2007 | Page 63

Jezza and OJ return

15 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Walking wounded Jeremy McWilliams has returned to action in Qatar this morning (Thursday, February 15, 2007) after he missed day two of the Doha session. The 42-year-old British rider completed 18...

Kawasaki boss talks

15 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

The man leading up Kawasaki’s MotoGP effort has spoken about the 2007 season. The team sat Race Director Ichiro Yoda down for a mammoth Q&A to keep Kawaski fans in the loop – here’s what he had to...

Casey Stoner suffered his first crash on board Ducati’s new GP7 800 Desmosedici in Qatar today but continued to overshadow experienced team mate Loris Capirossi. The Australian, who was third fastest...

Doha disaster for champ

15 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden suffered a nightmare second day in Qatar as the reigning world champion crashed his new Honda RC212V twice to slump to 11th fastest. The American lost the front both times – the first...

Rossi wants stability

15 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi ended the second day of testing in Qatar today with the second fastest time as Yamaha’s new YZR-M1 800 contender continued to outgun its rivals. Rossi finished second overall behind...

Edwards leads Qatar after day two

15 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards maintained his dominant Doha form by topping the IRTA test timesheets for the second successive day in Qatar. The American’s best time of 1.56.296 set this morning was unbeaten as the...

Spills in Qatar

15 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet both escaped injury from crashes today at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. New Honda recruit Nakano crashed at the penultimate corner as he failed to...

Jezza out

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

British veteran Jeremy McWilliams has missed the second day of testing in Qatar today. Returning to the track for the first time since a 120mph horror crash at Jerez at the end of November left him...

Yamaha lead

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Factory Yamaha duo Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi continued to dominate the IRTA test in Qatar today after brilliant performances on the second morning. At lunch on day two, Edwards was again...

Jacque sits out day two

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

French rider Olivier Jacque will try and return to action tomorrow (Thursday) in Qatar having decided to sit out day two of the IRTA test in Doha. Circuit doctors cleared Jacque to ride following a...

OJ concussed in Qatar

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

French rider Olivier Jacque is a major doubt for the rest of the first IRTA test in Qatar after he suffered concussion in a heavy crash this afternoon. The factory Kawasaki rider was taken by...

Tough return for Jezza

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

British veteran Jeremy McWilliams bravely returned to track action in Qatar today after his injury nightmare. The Ilmor rider, hobbling around the paddock with a crutch, was unsurprisingly the slowest...

Hayden happier in Qatar

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Nicky Hayden admitted he felt as happy as he has done all winter on Honda’s new RC212V as he finished the opening day in Qatar with the fifth best time. The American was only...

Capirossi crashes in Qatar

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi emerged unscathed after he crashed his new Ducati GP7 800 late on the first afternoon of the IRTA test in Qatar today. The Italian walked away uninjured after the crash at the first...

Rossi behind Edwards

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Just five days after he played second fiddle to factory Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards in Sepang, former world champion Valentino Rossi was beaten to the best time again by the American in Qatar...

Qatar day one: It's Edwards

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards continued his brilliant winter testing form today in Qatar with a best lap on day one of the IRTA test session that blitzed Valentino Rossi’s 2006 990cc lap record. The in-form American,...

Ducati 1098S race-build

14 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

The Buildbase Ducati team, based at John Hackett’s Ducati Coventry shop, are fielding John Laverty and Keiran Clarke in the National Superstock series this year on a pair of the exciting new 1098S...

Ducati's Italy test

14 February 2007 by Michael Guy

Reigning World Champion Troy Bayliss completed his final test before heading to the opening round of the WSB championship in Qatar on 24th February. Onboard the Xerox Ducati 999 F07, Bayliss got his...

Corser from Biaggi

14 February 2007 by Michael Guy

Troy Corser continued his strong pre season form onboard the Yamaha Italia R1 to top the time sheets in a two day test in Qatar. Although his lap time was one second slower than Troy Bayliss’...

Hayden storms desert

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Nicky Hayden has topped the timesheets on the first morning of the IRTA test in Qatar. Just before 1pm local time, the American posted an impressive 1.57.087 to leapfrog Yamaha...

Rossi sets Qatar pace

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has laid down an early marker to his MotoGP rivals by breaking his own 990cc lap record on the opening morning of the Qatar IRTA test today. In what is a dress rehearsal for the...

Oulton improvments

14 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Druids corner at Oulton Park has a new larger run-off area and gravel trap with the Armco barrier moved back by 72 feet. New Rizla Suzuki signing Chris Walker last raced at Oulton seven years ago but...

Edwards' car switch

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards is ploughing some of his hard earned cash into what he hopes will be a lucrative retirement plan by forming his own supercar club in America. The factory Yamaha rider unveiled his master...

Fifth SX win for Bubba

14 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

James Stewart scored his fifth AMA Supercross win of the season but he had to come from the back to beat Chad Reed and Tim Ferry at Houston, Texas on Saturday night. A massive 49.973 fans filled the...

Martin praises Foggy

14 February 2007 by Michael Guy

Steve Martin has revealed that switching to the DFX Honda CBR1000RR has been harder than expected after riding the FP1 for the Foggy Petronas team. After two years on the 900cc triple Martin is...

Steve Spray’s Norton demo

14 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Former British Superbike Champion Steve Spray was back in action recently – riding the ex-Steve Hislop 1992 Senior TT-winning Norton Rotary in New Zealand. Spray and the Norton starred in the Pukekohe...

World sidecars at Brands

14 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

World Sidecars have clinched a championship round at Brands Hatch – sharing the billing with the DTM, the European-based touring car series. The meeting on June 10/11 gives Sidecar World Champions Tim...

Fuel limits hold the key

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi believes the new fuel capacity regulations for the 800cc MotoGP world championship will add an intriguing dimension to the season. Race bosses slashed fuel capacity from 22 litres to...

Bou! Antonio's fourth win

14 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Montesa HRC rider Antonio Bou continues to dominate the World Indoor Trials Championship. He won Saturday night’s round at Lisbon in front of a packed house of 6000 fans and now leads the championship...

Yamaha levels field

14 February 2007 by Mathew Birt

Yamaha bosses have given Colin Edwards cast iron assurances that his factory Yamaha 800cc machine will start the new season next month getting exactly the same treatment as Valentino Rossi. Edwards...

Rossi finds fitness

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi believes he is returning to his best fitness levels after he picked up the pace in Sepang this week as he continues to plot winning back the MotoGP crown in 2007. Rossi was 0.6s faster...

Rossi: No F1 distraction

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has rebuked suggestions that a potential switch to Formula One with Ferrari was partly to blame for his shock MotoGP world championship defeat in 2006. This time last year Rossi was...

OJ to repay Kawasaki

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Former world 250 champion Olivier Jacque is confident he can repay the faith Kawasaki MotoGP bosses have shown in him after the French rider was plucked from the wilderness to make a full-time premier...

Improved Michelin rear

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards reckons Michelin’s aggressive winter development programme hasn’t only concentrated on the new impressive 16-inch front tyre. A batch of new spec rear tyres were tested at the Sepang...

Rossi on guard at turn one

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi admits he will be wary of potential first corners hazards in 2007 after his nightmare in the opening race in Jerez almost a year ago. Rossi’s wretched run of luck in 2006, which...

Kawasaki close the gap

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Factory Kawasaki rider Randy de Puniet reckons the Japanese factory’s new ZX-RR 800 will be competitive from the first race of the new MotoGP world championship. The French rider says the gap between...