Latest News

As promised, the MotoGPMatters.com 2009 Racing Calendar is finally available for purchase! At either US$15 for residents of the USA and Canada, or EUR15 for the rest of the world (both plus shipping and handling), the calendar is a must-have for any motorcycle racing fan, and is the perfect gift or stocking filler for lovers of bikes and great photography. It is also an indispensable aid in planning your life so you don't miss out on any of the great motorcycle racing we expect to see in 2009.

Each month features one of Scott Jones' beautiful photographs, as an 8.5 inch by 11 inch (Letter size, or about the same size as A4) print, above an 8.5x11 page containing a grid of the month, including a list of all of the MotoGP and World Superbike weekends, and a listing of the birthdays of the big names from MotoGP, the 250 and 125cc classes, and World Superbikes and World Supersport. There's also a brief description of the state of racing for that month.

The calendar has been produced using an 4-color ink offset printing process, and is folded and saddle-stitched, with a hole drilled for hanging it on the wall. As a bonus, there is a double-page poster of the 2008 World Champion, Valentino Rossi, so there's no need to take it off the wall once 2009 is over.

Here's the pricing in full:

 * California residents must add 8.75% sales tax.

Shipping in the US and Canada is by Priority Mail, which should take 3 days to anywhere within the continental US, or 5 days to Canada.

Shipping in the European Union is by Priority Mail, which should take 1-4 days, depending on the destination. Shipping to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa is also by Priority Mail, which should take 6-10 working days.

Other shipping options are available, and pricing of both shipping and calendars may vary for orders of more than one calendar. Send an e-mail with your requirements to calendar@motogpmatters.com. For all other countries, please send an e-mail about the price and availability of shipping.

We are still working on a more efficient ordering system, but for the moment, we will be taking orders via a standard Paypal payment. Select the correct payment option below: 

Ordering 1 calendar

US & Canada Orders California Residents $22,95 United States excluding California $20,25 Canada $25,95

Orders for Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa Europe €19,50 Australia & New Zealand €21,95 South Africa €21,95

Ordering 2 calendars

US & Canada Orders - 2 Calendars California Residents Qty 2 $39,50 United States excluding California Qty 2 $36,90 Canada Qty 2 $41,90

Orders for Europe, Australia, NZ and South Africa - 2 Calendar Europe - Qty 2 €35,45 Australia & New Zealand - Qty 2 €37,90 South Africa - Qty 2 €37,90

PS: If you love the photos, Scott Jones will offer customers who buy a calendar a discount on full-size prints of any of the images from the calendar if you order them from his website, http://www.turn2photography.com/

Valentino Rossi has always been something of a trendsetter, but some of the fashions he has introduced have been more welcome than others. One of his less attractive innovations has been the introduction of a dividing wall between his own pit garage and that of his team mates, a trend which was followed before the year was out by Dani Pedrosa.

The dividing wall was ostensibly meant to separate not the riders, but the tire technicians, to ensure that Rossi's Bridgestone engineers could have no contact with the Michelin technicians working with Jorge Lorenzo, and keep the data from the two team members and tire brands strictly apart. But since the announcement that MotoGP will be switching to a single tire supplier, namely Bridgestone, in 2009, the wall is no longer necessary for that purpose and could - in theory at least - be removed. 

Theory, however, is foundering on the rocky shores of Valentino Rossi's will. The Doctor has been very public about his desire to keep the wall in place next year, leaving him and his team to focus on the job of defending his 2008 world title. 

His Fiat Yamaha team mate, Jorge Lorenzo, disagrees. Both men were attending the Monza Rally Show at Milan's legendary Monza circuit in Italy, and while there, Lorenzo was asked what he thought of the wall dividing the two pit boxes. "It's Vale's choice, not mine," he told Italian site GPOne.com. "Now that we're both on Bridgestones, we don't need it any more, there are no secrets to keep. Rossi's attitude looks like a sign of weakness towards me, but he has won 6 MotoGP titles, I haven't won any. I don't understand."

Rossi's reply was fast, and clear. "There are two riders who both want to win the world championship at Yamaha," Rossi said. "The wall improves the harmony in the team, and it worked well this year. Why change?" 

But The Doctor was willing to offer some concessions to Lorenzo, however ironic: "I'll only keep the wall on my side," he joked, "But Jorge can pull down the one on his side!"

Adding insult to injury, Rossi finished the Monza rally in 2nd place, while Lorenzo managed only a 38th place.

It is perhaps a little strange to be discussing the future of a rider who has just signed a contract to ride for another two years, but as the rider in question is Valentino Rossi, speculation about what he will do when he stops racing motorcycles is likely to continue up until the day that he finally announces his plans.

It all started, of course, with the Italian superstar's plans to switch to Formula 1 at the end of the 2006 season. The difficulties he experienced during that year, and the realization that the intense publicity under which he is forced to live his life would only be intensified in Formula 1, eventually led Rossi to change his mind, and to sign for Yamaha for another two years.

But Rossi's passion for four wheels continues. The Doctor is scheduled to test the Ferrari F1 car at Mugello on the 20th and 21st of November, and will be competing in the Wales Rally GB WRC event in December. Despite intense speculation, Rossi has already made it clear that he will not be moving to Formula 1 after his contract expires, as, in his own words, "31 is too old to enter F1."

And so WRC - the World Rally Championship - is his most likely destination. Rally driving has been his second passion after motorcycles for a long time, and Rossi has a long history of competing. Now, Rossi has confirmed to the Italian sports daily Gazzetto dello Sport that he is actively considering jumping to rally cars after he hangs up his leathers.

"I like rallies very much," he said. "I think I could make the switch when I'm finished with motorcycles. I don't know, I haven't decided yet. Anyway, I have a contract (with Yamaha) for two more years. After that, we will see."

There is one other, more intriguing, if rather unlikely, possibility. Michael Scott, writing in GPWeek, the online racing magazine, revealed that Valentino Rossi had tried to find a way to compete in the final round of World Superbikes at Portimao in Portugal two weeks ago. His motivation was cited as being "to enjoy some close racing again."

As it happens, Troy Bayliss was in no mood to engage in close racing, running away with both wins to end his stellar career on a high, so The Doctor may have come away disappointed, even if it had turned out to be possible for him to take part in the race. However, as Rossi is one of the most vocal critics of the role of electronics in MotoGP, and often bemoans the lack of close racing in MotoGP which he believes is the result, it is entirely conceivable that Rossi may instead turn his hand to World Superbikes instead.

There's no shortage of close-quarters combat in that series, with the bikes much more evenly matched, and while electronics are steadily encroaching, their role is much less prominent than in MotoGP. Once Rossi has achieved the goals he has set out for himself in MotoGP, his mind may well turn to World Superbikes, and the goal of being the first man to ever win both the MotoGP and WSBK title. Rossi's place in MotoGP history is already assured, but his sensibility of his own place in motorcycling history is well-known. And if there is one rider who could do it, who is obviously capable of winning a title in both championships, it is Valentino Rossi.

For now, any thoughts about Rossi's future are nothing more than speculation. But with a man as famous as Valentino Rossi is, the speculation is unlikely ever to end.

When it was announced last year that Jorge Lorenzo had signed to ride for Fiat Yamaha, lovers of gossip and scandal around the planet rubbed their hands in glee at having two of the largest egos on the planet sharing the confines of a single pit garage. The widespread expectation was that we would see more fireworks between the two Yamaha heroes than during a Chinese New Year celebration.

So many people have been surprised by the air of if not quite harmony, then perhaps quiet acceptance of each other that has permeated the factory Yamaha team. Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have rubbed along fairly quietly, without rubbing each other up the wrong way, much to the disappointment of the more sensationalist Italian press.

Fortunately for the Spanish press, however, Lorenzo has been reunited with a different rival, and one with whom that rivalry runs deeper and more darkly than any new-found dislike. For now, Lorenzo is pitted against his old enemy Dani Pedrosa, in a clash which goes back to 2005, and Lorenzo's first season in 250s.

The rivalry runs deep, in part because Jorge Lorenzo styled his on-track and media persona to a large degree around Pedrosa. Seeing the central role Pedrosa was starting to play in the eyes of the Spanish media, Lorenzo set himself up to be the anti-Pedrosa, and be everything Pedrosa is not. Where Pedrosa is quiet, focused and restrained, Lorenzo would be loud, brash and over the top. Fortunately for Lorenzo, he also had the talent to back it up.

In keeping with his character, Pedrosa rarely wastes words on Lorenzo, or any of his rivals for the title. But in an interview with the Spanish press agency EFE, Pedrosa broke his self-enforced silence. "We both want the same objective," he said, "and there can be only one winner."

Pedrosa was less forthcoming on his expectations for next season. It was "too early" to start thinking about who his main rivals were likely to be. "There are new riders on the grid, and others who have changed bikes," Pedrosa told EFE. "So there's still a long way to go, and a lot of preseason testing left." His own objective is clear: "To be more consistent." It was just such consistency that gave Pedrosa the championship lead prior to his disastrous crash at the Sachsenring, and a lack of consistency that saw him slump to 3rd in the title race by the end of the year. If Pedrosa can repeat his early-season form, he will be a factor in 2009.

The 2008 motorcycle racing season may have finally ended - barring a few formalities such as testing - but the die-hard racing fan's mind is already on the 2009 season. A new season opens a new world of opportunity, and with so many changes, new faces on new bikes, as well as old faces on new bikes, we have all winter to spend thinking about what will happen next year.

But any such speculation requires proper planning, and proper planning requires that you keep up-to-date with what is going on in the world of motorcycle racing. To help you plan your life, and your vacation days next year, we at MotoGPMatters.com have prepared a racing calendar, charting the 2009 schedules of both MotoGP and World Superbikes, as well as marking the birthdays of the main protagonists of both series.

Each month features one of Scott Jones' beautiful photographs, as well as a listing of birthdays and race rounds. A short note also keeps you up-to-date on the events to be expected that month. It is the ultimate gift for the motorcycle racing fan who already has everything, or else an acceptable replacement if your budget won't quite run to that 1098R he or she asked for.

Cover

Month layout

Back cover.

Pricing is to be announced shortly. Calendars will be shipped to the US & Canada, the European Union, and Australia and New Zealand. You will be able to order your copy of the MotoGPMatters.com sometime in the coming week, with shipping taking place shortly afterwards. Send any enquiries to david@motogpmatters.com

Testing after the final round of World Superbikes at Portimao threw up a few interesting surprises. The first is that Shane Byrne was quick right off the bat, but as Shakey won the British Superbike championship aboard a very similar bike this year, he might be regarded as having a head start. The second surprise was that Ben Spies was so fast. Spies has changed bikes and tires, and so setting such a fast time after just two days of testing is fairly impressive.

Perhaps the most interesting time was the one set by Max Biaggi aboard the Aprilia. The RSV4 is a brand new bike, and the difference between the drawing board and the track can be monumental, as so many factories have found to their peril. So far, it looks like Aprilia have got it right.

The next round of testing for the World Superbike riders is to take place at Kyalami, South Africa, from 10th to the 12th of December. 

1. Shane Byrne (Ducati) 1'43.6

2. Ben Spies (Yamaha) 1'43.9

3. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) 1'44.1

4. Tom Sykes (Yamaha) 1'44.5

5. Katsuyuki Nakasuga (Yamaha) 1'44.5

6. Alex Polita (Ducati) 1'44.6

7. Leon Haslam (Honda) 1'44.6

8. Roberto Rolfo (Honda) 1'45.0

9. Regis Laconi (Honda) 1'45.4

10. Lorenzo Lanzi (Honda) 1'46.3

Fastest lap during the race:  Troy Bayliss - 1'43.787

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight's New Steed

Heat

Spies: Swapping Mat for Max

Good job he brought Houseworth with him

Silvano Galbusera splits the Americans

Tom Sykes didn't get to bring his crew chief with him

Ben's mom offered Sykes money to change his number. Dealing with one 66 was enough.

Eugene Laverty, with a hot ride for next year

Some of the World Superbike paddock got to head straight off on vacation - at least once their hangovers from the end of season party subsided. But for a few hardy souls, and a bunch of series rookies, work started on Monday, after the annual journalist blagfest which sees writers from selected magazines - some former racers, some just very lucky and very scared - ride the world's trickest production bikes around the spectacular Portimao track.

The busiest part of pit lane is outside the Aprilia garage, where people are crowded round the newest entrant to the World Superbike paddock. The bike has has one or two teething troubles, occasionally refusing to start, but since getting underway, Max Biaggi has been lapping at speed.

The other easy-to-spot garage in the otherwise quiet pit lane is the Yamaha Motor Italia box, where rookies Ben Spies and Tom Sykes are making their debut aboard the Yamaha R1. The interest in the Yamaha pits is twofold: On the one hand, there's the biggest name American to join a World Championship since Nicky Hayden went to Repsol Honda, and a promising and very talented young British rider at his side. On the other, there's the brand new, long bang, cross-plane crankshaft R1, currently decked out in skunkworks-style black carbon fiber, and looking like it's been rolled freshly out of Yamaha's Racing Department workshops.

There's plenty of other new faces here, too. Shakey Byrne is circulating on the Sterilgarda Ducati and is looking what the Brits are calling "proper fast". Eugene Laverty has taken over the seat vacated by the tragic death of Craig Jones, and kept warm by double AMA Formula Extreme champion Josh Hayes, and is learning his way around the bike and the circuit. 

Another newcomer is the Australian Ant West. West has left a disastrous season aboard a disastrous Kawasaki MotoGP bike behind him and is circulating on the Stiggy Motorsports Honda Supersport bike.

No times have yet been released, though an informal timing of Alessandro Polita on the Sterilgarda Ducati saw him lapping in the high 1'46s. When asked about times, team managers are evasive, Simon Buckmaster saying "It's just a shakedown test, to get Eugene comfortable on the bike."

Pictures to follow, but here's a couple of recordings of the two bikes generating the most interest in the paddock. 

2009 Yamaha R1



Aprilia RSV4

You need to find a corner piece to start

Clean room

E?

The never did get to drop one of those ones

Red is the new loud

The guy on the phone won the Supersport race

I think that's a corner piece. No, wait ...

The World's Fastest Tool Chest

Obviously, they weren't all out on the track at the same time.

After the final Superbike race, as the traffic poured out of the parking areas, and headed off down the brand new access road towards the highway, and home, a small ceremony was held in memory of Craig Jones. The official ceremony, the unveiling of a statue to be held on Saturday, had been canceled due to the miserable weather, and so a smaller, more private ceremony was held in its place.

The owner of the circuit, Paulo Pinheiro made a small speech, largely inaudible due to the sound of the traffic leaving, but the ceremony was all the more moving and private, perhaps for the very reason that it was cut off from the rest of the world by the noise.

Just how impromptu the ceremony had been was made clear by the sudden arrival of Troy Corser, still in his leathers, straight from his post-race debriefing. Corser was greeted warmly by the family, and it was clear from his demeanor that the tragic loss of Jones had affected him personally.

Craig Jones was killed during the World Supersport race at Brands Hatch on August 3rd this year, while battling for the lead with Johnny Rea and Andrew Pitt. His fearlessness and his ragged-edge riding made him a fan favorite, and he was widely tipped as a future world champion. Craig Jones was 23 years of age.