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Ben Spies signs with Yamaha World Superbike for 2009

Ben Spies To Yamaha World SuperbikeOctober 1, 2008 - American racing sensation Ben Spies has signed with the Yamaha factory World Superbike Team to partner with 23-year-old old British rider Tom Sykes for the 2009 season.

The 24yr old American rider from Dallas is fresh from a record third championship win in a row, taking the AMA Superbike Championship crown again for 2008. 

Spies is only the fourth rider in the history of AMA Superbike to win three consecutive titles and 3rd on the all-time AMA Superbike wins list with a total of 28 AMA Superbike wins.  This now completes the Yamaha World Superbike team for 2009.

Spies has been racing and winning in the AMA Superbike Championship since 2005, and has an unrivalled 90% podium finish rate for racing, the highest for any AMA rider in the history of the championship.  He took second place in his rookie year followed by the three successive championship wins. 

Prior to this he had a three year stint in the AMA Supersport Championship,. Spies turned pro in 2000, racing in the AMA Superstock Championship for two years before joining AMA Supersport in 2002.

Spies has also ridden in MotoGP in 2008, starting in place of injured Loris Capirossi at the British GP, finishing 14th place scoring his first MotoGP points.  He had a further 2 wildcard outings, achieving 8th at Laguna Seca and an even more impressive 6th at Indianapolis.

“I’m very excited about joining Yamaha in World Superbike,” Spies said.  “This is a positive step for the direction of my career. I’ll have a great opportunity to race on many of the top road racing circuits in the world.  Riding with a company as passionate about racing as Yamaha is going to put me in a good position to contest for a world championship right from the start.”

“Superbike racing originated in America, but it’s been a while since we’ve had an American world champion.  There’s a great tradition of American riders in World Superbike and I hope to put my name alongside great champions like Fred Merkel, Doug Polen, Scott Russell, John Kocinski and Colin Edwards. “

“After considering my offers it became obvious to me that Yamaha would be a great home.  Yamaha was excited about the possibility of me joining them and they just made me feel like I was coming into a great family.  You look at how Yamaha treats its riders and how, even after their careers are over, they’re always part of the Yamaha family.  That was really important to me. I’m looking forward to the challenge at hand and to work with Yamaha to produce a winning team and ultimately a World Superbike Championship.”

Massimo Meregalli (Yamaha’s factory Superbike Team Manager) – “We’re really enthusiastic to have signed Ben Spies for the 2009 team.  He’s proved to be a very skilful and successful rider in AMA Superbike, he has been one of the riders we have followed closely this year.  We are sure he will be a great combination with Tom Sykes, the team are looking forward to starting with them both next year.  There will be a lot to learn with new circuits and new bikes but we also have new motivation as a fresh team and will give 200% to help the riders win in 2009. ”

“We’re very excited to have Ben join the team” said Yamaha Motor Europe Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp.  “He’s proved to be a top rider with his AMA titles and recent rides in MotoGP, we believe he’s got a long future ahead of him at the highest levels in motorcycle racing.“

Yamaha Signs Cal Crutchlow for the 2009 World Supersport Team

September 24, 2008 - The Yamaha World Supersport team has signed British Superbike rider Cal Crutchlow to partner Frenchman Fabien Foret for the 2009 World Supersport Championship.  The 22-year-old British rider is highly competitive and is no stranger to championship success.

In the current British Superbike Championship Crutchlow has scored a respectable ten podiums including two wins and three pole position starts.  He is fourth in the standings on 265 points, chasing third place fellow Brit Tom Sykes (see below), who also steps up to Yamaha next year as he joins the World Superbike team.

Crutchlow’s career has been nurtured by Yamaha from the start, through The Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup, where he first had the opportunity to showcase his talents, taking 2nd place in the 2003 competition.

He moved on to race in the British Supersport Championship, finishing 10th in 2004, 3rd in 2005 and winning the championship in 2006.  Championship wins have marked his career from the start, including 1st place in the 1999 UK Junior Challenge and 1st place in the 2001 Aprilia RS 125 Challenge.

Cal Crutchlow:  “I’m really looking forward to the experience.  To go into what is in my eyes the top team in the World Supersport paddock and have the opportunity to challenge for a world title with Yamaha is very exciting. I’m really looking forward to next season, I can’t wait!”

Tom Sykes from BSB to WSB in 2009

September 16, 2008 - The Yamaha Motor Italia World Superbike Team has signed promising young British rider Tom Sykes for the 2009 season with the option to extend for 2010. The 23yr old from Huddersfield in England will ride the all new 2009 Yamaha YZF R1 in next year’s World Superbike Championship.

Sykes has proved to be a competitive and talented rider in the 2008 British Superbike Championship, showing an intelligent and mature riding style beyond his years. Two wildcard rides in WSB this year have seen him qualify an impressive sixth at Brands Hatch and seventh on the grid at Donington.

At Brands he went on to score a sixth place in race two, whilst at Donington he had a storming race one, finishing up in second place after some close racing with Championship leader Troy Bayliss.

Sykes raced in British Supersport for four years from 2003 to 2006, ending second in the championship in the final year. In 2007, his first year in British Superbike, Sykes finished the season a respectable sixth in the standings, and was named Rookie of The Year. He is currently second in the 2008 championship and the first rider on a four-cylinder machine.

Massimo Meregalli – “Tom Sykes is an excellent signing for the team, he is the most interesting young rider in circulation in the racing world this year. I’ve had time to appreciate his riding qualities during the season and Brands Hatch was the confirmation of his talent for me.

His brilliant result at Donington strengthened our conviction. We know that there will be much work next season because the new YZF-R1 arrives and it will have to learn the tracks. We have a lot of faith in being able to obtain good results quickly and the presence of a young person with a lot of ambition will give new motivation to the team.”

“We are delighted to be able to offer Tom the next step in his racing career with Yamaha’s World Superbike Team” said Yamaha Motor Europe Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp. “We are sure he has the qualities needed to be a star rider of the future on the world stage.

With the launch of the new R1 just three days ago, we are very excited about the potential for next year. We are looking forward to developing both the rider and the bike for championship success in 2009 and beyond.”

Marco Melandri to Partner With Hopkins at Kawasaki for 2009

September 14, 2008 - The Kawasaki Racing Team confirmed that Marco Melandri will partner John Hopkins for Kawasaki's assault on the 2009 MotoGP World Championship, after securing the Italian's signature on a two-year contract today in Indianapolis.

The agreement brings to conclusion negotiations that have been ongoing for more than 18 months between Kawasaki and the former 250cc World Champion.

"We started talking to Marco about riding for Kawasaki at the beginning of 2007, but contractual obligations on his part meant that it wasn't possible to secure his services for this season," explained Bartholemy. "Since that time we've kept in close contact with Marco's management company, which meant we were able to reopen negotiations immediately we heard that he would be available in 2009."

After winning the Italian 125cc championship in 1997, the then 15-year-old Melandri finished third in the 125cc world championship the following year, with his two race wins during his debut season making him, at the time, the youngest Grand Prix victor in history. The following year saw the emerging star lose out on the world championship title by just a single point, after achieving five wins and four podium finishes during the course of the season.

In 2002, just two years after stepping up to the quarter-litre class, Melandri was crowned world champion and announced his move to the MotoGP class for the following season.

Melandri's second place in the MotoGP world championship standings in 2005 was backed up with two top five finishes in 2006 and 2007, before a change of teams for the 2008 season unfortunately brought with it a change of fortune for the Italian rider.

"This has been a tough year for Marco, but it's obvious when you speak to him that he's lost none of the drive and determination that have so far brought him 5 race wins and 14 podium finishes in the premier class, despite suffering results this season that don't truly reflect his talent."

"I'm confident that Marco will adapt quickly to Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR and that, together with John, he'll be able to take us to the next level with the development of the all-new 2009 bike. What is certain is that, with Marco and John, we will go into 2009 with our strongest rider line-up since Kawasaki made their full-time return to the premier class in 2002. Now we need to translate this strength and experience into improving our results, with achieving our first race win in MotoGP obviously the major goal," concluded Kawasaki's Competition Manager.

Melandri will make his debut aboard Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR at Valencia in October, during a two-day test immediately after the final race of the 2008 season.

PROFILE: MARCO MELANDRI
Born: 7 August 1982 - Ravenna, Italy
Nationality: Italian
Marital Status: Single
Residence: Derby, England
Height: 166cm / 5'4"
Weight: 58kg / 128lbs
Hobbies: Motocross, cycling, music
First Grand Prix: Japanese Grand Prix, 1998
Grand Prix Podiums: 61 (22 wins in total, 5 MotoGP wins)
 

CAREER STATISTICS: MARCO MELANDRI
2008: Ducati MotoGP Team Rider
2007: 5th MotoGP World Championship (Honda) – 3 podiums
2006: 4th MotoGP World Championship (Honda) – 3 wins and 4 podiums
2005: 2nd MotoGP World Championship (Honda) – 2 wins and 5 podiums
2004: 12th MotoGP World Championship (Yamaha) – 2 podiums
2003: 15th MotoGP World Championship (Yamaha)
2002: 250 World Champion (Aprilia)- 9 wins and 3 podiums
2001: 3rd 250 World Championship (Aprilia) – 1 win and 8 podiums
2000: 5th 250 World Championship (Aprilia) – 4 podiums
1999: 2nd 125 World Championship (Honda) – 5 wins and 4 podiums
1998: 3rd 125 World Championship (Honda) – 2 wins and 6 podiums
1997: Italian 125 Champion (Honda)
1994: Italian minibike Champion
1992: Italian minibike Champion

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Ruben Xaus Signs With BMW Motorrad Motorsport for 2009 World Superbike

June 26, 2008 - Munich. BMW Motorrad Motorsport have announced that they have agreed terms with Ruben Xaus and that he will ride their all-new BMW S 1000 RR (wBW report, photos) in the Superbike World Championship in 2009.

The contract between BMW Motorrad Motorsport and Ruben is for two years and is the first step in BMW Motorrad Motorsport's entry into the World Superbike Championship. 

Ruben was born in Sant Cugat des Valles in Cataluyna, Spain and now resides with his wife (Mariona) and daughter (Julia) in Andorra.  He has been a World Superbike regular since 1998 and has taken 34 podiums, including 10 victories.

Peter Mueller (Executive Vice President Development & Model Lines):  "Ever since we announced that we would enter the 2009 Superbike World Championship, there has been a lot of speculation about and interest in our bike and our riders.

Everybody has already had some information about our new S1000 RR bike, and today we can reveal one of the riders who will join us in this great adventure next year.  Ruben is a strong and combative rider, full of enthusiasm and with a passion for racing.

This fits our philosophy completely and together we will take on this new challenge.  We know that the Superbike World Championship is a very hard and competitive series, but we are not entering it just to make up the numbers: we will be taking part because we want to win!

Of course, we are starting with a brand new bike but, together with Ruben, we believe we can progress quickly and maybe surprise a few people along the way.

Ruben Xaus:  "When I met the BMW guys, I was very impressed by their commitment, their passion for racing and their ideas about the future.  We discussed how the World Superbike project was going and I realized that I wanted to be a part of it straightaway.  It is not often that you get the chance to start a completely new project, but I am really looking forward to the challenge.  Although it's going to be tough racing a new bike, I believe BMW will give me a good bike and great support and that's all I ask for.

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