SPIES A SOLID SEVENTH AT VALENCIA MOTOGP Texan Helps Future Teammate Earn Fifth in Championship VALENCIA, Spain Newly crowned World Superbike Champion Ben Spies made the next step in his career on Sunday when he finished an impressive seventh in his wildcard ride at the MotoGP finale in front of 94,000 fans at the Valencia Circuit in Spain. Spies’ late-race pass on Andrea Dovizioso not only gave Spies his best dry MotoGP finish, it helped fellow Texan and next year’s teammate, Colin Edwards, nail down fifth in the final MotoGP standings. After a cautious beginning Spies got better late in the race Sunday. Starting from ninth on the grid, Spies fell as far back as 12th before mounting a charge. “I actually got a decent start, but I still need more time on the tires to understand what I can do in the early laps,” Spies explained. “I got shuffled back and a lot of that was because I stuck with the idea that this weekend was more or less an extended test for me and I didn’t want to be too aggressive. I definitely didn’t want to do anything risky, so I was riding cautiously.” As the race reached its mid-stages Spies said he started feeling more comfortable and started pushing a little more. “I actually felt more comfortable with the tires the farther along we went in the race,” he said. “My lap times kept getting better and I turned my fastest lap on the final lap of the race so I felt pretty good abut that.” Spies’ mid-to-late race drive took him past Marco Melandri on lap 10, Mika Kallio on lap 17, then Alex de Angelis on lap 18, Randy de Puniet on lap 21 and finally Andrea Dovizioso with five laps to go to move into seventh. “The passes all felt safe,” Spies said. “I think I could have passed some in that group a little earlier had I been a little more aggressive, but I just wanted to keep everything well within my limits. “Things settled out late in the race and I think a lot of riders were just trying to maintain their position. I kept pushing trying to explore the limits a little more all the way through to the end, so that’s why I think I was able to catch some riders there at the end.” Spies was happy with his debut MotoGP weekend with Yamaha. “I still have a lot to learn, but I think overall I did better than I expected. I really would have been happy with a 10th-place finish and that’s about where I thought I’d be, but by continuing to ride hard all the way I was able to improve a few positions.” He said he was happy to find out his pass on Dovizioso helped Edwards secure fifth in the championship standings by a single point. “Colin came over and gave me a big hug after the race,” Spies laughed. “He sort of jokingly told me that I might be able to help him beforehand and I’m glad it worked out that way.” Spies said he came away impressed with the capabilities of Yamaha’s M1. “The bike is so good it’s amazing what you can do with it,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting more time on the bike in testing and really seeing if I can come to grips with what the bike is capable of.” Spies will get his chance this week as he tests for the first time with his new Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad in Valencia. “I’m looking forward to the tests and getting a good base under me for next season. Then I’ll head home for a few weeks and try to relax and sort of decompress from this season. It’s been a rewarding year for sure. Winning World Superbike and then getting the opportunity to get some time on the GP machine. It’s been great, but it’s been exhausting as well.” Ben Spies is sponsored by Yamaha, HJC, Alpinestars, Specialized and Parts Europe. More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Three Americans finish in top seven at season-ending Grand Prix of Valencia MotoGP RACE REPORT: GRAND PRIX OF VALENCIA Pedrosa closes season with home victory; Three Americans finish in top seven INDIANAPOLIS The 2009 MotoGP season ended with Dani Pedrosa winning the Grand Prix of Valencia and a possible sneak preview at a powerful American trio in the premier class in 2010. Pedrosa led from start to finish on his Repsol Honda in the 30-lap race Nov. 8 at the Ricardo Tormo circuit after pole sitter Casey Stoner crashed out of the event during the warm-up lap on his Ducati. Spaniard Pedrosa controlled the gap to second place Valentino Rossi in the closing laps despite strong winds, holding off 2008 Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Rossi by 2.630 seconds for the home victory. Fiat Yamaha claimed two of the three podium spots as 2009 Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Jorge Lorenzo was third, 2.913 seconds behind Pedrosa. “It’s really great to finish off the season with a win, especially here in front of my home fans,” Pedrosa said. American riders claimed three of the top seven finishing positions. Colin Edwards placed fourth on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine, while 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden finished fifth on the Ducati Team bike. 2009 Superbike World Champion Ben Spies finished seventh in a wild-card ride for the Sterilgarda Yamaha Team. Spies’ strong ride in his first MotoGP start of the season was vital for fellow Texas Edwards, who will be his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 teammate in 2010 in MotoGP. Spies passed Andrea Dovizioso late in the race for seventh, dropping Dovizioso to eighth at the finish. That was all Edwards needed to clinch fifth place in the season standings. Edwards edged Honda factory rider Dovizioso by one point, 161-160. Edwards ended the season with his best points position since he was fourth in 2005. He also was the top rider from a satellite (non-factory) team in the standings in 2009. “Things really fell my way today, but over the course of the season, I feel like I really deserve fifth place in the championship,” Edwards said. “I was doing the best I could but wasn’t sure where Dovizioso was. It turns out Ben got by him, and that point proved crucial. I gave him a big hug after the race and anything he wants me to buy him, he can have it.” A slipping clutch early in the race hampered Hayden, but he recovered to record his fourth top-five finish of 2009. Hayden finished 13th in points, but just 11 points out of seventh. “It hasn’t been a great season for me in terms of results, but the improvements we have made since the start are huge, and I’m excited about the future,” Hayden said. A major test for 2010 rider lineups will take place Monday, Nov. 9 at Valencia. The 2010 season starts with a night race April 11 in Qatar. The third annual Red Bull Indianapolis GP is Aug. 27-29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. *** RESULTS VALENCIA, Spain Results of the 30-lap Grand Prix of Valencia MotoGP race, with position, rider, country, motorcycle, time behind winner. All riders on Bridgestone tires: 1. Dani Pedrosa Spain Honda + 2. Valentino Rossi Italy Yamaha +2.630 3. Jorge Lorenzo Spain Yamaha +2.913 4. Colin Edwards United States Yamaha +32.515 5. Nicky Hayden United States Ducati +34.585 6. Toni Elias Spain Honda +34.888 7. Ben Spies United States Yamaha +37.706 8. Andrea Dovizioso Italy Honda +38.364 9. Mika Kallio Finland Ducati +42.491 10. Alex de Angelis San Marino Honda +43.689 11. Randy de Puniet France Honda +46.018 12. James Toseland Great Britain Yamaha +50.226 13. Aleix Espargaro Spain Ducati +57.168 14. Loris Capirossi Italy Suzuki +1:06.877 15. Chris Vermeulen Australia Suzuki +1:11.701 16. Gabor Talmacsi Hungary Honda +1:14.405 17. Marco Melandri Italy Kawasaki +1:33.425 NS Casey Stoner Australia Ducati NS Not starting Fastest lap: Pedrosa, 1:32.778, Lap 10; Pole lap: Stoner, 1:32.256 *** POINTS Riders: Rossi 306, Lorenzo 261, Pedrosa 234, Stoner 220, Edwards 161, Dovizioso 160, Elias 115, de Angelis 111, Capirossi 110, Melandri 108, de Puniet 106, Vermeulen 106, Hayden 104, Toseland 92, Kallio 71, Niccolo Canepa 38, Talmacsi 19, Espargaro 16, Sete Gibernau 12, Spies 9, Yuki Takahashi 9. Manufacturers: Yamaha 386, Honda 297, Ducati 272, Suzuki 133, Kawasaki 108. *** PODIUM QUOTES DANI PEDROSA (Repsol Honda Team Honda/Bridgestone, winner): “It’s really great to finish off the season with a win, especially here in front of my home fans. I was waiting on the grid with my visor up, and I was looking to the side for Casey (Stoner) to arrive, but the marshal in front of me was walking to the side and I was thinking: ‘Where is he going?’ So I assumed something had happened to Casey on the warm-up lap. In the first few laps, I had to be careful because you have to warm up the tires here, especially on the right-hand side. But once that was done, we maintained a good pace and kept focused. In the last laps, the wind was strong and it would have been easy to make a mistake, but I was able to control the gap to Valentino and take this win.” VALENTINO ROSSI (Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha/Bridgestone, second): “I’m really happy about this result because it was fantastic to be able to ride well at Valencia, and it’s my best finish here since 2004. Of course, it would have been better to win, but I lost some time at the start battling with (Toni) Elias and (Jorge) Lorenzo, and by that time (Dani) Pedrosa had gone. And at this track, it’s almost impossible to make up a two-second gap. It’s not one of our best tracks, but after the problems we had all weekend, we can be very pleased. We made a great modification in warm-up, so thanks to all my guys for this. We’ve ended the championship on the podium, and it’s been a great season: another world title and the triple crown for Yamaha. I am very proud. Thank you to Yamaha, all my team, Bridgestone and everyone else, now we will have a little party before we start work on the 2010 bike tomorrow.” JORGE LORENZO (Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha/Bridgestone, third): “I had some good fights at the start, and I was feeling quite strong. But then I made a big mistake in the slow corner, and I was lucky not to crash, so Valentino got by. I was in a bit of pain, and I took some time to recover, and by then the gap was a bit too big to catch him. Anyway, I’m happy to get another podium in Spain, and I am so proud to have finished second in the championship. I want to thank everyone, Yamaha, Bridgestone and all my team, because we have worked so hard, and this is a great achievement in just our second season. Now I can’t wait to start testing the new bike, and I look forward to being even stronger next year.” *** AMERICAN RIDER QUOTES COLIN EDWARDS (Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha/Bridgestone, fourth): “Things really fell my way today, but over the course of the season, I feel like I really deserve fifth place in the championship. At best, I was thinking I could finish fifth in the race, but then I saw Casey (Stoner) wasn’t on the grid, and immediately I thought,’Well, there’s some more points up for grabs.’ I got a great start and the bike was working awesome, but those three out front were untouchable. I don’t know how they do it, what they’ve got or what they eat for breakfast, but I couldn’t run their pace. In the middle of the race, I couldn’t carry the corner speed I wanted to, so I tried to smooth myself out and just rode out of my skin. I was doing the best I could but wasn’t sure where (Andrea) Dovizioso was. It turns out Ben (Spies) got by him, and that point proved crucial. I gave him a big hug after the race and anything he wants me to buy him, he can have it. I’m glad he adapted so quickly to the Yamaha because him riding so well is what got me that fifth overall, and I’m really looking forward to working with him. To finish fifth in the championship is a great feeling when you look at the talent in front of me. I was consistent all season and feel like I rode some of my best races to get this final position. I’m happy for myself and for my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3. We are a really close unit, and they always give me 100 percent, so hopefully they can take a lot of satisfaction out of this result, as well. I wish James (Toseland) all the best for the future, too, and am convinced he can carry on Yamaha’s success in World Superbikes.” NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Team Ducati/Bridgestone, fifth): “I thought it might be possible to do a little better than that today, but I didn’t get the best start. The clutch was slipping a little bit down the first couple of straightaways, and I lost some positions. After that I managed to pull myself up again, and from there it was a case of doing my best to try and bridge the gap to Colin (Edwards). The bike was working quite well, but every time I closed a tenth or two he had an answer and pulled it back out. Toward the end I had some issues in a couple of left-handers, and my pace dropped too much. Anyway, I had an enjoyable race, going back and forth with a few guys at the beginning, especially. It’s not a spectacular result, but we’ve end the season with two top fives, and we know we have a direction to work in over the winter. It hasn’t been a great season for me in terms of results, but the improvements we have made since the start are huge, and I’m excited about the future. We’re 13th overall, which looks awful on paper, but we are only 11 points off seventh, and I had three first-lap incidents that weren’t my fault just one of those could have made the difference. Next season starts tomorrow, and I can’t wait to get back to work!” BEN SPIES (Sterilgarda Yamaha Team Yamaha/Bridgestone, seventh): “It was pretty good. I actually got a better start than I expected, but in the first few laps I got shuffled around and bullied a little bit. I guessed that would be the case as I haven’t figured out how to get comfortable quickly on the tires. Eventually I slowly picked off some people with some smart passes, as I didn’t want to mess up anyone else’s championship position, and I wanted to be clean but still ride as hard as I could. I saw (Andrea) Dovizioso and then I was thinking about him and Colin (Edwards) and their battle, and I managed to get past him. Then I kept my head down and tried to keep the laps fast, and I recorded my best time on the last lap, so it was good. I didn’t do anything stupid and stack it up. It was a good weekend, and we got a top 10. This result is like winning a World Superbike race for me in terms of the amount of satisfaction it has given me. These are the fastest guys in the world.” *** MotoGP SUPPORT CLASS WINNERS 250cc: Hector Barbera, Spain, Pepe World Team Aprilia. Hiroshi Aoyama of Japan clinched the World Championship. 125cc: Julian Simon, Spain, Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia. American Cameron Beaubier was not classified after crashing with one lap remaining. He finished the season tied for 27th in the World Championship standings. *** IMS tickets: Established in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has long prevailed as an icon of motorsports excellence. Beginning in 2009, the Speedway celebrates its Centennial Era, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the facility in 2009 and the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2011. Tickets can be purchased online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo finished second and third in the season-ending Grand Prix of Valencia this afternoon, the ninth time the pair have shared the podium this season. It ensured that Yamaha won the Triple Crown for the second year running after Rossi took the Riders’ title, Fiat Yamaha the Teams’ and Yamaha the Constructors’. Today’s result also sealed Lorenzo the runner-up spot in the Championship in just his second year in MotoGP. Between them the Italian and the Spaniard have taken ten wins and a further seventeen podiums, Yamaha’s most successful year ever in MotoGP. With pole-man Casey Stoner crashing on the warm-up lap the first corner shuffle saw Dani Pedrosa take the lead followed by Toni Elias, Rossi and Lorenzo, who quickly passed Rossi to re-take third. The first few laps were a mini battle between the Yamaha team-mates as Lorenzo fought to hold off Rossi and look for a way past Elias at the same time. He passed his fellow Spaniard in the last sector of lap three and Rossi followed quickly in his footsteps, overtaking Elias on the brakes into turn one on the fourth lap. A huge slide by Lorenzo soon after however left the 22-year-old unbalanced and shaken up and Rossi went through, leaving Lorenzo to take a bit of time to find his rhythm again. The World Champion set off after Pedrosa and for a little while looked like he was gaining but Valencia is a notoriously tricky track to make up ground on and in the end he was content to chase home the Spaniard for second place, his best result at Valencia since 2004. Lorenzo finished just three tenths off Rossi but was delighted to seal second in the championship in front of his home fans. As well as Yamaha sealing the Triple Crown and filling the first two spots in the championship, a brilliant performance from Tech 3 rider Colin Edwards today saw him take fourth and ensure fifth place in the championship, the top non-factory rider. Yamaha wild-card Ben Spies finished a brilliant seventh in his first MotoGP race on the M1 and James Toseland finished 12th in his farewell race for the team. Quote from Lin Jarvis, Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing “It gives me a great personal satisfaction for Yamaha and the Fiat Yamaha Team to have achieved “back to back” titles for 2008 and 2009. Our strong performances throughout this year’s MotoGP championship are the result of a good cocktail of essential ingredients all being blended together in the right way. The performances of our riders have been incredible. Vale has won his 9th World Championship, making it 4 titles with Yamaha in his 6 seasons with us. Jorge has again surprised and thrilled us all year and made fantastic progress to claim the runner’s-up position in only his second MotoGP season. Our engineers have used every single input from our riders’ feedback over the past years and throughout this season to develop the YZR-M1 bike into the “bike of reference” in the MotoGP paddock. Our Team staff have worked tirelessly at every test and every Grand Prix to provide the optimum circumstances for our riders to be ready to win. Our corporate staff in Japan and Italy have also provided the essential “base camp” support to provide the back-up for all of the “troops” in the front line. Last but not least, Fiat Auto and our official sponsors and suppliers have also provided the essential support to enable us to go racing in the best possible way. I would like to personally thank everybody for the great team work that has allowed us to achieve all our targets.” Valentino Rossi – Position: 2ndTime: +2.630 “I’m really happy about this result because it was fantastic to be able to ride well at Valencia and it’s my best finish here since 2004. Of course it would have been better to win but I lost some time at the start battling with Elias and Lorenzo and by that time Pedrosa had gone and at this track it’s almost impossible to make up a two second gap. It’s not one of our best tracks but after the problems we had all weekend we can be very pleased, we made a great modification in warm-up so thanks to all my guys for this. We’ve ended the championship on the podium and it’s been a great season, another world title and the triple crown for Yamaha, I am very proud. Thank you to Yamaha, all my team, Bridgestone and everyone else, now we will have a little party before we start work on the 2010 bike tomorrow!” Jorge Lorenzo – Position: 3rdTime: +2.913 “I had some good fights at the start and I was feeling quite strong but then I made a big mistake in the slow corner and I was lucky not to crash, so Valentino got by. I was in a bit of pain and I took some time to recover, and by then the gap was a bit too big to catch him. Anyway I’m happy to get another podium in Spain and I am so proud to have finished second in the championship; I want to thank everyone, Yamaha, Bridgestone and all my team, because we have worked so hard and this is a great achievement in just our second season. Now I can’t wait to start testing the new bike and I look forward to being even stronger next year.” Davide Brivio – Team Manager “After two days of struggling with the setting this was a very good race for us. I think the team and the engineers did a very good job to change the bike completely and find a way that worked for Valentino and we’re happy to finish second here in Valencia, which has never been one of our best results. Now if we arrive here next year needing a good result, we’ll be a bit more confident! It’s been a great season, a historic one for Yamaha because we won everything we could and our riders won the most races and the triple crown, it’s a season to remember. Now we’re looking forward to the next one, which starts tomorrow for us, and we will try to repeat the result!” Daniele Romagnoli – Team Manager “This was a good end to the championship for us and a good way to celebrate a wonderful season with Jorge and the fantastic job the whole Yamaha team have done this year to win the triple crown. We’ve shown all season how strong Yamaha is and the job everyone has done has been fantastic. This is my last race with Yamaha so I want to take the chance to thank everyone here, it’s been a great eight years and I wish Jorge and all the team all the best for the future.” Jubilant Edwards claims fantastic fifth overall Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Colin Edwards produced a stunning final race in Valencia today to clinch a dramatic fifth place in the final 2009 MotoGP world championship standings. Starting from fifth on the grid in front of 94,177 vocal Spanish fans, all eyes were on the Texan and his fight for fifth in the points-standings with Andrea Dovizioso. In sunny but blustery conditions, the Texas Tornado held fifth place until lap seven when he passed Toni Elias to move into fourth. At the time, Dovizioso was back in 11th. Edwards maintained an impressive pace to sit comfortably in fourth position and remain on course for fifth overall. But Dovizoso then produced a dazzling charge through the field to move into seventh position on lap 16. That meant fifth place would go to Dovizioso with no further position changes. But there was one final dramatic twist in arguably Edwards’ best ever MotoGP campaign, thanks to new Monster Yamaha Yamaha Tech 3 rider Ben Spies. The Texan’s brilliant Yamaha debut ended with him passing Dovizioso on lap 25, a move that secured Edwards his hard earned but thoroughly deserved fifth place in the final points tally. British rider James Toseland produced a gallant ride in his final appearance for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team that saw him in contention for a top ten finish throughout the 30-lap encounter. A stunning start and skilled overtaking on the first lap saw him climb into 11th position and he was lock ed in a thrilling dice with Spies, Dovizioso, Mika Kallio, Alex de Angelis and Marco Melandri in the first half of the race. But a small rear tyre issue prevented Toseland from maintaining his fast and consistent pace and he slipped back to finish 12th. Colin Edwards – Position: 4thTime: +32.515 “Things really fell my way today but over the course of the season I feel like I really deserve fifth place in the championship. At best I was thinking I could finish fifth in the race but then I saw Casey wasn’t on the grid and immediately I thought ‘well, there’s some more points up for grabs.’ I got a great start and the bike was working awesome but those three out front were untouchable. I don’t know how they do it, what they’ve got or what they eat for breakfast, but I couldn’t run their pace. In the middle of the race I couldn’t carry the corner speed I wanted to so I tried to smooth myself out and just rode out of my skin. I was doing the best I could but wasn’t sure where Dovizioso was. It turns out Ben got by him and that point proved crucial. I gave him a big bug after the race and anything he wants me to buy him, he can have it. I’m glad he adapted so quickly to the Yamaha because him riding so well is what got me that fifth overall and I’m really looking forward to working with him. To finish fifth in the championship is a great feeling when you look at the talent in front of me. I was consistent all season and feel like I rode some of my best races to get this final position. I’m happy for myself and for my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3. We are a really close unit and they always give me 100 per cent, so hopefully they can take a lot of satisfaction out of this result as well. I wish James all the best for the future too and am convinced he can carry on Yamaha’s success in World Superbikes.” James Toseland – Position: 12thTime: +50.226 “I really enjoyed my last race. I wanted to give my team everything I had and I’m proud to say I did that. I had a good first few laps and took a few risks with not a lot of temperature in the tyres and got myself into a good position. But unfortunately on about lap 15 the rear tyre turned on the rim and I wasn’t able to keep the pace and stay in the bunch that were battling for seventh place. I’d like to congratulate Colin for fifth in the championship because he has done a brilliant job. I’d like to thank everybody working with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team for all the effort and support they have given me. I’ve had an absolutely fantastic time with them and I’ll take a lot of interest in how they perform in the future. I’ve made a lot of friends in MotoGP and at Tech 3 and the team will always hold a special place in my heart. Now I’ve got to look to the futu re and I do so relishing a new challenge with Yamaha.” Herve Poncharal – Team Manager “I can’t congratulate Colin enough for the amazing job he has done this season. To finish behind those four guys is an incredible feat and one that gives the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team a lot of pride to have been involved in helping achieving fifth position in the championship for him. He has been consistent all year long and hardly ever outside the top six, and I would say this has been his best ever season. I’m so happy he is still with us next year because he brings so much to the team. Not just in terms of his results but his personality has been a great asset to the team, Yamaha and MotoGP. The sport needs more people like Colin and I can’t wait for next season when we have the full Texan team. I am really excited about the prospect of working with Ben. What he did this weekend w as amazing. By passing Dovizioso as well he did a great favour to Colin and a great job for our team. I also want pass on my heartfelt thanks to James for all his hard work since he joined us at the end of 2007. We’ve had some up and downs but he brought a lot to the team. He is a true gentleman and he has been one of the hardest working and highly motivated riders ever to be at Tech 3. He has plenty to proud of in MotoGP. He is staying in the Yamaha family and I would like to wish him all the best in 2010. I’m sure he will keep Yamaha on top in World Superbikes.” Spies takes well earned seventh in Valencia GP Ben Spies made a good job of silencing any critics he may have today as he set about putting his mark on the GP field ahead of his racing year in 2010. Starting from ninth on the grid he had a good start to hold his position until Marco Melandri passed him towards the end of the first lap. As he got used to his race tires and settled into his pace he dropped further until lap eight where he held 12th behind Andrea Dovizioso. As lap 11 got under way the American wildcard tucked in and got down to business, taking Melandri for 11th and beginning to chase down Mika Kallio. He caught him on lap 17 to take 10th then swiftly dispatched De Angelis on the next lap for ninth. By lap 19 Spies was turning in a 1’34.1 second lap, quick enough to be running with Colin Edwards in fourth. The speed enabled him to catch Randy De Puniet by lap 21 for eighth and close in on Dovizioso in seventh. With six laps to go, he capitalized on a mistake as the Repsol Honda rider ran wide, passing on the inside to take seventh and hold it to the line, claiming his first top ten MotoGP race finish for Yamaha. Ben Spies Sterilgarda Yamaha Team – Position: 7th Time: +37.706 “It was a good day. We got a good start which something I didn’t think was going to happen. For the first six or seven laps I wasn’t really on it, I wasn’t used to the way the tires come in so I was halfway taking it easy and halfway getting pushed around because I didn’t want to do anything silly. Once we got into a rhythm I got to follow some people and it was ok, then I slowly started to pass some people and got my eyes set on the guys in front. Once I got passed Dovizioso I could see Nicky Hayden and Tony Elias up ahead. I knew I wasn’t going to catch them but I tried to keep my pace going and was able to keep it steady. It’s been a dream first weekend for us, to get seventh on a track I don’t particularly favour is pretty cool, the feeling is the same as winning a superbike race. I’m happy we’ve kept the bike off the ground and made solid progress all weekend which was our number one goal. I just want to thank Yamaha for giving me this opportunity, and all the sponsors that helped put this together for the weekend, especially Sterilgarda, BM Group, Fimer, Parts Europe and everybody else who made it possible to get this thing going, I think we did a good job for them.” Massimo Meregalli, Sterilgarda Yamaha Team Manager “Another impressive weekend from Ben. He improved steadily in all the sessions, we knew this morning that he would finish the race higher than he started. I think soon he’ll pick up full confidence in the bike and tires and in time will reach his full potential on the track. I’m pretty sure that next week he’ll improve some more and get closer to the pace. I know he’s a very clever rider and he’s going to achieve his goals in MotoGP. I too want to thank all the sponsors who made it possible for us to come and race here this weekend, Sterilgarda, BM Group, Fimer, Parts Europe and everyone else have been brilliant.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Valentino Rossi was the star of the show once again on Sunday evening at the traditional gala ceremony in Valencia which closes the MotoGP season, as he was officially presented with his 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship trophy, in the Spanish city’s Palacio de Congresos. At the conclusion of the 2009 FIM MotoGP Awards Ceremony, which was presented by the BBC’s Matthew Roberts and TVE’s Ainhoa Arbizu and broadcast across the globe, Rossi was presented with the trophy by Mr. Francisco Camps, President of the Generalitat Valenciana and Rita Barberá, the Mayoress of Valencia. Mr. Vito Ippolito, the President of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme and Mr. Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports, were also in attendance as an array of prizes were awarded over the course of the evening, marking the achievements of those riders who have excelled on-track this year. Newly crowned 250cc World Champion Hiroshi Aoyama – who clinched the title at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana earlier on Sunday – and the 2009 125cc World title winner Julián Simón were both also presented with their respective trophies. Additional prize categories included Rookie of the Year, Tissot Pole of Poles for best qualifier in each class, BMW M Award for best MotoGP qualifier and the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ World Championships. More, from a press release issued by KTM: Farewell KTM 125cc We would like to thank KTM and Red Bull, all our partners, sponsors, suppliers, media , friends and of course our riders for their support and all efforts over the last seven years. Without you all development and success would not have been possible! Thank you in the name of all Red Bull KTM Moto Sport staff! Statistic 125 FRR 2003-2009 Construction Harald Bartol – Technical Director Mario Galeotti – Chassis Development Warren Willing – Chassis Development Xavier Palacin – Engine Design Javier Soldevila – Chassis Design Construction time January 2003 – GP Suzuka / April 2003 Podium 13 x Victory 20 x 2nd Position 13 x 3rd Position Total 46 x 125cc Podium 15 x Pole Position 6 x Circuit Best Lap 8 x Fastest Lap 1 x Constructor Titel 2005 Statistic 250 FRR 2005-2009 Construction Harald Bartol – Technical Director Mario Galeotti – Chassis Development Warren Willing – Chassis Development Xavier Palacin – Engine Design Javier Soldevila – Chassis Design Construction time Winter 2004/2005 – GP Donington / July 2005 Podium 9 x Victory 6 x 2nd Position 9 x 3rd Position Total 24 x Podiums 250cc 5 x Pole Position 4 x Circuit Best Lap 11 x Fastest Lap Some best moments: “¢ 2003: First podium for 125cc after only 14 rounds (2nd Position M. Kallio / GP Sepang) “¢ 2005: First KTM win (C. Stoner / GP Sepang) “¢ 2005: Constructors Titel 125cc class “¢ 2005: Podium in 250cc at first Race participation (2nd Position A. West / GP Donington) “¢ 2006: First victory in 250cc (H. Aoyama / GP Istanbul Park) “¢ 2006: Victories 125cc + 250cc GP Motegi (125cc 1st Position M. Kallio / 250cc 1st Position H. Aoyama) “¢ 2007: 250cc double win GP Sachsenring (1st Position H. Aoyama, 2nd Position M. Kallio) “¢ Total of 22 Victories / 70 Podiums Worst moments: “¢ 2008: GP Sepang: Information about closing 250cc GP project “¢ 2009: GP Estoril: Information about closing 125cc GP project