MotoGP Silly Season Nearly Over

With several teams announcing their 2007 lineups after Valencia, Silly Season is nearly finished.
Colin Edwards is confirmed at Yamaha, which is no surprise to anybody.
Kawasaki have signed Olivier Jacque to ride alongside Randy de Puniet. Kwaka wanted an experienced rider to help with development of the new 800, and since OJ has already ridden well for the Green team, he is a good choice. It is interesting that there will be a team with 2 French riders.
Ex-Kawasaki star Shinya Nakano has signed for JiR Honda, as everybody knew he would. He should be extremely impressive on a Honda with Bridgestone tyres.
The Ilmor team haven't had a bad word to say for Garry McCoy, so he will probably stay there in 2007. Jeremy McWilliams has hinted that he might ride the second Ilmor next year, after being offered a test in the next few weeks. The little Northern Irishman might be over 40 years old but he is still very fast, and as hard as nails, and would be a good choice as a development rider.
The only seats left unconfirmed are the 2nd Tech 3 ride, and the Ilmors. Neither will be at the front end of the grid unless something amazing happens. It looks like it might all be over for Sete Gibernau, there isn't a top ride left for him, and it's questionable whether he would sign for a lower team. He has struggled horribly with injuries this year, and is said to demand a Hollywood pay packet to go with his Hollywood personality. If the Catalan retires, I will be sad to see him go. He would be a champion if it wasn't for that pesky greatest-of-all-time Valentino Rossi, and some of their battles will pass into legend. Although some people laugh at Sete for his melodramatics, he is a great rider and an honourable character.

MotoGP Valencia: Nicky Hayden is Champion

Nobody expected a result like this. The tortoise defeated the hare.
It wasn't a great race, but Aussie Troy "Baylistic" Bayliss crushed his opposition, leading from lights to flag after a great getaway from the front row. Pedrosa, Hayden and Capirossi all challenged Bayliss, but he always put in a couple of fast laps to stretch away. It was a hugely impressive victory for the 2006 WSBK Champion, proving he's good enough for MotoGP after all.
But it's the championship that everybody's talking about, and that went to The Kentucky Kid, Nicky Hayden. With an 8 point deficit, he arrived at Valencia thinking that his only chance was to win the race with his teammate 2nd. Rossi had taken pole position with a fantastic lap, and Hayden had ended up on the 2nd row after being baulked by Hofmann on his quick lap. It looked like a mountain to climb. However, Rossi's lap times in the morning warm-up were very poor, only 11th fastest. Most people, myself included, simply shrugged and thought that Rossi would surely find something to make him quick in the race. We were wrong.
Rossi might be the best motorcycle racer of all time, but he isn't superhuman. He made a terrible start from pole position, falling immediately back into the pack. He then lost more places around the first lap. The Italian's bike was clearly a dog, whether it be due to the machine or the tyres. The speed just wasn't there, and Valentino struggled to stay ahead of Vermeulen. Then the unexpected: Rossi hopped off the low side of the bike and slid into the gravel. He picked the bike up and set off, but his lap times were unimpressive, and there was no way he could gain enough points to retain his world title.
Hayden, on the other hand, might not have looked like championship material through the season but he certainly did on race day at Valencia. He made a great start, and advanced through the field, running as high as 2nd. When his pit board said "Rossi P20", the Kentuckian settled down, eventually finishing a safe 3rd behind the two Ducatis. It was the display of a worthy champion, whereas Rossi looked like a nervous rookie.
Many people are complaining about Hayden's victory, saying he isn't in Rossi's class, but who is? If the championship was decided on raw talent, we would hand the title to Rossi on day 1 of the season, then send everybody home for a couple of years until Pedrosa is old enough to challenge him. The champion is the one with the most points at the end of the season, and that was Hayden. He struggled with a semi-experimental bike while HRC seemingly used him to test Pedrosa's 2007 machine. He had clutch problems until the closing stages of the season. He was punted off by his teammate. Through all of this he showed the determination that made him champion. On the last day of the season, he stayed calm and rode like a champion, while Rossi made a basic error at the start, then fell off a few laps later.
It was a surprise winner of the 2006 title. (It certainly surprised the organizers of the post-race firework display, which send clouds of yellow smoke across the track.) It was a worthy winner, though. A champion who won through grit and determination, never resorting to cheating or bad-mouthing his opponents.
MotoGP has a friendly and likeable champion, which has to be a good thing. Hayden's victory will bring the interest of viewers in the USA, which is important with the era of tobacco sponsorship coming towards its end. Next year's championship will be wide open. Rossi trying to regain the title, Hayden trying to defend it. Capirossi and Melandri both won more races than Hayden this year (3 races each, to Hayden's 2), and surely both could challenge for the title if they stay injury-free.

MotoGP Valencia Qualifying: Rossi on the brink

It was Bridgestone all the way at the MotoGP qualifying session for tomorrow's GP at Valencia, until a certain Valentino Rossi decided to crank it up a notch and take pole.
His title rival Nicky Hayden had been looking good all weekend, but ended up in 5th on the grid, behind Rossi, the hugely impressive Troy Bayliss, Loris Capirossi and Shinya Nakano.
Things are looking extremely strong for The Doctor, especially if Bridgestone carry on their speed into tomorrow's race. The Kentucky Kid needs to beat Vale by 9 points to win the title, which is looking unlikely.
In the past we have seen that Rossi doesn't necessarily give 100% unless he has no choice but to go for it. When he takes his brain out and goes all out, he is simply in another class to the other riders. His stunning performance a few years ago in Australia when he was given a 10 second penalty mid-race, and simply won the race by more than 10 seconds, shows his true speed. Is Rossi better than Agostini? We'll never know, but winning his 8th championship tomorrow would be another boost to his incredible reputation.
MotoGP is blessed with 2 charismatic, likeable individuals battling for the title, the kind of personalities that dull-as-dishwater F1 can only dream of. Nicky Hayden has fought hard through the whole season, racking up points everywhere, but he has been fighting a defensive battle. Always fearful of losing his lead, he must have given away many points by not taking risks. Rossi on the other hand, has had nothing to lose, being more than 50 points down and facing a seemingly impossible task.
I can only see one championship winner. It must be Rossi. This year's championship would be easily his most difficult, and winning it would only strengthen his claim to be the best motorcycle racer of all time.
Who will win the race? That depends on whether the Bridgestone tyres can last the distance. I wouldn't bet against Capirossi.

MotoGP Tamada to Tech 3

Makoto Tamada has signed for Tech 3 Yamaha for the 2007 MotoGP season. It has been confirmed that he will be using Dunlop tyres.
Tamada was given the boot by the JiR Honda team after his uninspiring performances this year, and will almost certainly be replaced by Shinya Nakano.
Using Bridgestone tyres, Tamada secured 2 wins back in 2004, but on Michelins he could not recapture that kind of form. A broken wrist added to his troubles, and he never looked the same. However, he has produced one or two half-decent results lately.
Dunlop, having lost the highly rated Carlos Checa, will be hoping that Tamada can help them develop the Dunlop tyres with the same skill he showed in 2004.
It is also likely that Yamaha were interested in having a Japanese rider on their new 800cc machine. All 4 Yamaha bikes on the grid next year will have to be brand new, and Tech 3 may get improved factory support now that they have a Japanese-speaking rider.

WSBK - Lanzi Remains at Ducati

In a surprising move, it has been announced that Lorenzo Lanzi will stay with Ducati in the 2007 WSBK championship.
Lanzi started out well with Ducati at the end of 2005, exploding onto the WSBK scene and winning 2 races for the factory Ducati team. However, his form in 2006 has been nothing short of atrocious. It was a difficult year all round for Lorenzo, who had to cope with the loss of his father, who was a great supporter of his career. Most people thought Lanzi would be replaced with a rider such as Gregorio Lavilla, who has been impressive in British Superbikes, winning the BSB title in 2005, or even Alex Barros, who has instead returned to MotoGP.
Lanzi has the advantage of being an Italian in an Italian team, which is obviously attractive to sponsors. He has also shown at the end of 2005 that he clearly has a huge amount of talent. Ducati must feel that they can end his poor run of form and unleash Lanzi's potential. It will be interesting to see how he fares.

BSB: Walker signs for Rizla Suzuki

Chris "The Stalker" Walker has signed for the Crescent Rizla Suzuki team for next year's British Superbike Championship.
The Stalker comes from WSBK, where he raced for Kawasaki until being dropped at the end of this season despite winning a race. His two teammates are being kept on, seemingly because they have greater financial backing.
He will be welcomed back to British Superbikes with open arms, as he is arguably the most popular British bike racer. He is extremely quick, but his dangerous-looking all-action riding style has probably been the main reason for his popularity, along with his willingness to put on a display for his fans. [Having choked half to death on tyre smoke from a Stalker burnout after he had won a double, I can testify to this!]
Walker has ridden for Suzuki in the BSB Championship before. The 2000 season has passed into legend, with an ill-tempered battle all the way to the last round, where Walker's Suzuki engine failed in clouds of smoke, letting bitter rival Neil Hodgson snatch the title.
BSB has been very competitive recently, and the Suzuki is an extremely quick bike. There should be fireworks in 2007.

MotoGP: Barros is Back!

In yet another twist to the Silly Season, MotoGP veteran Alex Barros has signed for D'Antin Ducati to contest the 2007 championship.
The surprise move comes after much speculation as to which WSBK team Barros would sign for, after his debut year on Superbikes yielded him a victory. However, the D'Antin team have tempted the Brazilian back to the top class.
2007 promises to be a better year for the satellite Ducati squad, with their bikes initially being very similar to the factory team. D'Antin have also signed up to use Bridgestone tyres to replace their current Dunlops.
In previous years, D'Antin have been using year-old hand-me-down bikes, which performed pitifully. Riders such as Alex Hofmann (who will probably stay with D'Antin), Ruben Xaus and Neil Hodgson had no chance of showing their skills on these ancient machines. However, Barros will be riding a brand new 800cc Ducati. It is unlikely that D'Antin will benefit from anything like the same level of development as the factory team, but the bikes will surely be on the pace at the start of the year. Ducati have already been testing their 800cc machine for several months.
This move gives renewed hope to some of the WSBK riders who have been searching for a ride in 2007. Barros had been linked with several WSBK rides, including the factory Ducati and semi-factory Ten Kate Honda. The Silly Season will surely take an even sillier lurch in WSBK in the next week or two.

MotoGP: Elias stays, Bayliss visits

After his brilliant win at Estoril, Toni Elias has signed a new contract to stay with the Gresini team for 2007. The rumours were rife that Toni would be dropped by the satellite Honda team, but his victory has unexpectedly sealed his position in MotoGP. It had been a poor year for the Spaniard, with lots of crashing and only one or two half-decent performances. Winning a race was probably the only way Toni was going to stay in the series, and that's exactly what he did. His new contract is richly deserved.
The win in Portugal brought the number of wins by the Gresini team to 4 for this year, with Toni's win added to Marco Melandri's 3. This is the same number of wins as HRC have achieved so far in 2006. An impressive record for a satellite team.
For the final race of the season at Valencia, Troy Bayliss will stand in for Sete Gibernau, who was injured in a crash with his own replacement last week. Bayliss was actually the first person to ride the 990cc Ducati MotoGP bike in public. Coincidentally, that was also at the Valencia track. It will be interesting to see how the Australian does around the twisty Spanish track, which most riders claim is too tight for the 990cc machines.

MotoGP Silly Season Update: Stoner to Ducati

Silly Season rages on, as interesting as ever.
The latest news concerns the fast but crash-hungry Australian, Casey Stoner. He has officially signed for Ducati next year, saying that nobody has ever won a championship on a satellite team so he wants to race for a factory. (He should tell that to Marco Melandri!)
2007 will be an interesting year, with different people disagreeing on whether it's a good time or a bad time to move, since the new 800cc bikes will be so different. With Stoner moving away from Honda and Melandri staying, we will see who is right.
The highly-rated Spaniard, Carlos Checa has been hugely impressive this year on the creaking old Tech 3 Yamaha with its Dunlop tyres. (Admittedly, Tech 3 and Dunlop have to take some of the credit.) Checa has now signed to replace Stoner at LCR Honda, and will race on Michelin tyres. He is surely in with a chance of winning a race or two next year.
Little Casey's move to Ducati means that poor old Sete Gibernau is out on his ear. (At least he's not out on his collarbone!) Not only that, but the injuries sustained in the crash with Stoner mean that Sete will not race for Ducati at Valencia either. WSBK champion Troy Bayliss is rumoured to be standing in for that race. Where will Sete go next year? Possibly Kawasaki or one of the satellite teams such as D'Antin or Tech 3. Some people are claiming he will retire due to his injuries. We'll have to see.
Konica are staying with the JiR Honda team, probably switching back to Bridgestone tyres. Shinya Nakano is very likely to ride for them in 2007.
I'll bring more silly news as it emerges.

MotoGP: Why HRC don't care about that crash.

HRC might be temporarily embarrassed about that crash between Pedrosa and Hayden, but in the long term, they just don't care.
Pedrosa is Honda's Golden Boy. As far as the Japanese company are concerned, Dani is the next Doohan. Dani is already a 3-times world champion. In the wierd and wonderful world of Grand Prix motorcyle racing, these world titles are given full credit, even though they were achieved on smaller machines. Rossi and Agostini are celebrated for their total number of championships, regardless of the engine size of the bike they were riding. This is quite unlike the snobbery of car racing.
HRC's main sponsor, Repsol, are a Spanish company with strong links to Argentina. They want to win championships, but they want to win them with a Spaniard. What about an American? Who cares? The commercial advantages for Repsol sponsoring an American world champion are impressive, but the benefits of sponsoring a Spanish world champion are simply incredible.
Nicky Hayden arrived in MotoGP as the AMA Superbike Champion. HRC employed him because he was the fastest young American available. Honda needed him to improve their sales figures in the USA. (It's no coincidence that TV's Doctor House rides a Repsol Honda replica bike.) Hayden was not seen as a multiple champion, he was seen as a fast rider that might win a few races if he stopped crashing all the time.
Dani is the Chosen One. He can do no wrong. HRC always try to think in the long term. They would rather have Dani becoming a multiple world champion, whose name is spoken in the same breath as Agostini, Sheene, Roberts, Rainey, Doohan, Rossi. Do they really care about that honest, hard-working young Kentucky Kid? Do they really want the title at any cost, even if it means "stealing" the title from Rossi by trundling round consistently? Not HRC. They want true glory. They won't punish Dani. They won't think any worse of him. They want Pedrosa to win the championship in 2007, then again and again until he is one of Honda's great heroes. Even if Hayden has the number 1 plate on his bike next year, Dani will be HRC's number 1, no question.
It's not fair on Nicky, one of the most likeable riders in the sport. But that's racing.

MotoGP Estoril: Gasp!

Wow. This motorcycle race will go down in history, they will be talking about it in decades to come. What were the odds, a thousand to one? A million to one? Nobody could have predicted a result like this. Let's recap:
Shinya Nakano, who is leaving Kawasaki at the end of the year, became the first casualty when he was thrown off his bike on lap one. Then Stoner, fast and dangerous as always, slid off his bike right in front of Sete Gibernau, leaving the hapless Catalan with nowhere to go. Sete's Ducati smashed spectacularly into the fallen Honda, flying into the air and throwing poor old Gibbers off, resulting in a broken finger and more damage to his long-suffering, metal-plated collarbone.
That was nothing compared to what happened next: nothing short of the impossible. Dani Pedrosa, trying a hugely optimistic move on his championship-chasing teammate, Nicky Hayden, The Kentucky Kid. The little Spaniard had no chance of making the corner. He lost the front end and dropped the bike, which slammed into Li'l Nicky's Honda and catapulted the Kentuckian off into the gravel.
Nicky frantically tried to pick up his smashed bike, but had to admit defeat. The friendly, well spoken young American was left slamming his fist into the ground and screaming abuse at Pedrosa and the world in general, knowing that he would lose his championship points lead.
His Italian title rival, Valentino Rossi, was shown a pitboard reading "Hayden Out", and must have been smiling as he led the race. Surprisingly, Rossi's yellow Yahama could not maintain its lead. His teammate, the Texan Tornado, Colin Edwards, was acting as Rossi's tailgunner to hold back the fast-charging Spaniard Toni Elias, and Californian ex-champion Kenny Roberts Junior. The two Americans and the Spaniard were scrapping amongst themselves, but Rossi just couldn't pull away.
Elias was on awesome form. While everyone else avoided the greasy, damp kerbs, Toni was screeching across them sideways in the braking zone. Hayden might have been out, but his riding style was still on offer. Elias took the lead, Rossi tried to brake as late as him and nearly slid off the track. After much battling, with Rossi, Elias and KRJR swapping the lead between them, Rossi led out of the final corner. However, Elias managed to pop his Gresini Honda out of the slipstream at the right moment and cross the line first. He took his first MotoGP win by just 0.002 seconds.
An incredible race. More reaction over the next few days.

MotoGP Estoril Qualifying: Rossi on pole

Valentino Rossi took pole position for tomorrow's race, and alongside him was his Yamaha teammate Colin Edwards. Nicky Hayden took 3rd spot on the grid, with Pedrosa, Stoner and Hopkins lining up on the 3rd row.
Stoner had been running at the front of the field, but the baby-faced little Aussie couldn't maintain his advantage on qualifying tyres. Late in the session, Stoner slowed to allow some faster riders past, but badly misjudged it and ended up trundling along on the apex of a corner that Dani was attacking at full speed. The tiny Spaniard was furious at being baulked, gesticulating wildly in a way that we just don't expect from him. Stoner visited the Repsol Honda garage to admit his mistake in person, and the two rookies parted with a handshake.
Marco Melandri could only manage 15th place, struggling with a badly bruised knee that he sustained in a crash yesterday.
Tomorrow's race looks to be a good one. Rossi and Hayden are both up at the sharp end of the grid, separated by Edwards. Could the Texan Tornado be the joker in the pack?

MotoGP: Estoril Preview

It's the Estoril GP on Sunday, the second last of the season. Li'l Nicky Hayden could wrap up the title if he scores plenty of points and Vale scores very few. On the other hand, Rossi could leave with a lead in the championship. There are 12 points between them, and with 25 points for a win and zero points for a crash, anything could happen.
In Friday practise, the Kentucky Kid was looking brilliant, posting the 2nd fastest time. The crazy 12-year-old Aussie Casey Stoner was fastest, but he is on a Honda and can be expected to move aside if he is running ahead of Nicky in the race. The same can be said for KRJR, who was 3rd fastest. As an American with a Honda engine, you don't have to be Einstein to work out who he would support for the title.
Incredibly, Carlos Checa was 4th quickest on the Dunlop-shod Yamaha. If he keeps this speed up during the whole weekend he could produce an amazing result.
Pedrosa was 5th, Edwards 6th and Sete Gibernau 7th, easily the fastest Bridgestone runner.
Rossi was just 8th, but we know that he concentrates on the race, and isn't even interested in qualifying, never mind Friday practise.
The appearance of the new 800cc Ilmor machine heralded the return of the popular little Aussie Garry McCoy. He was impressive, outpacing Ellison in the 1st session and Cardoso in the 2nd, despite giving away 190cc to them. He must be at least 50bhp down on the top machines, and was over 20km/h slower than Stoner through the speed traps. We got to see a little of his sideways style, but nothing like as spectacular as the 500cc 2-stroke days.
Things are starting to get really exciting. The Valentino Rossi freight train is gathering momentum, but Nicky is on great form. Can Vale snatch the title, or will the Kentucky Kid's consistency win through? Stay tuned!

WSBK 2007 - Riders and Teams (so far)

After a comment from Alex on my last post asking who goes where in WSBK next year, I've decided to sum up which rider goes to which team, as far as I know at this time.

Alstare Suzuki - Max Biaggi and Yukio Kagayama
Yamaha Italia - Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser
Ten Kate Honda - James Toseland, 2nd rider unknown
Ducati - Troy Bayliss, 2nd rider unknown
PSG1 Kawasaki - Regis Laconi and Fonsi Nieto
Bertocchi Honda - Josh Brookes, possibly Andrew Pitt
Sterilgada Berik Ducati - Ruben Xaus, possibly Lorenzo Lanzi
DFX Treme Honda - Steve Martin and Michel Fabrizio
Other teams: I don't know at this time.

Alex Barros hasn't settled on a team yet, the big two rides available are the Ducati and Ten Kate Honda rides, alongside either Bayliss or Toseland. Barros looks quite likely to land one of these.
Nobody seems to know what's going on with Foggy, the rumours are for him to run Ducatis. Neil Hodgeson has been linked with a Foggy-Ducati ride if this comes into existence.

Biaggi tests WSBK Suzuki

Well, the rumours about Max Biaggi moving back to MotoGP with Kawasaki are looking weaker now. Max has tested the Alstare Corona Suzuki after all. It's not impossible that he might still sneak off to MotoGP, but it's looking more and more unlikely.
I'd be glad to see him in WSBK to shake things up. Not only is he a wickedly fast rider on his day, but where Max goes, controversy and intrigue are sure to follow!

WSBK Magny Cours - Toseland and Bayliss win

The French crowds needed to be cheered up on Sunday, since they were crying over their pain au chocolat after their once-mighty football team were crushed 1-0 by Scotland the previous evening.
The spectators got what they needed: some breathtaking racing.
Corser started from pole position in his final race weekend for Suzuki. (He has signed to be Haga's teammate at Yamaha next year, displacing Andrew Pitt.) Alongside him on the grid was Toseland's Honda, Lanzi's Ducati and Muggeridge on the second Ten Kate Honda. Usual suspects Haga, Bayliss and Kagayama were relegated to the second row. This was a bonus for Toseland, who was fighting over second place in the championship with Nori Haga.
Race 1 lasted for only 1 lap before being red flagged after a back-marker had fallen on spilled oil, or some other slippery fluid.
Second time out, race 1 turned into a 3-way battle between Toseland, Haga and the rejuvinated Corser, who was back to his old self after a poor weekend last time out. Toseland and Haga in particular were simply amazing, with some very hard racing before Tose took the win from Haga then Corser, giving him an 8 point advantage over Nori in the championship.
Race 2 was even better, with a 4-way scrap between Toseland, Haga and the two Troys, Bayliss and Corser. All 4 were on devastating form, very fast and very aggressive. It was only in the last lap that the leaders settled down, with Bayliss winning from Corser, then Toseland, then Haga. This gave Toseland 2nd place in the championship.
Overall, there was some fantastic racing at Magny Cours. All of the top riders were on great form. After one incredible overtaking move by Haga, Neil Hodgson, guesting in the British Eurosport commentary box, said "You can't do that! If I did that, I'd run off the track and end up in 20th place!"
Hodgson seems to have settled his differences with Carl Fogarty. There might be a small chance that Hodge will ride for Foggy's team next year, if Foggy can secure bikes and sponsorship, although it seems that Hodgson would settle for nearly any ride. He complained that everybody in the paddock is waiting for Alex Barros to choose a team, a strange situation when the Brazilian has won just 1 race in WSBK. Hodgeson would be a valuable addition to the championship, being a former champion as well as a very media-friendly personality.
The rumours about Max Biaggi dumping Suzuki's WSBK team for a move to MotoGP have been strongly denied by Alstare Corona Suzuki. However, I believe that Max would find a way to wriggle out of his contract if a genuine chance at MotoGP came up, even if it meant paying off the WSBK team (his private sponsors have very deep pockets.) It's not clear yet whether that MotoGP chance has really arisen or if it is just a rumour.

Shock Rumour: Biaggi to MotoGP?

A shock new rumour, reported on the British Eurosport TV station, claims that Max Biaggi will not enter the 2007 WSBK Championship, but instead will sign for Kawasaki's MotoGP squad.
It has already been claimed that Kawasaki were having trouble finding a rider to replace Shinya Nakano, who seems set to take Tamada's Honda ride. The silly season rumours had said that Melandri would move to Ducati, and Sete Gibernau would move to Kawasaki. However, now that Melandri has signed for Gresini Honda, Sete seems set to stay at Ducati.
It seems that Kawasaki have signed The Roman Emperor, Max Biaggi as their star rider.
Nothing has been officially confirmed, but it's an amazing development if this is true.

WSBK: Where Next, Foggy?

Carl Fogarty stands at a crossroads in the World Superbike Championship.
The 4-times World Superbike Champion's team, Foggy Petronas Racing, will not carry on in its present form, with Petronas pulling out after this year's final round at Magny Cours, France. The team's workers have been issued with redundancy notices. This doesn't necessarily mean that the team will come to an end. It is fairly standard practise to lay off the workers when a team is unsure of its future, and re-hire them when a sponsor is found.
Petronas had initially hoped to make a 990cc, 4-stroke MotoGP bike. When this failed to come to fruition, they decided to convert it into a World Superbike, and team up with recently-retired champion Carl Fogarty to form Foggy Petronas Racing. The WSBK rules at that time allowed for 750cc 4-cylinder, 900cc 3-cylinder, or 1000cc 2-cylinder machines. The Petronas triple was therefore homologated as a 900cc machine, the FP1. (I say homologated, but it is a long-standing joke that nobody has ever seen one of the 150 road machines, despite it being 5 years since they were officially built.)
Unfortunately, the rug was quickly pulled from under Foggy's feet when the rules were changed, allowing 1000cc machines regardless of the number of cylinders (4-cylinder machines being forced to stay slightly closer to road-bike specs.) The FP1 slipped further and further behind due to its 100cc capacity disadvantage. Homologating another 150 bikes with 1000cc engines would have been impossibly expensive.
Now the Petronas 5-year plan has come to an end.
Rumour has it that Foggy will very likely stay in WSBK next year. His mechanics and engineers are all highly respected, and probably belong in a World Championship series.
Will Foggy manage to secure a sponsor to pay for decent Ducati 999's? He won all of his championships on the Italian marque, and spent a year with them as a consultant.
It is said that he is having difficulty finding a sponsor because he doesn't have bikes and riders secured, but he cannot secure bikes and riders without a sponsor. Catch 22.
Surely something will come together. It is important for WSBK to have a famous name like Foggy around, and his single-mindedness and ability to start a fight in an empty room make him great to have around. It would be a shame if he didn't have the chance to feud with Max Biaggi, in many ways a similar character.
Here's hoping that Foggy sticks around for the 2007 season.

MotoGP Silly Season: Marco Melandri

Silly Season is well underway, with only HRC, Suzuki and Team KR having confirmed their full line-ups for 2007. Let's stoke up the silliness by discussing Marco Melandri, currently riding for the Gresini Honda team.
Marco is said to be on the brink of signing for Ducati in place of Sete Gibernau. Part of the reasoning is that Marco is a young Italian, and proven race winner, who could be groomed to replace Little Loris Capirossi when he retires.
I'm not entirely convinced by this, Loris is still wickedly fast and has shown no sign of slowing down. The way he slams the door when somebody puts their front wheel alongside him, and the way he fought back from injury, make me think that he will be leading the team for another 2 or 3 years. It seems a little early to be searching for a replacement. The huge impact of Dani and Casey Stoner this year shows just how fast things can change in a year, never mind 3.
I'm sure that Marco could easily be tempted to Ducati Corse in a couple of years' time, if need be. Of course, with the way he's been riding and winning, his price could have gone through the roof by then, and Honda might not let him go.
Having said that, Marco is not on a factory HRC bike. This isn't necessarily a handicap, as Sete showed on the Movistar Honda, but Marco could well be tempted by a factory ride.
And it could be the best possible time to swap teams. If Marco stays with Gresini, he will be riding a brand new machine, with a completely different engine (a V4 rather than this year's V5.) If he switches to Ducati, he'll be learning a new machine and engine too. Traditionally, riders take their favourite mechanics, and often engineers, with them to their new team to smooth the transition.
If the new Ducati 800 is as fast as it seems, and if Marco keeps getting faster, he might even have a shot at the 2007 title, presuming Bridgestone have a good year. (And presuming either the Yamaha 800 is slow, or Rossi is abducted by aliens.)
Maybe Marco has already signed for one of these teams, maybe not. Everybody's keeping quiet. That's what makes Silly Season so much fun.

BSB Brands Hatch: Kiyo is Champion

Race 1
Leon Haslam started from pole, and was leading the race from Shakey Byrne and Ryuichi Kiyonari when rain started to fall and the race was red flagged. Haslam was visibly annoyed at this, as he needed the win to keep his title hopes alive.
When the race restarted, Haslam and Kiyonari were battling it out at the front. The other title contender, Gregorio Lavilla, had a heavy side by side contact with Kiyo's teammate Karl Harris. Lavilla did not realise that the collision had damaged his brake lever, and when he went for the brakes there was nothing there. It was a hair-raising moment for the Spaniard, who was forced to lay the bike down and hop off on one of the fastest parts of the circuit, destroying his championship hopes.
Kiyonari overtook Haslam as rain started to fall again, and the young Englishman seemed content to wait for an opportunity in the late stages of the race. However, further back, Shakey Byrne was on the exit of the steep Paddock Hill Bend when he barely touched his back wheel onto the rain-soaked white line at the edge of the circuit. The bike highsided violently, hurling the former MotoGP star into the air. As Shakey tumbled and rolled to a halt and lay motionless on the tarmac, the organizers had no option but to immediately throw the red flag. He was heavily concussed, but will make a full recovery.
Haslam was distraught, as he was denied the chance to re-pass Kiyonari, who took the victory. This left 2nd-placed Haslam with a mountain to climb to win the title.
Race 2
Haslam had no option but to win the race, while a 3rd place or better would seal the title for Kiyonari.
It was the Japanese Honda rider who took charge of the race at first. The typically English weather was now glorious sunshine and heavy rain at the same time. However, Kiyo had a big moment, losing the front and running very wide, allowing Haslam through into the lead.
Haslam put in a series of fast laps to dominate the field. Meanwhile, Lavilla's day turned into a nightmare when gearbox failure put him out of the race. Kiyonari was content to settle for 2nd place, while fellow Honda riders Rea and Harris beat each other up for the last step of the podium.
The red flag came out for the 3rd time when a backmarker crashed heavily. Haslam had won the race, but the title went to Ryuichi Kiyonari.
Overall
Kiyonari deserved the title, he is clearly a wickedly fast rider on his day.
Haslam was unlucky, but all of the top 3 had their fair share of bad luck across the year and these things do even themselves out. A couple of memorable wins towards the end of the season have cemented Haslam's reputation.
Reigning champion Gregorio Lavilla was in the title race right to the end, and it was only horrible luck that relegated him to 3rd place in the standings.
This was Honda's first British Superbike title for 20 years, although admittedly they did not enter the championship for 14 of those years, concentrating on the World Superbike series. They are looking to extend their involvement in BSB next year.
Ducati took the manufacturers title, thanks to having 2 title contenders. Their 999 is an awesome machine, and looks stunning in the black livery adopted in the last 2 meetings.
It has been an excellent year of racing. Congratulations to Kiyo, HM Plant Honda and Airwaves Ducati on their victories.

WSBK Imola: Barros and Bayliss share spoils

Race 1
Alex Barros took the victory with an awesome performance, storming through the field for a dominant win from James Toseland and Andrew Pitt.
Ruben Xaus had been in fine form before hopping off the low side and chucking his bike down the road.
Troy Bayliss finished 5th, losing 4th place to Nori Haga on the line, but it was enough to guarantee Bayliss the title of World Superbike Champion 2006.
There had been drama on lap 1 when a mistake from Neukirchner had taken himself out along with his Suzuki team-mate Kagayama.
Race 2
Trying a different rear tyre proved to be a good move by Troy Bayliss. Racing in new white leathers and crash helmet, Bayliss dominated the race, winning from Alex Barros's Honda.
Barros had made his trademark woeful start, but again came through the field, setting lap records along the way. He couldn't catch Bayliss, despite some spectacular riding on the last lap.
Yukio Kagayama took the final step on the podium, dragging himself up through the field with some great overtaking manoeuvres.
Ruben Xaus was again on outstanding form on his customer Ducati before dropping it again, this time in a spectacular crash, the bike tumbling through the gravel and reminding us why Xaus's "win it or bin it" mentality is so entertaining.
James Toseland eked out a 2 point lead over Haga in the race for 2nd place in the championship, by finishing ahead of the Japanese Yamaha hero again in race 2. There is nothing in it between these two, who will take the runner-up spot in the championship at the final meeting in Magny Cours is anyone's guess.
Overall
Bayliss has taken a richly deserved title, his performance in race 2 underlining this.
Barros has shown his great experience and talent today. Early in the year his bike seemed to have been rushed into the championship to give the Brazilian a ride. Now, his Honda is coming into its own. He could be one to watch next year, having won races in pretty much every World Championship race series you care to mention.
James Toseland has come on strong in the last few races after a bit of a struggle with his new Honda early in the season. Hopefully, Honda will concentrate on him as their number 1 rider next year. He could make a strong challenge for the title.
Nori Haga will give Toseland a hard time as the pair battle for the title runner-up spot in France. We saw at Lausitzring how breathtaking the racing between these two can be.
Troy Corser had a miserable weekend. His relationship with Suzuki is on the rocks, and won't have been healed by his poor performances and meek surrendering of his title.
Next up, Magny Cours. There are championship spots still to be claimed, and riders looking to impress team bosses, as the final race always sticks in the mind during the period of contract negociations over the winter. There should be some hard racing to end the season.