ARAI PLANS A FULL SCHEDULE FOR THE 2011 ISLE OF MAN TT

Mick Doohan to ride lap of honour with Nicky Hayden, Cal Crutchlow and Ian Hutchinson!

Arai and the Isle of Man TT have a long history together; the Arai Race Service has been a presence in the TT paddock, serving both racers and Arai-wearing TT fans, since 1984 and an illustrious list of TT winners including Joey Dunlop, Ian Hutchinson, Steve Plater and Bruce Anstey all wore Arai to victory. Arai also supports the TT with sponsorship – which includes signage around the course, suits for the marshalls and helmets for the travelling marshalls – and Arai remains the helmet chosen by the majority of TT riders to deliver comfort, dependability and sheer quality in extreme conditions.

The 37.73 mile Mountain Circuit, first used in 1911 celebrates its centenary this year and as part of a TT helmet trilogy, started in 2010, Arai have now released the second in the series. As with the first edition Italian designer Aldo Drudi has designed the 2011 Isle of Man TT RX-7 GP; his inspiration was, naturally ‘100 years of the Mountain Course’ with the distance and all the names of the famous bends prominently present on both sides of the helmet. Orange, white and blue are the dominant colours, together with the official TT logo and the world famous three-legged triskelion (Three Legs of Man) symbol.  The RX-7 GP 2011 TT Series will be available from Arai Five Star dealer Crossan Motorcycles on the Isle of Man during TT fortnight and a commission on each helmet sold will go to the TT organisers – visit www.thevisorshop.com for details on how to pre-order. Also, visit www.araihelmet-europe.com where the 2011 series TT RX-7 GP has its own mini-website.

Every year a very special guest comes to the Isle of Man TT to ride a lap of the course and for 2011 Mick Doohan will be on the island for four days, taking part in various events as well as riding the Arai Lap of Honour. Doohan is best known around the world as five times MotoGP World Champion riding for Honda (1994-1998) and during his outstanding career he always wore and trusted Arai.

Aldo Drudi has also crafted a stunning Arai RX-7 GP Doohan/TT helmet to mark this special occasion in white, black and red incorporating the TT logo, plus triskelion details and the essence of Doohan’s original paintwork – the famous red, blue and white striped design which has become so iconic. The Arai Doohan/TT RX-7 GP will be available on an order-only basis directly from any Arai Five Star dealer. 

Doohan will be on the Isle of Man the evening of Tuesday 7th June through to Friday 10th, and taking part in signing sessions as and when time allows, plus an interview/Q&A session on the Arai Race Service on the Thursday afternoon; he’ll also be starting the Poker Stars Senior race on Friday.

Nicky Hayden will also be on the Island together with fellow MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow, and these two current racing stars will be joined by Mick and TT master Ian Hutchinson for signing sessions and all four will ride in the Arai parade lap on Wednesday, 8th June at 4.45pm. 

Also on Wednesday at 12.30pm there will be a short Arai press conference with Cal, Nicky, Mick and Ian in the TT VIP Hospitality Suite; this event will also mark the launch of Mick’s RX-7 GP Doohan/TT helmet.

Ian Hutchinson made history in 2010 by winning five TTs in a week but this year will have to console himself with spectating as he still recuperates from injury. On Wednesday 1st June Ian will open the new Arai suite of the Joey Dunlop Foundation at Bradden Bridge House, which consists of three self-contained disabled accessible apartments, each offering luxury self-catering accommodation for anyone with special needs. At the request of Mrs Dunlop, the Charity makes a special welcome to children and young adults.


As for the racing itself? Following the family tradition Michael and William Dunlop will be looking for TT victories in Arai while top TT competitors Keith Amor and Garry Johnson will fittingly be racing in the 2011 Arai TT series RX-7 GP. Bruce Anstey will be wearing the exotic and state of the art carbon fibre Arai RX-7 RC. The £2099 RX-7 RC is based on the technology used for the GP-6 RC Formula 1 car-racing helmet and consists of an extremely stiff and light carbon fibre outer shell, reinforced with Arai’s Peripherally Belted construction. It takes Arai’s most experienced and skilled craftsmen a whole working day to produce each shell, working only by hand; only 300 can be made a year. 

 British Supersport team Centurion racing will be making its debut on Mona’s isle in 2011, with Dan Cooper riding a Triumph 675 Daytona in the Supersport class and a Honda Fireblade in the Superstock and Senior TT races. Racing in support of Help For Heroes Dan’s RX-7 GP has been supplied by Arai and will feature a one-off design by RichArt showing both the H4H and IOM TT logos. Team Principal Paul Rees, who spent 20 years in Her Majesty’s Royal Marine Commandos, was given permission to have the bikes carry the H4H logos in order to encourage the public to be more aware of this charity that supports the UK’s Armed Forces.

So the 2011 TT looks to be a fantastic edition of this unique motorcycle race. Arai has long played a part in the TT’s history and is joining in the centenary celebrations of the Mountain Circuit with racing superstars, very special helmets and, as ever, a deep appreciation of the event itself. Come join the party! 

For more information on the Arai range call on 01782 569800 or visit www.whyarai.co.uk

MOTOGP ROUND 4, LEMANS, SUNDAY MAY 15

A tough day at the office for Arai riders in France.

DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA
Race Position: DNF          Championship Position: 3rd

“IT IS VERY UNFAIR, I DON’T DESERVE IT!”
Dani Pedrosa qualified in fourth place on the grid at Le Mans and was looking to build on his victory at the last race at Estoril; it was not to be, however as on lap 18 Marco Simoncelli challenged Pedrosa for second position with a pass that left little room for error. Pedrosa, refusing to give ground, hit the side of Simoncelli’s bike with his front wheel and the Spaniard was down – and while he got to his feet quickly, he was obviously grasping his right collarbone. Pedrosa left the circuit immediately after the race in order to check in Barcelona if a new operation would be necessary. Casey Stoner, Pedrosa’s Repsol Honda teammate rode to a dominant victory, with fellow Repsol rider Andrea Dovizioso second and Ducati’s Valentino Rossi third.

“I was having a good race, the goal was to ensure another podium and I had it in my grasp. But it counts for nothing. Simoncelli overtook me, I passed him back and I had the better line, he just came into me releasing the brakes and I could do nothing. I leave here with a broken collarbone and he with a ride through penalty, good for him! Yet again, I come out worse off. We only just recovered from the nightmare of the last operation and now I’m hurt again. It is very unfair, I don’t deserve it.”

CAL CRUTCHLOW, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3
Race Position: DNF         Championship Position:  11th

“I HAD THE PACE…”
After a superb sixth placed qualifying performance Cal Crutchlow's bid to claim a career best premier class finish was ended on the sixth of 28-laps, while he was lying in ninth position and preparing an attack on Ben Spies. Crutchlow was only 0.2s behind Spies when he lost the front at Turn 6; determined to get back in the race, Crutchlow's hopes of fighting his way back into the points were ended by a minor throttle issue that prevented him from continuing.

“I’m pretty disappointed because looking at how the race panned out I could have been in sixth place because when I crashed I was having a good battle with Ben. I’d caught him quite easily and was looking forward to a good race when I made a stupid little mistake in Turn 6. I touched the kerb and I lost the front. I literally fell off the side of the bike and that was it. It is disappointing because I had the pace to get another top eight, but these things can happen when you’re pushing so hard in a competitive class like MotoGP. I managed to get back on the bike but there was a problem with the throttle, so it was impossible for me to carry on. I showed my raw speed all weekend so I’m not going to be too hard on myself, though I was desperate to get a good result.”


COLIN EDWARDS, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3
Race Position: 13th         Championship Position: 9th

“I GOT ONE OF THE BEST STARTS I’VE HAD IN A LONG TIME.”
Colin Edwards battled to a determined 13th place finish after he’d tumbled out of seventh position at the first chicane on lap 14. The Texan had produced a stunning early charge to stay in contention with a group featuring Valentino Rossi, Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo, but lost the front of his Yamaha at the first left-hander. Edwards lost his left footpeg in the slow speed fall but remounted and returned to the pits. Thanks to the quick work of his crew, he was quickly back on track and able to score three World Championship points – keeping him inside the top ten of the overall rankings after four rounds.

 “I got one of the best starts I’ve had in a long time and I just flew off the line but it was the usual jostle for position at the first corner. I got a bit of clear track in front of me and I could see Valentino was coming back to me a little bit and Dovizioso and Lorenzo were also just in front of him. I was losing four of five bike lengths though coming onto the back straight and then I’d also lose a bit more time at the next chicane because I wasn’t that fast through there. I could see the gap was staying at 1.5s and there was nothing I could do. I wasn’t making mistakes but neither were they. When I crashed, it didn't feel like I was doing anything too stupid. I was on the same line and I didn’t get in there too hot. I was already looking through at the next corner and then I was down. I broke the footpeg off but came back to the pits and went out again and salvaged a couple of points, which might prove valuable at the end of the year.”

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

“IT’S PROBABLY BEEN OUR BEST WEEKEND YET”
Nicky Hayden’s 10th placed qualifying position gave him plenty of work to do, but he ended up fighting over sixth place with Ben Spies and although he had to concede the position to his compatriot in the end, he was pleased with the progress made over the course of the weekend.

“We didn’t do ourselves any favors by starting 10th, but actually, we made a little step forward with the bike today. I got a decent start but was just really tight and lost some time. As the race got going, I was able to move up a bit and slowly bring back Spies and Colin. Colin crashed, but once I got in front of Ben, I wasn’t really able to get down in the 34s and get away like I needed to. Seventh isn’t a great result for us, but I would say that overall, it’s probably been our best weekend yet. When the track was cold, I was able to go quite fast – always in the top five in those conditions. I hoped for better in the race, but I’m looking forward to the next stretch; we’re about to really get into the season.”

Once again, Hiroshi Aoyama put his Team San Carlo Honda Gresini machine over the line in seventh place; he remains seventh overall in the title chase. Czech rider and MotoGP rookie Karel Abraham finished 10th and is now 13th in the championship standings

Round 5 of MotoGP is at Catalunya, Sunday June 5.

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

WSBK ROUND 4, MONZA, SUNDAY MAY 8

Arai riders battle hard and fast under blue skies at Monza

LEON HASLAM, BMW MOTORRAD MOTORSPORT
Race One: 3rd           Race Two: DNF       Championship Position: 6th

“I HAD THE PACE TO RUN WITH THE LEADERS…”
The World Superbike round from atmospheric Monza, in Milan, Italy was packed full of drama, with Leon Haslam scoring a podium finish in race one and then getting knocked off his BMW on the very first lap of race two. In the first outing Haslam had fought his way from sixth up to fourth, in pursuit of the leading trio of Laverty, Biaggi and Marco Melandri. As Laverty took a commanding lead on the way to his first WSBK victory, a dramatic and entertaining race-long battle ensued between Haslam, Biaggi and Melandri. Haslam gave as good as he got, and fought his way up into third place despite a late charge by former 250cc world champion Marco Melandri. Unfortunately for Leon his race two came to a premature end when he was knocked off at the very first turn; Laverty went on to win that one too, producing a maiden WSBK double in his rookie year. 

“In race one I didn’t get the best of starts and I also made a few mistakes in the early laps which meant I had some work to do to catch the leading bunch. Still, I felt like I had the pace to run with the leaders. Max and I held each other up slightly which saw Eugene get away at the front but on the whole I was happy with the race and the bike. In race two I was hit from behind at the first corner on lap one. I am not 100% sure what happened but I crashed out of the race after getting a much better start. Following the crash I was taken to the medical centre where it was confirmed that I have broken a toe on my right foot, but I don’t see it being a problem for our forthcoming test, or the races in Salt Lake.”

JONATHAN REA, CASTROL HONDA
Race One: 6th           Race Two: DNF      Championship Position: 4th

“FRUSTRATING!”
Jonathan Rea was only able to achieve a single sixth place finish at Monza. Despite starting on the front row of the grid, Rea could not get away with the leading group in the first 18-lap race at the 5.777km Monza circuit. However, the 24-year-old Ulsterman fought his way past Troy Corser in the final laps and was closing on fifth placed Michel Fabrizio at the flag. In race two, Rea was also the victim of the first corner melee (for the second year running!) as he was hit on the right hand side in the middle of the first part of Monza’s Prima Variante. Despite remounting and making his way back to the pits, his crew were unable to repair his CBR1000RR in time for him to rejoin the race.

“Frustrating really is the word, especially in race one when we just didn’t have the speed on the straight. I could match the lap times when I was on my own and able to run the right lines. But as soon as I got involved in a race with anyone who slowed me down in the places I was fast, I got forced off the line and lost the speed. Sixth was OK but certainly not what I’d hoped for. I’ll have to see the footage of race two to find out what really happened, but I feel like I got clipped from the inside which forced me up and into the guy on the outside. We’re going to Miller next, which has another long straight, so I hope the guys back at base can find something. Luckily, we’re testing there the week before the race so I hope that gives us at least a chance to do better than last year.”

Noriyuki Haga and his PATA Aprilia finished up race one a distant 16th, but a right-in-contention 4th in race two, just over 2.5s behind Laverty at the flag; he lies 10th in the championship. Jakub Smrz (Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati) wound up 10th the first time out, and scored a DNF in the second race. Placed 9th in the title chase, he was philosophical as ever; “In the first race I had a good start and even a good race pace, but unfortunately I could not fight long straights with faster bikes. I could beat Checa, but I lacked a little luck. In the second race I unfortunately could not avoid two riders who slipped in front of me. Luckily I suffered no serious physical consequences, and in addition we hope for a better result at Miller Motorsports Park circuit as this circuit is far more suited to the characteristics of our bike.”

World Supersport charger Broc Parkes made a good start and looked capable of staying with the group immediately behind runaway early leader and eventual race victor Chaz Davies, but the Kawasaki Motocard rider ended up in a battle for fourth at the end. He used all his experience to control that fight in the final sector of the race and got a good points haul as a reward. Parkes is third in the rankings, on 60 points compared to the joint leaders Davies and Luca Scassa on 70, so still well in contention after four rounds. He was ok with his result overall; “I was pretty happy because I got away good from the line. I was a little bit concerned about my pace after morning warm-up. It is so important to have a good top speed here but also pace in other areas. Two guys came past me and then I ended went fourth. I could see that this probably going to be my battle so I tried to stay there. Every time I tried to break the guys behind they could slipstream me so I sat on the back until I felt I could go and then I tried in the last three or four laps and I broke them to get fourth place. I think that was the best I could do today in the circumstances.”

The next Word Superbike championship round is at Miller Motorsports Park, with racing taking place on May 30.



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

ARAI LOOKS FORWARD TO THE THUNDERSPRINT

This weekend – 7th and 8th of May – sees the Thundersprint take place in the town centre of Northwich, Cheshire; this well-established event has become one of the most popular and well-attended events on the UK’s motorcycling calendar.

The Thundersprint track is laid out in Northwich’s main car park and although tiny, at just 447 yards, is a superb little race circuit. The individually timed sprints take place on Sunday and racers taking part this year will include Arai’s MotoGP superstar Cal Crutchlow, who has always had a hankering to ride at the Thundersprint. He’s suitably pleased; “I have heard so many good things about the Thundersprint that for 2011 I was determined to be there. I enjoy racing in world championship events but they are serious work in every way. I’m coming to the Thundersprint to do what I love best in life: be with bikes, meet fans – and have a play about on the track too. I’m also looking forward to being with some of the famous riders of the past and seeing some fabulous historic Grand Prix bikes.”

There will be print programmes available throughout the Thundersprint on both Saturday and Sunday; these will be completely free of charge as is admission, parking and grandstand seating.

2724UK, the UK importer of Arai helmets, based very close to the Thundersprint in Newcastle under Lyme has been a long term supporter of the event – and accordingly the Arai Race Service Vehicle and Technicians will be in attendance, assisting any member of the public with an Arai that needs advice, service or attention. In addition, Arai is providing the trophies for winners for the following Thundersprint Races; Sidecar, Golden Age, Pre War, Classic 250, 350 and 500, Lightweight and Modern Classics.

 

Thundersprint Organiser, Frank Melling said; “As ever, we are delighted to have Arai involved in our event. It so pleasing to have one of motorcycling’s most iconic brands being so closely involved with the Thundersprint: truly, the world’s greatest (and only)  ‘Grand Prix in a Car Park’.”

John Wakefield, Managing Director of 2724UK, is equally as happy to be involved; “It’s great being part of this event with our Arai sponsorship and Race Service. It’s a day out the whole family can enjoy and showcases all the positive things about motorcycling – it’s certainly a unique occasion that just seems to get bigger and better every year.”

For more information on Arai helmets or the Thundersprint please visit www.whyarai.co.uk www.thundersprint.com

MOTOGP ROUND 3, ESTORIL, SUNDAY MAY 1

Arai riders work hard in Portugal but good results – and victory – is the reward.

DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA

Race Position: 1^st                        Championship Position: 2^nd

“IT’S BEEN HARD WORK, BUT FINALLY WE GOT A WIN!”

Dani Pedrosa took not only his first win at the Circuit Estoril in Portugal, but also put firmly behind him the shoulder injury that has blighted the start of his season. After qualifying in third place Pedrosa blasted off the line and glued himself to Jorge Lorenzo from the 1st to 24th laps; then with a perfect overtaking move he seized the lead of the race and took the flag with a three second advantage. He is now just four points behind Lorenzo in the overall championship standings.

“I’m very happy for the win, but more than the win I’m happy for my condition and it seems that my surgery was finally successful. I was trying to rest my arm at times as it was cramping with 15 laps to go, I was riding behind Jorge and waiting for the numbness to come together with the loss of power, but it didn’t come! I’m just so happy to see that the surgery has worked, it’s been around six months with this and it’s a big relief. For the race, I was riding at my best, Jorge is amazing here always riding so smooth and fast, I was trying to stay with him and in the end I felt comfortable and tried to make a move. I’m very happy to win here, it’s my first win in this track and thanks to all the doctors, my physio and trainer because it’s been hard work.”

COLIN EDWARDS, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3

Race Position: 6^th                        Championship Position: 9^th

“IT WAS JUST SURVIVAL FOR THE FIRST FEW CORNERS!”

Colin Edwards claimed a season best sixth place finish after he’d produced a magnificent early challenge to fight with Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso as the Italian pair battled for fourth spot. The experienced American looked poised to join the Rossi and Dovizioso battle on lap ten when he closed to within 1.5s of Dovizioso with a determined performance. But he almost immediately started to encounter a side grip issue and despite a rousing effort to remain in touch, he settled for a safe sixth position to finish leading non-factory rider once again.

“I don’t know what happened at the start but there was stuff going on everywhere. I saw Casey have a big moment and then Simoncelli needed a parachute, so it was just survival for the first few corners and see what happened. I saw Valentino and Andrea right in front of me and I was ready to reel them in. I was getting closer but I was pushing so hard just to stay in touch I lost a bit of side grip in the middle of the race and the lap times dropped a bit. I couldn’t have tried any harder to catch them and felt I had the pace in some areas, but when I opened the throttle the traction control would kick in because I was having quite a bit of wheelspin. I can’t really ask for anything more because I know the package I’m on and I know how fast the factory bikes are and the guys sat on top of them. A top six to take into the next race in France gives us all a lot of confidence and I’m already looking forward to going there.”

CAL CRUTCHLOW, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3

Race Position: 8^th                        Championship Position:  8^th

“I KEPT SOME FAST AND EXPERIENCED GUYS BEHIND ME…”

Cal Crutchlow looked on course to secure his best MotoGP finish of a rookie season; he showed outstanding form in the early stages of the race to pull away from an exciting battle involving Hiroshi Aoyama, Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies. Only Aoyama had the speed to match Crutchlow and the pair engaged in a captivating battle; Aoyama took seventh on lap 20, but determined not to let the former 250cc World Champion streak away, Crutchlow retaliated on lap 25 with a clinically executed overtake. He kept the hard charging Japanese rider at bay until the start of the final lap, and despite a brilliant attempt to re-pass at the final chicane, was only just unable to claim the position.

“I’m happy enough with that because before the start of the weekend I’d have never thought it possible to finish in the top eight on a circuit I’d never even seen before. And considering I had problems with both my arms all weekend, it is a great feeling. My right arm, which I had the operation on, is fine, but my left arm is really sore because I’ve been compensating with it. But the team have been awesome all weekend. They have experience of helping rookie riders and they are doing a great job for me. And they’ve adjusted the bike to help me feel more comfortable with the arm problems. It is a shame I couldn’t quite beat Aoyama at the end. Earlier in the race I felt really comfortable and kept some really fast and experienced guys behind me. If I keep doing what I’m doing at the moment then there is no reason why on tracks that I know that I can’t be even further up.”

NICKY HAYDEN, MARLBORO DUCATI

Race Position: 9^th                        Championship Position: 5^th

“SPIES HIT ME PRETTY GOOD AND STOOD ME UP...”

Starting from the fifth row Nicky Hayden had a very strong launch off the line, and the American was seventh after the first lap. A small shifting problem affected him a little, but it was mainly the contact with Spies that caused him to lose time to the Aoyama and Crutchlow battle.

“Starting from thirteenth, it was always going to be difficult for us, but the bike was good off the line and I got a good start. I made some early mistakes, but I was also recovering a few positions. I got into seventh, but was having difficulty back-shifting. Already on the sighting lap, I knew it was an issue. On the grid, we talked about getting on the other bike, but we decided together that it was better to stick with our bike and not start from pit road. It caused some difficulty, especially on corner entry, and some guys came past. Then Spies hit me pretty good and stood me up going into Turn 3, so I lost the bridge to Aoyama and Crutchlow.”

Hiroshi Aoyama put his Team San Carlo Honda Gresini machine over the line in seventh place; he lies seventh overall in the title chase. Czech rider and MotoGP rookie Karel Abraham had an unfortunate DNF on his Cardion AB Motoracing Ducati ­– he is 11^th in the championship standings

Round 4 of MotoGP is at Le Mans, Sunday May 15.

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

For more information on the photographer supplying the photos please visit www.petercallisterttphotos.co.uk