AMA Pro Flat Track flagman Kevin Clark.

In the shot above, Baker on his #12 Brothers Powersports/D&D Exhaust/Schenk Racing Enterprise-sponsored Honda CRF450R leads Briar Bauman on the #10Z Rod Lake Racing/Arai/WKR-backed Honda, with Stevie Bonsey on the #80 Mack Daddy Racing/Confused Clothing/Alpinestars-sponsored Honda keeping them in close range during heat race #2 in round 12 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the final National to be held at the Springfield Short Track on September 15, 2012.

Baker filed his Barcelona Superprestigio win race report a few days ago, and you can check it out below as we await the upcoming 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season to kick off at Daytona on March 13-14 at the Daytona International Speedway in just shy of two months time.

A big congrats to The Bullet for his win, Merle Scherb for his 6th-place finish, Kenny Noyes for his 3rd-place finish and to all of the racers for their fine performance that everyone here in the States was able to watch online thanks to a super high-quality streaming feed made possible by AMA Pro Flat Track and CycleWorld.com. And a big thanks also goes out to Marquez for reorganizing this great event and to Backmarker and Riding Man's Mark Gardiner for building the right fire under the correct hind end to make it possible for Baker to get invited to this neat event. Bravo to all!


Brad The Bullet Baker #1 Barcelona, Spain 2014 Superprestegio Dirt Track Race Report

Hey Everyone! First off I hope all of you had a great New Year's and have had a great start to the brand new 2014 season. For me 2014 has already shown to be another steady upward climb in progression and success! There have been so many great things happen to me in such a short time that it’s almost unreal. From getting my own place and living on my own, to becoming the new Factory Harley-Davidson rider, to hooking up with Fun Mart Cycle and Dyno Center riding amazing KTM 450 SX-F’s, and then just still realizing that I am the #1 Grand National Flat Track Champion that people refer to as the best flat track racer in the world! Those are just they key points! I have been blessed in so many ways and I am so thankful to be where I am! At 20 years old you can say that I feel like I am on top of the world. Even when I have accomplished all this there is no room for slowing down. I am still getting faster on the bike and I still have many goals I want to reach not only this year but for the rest of career. It has only just begun!









Brad 'The Bullet' Baker is shown on the KTM that he was equipped with while in Barcelona that he used to capture the Superprestigio Dirt Track Race Superfinal main event on January 11. Photo courtesy of Brad Baker.






2014 started out last weekend as what will probably go down as one the most memorable events of my whole career. Around early December I was honored to be invited to the Superprestegio Dirt Track Race event put on by RPM Racing with support of MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez. The race would be held in the amazing Palau Saint Jordi Stadium in the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain.






2013 MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez and 2013 AMA Grand National Champion Brad Baker are shown during a practice session for the Superprestigio Dirt Track Race in Spain during the week of January 11, 2014. Marquez and Baker had a spirited battle during the Superfinal main event of the race before contact sent Marquez sprawling to the ground. Photo courtesy of Brad Baker.





The Superprestegio event was initially held as a road race grand prix back in the '70s-'90’s that brought out of a bunch of top named World GP riders. The race eventually lost interest in the mid '90’s and wasn’t revived again until this year when main promoter Jaime Alguersuri and Marc Marquez along with RPM Racing put their heads together and brought the great event back to life. Since a good majority of World GP riders cross train with dirt track nowadays and with the huge history of dirt track riders turned road racers that became world champions, it was a perfect time to put on such an event as a dirt track race and make the dirt track presence known again on the world stage.

The event involved riders such as the MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 World Champions, Kenny Noyes and handful of other GP riders along with other riders from all over the world that compete in all sorts of different racing disciplines. Kenny is the son of Dennis Noyes who promoted the first ever dirt track race in Spain with Jaime Alguersuri years ago. He started off his career as a dirt tracker in the states and now lives in Barcelona as a world gp rider.

The race program was a pretty interesting format. There were three classes, the GP class, the Open class and the Junior class. The gp class involved all the Gp road race riders, the open class involved at the DT riders and other discipline riders such as myself and the junior class was for young riders that all rode Kawasaki 140’s supplied by the Noyes Dirt track Camp.

The way the program worked was you had to make it through several rounds of qualifying, heat races, and finish inside the top three in your class to earn a transfer spot to the super final race which would decide who was the fast rider of the night. Would it be a GP Rider or an Open rider?

As to be expected I pretty much laid the hammer to the competition in the Open class the whole night. I set fast time in every session, got every hole shot and won by a huge margin in both heat races and the open main event. I knew this would not be my toughest race of the night though. Marc Marquez is an amazing rider and was the only rider close to my lap times the whole night. He won every time he was on the track except once and would be the rider to line up right next to me in the super final. It had shaped up to be the perfect showdown! Who was better, the GP World Champ or the Flat Track World Champ?

It was pretty much a picture perfect race, we were side by side from the moment the gate dropped and swapping the lead several times. To tell everyone the truth, I was holding back about 90%.. My lap times were about a half a second faster during the earlier races but I wanted to make it a “Super” final, not a blow out. Marc was doing everything he could to keep me behind him, running me wide several times and pushing really hard.

Finally the laps were winding down and I had to make a move to get by him and not let him run me wide again. I squared him up coming off of turn 4 and got the drive on him going into turn 1. Unfortunately, I was charging in hard and he did not want to let me by and tried to shut the door. There was hard contact between his handle bar and my knee and it took his front end out from under him and he hit the ground hard! That was not my intention at all, it upset me a lot that our battle ended like that but like they say, when you mess with the bull you get the horns! I rode the last two laps out and did a nice American stand up wheelie past the checkered. I was really happy that no one was upset after the race and even Marc told me it was not completely all my fault, it was just a racing incident. 

 











Brad 'The Bullet' Baker displays the #1 trophy after winning the main event in the Superprestigio Dirt Track Race in Barcelona, Spain on January 11, 2014. Photo courtesy of Brad Baker.







The trip was an outright amazing experience! I can’t thank Mark Gardiner, Dennis Noyes, Jaime Alguersuri, RPM Racing, and Marc Marquez enough for getting me over there and making the event possible! Also a huge thanks to KTM of Spain and KTM Racing for supplying me with an excellent motorcycle. I am really happy with my move to KTM and I think we have just started to turn some heads.









Brad Baker hoists the #1 trophy on the podium after winning the Superprestigio Superfinal event in Barcelona last week. Baker shared the podium with 2nd-place finisher Tito Rabat (L) and 3rd-place finisher Kenny Noyes (R). Photo courtesy of Brad Baker.




I can’t wait for Daytona to showcase my FMC Dyno Center KTM 450! I never thought I would get shown so much respect from so many people in a foreign country. Motorcycles are a way of life to many in Europe, they almost treated me better over there then they do over here! In total there was about 8,000 fans in the stands, 122 journalist at the event, 3 television crews, and around 150,000 people in the United States watched the live feed on cycleworld.com! By far the most exposure I have ever got and the whole sport of dirt track has received in a long time!! I have a tremendous amount of respect for Marc and some of the other GP riders! They are great dirt trackers for the little amount of time they have done it. Flat track has been on a pretty good comeback here in the States and I believe this event will boost it's momentum big time.

Thank you to the rest of my 2014 sponsors and all of my fans.. I can’t wait to get this season into full swing!!