Sykes takes Race 2 at WSBK Nurburing

Sykes takes advantage of a rainy race to take a win at Nurburing

Dainese 2011 Riders line-up

DAINESE INVESTS IN 2011 RACING TALENT

The 2011 race season is fast approaching with the World Superbike Championship kicking off in Australia this weekend. Italian leathers giant Dainese is investing in a whole host of talent in 2011.

Dainese will continue its support of reining World Superbike champion Max Biaggi as he fights to keep his title-crown firmly in place. Other riders under the Dainese banner in SBK include Joan Lascorz, Mark Aitchinson, Maxime Berger, Tom Sykes and popular Brit Leon Haslam, who makes a return to Dainese for the forthcoming season.

Nine-time MotoGP world champion and Dainese ambassador Valentino Rossi will be wearing red leathers this year following his move to Ducati. Rossi’s new team mate and former world champion Nicky Hayden will also be Dainese-backed for the first time in his career. Rossi and Hayden will be joined on the grid by fellow Dainese-protected Marco Simoncelli.

In Moto2 Dainese is supporting six riders in total including Pol Espargaró, who has moved up from 125cc after finishing third in 2010. Other riders in Moto2 include Simone Corsi, Mattia Pasini, Ratthapark Wilairot and Stefan Bradl. In the 125cc class Dainese will support Luis Salom, Sergio Gadea, Alessandro Tonucci, Luigi Morciano and Niklas Ayo. The MotoGP championship kicks off at the Losail Circuit in Qatar on 20 March.

The Italian company has continued its investment in lovable rogue Guy Martin for his 2011 assault on the roads and British Superstock Championship. His Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing team mate and British Superbike contender Josh Brookes has also been snapped up by Dainese. Brookes heads to Spain for the opening test of the year at Cartagena from 3-6 March ahead of the first race on 25 April at Brands Hatch.

Selected riders will be continuing to help develop and test D-Air Racing – Dainese’s revolutionary airbag system. The invaluable feedback from the supported riders is vital for the development of the system, which is due to launch in the UK in late Spring. D-Air Racing is a world first in airbag technology as unlike many of its rivals is not connected to the motorcycle. The device works on clever telemetry that reads track conditions and recognizes when a bike starts to slide. The airbag is deployed within 45 milliseconds and takes 10 seconds to deflate, so the rider can remount and continue to race. For more information visit: www.dainese.com

Supported riders wearing D-Air Racing include:

MotoGP:
Valentino Rossi | Nicky Hayden | Marco Simoncelli

Moto2:
Pol Espargaró | Stefan Bradl | Mattia Pasini | Simone Corsi

WSBK:
Max Biaggi | Leon Haslam

Leon Haslam, World Superbike Championship
"I'm very happy to be rejoining Dainese. Having visited the Dainese headquarters it's clear that the heritage of motorcycle racing and safety protection is synonymous with the Dainese name. I'm also very much looking forward to having the D-Air technology - I just hope I don't need it!"

Nicky Hayden, MotoGP
“I know Dainese has a long history, you know a couple fast guys have worn Dainese in their life. I’ve tried the leathers, I’ve been to the factory, seen all the technology before I made the decision to go that way. I’ve seen the products, seen the science that goes into it, and I’m on board.”


AGV is investing alongside Dainese to provide head-to-toe protection for selected riders. Under the banner of Italian Legendary Protection both iconic brands join to create 'ILP' and provide the ultimate in head-to-toe protection. The two brands are also supporting a host of riders in off-road championships and riders throughout Europe in their selected championships.

Dainese's Leon Haslam on the BMW Motorrad WSBK Team

Seen on Motoblog.

First pics of Leon Haslam on the BMW wearing his new Dainese leathers!

Dainese's Max Biaggi signs with Aprilia for two years

Max Biaggi held out re-signing with Aprilia for a couple of weeks, tweaking the interest of many when he stated he was thinking of retiring, but the Italian has made up his mind and has finally decided to accept Aprilia’s two year deal.
According to the Italian press the announcement will probably made tomorrow evening during a special town event organized by the city council of Noale (home to Aprilia) to celebrate Biaggi and the World Superbike Championship Rider and Manufacturer titles.

Dainese's Max Biaggi, 2010 WSBK World Champ!

Bravo to Max Biaggi for a formidable 2010 WSBK season on his Aprilia RSV4!

Outstranding weekend for Dainese's Biaggi on US soil

Max Biaggi takes two wins and the lead of the 2010 WSBK championship after his superb weekend at the US round of the 2010 WSBK.

WSBK - Roland Resch back for Valencia

Team Reitwagen BMW rider Roland Resch will finally return to racing for the third round of this year’s Superbike World Championship at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia this weekend.
The Austrian rider who broke his collarbone in two places during free practice at Phillip Island, and was substituted by Makoto Tamada for the Portimao round, got back on his BMW S1000RR and did forty laps of the demanding Portimao circuit during last week’s tests to check his fitness and since he suffered no ill effects can rejoin his team for his first race of the season.

Max Biaggi goes 1-1 at WSBK Portimao

Congratulations to the Roman Emperor who took his Aprilia to two beautiful race wins in Portugal this weekend, after great battles with Leon Haslam.

With this perfect weekend in Portimao, the Dainese star now holds 2nd in the series tanding, 16 pts behind Haslam.

Max Biaggi at WSBK Philip Island

With a 5th in Race 1 at Philip Island, Dainese's Max Biaggi leaves Australia in 7th in the point standing, after round 1 of 13 in the WSBK.

Max Biaggi Top 5 overall WSBK 2009

Aprilia is ready to move to the next stage after a very succesful first campaign for the new RSV4 and star rider, Dainese's WSBK man, Max "The Roman Emperor" Biaggi.

Congrats to Max for a 4th overall finish in the World Superbike 2009 Championship.

AGV Dainese stars shine at WSBK Imola

What an incredible World Superbike weekend at Imola! Both races saw amazing racing throughout the field with strong battles for the podium spots.
This was a first for AGV Dainese's Marco Simoncelli who was replacing Nakano on the Aprilia RSV4. Marco showed that he's very much ready for the move to the big bikes of MotoGP. Marco came back from about 11th to 4th in Race 1 before he low-sided and crashed out of the race.

In Race 2, Supersic started around 10th, coming back on the leaders mid-race to battle with Dainese teammate Max Biaggi and Yamaha's Ben Spies for the 3rd, celebrating his first podium in WSBK, at "home" in Imola. Congrats Marco, bellissimo!!

The Roman Emperor wasn't on top form at Imola too. Max lead most of Race 1, racing Ducati's Haga and Fabrizio. Biaggi took 2nd in Race 1, passing Fabrizio in the last corner.

Great weekend for the two AGV Dainese boyz!

WSBK standings after round   of  :
Haga - 391 pts
Spies - 388
Fabrizio - 330
Rea - 263
Max Biaggi - 257

Marco Simoncelli test Aprilia RSV4

Marco tested the Aprilia WBSK machine yesterday at Mugello, will he race the WSBK round at Imola?

 

Max Biaggi has almost perfect weekend in Brno

 

Max Biaggi had a great weekend at the FIM Superbike World Championship round in Brno, Czech Republic. After clocking the fastest time on Friday, the Aprilia rider took his Dainese leathers and his Factory RSV4 to his first victory of the season in Race 1.
A rebounding Ben Spies took the win in Race 2, ahead of Max by 0.213 seconds.

After this weekend, Biaggi sits in 5th in the WSBK points standings, with 4 rounds to go. Great job for the Roman Emperor for the first year on his new Aprilia.

Championship Point Standings (after 20 of 28 races):

1. Haga, 326 points
2. Spies, 319
3. Fabrizio, 273
4. Rea, 206
5. Biaggi, 200
6. Haslam, 180
7. Sykes, 150
8. Carlos Checa, 145
9. Byrne, 134
10. Smrz, 132
11. Kiyonari, 119
12. Kagayama, 96
13. Nakano, 86
14. Regis Laconi, 77
15. Max Neukirchner, 75
16. Corser, 53
17. Xaus, 50
18. Parkes, 31
19. Lagrive, 19
20. Hopkins, 17

 

Dainese's Blake Young to World Superbike

Cyclenews.com - June 22, 2009

Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Blake Young will make his World Superbike debut at Donington Park this weekend, Cycle News has learned from multiple sources.
Young will replace Fonsi Nieto on the Alstare Suzuki Brux machine at the track in the British Midlands that plays host to the ninth round of the World Superbike Championship. Nieto was riding in place of the injured German Max Neukirchner. The Alstare Suzuki Brux entry is currently listed as TBC (to be confirmed), according to a World Superbike spokesman who would neither deny nor confirm Young's entry.
The deal to put Young on the Suzuki was sealed at Misano Adriatico this past weekend, where Young attended the race along with his mentor Kevin Schwantz. Alstare Suzuki Brux team owner Francis Batta was looking for a young rider to replace Nieto. When Batta asked Schwantz if he knew a young rider to try out, Schwantz introduced him to Young.
The final approval had to be made by American Suzuki, which today agreed to allow Young to race. Young may be racing with his familiar number 79, though that has yet to be confirmed. An official announcement from Suzuki on Young's entry is expected on Tuesday.
By lining up on the World Superbike grid, the 21-year-old Wisconsinite will increase the American contingent to four. He'll join former teammate Ben Spies (Yam), Stiggy Racing Honda's John Hopkins, and Jamie Hacking, the Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki rider who's racing the factory Kawasaki in place of the injured Makoto Tamada for the second week in a row. The race also extends Young's first ever trip to Europe by a week.

Young's first ever trip to Europe is ending better than it began.  It started with the airline losing his luggage when he and Schwantz landed in Barcelona about ten days ago for  the Catalunya Grand Prix north of Barcelona. From there the pair visited the Dainese factory in Italy before going traveling on to Misano. In Misano, Schwantz made a guest appearance in the television commentary booth for race one, World Superbike's first ever flag-to-flag race. The race was won in a runaway by Spies.
Very few riders have more insight than Schwantz into Donington Park, a circuit that flows well, but can have a tricky surface, especially in the wet. The 1993 World Champion's successes and failures at the track are legendary, starting with his Match Race battles with Wayne Rainey through an illustrious GP career that ended with four wins, including three in a row starting in 1989. Schwantz was such a fan favorite that he had a corner named after him. Schwantz Curve is a fast left that feeds into the much slower McLeans right.
But Schwantz won't be able to offer advice in person, at least not for the first day of practice. He'll be at Barber Motorsports Park for a two-day Schwantz School on June 25-26. Whether he plans to return to the UK for Saturday and Sunday isn't known.

From Donington Park Young heads to Monterey, California for the seventh round of the AMA Pro Road Race Championship in support of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Young currently sits eighth in the American Superbike point standings.

Dainese's Max Biaggi fastest at WSBK Miller on Friday

The Roman Emperor stunned everyone when he scored the fastest time during Friday's practice session at the Miller Motorsports round of the FIM World Superbike.

Max Biaggi in the running

From Dainese.com here's a small news report on the WSBK Qatar round (it's a bit Italenglish but good photos):

"A Ben Spies from another planet and two identical winner’s stand placings defined Race 1 and Race 2 of the Qatar GP race, the second test in this year’s international SBK championship.
Max Biaggi, the Dainese flag-bearer in the modified standard-series bike racing world, proved capable of getting the absolute most out of his Aprilia RSV4 and snagged two third-place finishes that raised his place in the standings and now make him one of the season’s contenders for the title.
Now Aprilia is smiling, and its new bike is starting to tear up the track.
As we wait for the next race on the circuit in Valencia, Spain, we’ll keep our hopes pinned on the Corsair!"

WSBK: After Round 2 in Qatar Biaggi is holding 4th

After bad results at the opening round, Max Biaggi recovered in Qatar scoring two 3rd place finish and getting to 4th in the overall series standing. Great to see Dainese back on the podium in WSBK.