The FIM Magazine - Ride With Us - N° 71 by FIM

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Editorial RIDE

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To be or not to be Mirror, mirror on the Wall… AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship PADDOCK SUPERCROSS

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Interview Dave Prater Supercross Logistics FIM INSIDE TECH TALK

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Did you know? Ice Racing is hot PADDOCK ICE RACING

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The winter boys Krasnikov – Zorn PADDOCK SUPERBIKE

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Publishing Director: Guy Maitre Chief Editor: Isabelle Larivière

Ducati Family, Passion PADDOCK MOTOGP

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Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme 11, route Suisse – 1295 Mies – Suisse Tel : +41-22 950 95 00 – Fax : +41-22 950 95 01 @ : info@fim.ch website : fim-live.com

Interview Casey Stoner: « I am ready! » RIDE

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Photos: David Reygondeau Yamaha Racing Frank Hoppen FELD Motor Sports Tatyana Makarova Ducati Corse Archive Stan Perec Eric Malherbe John Chaplin Jack Burnicle Ron Ringguth Oliver Franke/IFMXF.com IFMXF/M.Manthey Photo Milagro/Yamaha

“With a radical flourish ...” Moto2: A new way of Grand Prix Racing RIDE

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The year of Youth! 2010 FIM Superbike World Championship FIM INSIDE VINTAGE

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History of Ice Racing MARKET PLACE

Lay-out & Printing: OIKO SERVICE srl via Po 74 66020 S.Giovanni Teatino Chieti - Italy

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FIM Magazine n° 71 Issued January-February 2010

Past issues available on request

The Voices of experience Eurosport’s TV commentators FIM INSIDE PADDOCK FREESTYLE

The articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official position of the FIM.

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The content of this publication is based on the best knowledge and information available at the time the articles were written.

Blind Justice? FIM Freestyle Motocross World Championship GALLERY

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Interview Lin Jarvis Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director

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ROAD BOOK MARCH/APRIL 3

editorial Dear Readers, Each motorcycling sport event is made possible thanks to the work of a number of people who are behind the scenes. One group of them is very important: the FIM officials. These include Jury Presidents and Jury members, Chief Stewards and Stewards, Race Directors, Clerks of the Course, Referees, as well as Technical and Environmental stewards, Medical Directors, etc. who carry out various tasks from the technical control of motorcycles to circuits inspection and homologation to race direction and dealing with appeals and inflicting disciplinary sanctions.

Vito IPPOLITO FIM President

All these officials who work in international competitions are trained at seminars organised by the FIM and carried out by instructors from our Commissions and Panels. Although we have high quality officials, our affiliated members and stakeholders expect us to continue improving their training. I interpret this as the aspiration to turn the FIM into the Alma Mater of education in motorcycling sport. In the framework of our Strategic Plan, we have decided to face up to this challenge. Therefore, we are planning to create an FIM Officials’ Academy to meet the needs of highly trained officials. The idea of an FIM Academy means that our seminars for officials should be handled in a different way as we should first standardise the teaching and learning methods. For instance, a new certification system for these officials should be put in place. New courses should also be organised at international level, which are needed to prepare officials with the necessary skills, behaviour and competencies for national or continental events. But we will also need a special level of licences for officials who are currently working in the various FIM World Championships. Each year these officials will need to be kept up to date in order to be prepared to deal confidently with their daily responsibilities in future competitions. A wide range of possibilities will be open to us with the creation of an FIM Officials’ Academy. If we wish to promote the training of our experts on all continents, it will be necessary for instance to have instructors of instructors. We could have experts in giving seminars, in homologating circuits, in drafting regulations and so on. In order to establish the structure of this FIM Officials’ Academy we will count on the experience of our Commission members who, in most cases, will certainly be part of the instructors’ team. We have asked for advice from other International Federations who have similar plans and also from experts in building education programmes tailored to the needs of International Sports Federations. These programmes, backed by leading Education Partners and suppliers, may then be extended to other groups such as Riders, Teams Coaches, National Administrators, etc. In 2010, a working group within our organisation will be dedicated to developing this outstanding project which will be implemented as from 2011. During the next few months, we will inform our affiliated members and stakeholders of the advancement of this project. I hope, on behalf of all those involved in this project, that we will continue receiving enthusiastic support for the creation of this FIM Officials’ Academy. This will ensure that FIM continues to increase the quality of its organisation by investing in programmes that meet its specific needs.

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TO BE OR NOT TO BE MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL…

4 teams, 4 former riders, 4 team managers, 4 opinions and yet one common goal: to win the “AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship”. We sat down with the big 4 at Anaheim I and this is what they had to say...

THE CHAMPION LARRY BROOKS, TEAM SAN MANUEL YAMAHA RIDERS: James Stewart and Josh Hill FACT: Larry Brooks and his team have been hunting and winning several Championships with McGrath, Reed and Stewart for more than 10 years now! Not an easy thing to do but he managed. FIM: How did the 2 009 season go? Larry Brooks: The 2009 season started off pretty rough with James Stewart having a problem at the first race but him winning seven events in a row put us back in the Championship hunt. We had some ups and downs after that and then the last part of the season was very challenging; there was a lot of controversy that we overcame and we won the 2009 Championship which was great for the Team. FIM: What are your expectations for 2010? L.B.: Obviously, we have the 2009 Champion James Stewart coming back and Josh Hill, a very talented rider who hasn’t really been able to deliver. I think that with all the work we have put in and the new 2010 Yamaha, I feel both riders could be in the hunt for the Championship and on the podium quite a bit during the season. FIM: How is the economic crisis affecting your team and how are you coping with it? L.B.: The economy is so tight now. It was fortunate for us that we had a roll-over year with the second year on all of our contracts. But I think - just like all the other Teams – I 6

have really looked at the future and I am trying to use the budget wisely and keeping the money very situated and not spending a lot. In 2010 we will be renewing all our contracts and I guess I will know how it really affects us at that point. FIM: How do you see the evolution of the “AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship” going global? L.B.: Well now, with the Championship being run mainly in the United States and only one race in Canada, I feel that we could really benefit by holding more rounds in different countries and broadening our span around the world. It is difficult for Teams especially with what we talked about before with the economy, but I think that to build the sport of Supercross into a worldwide event we need to make it more international than it already is. We will have to play it by ear and see how the promoters and manufacturers all want to proceed. FIM: How do you see the Championship going before the start of the season? L.B.: I am biased; it’s hard for me to say anything but I feel James Stewart has the best chance of repeating and winning the 2010 Championship. Again I feel because of Josh Hill and a new beginning on a Team, he could also be in the top three. We have got some stiff competition: the Kawasaki Team - Chad Read and Ryan Villopoto plus Ryan Dungey on a Suzuki. There are also a lot of Honda riders that could be in the Championship. It is hard to say but once we get through the first race we can see the level of all the riders.

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Larry Brooks did see right. Josh Hill could be in the top 3. ///

THE CHALLENGER MIKE FISHER, TEAM MANAGER OF MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI “TEAM GREEN” RIDERS: Chad Reed and Ryan Villopoto FACT: Team Green has won Championships in the past. They have the technical ability and riders to win in 2010. Should this be the case, the question is: will it be Reed or Villopoto? FIM: How did the 2009 season go? Mike Fisher: We started off the season with a new rider, Ryan Villopoto, just moving up to the 450cc class and we had the veteran Tim Ferry. They both started off okay, both nervous. Ferry’s season ended in Daytona when he broke his heel in several places and had to have surgery. Villopoto’s season slowed down when he became sick and his blood count was off. He was out for about a month. He resumed very healthy and strong and he won the race. He came back and then he won the final race in Vegas. So, we ended off the season strong. We felt very good about it of course and we were very excited about moving into 2010. FIM: What are your expectations for 2010? M.F.: In 2010, we follow up with Ryan’s last win and then a new rider on our Team, which is Chad Reed, who challenged Stewart for the Championship at the last round. Again, Ryan has a rider who has a lot of experience compared to himself. They are very different riders in how they approach each event and themselves but both very professional and very serious. We think they are both consistent. Chad has proven he is a very consistent rider every year he has raced. Ryan F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

has been a Champion most of his career as a pro. We expect that from them - to be challengers for the Championship this year. FIM: How is the economic crisis affecting your team and how are you coping with it? M.F.: We of course feel it. Our sales are down I think between 30% to 40% on the US market. I am sure our profit is weak… probably...I am sure we are losing money this year. As a race Team we are spending money racing. We have great support from Monster Energy and our other sponsors that are in the industry but the way we have raced in the past is at such a high level that it is difficult to keep that level when we are trying to save money. We have cut some of the excess out of our Team. We have relied more on Japan to help us with the testing. So, we are not testing as much and they are doing more development – they’re sharing with us a little bit better. We reduced our staff somewhat but we are keeping the same level for our racing machines as we were before. FIM: How do you see the evolution of the “AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship” going global? M.F.: At this point, I cannot see it doing that but – as a racer - I think it would be exciting for Supercross. As a Kawasaki employee in the US it does not really make sense for us, the way we are structured to race. We are spending with no revenue coming in; it is a 100% cost centre for us. The only way I can see it happening is if we share revenue with the promoters or whatever; we would be doing this so that some money comes back to the team to help fund some

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Mike Fisher warned us: Ryan Villopoto could break out, start winning and just keep on going . ///

of it because otherwise we just keep spending money from a pit! So, we would of course assume racing here because the series is healthy here; we have a lot of fans. The money that we spend is coming from the dealer network as we sell motorcycles in the US. That is where it comes from and it is pretty hard to tell the dealers in the US to tell them: “We are going to spend your money to go racing in Holland or China or wherever”. That does not make a lot of sense to them. We would have to restructure our Team for that and right now I cannot see us doing that because we are tight. There would have to be a good plan from somebody else to help that along and then it could work. It is not going to work if we do it on our own. FIM: How do you see the Championship going before the start of the season? M.F.: Well of course, I am going to choose my riders. To me, there are five riders who can challenge this; two of them are on our team. Ryan is young, Chad is experienced. Like I said before, I think Chad will be a challenger for the Championship at the end. Ryan; I do not know whether he will break out and just start winning and just keep going or not, but he could. It is very possible because he has that instinct to do so. He has done it in the past and he could do it again. Either one of those choices makes sense to me. Of course, that is a wish for me but I really believe that and I hope we can meet in Vegas when that happens.

THE ROOKIE ROGER DE COSTER, TEAM MANAGER OF ROCKSTAR MAKITA SUZUKI RIDERS: Ryan Dungey and Matt Moss FACT: Suzuki’s comeback in the winners’ circle coincided with De Coster’s return to the brand with which he won 5 FIM Motocross World Championships. And they have been in the forefront ever since. FIM: How did the 2009 season go? Roger De Coster: 2009 was a great year for us you know. We won three US Championships and got a second in Supercross and were in the running for the Championship until the last round. And with Ryan Dungey in the US Team at the FIM Motocross of Nations and winning that one also it was a nice way to end the season. FIM: What are your expectations for 2010? R.D.: In 2010, the team is smaller. We had to reduce the number of riders because of budgets but I feel we still have a strong Team. Ryan is definitely the best upcoming talent around and I think he has the ability to be a front runner also in the 450. Of course, it is not going to be easy in the first year. Traditionally, when a rider moves up from the 250cc to the 450cc, he struggles. But I do not see why Ryan would not be on the podium from the first year on, both in events and final standings. He is well prepared, he has done his homework. We contracted Matt Moss at the end of last

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Roger De Coster was very outspoken: Ryan Dungey is the best upcoming talent and he has the ability to be a front runner. ///

season. He was racing the Australian Supercross Series and ended up winning them. Unfortunately, he got an injury after that and he will miss probably the first five or six events. He should be able to start racing maybe late February. He has got the speed; he also has a lot of potential to go a long way. The new Suzuki, our production based bike, is very good. This is the best production bike we have had in a long time. For us to have such a base it was a very good thing. We were worried because we got our equipment quite late and to our surprise it was easy to beat the performance of last year’s bike. Again, I feel our bike is very good. FIM: How is the economic crisis affecting your team and how are you coping with it? R.D.: Roughly, our budget is still a lot of money but it is probably half of that of 2009 but our sponsors Rockstar and Makita make it possible for us to continue at this level. Without them, it would be impossible. Racing has become very expensive in recent years. The riders’ salaries were going through the roof and that is the reason why we do not have Chad Reed anymore, strictly because of budgets. FIM: How do you see the evolution of the “AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship” going global? R.D.: Under today’s economy, I do not see a way how we could do it. If there is a way to help us pay for it, then we could look at it. For the US basically - we are little bigger than the European countries – our budgets come from the American side and have to be funded by our sales in the US. Our sales F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

right now are not big enough to justify and pay for racing overseas. To do that, we would need some kind of financial help. FIM: How do you see the Championship going before the start of the season? R.D.: Basically, Stewart should be the fastest guy still but I expect Ryan to be in the top three. There are four riders that will be a step above I feel and that is James Stewart, Ryan Dungey, Chad Reed and Ryan Villopoto but to give a top three? Obviously, they can all be top three but one guy is going to fall out and I do not know who that is going to be. But for the season, they will be the ones and maybe on some occasions also Josh Grant.

THE OUTSIDER ERIK KEHOE, TEAM MANAGER, HONDA RED BULL RACING RIDERS: Andrew Short and Davi Millsaps FACT: Honda is no longer the dominant force it once was but the red team will take any opportunity possible and can never be counted out. Will they or won’t they? FIM: How did the 2009 season go? Erik Kehoe: The 2009 season was good. As you know, we had a new 450 model that we were working with. We had a lot of changes to make - to work on the new bike - but as a review it was pretty good. Andrew Short had a good season and was third in the Championship. 9

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credibility to the sport. I think it is very interesting but the difficult part is in a time like now when we are spending conscious; for American Honda to travel overseas sometimes does not make sense. We have our budgets to race here in America. I think that as that develops it could be a good thing and that it would bring a lot of credibility to the series. We have some of the best racers over here and we would love to travel around and showcase them.

Erik Kehoe predicted: Davi Millsaps is there to take the opportunities when they are there. ///

FIM: What are your expectations for 2010? E.K.: I believe that we made a lot of improvements during the off-season to get our riders more comfortable on the bike and this year our goal is to be in that top three every week. I think our riders are going to be consistent and be on that podium every week. That is where Championships come from and that is what our goal is in 2010. FIM: How is the economic crisis affecting your team and how are you coping with it? E.K.: We have trimmed back to a three rider Team of which two riders – Andrew Short and Davi Millsaps – are in the Supercross class. We have cut back a little bit, trying to save money but still market our race Team and our motorcycles as we have in the past. It is

a difficult time trying to figure out how you continue to do business. We have been doing it a little bit different, trying to save money where we can and trying to be conscious where we are spending it but at the same time showing that Honda is about racing. We want to focus on that and show that we have good products to go out there and compete with. FIM: How do you see the evolution of the “AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship” going global? E.K.: I have heard a lot of talk and rumours about maybe going overseas. I believe this is definitively an interesting race series. I think that right now, American Honda has its marketing dollars that we spend to race in America but having a world wide Championship series is very important for the sport. It brings a lot of

FIM: How do you see the Championship going before the start of the season? E.K.: It is going to be a very exciting Championship. I know there are several riders who have lost their position on a factory team and they moved on to privateer teams; they are looking to prove themselves again. There is less money out there so these guys are fighting for the bonuses. I think we are going to see some of the best racing that we have seen in the last couple of years. As for the outcome, I think that James Stewart has proven time and time again that he is very strong in the Championship, as well as Chad Reed. I was just thinking about that the other day. I was counting ten to twelve other riders out there that are all podium capable. I think our riders Andrew Short and Davi Millsaps are both capable of getting on that podium week in and week out. And if you are there to take those opportunities when they are there, I think our guys are ready to do that. I think we are going to see the best racing in a long time. There is a lot of competition out there. by Dirk De Neve

Who would have thought that after three events of the 2010 Championship, we would already be missing James Stewart, the defending Champion, and Chad Reed, the runner-up in 2009? Both see their season ruined by injuries. Also missing in action: Josh Grant and Andrew Short… And destiny may still hold some more surprises! After Indianapolis, each team has scored at least one victory (Team San Manuel Yamaha/James Stewart/1 – Team Makita Suzuki/Ryan Dungey/2 - Team Monster Energy Kawasaki/Ryan Villopoto/3 - Honda Red Bull Racing/Davi Millsaps/1). Villopoto and Dungey are leading, closely followed by Hill. Behind them, there is a gap with Millsaps and Windham who are leading the charge. The 2010 “AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship” is once again very exciting and thrilling. With 10 more rounds still to go, anything can happen. It is definitely too early to say for sure but at this point in time, it looks as if three (two?) riders are in the hunt for the Championship. One only can win the title. Who will be the new number one? Wait and see…

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Even when vehicles are available, they quickly break down if no one has the expertise or resources to maintain them. Riders ensures vehicles are kept running day in, day out.

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INTERVIEW DAVE PRATER SUPERCROSS LOGISTICS

WE SAT DOWN WITH DAVE PRATER, DIRECTOR OF SUPERCROSS FOR FELD MOTORSPORTS ON THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE SECOND ROUND OF THE MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS, AN FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA. HERE IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY ON THE LOGISTICS BEHIND THE SUPERCROSS SCENE.

FIM: What is exactly your role? Dave Prater: I basically try to keep my hands in everything that deals with Supercross: from the operation side of things to the track builders and all the operational staff that build up all the structures - finish line structures, start gate line structures, into the time table we put up, into our sales department who deals with our sponsors, into marketing who deals with ticket sales and so… just basically trying to keep that large machine running and all together.

FIM: How do you prepare the “AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship season? D.P.: Probably 80% of the preparation is done during summer time and the off-season. Everyone makes the joke that I am lying on the beach sipping Martinis but the bulk of the work is being done in the summer time. As soon as we finish our last event in Vegas, we meet with the AMA and the FIM to talk about competition, how to make it better. Then, Mike Muey (Supercross Manager) and myself go back to the office; we make sure that all the numbers, the balance and all the budgets are correct. After that we start planning for the following year and visit all the stadiums, meet with all the building personal and talk about what went well and what we could do better. Finally, we get to Anaheim 1 and the first events are a little hectic and crazy because we are getting it rolling, everyone is new at it, all new team, new signage but after 2 or 3 events, it is like a machine. You don’t have to think about it, it drives on its own momentum, and by the end of it we wished we would never stop and have to plan for the next year! So the 20% is just to keep it going once the season has started.

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FIM: How do you manage to run events on consecutive weekends? What is the set-up? D.P.: Going from city to city on consecutive weekends is tricky depending on the set-up. For instance: if it is an artificial floor like in Dallas next week, we have to have a crew there already now putting a plywood floor on top of the artificial turf so that we can bring in the dirt as of Tuesday morning. In the meantime, we are going back to Anaheim and bring in “Monster Jam” in between 2 Supercross events. “Monster Jam” uses less dirt than Supercross so we will have to bring in a little bit more dirt for the Supercross. It all depends on the venue but say in San Francisco an additional crew will be up there Friday and Saturday laying down plastic sheeting over the grass field and then 2 layers of plywood on top of that on

Sunday. Monday, they make sure all the equipment is there, whatever they may need to build the track. We start putting the dirt as of Tuesday morning and we just run the normal schedule. FIM: As of then; what does all this involve? D.P.: Typically, we work with 20 men about 65 to 70 hours each a week as of Tuesday the crew grows to 25, Friday there will be more and so on. As far as the truck loads we use about 6000 cubic yards – 500 10-ton truck loads - in each track design. If it will be raining for the event we bring in less dirt, say 5000 cubic yards, and have an easier getting it out. by Dirk De Neve

SUPERCROSS TRACK FACTS • Supercross track builder: Dirt Wurx USA • 420 man hours to build the track • 1'800 man hours to move in and out the track • 180'000 square feet of Geo Tech (construction fabric to assist with drainage and silt) • 6'500 pieces of plywood to protect the underlying field • 500 dump truck loads of dirt • 6'500 cubic yards of clay • 50'000 gallons of water to process and moisture the dirt

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MARKETING / COMMUNICATIONS NEWS THREE “L’S” FOR ONE CAMPAIGN - WOMEN RIDE Leslie Porterfield (FIM Speed World Record Holder), Livia Lancelot (FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion) and Laia Sanz (FIM Women’s Trial World Champion) have participated in the brand new FIM campaign “WOMEN RIDE” for promoting women in motorcycling. This campaign is the fruit of a joint project between the FIM Commission for Women in Motorcycling and the Marketing & Communications Department. The aims are to enlarge the audience of the motorcycling community by including women and also to change the perception of motorcycling by promoting well known female ambassadors in the FIM’s communications.

Episode 1 explains the real reason why women ride motorcycles: they are guided by their emotions! The campaign will be promoted through the FIM Communication Platform (FIM-LIVE.COM, the FIM Magazine Ride With Us!, FIM YouTube Channel, the FIM TV Magazine – FIM Moto Show) and official Championship programmes Furthermore, with “WOMEN RIDE”, the FIM is ambitious to increase the visibility of women in motorcycling is by broadening the media coverage of this campaign to include industry, specialised motorcycle media as well as media for women in general.

COMMUNITY

Following the successful launch of the FIM Channel on Youtube, the FIM is expanding its community platform with the launch of the FIM on Facebook and also on Twitter and Flick’r with the FIM Photo Gallery.

MEDIA • The FIM and Perform launch web TV solution to the global motorcycling community. The FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) and the global digital sport and entertainment specialist Perform, have just announced a 3-year partnership to develop, manage, promote and monetise a new video website for the

• The FIM and Dukes Video have signed an agreement for the distribution of the 2009 SPEA FIM Trial Indoor World Championship, the 2009 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship and the 2009 FIM Trial of Nations for the USA, the UK, Eire, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man territories. • The FIM and CineHollywood have signed an agreement for the distribution of the 2009 FIM Trial season Review in Italy.

federation.

ADVERTISE WITH US! If you wish to advertise with us on FIM-LIVE.COM, m.FIM-LIVE.COM, FIM-STORE.COM, the FIM Magazine Ride With Us! please contact the FIM Marketing & Communications Department at: marketing@fim.ch F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

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LEISURE MOTORCYCLING NEWS INVITATION TO THE 2010 FIM RALLY Herentals, Belgium - 22-24 June Organised by the K.A.M.C. Herentals under the aegis of the Fédération Motocycliste de Belgique (FMB) Meet up with old friends, make new ones, entertainment programme, excursions, Nations Parade, Prize-Giving Ceremony, programme for women participants and much, much more... Deadline for entries: 31 March 2010 Go to www.fimrally2010.eu for details and to sign up with your club/national federation. WHY ARE YOU BIKING AT THE AGE OF 42 AND WHY DO YOU KEEP GOING TO THE SAME EVENT: THE FIM RALLY? This is a question I get asked all the time: at work, at dinners, with new friends, so I will do my best to answer. At the age of 16 I got myself a boyfriend and he happened to be one with an interest in biking. My mother didn’t think it was in any way bad, she just said, “be careful”. Well, at that time I did not have a licence so I couldn’t drive. At 18 I had the same boyfriend, got my licence and my first bike, a Yamaha RD 400, yellow and black...the real stuff. During most weekends we went to different places, met up with people, talked about this and that. At no point did we discuss what we did for a living or how much money we had. I think that was the big difference. We were there because it was our hobby. Then later, we went on trips to foreign countries, in the rain and really cold, but all along, real fun. Not that the rain was fun but meeting in the petrol station, you always talk to someone when turning up on a bike. I think that biking can be a little like an adventure. If the weather is nice we go this way and if it rains we go that way. Independence is my style and all bikers love their bikes and for some, it is their life. Throughout the winter we look after it, clean it and get new parts. We wait patiently for the spring. Yes we can go places in a car, but it will never be

the same. The wind, sun and rain are difficult to feel inside a car! Well, back to my story. At the age of 23 I was married and life was looking really good. Until... the message came that no-one wants to receive: my husband had crashed with his bike and the worst part was that he didn’t survive. At 23, that turns your life upside down and gives you a different outlook on life. Being me, I realised that all my life had been about biking and most of my friends helped me during this difficult period of 2 years. In 1991 someone said to me, “would you like to come to the FIM RALLY in Eindhoven,-Holland? Well, hmm, maybe, but what is it and who do I know? Absolutely no one, but that would change very quickly. At that point I had a Yamaha XJ600 and off we went to Holland. That changed my life even more. The feeling of meeting up with more than 2000 bikers in the same camping area was just fantastic and even more so when you could camp with your country mates. Working today in a job where every day is meetings, reports, travelling by plane etc., in cars most of the time, I really look forward to travelling in a totally different way - on my BMW F650GS.

Yes, I could easily go by plane but being with the same people for 14 days, no thank you! For me, returning from my holiday needs to be an adventure, talking to totally different kinds of people, trying to explain in my best Croatian, that we need a hotel for the night as we haven’t booked anything… that is total holiday for me. Nothing is planned ahead most of the time. During the last 19 years I have been on planes for my holidays and yes, I did enjoy it, but something is missing when we don’t go to a FIM Rally. The friends we have made during the last 15 years are there, and we talk about bikes for 4 or 5 days solidly. We dance, see our friends and meet other new people, etc. At night we talk about the route we did on the way getting there and maybe get some new routes for the way home. The FIM RALLY is for life and so are the friends. My husband Martin, whom I met at the FIM RALLY in 1992, is also totally a biker, and so are my parentsin-law. When we get old, we will have so many stories to tell and that is the best part. by Anita la Fontaine - Vipperød (Denmark)

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SPEED ? “Breathtaking” Leslie PORTERFIELD © FIM / BANDITO / GOOD-SHOOT / SCOOTER - 2010

FIM SPEED WORLD RECORD HOLDER

/ / / tech talk

DID YOU KNOW? ICE RACING IS HOT

ICE RACING

THE MACHINES

••‘Ice Racing’ is a competition with motorcycles, a discipline

••Almost all of the Ice Racing motorcycles are ‘prototypes’.

••The biggest national championship is in Russia but FIM

••The two-valve engines have capacity of 500cc, usually a

which is very popular in Russia and the Scandinavian countries, with avid followers and fans in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, C zech Republic , Switzerland, Poland, USA and Canada. sanction an Individual Ice Racing World Championship for which most riders compete through Qualifying rounds and a Grand Prix style Final series.

••There is also a World Championship for Teams. 7 Nations

meets every year to compete for the FIM Team Ice Racing World Championship title in the final event. The current champions are Russian.

••The length of a typical ‘Ice Racing’ oval track varies between 260 and 425 metres. Ice Racing is performed like speedway with the riders always turning ‘left’ (counter clockwise). Four riders compete during a ‘heat’ which lasts for 4 laps and takes about 60 seconds. Unlike speedway, riders do not skid on the track but rely on spikes in the tyres for grip, and ride ‘road race’ style around the bends. 18

The typical components, frame, handlebars, wheels, are all hand made, even the menacing looking spikes…! Engines are tuned, upgraded and tested on dyno’s to find the best power and torque curves. JAWA single cylinder four stroke and air cooled, running on pure methanol which is fed through a carburetor with a 34 mm diameter. The engine has a two speed gearbox and develops around 50-55 PS.

••Minimum weight is 110 kg and there are no brakes. ••The minimum bank angle on the left hand side of the motorcycle is 68 degrees

••The speed varies from 70 to 100 km/h according to the length of the track.

••A cut-out switch is placed on the wrist of the rider in order to stop the engine in case of a fall.

••Special FIM approved silencers are in use to curb the sound levels away from the track.

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tech talk

••Tyres are also handmade. But the dif ference is made by some menacing looking, 120 very sharp spikes, embedded on the front tyre and up to 160 on the 21”rear tyre, p rov iding t he b e s t p os sib l e adherence and traction on the ice surface. 90% percent of the spikes are placed predominantly on the left side section of the tyres. The maximum length of a spike allowed is 28mm. Their position on the tyre, their number, their form, is an art by itself; an art so precise that depending on the track surface conditions (hardness, temperature), a rider can succeed (or fail) on the construction of his tyres.

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THE RIDERS ••The ‘Ice Racing’ gladiators use plastic,

carbon or metal protections in order to protect every part of their body. A complete suit of leather (Kevlar based material) covers the real body protection worn underneath. Body armour is worn much like that of a medieval knight to protect the rider and particularly the upper body from the ultra sharp spikes, spinning like a circular saw.

••Shoes are often ‘custom’ made. Special

arm, leg, knee and spine protectors are used to protect the rider in addition to the helmet, gloves and boots.

THE RACING ••Special! Unreal! You will need to go and see for yourself!

by Isabelle Larivière and Jean-Paul Gombeaud

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THE WINTER BOYS ZORN - KRASNIKOV THE 2010 FIM TEAM ICE RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL TOOK PLACE IN THE CITY STADIUM “ZORKEY”, IN KRASNOGORSK (RUSSIA). 21 BREATHTAKING HEATS, 4 LAPS EACH IN FRONT OF 10’000 SPECTATORS, IN FREEZING RUSSIA BURST INTO A REAL BATTLE BETWEEN RUSSIA, SWEDEN AND AUSTRIA.THE FIM SPOKE WITH TWO ICE-RACING STARS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THEIR PASSION FOR ICE RACING. FRANZ ZORN: THE SELFMADE CHAMPION Date of birth: 30 August 1970 Nationality: Austrian 3rd place FIM Team Ice Racing World Championship (2010) 2nd FIM Team Ice Racing World Championship (2009) 3rd FIM Individual Ice Racing World Championship (2009) 2nd FIM Team Ice Racing World Championship (2008) 3rd FIM Individual Ice Racing World Championship (2008) UEM Champion (2008) …/…

FRANZ ZORN: "When I was younger, I lived with my uncle. He had been an Ice Racing rider for 10 years when he transmitted his passion for this sport; there were bikes everywhere at home! I began my career in 1993 and started scoring my first international podiums in 1996. I qualified in the FIM Individual Ice Racing World Championship for the first time in 1999 and became Vice Champion the following year! I am a mechanic and I do everything by myself. Ice Racing is a full time job. During the summer I look for sponsors, find the budget to compete in this World Championship Grand Prix which is quite expensive but I am doing well. I also do my own PR! Once I get the budget, I buy parts, suspensions, front forks and some little things but I build my frames and the system myself. I work on the engine with a mechanic. I make my own spikes and put them on the tyres. It is a hard job, not easy to fix them but we have a special technique. You have to fix them carefully to avoid problems. There is no academy where I live and 10 years ago I decided to build my own Ice Racing track for my personal training and I am riding Supermoto to improve my feeling on the bike. Ice racing is my passion!"

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NIKOLAY KRASNIKOV: UNSTOPPABLE Date of Birth: 4 February 1985 Nationality: Russian 5-times FIM Individual Ice Racing World Champion 6-times Team Ice Racing World Champion 4-times Russian Champion (2005, 2007, 2009, 2010)

NIKOLAY KRASNIKOV: "I started Ice Racing where I was born, in the public club of Shadrinsk (Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia) when I was 12 years old. I also rode motocross bikes when I when even younger! After a few years I became a professional rider and I finished fourth in the 2004 FIM Individual Ice Racing World Championship at the age of 19. I won six consecutive gold medals in the FIM Team Ice Racing World Championship and 5 in the FIM Individual Ice Racing World Championship since 2005. Being a World Champion is a result of team work. Together with my mechanics, we work on the motorcycles. We build the motorcycles totally ourselves with all the parts we buy. For the spikes, I buy different types depending on the ice and I fix them myself or one of my mechanics does this work, depending on the ice condition.

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2010 FIM TEAM ICE RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL 1.

RUSSIA

Dmitry Khomitsevich, Dmitry Bulankin, Nikolay Krasnikov

50 points

SWEDEN

Stefan Svensson, Per-Olov Serenius, Per-Anders Lindstrom

45 points

AUSTRIA

Harald Simon, Martin Leitner, Franz Zorn

41 points

CZECH REPUBLIC

Antonin Klatovsky, Jan Klatovsky, Andrej Divis

35 points

FINLAND

Antti Aakko, Kai Lehtinen, Mats Jarf

31 points

GERMANY

Stefan Pletschacher, Max Niedermaier, Johann Weber

26 points

Sven Holstein, NETHERLANDS Rene Stellingwerf, Rene Verhoef

23 points

I think that I will continue racing for another two years but I have a project for the future. I am still enjoying a lot competition, the individual championship in particular but now I think about having my own Ice Racing school. My objective is not only to be the director but also to teach the young riders how to become a talented Ice Racing rider and who knows, the future World Champions!" by Isabelle LariviĂ¨re F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

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This year, the official Ducati team entered in MotoGP will have a certain Vittoriano Guareschi as the team manager. This is a symbol. Former rider in the FIM S u p e r b i ke a n d S u p e r s p o r t Wo r l d Championships, Vitto has been assuming the role of test rider on the Desmosedici since the comeback of the I t alian manufacturer to Grand Prix in 2003. To entrust the role of team manager to Guareschi after Livio Suppo had left was quite obvious for Claudio Domenicali, general manager of the Ducati factory: “Vitto knows our motorcycle perfectly well, and he speaks the same language as Casey and Nicky. He was a racer; he knows what the riders expect and he is able to ensure the link between all the team members and the racing department”. For Casey Stoner, the presence of Vitto will

allow Filippo Preziosi, the Technical Director of Ducati Corse, to validate with pertinence the comments made by the Aus t r alian r ider and his A mer ic an teammate. “There will be less risk of losses in the translation of our comments”, r e c ko n s t h e 2 0 07 M oto G P Wo r l d Champion. Facing the Japanese constructors, whose way of working is sometimes slow to get moving, Ducati is opting for reactivity with a small but passionate team. “This is our trademark”, states Claudio Domenicali. With this, the general manager of the Borgo Panigale company can count on his emblematic figure, father of the brilliant Desmosedici line: Filippo Preziosi. Born in Perugia, in the centre of Italy in 1968, he who became the technical director of Ducati Corse knew very early

on what he wanted to do with his life. A brilliant schoolboy, Filippo ref ined his objective during the course of his studies. He liked competition and engines, so he would be an engineer. Af ter two f irst university years in his home town, he left Umbria for Emilia Romagna, cradle of the Italian motorsports. As a young student he had only one idea in mind: to work for Ducati. “In those days, the brand was in a bad shape”, he remembers. “But for me the name was simply magic. Ducati had always built extreme motorcycles, without compromise, machines different from any others”. W hile he was f inishing his mechanical engineering studies at the University of Bologna, Filippo regularly went walking in front of the gates of the factory. In 1992, he obtained his degree. “My mechanics teacher wanted me to stay

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DUCATI FAMILY AND PASSION

WITH FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES WHICH ARE BY FAR INFERIOR TO THOSE OF ITS JAPANESE RIVALS, THE DUCATI FACTORY HAS BEEN LEADING THE FIELD SINCE ITS COMEBACK TO GRAND PRIX. FOR THIS, THE ITALIAN MANUFACTURER CAN COUNT ON THE PASSION AND THE FAMILY SPIRIT OF ITS RACING Vittoriano Guareschi former rider in the FIM Superbike & Supersport World Championships will be the team manager for the Ducati Team in MotoGP. ///

at the university to teach, but for me, what I wanted was to build an engine. He then proposed to me that I obtain an interview for employment at Ferrari. I told him I would prefer to try my luck at Ducati… He couldn’t believe it, because in Italy all the engineers dream about working for Ferrari”. A couple of days later, Filippo was sitting with Massimo Bordi in a discussion which would not last very long. “He told me that he wanted me in his team after two minutes, I was in seventh heaven when I left. It was one of the best days of my life”. After having served in the army, Filippo Preziosi joined the factor y in Borgo Panigale at the beginning of 1994. He was then 25 years old and was working on final calculations. His abilities quickly allowed him to go to competition. With three other engineers,

F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

DEPARTMENT, AND IN PARTICULAR ITS BOSS, FILIPPO PREZIOSI. he was in charge of developing Superbike machines. He worked on the 996, then on the 998. “We were four engineers, with few resources. It was an excellent school and a superb adventure. It was then that I learned how important it was to know how to concentrate one’s efforts on the right spot. When you have less money than the others, you have to be more clever and spend advisedly”. This experience acquired with the Superbike motorcycles would be very useful for him in MotoGP…

At the beginning of 2000, Filippo Preziosi was appointed Technical Director of Ducati Corse. At the same time, the FIM announced the forthcoming creation of the FIM MotoGP Championship. With Claudio Domenicali, President of Ducati Corse, and Livio Suppo, then in charge of

the marketing of the racing department, Filippo Preziosi started to work on the Desmosedici project. “The arrival of the f o u r- s t ro ke i n G r a n d P r i x w a s a tremendous opportunity for me. With the Superbike, we had to think up racing motorcycles based on production series machines. In this case we finally had the possibility of developing new things of which production series could later take advantage”. The challenge was exciting and the project quickly convinced the general board of the factory in Borgo Panigale. But, when he had just received the green light for his new challenge, Filippo suffered a dramatic motorcycle accident on an African track. Aged 32 years, the young and brilliant engineer, to whom nothing seemed impossible, found himself stuck in a wheelchair. He

/ / / G ALLE RY

“This season, each rider will have only six engines to take part in the whole Championship. Everything has been newly designed, our engine is now able to run 1600 km” explains Claudio Domenicali. ///

lost the use of his legs and practically also of his hands. For common mortals, this accident would have been the end. Not for Filippo Preziosi. “This guy has exceptional will and intelligence”, states Livio Suppo. “I don’t know anyone as strong as him. His passion for Ducati enables him to move mountains”. In a specialised centre of a hospital in Northern Italy, Filippo hung on to life by working from his bed. Once a week, the engineers who were working with him on the MotoGP project came to meet him. “The chief nurse would lend us her office so that we could work”, he remembers. “It was quite funny for her to see us with our designs and our computers…” Per ten months, Filippo found himself inventing the Desmosedici from his hospital room, permanently connected to the computers working in Bologna. An unstoppable worker, the Technical Director of Ducati Corse still draws inspiration from his capacity to work to help cure the handicap that overturned his life. “It is sure”, he says, “my passion and my work helped me to get back up and recover. Still today I suffer less when I am buried in my calculations seated behind my computer, than when I am at home with nothing to do. When I am thinking and trying to resolve problems, I don’t have time to think about anything else. My life seems to be the same as before my accident”. People who know him well say he has remained the same and that with or without the accident, the fruit of his intelligence would have been as brilliant. In order to design the D16 GP3, the first version of the MotoGP Ducati aligned in 2003, Filippo Preziosi applied his formula: don’t do as the others do. “We decided to make the engine as powerful as possible and then try to resolve the problems and make it usable. This is how we obtained a wild horse! But OK, this is what I wanted. To have success at that level, you must have an efficient motorcycle and a rider who has a good feeling while riding it. If you design a machine which is average at all levels so that it suits everybody, you cannot get any advantage over the others. Our approach was well rewarded…”

From its first season, the Ducati hit the spirits. A podium at the opening round in Suzuka, a victory in Barcelona… “I also remember that both our bikes were leading in the first corner of their first race”. The second season was more difficult. “As we did not have much experience and data, we waited until October to finalise the development of the GP4. This was too late. Then we discovered that it was easier to make mistakes than to make progress, and that it was necessary to stand back in relation to the results of the winter tests, as the track conditions easily perturb the conclusions”. In 2005, the Ducati team chose to swop the Michelin tyres for Bridgestone. “For Michelin, we were only outsiders. First there was Rossi, the master, and then Honda, first World manufacturer. In order to hope for a chance to beat our adversaries, we needed a closer collaboration with a tyre manufacturer”. Filippo then made efforts to put in place a test team with Bridgestone which would allow him to develop new techniques. “We worked on new IT programmes with a GPS and an inertial platform to measure the behaviour of the tyres”. To use his intelligence in order to wrong-foot the adversary seems to be Filippo Preziosi’s motto. At the end of 2006, the MotoGP lost 200cc. Within the MSMA, the Grand Prix manufacturers’ association, only Ducati was opposed to this reduction of the cubic capacity. “We were opposed to this measure for economic reasons because it would force us into heavy investments to rethink our engine”. The rest is known. Over the 18 Grand Prix of the 2007 season, the Ducati won twelve times and allowed Casey Stoner to clinch the World Champion title. “We were more aggressive”, said the Technical Director of Ducati Corse. “If you have to lose power, it is better to lose as little as possible. This is what we succeeded in doing”. Two years later, the engineers of the racing department do not have exactly the same approach to this question. With its new “big-bang” engine and its latest electronic evolutions, the GP10 is seen as an easier machine to handle. This is a necessity to allow other riders than Casey Stoner FIM M AGA ZINE . 7 1 / / / JA NUA RY FE BRUA RY 2 0 1 0

GA L L E RY

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An unstoppable worker, Filippo Preziosi was appointed Technical Director of Ducati Corse in 2000; at the same time the FIM announced the forthcoming creation of the FIM MotoGP Championship. ///

to get the best out of the spirited Ducati. “We were not FIM World Champions in 2008 and 2009, and it is for a big part my fault because our technical package was very efficient”, said the Australian rider”. In 2008 I made two mistakes I should not have made. In Brno I crashed when hitting my footrest in a corner. And in Misano, when I had a problem with my front tyre, I overdid it and I also crashed. Even if I was behind in the Championship and I had to win races, I should not have made those mistakes. And last year, I should have taken the decision to stop much earlier in

the season when my physical state was poor. Then I could have returned sooner and won more races while taking advantage of Rossi’s and Lorenzo’s mistakes, and gone for the title”. With Stoner back in full form, Claudio Domenicali and Filippo Preziosi today can dream of putting a new star on the front door of the Factory in Borgo Panigale. by Michel Turco

THE DUCATI SPIRIT There is no Ducati made elsewhere than Bologna. Like a Ferrari obviously comes from Maranello, a Ducati is born in Borgo Panigale, and this since the production of the first Cucciolo. The factory has been the same since 1946. Today a thousand people work there, of which two hundred belong to the racing department. After a difficult period, the transalpine manufacturer has regained its balance. In 2007, the production increased about 20% to reach 40,000 units, notably thanks to the arrival of the 1098cc. Since then the economic crisis arrived. Nevertheless, according to Claudio Domenicali, the Bologna factory fared the crisis somewhat better than its rivals. “On a market which fell 30%, we lost about 15% of our sales. This means we improved our market shares. And contrary to most of our competitors, we continued the development of new technologies and new models”. AN AMBITIOUS DESMOSEDICI The GP9 Ducati was widely talked about thanks to its new carbon frame. The GP10, the last one born in the Desmosedici line, maintains the hopes of the Italian clan thanks to its new “big-bang” engine. Thus, while the change to the 800cc had pushed Filippo Preziosi to choose a “screamer” version, the Technical Director chose for 2010 to come back to the “big-bang” which was the delight of the 990 in 2005 and 2006. “This tuning allows us to obtain a less powerful engine in high revolutions but makes it easier to use”, explains Claudio Domenicali. This allows for a better transmission of power to the ground and less delicate handling in the corner exits. The GP10 is also set up with a seat integrated to the frame, now fixed at six points instead of four. This evolution is aimed at improving the rigidity of the GP10 frame, in order to limit undesired movements of the chassis. The Ducati Corse engineers evidently worked very hard on the reliability of their engine. In fact, this season, each rider will have only six engines at his disposal to take part in the whole Championship. “Everything has been newly designed”, states Domenicali. “Our engine is now able to run 1600 km”.

F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

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I feel in great shape. It has been a long time since I have felt so good at this time of the year. Today the problems are behind me and I am able to restart an intensive training. I am ready ! ///

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« I AM READY! » INTERVIEW WITH CASEY STONER

AFTER A DIFFICULT 2009 SEASON DURING WHICH HE HAD TO RETIRE FOR SOME WEEKS BECAUSE OF MYSTERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS, CASEY STONER IS READY TODAY TO GO BACK TO FIGHT FOR THE WORLD CHAMPION TITLE IN HIGH SPIRITS AND WITH A CONSTITUTION OF IRON.

FIM: Casey, how do you feel on the eve of this 2010 MotoGP Championship which already seems very passionate?

FIM: Then you stopped taking milk products just before you came back for the Portuguese Grand Prix…

Casey Stoner: I feel in great shape. It has been a long time since I have felt so good at this time of the year. Two years ago I was suffering from a shoulder injury, last year I was recovering from an operation on a scaphoid… Today the problems are behind me and I am able to restart an intensive training. I am ready!

C.S.: Yes, but you need some time to eliminate lactose from your body. And nothing showed that this doctor had found what was wrong with me. When I left for Estoril, I was still having the same problems. About ten days earlier, I even went back to a cardiologist to undergo a new effort test which was a disaster. I was desperate.

FIM: There has been a lot of speculation about your health problems of last season, and many rumours have circulated. How did you live with this? C.S.: People like to start rumours when they don’t control a situation. Nobody understood what was happening to me and when the doctors said I did not have anything, everybody believed them and said my problems had a psychological origin. Schwantz was the first one and then other riders who had gone through difficult ends of career started to explain that I was finished and that I would retire from racing. People don’t have the slightest idea of what my job is, as I certainly don’t have any idea of what theirs is. Unfortunately this is the way of the world, whereas a little more respect between people would be sufficient for things to be different…

FIM: And finally everything went well… C.S.: Yes, when I arrived in Europe, a few days before the Portuguese Grand Prix I started to feel better. The next day better again, as so on. That’s how I ended on the rostrum in Estoril. Since then, I have totally eliminated lactose from my food. FIM: This podium was a real relief for you… C.S.: Yes, it was amazing to finish the race without a problem. I was really happy to shut up the critics and all those who had doubted me. Frankly, how could I be depressed when I started to feel bad while I was fighting for the lead of the World Championship? I knew very well that my problems were not of the psychological kind.

FIM: One must say that you remained quite silent during the two months in which you stopped competing in the Grand Prix…

FIM: At that period, you were declaring yourself more and more satisfied with the handling of your Ducati. What did you do to make it progress?

C.S.: There was a press release explaining that I had gone back to Australia to undergo medical exams, to recover and rest. What else could I add to this? At that moment, I did not understand myself what was happening. All the doctors I had consulted had not found anything in particular in my blood analyses, except a rather low level of sodium.

C.S.: In Barcelona, I was desperately trying to keep in contact with the Yamaha riders in the long curves. My feet and my footrests were scraping the ground… I asked my technicians to put the seat and the footrests up, even if, according to the data-logging, it did not seem to be a good idea. They followed my advice, and the handling of the bike was transformed. I needed to take less of an angle to put it in the corner, which made it easier to handle while allowing me to use the edges of the tyres less. The bike was also easier to bring back up coming out of a corner. As from this point, we worked on this new base while also using evolutions on the electronic side.

FIM: How did you resolve these health problems? C.S.: Among the seven or eight doctors I consulted, only one found what was happening to me. He was an Australian doctor who is also a nutritionist. After examining my blood analyses, he told me I was certainly suffering from an intolerance to lactose. Many people are intolerant to lactose, but to a higher or lower level. Generally, this has no physiological effect. The problem is that I developed it in an exaggerated manner and it started to provoke very strong feelings of tiredness, such as the one that made me faint at the finish of the Catalunya Grand Prix.

F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

FIM: You had the opportunity to test the Desmosedici GP10 in Valencia with the new “big-bang” engine. What did you think about it? C.S.: Very good. Valencia is a circuit that has always suited Ducatis very well. And as from the first ride with the GP10, we have made 27

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PAD D OCK

even more progress. This means something. In fact, with this new engine, we lose a bit of top speed, but we gain a lot in the transmission of power to the ground and in corner exit. This allows us to compensate for the grip we lost by putting the bike up a few centimetres. I am very confident in the technical package that will be ours this year. FIM: This season, each rider will only have six engines at his disposal for taking part in the eighteen Grand Prix of the MotoGP Championship. What will it change? C.S.: I don’t think it will affect many people. I am sure that in Valencia last November all the manufacturers tested their new engine. Everybody will be ready. In my view, developing and producing more reliable spare parts will be expensive for the manufacturers. But I don’t think this will have an influence on the level of performance of the motorcycles. And then, we have so much horsepower that we can allow ourselves to lose some of it in order to ensure the longevity of the engines. FIM: There are changes in the Ducati team this year. Livio Suppo left his post of team manager to go to Honda, and he was replaced by Vittoriano Guareschi and Alessandro Cicognani. What effect might these changes have on the team? C.S.: Livio had much experience since he had been working on the Ducati MotoGP project since the beginning. He had also many other things to take care of, and it was no always evident, for him as well as for us. As a matter of fact, even before he left to go to Honda, it was already planned that Vitto would take a more active role within the team. He was the test rider of all the Desmosedici and knows our bike like the back of his hand. He was also a racer and knows our job very well. His role will be to bring our information to Filippo Preziosi with the least loss possible. Between two AngloSaxon riders and the Italian technicians, there might be some loss in translation. Vitto will be able to confirm and validate our

comments. As for Alessandro, he will manage the marketing part. I think the duo could be very efficient. FIM: With all the problems you had last year, do you see more clearly today what you have to do to be at your maximum? C.S.: Not really. For the last three years, we’ve had a very good basis at Ducati, and everything works very well. Whether we have a good or a bad week-end doesn’t change anything. If we have problems, we manage to resolve them. I don’t think I have many things to change. I am still the same. I progress little by little, I maturep and I even think I am easier than before with the media, even if it is not the part of my job I prefer… FIM: If you had the possibility, would you change anything in the career that has been yours until today? C.S.: There are always things that could have been better. I could have chosen a better team at certain moments of my career, and maybe if I had gone earlier to MotoGP, I would be in a more comfortable position today. But things went the way they went, and I remain today one of the two or three youngest World Champions in history. I can be happy for what I have achieved until now. Often I say to myself, principally these last two years: “…and if I had done it like this?...and if it had happened like that?” But that’s the way it is, it did not happen and I have to accept my life as it has been. FIM: When you were a kid, did you imagine that your life could be what it has become? C.S.: As a kid, I dreamed of something like this. You always dream of great things when you’re a child. It’s only when you are growing up you realise that life will not necessarily be as you had imagined. I am lucky to be one of those who could realise his dream, and of course that makes something very special of my life. by Michel Turco

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“WITH A RADICAL FLOURISH...” MOTO2: A NEW WAY OF GRAND PRIX RACING

WHEN THE FIM AND DORNA FIRST BEGAN DISCUSSING THE FUTURE OF MOTORCYCLE GP RACING’S FINISHING-SCHOOL CLASS SOME YEARS AGO, MANY FOUND IT HARD TO IMAGINE WHAT COULD EVER REPLACE THE TRADITIONAL 250S.

The answer evolved over a couple of years. When it came, it involved a total rethink.

The problem to be solved was that the 250s had become increasingly expensive and isolated, and lacking broad factory support. Grids were dwindling, the field was spreading out. The solution needed to cut costs and minimise machine differences. It became clear that production-based 600cc engines in full prototype chassis would be a big step in the right direction. But it wasn’t enough: tuning limits would be difficult to apply, regulations would be very complex, richer teams would benefit... The final answer came with a radical flourish. For the first time in World Championship history, competitors would all use identical Honda racing engines, supplied to them by the organisers. In this way, equality could be assured. The next step in the same direction was to follow MotoGP’s successful switch to control tyres. Dunlop was contracted for the task. Chassis design would be full-race: the prototype element survived. The new class would be called Moto2. The shift in philosophy was immense; the response from the international racing world likewise. In fact, against a background of shrinking 250 grids, it was so over-whelming that the programme was immediately put into overdrive. The 250 class was originally planned to run until the end of 2010. The self-generated impetus of Moto2 meant that the change was put forward by a year. And even so, the entry list was immediately over-subscribed. “We would have preferred a grid of between 32 and 34,” said teams’ association IRTA boss Mike Trimby, as he

contemplated the first proposed entry list before the end of season. Even trimmed back with a reserve list created, it stood at 39 riders. It still does. By the time the provisional entry list was announced in the new year, after all teams had confirmed their commitment with a US $25,000 deposit, there were 24 teams entering 39 riders, with two reserves. Until the first race, everything remains to be seen about Moto2. But one thing is certain: the grids will be packed. And with basic machine elements under such tight control, the racing will be not only a hard finishing school for would-be MotoGP graduates, but also a clear measure of pure riding talent. And it has every reason to be very, very close.

Vito Ippolito, FIM President, said: “We needed to tackle the costs, but we also needed to make it fairer for the riders. I think the rules will ensure that although the technical side is to a high racing standard, the class will be as equal as it’s possible to make it.” The flood of interest in the new Moto2 class revived a racing connection that has been in place for many years ... the independent constructors. There has been little place for them in GP racing in recent years, but they certainly hadn’t gone away. The first year of the series sees no less than 14 different makes of motorcycle on the grid. Even before the single-engine rule was announced veteran builders Moriwaki in Japan had shown the MotoGP paddock its proposed new machine; others would appear before the end of the year and still more early versions were already guest-racing in the Spanish CEV National Championship series. Six of them will be Moriwakis ... the early bird. But the most popular of the chassis come from Switzerland, and the

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Six of the 39 Moto2 machines will be Moriwakis ... the early bird! But the most popular of the chassis come from Switzerland, the established GP specialist firm of Suter Engineering, 13 riders will be on the Swiss STR machines. ///

established GP specialist firm of Suter Engineering, run by ex250 racer Eskil Suter. A full 13 riders will be on the Swiss STR machines. The numbers are made up in ones and twos. Several teams have patronised a favourite supplier. In this way the Spanish Team Pons will race German Kalex machines and the new Promoracing squad (with glamorous filmstar backing from Antonio Banderas) has turned to British specialists Harris; the important Spanish Aspar team and the one-man Cardion AB squad have turned to the Italian RSV. Others have designed and built (or commissioned) chassis on their own behalf. The French Tech 3 team are one such, as well as Scot from Italy (winners of the last 250 title) and the Spanish BQR team. This explosion of engineering interest has come from all round the world: Japan, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Germany, France ... And it promises a feast for technical geeks everywhere: different chassis designs and construction techniques married to differing ideas on airflow management and aerodynamics. Advantage in racing generally comes in the details ... it will be all the more so in Moto2. In practice, designers have mainly followed convention in the first-generation Moto2 bikes, because there is one vital question that needs to be answered before the clever games of weight distribution and relative chassis stiffness ratios can even begin. It concerns the tyres, for as Dunlop designer Nigel Nock explained: “the teams that adapt first to the performance of the tyres will have the most success.” This was how it worked in the MotoGP class, where 2009 was the first year of control Bridgestone tyres. Moto2’s regulations follow those of MotoGP closely, and the same situation prevails. There are just two front and two rear specifications F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

available for each track, selected before the event. This means the tyres need to offer a broad range of performance over a wide range of conditions. More importantly, these broadspectrum tyres are the same for everybody. Chassis tuning is the main area of freedom for designers, and once the ground-rules are established there will be plenty of room for new ideas.

The typical Moto2 bike of 2010 will have an aluminium twin-spar frame with the best of proprietary suspension and brakes front and rear. They will certainly all sound similar, and to the untrained eye even look similar. Until the next breakthrough design launches a new fashion... If the all-new bikes and tyres have yet to forge a working relationship, much more is known about the riders. The majority – 15 of the 39 – come from the 250 class. But five more have dropped into Moto2 from the MotoGP class, and it is from this number that the most obvious favourites are drawn. Both Alex de Angelis in the Scot team and Toni Elias in the Gresini squad are more than anxious to get back to the big class by storming to the first Moto2 title... and Elias is a MotoGP race-winner to boot. The other three are former 125 champion Gabor Talmacsi and two of last-year’s top-class rookies Yuki Takahashi and Nicola Canepa. But of course the last year’s crop of 250 talent has plenty to prove, and even though the top four in last year’s 250 championship have all moved up to MotoGP, there’s plenty of fight left behind them. Big names here run from the wily and fast Spanish veteran Alex Debon (on a Red Bull Ajo FTR from Britain) to Raffaele de Rosa from Italy, who made a strong 250 debut last year to 31

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finish sixth overall. De Rosa partners Takahashi in the Tech 3 team, which runs Yamahas in MotoGP. They are certainly not the only ones. Redoubtable 125 and 250 GP winner Mattia Pasini (JIR Racing TSR) is another likely pace-setter; former 125 champion Mike di Meglio from France is in the formidable Aspar team after his own impressive 2009 250 debut. It’s also worth watching out for Swiss star Thomas Luthi, another former 125 champion; Spaniard Hector Faubel; France’s Jules Cluzel; Japan’s 2009 250 rookie Showa Tomizawa; and the increasingly experienced Thai rider Ratthapark Wilairot. Seven riders have moved up from 125s – and there is at least one very strong title contender among them. It is second Team Aspar rider Julian Simon, whose dominance in 125s in 2009 carried him to clear victory. He also has 250 experience and will be closely watched. The six others are also serious prospects ... all but two are previous GP winners, and Italian Andrea Iannone an early title contender last year – he’s moved up alongside Talmacsi in the Speed Up Aprilia team, which retained its name even after Aprilia cancelled plans to make chassis for Moto2. Sergio Gadea (Spain), Stefan Bradl (Germany) and Scott Redding (Great Britain) are all race winners. Spain’s Joan Olive is an experienced campaigner who has never quite won, and Switzerland’s Dominique Aegerter a promising youngster. Moto2 has also refreshed the gene pool of racing, with a dozen hopeful newcomers who will be tackling grand prix racing for the first time. Several have come from the Spanish CEV national championships, as well as other national and also the World Endurance series. An ability to learn tracks quickly and the confidence not to be over-awed by the competition will give any one of them the chance to shine. A second chance, in some cases. Fonsi Nieto, nephew of multi-champion Angel, is five times a 250 GP winner and title runner up in 2002. The Spaniard has been away in World Superbikes since 2005, gaining a wealth of four-stroke experience. Roberto Rolfo is another returned former 250 race winner, also back from World Superbikes.

MOTO2 – THE RULES IN BRIEF •• The engines, based on Honda CBR600 street units, are race-prepared by the factory competition wing, HRC. The target is about 150 horsepower – a target achievable without sacrificing engine life. The six-speed gearbox is as stock, but with racing ratios that must suit all circuits; a racing slipper clutch will also be supplied with the engine. Engines are sealed. •• The Technical Director allots engines to teams randomly. •• Each team has already been supplied with a standard airbox and air filter, throttle bodies and injector nozzles. The fuel pump and regulator, and the fuel lines are also part of the package, as is the oil cooler ... although radiators are free. •• The crucial ECU – the engine management system – will also be supplied on a random basis. Certain basic tuning is possible using a standard software setting tool, part of the Moto2 kit. Other software modifications are banned, and the Technical Director has the power to swap ECUs, as well as to monitor recorded data. •• Beyond basic setting and running maintenance (oil changes and clutch-plate replacement, for example) teams may not touch the engines. Maintenance is done by the organisers. •• Chassis design “must be a prototype”, the rules state, with no production parts used. At the same time, exotic metals and electronic suspension are banned, and brakes will be steel rather than the costly carbon used by MotoGP. •• Moto2 bikes will be closely matched. The new racing system makes sure of that.

The Moto2 engines are based on Honda CBR600 street units, are raceprepared by the factor y competition wing, the target is about 150 horsepower. The six-speed gearbox is as stock, but with racing ratios that must suit all circuits; a racing slipper clutch will also be supplied with the engine. Engines are sealed. ///

American Kenny Noyes – riding alongside Olive in the Antonio Banderas team – is one graduate of Spain’s national series and Yannick Guerra (Spain) is fresh from a debut season in World Supersport. Moto2 has also cast the net wide. Ex-endurance rider Mashel el Naimi is the first ever Qatari in motorcycle grand prix racing; and last year’s first Russia Vladimir Leonov is joined in the class by compatriot Vladimir Ivanov. And South America is making a GP return, with Fabricio Perren from Argentina, Robertino Pietri from Venezuela and Yonny Hernandez from Colombia. The first race has yet to happen. But the air of invigoration equals that of expectation. A new way of grand prix racing is born.

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International motorsports manager Jeremy Ferguson explained: “A s Dunlop has been the dominant and ef fec tively sole supplier for the smaller classes for the last 20 years, and as we clearly wanted to stay involved in MotoGP activity, we said we would accept a one-brand contract on a similar basis to MotoGP.” ///

TYRES: ONE SIZE FITS ALL

The single-tyre rule, like that for engines, evolved over the course of discussions proposing various limitations in tyre cost. After the success of the rule in MotoGP, it followed that very similar rules would suit Moto2 admirably well. It also followed naturally that Dunlop should step up as suppliers. International motorsports manager Jeremy Ferguson explained: “As Dunlop has been the dominant and effectively sole supplier for the smaller classes for the last 20 years, and as we clearly wanted to stay involved in MotoGP activity, we said we would accept a one-brand contract on a similar basis to MotoGP.”

Dunlop will provide all riders with a choice of two different “A” and “B” tyres front and rear, preselected by the company’s engineers for each circuit. Dunlop engineers have years of experience and reams of data from all the established circuits, and have promised the tyres will be tailor made – dual compound or asymmetric construction tyres will be supplied for circuits that require them – such as Australia’s notoriously tyre-punishing Phillip Island. At the same time, tyres will have to be designed to offer a broad spectrum of performance, with a degree of “overlap” between the two specifications, so as to cover as many possible requirements as possible.

Each rider gets seven front tyres and nine rear tyres for the weekend. Each tyre has its individual bar-code signature, and tyre use is monitored throughout the weekend. Riders must choose some of each specification of tyre – a minimum of three front and four rear. Each rider also gets three front and three rear wet tyres for the weekend, with another pair for the race if all practices are wet. As with MotoGP, there will be no “intermediate” tyres. The regulations specify 17-inch wheels front and rear, with rim width at 3.75 front and 6.00 rear. Computer simulations factoring in the weight of 135kg and about 150 horsepower led engineers to choose size and aspect ratio of the tyres: 125/75R front, and 195/75R rear.

F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

The choice of compounds is more difficult – since the goalposts keep moving, and development is never static. After racing and tests with prototypes in the Spanish CEV series, Dunlop had narrowed down the choice to three or four possible different front-tyre compound mixes for front tyres, and double that number for the rear. With the use of three compound bands per tyre this gives a bewildering variety of possible combinations. But while Dunlop will miss the competition element, one of the advantages of a single-tyre contract with a fixed period to run (in this case three years) is “the ability to plan knowing what the time period is – not rushing development week in and week out. You can do that within your own time frame, not one imposed by competitor activity,” said Ferguson. “Moto2 is only one part of all our motor sport activity on two wheels and four wheels. In MotoGP before the single tyre rule, because of the element of competition it took up a huge amount of factory resources and time,” he continued, adding: “Also, if you have a one-brand activity for three years you can build a marketing strategy round it. Something that might disappear next year might not be so helpful.”

The marketing element is vital for more than the obvious reasons. The connection between race and road tyres is very strong, with Dunlop’s latest-generation supersports tyres using NTEC construction and multicompounding techniques developed directly in racing. With its engine power derived for a very popular class of supersports street bike, the connection is all the stronger with Moto2. “We can now see a huge crossover from all the race tyres to road tyres,” said Ferguson. “The high performance road tyres, for example the D211 GP Racer, are now very, very close indeed to the Supersport race tyres, in terms of profiles, compounds, construction ... in all aspects.” by Michael Scott

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2010: THE YEAR OF YOUTH FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

MORE OPEN THAN EVER, THE 2010 SUPERBIKE SEASON IS UNDERWAY AND DOMINATED BY A YOUNGER GENERATION. THE UNDER-30 RIDERS HAVE THE PLACE OF HONOUR AND THE UPCOMING GENERATION IS QUITE FEARLESS. REA, FABRIZIO, HASLAM, CRUTCHLOW AND CO. HAVE NO REASON TO FEAR THE OLD WOLVES OF THE CLASS.

Is the Superbike a class for old riders? A kind of retirement home for Grand Prix riders? Certainly not. The average age of the riders might have been high a couple of years ago, but this is no longer the case. The 2010 paddock can testify. Jonathan Rea, spearheading the Ten Kate Honda team which will fight for the title in 2010 was just 23 years old on February 2. Michel Fabrizio riding again the factory Ducati celebrated his 25th birthday last September and Cal Crutchlow, current FIM Supersport World Champion who will ride the factory R1 Yamaha of Ben Spies is only 24. This wind of youth is complemented by talent on the track which will make 2010 one of the most open seasons of the FIM Superbike World Championship since its creation. Frequently in recent years the Championship has been shaped by a kind of duel between two monsters: Haga and Spies in 2009, Haga and Toseland in 2007, Corser and Vermeulen in 2005 and of course the famous Edwards-Bayliss fight in 2002. This will no doubt not be the case in 2010. Noriyuki Haga is still here on the factory Ducati and is one of the favorites. He wants this World Champion title after which he has been running for so many years. It would be a kind of justice. But in 2010, he will have not only one but six or seven opponents to face him for the supreme title.

THE YOUTH OF SUPERBIKE Jonathan Rea (HONDA TEN KATE) Aged 23, he is the upcoming phenomenon of the Superbike class. After a booming season in World Supersport in 2008, he conquered his place in the FIM Superbike World Championship in 2009 with eight rostrum places two of which were victories in his first season. Sometimes irregular on the track last year, he took advantage of this learning season to make a final tuning to a winning machine. Ronald Ten Kate did not hesitate to announce recently that the team would fight for the title in 2010 and that he was aiming at a double title Supersport-Superbike. Leon Haslam (SUZUKI ALSTARE) Best rider on a private machine last year with the Stiggy Honda, Leon Haslam has talent. He also draws strength from his clan of which his father, Ron Haslam, is the cornerstone. He rides in the Francis Batta team, known for its technical qualities. The cherry on the cake is that the GSX-R is commemorating this year its 25th anniversary and Suzuki does not want to miss this event. Cal Crutchlow (YAMAHA STERILGARDA) A real phenomenon in Supersport last year, Crutchlow was immediately at ease riding a 1000cc bike as from the first testing sessions which took place in Portugal. Teammate of James Toseland (double Superbike World Champion in 2004

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The under-30 riders have the place of honour and the upcoming generation is quite fearless. Rea, Fabrizio, Haslam, Crutchlow and Co. Have no reason to fear the old wolves of the class. ///

and 2007) in the team that was 2009 World Champion with Ben Spies, Crutchlow has got what it takes to fight, even if Toseland is coming back to Superbike after two seasons in MotoGP and will also be back on the track with full open throttle. Michel Fabrizio (DUCATI XEROX) This will be the third season for the young Italian rider in the Ducati factory team. This is an exceptional longevity for a young rider in the red team. He will again be Haga’s teammate. The ambiance is good between the two men but there will be no favours on the track. Fabrizio showed his potential last year. He has no other choice in 2010 but to reach the top if he wants to pursue a career as a top rider.

DON’T FORGET THE OLD RIDERS Youth is coming up in Superbike, but some thirty year-old guys still have some good riding left in them. This is obviously the case of Noriyuki Haga who is still looking for his first World crown. Ducati renewed its trust in him and he will try again this season to become the first Japanese rider to be Superbike World Champion. This challenge is obviously also tempting Max Biaggi. Nearly 39 years old, the Roman emperor and recently a father is simply the oldest rider in the class. He does not talk about retirement. On the contrary, he is totally ready to conquer this title for Aprilia and for himself. Max Biaggi

F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

has the means to manage his season. The real question is: is Aprilia and its RSV4 ready to clinch a title only one year after their comeback to competition over one season? Still young as he will be only 30 next September, James Toseland seems to be a veteran in Superbike with his two World crowns. An experienced rider, despite a not really convincing period in MotoGP (like a certain Mr Troy Bayliss), he will be chasing a third Superbike title. He has got serious aces up his sleeve, starting with the R1 Yamaha World Champion with Ben Spies. Toseland will be without any possible doubt one of the main contenders for the 2010 championship. There is also a possibility of seeing other faces on the top step of the rostrum. BMW has the two unchanged riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus and the new team manager (ex-Ducati) Davide Tardozzi, and aims at a first win racing with its S 1000 RR. Carlos Checa will be riding a good quality private Ducati in the Althea team and could regularly be on the podium as well as his teammate Shane Byrne. One will also expect a lot from the 2009 British Champion Leon Camier on the Aprilia, as well as from Sylvain Guintoli on the Alstare Suzuka – teammate of Leon Haslam – or Max Neukirchner in the Ten Kate team, slowly recovering from his injuries. In the Superbike, 2010 looks like being a surprise package. by Eric Malherbe

/ / / Fim inside

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CHALLENGING ? “So exciting” Laia SAINZ © FIM / BANDITO / GOOD-SHOOT - 2010

FIM WOMEN’S TRIAL WORLD CHAMPION

/ / / VI NTAGE

Boris Samorodov, Champion of USSR in 1961; he would be World Champion in 1967. ///

HISTORY OF ICE RACING It is quite difficult to know with precision when and where someone had the idea of putting a motorcycle on ice. This was obviously held in countries where climatic conditions allowed this practice. The first records of racing on ice date from 1924 in Sweden; in the early 30s, motorcycles with a low frame had the tyres fit with short studs, skidding a bit sideways in the curves. Races were held on tracks designed on frozen lakes. Then longer studs were used, allowing the rider to be faster and to take very low angles in curves… This was introduced in a race in Stockholm in 1933. Ice Racing appeared then just before the Second World War in the Soviet Union – first as a demonstration in 1938, then in March 1939 in the first official competition in Moscow.

machines, while national Championships were also run in other classes (125cc, 350cc, sidecars).

In 1961 international events were organised in Ufa and Moscow with riders from Finland Sweden, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. The Swede Bjorn Knutsson (runner-up in the Speedway World Final that year and future Speedway World Champion in 1965) won the Series. Later, the events held in Helsinki and Stockholm were won by Soviet rider Boris Samorodov, from the city of Ufa.

The first FIM Cup was then organised in 1963, gathering riders from the Soviet Union, C zechoslovakia, Sweden and Finland. Five races took place in the USSR and five others in Sweden and Finland. The winner was Boris Samorodov. With such a success A f te r t h e w a r, n a t i o n a l t h e co m p e t i t i o n b e c a m e a Championships developed in European Championship in 1965, Scandinavia and the USSR and organised in 5 elimination meetings spread to some central Europe and five finals (the four best results countries such as Czechoslovakia counting towards the and Germany. Enjoying a great The most impressive thing in Ice Racing : the spikes…/// Championship), all of them held in popular success in several places – mainly in Scandinavia and the USSR – international the Soviet Union. Again the winner was Boris Samorodov; meetings started to be organised in the late 50s with 500cc he was followed by a rider who was to become the greatest machines mounted in frames adapted from Speedway Ice Racing rider of all times: Gabdrakhman Kadyrov. 38

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V INTAGE

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Start of a national Championship race in Moscow in 1961. ///

KADYROV ON TOP

The European Championship became a World Championship in 1966, with semi-finals held in Leningrad and Novosibirsk, and finals in Ufa and Moscow – all events held over two series of heats, one on Saturday evening, the other on Sunday afternoon. Grabdrakhman Kadyrov clinched his first title, ahead of Victor Kuznetsov and Czechoslovakian Antonin Svab. Boris Samodorov, 5th in 1966, took the title back in 1967, but it was to be his last one. Kadyrov then dominated the Ice Racing scene until 1973. In 1968, he won his second title. In 1969, the Championship was run over one final event only - won by Kadyrov. In 1970, the final was held for the first time outside the USSR, in Nässjö, Sweden, and it was the first title for a non-Russian rider: Antonin Svab finished with the maximum of points, 15, one more than Kadyrov, as he had won their direct confrontation in heat 4. The Swede Kurt Westlund ended in third position. Then Kadyrov was back at the top for three consecutive years: in 1971 in Inzell (West Germany), Nässjö in 1972, and in 1973 in Inzell again – Inzell would become a traditional venue for Ice racing events. In 1974, in Nässjö, another Czechoslovakian rider, Milan Spinka, dominated the final winning all his races and clinching the World title ahead of Russians Zibrov and Kadyrov. Then riders from the Soviet Union would dominate Ice Racing competitions for many years. In 1975 in Moscow,

F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

The six World titles clinched by Gabdrakhman Kadyrov are a record number until today. ///

a new generation of Russian riders showed up at the top: Sergei Tarabanko won four consecutive titles from 1975 to 78, and Anatoli Bondarenko two in 1979 and 1980. 39

/ / / VI NTAGE

The Russian Yuri Ivanov (left) was World Champion three times (1986, 1987, 1992), and the Swede Per-Olov Serenius twice, in 1995 and 2002. ///

TEAM COMPETITION INTRODUCED

Team competitions had already been organised since spectators were expecting a second title for their star Erik the 60s - when, at the initiative of the Russian Federation, an Ice Racing World Championship for Teams was introduced in 1979. Obviously, the Russians were big favorites and their individual domination would be repeated in the team contest. In 1979 they had the three World best riders, Tarabanko, Bondarenko and Gladychev. For some years, even changing one or another rider, the result did not change. But in 1983, a big surprise came from the German team, composed of Max Niedermayer, Helmut Weber and Günther Brandt, who won the title in Berlin, followed by the Swedish team, the Russians being only third – their worst result ever. In the Individual contest, 1981 was the turn of Vladimir Liubitsch, while Sergei Kasakov, after various runner-up placings, clinched two titles, in 1982 and 1983. In 1984 the final was held in Moscow, but the Swedish rider Erik Stenlund spoiled the party, winning in front of Suchov and Ivanov. In the Team final, held in Deventer (Netherlands), the USSR and Sweden were even at the end; the Russians won the run-off. The Swedes would have their revenge in 1985, winning easily in front of the USSR.

In the Individual Championship, though, the Soviet domination was back: Vladimir Suchov won his third title in Assen. Stockholm welcomed the 1986 final and the

Stenlund. But it was time for Yuri Ivanov to get the first of his three World titles; Vladimir Suchov was second and Stenlund third. The second title of Yuri Ivanov was clinched in Berlin in ‘87. But Erik Stenlund was still a match winner: in 1988 in Eindhoven, he fought back against the Russians and beat them all, clinching his second individual World title.

The Russians confirmed a year later that they were still the best Ice Racing riders: Nikolai Nishenko took his turn in 1989 on the brand-new ice facility built in Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan), In 1990 things changed again: Finn Jarmo Hirvasoja won the title in the final held in Gothenburg, Then four consecutive titles went to Russian riders. In 1991 it was the turn of Sergei Ivanov (Yuri’s brother). In 1992 in Frankfurt Yuri Ivanov won his third title. In 1993 the final was held again in Russia: Saransk saw the victory of Vladimir Fadeev, ahead of Alexander Balashov. The Russian reaction also came in the Team Championship after the loss of the 1985 final: the Russian team won all Team finals from 1986 until today except two of them. In 1995, their usually strongest opponents, the Swedes, won again, lead by veteran Per-Olov Serenius, fact that they repeated in 2002. But that is all so far: until 2009 everything went to Russia.

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Three titles for Alexander Balashov, in 1994, 1996 and 1998. ///

INDIVIDUAL GRAND PRIX SYSTEM 1994 marked a big change in the history of Ice Racing; a new running system, which was under study for several years, was finally put in place. The World Final was replaced by a Series of events known as Ice Racing Grand Prix – with two exceptions, in 1997 and 2000 when one World Final was held. Each Grand Prix kept the same formula as the World Final, one event held on Saturday night and the second on Sunday afternoon. Four final heats were held additionally deciding the final placings four by four, from 16th place to the first one. Alexander Balashov won his first title, ahead of Per-Olov Serenius and a young Russian rider Viacheslav Nikulin. 1995 was the year for Sweden: Per-Olov Serenius won the Individual Grand Prix Series and Sweden won the Team final one point ahead of Russia. One year later it was Russia’s response, with five of their riders taking the first five places: Balashov, Polikarpov, Nikulin, Fadeev and Lumpov. They also clinched the Team World title. In 1997, Russian rider Kyril Drogalin won the title in Assen in a one-event World Final (the Russian team also won the Team title in Berlin). Alexander Balashov won his second title in 1998, Drogalin was second and Nikulin third. In 1999 Fadeev won a strong battle with Balashov and clinched his second World title, Nikulin finishing once again in third place.

of the new strongest non-Russian rider, Austrian Franz Zorn. As from 2001, the Grand Prix system was maintained and Drogalin took his third World title. In 2002, Per-Olov Serenius, then aged 54 years, clinched his second World title in the very last race in Inzell against Viacheslav Nikulin. German rider Günther Bauer won his first Grand Prix that year and in 2003 fought for the title until the very last race. The crown finally went to the young Russian rider Vitaly Khomitsevitch, just ahead of Bauer. In 2004 another young Russian, Dimitry Bulankin, took the crown, and from 2005 until now the World Champion has been Nikolai Krasnikov, from Russia, of course. by Marc Pétrier

Kyril Drogalin won his second title in 2000, once again in a single World Final held in Assen, one point ahead

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THE VOICES OF EXPERIENCE EUROSPORT’S TV COMMENTATORS

EUROSPORT’S TV COMMENTATORS ARE RENOWNED AND RESPECTED THE WORLD OVER. WE CAUGHT UP WITH TWO SUCH MOTORCYCLING EXPERTS, JACK BURNICLE AND DIRK RAUDIES, TO FIND OUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE IN THE SPORTS BROADCASTING “FAST LANE”. BUCKLE UP, AND ENJOY THE INSIDE TRACK!

As Europe’s leading sports-entertainment group, a period where he felt like a little kid in a very, very large sweet Eurosport is renowned for bringing its fans live action, emotion and passion of sport across all media devices, from TV and internet to mobile. Its TV commentators, brimming with enthusiasm, excitement and the thrill of the live − not to mention unrivalled expertise in their field − are therefore the perfect interface between Eurosport and audience. Eurosport has commentators working in 20 different languages, often simultaneously, to bring live coverage from each event broadcast on the channels. Its commentators are recognised as leading experts, covering up to 150 sporting disciplines and broadcasting to millions of viewers worldwide.

Commentators are the heart, voice, and face of a sports channel, tirelessly working off and on camera to bring fans the best up-to-the-minute news. Ask them what is the one vital component in their sporting armoury and they will say this: Passion. Passion squared. Passion multiplied to the power of 10. We scoured Eurosport’s vast network of commentators spanning 59 countries, to talk to two of the very best motorcycling experts out there today. Like many Eurosport commentators, UK-based Jack Burnicle cut his eye-teeth as a journalist. His TV break came in 1991 when the legendary boss of Kawasaki UK Alec Wright asked him to do a voiceover. A month later he was contacted by Eurosport to help out at the Paris-Bercy Supercross. Thus began an exciting time for Eurosport and Jack. Eurosport was leading the sports broadcasting way with its motorsports portfolio, bolstered in 1998 by a deal with the World Superbike Championship. Jack admits it was 42

shop.

“Eurosport has always had this foundation of terrific live motorcycle sport. We had Formula 1 and MotoGP and with all the other motorsports properties imagine how powerful our offer was − on two and four wheels. We were live for so many things. I was flying all over the place, visiting venues I had only dreamed of as a boy. Monza, Nürburgring and Hockenheim − you name it, I was there. Those were heady times.” Another commentator who has also seen the world’s major circuits is German Dirk Raudies, former MotoGP 125cc world champion, who started working with Eurosport in 2004. Though commentating live will never be the same as competing live, Dirk says that there is an undeniable “buzz” on-site and working live with Eurosport. “As a racer you have a great thrill to win a race. You are the winner, you are the best and the public tell you well done,” says the German, who won his world title in 1993 with Honda. “But as a commentator you have a different kind of feedback. When you are racing it’s dangerous and there is always pressure to get good results for the team. But as a commentator you also have pressures − to not put your foot in it live on-air!”

Both Jack and Dirk have hit on a core principle at

Eurosport: live output. Eurosport broadcasts more live output than any other TV sports channel in Europe. Last year it averaged seven hours of live coverage per day; a huge amount in today’s sports broadcasting environment. Take the recent FIA IRC Monte Carlo Rally. Eurosport brought full live coverage of the prestigious event − a first in world rally

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history − with many stages in High Definiton (HD) to reach a total of 12 million different viewers on the Eurosport and Eurosport 2 channels.

Another Eurosport core principle is its commitment

to being on-site. When a TV crew is present at an event, it brings unparalleled behind-the-scenes news, expert views and on-the-ground opinions from fans and athletes alike. Eurosport’s network of commentators and TV crews has a truly international aspect, so on-site coverage is tailored country-by-country. For example, a French crew will seek out French riders to get the most relevant news for the French market. This kind of approach gives a big sports event valueadded editorial content that is perfectly complementary. In today’s competitive sports media environment it is not enough to cover just the event, you have to bring all the rich flavour happenings which go on around it. “I love travelling because I always have lots of fun on-site,” says Dirk. “It’s fun without any risks, that is, because when you are riding there is lots of fun of course but you risk your body or your life. Racing is my life passion. I am an exracer, so I see many small slides or movements that normal commentators may not be able to see. Also, I know many big riders from my early career, which when you think about it was 100% on-site! So much so that when I first started my Eurosport colleagues were surprised that I knew riders like Valentino Rossi so well. I remember we were in South Africa and Valentino came over to me and said: “Ciao, Dirk!”

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I love travelling because I always have lots of fun on-site; it's fun without any risks, that is, because when you are riding there is lots of fun of course but you risk your body or your life. Racing is my life passion! says Dirk Raudies

Eurosport is Europe’s leading sports entertainment group, with five channels, an awarding-winning online network of 10 local language websites (including Yahoo! cobranded sites and the recently launched eurosport.arabia.com) and a mobile platform offering live streaming in 9 languages and iPhone applications. The group has been a long-standing partner of motorcycling, and in 2010 it will broadcast among other events, FIM MotoGP (France and UK), live FIM Superbike and Supersport World Championships in HD and the Le Mans 24 Hours Motorcycle Race. For more information log onto www.eurosportcorporate.com.

This expertise and intimacy that comes from on-site presence is something Jack is keen to underline. “In the late 1990s Eurosport established a real on-site presence at F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

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Jack Burnicle in action in 1980, photographing Motocross Grand Prix. ///

World Superbikes. People knew we could get the details and first-hand information no-one else could. If you have been to a circuit it makes a big difference as a commentator; you know the teams, the track and its surroundings and are able to commentate better on all its nooks and crannies.

Eurosport is so much more than a TV channel and is today a respected licensing agent distributing TV broadcast rights for FIM worldwide. Thanks to Eurosport, FIM sports can be watched from Latin America to the United Arab Emirates, further exposing the FIM name to millions of viewers.

In Superbike, the riders will happily take you around the This year Eurosport will broadcast live FIM Superbike and course on a paddock scooter to explain things like breaking Supersport World Championships and British Superbike, the points and gear changes. Then you get a scooter yourself most successful motorsport championship in the UK. Eurosport and go round somewhere like Monza on a are also in talks to produce a live new magazine balmy summer evening, and it is amazing show, which gives an entertaining, informal The delight of being riding around a mythical track like that. and behind-the-scenes insight into this fast and on-site at the World and Two-time World Superbike champion Colin British Superbikes is that exciting world. you jus t bu m p i nto Edwards used to call it ‘communicating with people; riders and staff “The delight of being on-site at the World and the ghosts’. You bond with the circuit when will stop for a chat. British Superbikes is that you just bump into you are on-site and it shows in the quality of people; riders and staff will stop for a chat,” says the commentary.” says Jack Burnicle Jack. “Take Chris Vermeulen, who is returning The FIM and Eurosport have worked to Superbike with Kawasaki after spending four together for some time but last year they began to further years in MotoGP. He was amazing when first in Superbikes. I develop their cooperation around FIM Indoor and FIM used to be able to ring him up on his mobile − between races! Outdoor Trial World Championships for 2010. Eurosport He would tell me what went on with his tyres or engine in the will also broadcast the FIM Enduro World Championships first race. That’s the vital thing about being on-site, to find out and the FIM International Six Days Enduro in 2010 and what happened to the riders. I think that we, commentators 2011. The group is also working with the FIM on proposals and audience, need to know when we go back on air with race to put together an Endurance World Series, which would two in a World Superbike event what happened to someone pull together the regional events under an FIM world who didn’t finish the first race.” championship banner. Dirk, who is looking forward to commentating at this year’s FIM With top live coverage, Eurosport helps an event build a World Superbikes and Supersport, agrees. “Before you go on reputation of excitement and quality − great news for the air it is great to walk through the paddock because you can talk federations. Eurosport brings many attributes and qualities with everybody. You can get all the great information before to federations, such as regular TV broadcast exposure, which the race starts. You can also feel the buzz of the expectant gives the FIM brands great visibility across 59 countries, in crowds or sometimes you can get close to the pit-lane and see 20 languages, to 240 million viewers. what is happening.”

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Another Eurosport’s TV commentator who has also seen the world's major circuits is German Dirk Raudies, former MotoGP 125cc world champion, who started working with Eurosport in 2004. ///

Of course, being live at an event is a real buzz − both on and off the camera. It is, after all, show business. “One of the most thrilling aspects of going out live is that there are always technical hitches to contend with,” says Jack. “You would be amazed how often it happens. The ISDN line goes down, you’re getting the countdown to go on-air, there are technical guys crawling around your feet, plugging things in and checking wires, you’ve just got to remain calm while there is pandemonium all around you!” What’s sure is that there is strong camaraderie between commentators and, given the often stressful conditions, also a lot of practical joking. Jack recalls one particular occasion. “I remember an occasion with Steve Parrish, a former team-mate of Barry Sheene at Suzuki and my first co-commentator on World Supers, who now covers MotoGP for the BBC. He found out I was celebrating my birthday at Valencia World Superbikes in 2001, so he built an exploding chocolate birthday cake for me. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and Honda hospitality was full when he brought me the cake, but during the celebration Steve disappeared behind an ornamental tree. I thought: ‘Oh, this is strange’ and before I knew it the cake went boom and exploded all over me! What a blast!”

Established in 2005, Eurosport 2 is a big supporter of motorsports. This year, the channel’s offer includes FIM Indoor Trial World Championships, from January to March, FIM Motocross World Championships from April to September FIM Freestyle Motocross, all year round, and on British Eurosport 2 British Superbike. Mathieu Lozar, head of programming at Eurosport 2, says: “Indoor Trial fits with Eurosport 2’s positioning because it is the perfect combination of motorsport and entertainment. Trial crowds are very close to the riders, there’s a real intimacy, and they perform fantastic stunts. It’s a thrill for the spectators; it’s more of a show than a race. Eurosport 2 will again broadcast it live this year to bring our viewers the same thrills as the crowd. “We are sure that the Indoor Trial will grow and grow. We will help the series get international recognition and visibility by broadcasting worldwide, and promoting it on-air and across our multimedia sports platform, which consists of TV, internet and mobile.”

Thankfully, sports broadcasting is not as hazardous as this all the time − if it were Eurosport would soon run short of commentators! And with an exceptional motorsports offer in 2010, Eurosport is definitely going to need its star performers like Jack and Dirk. by Joe McAVOY

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MOBILITY,TRANSPORT, ROAD SAFETY AND PUBLIC POLICY UN Conference for India and South East Asia on traffic safety – January After the recent UN conference in Moscow the FIM was invited to send a delegate to India for further work in January. Hosted by the Institute for Road traffic Education based in Delhi, and with sponsorship also from the FIA Foundation, this was a high quality event. Most Europeans are used to the idea of common traffic signs continent wide. – Although anyone in their fifties will recall that this was not the case when we were young. Changes did not come about by magic! These are the results of over fifty years of work and international agreements promoted by the United Nations. The theme of this conference was the further promotion of this work. There is much more to it than just traffic signs and rules of the road. Over the years the UN has developed detailed guidance to nations on how to apply traffic controls in the best possible way. – Work that the FIM contributes to along with others in regular

meetings held in the UN offices in Geneva.

alongside other Indian companies.

Many very interesting presentations were given. Mrs Virginia Tanase from the UN in Geneva gave a very clear account of how national governments can move forward and adopt international regulations. She has great experience in this field from her previous work in Romania in assisting the government there to adopt EU law. Dr Alan Ross was equally interesting as he described some of the work being done in South East Asia with governments across this very diverse region now co operating on road safety.

Road conditions in India are challenging. After the conference I took a trip out to see the Taj Mahal in company with other delegates including the UN team, David Ward of the FIA Foundation and his family and Mr Izet Bajrambašić – Assistant Minister of Transport from Bosnia & Herzegovina who had also made the long trip from Europe to attend the conference. The round trip took some ten hours, even though the distance was short. Traffic is very congested as it is such a mix of old and new vehicles and heavy use of agricultural vehicles and animal drawn transport on the main roads. India’s main safety problem is on the highways and unsafe public transport is a major problem. However, as David Ward reminded the conference, Europe thirty years ago was a very different place too. Rapid progress in Asia is still possible.

Alongside the conference there was an exhibition of new products made in India to assist road engineers. A strong emphasis was seen on making sure new signs etc. are safe for use on the roads which are travelled daily by millions of powered two wheelers. The India market for PTWs is huge now standing at over seven million units per annum. The largest player in this field is Hero-Honda a joint Indian and Japanese enterprise. Indian stock holders are in the majority with Honda Japan having a twenty six percent stake in the company. Growth in recent years has been dramatic and no less than six new models have recently been announced. More traditional producers such as Enfield are still in the market

FIM to step up support for “helmet vaccine campaign.” We have reported before on the excellent work being done by the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation to supply affordable tropical safety helmets to motorcycle riders and passengers in middle and low income countries. The successful Vietnamese model

is to be replicated now in other countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Back in 1985 John Chatterton-Ross and his friend Jeremy Dodd were involved in a charitable fund raising ride around the UK using Norton police motorcycles.

Twenty five years on John plans to repeat the 3,200 km ride this time the other way around the UK starting at the easterly point where last time he finished up. He comments “I am going to use my own Honda this time but will try and call in at the new Norton factory at the Donington race track on my way as a reminder of the last trip all those years ago. It is amazing to think the Wankel rotary engine pioneered in the police motorcycles back then is still used in competition in 2010.” He adds, “I am also delaying the run until June as I first need to get fit again!” A full report and news on how you can contribute to the fund raising via the internet later in the year. by John Chatterton-Ross

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BLIND JUSTICE? THE FMX-POD WITH A HUMAN TOUCH

Not so in the FIM FreeStyle Motocross World Championship where 5 Judges each need more than a good pair of eyes to rate the riders’ performances.

FreeStyle Motocross became a FIM discipline as of 2006. It is a young sport in the FIM ranks but the discipline has gained recognition ever since. Everybody is in awe of the riders’ staggering performances but very often there is one question that remains in the mind of the fans: “Why was rider A declared the winner?” In an attempt to answer that question and to give us some insight, we invited FMX Head Judges Jason Moriarty and Marco Roth. This is what they had to say. FIM: Can you give us some more information about your own background before becoming a FMX Head Judge? Jason Moriarty: I grew up racing motocross. It is 21 years now since my first motocross. I raced pretty competitively in South Africa; motocross, supercross and later enduro participating in events like the “Roof of Africa”. During my motocross career, I started doing free riding with friends in my spare time, as all young riders do. We would always want to go out and find new, bigger and better jumps to test ourselves. It was with guys like Greg Albertyn, Karl Prestwood and Paul Cooper who were all international riders and who brought some expertise. I learnt a lot from riding with them. In about 2000, we started building freestyle ramps, tried to do shows and to organise contests in South Africa. In 2002, I made contact with IFMXF and they invited me to a few events in Europe and I have been judging and helping out ever since. In the meantime, I continued riding in some FMX shows and contests until my back surgery some two years ago. At the age of 35, I would rather use my skills and experience in another way now. I judge and do motocross and freestyle training with young riders all over the world and still ride, hobby riding that is. Marco Roth: I started FreeStyle Motocross from its beginning in Germany together with Busty Wolter, Mark Fischer and Fabian Bauersachs but about six months later than them. We had been racing German Amateur Motocross Championships

together. We jumped some shows as well as the first national contests. When the first big international events started, I was asked - as one of the better riders at national level - to help out as a Judge. And that is it. FIM: Compared to the early days, the judging has undergone some changes. Can you sketch for us the evolution? J.M.: It started as a rather simple system. We would just score every jump that the riders did out of 10 for the difficulty, then add the different scores up that would give us a total result. That was a little ambiguous because it started making the sport kind of messy and dangerous. Riders were trying to add extra jumps and they would literally be going at race speed, trying to scrub the jumps and then still do big tricks. And as you know, if you hit a bump real fast, it wants to throw you over the handlebars. So, we had to put a jump limit on. A second thing that we did is we added some extra categories at the end where we evaluate the overall impression of the rider; the variation of the tricks so that they are doing as many different types of tricks as possible; the use of the course because you want to see riders use different and creative lines; not see them jumping straight all the time. M.R.: Yes, and later we added the “Double-Up”. I think that came from wakeboarding. We had the idea to make an extra jump so that riders can breathe, take a small break after their run just before doing their final – very special – trick. The “Double-Up” as the name says, also awards double points. J.M.: Indeed, that was done to keep the best for last and to make a more interesting show because the spectators now know that there is always a climax at the end of the run. As people who race know the longer and more intense you ride the motorcycle, the more difficult it is to concentrate. That also makes it challenging because the riders do not have an unlimited amount of time to catch their breath or let their arm pump ease up. It is quite an exciting thing.

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RĂŠmy Bizouard, 2009 FIM Freestyle Motocross World Champion. Everybody is in awe for the riders' staggering performances but very often there is one question that often remains in the mind of the fans: "Why was rider A declared the winner?". ///

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JUDGING, HOW DOES IT WORK?

••IFMXF, the FIM’s contract partner for the FIM FreeStyle Motocross World Championship, has developed an appropriate judging system with the riders’ input. For the IT gurus out there, it is a PDA-based EDP system with which the results can be calculated in seconds and shown live on the internet or TV. For the fans, it is a very comprehensible system that allows them to follow the events closely.

••The judging already starts during the practices when the judges observe the riders and establish how many jumps

must be evaluated within a time frame of 60 seconds (Qualifying) or 90 seconds (Final). Should a rider do more than the required number of jumps, the worst rated are eliminated from the evaluation (Example: 10 jumps are required. The rider does a total of 14 jumps within the given time and then the “Double up”. Of these 14 results/scores, only the best 10 results/scores + the “Double up” score will be counted).

••The “Double Up” time begins immediately after the end of the rider’s run and lasts for 30 seconds. In principle, the rider

will now do his best trick on his favourite ramp and distance. This last jump is evaluated double and often determines the difference between victory and defeat. Since this is the climax, the “Double-Up” is very popular with the media and the spectators.

The Panel of Judges will judge the riders on the following criteria: 1.

Individual jump scores a)

Sequence of the jumps (Each jump/points from 0 to 10)

“Double up” (Once/points from 0 to 20)

Overall scores c)

Track use by the rider (Once/points from 0 to 10)

Variation of the jumps (Once/points from 0 to 10)

Personal appreciation (Once/points from 0 to 20)

Each judge’s score will be totalled. From these 5 total scores, the lowest and highest totals will be removed. The remaining 3 total scores will count towards the rider’s final result in the World Championship event.

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FIM: With the riders’ performances being so close these days, what do you focus on now when judging? J.M.: The way we have the system today is that it is quite adjustable. You could compare it to a motocross bike. The settings for a hard pack track or a sandy track are quite different but the same potential is in that motorcycle. For example; if there is a big range in the ability of the riders in the contest we make some adjustments. Then there are the conditions of the course. If it is a very technical course, that allows us to separate different areas. If it is not so technical, there are other areas where we can then expand upon within the system to focus on the rider and not look at the course. After each event, we evaluate the judging and make sure we are using all the areas. If we had not been penalising the riders for track use and variation of tricks, then we would be sending a report out to all the riders advising them that we would be a lot more strict on the course use and the variation and that they should prepare accordingly. And that is the nice thing; it allows the system to evolve with the riders. Similarly, if we feel a rider is losing focus we are able to rein him in. It allows us to keep pace with the ever changing sport because sometimes from week to week, there are new developments in the tricks. It allows us also from time to time to give a little bit of direction to the riders if we feel that the judging is actually misleading them as to what we are looking for. We could actually go back to the roots and say to the riders: “You are all becoming like gymnasts today; you are all doing the same tricks and that is taking the “Free” out of FreeStyle. So, you need to focus on variation and on track use.” When we look at the system itself, when we look at the core things we almost have the basic guidelines to refer to. It is always a good way to keep things in check whether it is judging or riding. It is a real simple but powerful system that gives us a lot of opportunity. M.R.: As Jason said, the sport is developing fast. Therefore we need to discuss new things and make sure that we are going in the right direction. Evaluation is important for the system but just as important are the people behind it. It is really important to find the right judges. That is why we are always looking around to find a good pool of former or injured riders with an open mind to keep FreeStyle on track and to safeguard its future with our system. J.M.: Yes indeed, the credibility of the system is only as strong as the judges. It is as vitally important that the judges not only have credibility with the public but most importantly with the riders. If the riders do not have any faith in the people judging them, the whole system falls to nothing. There could be very good young riders judging but they may not have the same respect within the community. In the panel here in Berlin, we had Alvaro del Farro. He has been there from the beginning and has paid his dues. I do not think that there is one single rider in the world disputing his credentials or his right to be there. It is really important for us to work with people like him, to recognise and to keep him part of that system. But we must also keep rotating the judges. If we had the same five every single week, we may become stale and maybe we would not be seeing the wood for the trees. It is good to have somebody there with a fresh eye every one or two contests, who can also

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raise questions and be critical about the system. Sometimes, we will have to explain why we have taken these steps and they see it or sometimes it also makes us realise that we are shifting in one direction and need to go back to the middle. It is a very dynamic system that is never ending and always keeps moving. That is the interesting thing about it. FIM: Where do you find the FMX Judges? J.M.: Basically, it is preferential for them to be riders and it is not specifically that they are competing at FIM World Championship level. First, we would like to find riders from as wide a range of backgrounds and nationalities as possible. The second thing is that usually in every single country or town or scene, there are always some guys that stand up as the ones that are doing things. There will be riders but there are also those who are trying to organise local events, to get the attention of the media and get some exposure, to find sponsorship for younger riders, They are kind of the leaders in their area and these guys, kind of like the cream, they rise to the top. And they are the ones we are trying to rely on. In having them in the judging pool, we have some really good scouts who will be able to pass their knowledge on in their local area but also source us with some young and promising riders for regional contests and then eventually to invite them as wild cards to FIM World Championship events. M.R.: If you have a rider like Alvaro, we are not afraid because he has judged at other events. If you have a new judge and you are not sure, it is better to have him at an international meeting to see how he operates rather than taking him immediately for a World Championship event. We have made that mistake in the past. You do not test a judge in a FIM World Championship event; you test him at a lower level and if meets all the criteria he can be upgraded. FIM: This brings us to another question: apart from all this, what else does it take to be a good FMX Judge? What are the other ingredients? J.M.: You need to have a backbone and that is pretty much the most important skill as a judge. You need to be able to speak your mind; even if it means that you have to speak out against friends of yours on the scene. Sometimes as a judge, you do have to do that, you know. It is impossible for us to have judges that are not related to any of the riders. There is no way that you can have judges that understand the sport and exist in a vacuum. Sometimes, you might have somebody that you may have known for five or six years, that you may have groomed to get to a certain point and he might not be happy with the results of a contest. You need to have the backbone to be able to be confident in your results and to explain to him in an unemotional way why he got the score that he did and then in a positive way to give him advice and how he can improve. This open communication between all riders and judges is vital to the success of the judging. M.R.: If the person is confident, open minded, creative and is into the sports, it helps everybody.

by Dirk De Neve

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LIN JARVIS INTERVIEW

WITH SE VER AL 2010 FIM WOR LD CHA MPIONSHIP S ALREADY UNDERWAY AND MOTOGP TESTING AT FULL THROT TLE

SINCE

THE

BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY, THE WHEELS ARE ALREADY VERY MUCH IN MOTION IN YAMAHA’S DEFENCE OF THEIR IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION OF TITLES FROM 2009.

The triple crown of riders’, teams’ and constructors titles in FIM MotoGP, as well as FIM World Superbike, FIM World Supersport and the FIM Endurance World Cup on the asphalt and the FIM MX1, AMA Supercross, an FIM World CHampionship and FIM Freestyle Motocross titles on the dirt is a lot to live up to, but Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis is confident that the Japanese factory can look forward to another year of success, despite the economically challenging times ahead. FIM: Congratulations on a season of unprecedented levels of success for Yamaha in 2009. Did you have any inclination at the start of the year that it could turn out so well? Lin Jarvis: Every year and every season starts as a fresh challenge and a dive into the unknown. Of course for each new season you always try to prepare

your racing programs as best you can but there are always many unknown factors. You never know what the level of your competitors will be or whether your riders will be fit and remain injury free and of course you never know what fortune may bring you during the races themselves. We have good machines and we had many good riders so we expected a good year but we could only have dreamed the final results would be as good as they turned out to be. FIM: Which of the titles would you say was the biggest surprise? Which was the biggest achievement? L.J.: I would not say that any one of the titles turned out to be a real surprise but I guess perhaps the most special was Ben Spies’ and Yamaha’s first ever rider title in the World Superbike Championship. After many years of challenging this was the one championship we were “missing”.

Lin Jarvis - European citizen - An Englishman who’s moved to Holland and then to Italy, for the love of the races… ///

F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

/ / / G ALLE RY

“Our two Fiat Yamaha riders are very competitive, experienced, mature professionals and whilst being “in battle” together they are able to maintain a respect for each other both on and off the track.” says Lin Jarvis. ///

FIM: What do you put this level of success down to? L.J.: To win that many championships you need great riders, very good team management, fast and reliable motorcycles, and good fortune! FIM: Is it fair to say that across all the disciplines this was the strongest rider line-up in Yamaha history? L.J.: It is difficult to compare one era to another so I find it really difficult to compare the line-ups of today to those of the past. What I can say is that we had the best complete line up of the last decade and this was a result of many years of consistent effort and management strategy in all disciplines. FIM: How does the 2010 line-up compare? L.J.: We are fortunate to have retained most of the riders that were successful for us in 2009 so I believe the 2010 lineup is very strong. Unfortunately due to the economic pressures we have been forced to reduce our programs in some disciplines so we have lost some riders in those cut backs.

FIM: Do you think there is a realistic chance of repeating all those titles again? L.J.: As I mentioned, unfortunately the cut backs will not enable us to compete at the same level in all of the classes so unfortunately a repeat is impossible but we still have very strong entries in those championships in which we are officially competing. FIM: How about the possibility of winning the triple crown in MotoGP for a third successive season? L.J.: Well, that would be a dream result! I think that it is very possible too because we have for sure the strongest rider line-up of all the factories in MotoGP. We have 3 riders from the first 5 of last year’s championship and the “rookie” Ben Spies. Our bike is also very good and we have two top teams so we can be hopeful of another great season fighting at the top. FIM: Do you think 2009 was Valentino Rossi’s best ever season? L.J.: I find it always so difficult to judge if it was Vale’s best season. I would say that it was the year that he worked the

hardest and he achieved his 7th MotoGP title and 4th with Yamaha. So I would classify it as “a great season” for Vale. FIM: How long do you think he (Rossi) can keep winning for? L.J.: I don’t know what Vale will do yet and whether he will stay in the MotoGP sport in 2011 and beyond but I can say at this moment he is capable of anything & everything. I can see no evidence of any decline in his ability, performance and motivation. FIM: What do you think is the secret to his longevity at such a high level? L.J.: Firstly and foremost his passion and motivation for racing is the key to his success. In addition to that his experience, readiness to develop the bike and the hard work to keep himself in excellent shape are all key factors. FIM: Were you surprised that his strongest challenge in 2009 came from Jorge Lorenzo? L.J.: No I was not really surprised. I expected that Jorge would be very strong. Jorge also has a burning desire to win and he is a fast learner. It was his second year in MotoGP so I knew he

FIM M AGA ZINE . 7 1 / / / JA NUA RY FE BRUA RY 2 0 1 0

GA L L E RY

could be very competitive. For me the surprise and disappointment of last year was Casey’s physical difficulties. I think that had Casey been fit all year then it would have been a three man battle at every track with Dani joining the fray on several occasions. FIM: How difficult was it to manage relationships within the Fiat Yamaha Team this year, when the rivalry on the track was clearly so strong? L.J.: Fortunately although our two Fiat Yamaha riders are very competitive they are also very experienced and very mature professionals and whilst being “in battle” together I think they were also able to maintain a respect for each other both on and off the track. We also have experienced and good people in our team managing the team and rider affairs.

FIM: Have you been pleasantly surprised by the resurgent form of Colin Edwards at this stage in his career? L.J.: I was indeed very happy to see Colin riding so well throughout the whole of 2009. It seems as though Colin has improved his performance

F I M MAG AZ I NE .7 1 /// JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010

and it changed some of the ways we operated. The primary change was cost consciousness everywhere, every time for everything. We made adjustments before the season started and finally we achieved all of our great results within the newly restricted 2009 budgets. For the future we have to continue in our cost minimization programs on a macro and micro level but without sacrificing our competitiveness. It is not easy but I think that we can survive if we make intelligent decisions and we take care of all of our current investors and sponsors. At the same time we must continue to expand the popularity of the sport globally and reach out to new audiences and new markets. FIM: In general how important is the role of racing activity within the motorcycle industry in the current economical climate? L.J.: I believe that racing can provide a showcase for motorcycling on a global level and it can also bring passion, excitement, and motivation to help motorcycle fans, dealers and customers through these difficult times.

FIM: What are your hopes and expectations for the Fiat Yamaha Team in 2010? L.J.: My hopes are that we will be equally successful as we were in 2009 and that we win the triple crown titles for the 3rd consecutive year. My expectations are that we will do everything in our powers to achieve those goals. FIM: What do you realistically expect from Ben Spies in terms of performance and results in 2010? Have your hopes been raised by his performance at Valencia in the Grand Prix and the recent tests? L.J.: I believe Ben has the potential to become a future World Champion in the MotoGP class and I hope he will do that with Yamaha in the years ahead. For 2010 he will have a learning year and I expect he will make good progress quite quickly and will be challenging for podium places from time to time. I believe Ben has the potential to finish the 2010 season in the top 5 if all goes well.

///

now that a certain amount of pressure has been taken off of him. Colin has many years of experience with Yamaha and the M1 and he is really enjoying his racing and that shows in the great results he achieved in 2009. FIM: 2009 will be remembered by many people as a year of great financial difficulty. How much did it affect Yamaha’s racing operations and what plans do YMR have to try and adapt to the changing economic climate in the future? L.J.: The 2009 season was the first season in the new economic crisis

FIM: What is your favourite memory of 2009? L.J.: I guess for me it was the final achievement of the 1-2 and the triple crown titles. There were many other individual moments but at the end of the day it’s the final result that counts and that brings the biggest satisfaction. FIM: And your New Year resolution for 2010? L.J.: I would like to achieve a similar success to last year but also to spend more time with my wife and two sons. Not easy but I will try! by Matthew Roberts

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