The lifted lid returns...

A while ago we were informed that our sponsored Supersport racer Dan Cooper had his van broken into, and his lid lifted.

We jumped in straight away and posted it around the 'social networks' to get help from UK bikers to help find the villain - or at least Dan's treasured Arai. Now guess what?

The last BSB round at Oulton a member of the public turned up with the stolen helmet in a carrier bag, the unsuspecting gentleman had bought the helmet off Ebay paying £300 for the privilege as Dan's helmet carried the "Help for Heroes" logo on the chin bar-  he thought this was being sold in aid of the "Help for Hero's" charity!

It was only after he received the helmet from the Ebay seller that one of his friends pointed out that he had seen this helmet reported as stolen on various forums, the gentlemen decided to return the stolen helmet to Dan and would not let Dan even cover the cost of the money he had paid to the thief!!

As you can imagine Dan is over the moon to get his treasured helmet back.

Warms the heart on a cold winter's day that!

MOTOGP ROUND 16, PHILLIP ISLAND, SUNDAY 17th OCTOBER-ARAI RACE REPORT

Pedrosa rides but thinks again, while Hayden so nearly puts Arai on the podium

DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA
Race Position: DNS                         Championship Position: Second

“I THINK IT HAS BEEN WORTH IT”
Dani Pedrosa completed 42 laps of the Phillip Island track and qualified in 15th place, his lap time a creditable 3.277s behind Stoner’s pole lap. But the 25-year old Spaniard is still experiencing considerable discomfort from his injuries, and found that he lacked the strength and endurance required to handle a MotoGP machine at one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar. After qualifying Pedrosa and HRC took a joint decision that he would not race, instead focusing on coming back at Estoril in two weeks’ time.

“After the operation in Spain my target was to come back in Australia. But having ridden in the three practice sessions here it’s clear that it is really impossible for me to maintain a high pace because I lose strength in my arm lap-by-lap and controlling the bike gets increasingly difficult; even more so with the strong winds here. Phillip Island is a very fast circuit, I have to grip the handlebars very tightly, and this makes me very tired and gives me a lot of pain. To ride around three seconds off the pace in the race tomorrow and maybe collect just a few points wouldn’t make much sense. But I think it has been worth it to at least try to ride here because we really didn’t know how I would be on the bike until we tried. Now, though, I don’t want to take more risks so that I can recover in time for Estoril. I discussed the situation with HRC Team Director Kazuhiko Yamano and we have the same opinion.”

NICKY HAYDEN, MARLBORO DUCATI
Race Position: 4th                             Championship Position: 7th

“FIGHTING WITH VALENTINO FOR ANY POSITION IS NEVER EASY… ”
Nicky Hayden came through from sixth on the grid to mount a strong battle for the podium, passing three riders on the first lap before exchanging positions with Marco Simoncelli, Ben Spies and Valentino Rossi in a fast and furious opening to the race. A pass on Rossi with three laps remaining looked to be enough to seal third place, but the Italian staged a late attack to edge out the American by just 0.038 seconds at the line.

“It was a good, hard battle in the sunshine and I am very disappointed to have lost. It would have been a lot cooler if it was for the win but fighting with Valentino Rossi for any position is never easy. We made a few changes to the bike today but in the warm-up I ran off the track and we missed the opportunity to try them, so it took me a few laps just to get used to the bike. I have to say the team did a fantastic job, because once I got going it felt great and I was able to recover the gap. I don’t want to make excuses or be a cry baby and say ‘maybe if I did this or that it would be different’ because the bottom line is I got fourth, I got beaten. I feel down because this is a track I love, I felt good and to beat Rossi on the last lap would have been really good for me but I can’t dress it up. I feel like I let the team down today because they gave me the bike to do the job but I didn’t get it done.”

COLIN EDWARDS, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3
Race Position: 7th                             Championship Position: 11th

“I WAS CONFIDENT GOING INTO THE RACE”
Colin Edwards got his bid for a top ten world championship finish back on track in Australia, the experienced Texan claiming seventh. Edwards was hopeful of fighting for a top six finish but spent the majority of the race adapting his riding style to counter a small rear grip issue. With just two races remaining, at Estoril and Valencia, Edwards is three-points away from an overall top ten finish.

“The pace I’d run all weekend was pretty much the pace I was able to run in the race. Conditions changed so much over the weekend that we never really got enough time to work on finding a decent set-up. I was confident going into the race and got a decent start but pretty much from the second corner I was having some spinning from the rear tyre. I tried to adjust my riding style because I didn’t want to lose contact with the group in front of me. I settled into a comfortable rhythm but I just couldn’t go any faster. I was trying different lines but I couldn’t enter the corner like I wanted to. My speed was basically dictated by what the rear was doing, but we’ll look at the data and figure a few things out for the final part of the season. I want to thank my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3. This has been a tough period of the season but we’ve worked really hard together and I’m happy with the way I’ve performed. Congratulations to Ben too for getting Rookie of the Year. He’s rode awesome all year and he’s beaten a lot of good guys to achieve that.”

HIROSHI AOYAMA, INTERWETTEN HONDA
Race Position: 13th                          Championship Position: 15th

“I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO GO FASTER!”
Because of some tyre issues Hiroshi Aoyama could not improve from his 13th place qualifying position. He, of course, was not happy with the result and would have liked to ride faster, but as the feeling with his bike didn’t provide him with confidence he – perhaps very wisely – didn’t want to take any risks.

“I was waiting for the tyres to warm up, but for the whole race I didn’t feel the same grip level as usual and had to deal with this problem. I would have loved to go faster, but it was not easy to deal with the bike with this problem. It is a pity that I could not improve in the race. The next race is in two weeks in Portugal and I hope I can be faster there.”

The next MotoGP round is at Estoril, on Sunday 29th October.

For more information and news on Arai Helmets please visit www.whyarai.co.uk

BSB ROUND 12, OULTON PARK, 9th/10th OCTOBER-ARAI RACE REPORT

Brogan bags the BSB-EVO title for Arai, Brookes finishes second and Deane Brown grabs the ACU Cup!

JOSH BROOKES, HM PLANT HONDA
Race 1: Fifth                        Race 2: Third                      Race 3: Second
Championship Position: Second

“I SUPPOSE IT IS SOMETHING TO COME BACK FOR NEXT SEASON!”
While Ryuichi Kiyonari sealed the BSB crown at Oulton his team-mate Josh Brookes made it an HM Plant Honda one-two in the standings by taking a double podium. Race one on Saturday proved hectic with a number of fallers although Josh managed to stay clear of the debris, and eventually finish fifth, while title fighter rival Tommy Hill crashed out of contention. Josh fought hard for his two podiums on Sunday after two bad starts off the line dropped him down the order, but he put in two determined performances and elevated himself to second in the overall standings.

“The start of the first race on Sunday was not great for me but I was making progress, then Tommy went down and Michael went out in front of me; it was crazy as I was on the grass and doing all I could just to keep going. The red flag came out and we changed the tyre but then had a chatter problem and I was doing everything I could, but it just wasn’t enough as I was struggling. It was so frustrating when Stuart Easton went past me but it was points that mattered. In race two I didn’t get a good start and I think I clipped the kerb going into the first corner. Then it all was pretty mad and I dropped down the pack. We had made a slight change from the first race and it meant that I had the confidence to really push it. I was catching Kiyo but I just couldn’t get that final bit, although it was a good race to finish the year with a podium, I really wanted the championship win. I suppose it is something to come back for next season!”

ALASTAIR SEELEY, RELENTLESS BY TAS SUZUKI
Race 1: 15th             Race 2: Fifth                        Race 3: Seventh
Championship Position: Sixth

“ANOTHER VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED…”
After a disappointing result on Saturday Alastair Seeley demonstrated his steely resolve – the Carrickfergus man digging very deep on Sunday, producing two quality performances taking fifth and seventh placed finishes. The series rookie finishes 2010 in sixth place, but should be commended for his year-long consistency, which saw him take his debut British Superbike victory at Brands Hatch in August.

“I struggled all weekend with set-up which wasn’t helped by having a touch of flu to deal with as well. After Saturday’s race my crew changed the bike back to the settings we used at the previous Oulton meeting. It really transformed it and made it feel more stable and helped me steer through the fast stuff at Oulton. Fifth place was a decent result but I also feel I should have finished higher than seventh in the second race. A bike blew up at Clay Hill and covered my visor in oil and I was really expecting the race to be red flagged; I slowed down and two riders got past me. The organisers sent the Pace Car out instead, so that was another valuable lesson learned, even though I was able to fight my way back.”

Tyco Racing’s Tommy Bridewell put in one of his best performances of the season with a superb ride into sixth place in the opening race. Having qualified on row two of the grid for Saturday’s race, Bridewell battled his way up into the top ten early on before closing in on the leading bunch as the race progressed. Going into the final lap, Bridewell was well placed on and closing in on Josh Brookes but couldn’t quite pass the Australian and brought it home inside the top six for the third time this season. However, any hopes of continuing his great form disappeared when his machine suffered a mechanical problem in the warm up session just before Sunday’s first race, which meant he had to sit out the remainder of the day’s action much to his disappointment. Consolation came in the smallest of forms however as he managed to hang onto 11th place in the championship.

Tommy took it all in his stride; “I felt really good during Saturday’s race and the bike felt strong so I was delighted to finish inside the top six and thought we could do even better on Sunday, but after the problem in the warm up, it was game over. Naturally I’m disappointed as we have put a lot of effort in during these final few races, but it wasn’t to be. I’d like to thank the Quay Garage Team and our sponsors Tyco and everyone else who has helped us this season; we’ll be back next year where the plan is to challenge for the British Superbike Championship title.”

Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad rider Steve Brogan clinched the inaugural BSB-EVO Championship at Oulton Park. In a thrilling finale to the year’s racing, Brogan took a win and a second place to secure the title ahead of runner up Hudson Kennaugh. In the first race, Brogan took 11th overall and was first BSB-EVO rider, extending his lead up to eight points once again. The final race saw Steve take an early lead over Kennaugh; with his South African rival soon keeping pace, Brogy opted to let him pass and rode home to secure a safe second, and the first ever BSB-EVO title, in the bargain. Obviously, he was a happy man; 

“I couldn’t have done this without all the guys in the Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad team this year, they’ve all been fantastic, and of course everybody at BMW Motorrad UK who I have to thank for giving me the superb S1000RR to ride this year. I’d especially like to dedicate this to my friends and family back home in Liverpool who’ve supported me from start to finish. Thank you everyone! We’ve done it!”

Gearlink Kawasaki rider Ben Wilson took victory in the Supersport 600 race and rounded out the championship in third place, while Padgett Honda’s Glen Richards finished fourth, leaving him seventh overall.

In the Superstock 1000 class Glen Richards finished second on his Padgett’s Honda, and ended up second in the championship, with Jentin Racing’s Tristan Palmer third after finishing fourth in the race. HM Plant’s Steve Plater rode valiantly to take the chequered flag in sixth on his CBR100RR, and secured fourth place in the overall championship, despite missing half of the season through injury. He finished this season looking forward to the next: 

“I am quite content with fourth place, especially after all that has happened this season. I came here with a podium in my head, but I knew that a top five finish would do me. I was a little tentative in the opening laps and lost time, but I came back through and was happy to end the season with that. It is now about building up for next year and I have to thank the HM Plant Honda team for this season.”

Josh Day took the honours for Arai in the Superstock 600 championship and Deane Brown – recipient of the 2010 Craig Jones Arai Sponsorship Award – finished the 125GP race in second place, securing him the ACU Cup and third overall in the 125GP championship, proving him a very worthy winner of the award and a talent to watch in the future. Filling out the podium of the ACU Cup are John McPhee and Racing Steps Foundation rider Fraser Rogers.

Phoenix Distribution, the UK Arai importer, would like to thank all racers who’ve used Arai this year and are now looking forward to the 2011 season.

For more information and news on Arai Helmets please visit www.whyarai.co.uk

MOTOGP ROUND 15, MALAYSIA, SUNDAY 10th OCTOBER-ARAI RACE REPORT

 The Championship maybe decided, but the fight goes on for Arai riders

DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA
Race Position: DNS                         Championship Position: Second

“THE SURGERY WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL…”   

Dani Pedrosa may have missed out on a trip to Malaysia but is making a swift return to racing following surgery to fix the collarbone he broke in practice for the Japanese Grand Prix. He left Barcelona for Australia on Monday and will have a few days down under to acclimatise to the time difference before his first outing on the RC212V in Friday practice. The 25-year-old Spaniard, who is continuing with physiotherapy after the successful operation to fix a titanium plate to his fractured collarbone, is under no illusions about the challenge that awaits him: Phillip Island is a fast and physical circuit which requires commitment and strength to master. With the world championship title now decided in favour of Lorenzo, Pedrosa is determined to defend second place and the 47 point lead he has over Valentino Rossi.

“It was hard to take the decision to not go to Malaysia, but after another week I feel it was the right thing to do because during these days my condition has improved quite a lot. After the operation I began rehabilitation immediately. The surgery was very successful and the plate was well fixed, so the main problem was not the collarbone but the stiffness in my neck and all around my shoulders. I’ve been having massage and doing exercises with my physiotherapist and I will keep this up in Australia. The championship is decided, but for us it’s still not over. The target now is to retain second place in the standings and continue working on the bike so that we arrive in good shape for the winter tests, when we will start working for next year.”

NICKY HAYDEN, MARLBORO DUCATI
Race Position: 6th                             Championship Position: 7th

“I WAS STRUGGLING FOR FEEL UNDER BRAKING”
Nicky Hayden¬ – who missed out on his first pole position by just 0.1s – made a strong enough start, into third place into turn one but lost touch with the lead group when Casey Stoner slid out in front of him in the final corner at the end of the first lap. From there the American became embroiled in a battle with a group of hard chargers and was forced to concede positions, to due to unexpected difficulties under braking.

“After qualifying and even warm-up this morning we were confident we could have a good race and put up a better fight than that. I got a decent start but I was struggling for feel under braking, I don’t know why. It has been a strong point for us all weekend but in the race I had no feeling in the front tyre from the first corner and couldn’t brake how I wanted. It made life difficult, especially when it came to battling with other riders. Sixth isn’t a terrible result but we thought we could put up a stronger fight here.”

COLIN EDWARDS, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH3
Race Position: DNF                         Championship Position: 11th

“RIGHT OFF THE LINE I FELT GOOD”
It was an eventful 20-laps for Colin Edwards, the 36-year-old looking to carry on the momentum gained from his season best fifth place in Japan a week ago. A minor braking issue hampered Edwards in the early laps and once he’d adapted his riding style to compensate, he then battled a front-end grip issue. He was embroiled in an exciting four-rider tussle when he crashed at turn four on lap ten. His Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team worked frantically to repair his YZR-M1 machine, with Edwards returning to the track to try and score 13th place. Unfortunately his efforts were unrewarded as he missed the cut-off for scoring points by just one lap.

“That wasn’t an easy race at all. Right off the line I felt good and made a couple of passes but I understood from the start that I had small problem with the front brake. At one point I nearly ran into the back of Ben and that made it really difficult in all the hard braking points and there are plenty of those. Once I adapted to that I was having some issues with the front tyre. I’d had a couple of moments over the weekend but after about four laps I was struggling to hold a line. I was still pushing hard because I was in a good fight when I crashed at turn four. I don’t know whether it was the brake or the tyre or a combination of both that put me down, but it was one of those where I was waiting for it go. I wasn’t going to give up, run wide and let a load of people fly by but just lost the front. I’d like to congratulate Jorge, too. He’s been the fastest rider all year and he’ll be the man to beat next season that’s for sure.”

HIROSHI AOYAMA, INTERWETTEN HONDA
Race Position: 7th                             Championship Position: 15th

“PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY I WAS ON THE LIMIT”
Hiroshi Aoyama had a miserable qualifying at his favourite track – 14th – but finished the race in 7th place, the best position of his rookie year in MotoGP. Aoyama was able to fight in the middle group, which was scrapping for 4th position, and could comfortably hold his own amidst a whirlwind of position changes.

“The race was very tough, as the conditions with the heat and humidity were really hard. Physically and mentally I was on the limit. At the beginning I was finding my rhythm and then I started to overtake rider by rider; then I was able to stay with the group that was fighting for fourth position. I could have led this group, as my rhythm was better than theirs, but Simoncelli rode a very aggressive race and we touched a couple of times… I had to give him best to not risk anything. The seventh place is the best result so far in this season and I want to thank my team and I hope that we can improve the result at Phillip Island.”

The next MotoGP round is at Phillip Island, Sunday 17th October.

For more news and information on Arai Helmets please visit www.whyarai.co.uk

WSB ROUND 13, MAGNY COURS, SUNDAY 3rd OCTOBER -ARAI RACE REPORT

Arai riders finish 2010 fighting for wins and podiums


LEON HASLAM, ALSTARE SUZUKI
Race 1: Second                 Race 2: 10th                         Championship Position: Second

“THE BEST SEASON I’VE EVER HAD!”
World Superbike runner-up Leon Haslam fought his way to second spot in front of 81,500 fans at the final round of 2010 after battling from seventh position on the first lap. Towards the end, he was locked in a dogfight with newly-crowned World Champion Max Biaggi but managed to overtake him just two corners from the end of the final lap, and make it stick. After race one, Haslam knew that another podium was a possibility despite his third-row grid position. His start was not particularly good, but he began attacking the leaders and looked on course for podium number 14. But on lap six James Toseland highsided in front of him, and he had to take to the grass to avoid hitting him. By the time, he rejoined the track, he was in 16th place, but a lap later was up to 13th. From then on in, Haslam was on a charge, but the leaders were too far ahead for him to better 10th.

“The first race was the kind of race I love; full of fighting and everything on the line. I was so happy to get second and so happy to have beaten Max. On the last lap, Max defended his line going into the final two turns, but I was determined to get the better of him and dived underneath him! That surprised him and he wasn’t able to recover in time. It was a pretty hard move, but racing’s a hard game and sometimes you just have to be tough. I was particularly happy to get on the podium because I didn’t get a very good start; I just worked away and gradually got back into contention. So, although I was on row three of the grid, I knew that a podium was also a possibility in race two. That is until, JT’s highside right in front of me! Tenth is not how I wanted the season to end, but that’s racing. It’s been a great year. I only had a couple of DNFs – one my fault and one not – and I’ve scored 14 podiums. I’m very happy with the season and would like to thank everybody at Alstare Suzuki for all their hard work and support. They made this all possible – the best season I’ve ever had!”

JONATHAN REA, TEN KATE HONDA
Race 1: 12th                         Race 2: DNS                        Championship Position: Fourth

“I KNOW THIS IS A WINNING TEAM AND I’M A WINNING RIDER…”
Jonathan Rea was forced to sit out the second race at Magny-Cours after injuries sustained in a warm-up crash exacerbated those from last weekend at Imola. Rea had confounded many his determination to contest this weekend’s final races at the 4.411km Magny-Cours circuit; a specially-constructed cast supported his fractured wrist, while twice-daily strapping by the Clinica Mobile protected his injured shoulder. However, an innocuous clamp on a water hose broke on his second lap of morning warm-up, spraying water on to the rear wheel of his Honda CBR1000RR which resulted in a high-speed crash. Rea sustained additional injuries to his right shoulder and backside. The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland was determined to fight to hold on to his third place in the championship standings and finished in 12th place in the opening 23-lap race. But the effort exhausted Rea both physically and mentally, and a joint decision with his team saw him sitting out race two.

“It’s not been a great weekend but my championship was pretty much over at Imola with the injuries I picked up there. My surgeon back in Manchester said it would be a pretty dumb idea to ride here but that it would cause no more injuries, only pain. The plastic cast they made helped to get me out there and I had quite good pace, but not for more than three or four laps. Then we had a bit of a freak accident in warm-up this morning with one of the hose clamps on the water pump coming loose and putting water all over the back tyre. It caused me to have a big high-side and I landed on my ass, which really hurt. It wasn’t so bad and they patched me up pretty well but race one just drained all my energy and concentration and I was in quite a lot of pain. The difference between third and fourth was not that much and I know this is a winning team and I’m a winning rider. I learned a lot last year, which I brought to this and a lot this year, which I’ll take into next. I’m going under the knife on Tuesday to start the repairs, so I just want to thank all the team and my fans who have made me strong.”

CAL CRUTCHLOW, STERILGARDA YAMAHA
Race 1: First                        Race 2: Second                  Championship Position: Fifth

“I’M PLEASED WITH THE END RESULTS…”
Cal Crutchlow wrapped up his year in the World Superbike Championship in style, taking two podiums with a win and a second place. The Moto GP-bound rider dealt with his penultimate WSB race in style, taking a clear victory nearly four seconds ahead of Haslam at the line. Crutchlow had dropped off pole initially to fourth but recovered quickly on the second lap, passing both Sylvain Guintoli and Michele Fabrizio in one clean move to take second behind race leader Max Biaggi. He made his move on Biaggi on lap eight; a sequence of corners saw the two fight for position before Crutchlow closed the door and moved into the lead, which he held to the end. Race two saw him drop off the line initially to sixth before moving back through to challenge Sylvain Guintoli for second, eventually passing the French rider on lap 14 and moving on to close down race leader Max Biaggi. The fastest lap of both races was taken by Crutchlow, giving him eight fastest race laps for the year, beating Carlos Checa to take the Pirelli Best Lap Award 2010: Fastest Rider of the Year. He leaves the championship in fifth place in the final standings just 13 points adrift of Checa in third. He can also claim Rookie of the Year with three race wins, six Superpoles and ten podiums.

“They were two really close and enjoyable races. All credit to Max, he rode really well. To have +0 on the board every lap is a big pressure so he did fantastically. He is the championship winner so to be battling with him at the end is good for me. Finishing fifth is not too bad; I'm Rookie of the Year as well. I came into the championship with high expectations, Yamaha has done a great job and I’m pleased with the end results. The team have been fantastic so I owe them all a big thank you along with all the sponsors and everyone that’s made it possible for us to go out there and give it our best this year.”

NORIYUKI HAGA, XEROX DUCATI
Race 1: Seventh                     Race 2: Fifth              Championship Position: Sixth

“THEY PERFORMED MIRACLES TO PREPARE MY BIKE IN TIME!”
Noriyuki Haga lost a couple of positions off the line in race one and struggled to catch faster riders ahead of him. By mid-race he had regained some of the lost ground but there was already a three-second gap between him and Jakub Smrz, ahead of him in seventh, and he was unable to catch the Czech rider who had a slightly faster pace. The Japanese rider finished race one in seventh position. Haga got away much better in race two, lying third by the end of the first lap. When Crutchlow got past Haga lost some ground but held fifth position from the third lap to the finish line, running a solitary race sandwiched between the leaders and chasing group. The final race of the year also marked the last outing for the Xerox Ducati team, as the Italian manufacturer is ending its factory support for the 2011 season.

“I was expecting a much faster second race to tell the truth. In race one I was having problems with the rear tyre and so I thought that the changes we made before the second race would improve the situation. But in race two it was difficult to push because I didn’t have great balance. Anyway, I want to thank my team. The guys have been absolutely fantastic, especially before Superpole and ahead of the morning warm-up when they performed miracles to prepare my bike in time. We close this chapter sadly, but for the Ducati Xerox Team I have an incredible respect that I will always carry with me.”

 
Jakub Smrz qualified a brilliant third, finished the first race fifth and sixth in the second. He ended the season 13th in the championship.

Well done to all Arai racers for a brave and well-fought season!

For more information on Arai helmets please visit www.whyarai.co.uk

MOTOGP ROUND 14, MOTEGI, SUNDAY 3rd OCTOBER-ARAI RACE REPORT

A tough break for Pedrosa in Japan; mixed fortunes for the other Arai riders

DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA
Race Position: DNS                         Championship Position: Second

“I DON’T FEEL AS THOUGH I DESERVE IT”
Unfortunately, for Dani Pedrosa the MotoGP at Motegi proved a disaster; he fell early in Friday’s free practice session and suffered a double fracture of the left collarbone. The unlucky fall was caused when a small problem with the throttle cable didn’t allow Pedrosa to close the throttle when he came to brake, an issue which has been investigated and resolved. Pedrosa has returned home to Spain for an operation to plate the fractured collarbone.

“Obviously this was a really bad day for us. It was a strange crash in only my second full lap, in a slow section of the track. I tried to stop the bike as usual but I knew something was wrong and couldn’t avoid going down. After the crash, I knew immediately that I was injured because it was very painful. I had a big impact in my left ankle and also my collarbone was broken as I hit the track; obviously, it feels very unlucky because recently we have had really good results. I’ve been very healthy through the pre-season and through the year and we had been working a lot to get to and stay at the maximum level. Another injury to contend with is really not what I needed – I don’t feel as though I deserve it.”

NICKY HAYDEN, MARLBORO DUCATI
Race Position: 12th                          Championship Position: 10th

“IT WASN’T TO BE TODAY…”
A difficult weekend for Nicky Hayden – he crashed on Friday and qualified 11th on Saturday – concluded with an unfortunate race, the American running off track on the second lap. Despite returning to the track in last place, he posted some solid lap times to recover four positions and claim twelfth place.

“We haven’t had the best of weekends so we made a few more changes to the bike going into the race than we normally would and actually it felt pretty good from the moment the lights went out. Maybe I got a little too excited because I made a mistake into turn five on the second lap, got in there too hot and a few of us ran pretty deep. Spies went off in front of me and I followed him into the gravel. We touched coming back onto the track and then there was a big kerb that I had to avoid so I lost a lot of time there. Once I got into my rhythm the pace wasn’t too bad and I passed a few guys but each pass took me longer than I would have liked because I didn’t have much confidence on the brakes. By the end, I could see ninth place and maybe with a couple of extra laps I could have made it, but it wasn’t to be today. I have to apologise to the team because I crashed on Friday, which got us behind, and even though they worked hard all weekend, we didn’t find the traction I needed to be competitive. Luckily we don’t have to wait too long to put it behind us in Malaysia.”

COLIN EDWARDS, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH3
Race Position: 5th                             Championship Position: 10th

“IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO GET A RESULT IN JAPAN!”
Colin Edwards made a stunning return to the top six in MotoGP at Motegi, producing his best performance of 2010 to finish in fifth position. Edwards made a fast getaway from fifth place on the grid and held fifth for the opening two laps, the American engaging in an exciting early fight with Italian duo Marco Simoncelli and Loris Capirossi. Simoncelli took fifth on lap three but having comfortably pulled away from Capirossi, Edwards used his experience to exert intense pressure on Simoncelli; he made a decisive attack on lap 18 and then opened up a three-second gap in the last seven laps to secure his best finish since the final round of 2009 in Valencia.

“In terms of the result I’m really happy because it is my first top six finish of the year and I think it was deserved after all the hard work we have been putting in to improve our results. And it is always good to get a result in Japan with the race being so important for Yamaha and the Tech3 Team. I rode good all weekend and was only four-tenths off pole, but what I’m a little disappointed about is that I’m 27 seconds behind the winner. That’s a big chunk of time and I’m riding as hard as I can. I feel comfortable and I feel good on the bike now we improved the setting but I guess we just have to shoot for being top non-factory rider. It was hard in the first few laps because I didn’t have a lot of feel in the left side of the rear tyre. But once I got confident, Simoncelli passed me but I was happy just to sit behind him and study him, check where I was faster while making sure I wasn’t going to leave the door open for Capirossi. I think my rear tyre had good grip for a little bit longer than Simoncelli’s and I managed to pass him, put my head down for a couple of laps and pull a gap.”

HIROSHI AOYAMA, INTERWETTEN HONDA
Race Position: 10th                          Championship Position: 16th

“THIS WEEK I STARTED TO UNDERSTAND MY BIKE A BIT BETTER…”
Hiroshi Aoyama’s home race at Motegi went well, but held a lot of ups and downs. The 28 year-old did his best however and Aoyama managed to repeat his strongest result of the season so far with a tenth place. After a difficult qualifying, where he finished 14th, Aoyama was happy that the race went better and is now looking forward to Malaysia.

“The conditions in the race were a bit cooler and that was not so good for the tyres. I had to wait a couple of laps to warm them up and then I could start to overtake the other riders in front of me. On this track, you don’t have so many possibilities to pass. This race was not ideal for me, but at least I could repeat my best result of the season so far. This week I started to understand my bike a bit better and, especially as I know this track so well, I could learn more about the bike and we improved the set up. Now I am looking forward to Malaysia, which is my favourite track.”

The next MotoGP round is at Sepang, Malaysia, Sunday October 10.

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