STOKES RETURNS FROM INJURY Brian Stokes will return from injury this weekend to race the WERA Regional Championship at the Nashville Superspeedway. After a seven month sabbatical, recovering from injuries sustained in a crash at Daytona that broke his wrist and ankle, Stokes will return to the saddle of Ducshop Performance Center’s Aprilia RSV to race the Heavyweight Twins Superbike race, in the hopes of contesting his third consecutive championship win at the WERA Nationals this October. Though he is still undergoing physiotherapy, from the two operations needed to fix his wrist, he has been cleared by his doctor to race. Brian would like to thanks his sponsors for their continuing support throughout his injuries. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril 14, 15 and 16 September 2007 DANI HUNTS DOWN ROSSI AS NICKY SHOOTS FOR A WIN The MotoGP season now enters its final phase with this, the 14th round of an 18 race series, promising tension aplenty as the points leaders in each class start to see the prizes on offer in clearer focus. And this is when those dreams either turn to dust or become reality. Last year here it looked as if Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V) had the MotoGP World Championship torn from his grasp when he and his team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) tangled and hit the ground in a storm of dust and disappointment. But Nicky fought on despite that heartbreaking DNF and secured the title at the final round. Now Casey Stoner (Ducati) has one hand on the biggest prize in motorcycle sport but he knows that both Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and Dani Pedrosa have a mathematical chance of the title. And riders of their calibre know that with 125 points still up for grabs there is still a fight to be won however long the odds might be. But if Stoner wins here and Rossi finishes no higher than sixth, the series will belong to the Aussie Ducati rider. Although Casey failed to finish here last year, the young gun is a different proposition to last year and his consistent speed and ceaseless aggression make him hard to bet against. Although Dani has never finished higher than 4th here in nay class, the 21-year-old Spanish flyer has netted two pole positions, once on a 125 and again on a 250. Still smarting from a failure to finish two weeks ago in Misano he is champing at the bit to get racing again here in Portugal. Nicky was happy with the exhaustive testing schedule carried out after the Misano race and the American World Champion was second fastest on the timesheets as well as the fastest Michelin-shod runner. He has been nothing if not dogged in his quest for a first win of the season and the three podiums he has scored so far this year are by no means enough for the Kentucky Kid. Other riders who will surely figure in Sunday’s 28-lap race are the Gresini pairing of Marco Melandri (Gresini Honda RC212V) and Toni Elias (Gresini Honda RC212V). Both are proven race winners and although Melandri boasts the higher number of wins, Elias’ maiden MotoGP victory here last year was the race of the 2006 season. Elias has bravely fought back from a broken femur suatained at Assen in late June and an 11th place at Brno and then a gutsy seventh at Misano signal a rapid return to something approaching full form. Perhaps a win here is too much to ask from the genial Spaniard when he is likely to be only 80% fit at best but this is a track that seems to suit Elias more than anyone else. He is playing down his chances here and so is his equally battered but unbowed team-mate Marco Melandri. ‘Macio’ has broken a foot, gritted his teeth through a herniated disc in his spine and bounced back from a dreadful crash in qualifying at Misano two weeks ago but still he races without visible sign of impediment. A third place at Laguna Seca while ‘nursing’ the foot injury and a fourth at Misano fresh from debilitating back trouble and that massive practice crash indicate that the UK-based iron man will be a factor here on Sunday. Estoril has only been on the calendar since 2000, this wind-lashed track lies 20 miles west of Lisbon and is close to the town of Sintra. The 4.182km circuit features a balance of medium and slow-speed turns with nine rights and four lefts. Built in 1972 the surface is still bumpy in parts despite being resurfaced before last year’s Grand Prix weekend. Nevertheless the track offers a significant challenge regardless of grip issues. The chicane is the slowest turn in MotoGP racing requiring patience and a smooth style to avoid catastrophe. On the other hand a long, fast right onto the start/finish straight, the ‘Parabolica’, is one of the great corners in racing and loved by the best riders. Turn one at the end of the 986m straight is a favourite overtaking spot and so is turn six, the ‘Parabolica interior’ behind the pits complex. The rest of the track is fairly unremarkable requiring no out-of-the-ordinary machine set-ups. But the wind blowing off the Atlantic Ocean is always a concern. Dani said: “It will be really good to get to Estoril and begin working with the team again. It’s so frustrating for everyone when you have a race like the last one at Misano, especially when it’s out of your control, and so I know the guys in my garage are as keen as I am to go for the result we deserve in Portugal My results at this circuit haven’t been the best, but I’ve had a couple of pole positions before and I think that, if we can get the correct package this weekend, we should be able to be competitive. The tyres will be really important again of course and the weather here can really play a part.” His team-mate Nicky Hayden said: “So we’re back in Portugal. It makes me smile now to think about last year when I almost saw my dream of being World Champion go out of the window there. So it would be nice to get a little bit of redemption this weekend. It’s been a struggle at times this year and we’ve had some bad luck and made a few mistakes, so I am excited to go to Estoril and try to turn it around. The weather is always unpredictable which makes Thursday’s tyre choice really critical. One thing we’ve learned this year is that our bike takes quite a while to set up we’ve really got to dial it in. So we’ll let it roll and see what we can do on Sunday.” Melandri said: “I’m highly motivated. The bike and the tyres are at a high level and now we just need the result to go with that. I’m keen to get back on the podium, like I did at Laguna, because it would be a nice way to pay back my team, who have worked so hard and given me so much. It will be a big challenge for us in Portugal Estoril is a difficult circuit with so many first-gear corners and two long straights, one in fifth gear, one in sixth, where we might struggle a bit. The characteristics of our bike are better suited to a more flowing circuit but I’m ready for this race and the final rush that will take us to Japan, Australia and Malaysia before returning to Europe for the last round at Valencia.” His team-mate Elias said: “I’m happy to be heading back to a circuit that holds so many fond memories for me. The win last season in MotoGP was probably the best of my career but now I’m just looking ahead and trying to do well this Sunday and trying to improve my performance race by race. I got 11th at Brno after three races out and seventh at Misano. They are not the results I want but at the moment I am restricted by my physical condition. I like the circuit, especially the uphill chicane, which characterises the kind of corner you get at this circuit slow but technical esses, probably the slowest in the world. The straight is long, almost a kilometre, and very fast, followed by hard braking. The final bend is quite fast and crucial to a good lap time.” Carlos Checa (LCR Honda RC212V) said: “I thought Estoril was a bumpy track until I raced at Misano! Here I am aiming to continue the progress we have made with Michelin at recent tyre tests. Our results at Misano showed we’re heading in the right direction, especially with a new front tyre specification. On the engine side Honda have made a positive step and this will help us be competitive through the infield sections, like the uphill chicane. There are reasons to be optimistic.” Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda RC212V) said: “Although it’s a slow, technical circuit I enjoy Estoril. Last year I qualified seventh overall, although I had a problem in the race and was not able to finish. I’ve had some top ten finishes at Estoril so I’m hoping we can add another one this weekend. I’m also hoping we can continue to make some progress with the updated Honda RCV212V over the weekend.” Kurtis Roberts (Roberts KR212V) said: “We don’t have a lot of changes for Portugal, I cut my foot quite badly after the race at Misano and didn’t test for Michelin so we have no feedback from that test to work with. But we heard from the other teams using Michelin that the tyre test showed some improvements. I’ve been riding a dirt bike and so far the foot is standing up to it OK.” In the 250cc class Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia) looks very much the World Champion elect with 241 points to the 187 of Alex de Angelis (Aprilia) and the unshakeable Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Honda RS250RW) who has 186 points. But Lorenzo will be the first to attest that a points lead means little until a title is in the bag, having been hounded all the way to the title last year by the dogged Dovi. Lorenzo has now won eight races so far this season, all from pole, and it would be a brave man who bets against the Spaniard securing another 250cc world crown this year too. But, as ever, only a fool would consider anything won until the points table proves it. Dovi said: “I won here last year so I have a lot of expectations also for this race, and this is a favourable track for our bike because it’s quite slow. We have to forget the disastrous Misano experience and have perfect races from now on to figure in the World Championship. As ever we’ll do our best and hope luck will be with us.” His team-mate Yuki Takahashi (Scot Honda RS250RW) said: “I like this Portuguese track. Last year we had a good race and made a satisfying lap time. This is an important weekend because this is the race before the my home race, the Japanese Grand Prix, where I would dearly like to be on the podium.” The 125cc title race now looks to be between Gabor Talmacsi and Hector Faubel (both Aprilia) with the Hungarian series leader on 189 points to his Spanish pursuer’s 179 with Japanese KTM-rider Tommy Koyama on 145 points. While Britain’s Bradley Smith (Repsol Honda RS125R) aims to consolidate a top ten overall finish in 9th at the moment with 82 points. Smith said: “Last year at Estoril they had just resurfaced the track and the conditions changed a little over the weekend, and at the beginning we didn’t have a lot of grip. We’re certain to have more grip this year. I like the track because it has quite a lot of different features, like the slow curves, a chicane, and some long fast curves, especially the one at the end. I enjoyed myself last year and even though I fell, up to that moment I’d been riding well, so I’m eager to get down to work again.” His team-mate Esteve Rabat (Repsol Honda RS125R) said: “In the last race I didn’t get the result I expected and I’m confident I can do better and learn. Above all I am going to Portugal eager to ride. I don’t know how things will turn out, but I will do my best. I like this track even though it’s usually windy so we’ll have to look out for that. There are many places to overtake here, which is good.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Estoril anticipating possible MotoGP title decider bwin.com Grande Premio de Portugal Slightly earlier in the year than in 2006, the MotoGP World Championship arrived in Estoril this morning for the bwin.com Grande Premio de Portugal with excitement in the air. The Grand Prix has the possibility of playing host to a MotoGP title victory for Casey Stoner, and the Ducati factory rider was on hand at the afternoon press conference to field questions from the media. The Australian was as calm and collected as ever, refusing to get too carried away despite some heavy odds in his favour. The young Australian can walk away with his first MotoGP World Championship if he scores fifteen or more points than his main title rival Valentino Rossi. The combinations are numerous, but essentially a win versus a sixth place for the Italian would send the title down under for the first time since Mick Doohan’s last win in 1998. Stoner was joined by satellite rider Alex Barros, who had a spectacular clean sweep on his last visit to Estoril back in 2005 and faces an uncertain future in MotoGP when the season ends. The Brazilian spoke frankly about his expectations for the remainder of the 2007 season, and explained his options with the d’Antin satellite team and further afield for next year. Last year’s race winner Toni Elias, still on the comeback trail from a broken femur, updated the press on his current condition and recounted his experience in the spellbinding 2006 race, where he took victory for the first time in MotoGP. The second most successful Australian rider in the premier class, Chris Vermeulen is one of the in-form riders of the moment and, with his future at Suzuki already confirmed, was able to focus on the task at hand in Estoril. The final face in the press conference line-up was Yamaha factory team Manager Davide Brivio, who was quizzed about the future formation of his team to incorporate Jorge Lorenzo and the current state of affairs with the pneumatic engine first used by Valentino Rossi at Misano and which suffered a breakdown in its first outing. The weather in Estoril has been a mixed bag over the past few days, with abundant sunshine during the day followed by evening showers. Clear skies, accompanied by temperatures in the region of 26ºc, are expected for the Grand Prix weekend. Casey Stoner “There are not too many races left, so we’ll just see how many of those we can win”¦or lose. Valentino (Rossi) will keep fighting, so it’s not as easy as people are saying, although we have been helped by his bad luck at Misano. “This is another new track for me with Ducati, and I feel confident enough to just focus on our job. It’s one of the most difficult circuits around. “I’ve had good and bad races here, but the weather has always been a bit unpredictable. I hope that coming here earlier might make things a little more predictable.”