British Grand Prix Silverstone, June 12th, 2011 Race report A soaked track didn’t help Pietri and Corti. The rider from Como (Italy) suffered a racing problem at turn one and, later on, had to chance helmet. The Venezuelan, in the first part of the GP was able to improve his position but, when the rain increased, had to cope with an unpredictable problem. Robertino Pietri (46’39″404, 23rd) “Everything OK in the first half, when I was in an interesting position. While rain increased, I was forced to slow down more than expected our set up was certainly good for medium-rain condition, but not equally efficient with heavy rain”. Claudio Corti (dnf) “First lap, first corner a contact. I went wide. I rejoined the race, but at the back. Later in the race, I suffered a problem I could not have a good vision trough my visor. I stopped, changed helmet and rejoined again. Unfortunately, the problem was still there, and was forced to give up”. Claudio Macciotta (Technical Director) “We deserve a lot more. I’m sure of that. We are living a difficult situation, in which nothing seem to go awry”. Luigi Pansera (Team Manager) “We are not satisfied at all. This is not a first part of season we awaited. Everyone must have recourse to professionalism we absolutely must shift gear”. More, from a press release issued by KTM: Red Bull Rookie Baldassarri triumphs on wet Silverstone circuit Lorenzo Baldassarri of Italy rode a near faultless race in treacherous wet conditions on Sunday to steal an impressive victory in the second of two Red Bull Rookie races held on the British circuit this weekend. The 14-year old rider finished 11 seconds ahead of Austrian Lukas Trautmann, who won Saturday’s race and is now just five points behind championship leader Arthur Sissis of Australia. Frenchman Alan Techer who started from pole position, finished third. It was the first time that the Red Bull Rookies has visited the British circuit and it was a weekend that shook up the standing order. Sissis, who has been in the forefront of the competition was only able to finish in sixth spot and declared it his worst ever weekend in his 3-seasons in the competition, saying he had to forget it and move on. Baldassarri, who finished second on Saturday, was delighted with his result. “It was a great race, I made a good start and I immediately found a good feeling. I was very comfortable going at that speed and I only had a slide on the first lap when I ran on the grass, after that everything was OK. I looked behind and could see Lukas there but I was not worried, I was getting cold and wet but I knew I could win if I didn’t make any mistakes.” Trautmann was also pleased with his second place, saying “The start was good and when I saw Lorenzo have his big slide on the first lap I was able to catch him. But that was also a warning about how easy it was to make a mistake in these slippery conditions and I really didn’t want to make a mistake. He was so fast in a couple of sections that I realized it was not possible to go with him and I was happy with second.” Pole sitter Techer had been disappointed with sixth on Saturday but was pleased to be on the podium. Riders have now absolved 6 of the 14 races on the 2011 calendar so the championship remains wide open. They will reconvene on the Dutch circuit of Assen in two weeks time. All Red Bull Rookies ride identical KTM 125 RR machines. Results 1, Lorenzo Baldassarri, Italy 2, Lukas Trautmann, Austria 3, Alan Techer, France 4, Ivo Lopez, Spain 5, Xavier Pinsach, Spain Championship standings 1, Arthur Sissis, Australia, 96 2, Lorenzo Baldassarri Italy, 91 3, Alan Techner, France, 68 4, Lukas Trautmann, Austria, 67 5, Ivo lopes, Spain, 51 More, from a press release issued by FTR Moto: FTR MOTO AND CORSI MAINTAIN SECOND IN MOTO2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FTR MOTO remain second in the Moto2 World Championship after IODA Racing Project Team’s Simone Corsi took a hard-fought 10th place in Sunday’s rain-soaked sixth round of the series at Silverstone, Great Britain. Corsi was one of three FTR riders in the top 10 at Silverstone with Esteve Rabat taking a best finish so far in 2011 with sixth place on the Blusens STX M211 and his Colombian team-mate Yonny Hernandez repeated last week’s Catalunya GP finish of ninth place. Corsi’s team-mate Mattia Pasini looked set for a first victory as he powered through from 22nd place on the grid to lead the race, easing away into a healthy lead until he crashed out on lap seven, escaping injury. Consistent Max Neukirchner was again in the points on his MZ-FTR with 12th place while young Scotsman Kev Coghlan finished in the points for the second time this year, bringing his Aeroport de Castello M211 home in 13th. Raffaele de Rosa was 21st after crashing and re-mounting on the SAG Team M211 the Italian standing in for Santiago Hernandez who missed the event due to visa problems. French youngster Valentin Debise finished 22nd on the Speed Up Team M211. Pol Espargaro, on the HP Tuenti Speed Up FTR, crashed without injury with two laps to go while Anthony West (MZ-FTR), Kenny Noyes (FOGI/GP Tech Team) and Ratthapark Wilairot (Thai Honda Singha SAG) were all retirements from the 18-lap race. “Obviously the conditions made the race and the result a bit of a lottery,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “Having said that, Esteve Rabat kept a cool head for a great sixth place and, likewise, Simon Corsi continues to show Championship-challenging potential with another consistent finish. “It was a real shame for Mattia Pasini and the IODA Project Team but the place where Mattia crashed did catch quite a few riders out during the weekend so he was very unlucky. We’ve got a small break now to process the Silverstone technical data and prepare for the Dutch race on Saturday week.” More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: NO TROUBLE FOR CHECA DOUBLE AT WORLD SUPERBIKE SAN MARINO Misano, Italy, June 13, 2011 A sun-kissed 61,000-strong Misano crowd bore witness to the 2011 phenomenon that is Carlos Checa this past weekend as he took an imperious double win for his Althea Racing Ducati team at the San Marino Round. This was Checa’s third double win of 2011. The first 24-lap Superbike took place as planned but the second race at Misano was halted and then restarted after 14 laps when Marco Melandri’s bike lay across the track and another rider fell off directly behind, prompting fears of an oil leak. The first running of race two was disregarded, with full points going to all riders who scored in the second running. Behind Carlos, Max Biaggi overcame a highly disturbed practice and Tissot Superpole contest on Saturday to take two second places and stick in the slipstream of Checa in the points standings. It was a bad day for Melandri, even as he scored third in race one, as his inability to restart in race two means he left his second home race of the year with only 16 points compared to Checa’s 50 and Biaggi’s 40. “This was truly fantastic day of racing, especially considering that the forecasted rain on race day never arrived,” said Giorgio Barbier, Racing Director of Pirelli Moto. “A wet Superpole allowed Pirelli to see the performances of the soft Diablo Rain rear and slightly harder rain front, with Sykes (Kawasaki) taking his second pole of his WSBK career. “Just a few dry practice sessions on Saturday gave WSBK teams limited possibility to setup their machines, since the Sunday qualifying was a bath of constant down-pouring rain. Hard-compound SCR2 Diablo Rain tires were supplied in order to guarantee excellent performance on this wet abrasive track and to keep riders’ confidence in such difficult conditions, considering the need for numerous changes in traction control settings. As always, Pirelli was prepared with full-rain, intermediate and Diablo Superbike slicks, a compliment of 1500 tires for this USA round. Superpole’s variable conditions left two Ducatis and two Yamahas in the front row for race day. Cold temperatures overnight made for a cold but drying track for morning warm-up, but the cloud break showed promise. Even with 3 front and 3 rear solutions (SC1, SC2) available for dry racing, including last year’s race-wining tires, 20°C on the asphalt and uncertain bike settings moved all riders to the SC1 mid-soft Diablo Superbike rear tires for Race 1, the high-performance choice for colder conditions. Still, some riders pushed too hard at the race start and caused increased tire wear, accelerated also by various wet spots on the track. It was pole sitter and Best Lap winner Carlos Checa (Ducati) who used his Diablo Superbike SC1 tires to lap consistently in the 1’49 and 1’50s, finally earning a 2.7 second win over Ducati riders Smrz and Guintoli, the latter his first podium of the season. Race 2 brought only one tire change by Lascorz (Kawasaki) who switched to the A front, although many discussed changes with the sun out and a warming track. Aprilia riders Camier and Biaggi came back to fight in Race 2 for a 2nd and 3rd place finish, but the double-win rider Checa (Ducati) set the Best Lap of 1’48.827 and repeated his excellent results of three years ago at Miller Motorsports Park. Biaggi was proceeded by Laverty (Yamaha) and Fabrizio (Suzuki) to make 4 manufacturers in the top five.” Pirelli BEST LAP Awards: SBK Race 1 Carlos Checa (Althea Racing), 1’36.520 (Lap 5) SBK Race 2 Carlos Checa (Althea Racing), 1’36.344 (Lap 3) Total BEST LAP (SBK): Checa C. (Althea Racing): 5, Biaggi M. (Aprilia Alitalia Racing): 3, Haga N. (PATA Racing Team Aprilia): 1, Sykes T. (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike): 1, Camier L. (Aprilia Alitalia Racing): 1, Fabrizio M. (Team Suzuki Alstare): 1 WSS Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), 1’40.054 (Lap 7) Total BEST LAP (WSS): Foret F. (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda): 2, Lowes S. (Parkalgar Honda): 1, Scassa L. (Yamaha ParkinGO Team): 1, Davies C. (Yamaha ParkinGO Team): 1 Stk1000 Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing), 1’38.825 (Lap 4) Stk600 Nicola Jr. Morrentin (Elle2Ciatt), 2’01.497 (Lap 12) Race 1 Checa took the race win, his seventh of the year, as he dominated the second half of the first race at Misano, heading long time race leader Biaggi by 0.9 seconds. Third was Melandri who slowed in the final lap but still took a clear third. Behind, Sykes took his best finish of the year in fourth, after a last corner sort-out with fifth place rider Laverty. “We were a little bit in trouble at the beginning, with a few riders between me and Max, he was strong,” said winner Carlos Checa. “I was able to get second slowly, catching Max. I could overtake him, and then put some gap between me and him. At the end the result was very good.” Results: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 39’03.132 (155,828 kph); 2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 0.984; 3. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 17.124; 4. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 18.652; 5. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 18.929; 6. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 21.003; 7. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 22.942; 8. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 23.117; etc. Race 2 Checa took his second win of the day, and his eighth of the year, to extend his championship lead over second place race finisher Biaggi. The first running of the race was nullified when Melandri crashed and his machine lay in a dangerous position on the racetrack, leading to a 14-lap race, which determined all the places and full points. Third place was fought over to the last possible moment, with Noriyuki Haga (Pata Aprilia) and Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike) third and fourth respectively. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) kept his machine upright to take fifth. “It was a fantastic weekend, we expected to be competitive but not at this level. We took the best at this track, and the team worked so well. In the second race we had different tires, because it was hotter, and we made the right decision because the bike gave me an even better finish,” exclaimed Checa. “After the race the chain broke while I was celebrating but it’s better than breaking in the race!” Second-place finisher Max Biaggi added, “I think I did my best, pushing and pushing. I made a mistake because the bike was locking into the corner. I saved it but I lost quite a bit of time, then I was able to follow but not come close because Carlos had more speed. Maybe we didn’t have the same equipment as before, but I hope that in the future there will be some improvements. Two times second so we must be satisfied. The points gap between me and Carlos is a lot, but we now need a bit more.” Results: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 22’44.117 (156,138 kph); 2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1.484; 3. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 7.772; 4. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 7.856; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 9.714; 6. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 10.777; 7. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 10.875; 8. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 13.483; etc. Points (after 6 of 13 rounds): 1. Checa 245; 2. Biaggi 173; 3. Melandri 150; 4. Laverty 123; 5. Haslam 106; 6. Camier 101; 7. Fabrizio 95; 8. Rea 94; 9. Smrz 83; 10. Guintoli 72; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 252; 2. Aprilia 212; 3. Yamaha 190; 4. BMW 138; 5. Honda 111; 6. Suzuki 99; 7. Kawasaki 89. World Supersport Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com) took his first win of the year in fine style, taking the lead from Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO), who would eventually finish sixth today. A spirited second in the 22-lap race was former Misano race winner, Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) with Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) blasting his way to third, ahead of David Salom (Kawasaki Motocard.com) and long term second-place runner, Ilario Dionisi (Honda Italia Improve FG). In the championship standings, Parkes now leads Davies by five points, 85 to 80, with Davies’ team-mate Luca Scassa third on an unchanged 70 points. Foret has 56 points, Salom 55. Results: 1. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 37’00.851 (150,708 kph); 2. Foret F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1.933; 3. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 2.890; 4. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 3.262; 5. Dionisi I. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 4.976; 6. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 7.024; 7. Ellison J. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 7.344; 8. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 16.093; etc. Points (after 5 rounds of 12): 1. Parkes 85; 2. Davies 80; 3. Scassa 70; 4. Foret 56; 5. Salom 55; 6. Harms 51; 7. Lowes 43; 8. Marino 31; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Yamaha 110; 2. Honda 88; 3. Kawasaki 85; 4. Triumph 14. Superstock 1000 Roman rider Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) scored a popular win and a new lap record of 1 minute 38.825 seconds at Misano, with the race finally red flagged with just over three laps to go and the results counted back to lap 10. Pole man Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team Ducati) was second, 3.1 seconds behind Giugliano, and Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) was third, 5.2 seconds back. Sylvain Barrier, Niccolo Canepa and Michele Magnoni were next up, in an almost overwhelming day for riders of Italian origin. Results: 1. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 16’36.317 (152,698 kph); 2. Petrucci D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 3.180; 3. Zanetti L. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 5.253; 4. Barrier S. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 10.668; 5. Canepa N. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 11.559; 6. Magnoni M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 14.552; 7. Massei F. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 15.413; 8. La Marra E. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 16.063; etc. Points (after 3 rounds of 10): 1. Giugliano 70; 2. Petrucci 53; 3. Zanetti 48; 4. Barrier 29; 5. Magnoni 26; 6. Canepa 24; 7. Massei 20; 8. Antonelli 18. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 70; 2. BMW 57; 3. Kawasaki 31; 4. Honda 26; 5. Yamaha 4. Two Countries Cup The inaugural race in this new class was won by the Russian Vladimir Leonov (Yakhnich Motorsport) by 1.347 seconds from Italian Andrea Agnelli (Clinica Della Moto). The next three riders, Stefano Togni, Denis Sacchetti and Michele Conti were also Italian, but Sergey Vlasov joined his fellow countryman Leonov in the top six. No fewer than 29 riders took part. Pirelli Tire North America designs, develops, manufactures and markets tires for passenger vehicles in both the original equipment and replacement markets as well as markets and distributes tires for motorcycles and motorsports. Located in Rome, Georgia, Pirelli’s Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) employs state-of-the-art technology to manufacture tires for both export and domestic markets. For more information please visit www.us.pirelli.com. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha R6 Fills Top 5 Places in European Superstock 600 in Misano The powerful Yamaha YZF-R6 machine dominated round three of the European Superstock 600, claiming the top five places in Misano for the San Marino stop off of the 2011 Championship this weekend. Unseasonal wet weather provided treacherous track conditions for the 12 lap race resembling a battle to remain upright in a field decimated by crashes. The local Italian, Giuliano Gregorini (RCGM Team), from Fano on the Riviera coast was in top form in the wet conditions, taking the lead right off the grid and proceeding to claim his first win of the 2011 season. Next man to the flag was the Australian Jed Metcher (MTM-RT Motorsports Team), followed by previous round winner Romain Lanusse (MRS Yamaha Racing France), Nicola Jr Morrentino (Elle2Ciatti Yamaha) and the Belgian Gauthier Duwelz (Team MTM-RT Motorsports). Lanusse still leads the way in the Superstock 600 standings with a total of 61 points, 25 ahead of this weekend’s runner up, Metcher, in second place. Gregorini and Dino Lombardi (Martini Corse Yamaha) follow to complete the top four in the classification, all riders powered by the strong Yamaha YZF-R6 machine that dominated the weekend, despite the difficult condition. Round four of the European Superstock 600 Championship will take place just next weekend at the Spanish track in Aragon, located just five km from the city of Alcaniz. More, from a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsport: Season’s Best For Sykes At Misano Yorkshireman Tom Sykes and the Paul Bird Motorsport Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R took a season best for rider and manufacturer with fourth place in race one at round six of the World Superbike Championship held at Misano in Italy. As well as Sykes securing his first pole position of the year, the Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team had reason for even more celebration with Spaniard Joan Lascorz taking a ninth place finish and Australia’s Chris Vermeulen being placed 14th in his comeback weekend, taking his first points of the year. In the second race, Lascorz was top Kawasaki finisher in ninth place again with Vermeulen impressing into tenth. Sykes, who had been in line for a second good finish of the day in the first halted race, found the early laps of the restart difficult and he eventually fell, but remounted to finish 14th and take important points. Tom Sykes: “We have come away from one of our least favourite circuits with a pole position and a fourth place. In race one I was feeling good and in race two, I dropped a couple of positions but I felt I had the pace to get them back easily. Then the race was stopped, I do not know why because as it turned out there was no oil or anything down, certainly nothing to stop the race. In the restart of race two, I got batting with a couple of guys and that put me out of my rhythm. I tried turning just a little bit tighter to go inside Xaus at turn three and unfortunately ran over the white line inside the track and that took the front away but I remounted and got two points. We were a lot stronger in race one for fourth and we have to be happy with the way things went this weekend, with a Superpole win and a good top four finish.” Joan Lascorz: “It was a strange race day but it gave me some points and two top ten placings so there are some positive things to take away from here. I fitted a soft tyre for race two and I had a better feeling and I could push more. Overall we have some positives so we know what is now possible.” Chris Vermeulen: “Obviously it was hard to jump back into the thick of it this weekend and we had three races, not two. I am a little bit sore now but we managed to finish both races in the points and with a little bit of luck, got into the top ten in race two. In race one, we had a little issue with the set-up because I was struggling to get a good feeling from the front of the bike but we were able to improve that in race two. We are still learning but we are improving all the time.” Paul Bird, Team Owner: “This is more like it and to see Tom on pole was very pleasing. Tom rode well to finish fourth and I was pleased with his strategy in passing Eugene Laverty on the last lap and he was unlucky to crash out in race two. We need to build on this success with Joan and Chris also so I’m hopeful of them doing this for the next race this weekend in Aragon.” Results – Race One 1, C Checa (Althea Racing) 2, M Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) 3, M Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) 4, T Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) 5, E Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) 6, L Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) 7, S Guintoli (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing) 8, A Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team) 9, J Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) 10, M Berger (Supersonic Racing Team) 14, C Vermeulen (Kawasaki Racing Team) Results – Race Two 1, C Checa (Althea Racing) 2, M Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) 3, N Haga (PATA Racing Team Aprilia) 4, A Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team) 5, L Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 6, M Fabrizio (Team Suzuki Alstare) 7, S Guintoli (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing) 8, R Xaus (Castrol Honda) 9, J Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) 10, C Vermeulen (Kawasaki Racing Team) 14, T Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Championship Standings (after round 6) 1, C Checa – 245pts 2, M Biaggi – 173 3, M Melandri – 150 4, E Laverty – 123 5, L Haslam – 106 6, L Camier – 101 7, M Fabrizio – 95 8, J Rea – 94 9, J Smrz – 83 10, S Guintoli – 72 13, T Sykes – 65 14, J Lascorz – 53 20, C Vermeulen – 8 More, from a press release issued by Boulder Motor Sports: Boulder Motor Sports’ Shane Turpin Wins MRA Race of The Rockies at HPR Boulder, Colorado, June 13th , 2011 – Boulder Motor Sports rider Shane “Tornado” Turpin showcased the teams Ducati 1198R in the premier “Race of the Rockies” Superbike class at High Plains Raceway Raceway during the third round of the 2011 MRA season. The team was fortunate to have a great setup right from the beginning. With a few minor adjustments, Turpin managed to qualify 2nd on the grid just a few tenths off pole sitter Dan Turner on his Suzuki GSXR1000. As the lights went out, Dalton Dimick jumped out to an early lead on his BMW S1000RR from the second row with Turpin close in pursuit. Coming off turn 3 onto the long back straight Turpin managed to get a great drive on his Ducati 1198R and grab the lead away from Dimick. For the remaining 13 laps, Turpin was able to run a consistent pace, nearly breaking the track record, to bring home the win for the Boulder Motor Sports Team. Shane Turpin ” I was really looking forward to racing the Ducati 1198R this weekend. We struggled a bit at PPIR the previous round with the new bike, but the entire Boulder Motor Sports team did a fantastic job this weekend with preparing and setting up the bike for High Plains Raceway. I knew after Saturdays practice we had a race-winning package going into Sundays race. I’d like to thank my team, our sponsors and the entire MRA officials, especially the corner workers who endured a long weekend under mixed weather conditions.” In addition to the first place finish in Race of the Rockies, the team also placed first in Heavy Weight Superbike, first in Open Superbike and second in Middleweight Superbike. The Boulder Motor Sports team will be back in action on July 10th for Round 4 of the MRA’s 2011 season at Pueblo Motorsports Park in Pueblo, Colorado. About Boulder Motor Sports: Boulder Motor Sports is a Ducati-specific service shop specializing in high-performance upgrades along with routine service needs designed to make the Ducati motorcycle riding experience the best for their owners. For more information about Boulder Motor Sports and upcoming events please visit www.bouldermotorsports.com Boulder Motor Sports is proudly sponsored by Snap-On Tools, Michelin Tires, Vanmar Racing, Walnut Room, Junkyard Ink, Imperial Sportbikes, Nemesis Traction Control Systems, Pierobon, Motul Lubricants, EBC Brakes, Metal-Tech Racing Components, Performance Technology Levers, Intermountain Race Fuels, Corsa Components, Bell Helmets, TCX Boots and Spy Optics. More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: MotoGP RACE REPORT: GRAND PRIX OF GREAT BRITAIN American Edwards finishes incredible third as Stoner takes points lead with wet victory INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, June 13, 2011 – Casey Stoner continued his reign of terror with his third consecutive victory of the season in Grand Prix of Great Britain on Sunday, June 12, but the MotoGP paddock was more abuzz afterward by the performance of American veteran Colin Edwards. Edwards, from Houston, finished an incredible third in a wet, treacherous race at Silverstone just eight days after his broken collarbone was surgically repaired with a titanium plate and 13 screws. Edwards’ collarbone broke in five places during a crash on his Monster Tech 3 Yamaha during practice June 3 at the Catalunya Grand Prix in Barcelona, Spain. But Edwards, whose smooth style is perfectly suited for wet conditions, earned his first podium finish since placing second – also in torrential rain – in the British Grand Prix in July 2009 at Donington Park. This ride, though, was one for the ages considering the speedy comeback from injury. “That was an unbelievable race, and to finish on the podium feels amazing,” Edwards said. “I was happy to qualify eighth, but never in a million years did I think I’d be on the podium just over a week after breaking my collarbone. My shoulder felt great, and it was the muscle damage around my ribs that caused me the most pain. I just gritted my teeth and got on with it, just trying to stay smooth and not make any mistakes.” Edwards finished 21.480 seconds behind 2007 MotoGP World Champion Stoner, who took the lead for good on Lap 2 after starting from pole. Stoner’s Repsol Honda teammate, Andrea Dovizioso, was second, 15.159 seconds behind. The fantastic ride by Edwards capped a solid day for two of the three American riders. 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden, another rider who excels in the wet, finished fourth on his Ducati. Alvaro Bautista placed a season-best fifth on a Suzuki, as a motorcycle from all four manufacturers in MotoGP finished in the top five for the first time this season. American Ben Spies failed to finish for the third time this season, as he crashed hard in Turn 1 on Lap 7 while running fifth on his Yamaha Factory machine. Spies complained of back pain, but X-rays were negative. Spies’ Yamaha Factory teammate, reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, crashed one lap later while running second and trying to keep pace with Stoner. Marco Simoncelli continued his topsy-turvy season by crashing out of third place while trying to chase Dovizioso on Lap 10. That crash launched Edwards into third, where he stayed for the rest of the race. Stoner passed Lorenzo for the lead in the MotoGP standings with his fourth victory of the season. Stoner leads Lorenzo, 116-98. The next race is TT Assen on June 23-25 in The Netherlands. The Red Bull Indianapolis GP is Aug. 26-28 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. RESULTS NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, England – Results of the 20-lap Grand Prix of Great Britain MotoGP race, with position, rider, country, motorcycle, time behind winner. All riders on Bridgestone tires: 1. Casey Stoner Australia Ducati 2. Andrea Dovizioso Italy Honda +15.159 3. Colin Edwards United States Yamaha +21.480 4. Nicky Hayden United States Ducati +26.984 5. Alvaro Bautista Spain Suzuki +35.569 6. Valentino Rossi Italy Ducati +1:04.526 7. Karel Abraham Czech Republic Ducati +1:32.650 8. Toni Elias Spain Honda +1:51.938 9. Hiroshi Aoyama Japan Honda +1:52.350 10. Loris Capirossi Italy Ducati +2:03.312 11. Hector Barbera Spain Ducati +1 lap 12. Randy de Puniet France Ducati +1 lap NC Marco Simoncelli Italy Honda +10 laps NC Jorge Lorenzo Spain Yamaha +12 laps NC Ben Spies United States Yamaha +13 laps NC – Not classified Fastest lap: Hayden, 2:21.432, Lap 17; Pole lap: Stoner, 2:02.020 POINTS Riders: Stoner 116, Lorenzo 98, Dovizioso 83, Rossi 68, Pedrosa 61, Hayden 60, Aoyama 43, Edwards 37, Spies 36, Abraham 33, Simoncelli 32, Barbera 31, Crutchlow 30, Elias 28, Bautista 22, Capirossi 22, De Puniet 10, Hopkins 6. Manufacturers: Honda 145, Yamaha 114, Ducati 76, Suzuki 28. PODIUM QUOTES CASEY STONER (Repsol Honda Team, winner): “At the beginning of the race, we didn’t have a great start, and I needed to wait for the tires to get up to temperature. In the first few laps when I was behind the other riders, I got a lot of spray up inside the visor, and it was hard for me to see or for me to push. At this time I was being careful, trying to cover my lines to stop them coming inside. Then after five laps, my visibility got clearer and the water drained away from my visor, and I was able to start doing the lap times we were looking for and started to open up a gap. I was just happy to stay up on the bike. It was incredibly cold, and I was so nervous as in these conditions it’s so easy to crash. We had a great race today in very tough conditions where anything could have happened, but to come away with a win is fantastic.” ANDREA DOVIZIOSO (Repsol Honda Team, second): “I’m really happy with today’s podium. It’s a second place that feels like gold. The track conditions were very tricky, with much more water than in the warm-up this morning. We made a modification on the setup to have more rear grip, and then we did a very good strategy. It helped us doing two laps before the race to bring the tires up to temperature quicker. I had a very good start, and then I was focused to manage the second position with Casey. I was braking very hard to close the doors to Lorenzo and Simoncelli. I had a good rhythm, not too far from Casey’s pace, but he is very strong with these conditions so I preferred to manage my race the best I could. I want to thank my team for the hard work and the support. We need to improve the performance also in qualifying, but at the important moment, in the race, we are there. We never give up. With today’s second place, we have consolidated the third position in the championship and reduced the gap to Lorenzo. The season is still long, so I’m confident.” COLIN EDWARDS (Monster Yamaha Tech 3, third): “That was an unbelievable race, and to finish on the podium feels amazing. I was happy to qualify eighth, but never in a million years did I think I’d be on the podium just over a week after breaking my collarbone. I need to thank Dr. Xavier Mir for the repair job he did on my shoulder and also my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 because they gave me a phenomenal bike today. My shoulder felt great, and it was the muscle damage around my ribs that caused me the most pain. But the rain definitely helped because it was a lot less physical than in the dry. I just gritted my teeth and got on with it, just trying to stay smooth and not make any mistakes. Conditions were pretty bad, and it was a case of working out when and where you could push. I’d have been happy to finish the race and then go home to think about Assen. But I saw a few people succumbing to the conditions, and I saw P3 on by board and I couldn’t believe it. At that time, though, there were still eight or nine laps to go, and I couldn’t feel my hands or my feet because it was so wet and cold. It was difficult, but it was a good way to the end the weekend for the team after what happened to Cal. Nobody wants to get hurt, but being injured for your home race is really tough to take, so I wish him a quick recovery and hope to see him back in Assen.” MORE AMERICAN RIDER QUOTES NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Team, fourth): “To be honest, I really liked my chances for a podium in the rain today. If you’d have told me before the race that I could have fourth, I’d have said, ‘No, thanks, I can do better,’ but I’m not disappointed with my ride. I didn’t get a great start because the clutch was jumpy, and for the first few laps, it was hard to see and to get heat in the tires. I had a big moment on the exit of Turn 1 and actually jarred my shoulder pretty good, but I tried to hang in there. I saw Colin in front of me for the podium, and I really pushed. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever had the fastest lap on a Ducati, which is kind of cool even if you don’t get points for it. Full respect to Colin a week after breaking his collarbone, but I still don’t like him beating me for the podium! Thanks to the team. It hasn’t been an easy weekend for us, but we kept trying and got a pretty good chunk of points. We’ll take it and move on.” BEN SPIES (Yamaha Factory Racing, not classified): “I’m so disappointed to finish like this after we worked so hard to be ready for the race. It’s been a challenging weekend for all the guys with the different weather changes, but we were ready to race with a really good package. The track was really wet. When I hit the brakes going into Turn 1, the front just dropped away and I hit the wall before I knew it. I hit my back pretty badly. My back protector is really busted up, but it did its job. I’m really sore and will probably need a big cushion for a few days, but I’m happy it wasn’t worse. We’ll take a few days to relax and recover then come back fighting at Assen.” MotoGP SUPPORT CLASS WINNERS Moto2: Stefan Bradl, Germany, Viessmann Kiefer Kalex. American Kenny Noyes was not classified. 125cc: Jonas Folger, Germany, Red Bull Ajo MotorSport Aprilia. NEXT RACE TT Assen, TT Circuit Assen, Assen, Netherlands, June 23-25, Round 7 of 18. 2011 Red Bull Indianapolis GP tickets: 2011 Red Bull Indianapolis GP tickets are on sale now. To buy tickets, visit www.imstix.com, call the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or visit the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street. Ticket office and phone hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday. The 2011 Red Bull Indianapolis GP is scheduled for Aug. 26-28 at IMS. Race Day general admission tickets cost $40, with Friday general admission $10 and Saturday general admission $20. A three-day general admission ticket is $60. A Friday-Saturday general admission ticket is $25. Children ages 12 and under will be admitted free any of the three days of the event when accompanied by an adult with a general admission ticket. Race Day reserved seat prices will start at $70. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Edwards Podiums in Rainy British Grand Prix Despite suffering a broken collarbone just nine days ago, Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Colin Edwards achieved the impossible with a third-place MotoGP finish at a rainy Silverstone, England on Sunday, June 12. It was Edwards’ 12th career MotoGP podium and his first since the 2009 British GP. However the Grand Prix of Great Britain came to a premature end for Yamaha Factory’s Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies, who both crashed out of the 20-lap contest. Coincidentally, Edwards’ teammate Cal Crutchlow likewise broke a collarbone in qualifying on Saturday and did not race. While the English weather dominated the storyline at Silverstone, over in San Marino, Italy, the conditions were much better for round six of the 2011 World Superbike series, where YFZ-R1 mounted Marco Melandri grabbed another Yamaha podium in the first of two races on Sunday. Edwards’ amazing perseverance aboard his YZR-M1 saw the “Texas Tornado” climb from the bottom of the MotoGP practice time sheets to eighth in qualifying, and then to a podium finish in extremely difficult conditions. With large patches of standing water littering the circuit and heavy rain falling, in the race Edwards quickly came to grips with the challenges and needed only five laps to pass countryman Spies to move into fifth. From there on he maintained a fast and consistent pace, and while other riders were being caught out by the tricky conditions, the 37-year-old called on his vast experience to keep his composure and concentration. “This was an unbelievable race and to finish on the podium feels amazing,” Edwards admitted. “I was happy to qualify eighth but never in a million years did I think I’d be on the podium just over a week after breaking my collarbone. But the rain definitely helped because it was a lot less physical than in the dry. I just gritted my teeth and got on with it, just trying to stay smooth and not make any mistakes. Conditions were pretty bad and it was a case of working out when and where you could push. I’d have been happy to finish the race and then go home to think about Assen. But I saw a few people succumbing to the conditions, and when I saw ‘P3’ on my board I couldn’t believe it!”