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ROAD TEST
Simply the best Masterbike is the last word in sports motorcycle testing. It brings together the latest race replica V-twins, supersport 600s and 1000cc superbikes to find the world’s best sports bike
THE BIKES
THE COMPETITORS
Yamaha’s 2008 R6 climbed the podium in the Supersport class of the tough week-long Masterbike track test, but it was close – Triumph’s 675 pushed the race-inspired Yamaha all the way with just 0.2sec separating the two on average lap times. However, the Yamaha scored higher in the combined riders’ impression ratings. The Kawasaki ZX-6R came third and, surprisingly, Honda’s CBR600RR came last. Masterbike’s SuperBike Two class for twins bikes brought together KTM’s RC8, the BMW HP2 Sport and Aprilia’s RSV1000R Factory. Ducati and its 1098R pulled out after the first day (see p36), which led to the closest shootout finish in Masterbike history. The RC8 just won on average lap times, but again the riders’ ratings pushed the Aprilia onto the final grid. The SuperBike Four class is filled with superbikes, including MV Agusta’s F4 312R. But Suzuki set the cat amongst the pigeons by entering the GSX-R750 alongside the GSX-R1000. The final standings saw Honda’s Fireblade beat Kawasaki’s ZX-10R by just 0.3sec, but the rider impression total for the Honda easily out-scored the competition, taking it through to the final, three-bike fight.
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All-out war as the Honda Fireblade takes on Aprilia’s RSV1000R Factory and the Yamaha YZF-R6 at Albacete
adam.child @motorcyclenews.com
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ASTERBIKE is without question the fastest, most serious and most important sports bike test in the world. Every manufacturer willingly supplies test bikes to undergo a weeklong track test in the hands of some quality riders. For quality read fast: Randy Mamola (500cc Grand Prix legend), Jurgen Fuchs (250 and 500GP rider) and Oriol Fernandez (Spanish supersport champion and Michelin MotoGP test rider). Oh, and myself, Adam Child, for MCN – in such illustrious company, no wonder I felt like a blind sniper in a war zone. The Masterbike test concentrates on lap times and rider impressions of each machine. It doesn’t concern itself with price, practicality, fuel economy or comfort, only absolute circuit performance. For the test, control tyres are used to ensure fair play. This year Dunlop’s GP Racer was the tyre of choice. With fresh rubber installed, each manufacture then had one full day prior to the test to set their bikes up for the track. To highlight the importance of Masterbike, bike set-up typically involves factory mechanics and very experienced factory test riders; guys like Kawasaki’s Pere Riba, World and British Supersport contender. Like I said, a very serious test. The tests themselves are in two stages. First, every one of the 13 riders has five laps in which to clock their best lap time. Officially, every lap is timed and recorded with a transponder only. Unofficially, every lap is also recorded by the army of manufacturer support staff and mechanics as ammunition should an appeal be lodged. Part two of the test takes place after the rider has finished his stint and is trying to cool down in the pitlane of Spain’s Albacete circuit. Each rider has to complete a questionnaire, awarding points out of ten on different
aspects of the bike, such as the engine, braking and chassis. They must also choose a favourite bike. The winning bike in each category is determined by average lap times, highest survey scores and the number of riders setting their fastest lap on that bike. Then, when the winners are announced, they go head-tohead to produce an overall winner.
3RD APRILIA RSV1000R FACTORY
AVERAGE LAP: 1:38.27 MAMOLA BEST LAP: 1:39.66 MCN BEST LAP: 1:43.55 The 2006 Masterbike winner made the final after taking a surprising and close victory in its class. Even though its V-twin lump has considerably more punch than the R6, it could do nothing to hold onto the race-bred Yamaha through and out of the turns. But the fact that the Italian made it through to the final and put in some blistering lap times, despite being unchanged for years, speaks volumes about the fundamental rightness of the Aprilia. The RSV scored highly in the braking category – its radial Brembo stoppers
‘The RSV’s feedback lets you carry big corner speeds’ remain some of the finest available on any road bike and, combined with the excellent slipper clutch and the bike’s stability under braking, they had all the testers praising the RSV despite its weight disadvantage. The Ohlins suspension only added to the awesome stopping power. You can have the best brakes in the world but they mean very little unless you can feel what the front end is doing, and you can on the Aprilia. The Ohlins shock also gave superb feel. Riders like Jurgen Fuchs and myself loved the waves of feel the bike
gave through Albacete’s longer, sweeping corners. The feedback also allows you to carry a scary amount of lean and corner speed, something the Aprilia excelled at. The tyre just digs in and the Aprilia punts you on to the next corner, those lovely twin-exit exhausts only adding to the sensation of speed. But the Aprilia struggles with fast direction changes – going from one side to the other takes real physical effort through the bars. Another minus point is the bike’s lack of outright power compared to the latest tackle. Yes, it does charge hard and fast high in the rev range, but it needs another 20-30bhp to get in among the best of the competition. Maybe next year, Aprilia, with the new V4.
2ND YAMAHA R6
AVERAGE LAP: 1:37.49 MAMOLA BEST LAP: 1:39.99 MCN BEST LAP: 1:46.72 Every tester agreed Yamaha’s new R6 is the closest bike here to a race weapon. It’s as if the bike was built for the track and nothing else – the lights and registration plate were thrown at it as an afterthought. Its blistering times around the track were, on average, not that far off the 1000cc lap times. Some riders actually went quicker, while fast man Jurgen Fuchs was only a fraction of a second behind the Fireblade’s best ever lap time. The R6 engine is a screamer, rubber-stamping the bike’s racey image. Yamaha could start the rev counter at 3000rpm or even 6000rpm because, to be honest, anything less is a pointless waste of numbers. Circuit use means you need to live above 8000rpm and lose all mechanical sympathy when the engine’s shrieking in defiance of the abuse. The high rev range is a useful tool on track when there’s no time to shift up a gear – simply use the over-rev to get to the braking point. But, like a pukka race bike, you need to be 100% focused to get the best from the R6. Continues over
Few 1000cc bikes inspire quite as much confidence as the so, so easy Honda Fireblade
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SPORT Ron on the 1995 Rothmans Honda which took him to his best ever GP finish
Rocket Men
A new autobiography celebrates the career of Ron Haslam and his son Leon. We’ll be printing two extracts from the book – here’s the first one
rob.hull @motorcyclenews.com
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HE HASLAM name has been at the forefront of British motorcycle racing for the past 30 years. Ron was one of the most successful British Grand Prix riders of recent times, while his son Leon is now one of the top riders in British Superbikes. But until now we’ve never known the full story behind the rise of the Haslams. Now a 270-page autobiography written by Ron with the help of Rick Broadbent celebrates the career of one of the nation’s most colourful racers and has analysis from Leon on his rise to the top of BSB. This week we print the first of two extracts from Rocket Men. It covers the life of the former GP star, detailing his upbringing, entry into the world of motorcycle racing,
factory GP rides and his return to the UK to ride with Norton, along with starting the process again with Leon. This week we’ve taken an extract covering Ron’s best ever GP finish at Assen in 1985, less than a year after losing his brother Terry (known as ‘Babe’) at the same circuit in a racing accident... ‘Tracks merge, airports are the same, and you soon forget the details, but I knew that going back to Assen would be different. It was only eight months since I’d last been there, ran on to the track and found my brother with his neck broken by the side of that circuit. Going back would be one of the hardest things I’d done. Assen is a riot of a weekend for the fans. You get there and you pass kids lining the streets and waving. Then you see the campsites, which
are awash with black leather, flags hoisted from tents, and flaming tyre circles. Fumes drift across the site, merging with the smoky remnants of the home-made barbecues. It has an outsider feel, and anything goes. The track is rich in history, with its banked curves and big cambers. It was also notably grippy, which meant riders could go faster than
‘I found my brother with his neck broken by the circuit’ elsewhere, but gradually they modified it to cut down on the risks. I knew about the risks all too well, and it was even harder because the corner where Babe had his
accident was one that I’d always liked. I wasn’t morbid or miserable about it, but I did think that if there was such a thing as an afterlife, then Babe would be up there and it would be a help, not a hindrance. I thought that he would be looking down as I approached that left-hander with the heavy bank. I always seemed to be quick through there without even trying, and, in racing, if you find something where you have an advantage, then you instantly like it. There’s nothing better than that feeling of letting it flow naturally, the sort of thing I imagine Freddie [Spencer] felt all the time. The rest of the time you’re working like hell to go quicker. In the build-up to the race I did think about Babe a lot. The memories were still raw and I remember thinking that this was the place. The
memory of that horrible journey home without him, barely a word spoken and many a tear shed, was still fresh. The Dutch weather was suitably gloomy for such thoughts. Thunderstorms had turned the grass paddock into a quagmire, and the rain was relentless. Nothing bothered the Assen punters, though, and they were out in force for practice to see me fall twice. Nevertheless, I was pretty confident. Despite the tragedy on my previous visit, I liked the track and loved it when it was wet. I knew the grip was pretty good in the middle of the track because of the camber and could use that while others were being tentative and tiptoeing their way around. I always knew I could give anyone a run for their money in perfect conditions, but throw in some wet and drizzle and I was
Ron gets in some early practice on brother Terry’s bike even more confident of getting a victory. Freddie was on pole, and Randy [Mamola] and [Eddie] Lawson were up there. The rain was tearing down, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the huge Assen crowd. The lights changed and we started running. I fired the bike up quickly and powered past a few riders. Randy was away first, a camera attached to his bike as GP racing went stateof-the-art, with Didier de Radigues second on another Honda. I settled into third and was unaware of the mayhem in my wake as I exited the tightest right-hander on the circuit.
At that stage in the season Freddie was seven points clear of Lawson in the title race. He came from the Deep South and so was used to the wet, but he didn’t enjoy that afternoon in the sodden conditions with the track snaking its way through a muddy swamp. His mood soured even further when Christian Sarron ran up the inside of the pack, locked the front wheel and went down, taking a bemused Freddie with him. Freddie hobbled away, led by the marshals, until he shrugged them off and went back to the bike, seeing if he might get it going again. ‘Look at the
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Ron with son Leon after he returned to the UK to race for Norton in 1991
Ron had his share of ups and downs with the Elf Honda NSR
Ann is Ron’s wife, mentor and mother of Leon, Emma and Zoe
Ron teamed up with Freddie Spencer (right) to race for the factory Honda team in 1983 bike,’ he kept repeating. It was one of those unfortunate things. Sarron said the spray was so bad that he simply couldn’t see where he was going. He went on to the grass and by the time he got back on to the tarmac he had missed his braking point. Freddie eventually accepted that, with a bent clutch lever, he was going nowhere and walked back to the paddock, accompanied by an apologising Sarron. I was away and felt comfortable in second place. Randy had got off to a flier, but he wasn’t increasing his lead and I was holding my own. I always felt this was going to be my best
‘It was my bestever finish in a GP, but not the result I wanted’ chance for a victory and, with the conditions suiting me, I pushed hard. That was why I was staggered when I saw Lawson come flying past me. ‘Christ!’ I muttered to myself. I was on the edge, so I couldn’t believe he was going that fast. We came into a series of bends. He hit the first one and went sideways. He hit
the next one and ran wide. Then he just couldn’t stop it before the sweeping left. He hit the line, ran on to the grass and slid across the slip road before thudding into the bales and earth bank at around 90mph. I knew I’d been going quickly for the conditions because I was going all out for the win. The crash told me Lawson had been balancing on the precipice. He passed me for a few seconds and then fell over it. The truth for any rider is that they are glad when a rival falls, but that thought is quickly followed by the hope that he is alright. I was happy to see Lawson go down,
because it improved my chances. He claimed he had been only a couple of inches off line, and he had been griping beforehand about how narrow the Assen track was, but he was going far too fast. There was no way I could stay with him at that speed but, as it turned out, neither could he. It might well have been the crash that cost him the title. Now there was only Randy between me and the thing I wanted most, but he was good in the wet, and the gap stayed constant. From eighth on the grid to second was a fantastic result, but the disappointment was there too. Yes, it would end up being my best-ever finish in a world championship GP, but it hadn’t been the result I’d wanted. I’d been close many times and had all the hardluck stories you might care to hear. I’d been fastest for a whole meeting in Sweden only for the bloody bike to break down. I was annoyed again when I saw Randy parked up not far over the finishing line. I thought he was just being typical Randy, a showman playing up to the crowd, but it turned out his bike had seized. It wouldn’t have gone another lap. I couldn’t believe it. That was the luck of the Haslams. Cursing us again.’ ■ Next week: The Pocket Rocket shoots to fame
BOOK SIGNINGS Rocket Men is published by Bantam Press. It costs £18.99 and is available from all good bookshops and www.play.com. Ron and Leon have lined up a selection of signing sessions (see details below) if you can’t make them, you can order a signed copy direct. SUNDAY AUGUST 17 Castle Combe: Ron will be riding a RS500 with Leon aboard his HM Plant Fireblade. Both will be signing books after lunch. SUNDAY AUGUST 31 From 10 till 4 at Bikers World in Coleshill, Birmingham: It’s the shop’s big open day and both Ron and Leon will be attending. Alternatively people can buy the book from the Ron Haslam Race School and receive a signed copy, see www. haslamraceschools.com COMPETITION MCN is giving away 25 signed copies of Rocket Men. All you have to do to enter is go to www. greatcompetitions.co.uk and locate the Motorcycle News competitions.
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SPORT
Ohlins has chosen to debut active suspension in WSB because the bikes are closer to those they used to develop the system
Yamaha to debut active suspension at Donington WSB
Ohlins’ Anders Andersson and Yamaha Italia’s Massimo Meregalli and Dave Marton. This close relationship will bring active suspension to the track
MotoGP might be the established proving ground for new technology but Ohlins are using WSB to develop new ideas Shock can firm rebound or compression damping instantly
Neil Spalding
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HE factory Yamaha Italia WSB team will debut a new Ohlins active suspension at the Donington Park WSB round on September 7. Active suspension adjusts settings by electronics while a bike is rolling, and the systems range from the complex – where adjustments are made by a computer for every bump the bike encounters – to the more basic, like those currently available on some BMW street bikes, that change the settings according to a switch activated by the rider. The big surprise is that the first race versions of Ohlins active system is being debuted in WSB, not the traditional technology proving ground of MotoGP. Yamaha Italia race team boss Massimo Meregalli said: “We tested at Vallelunga and Troy (Corser) in particular liked the way the system worked and will try it again at Donington. It is just another new idea to try.” Meregalli wouldn’t be
drawn to discuss specifics but MCN believes this is a way of dealing with some of the issues created by the combination of a chassis initially designed for the road and a restricted tyre choice. Anything that could extend or improve tyre life would give a significant technical advantage. Ohlins engineer Anders Andersson explained: “It is
‘Anything that could extend tyre life would give a real advantage’ unusual to bring these systems direct to superbike racing, rather than the MotoGP proving ground, but at Ohlins we do most of our initial development on superbikes in our own test fleet – moving from these prototypes directly onto similar World Superbike race bikes seemed easier than re-equipping everything to
suit a MotoGP machine.” Active suspension – electronic control of the compression and rebound settings – has been tried before on race bikes. Former 500cc world champion Wayne Rainey did a lot of work with Yamaha on an earlier Ohlins system. It made a brief comeback six years ago, when a prototype system was used at the Jerez IRTA tests on a 2003 Yamaha M1 MotoGP bike. The idea was binned when Yamaha suffered a disastrous start to the season and were forced to concentrate on more pressing development issues. The reason Ohlins may have chosen Donington to debut the system is that it is effectively a circuit of two very distinct parts: a series of three very slow hairpins that demand heavy braking and massive acceleration with the machine absolutely upright; and a much more flowing series of corners tackled at speed and maximum lean angles. Without active suspension, bike setup at Donington is a massive compromise to cope with
The adjuster motors are clearly visible on this Ohlins shock the two, very different sections of the track. Andersson said: “We have two systems that allows us to provide different settings: CES (Continuously Controlled Suspension System) and EC (Electronically Controlled). “CES has been around for years and it is very advanced but it is also quite complex. It has a specially designed hydraulic pressure controller that is good enough to adjust and change the damp-
ing after the suspension has started to move. Its sensors can work out from the initial movement how big the bump is and can adjust the suspension to cope during that same movement. It is complex but Ohlins sells CES to several car manufacturers as an OEM fitment, among them Volvo’s FOURC system and Audi’s Adaptive Air Suspension. “But with the success of our new TTX forks and shocks (developed in
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www.motorcyclenews.com WP ALSO GO ‘ACTIVE’ Dutch suspension specialists WP are also working on an active suspension system. At the same Vallelunga test that Ohlins used to try their EC system, Ten Kate tested their WP ECD (Electronically Controlled suspension) system on a World Supersport machine. Unlike the Ohlins system, only the WP shock is electronically controlled. Development engineer Arnold Lutjens explained: “We have stepper motors grafted on to the low-speed adjuster for both compression and rebound damping. Our own control
box contains gyroscopes and pitch sensors to allow us to work out what G-forces the bike is under. This information allows us to adjust the damping. “We can use the bike’s own data but we want our system to be stand-alone so it will be easier to fit onto road bikes in the future. WP aim to continue testing in the autumn and hope to race their system in the last few WSS rounds. Lutjens added: “We did try to get the shock onto one of the WSB bikes but we simply ran out of time. This system is not the same as the EDS system we build for road BMWs.”
Motors twiddle the adjusters on WP’s active shock
YAMAHA’S ACTIVE SUSPENSION
Tiny Marelli alternator saves weight and powers the trickery MotoGP) we now have the opportunity to use the much simpler EC system.” TTX technology uses flow adjusters that sit at the top of a rear shock, or on the bottom of a fork, which means all the parts that affect oil flow are easy to access. Andersson added: “The EC system has a stepper motor (which is a specially designed electric motor capable of carefully moving precise distances, like turning a suspension adjuster one
click) on the outside of the adjusters and changes the settings during the lap. It’s a bit like having a little man sitting on your suspension changing the clickers. The EC system can be retro-fitted to existing TTX suspension.” As part of their engine management electronics, WSB bikes have suspension travel sensors and three-axis gyroscopes to measure the attitude of the bike and where the bike is on the
track. The EC system is designed to fit straight in with these packages, allowing pre-programmed responses to specific circumstances or corners. Using the basic clicker adjuster system, the stepper motors can increase or decrease the compression or rebound damping. Because the adjusters can be set to deal with extreme parts of the track, like hairpins, the settings for the rest of the track can be less compromised.
Marelli 4 ECU is the powerhouse at the heart of the hi-tech R1
Tyre temperature sensors – active shock will boost tyre life
up designed to promote weight transfer and give road riders an exciting ride. But that means its further away from the perfect race set-up needed to win superbike races than say the purpose-built Ducati. Re-engineering the R1 to produce a race bike is difficult within the strict limitations on chassis adjustment built into the superbike rules, and there is a limit to what you can achieve with suspension setup. At a track like Donington, it can become a real problem, especially in the absence of the ability to run special tyres to overcome any chassis compromises. So the prospect of having different suspension settings available on different parts of the circuit, which active suspension can do, could well benefit the Yamaha in particular. DOUBLE RED
Active suspension could help Yamaha overcome an inherent chassis set-up issue with the productionbased R1. WSB and BSB both use Pirelli control tyres. Unlike MotoGP, where special hand-built tyres can be tailored to an individual rider or bike, superbike race tyres are made on a production line. Tyre choice is limited to three front slicks and four rears, and are available to all the riders. This means that the teams have to develop their bikes to suit the tyres and not the other way round, as is common practice in MotoGP. The need to allow every rider the choice of each tyre means that Pirelli must take around 2800 slicks to each race weekend. One of the features of the standard Yamaha R1 is a chassis and suspension set-
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SPORT CAREER ■ 1996 – British Junior Mini-Moto championship, where he secured eight poles and eight wins to win the championship. ■ 1997 – British Senior Mini-Moto championship. Finished second overall in the adult class despite being just 12 years old. ■ 1998 – British Senior Mini-Moto championship. wins title and the UK round of the World Mini-Moto championship. ■ 1999 - British Superteen championship, where he achieved four podiums and four lap records. ■ 2000 – British Superteen championship and 125cc British Championship. ■ 2001 – British Junior Superstock championship aboard the Sanyo Honda. Frontrunner in the class until a massive crash at Oulton Park resulted in a broken femur. ■ 2002 – British Junior Superstock champion. Aboard the Roundstone Suzuki, Jones had a yearlong battle with Cal Crutchlow and Tom Sykes but took the championship thanks to his impressive haul of six race wins. ■ 2003 – British Supersport championship onboard the ValMoto Triumph finishing seventh in his rookie season with a pole position and a podium. Awarded BSB young rider of the year award. ■ 2004 – British Supersport championship on the ValMoto Triumph. Finished eighth overall after taking a stunning win at the final round of the championship at Donington Park. ■ 2005 – British Supersport championship riding for Northpoint Honda. Finished second overall. Seriously impressing as a wild card in the World Supersport championship. Also rode for Ten Kate Honda at Brno, standing in for the injured Katsuaki Fujiwara. ■ 2006 – World Superbike championship. Signed to ride for the Foggy Petronas squad after nearly agreeing to go to World Supersport with Ten Kate Honda. After a tough start, Jones adapted his style to suit the three-cylinder superbike and by the end of the year he was matching the pace of Australian team-mate Steve Martin. ■ 2007 – World Supersport Championship. Reunited with former Northpoint Honda team boss Gary Ekerold, Jones proved his pace by claiming three podiums and finishing fifth place in the final championship standings. ■ 2008 – World Supersport championship. Aboard the Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR, Jones had established himself as a genuine title contender with three podiums and race-winning pace.
Racing loses a superstar Tributes pour in after Craig Jones loses his life after Brands Hatch World Supersport round Flat out as always – Jones on the Parkalgar Honda
michael.guy @motorcyclenews.com
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SHADOW has been cast over motorcycle racing with the loss of Craig Jones. Jones lost his life after crashing out during a battle at the front of the World Supersport race at Brands Hatch on Sunday. The 23-year-old was battling for the lead when he crashed his Parkalgar Honda at Clarke Curve, sustaining fatal injuries. Jones was riding at the top of his game at the time of the accident, having led the race on the previous lap in front of a weekend crowd of 97,000 spectators. As he exited the final corner, Clearways, and drove onto
the front straight, Jones lost grip at the rear, dramatically spinning him and the bike round and into the path of Andrew Pitt. Pitt was left with no time to react and nowhere to go. He clipped Jones’ head with his front wheel – an impact that left Jones unconscious in the middle of the circuit. The race was stopped and Jones received immediate medical assistance for 13 minutes on the track before being taken to the circuit medical centre. He was air lifted by Kent Air Ambulance to the Royal London Hospital with severe head injuries 40 minutes later. Despite every effort by specialists to save his life, Craig Jones was pronounced dead at 00.32 on Monday.
This tragic accident saw Jones’ lust for life extinguished in a blink of an eye. He was doing what he did best – riding high, on show
‘His infectious smile and lust for life will be sorely missed’ and on the limit. It’s hard to think of another rider who enjoying himself as much as Jonesey. At the age of 23 he was travelling the world, flying the flag for the Brits and running at the very front of the fiercely competitive World Supersport championship. During his years of
racing he’d got a reputation for backing it in and the control he showed under braking was rarely surpassed. At the time of the accident he would have been flat out in fourth gear, centimetres off the rear wheel of the Ten Kate Honda ahead and focused on making a pass into Paddock Hill. The race was shaping up to be an epic with, neither Jones nor eventual winner Jonathan Rea prepared to accept second place. The crash ends the life of one of the UK’s most genuine and promising talents. His infectious smile, cast iron confidence and lust for life will be sorely missed by anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him, and the entire racing community.
The two sides of Craig Jones
2002, winning the British Junior Superstock title
With Carl on the Petronas
Jones was without doubt one of Britain’s brightest hopes for world championship glory
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With friend, rival and bed-buddy Chris Walker in WSB
2005 at Northpoint with Cal Crutchlow in British Supersport
The world of racing pays its respects CHRIS WALKER
WALKER was devastated on hearing the news, having been a big fan of Jonesey since spending time with him in the WSB paddock. In 2006, Walker spent half his time giving Jones a tow on the Foggy Petronas, but it was role reversal this year with Jones giving Walker a tow in World Supersport. “You can count on one hand the amount of characters England has had in motorcycling since Barry Sheene and, as young as Jonesey was, he was already one of them. I feel honoured to have known him, shared a race track with him, the paddock, my stag do and my bed! He was a true friend in every sense of the word and I will miss him dearly, and so will motorcycling. He was a legend to me when he was alive and now he’s a legend to us all. Thank you for all the wonderful moments, memories and the one-liners, Nobby. Love always.”
JAMES TOSELAND
TOSELAND was at a wedding in Leicester when he heard the news and drove directly to London to be with his friend during the final moments of his life. “I can’t remember a race weekend last year where we didn’t have a cup of tea together. I always enjoyed his company and every time you went to his motor home there was at least three other riders there too, he was that kind of guy. You don’t get that kind of friendship in this job, with this amount of rivalry, without being a special lad, and that’s exactly what he was. “He was one of our best and without doubt a world champion of the future. The job he was doing against the factory-supported teams was testament to his determination. What I really liked about him was his complete confidence in himself. Even if he was at the back he’d tell you what was wrong and how he could have won the race and that’s what got him to the front. To be a world champion you’ve got to put it on the line and that’s what Craig did every single race – he was one of our best.”
TOMMY HILL
AS one of his best mates, Hill spent the day and night
at the hospital with Jones’ family and was with his friend when he passed away. “It’s been the worst night of my life and I really can’t believe it’s happened. As a rider you think that you are invincible and when you get to the world championship you think you might have to deal with a few broken bones, but not this. He was a really good mate of mine. I’ve known him since I was 13 in Superteens and we raced together again in Junior Superstock. He
‘Thanks for all the wonderful moments, memories and one-liners’ CHRIS WALKER looked after me when I was in a wheelchair this year – came and got me and took me out. He could be a cocky little shit and he always knew best. He was a real tryer and he put so much effort into his racing. He was so focused on winning the race at the weekend there wasn’t any doubt in his mind. “He was good; really good and he had so much natural ability, which he’d shown all through his career. “He wanted to be on a factory superbike but he also wanted to remain loyal to his current team. This year he was desperate to stand on the top of the podium for his team and his British mechanics and prove people wrong. There are always people trying to knock you down, but he didn’t take any of that, he was very strong-minded.”
SIMON BUCKMASTER
AS Jones’ team manager, Buckmaster got to know him well during this season and the two men made the Parkalgar pit an upbeat and professional place to be. “For me Craig was going to be a world champion. He was still a contender this year and during the last three months we’d seen a real change and he was fit, relaxed and riding very well. One thing I have to say about Craig is that there aren’t that many genuine people in our sport. All sports tend to be selfish industries but Craig
was a completely genuine bloke. He gave it 100% and this is a big big loss to the whole sport, not just to us as a team.”
CAL CRUTCHLOW
“CRAIG and I rode together in 2002, 2004 and when we were team-mates in British Supersport in 2005. From team-mates we turned into close friends and then best mates. We spoke to each other at every round, just to see how we were getting on – the idea of never speaking to him again feels ridiculous. When it came down to caring for people, he was awesome. Even when my dad and I had our van stolen he was round in ten minutes to make sure we were okay and he’d do anything for me and my family. He was always a competitive rider and as soon as people saw his potential he made the jump to the world scene. In my opinion he was the fastest in World Supersport this year but had a lot of bad luck. He was mega talented and had the greatest riding style. Without him it’s not going to be the same. This is the game we all play in bike racing – we all love racing motorcycles and Craig loved it as much as anyone else. He’ll be missed.
CARL FOGARTY
FOGARTY was Jones’s team boss in 2006. “This has flattened me. Completely knocked me flat. I considered Craig to be like my boy. I’ve seen this sort of thing all my career at the Isle of Man and in Irish road rac-
ing but this has happened to someone I didn’t expect. “This was the first Brands Hatch race I have missed since 1993 and I am so glad I wasn’t there. I’m just so gutted for Karen and his family. It’s a sad loss for British racing – he was one of the biggest talents for the future. He was a real raw talent and even when he was on a slower bike he never gave up. This is just so shit. “My family and I were supposed to be going on holiday this weekend but I will cancel that to go to the funeral. This will be first funeral I have been to since Mick Lofthouse’s in 1996 – I can’t handle them at all but Craig was a really good lad.”
JACK VALENTINE
VALENTINE was Jones’ team boss when he rode for the Triumph British Supersport team and at the Foggy Petronas WSB team. “Losing Craig is a terrible tragedy. As usual he was battling for the lead and giving it everything – just like he always did. I’m so glad I didn’t see it – it’s just so terrible. He came to see me at the team truck on Saturday and I was telling him how he was due a win – he was really focused on winning. I think the last race he won was the last race of the British Supersport season in 2003 at Donington on the Triumph Daytona. People still talk about that race now – fans and racers alike because it was so spectacular. “This is a big loss to British racing – he was a raw talent. He will be greatly missed.”
CHAMPION IN WAITING During the 2008 season, Jones had become hot property in the World Supersport championship for his race-leading pace and consistent podiums. Up against full factory Honda and Yamaha rivals, Jones never doubted himself or his team’s ability to run at the front. That confidence and determination that got him noticed for all the right reason. As an established rider and character in the WSB paddock, Jones’ future looked bright with either a move to WSB with his current Parkalgar Honda squad or a possible switch to
Out front in mini-moto the dominant Ten Kate World Supersport team in 2009. At 23 years old, he had the maturity and commitment to match his undisputed natural talent and was set for great things in world championship racing.