Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Results
GP Marlboro Comunitat Valencia
Valencia, Spain
October 31, 2004

1. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, 30 laps, 47:16.145
2. Max Biaggi, Honda, -0.425 second
3. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, -3.133
4. Sete Gibernau, Honda, -6.128
5. Makoto Tamada, Honda, -7.768
6. Alex Barros, Honda, -14.675
7. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, -23.315
8. Colin Edwards, Honda, -27.441
9. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, -29.403
10. Norick Abe, Yamaha, -31.537
11. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, -40.951
12. John Hopkins, Suzuki, -62.014
13. Jeremy McWilliams, Aprilia, -64.637
14. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, -68.042
15. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, -69.354
16. Garry McCoy, Aprilia, -75.022
17. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki, -75.274
18. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, -1 lap
19. James Ellison, Harris WCM, -1 lap
20. Olivier Jacque, Moriwaki Honda, -6 laps, DNF, retired
21. Nicky Hayden, Honda, -8 laps, DNF, crashed
22. Chris Burns, Harris WCM, -19 laps, DNF, crashed
23. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, -20 laps, DNF, crashed
24. Ruben Xaus, Ducati, -20 laps, DNF, crashed
25. Kurtis Roberts, Proton, -30 laps, DNS



250cc GP Results
Valencia, Spain
October 31, 2004

1. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, 27 laps, 44.10.176
2. Toni Elias, Honda, – 8.086 seconds
3. Randy de Puniet, Aprilia, -27.412
4. Franco Battaini, Aprilia, -31.620
5. Chaz Davies, Aprilia, -34.059
6. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, -34.784
7. Roberto Rolfo, Honda, -40.352
8. Naoki Matsudo, Yamaha, -46.761
9. Hector Faubel, Aprilia, -46.770
10. Alex Baldolini, Aprilia, -58.235



125cc GP Results
Valencia, Spain
October 31, 2004

1. Hector Barbera, Aprilia, 24 laps, 40:45.283
2. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, -0.761 second
3. Alvaro Bautista, Aprilia, -0.979
4. Pablo Nieto, Aprilia, -1.285
5. Sergio Gadea, Aprilia, -1.338
6. Roberto Locatelli, Aprilia, -3.708
7. Gino Borsoi, Aprilia, -8.782
8. Simone Corsi, Honda, -12.425
9. Gabor Talmacsi, Malaguti, -12.515
10. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, -16.655



(Press releases posted in order of receipt.)


More, from a press release issued by Hopper Racing:

HOPKINS ENDS SEASON WITH A 12TH AT VALENCIA

VALENCIA, Spain (October 31, 2004) – John Hopkins rode his Suzuki GSV-R to a 12th-place finish in the final MotoGP of 2004. It was a below par day for the young Californian as he fought to find traction with his race set up, but ultimately Hopkins was encouraged by the positive strides Suzuki and Bridgestone made during the latter stages of the season.

“Obviously I was disappointed with the result today,” Hopkins said. “I struggled finding grip in the race. Even though it’s been tough at times this season the thing I’m taking away from this year is the improvement that was made on all fronts with the team during the second half of the year.”

Hopkins qualified seventh, indicative of the superb qualifying tires Bridgestone made available. It was a different matter in the race however. Hopkins fell to 15th by lap five before he was able to stabilize his position. As the race wore on attrition helped Hopkins move up to 12th at the checkered flag. He finished just ahead of a late-race charge by Jeremy McWilliams.

“I don’t think I passed a single rider today,” Hopkins added. “It was just one of those days where you ride as best you can and take whatever finish that gives you. There was really nothing more I could do. In the end my goal was simply to finish.”

The season comes to a close with the 21-year-old Hopkins finishing 16th in the world championship standings. He scored 45 points on the year, a major improvement over 2003. This year also witnessed Hopkins earning a career high in qualifying second in Japan and taking his highest MotoGP finish ever with a sixth in Portugal.

“I want to give a special thanks to Garry Taylor who is leaving after so many successful years with Suzuki,” Hopkins concluded. “I’m very happy about coming back with Suzuki next year. We’ve made so many strides and I feel we’re going to keep moving in the right direction.”



More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GRAN PREMIO MARLBORO DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA
31ST OCTOBER 2004 – MOTOGP RACE RESULT

SUPER SHINYA SECURES TENTH PLACE FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI

Japanese ace Shinya Nakano finished his debut season with the Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team by securing tenth place in the MotoGP World Championship standings in today’s Valencia Grand Prix.

Nakano was in superb form and rode his Ninja ZX-RR into seventh place in the race to leap-frog from 12th to 10th position in the final points standings. In the process the Fuchs Kawasaki rider moved ahead of Ruben Xaus and Marco Melandri.

A top ten championship position was the stated goal of Nakano and the Fuchs Kawasaki squad when they joined forces for the 2004 season.

Nakano’s team-mate Alex Hofmann finished 11th after making a horror start and dropping to 18th on the first lap. Despite a charging ride through the pack Hofmann had conceded too much time and this clearly cost him a chance of a top ten race finish.

On the way to 11th place Hofmann pulled off a series of brilliant overtaking moves on factory rivals Jeremy McWilliams and John Hopkins. Over the final laps Hofmann raced at a similar pace to Nakano and finished just 17 seconds behind his more experienced team-mate.

Hofmann finished 15th in the championship standings and second in the Rookie of the Year points in his first full MotoGP season.

Nakano made a lightning start from tenth on the third row to be seventh on the opening lap. He dropped to eighth in a mid-race battle with Alex Barros, before holding seventh against a late charge from Colin Edwards.

The Valencia Grand Prix result reflects the huge step forward taken by the Bridgestone-shod Ninja ZX-RR over the past 12 months. Nakano’s race time today was over 60 seconds faster, a massive two seconds per lap, than the best Kawasaki in the 2003 race.

The 16 race MotoGP season finished on a high note with a three day attendance of 211,468 spectators and a full-house race day crowd of 122,034.

While the race season has concluded there is still work to do for the Fuchs Kawasaki squad. On Monday there is media ride day on the Ninja ZX-RR, followed by an afternoon tyre test session.

Later in November the development program for the 2005 season kicks-off at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain, with a three day test before a seven week winter test ban.

Shinya Nakano: 7th
“My target was top ten in the championship and a strong result in the final race, so I’m happy to achieve both of those today. I made a really good start, I was seventh in turn two, and was able to hold a place in the top ten even after a battle with Alex Barros. I couldn’t run at the frontrunner’s pace, but this is an excellent result for the ZX-RR. We have learnt a lot this season, so my thanks to Kawasaki and Bridgestone. I know that next year we will make even more progress in the MotoGP World Championship.”

Alex Hofmann: 11th
“That was the worst start of my life, and it cost me a chance of a top ten result today; that makes me unhappy. I don’t know what went wrong; I either had too many revs going or not enough. For sure this is something I have to work on for next season. For us it is not easy to pass on the straights, so I had to look for other opportunities and, once I got going, I was able to overtake McWilliams and Hopkins and get some real racing experience, which is what I have been missing for the past couple of years. This is a good base for my 2005 season.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“I’m delighted that we achieved tenth in the championship with Shinya, which was a realistic goal for the Ninja ZX-RR this season. And the race performance today demonstrates all the hard work of everyone at Kawasaki and Bridgestone in what has been, at times, a difficult year. We had some mid-season tyre and engine problems, but everyone worked together to overcome those issues. Our aim next year is to move another step forward with our two contracted riders Shinya and Alex, who despite a poor start again showed his fighting spirit today. We will concentrate on two riders, but we are discussing the possibility of entering a third ZX-RR in the championship. If this can be organised and budgeted for, and a good rider is available, then three ZX-RR machines on the grid remains a possibility in 2005.”

MOTOGP RACE RESULT
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 47’16.145; 2. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team +0.425; 3. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +3.133; 4. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +6.128; 5. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team +7.768; 6. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda +14.675; 7. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +23.315; 8. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +27.441; 9. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +29.403; 10. Norick Abe (JPN) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +31.537; 11. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +40.951; 12. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix Team +1’02.014; 13. Jeremy McWilliams (GBR) Proton Team KR +1’04.637

FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 2004:
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 304; 2. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 257; 3. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team 217; 4. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda 165; 5. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 157; 6. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team 150; 7. Carlos Checa (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 117; 8. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 117; 9. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team 117; 10. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team 83; 11. Ruben Xaus (SPA) dAntin Ducati Team 77; 12. Marco Melandri (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 75; 15. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team 51



More, from a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

LONE PROTON KR RIDER AOKI 18th AT VALENCIA

Round 16: Valencia GP, Ricardo Tormo Circuit Race: Sunday, October 31, 2004

Nobuatsu Aoki: 18th

Proton Team KR rider Nobuatsu Aoki ran another trouble-free race for the last round of the 2004 GP season at Valencia, finishing three places out of the points after a lonely ride.

The finale to a thrilling 2004 season was run in bright sunshine in front of a capacity crowd of more than 122,000 Spanish fans, packing the grandstands and hillsides of the tight 4.005km Ricardo Tormo circuit outside Valencia.

Aoki had qualified 21st, got a good start, and circulated steadily after the early-laps sorting out, running consistent lap times, although alone for most of the 30 laps. The last race of the season demonstrated that in spite of a difficult year, the rider has never given up trying, and the team likewise. The 990cc Proton KR V5 machine didn’t skip a beat, and Aoki reported improvements also in the latest Dunlop tyres.

Team-mate Kurtis Roberts, back after missing six races through injury, had withdrawn from the race on the second day, his injured left wrist still not strong enough for the fearsome demands of a 200-plus horsepower 990cc MotoGP machine.

The season has been difficult for the England-based team, the only fully independent manufacturer in the top class of racing. Development of new second version of their V5 engine had steadily improved through the end of the season.

An exciting race was won by 2004 champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), less than half-a-second ahead of Honda-mounted Max Biaggi and Troy Bayliss’s Ducati.

NOBUATSU AOKI
Another steady race. The machine was okay, and pretty good all weekend, with no major trouble. That meant I could really concentrate on riding, and I appreciate the work my guys did for that. Dunlop have also improved little by little. I picked a new Japanese rear, and it worked pretty well, with no big drop in lap times over the race. It is probably the last race for this bike, and it makes me happy and sad, because I’ve been involved with the KR V5 project from the beginning. It was a hard couple of years, but now I have many good memories of all the work we have done. I want to thank Proton and all the guys in the team.

KENNY ROBERTS: Team Principal
The bike ran good, but we were short of grip. I’ve been happy with the machine performance over the last races. It’s got reliable, but we’re just not on the pace … though we were first Dunlop finishers again. I’m looking forward to putting together a better package for next year, if possible.



More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Marlboro Valencia Grand Prix, Valencia
Race Day
Sunday October 31 2004

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN SCORE SECOND PODIUM IN A ROW

Troy Bayliss gave the Ducati Marlboro Team the best possible leaving present this afternoon, scoring a storming podium finish in the season-ending Marlboro Valencia Grand Prix. Watched by 122,000 noisy fans the hard-riding Australian enjoyed his best race of the season, charging through the pack to challenge Max Biaggi for second place. He eventually finished third, just 3.133 seconds down on winner Valentino Rossi. Team-mate Loris Capirossi, who took third place in Australia two weeks ago, had a more difficult day, finishing ninth.

“It’s really great to finish the season with podium performances at the last two races,” said Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “And I’m really happy for Troy, it’s a nice way for him to finish his time with us. We offer him our best wishes for the future, I’m sure he’ll be a tough competitor next year! Tomorrow we begin our winter development programme, working towards producing a great motorcycle for 2005 with Loris and our new signing Carlos (Checa). They will evaluate the new frame that we tried for the first time during our Phillip Island tests, running back-to-back tests with the existing unit. This has been a tough season for us but we’ve finished on a positive note. Finally, my thanks to everyone in the team and at the factory, plus our sponsors and our technical partners Michelin and Shell Advance.”

LAST HURRAH FOR BAYLISS
Troy Bayliss rode his best race of the year today. The Ducati Marlboro Team man started from the second row, ended lap one in fourth, slipped to sixth, then began a long and determined fight back. The Aussie came on strong around half distance, lapping faster than anyone else on track as he hunted down Makoto Tamada and Nick Hayden. With nine laps to go he was up to third and chasing Biaggi, finally easing his pace to make sure of his first top-three finish of 2004.

“You probably haven’t seen me smile like this for a while,” beamed Bayliss after the race. “It’s been a tough year for me and everyone at Ducati but the bike has come good in the second half of the season. And after we tested some new stuff at Phillip Island it’s felt like a new bike for me. I was a little cautious at the start, because it’s not been my year, so I was a little cautious while Sete (Gibernau) and Tamada were up the inside like crazy. After that it was a really good race. I really wanted to have a go at Max but in the end I thought third was better than putting it in the dirt. I’ve had some great years with Ducati, with some great times together, so it’s nice to leave on a happy note. I wish them all the best for the future, I know they’re going to have a strong bike in 2005.”

CAPIROSSI BATTLES TO NINTH
Third in Australia a fortnight back, Loris Capirossi had a tough weekend at Valencia, finishing in ninth place. The Ducati Marlboro Team rider started from the fifth row of the grid after a troubled two days of qualifying and rode a dogged race, passing rivals where he could around this most tortuous of circuits.

“It’s been a difficult weekend because we started with a front-end set-up problem,” explained the Italian. “Finally we fixed that this morning but the rear-end traction problems we’d had in practice were still there. I could feel that from the second lap, so all I could do was try to finish the race and get some points. Troy’s podium result demonstrates that our bike has improved and that we have the potential to run up front. It’s very important that we stay here to test and work towards 2005.”

From a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

Rossi wins fitting final race at Valencia

Valentino Rossi ended the 2004 MotoGP World Championship in fitting style at Valencia today, taking his ninth victory of a season in which he has cemented his place as one of the greatest motorcycle racers in history. Rossi made a bad start but came through an entertaining battle for positions in the opening stages of the race, whilst pole setter Makoto Tamada streaked into a clear lead.

An incident between Sete Gibernau and Max Biaggi on lap three opened the way for Rossi to chase Tamada and the Italian took the lead on the sixth lap before being relegated back to second by his Japanese rival two circulations later. Rossi hit back seven laps later and was this time able to make his escape, eventually opening up a clear advantage at the front. Max Biaggi and Troy Bayliss began to close in over the final few laps after also passing Tamada but ran out of time in the hunt for Rossi.

“To win nine races has been unbelievable for everybody and we also won the team award, which was not so bad either!” said Rossi after the race. “Tamada was looking very strong, and I had a tough fight with him until he slowed and dropped back. My rhythm improved and I was able to push 100% to the end. Then there was a fight with Biaggi behind, and he was very strong. It is unbelievable to win here, and wonderful in front of this crowd. This year really has been unforgettable for me, my mechanics and Yamaha.”

Second place for Biaggi provided a satisfactory end to his second season with Honda whilst third place for Bayliss represented his first podium of the year in his final race for Ducati. The Australian’s replacement in the Italian factory team for 2005 was announced this afternoon as Carlos Checa, who ended his Yamaha career today with fourteenth place after recovering from a crash.

Sete Gibernau’s season ended with fourth place in the race and the runner-up spot in the championship for the second successive season, whilst Tamada eventually dropped back to fifth. Nicky Hayden crashed out of the battle for a podium finish after running with the front group throughout the race, just as he had done last season, but his team-mate Alex Barros provided some consolation with sixth place.

Seventh place for Shinya Nakano secured a top ten finish in the championship on the Kawasaki, with the Japanese rider moving ahead of Ruben Xaus after a crash for the Spaniard in his home round today. However, eleventh place in the final standings for Ruben Xaus is sufficient for the Rookie of the Year title, which he will receive this evening alongside the award winners in all three categories at a special ceremony in the centre of Valencia.

Daniel Pedrosa celebrated his 250cc World Championship title in style with home victory in front of over 122,000 fans, a record crowd at the Ricardo Tormo circuit. Pedrosa pressured early leader Sebastián Porto until the eleventh lap, taking the lead with a clean move and stretching out a clear advantage. Porto pushed hard to stay with the World Champion but lost control of his Aprilia on the nineteenth lap, leaving Toni Elías to win a furious battle with Hiroshi Aoyama for second. Aoyama was later disqualified from third when his bike weighed in at 500g underneath the minimum weight limit, meaning Randy de Puniet was promoted to the podium. Fourth place for Franco Battaini sealed the Best Privateer award for the Italian whilst British teenager Chaz Davies, the youngest rider in the class, scored his best ever finish in fifth.

Hector Barberá had started the party early for the Spanish fans with home victory in the opening race of the day. Barberá dominated proceedings in the 125cc class, taking the lead from Andrea Dovizioso on lap four before a rare mistake from the World Champion saw him run into the gravel and return to the track in twelfth place. Dovizioso mounted a strong comeback to take second place but was powerless to catch Barberá, whilst Alvaro Bautista held off the challenge of his fellow Spaniards Pablo Nieto and Sergio Gadea to clinch the final podium spot in third.



More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda:

GP of the Valencian Community – Round 16 – MotoGP
Valencia – Sunday October 31st 2004

Yellow RC211V bikes play major part in Valencia race

Max second, Makoto fifth

It was a positive last round of the MotoGP Championship 2004 for the bright yellow Camel Honda team, who starred in the race today. Max Biaggi hung on determinedly to the second step of the podium whilst Makoto Tamada, who led the race for 12 laps, finished in fifth position as the chequered flag waved. For the Camel Honda team it was an important season in all: third placed in the team championship, Max Biaggi 3rd in the overall standings, Makoto Tamada 6th. The riders took three wins, six second places and three thirds, keeping the good name of the yellow Camel Honda RC211V motorcycles.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“Our bikes and our team were main protagonists in this special day which closed the 2004 season. In Valencia today, it was a real festival of sport and people. We would have liked to have won, and we were in with a shout until the very last lap. It ends an important season for us, and I want to thank both Honda and Camel for their constant support. Thanks also to the team and to all the partners who have shared this recently ended season with us. Together we have won three races, we got on the podium 12 times and we are third in the team championship. Thank you.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin tyres) – 2nd – 47’16.570
“Second place isn’t the perfect result to end the season but it’s satisfying nonetheless. The race was exciting, tough, and hard-fought especially on the first few laps. Straight away I found myself battling with Tamada, Hayden, Bayliss and Gibernau until a bit of a risky manoeuvre from the latter meant I nearly crashed. Luckily I saw him coming and I was able to brake and run a little wider. The fight-back was difficult but I enjoyed it too. Thanks to Honda and my team. They always have worked as hard as they could to get me into the best shape possible.”

Giulio Bernardelle – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada’s Technical Director)
“A great first third of the race for Makoto, but then a sharp dip in grip, which continued until the end of the race and which stopped him from fighting for the podium. Even though we might have expected the decrease in grip levels around the halfway point, we didn’t expect it to be so consistent. Makoto has shown himself to be a very strong and determined rider and if we look back, we believe that we have succeeded in getting a good set-up for his style of riding and that bodes well for the future.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone tyres) – 5th – 47’23.913
“I got a good start and it was a good first part of the race with a couple of duels with Rossi which I enjoyed immensely. Then I lost grip on the rear end of the bike and the decrease in grip became very clear. I knew that today wasn’t going to be easy and that the grip would worsen at some point, and that’s why I tried to open up a gap at the beginning, when I was at the front. However then I wasn’t able to be aggressive and I had to give up a few positions before finishing in fifth.”



More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda:

2004-10-31
SETE PAYS PRICE FOR MISTAKEN REAR TYRE CHOICE

Colin Edwards suffers from traction problems

The Valencian Grand Prix did not do justice to the Telefónica MoviStar Honda team, with Sete Gibernau hoping to end the season with another victory but having to settle for fourth whilst Colin Edwards signed off from the team with eighth. A mistake with the rear tyre choice, taking a harder compound in anticipation of rising temperatures, left Sete out of the fight for podium positions. A third of the way into the race, the Spaniard began to recover ground but it was too late. Sete was disappointed not to offer a better result to the Spanish fans but reflected positively on the work done in a season which has seen him take a prestigious runner-up spot for the second successive year. Colin Edwards said goodbye to the team with eighth place and fifth overall in the championship.

SETE GIBERNAU (4th, + 6″128):
“We have two things to relfect on today – one being the season and also the race. We had a really good first half of the seas! on and from Brno onwards a few problems have prevented us from fighting for the championship. We have to be self-critical about the things we could have controlled and the things we couldn’t in order to be in a stronger position next season. In this race we made a completely wrong rear tyre choice and that is our responsibility. We were the only ones to pick a hard tyre, thinking that the temperature would rise, and it didn’t. That was why I lost the race oin the first few laps. It’s a real shame because I would have liked to have put on a better show for the crowd here.”

COLIN EDWARDS (8th, + 27″441):
“We made a good start, but we didn’t choose the right tyre and there was no traction. The bike was sliding from the start and it was impossible to make up positions. It’s a real pity because I wanted to dedicate a good result to the team in my last race.”

FAUSTO GRESINI (team manager):
“It was a strange race and! we haven’t got the results we were hoping for. But overall it’s been a positive season for us – I want to congratulate my two riders, starting with Sete, who had some brilliant races and finished as the runner-up, and also Colin who did a good job for us. I wish him all the best for the future. Our objective is to continue to improve day by day.”

GP DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA
1. Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 47’16″145
2. Max Biaggi (Ita/Honda) + 0″425
3. Troy Bayliss (Aus/Ducati) + 3″133
4. Sete Gibernau (Esp/Honda) + 6″128
5. Makoto Tamada (Jap/Honda) + 7″768
…
8. Colin Edwards (USA/Honda) + 27″441

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Valentino Rossi 304 p.
2. Sete Gibernau 257 p.
3. Max Biaggi 217 p.
4. Alex Barros 165 p.
5. Colin Edwards 157 p.



More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Grand Prix of the Community of Valencia, Valencia, October 15, 16, 17, 2004

Race Day October 31

MAX BACK IN THE GROOVE WITH A SECOND PLACE

The final race of this intriguing 16-race season ended with a win for Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) with Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) in second place and Troy Bayliss (Ducati) third. A crowd of 122,000 watched from the hillsides of this natural amphitheatre in bright sunshine.

Max and pole-sitter Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V), riding on Bridgestone tyres, were the first into turn one closely followed by Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V). Max led, but he was swiftly overtaken by Tamada who then made the early running.

By lap three an early pattern was set among the front-runners as Sete barged into Max on lap three in a bid to get on terms at the sharp end of the race. But Tamada couldn’t sustain his lead as Rossi moved up the order to lie second to Makoto on lap five.

On the next lap Rossi took the lead only to lose it again to Tamada on lap seven. The next event was the loss of Ruben Xaus (Ducati) and Marco Melandri (Yamaha) on lap ten. Xaus overcooked a corner exit while Melandri lost the front-end trying to avoid getting involved in a Capirossi ‘moment’.

Rossi grabbed the lead back from Tamada at the esses and was never again headed – but the action would continue behind him. Troy Bayliss in fifth was making ground on the leaders and the order now was Rossi, Biaggi, Tamada, and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V).

Hayden was lucky to stay on board and even more fortunate not to collect Max as he fought to keep his RC211V on track under braking for turn one on lap 21. On the next lap he slid off to leave Rossi, Max and Bayliss in the top slots as Tamada dropped back.

That’s how it finished with Gibernau getting past Tamada on the penultimate lap to take fourth. Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) was sixth and Colin Edwards (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) was eighth.

“A second place is not really how I wanted to end this Championship,” said Max. “The race was tough especially in the opening laps. I was immediately involved in the Tamada, Hayden, Sete battle until Sete’s strange manoeuvre that nearly knocked me off. Luckily I saw him coming and had a chance to go wide and avoid him. But getting back on terms after that was tough.”

Sete said. “I made a mistake with tyre choice. We chose a hard tyre, which was not the way to go. I lost time in the opening laps and then from halfway through the race to the end grip improved but by then I was too far away. It’s a shame because I wanted to end the year with a win.”

Makoto Tamada said, ” My battle with Rossi was good. I got a good start and the first part of the race was good for me too. But I lost rear grip and I knew this race would not be easy. I went hard at the beginning because I thought this would happen.”

“This was like so many of my races this season,” said Barros. “I found myself half way down the field and then had to spend all the race catching and passing people until the tyres were gone. Then I just had to take it steady to get to the finish.”

Edwards blamed tyre choice for his woes. “I chose the wrong tyre and couldn’t get near the front the way the bike was spinning-up and sliding everywhere. I’m disappointed I couldn’t get a good result here to say goodbye to the team with.”

Hayden said, “It was the simplest of crashes. I just pushed the front, held it for a long time and almost saved it on my knee. But it’s not 100% at the moment and I just didn’t have the strength to save it. I wasn’t just going to cruise around for fifth – that’s no way to end the year.”

Honda won the MotoGP Manufacturers’ World Title this year with 355 points to Yamaha’s 328.

Dani Pedrosa (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250R won the final 250cc race of the season from his intense rival Tony Elias (Fortuna Honda RS250RW). Rookie sensation Hiroshi Aoyama (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) finished third before being disqualified – his motorcycle was 500g under the minimum weight limit.

Sebastian Porto (Aprilia) led the pack into turn one from the off and was immediately harried by the new World Champion Dani. It was soon clear that these two were in a class of their own. By lap five they had a 5.5 second lead over third-placed Elias.

Aoyama wasn’t to let Elias hand onto third for long. The Japanese pounced on the local boy on lap ten but never looked entirely capable of holding onto the advantage. Sure enough, Elias, who had stalked him, passed him, been passed again by him, finally nailed the Japanese charger in the closing laps.

Porto crashed on lap 19 after losing ground steadily to the flying Pedrosa and Dani’s win clinched the Manufacturers’ World Championship for Honda with 354 points to Aprilia’s 344.

“Porto set a fast rhythm at the start,” said Dani. “But I opened up a gap over him as soon as I could and then I was able to build a comfortable advantage, until he crashed. I had a few problems with the bike at the end and I was worried I wouldn’t make it to the end. This is a great end to a marvellous year.”

His team-mate Aoyama was crestfallen after his disqualification. “I’m gutted,” he said. “The fight with Elias was intense and I lost count of the number of times we passed each other. I had very little rear grip at the end of the race and I really had to try to hang onto third place. Big thanks to my team who have been fantastic.”

Tony Elias said, “That was a tough race and Aoyama rode really hard. In the end I was able to get past him and set a rhythm he couldn’t match. To end the season with a podium is always good even though I would have preferred a win.”

Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) finished a creditable seventh after starting from the fifth row of the grid. “After all the problems we had this weekend in qualifying it’s not bad. The team have worked wonders all season.”

The 125cc race was won convincingly by Hector Barbera (Aprilia) after Andrea Dovizioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) who looked to be in command of this 24-lap encounter visited a gravel trap on lap seven. The finishing order was Barbera, Dovizioso, Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia).

But this was after the race was tightly fought by a group of local hopefuls gunning for an end of season send-off in front of a sell-out crowd. Gino Borsoi (Aprilia) got the holeshot but he was soon overhauled by Dovi with Barbera in close attendance.

Jorge Lorenzo (Derbi) was in the mix by lap five but he baled out on lap 13 to leave Barbera out front, late season revelation Sergio Gadea (Aprilia) in second, and his team-mate Pablo Nieto in third.

As the race drew to a conclusion Barbera held a 1.9 second advantage over Nieto who had now elevated himself to second. It didn’t last though. Dovi was on the move after his off-track excursion and he scythed past Nieto and Bautista in the closing laps to net second. Simone Corsi (Team Scot Honda RS125R) finished eighth.

“I made a mistake with tyre choice,” said Dovi. “That’s why I ran off track. It was tough to get back on terms when the race pace was as high as it was. I just couldn’t get back the ground I lost.”

Despite Dovi’s best efforts the Constructor’s World Championship went to Aprilia this year. The Italian factory garnered 329 points to Honda’s 301.


Quotes

MotoGP

Max Biaggi, Camel Honda, 2nd:”Second place isn’t the perfect result to end the season but it’s satisfying nonetheless. The race was exciting, tough, and hard-fought especially on the first few laps. Straight away I found myself battling with Tamada, Hayden, Bayliss and Gibernau until a bit of a risky manoeuvre from the latter meant I nearly crashed. Luckily I saw him coming and I was able to brake and run a little wider. The fight-back was difficult but I enjoyed it too. Thanks to Honda and my team. They always have worked as hard as they could to get me into the best shape possible.”

Sito Pons, Camel Honda, Team Principal: “Our bikes and our team were main protagonists in this special day which closed the 2004 season. In Valencia today, it was a real festival of sport and people. We would have liked to have won, and we were in with a shout until the very last lap. It ends an important season for us, and I want to thank both Honda and Camel for their constant support. Thanks also to the team and to all the partners who have shared this recently ended season with us. Together we have won three races, we got on the podium 12 times and we are third in the team championship. Thank you.”

Sete Gibernau, Telefonica Movistar Honda Mot, 4th: “We have two things to relfect on today – one being the season and also the race. We had a really good first half of the season and from Brno onwards a few problems have prevented us from fighting for the championship. We have to be self-critical about the things we could have controlled and the things we couldn’t in order to be in a stronger position next season. In this race we made a completely wrong rear tyre choice and that is our responsibility. We were the only ones to pick a hard tyre, thinking that the temperature would rise, and it didn’t. That was why I lost the race oin the first few laps. It’s a real shame because I would have liked to have put on a better show for the crowd here.”

Makoto Tamada, Camel Honda, 5th: “I got a good start and it was a good first part of the race with a couple of duels with Rossi which I enjoyed immensely. Then I lost grip on the rear end of the bike and the decrease in grip became very clear. I knew that today wasn’t going to be easy and that the grip would worsen at some point, and that’s why I tried to open up a gap at the beginning, when I was at the front. However then I wasn’t able to be aggressive and I had to give up a few positions before finishing in fifth.”

Giulio Bernardelle, Makoto Tamada’s Technical Director: “A great first third of the race for Makoto, but then a sharp dip in grip, which continued until the end of the race and which stopped him from fighting for the podium. Even though we might have expected the decrease in grip levels around the halfway point, we didn’t expect it to be so consistent. Makoto has shown himself to be a very strong and determined rider and if we look back, we believe that we have succeeded in getting a good set-up for his style of riding and that bodes well for the future.”

Alex Barros, Repsol Honda Team , 6th: “That was like so many races this season – sadly. Finding myself half way down the pack at the end of the first lap and then spending all the race just catching and passing as many as I can until the tyres are gone and I just have to ride steady to get home! I’m just disappointed we couldn’t make a better result at the last race of the season and give all my team a good experience. Overall the first part of the season was bad. I was recovering from the winter shoulder surgery and in the first few races I crash a lot which was disappointing. In the second half of the year we were much more competitive but the whole performance was not good enough. I believe I can do better and will now look for the opportunity to prove myself.”

Colin Edwards, Telefonica Movistar Honda Mot, 8th: “We made a good start, but we didn’t choose the right tyre and there was no traction. The bike was sliding from the start and it was impossible to make up positions. It’s a real pity because I wanted to dedicate a good result to the team in my last race.”

Fausto Gresini, Team manager: “It was a strange race and we haven’t got the results we were hoping for. But overall it’s been a positive season for us – I want to congratulate my two riders, starting with Sete, who had some brilliant races and finished as the runner-up, and also Colin who did a good job for us. I wish him all the best for the future. Our objective is to continue to improve day by day.”

Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team, DNF: “I got a decent start and made up a few places early. I got with the leaders and for a long time felt pretty comfortable. I saw Rossi and Tamada getting away and wanted to close the gap – I had the speed on them and wanted to get past Tamada to chase Rossi as quick as possible. Later in the race I got sucked into Turn 1 behind Biaggi in his draft and ran a little wide and lost a couple of places. I got going again and caught Tamada – still wanted to get past and chase the boys ahead. It was the simplest of crashes! Just pushed the front – held it for a long time and almost saved it on my knee but its not 100% strong at the moment and I just didn’t have the strength in it to save it. Just down and out. So frustrating. I knew I had the speed. I just didn’t want to cruise around and get another fifth. That ain’t no way to end the year. It’s going to be a long winter but we’ll come back stronger.”

250cc

Dani Pedrosa, Telefonica MoviStar Honda, 1st: “I was really keen to get a good result at Valencia – last year I couldn’t race but the fans showed a lot of affection towards me at a difficult time. The track didn’t have much grip and it was difficult to set a fast pace. Porto set a fast rhythm at the start but I opened up a gap over him as soon as I could and was able to build a comfortable advantage, until he crashed. At the end of the race I began to have problems with the bike and I was worried that I wouldn’t make it to the end. This is the end of a marvellous year which started with a lot of doubt but has finished in the best possible way. I have to say thanks to Honda for allowing me to test the MotoGP bike tomorrow – I’m very excited about it, it’s a real privilege and I hope to enjoy it.”

Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda, 2nd: “It was a pretty tough race and Aoyama rode hard today but, in the end, I was able to get past him in the last few laps and set a rhythm which he couldn’t match.

” The real shame was the crash at the start of the race by Alex de Angelis because I had to ride around him and lost of precious time which allowed Pedrosa and Porto to escape.

“To end the race on the podium is always a good result, even though I would have preferred it to be a victory, but in any case I think this is a decent result for us even if we had different objectives at the start of the season.”

Roberto Rolfo, Fortuna Honda, 8th: ” I have to be happy with eighth even though it is not where I want to be. But after all the problems we have had this weekend in qualifying and the crash it’s not bad. I would have liked to be battling with Fonsi and Battaini but when the rear tyre started to go I had grip problems and had to rely on the front, where I have had problems all season.

“The team have worked wonders all season but the problem has been with the bike. I was down on acceleration but in general the bike was going well and I just concentrated on doing as well as I possibly could.”

David de Gea, Wurth Honda BQR, 12th:”I am really happy with my result my best from the four races with the team. I have to thank them and Dunlop for all the good work they did for me. I had to have two pain killing injections before the race and I felt good from the start. I got off the grid well land was racing in a fast group but on lap 12or so the pain-killer wore off and my shoulder started to ache so I held on to my position. The bike was perfect all weekend a great weekend for me, even if I do have some pain now.”

Jakub Smrz, Molenaar Honda, 14th: “The start and first laps of the race were very good, I think I was 14th. But then I started to have pain from my injured shoulder and lost a little ground. Once I got used to the pain I was faster but not really strong enough to mount a serious attack but I am happy with the points in the situation. The season is over and I can look back on the year with some satisfaction. I scored points in all but two of the races I finished, it’s just a pity I crashed a couple of times.”

Alex Debon, Wurth Honda BQR, 15th: “I crashed at a slow corner on lap eight, the front turned in on me. I went from seventh to almost last. Up until then my feeling with the bike was just great the problem was that I bent an exhaust pipe when I fell and the bike was not perfect after that. I’m really unhappy with myself because I cold have finished the season as best private rider again. Very disappointing.”

Hirosi Aoyama, Disqualified: “I am gutted abut the disqualification. We had a great race and I really enjoyed it. I made the most of the chaos caused by De Angelis’ crash to get myself into a podium position. The fight with Elías was intense, I don’t remember how many times we passed each other, but at the end of the race I had no grip on the rear tyre and I had to battle to hang on to third place. I want to say thanks to my team, who have been fantastic all year and taught me a lot in my first season in the World Championship. We are all very upset about the disqualification.”

Alberto Puig, Team manager: “What can I say? To see both riders on the podium is sensational. Dani showed once again that he is the best rider in the category, whilst Hiro continued with his positive progression. It’s a great way to end the season, but the Hiro’s desqualified has been a real shame”.


125cc:

Andrea Dovizioso, Scot Honda, 2nd: “The track was completely different today than for qualifying, in fact the lap times were faster than expected. When I ran off the track I was lucky not to crash. Recovering was very difficult for two big reasons; the rear tyre was already wearing badly and then when I caught the group of fast riders the fight between us made us slower. That allowed Barbera to get away. I cannot say I would have beaten him if I hadn’t ran off track but it would have been close. I’m very happy with our season though. The team and the bike were perfect all year and I rode well and we won the championship by 91 points, it could not have been better for us.”

Simone Corsi, Kopron Scot Honda, 8th: “The bike was so much better today than qualifying the tam did a really good job. The race was strange because after only three laps the rear tyre started sliding. We ran the same compound in the warm up this morning, an old tyre with 16 laps on it and I could run 1m 40.8s laps. So I cant understand why it was l siding so much. That meant I could not stay with the group I was racing with. But it was an OK result in the circumstances.”

Julian Simon, Angaia Honda, 13th: “At the start I got hit by Talmacsi and Lai and my leg dislodged the air box. The bike was OK for about nine laps then the cover came off the air box at one end and the bike really slowed. That, together with rear tyre wear towards the end, spoilt my race.”

Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda, 14th: “That was a so – so race for me. I got a good start and pushed hard for the first two laps and I was running OK but half way through the race the rear tyre started to go away and I couldn’t make up any more places. From then on I raced off my pit board making sure nobody closed on me. We have finished for the season and I’ll take a holiday and look forward to next season..”

Lukas Pesek, Ajo Motorsport Honda, dnf- crash: “I was effectively out of the race at the second corner. I don’t know who hit me, Ballerini or Rodriguez. This is the worst possible way to finish the season, I’m really disappointed. ”

Dario Giuseppetti, Elit Honda, dnf – crash: The rear end was sliding early in the race there was no grip at all. In a flat in fourth gear left hand corner the back let go so fast that I had no chance to save it. I had a pretty spectacular high side. I have a small fracture in my foot, nothing drastic, and a badly bruised leg. But both will be very painful in the morning.

Raymond Schouten, Molenaar Honda, dnf: “I really should not have raced. I got up this morning and felt very ill with a cold and the flu I have. I took some medicine but it didn’t help much. In the race I was never comfortable so I stopped.”


Results

MotoGP
Race Classification MotoGP : (30 laps = 120.15 km)
Pos/ Rider / Nat / Team / Motorcycle / Time/ KM/H
1 / Valentino ROSSI / ITA / Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha / YAMAHA / 47’16.145 / 152.509
2 / Max BIAGGI / ITA / Camel Honda / HONDA / 47’16.570 / 152.486
3 / Troy BAYLISS / AUS / Ducati Marlboro Team / DUCATI / 47’19.278 / 152.341
4 / Sete GIBERNAU / SPA / Telefonica Movistar Honda Mot / HONDA / 47’22.273 / 152.181
5 / Makoto TAMADA / JPN / Camel Honda / HONDA / 47’23.913 / 152.093
6 / Alex BARROS / BRA / Repsol Honda Team / HONDA / 47’30.820 / 151.724
7 / Shinya NAKANO / JPN / Kawasaki Racing Team / KAWASAKI / 47’39.460 / 151.266
8 / Colin EDWARDS / USA / Telefonica Movistar Honda Mot / HONDA / 47’43.586 / 151.048
9 / Loris CAPIROSSI / ITA / Ducati Marlboro Team / DUCATI / 47’45.548 / 150.944
10 / Norick ABE / JPN / Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 / YAMAHA / 47’47.682 / 150.832
11 / Alex HOFMANN / GER / Kawasaki Racing Team / KAWASAKI / 47’57.096 / 150.339
12 / John HOPKINS / USA / Team Suzuki MotoGP / SUZUKI / 48’18.159 / 149.246
13 / Jere

From a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:

HARLEY-DAVIDSON FOUNDERS INDUCTED INTO LABOR HALL OF FAME

Harley-Davidson’s four founders, William S. Harley, Arthur Davidson, Walter Davidson and William A. Davidson, were inducted into the U.S. Labor Hall of Fame on October 13.

A public ceremony was held at the U. S. Department of Labor in Washington D.C. to honor the founders’ ongoing impact on the Unites States’ labor force. U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao chronicled the success of the Motor Company and presented the honor to Bill Davidson, Harley-Davidson director of motorcycle marketing and great-grandson of founder William A. Davidson.

In 1903, founders William S. Harley, Arthur Davidson and Walter Davidson made the first production Harley-Davidson motorcycle available to the public. By the end of 1907, the Harley-Davidson factory was fully operational and the staff had grown to eighteen members including William A. Davidson. Today, more than 100 years since its founding, Harley-Davidson employs more than 8,500 people in the United States alone.

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Marlboro Valencia Grand Prix, Valencia
Sunday October 31 2004

CHECA JOINS DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM FOR 2005

Carlos Checa will join the Ducati Marlboro Team for the 2005 MotoGP World Championship. The rapid Spaniard will partner Loris Capirossi, whose third year with the red team was confirmed earlier this season, aboard factory Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP5s.

Checa brings a wealth of speed and enthusiasm to the Italian-based squad, which is looking forward to working with one of the most experienced riders in the premier class. He has raced in the big class since 1995 and is keen to commence his new job of continuing the development of the factory’s impressive V4.

In fact Checa will have his first chance to ride the bike during tests at Valencia tomorrow, Monday November 1. He will continue to get to know the machine in further tests at Wednesday and Thursday, working alongside Capirossi on development for the 2005 season.

Checa’s arrival at the Ducati Marlboro Team means that today’s Marlboro Valencia Grand Prix will be Troy Bayliss’ last race for the squad. The Australian’s departure was announced at the Australian GP two weeks ago.

“Troy is undoubtedly one of the most important riders in the history of Ducati,” commented Ducati Corse CEO Claudio Domenicali. “Together we have enjoyed some great successes, so I’d like to say a big thank you to him, from myself and everyone else at Ducati. Troy has ridden Ducatis for the last seven years, the last five with the factory team, so maybe it’s time for both of us to try new challenges.

“Carlos is a very fast and highly motivated rider, we’re proud to have him on our team, and we’re sure that his experience will be crucial in helping us to continue moving forward. He will ride the bike for the first tomorrow so he will immediately be involved with the development of the GP5. Finally I’d like to say thank you to Yamaha for allowing Carlos to start working with us right away.”

From a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

Circuit de la Com. Val. Ricardo Tormo, 31st October

STATISTICS 2004

Gran Premio Marlboro de la Comunitat Valenciana ROUND 16

Official statistics compiled by Dr. Martin Raines

SUNDAY GUIDE
MotoGP

· Makoto Tamada starts from pole for the third time in 2004. In the last nine races Tamada has scored a total of 120 points; only Rossi has scored more points over this period.

· Less than one second covers the top thirteen riders on the grid.

· Max Biaggi has qualified on the front row for the first time since he was on pole at the Sachsenring back in July.

· Valentino Rossi starts from the front row for the thirteenth time in 2004. If Rossi wins, it will be his ninth victory of the year, equalling the number of wins he achieved last year riding a Honda.

· Sete Gibernau scored his first ever victory at Valencia in 2001 when riding for Suzuki.

· Nicky Hayden crashed out of third place on lap four last year in Valencia, after qualifying on the front row of the grid for the first time in his career.

· Troy Bayliss starts from sixth on the grid, his best qualifying result since Brno. Bayliss scored five podium finishes at Valencia during his World Superbike career, including victory in both races in 2002.

· If Colin Edwards finishes in the top fifteen he will have scored points in 15 of the 16 races during 2004. Every other rider in the class has already missed scoring in at least two races.

· Carlos Checa is making his 95th and final appearance for the Yamaha factory team that he has been with since the start of 1999.

· Shinya Nakano won the 250cc race at Valencia in 2000 riding a Yamaha.

· Alex Barros has twice finished on the podium in Valencia including a win in 2002 – the last time he stood on the top step of the podium.

From a press release issued by BMW:

GIABBANI 6th WINNER FROM 8 BMW BOXERCUP RACES

The eighth and final race of the BMW Motorrad BoxerCup 2004 took place this afternoon in front of over 122,000 fans at the Valencia MotoGP race where crowds saw a thrilling BMW race, and yet another new winner in the series with Frenchman Gwen Giabbani victorious with his Team Reseau France bike. Giabbani started from the front row and battled between pole sitter Sebastien Legrelle and former champion Stephane Mertens around the 4 km track regularly just millimetres apart from each other with their BMW R 1100 S machines. Third was Jose Luis Nion who took a brilliant podium in front of his home crowd with his Spanish run Auto Sport Busquets bike. The biggest cheer of the day was reserved for the home town hero…

Although Austrian Thomas Hinterreiter had wrapped up the BMW Motorrad BoxerCup 2004 at the previous race in Brno, there was still a race within a race because the battle for second place in the BoxerCup was still up for grabs with Brian Parriott, Roberto Panichi and Markus Barth all in contention for the prize of a brand new BMW Z4 2.2. Daytona winner Parriott qualified second well ahead of his rivals and maintained second early on.

However, the pace at the front was electrifying for the big hitters who were gunning for the second place in the title hunt, but Panichi crashed out, while Mertens was black flagged after the safety installed cylinder head covers broke loose and fell off. Parriott stealthily kept to his rythym as others around him found the pace too hot. “I’m so relieved that is over but I knew I could do it especially after such a good qualifying time. A brilliant season that is now all worth it!” Said the American.

Leaders Legrelle and Giabbani were never more than one second apart after the sixth lap such was their pace. It was brilliant to see them using all of the track and them the kerbs as both were gunning for their first victory of the season.

Giabbani said atop of the podium, “From the practice sessions I knew I could win this one even though I had to learn a new track. The difficult thing out there was knowing if it was best to lead the last lap, or pounce upon Sebastien from second. I just went for it and it worked. A brilliant day for me and the team.”

It was a good day too for Giabbani’s team mate Guillaume Dietrich who was the first YoungStar rider over the line in 4th just ahead of Britain’s Richard Cooper who has won the BMW YoungStar 2004 title for the best under 21 rider. He collects the keys to a new Mini Cooper this evening at the season ending party.

Just 3.6 seconds back of Cooper was Markus Barth who has finished 3rd overall in the BMW Motorrad BoxerCup 2004, netting himself a brand new BMW R 1200 GS.

That brings to a close the BMW BoxerCup series under the sunny skies of Valencia. Next year a series based on the K1200R 4 cylinder machine is going to continue BMW’s long Motor Cycle racing history. Further details will be announced soon.



BoxerCup Results
Valencia, Spain
Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
1. Gwen Giabbani, France, 18 laps, 32:28.574
2. Sebastien Legrelle, Belgium, -0.337 second
3. Jose Nion, Spain, -22.161
4. Guillaume Dietrich, France, -25.671
5. Richard Cooper, UK, -28.218
6. Brian Parriott, USA, -30.879
7. Markus Barth, Germany, -31.853
8. Barry Burrell, UK, -35.474
9. Franz Aschenbrenne, Germany, -35.482
10. Olivier Jervis, Canada, -44.826
11. Jose Barresi, Venezuela, -45.160
12. Michael Bursa, Czech Republic, -45.347
13. Dirk Buylinckxs, Belgium, -45.818
14. Nate Kern, USA, -64.513
15. Alex Busquets, Spain, -67.502
16. Giulio Rangheri, Italy, -68.057
17. Jereon Oudeman, Holland, -77.502
18. Klaus Nies, Germany, -77.728
19. Robert Van Der Molen, Holland, -81.936
20. Massimo Rosetti, Italy, -92.000
21. Stefan Heinrichs, Germany, -102.143
22. Philippe Coulon, Switzerland, -1 lap
23. Thomas Hinterreiter, Austria, -3 laps, DNF, retired
24. Oriol Fernandez, Spain, -3 laps, DNF, crashed
25. Mario Carazo, Spain, -4 laps, DNF, retired
26. Josep Busquets, Spain, -5 laps, DNF, retired
27. Roberto Panichi, Italy, -13 laps, DNF, crashed
28. Calvin Hogan, UK, -18 laps, DNF, crashed
29. Javier Valera, Spain, -18 laps, DNF, crashed

DQ: Stephane Mertens, black flagged

BMW BoxerCup
Final 2004 Point Standings
Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
1. Thomas Hinterreiter, Austria, 132 points
2. Brian Perriott, USA, 117 points
3. Markus Barth, Germany, 108 points
4. Roberto Panichi, Italy, 103 points
5. Sebastien Legrelle, Belgium, 101 points
6. Stephane Mertens, Belgium, 81 points
7. Gwen Giabbani, France, 62 points
8. Jose Nion, Spain, 57 points
9. Richard Cooper, UK, 51 points
10. Guillaume Dietrich, France, 50 points
11. Barry Burrell, UK, 37 points
12. Oriol Fernandez, Spain, 32 points
13. Dirk Buylinckxs, Belgium, 29 points
14. Franz Aschenbrenner, Germany, 26 points
15. Klaus Nies, Germany, 24 points
16. Calvin Hogan, UK, 21 points
17. Nicholas Dussauge, France, 13 points
18. Robert van der Molen, Holland, 13 points
19. Javier Valera, Spain, 11 points
20. Michael Bursa, Czech Republic, 9 points
21. Guilio Rangheri, Italy, 8 points
22. Alex Busquets, Spain, 7 points
23. Nate Kern, USA, 7 points
24. Stephane Lacaze, France, 6 points
25. David Fouli, France, 5 points
26. Jerouen Oudeman, Holland, 3 points
27. Stefan Heinrichs, Germany, 2 points

From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Sunday 31st October 2004

HAYDEN SIGNS NEW DEAL WITH FACTORY HONDA TEAM

Honda today announced that Nicky Hayden will ride in the Official Honda Factory Team for 2005 and 2006.

The 23-year-old from Owensboro, Kentucky, USA arrived in MotoGP at the start of 2003, fresh from being crowned the youngest ever AMA Superbike Champion. The talented American was Rookie of the Year in his first season with the Repsol Honda Team and although 2004 has been hard he has secured front row starts and podiums in his second year with the team.

Hayden commented; “I’m so happy to be able to announce this news. I’ve been racing with Honda for six years and I’m real pleased that they have shown faith in me to sign me up for another couple of years. I’m under no illusions; it’s not going to be easy but Honda are building a new team around me for 2005 and I’m going all out to reach my full potential. I‘d like to say a big thanks to all the guys who have helped me so much over the last few years; it was fun and I really appreciate all the work.”

Satoru Horiike – HRC Managing Director said of Hayden; “We look at Nicky as a long term hope for Honda – a future Champion. He works hard and gives 100%. He still has a lot to learn and we propose to put everything in place to give him and his new team every chance of success. The past two years have been a good experience for Nicky. He has learnt the tracks and learnt about MotoGP and we want to teach him to win and to make a habit of it!”

Honda also announced today that Alex Barros’ one-year contract with the Repsol Honda Team wouldn’t be extended. Horiike continued; “It has been a pleasure to work with Alex this year and we wish him well. He and his team have put everything into this year and sadly have not had much to celebrate. We at Honda need to be fighting at the front of the pack on a regular basis and will be announcing a replacement and new team mate for Hayden in the near future.”

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Grid
Valencia, Spain
1. Makoto Tamada, Honda, Bridgestone, 1:32.815
2. Max Biaggi, Honda, Michelin, 1:32.831
3. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, Michelin, 1:32.913
4. Sete Gibernau, Honda, Michelin, 1:32.936
5. Nicky Hayden, Honda, Michelin, 1:32.999
6. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, Michelin, 1:33.083
7. John Hopkins, Suzuki, Bridgestone, 1:33.422
8. Colin Edwards, Honda, Michelin, 1:33.438
9. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, Michelin, 1:33.504
10. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, Bridgestone, 1:33.557
11. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, Bridgestone, 1:33.723
12. Alex Barros, Honda, Michelin, 1:33.773
13. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, Michelin, 1:33.781
14. Jeremy McWilliams, Aprilia, Michelin, 1:34.104
15. Norick Abe, Yamaha, Michelin, 1:34.175
16. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, Michelin, 1:34.209
17. Ruben Xaus, Ducati, Michelin, 1:34.280
18. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, Michelin, 1:34.602
19. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki, Bridgestone, 1:34.974
20. Garry McCoy, Aprilia, Michelin, 1:35.064
21. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton KR, Dunlop, 1:35.082
22. Olivier Jacque, Moriwaki Honda , Dunlop, 1:36.394
23. James Ellison, Harris WCM, Dunlop, 1:37.143
24. Kurtis Roberts, Proton KR, Dunlop, 1:37.922
25. Chris Burns, Harris WCM, Dunlop, 1:38.661




250cc GP Grid
Valencia, Spain
1. Dani Pedrosa, Honda, 1:36.367
2. Sebastian Porto, Aprilia, 1:36.535
3. Alex De Angelis, Aprilia, 1:36.800
4. Randy De Puniet, Aprilia, 1:36.813
5. Toni Elias, Honda, 1:36.900
6. Franco Battaini, Aprilia, 1:37.799
7. H. Aoyama, Honda, 1:37.123
8. Manuel Poggiali, Aprilia, 1:37.307
9. Naoki Matsudo, Yamaha, 1:37.245
10. Chaz Davies, Aprilia, 1:37.461



125cc GP Grid
Valencia, Spain
1. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, 1:39.927
2. Hector Barbera, Aprilia, 1:40.146
3. Jorge Lorenzo, Derbi, 1:40.413
4. Gino Borsoi, Aprilia, 1:40.461
5. S. Gadea, Aprilia, 1:40.523
6. Casey Stoner, KTM, 1:40.562
7. Roberto Locatelli, Aprilia, 1:40.571
8. J. Simon, Honda, 1:40.662
9. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, 1:40.726
10. G. Talmacsi, Malaguti, 1:40.909


More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

Valencia Grand Prix
Valencia, Spain
Saturday 30th October

ROSSI ON FRONT ROW AS CHECA OVERCOMES MORNING CRASH

In bright and sunny conditions Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi earned a front row grid position for Sunday’s 30-lap MotoGP race, riding his YZR-M1 to a time of 1’32.913s. Carlos Checa earned a third row start in what will be his final ride for the team, having recovered from the effects of a fall in this morning’s free practice. Pole man was Japanese rider, Makoto Tamada (Honda) from his team-mate Max Biaggi.

Rossi, going for pole position after his outstanding championship-winning season, ran off track half way through the session, on the second corner of the track. He almost brought the M1 to a halt unscathed, but toppled over at walking pace and returned to the pit to allow the machine to be checked over. His mishap caused him to drop through the order for a time, but the final exchanges of the lead put him third overall, gaining an all-important front row start and securing himself the award for the fastest qualifier of the year.

Checa, who had rested after his morning session fall, went to 10th place after 20 minutes of the final session had elapsed, and he ultimately earned a ninth place on the grid. His third row start came courtesy of his last lap, 1’33.504s, an improvement on his previous times, despite his slow-speed off. Checa’s time is only six-tenths of a second off the pole with the first 13 riders separated by less than a second.

VALENTINO ROSSI (3rd, 1’32.913s)
“I hope we are ready for the last race of the season. We had a lot of problems during practice, it was a difficult one. I thought my M1 would be very good straight away on this track, but we have had more problems than we expected. Even with that I am happy because the bike is better, the feeling is not so bad, I am on the front row and we have worked very well. I think we are not at 100% yet but we still have tomorrow morning. I think we will have the same good weather as today so I hope we can make a good race.”

CARLOS CHECA (9th, 1’33.504s)
“It was a slow crash I had this morning at turn two but I fell quite hard on the asphalt. I didn’t lose consciousness or anything, but it was a good idea to take a little bit of a rest before the afternoon. We went a bit better in this session and for tomorrow I suppose I will feel better than today. I’m on the third row and that’s not too bad a position to be in. My pace on race setting is not too bad either but it will be hard tomorrow with 30 laps of this track. You always like to feel well on the eve of the race but right now I have a little bit of a headache. I want to finish well here, it’s my home race and my last for Yamaha, and I want to finish with the best possible feeling.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO, TEAM DIRECTOR
“Valentino ran on while trying for a good lap time with one particular tyre choice and he went in just a little bit too fast. He fell over but it was not really a crash. We still have some problems with his bike but really it is a case of studying the situation to fix the settings. I think it’s a normal situation we have every weekend. It’s a shame that Carlos fell. He seems to be OK but it is not a perfect preparation. He showed determination because he improved his time afterwards anyway. We all wish him well in his last race for us. Another point we must look at this weekend is that Valentino has won another BMW car, thanks to his success in the combined pole position competition. That is significant, I think, so thanks again to everyone in the team, it has been a big effort this season. Our results come from all their jobs.”

FRONT ROW
1. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda 1’32.815
2. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda 1’32.831
3. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 1’32.913

SECOND ROW
4. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 1’32.936
5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team 1’32.999
6. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 1’33.083

9. CARLOS CHECA (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 1’33.504



More, from a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist:

HOPKINS QUALIFIES SEVENTH AT VALENCIA

VALENCIA, Spain (Saturday, October 30, 2004) – Suzuki’s John Hopkins qualified seventh on the four-kilometer Valencia circuit in Spain on Saturday. He shaved nearly a full second off his time from Friday’s preliminary qualifying session and will head up the third row alongside fellow American Colin Edwards and Spain’s own Carlos Checa.

“It was not too bad today,” Hopkins said. “We mainly worked on a race set-up most of the session. Then when I went out on qualifiers [tires] I did the best I could, but I was out there running by myself and seventh was the best I had. I would have liked to found just a tick more to put it on the second row, but this isn’t bad and I’m looking for a good result tomorrow.”

Hopkins said the team is still trying to find a race tire combination that will give firm grip the entire race.

“Unfortunately we’re running into the problem again of struggling when the tire goes off,” he said. “When the race tires are fresh they’re great, but after a number of laps we just really fall of the pace and I can’t afford that on race day. The team is working hard to find a solution.”

Hopkins and his factory Suzuki GSV-R not only made major improvements from Friday’s session, but also went two seconds faster at Valencia today than last year. “It shows how much the bike is improving,” Hopkins added.

Basketball superstar Michael Jordan was a guest of Suzuki in the team’s paddock today.

“That was really fun to have Michael hanging out with us,” Hopkins said. “I gave him an autographed helmet. He seems to be taking it all in and really enjoying it here.”

Jordan sponsors a motorcycle racing team in America.



More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GRAN PREMIO MARLBORO DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA
30TH OCTOBER 2004 – QUALIFYING PRACTICE 2

NAKANO SET TO CHALLENGE FOR TOP TEN CHAMPIONSHIP POSITION

Fuchs Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano is on target to secure a top ten finish in the MotoGP World Championship standings in the season ending Valencia Grand Prix tomorrow.

Nakano is confident with the race set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR after today’s final qualifying session and he will start from tenth on the grid, two rows ahead of his nearest rivals in the points.

Nakano needs to make up just three points on Ruben Xaus and Marco Melandri to claim tenth in the championship.

Xaus has qualified 17th with Melandri 16th, both well behind Nakano on the sixth row of the grid.

Joining Nakano on the fourth row of the grid is his Fuchs Kawasaki team-mate Alex Hofmann, who was 11th fastest in the today’s sunny but cool final qualifying session.

With just four minutes remaining in the session, Hofmann was eighth fastest before being bumped by the late rush of fast times on soft qualifying tyres.

After overnight revisions to race tyre choice for improved edge grip, plus rear suspension and swinging arm set-up, both riders improved their first day qualifying times by almost one second.

In particular Hofmann was much more comfortable with his race set-up today, having found a better chassis balance and much improved rear-end control and grip levels.

The current evolution model of the Bridgestone-shod ZX-RR first appeared at Valencia one year ago, and has made significant steps forward in a constant process of development.

Nakano’s qualifying time of 1’33.5s was 1.4s faster than the best Kawasaki qualifying time for this race last year. Thirteen riders qualified within one second of pole position.

Track conditions on the twisting and compact 4 km Valencia circuit were warmer and faster today than in yesterdays provisional qualifying and continuing fine weather is forecast for tomorrow’s 30 lap race.

Shinya Nakano 10th (1’33.557)
“When I saw my lap time I thought I would be further up the grid compared to yesterday, but because everyone is so close I’m quite happy with this position. For sure the start will be very important for me on this track, as I’m aiming for tenth in the championship and a positive end to the season. My final fast lap had a lot of traffic, so perhaps it could have been a little faster. My bike felt much better this afternoon compared to yesterday and this morning, we made a lot of rear suspension changes and I will try more improvements in the pre-race warm-up session tomorrow.”

Alex Hofmann 11th (1’33.723)
“I’m very happy with the work my team has done to improve the bike from yesterday; I really struggled with rear-end slides, but today we made an important step forward and my race pace is faster and more consistent. I did my fast time alone without a tow, but there are no points for qualifying so my focus is on the race and a top ten result. The chassis balance is much improved and we have more edge grip now and some more ideas to try in the warm-up.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“Our goal for the race is to have Shinya tenth in the championship, ahead of Ruben Xaus and Marco Melandri, and he has taken the first step in qualifying. Alex showed today that he is capable of a strong finish to the season and, with the improvements to the ZX-RR, both riders have an excellent chance of a top ten race finish. I’m hoping that both riders can finish the final GP with positive memories for the winter break.”

QUALIFYING PRACTICE 2 – COMBINED TIMES
1. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team 1’32.815; 2. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team +0.016; 3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +0.098; 4. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +0.121; 5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda +0.184; 6. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.268; 7. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix Team +0.607; 8. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +0.623; 9. Carlos Checa (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +0.689; 10. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.742; 11. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.908; 12. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda +0.958; 13. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.966;



More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Marlboro Valencia Grand Prix, Valencia
Final Qualifying
Saturday October 30 2004

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM JUST 0.268s OFF POLE

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss rode an awesome final qualifying session at sun-kissed Valencia this afternoon, putting his Desmosedici GP4 on the second row of the grid, just 0.268 seconds adrift of pole position man Makoto Tamada. Loris Capirossi had a less lucky day, getting too sideways on his fastest lap to end the session on the fifth row. The grid for tomorrow’s Marlboro Valencia Grand Prix – the last of the 16-race MotoGP season – is incredibly closely packed, Capirossi only 0.966 seconds off pole.

“Troy ran a very good pace this afternoon, so he should have a good race tomorrow,” commented Ducati Corse CEO Claudio Domenicali. “Loris was unlucky, he lost the rear through the last, fast left-hander, so he will start further back on the grid than he really deserves. Without that, he would’ve made the second or third rows. Troy used the different front forks he tried during our recent tests at Phillip Island. Loris also tried these forks at the tests but decided he prefers what he’s already using; it’s just a matter of individual rider preference. Tomorrow morning we will work to try and find some more speed for Loris but starting from the fifth row will make it a difficult race for him. >From what we’ve seen of Troy’s pace on race tyres, I think he could fight for a podium finish, which would be a good end to the season.”

‘PERFECT DAY’ FOR BAYLISS
Troy Bayliss enjoyed another fine qualifying performance at Valencia this afternoon, recording the sixth fastest time aboard his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP4. The Australian opted to use different Ohlins forks today and immediately found them to his liking, gaining more front-end feeling so that he can attack corners more aggressively.

“That was a perfect day – as good as it’s going to get,” said a cheerful Bayliss. “I’m now using the new front forks we tried at Phillip Island and I’m really happy with them, really happy. They give me a lot more feeling going into the turns, so the bike feels better than it’s felt for a while. It’s finally coming together, so I really do believe that Ducati will have a good bike next year. The track picked up some grip today and I did some good laps on race tyres so things are looking okay. I want a good race tomorrow. It’s my last race for Ducati and I want to give them a good result, not that I don’t always try just as hard.”

CAPIROSSI AN UNLUCKY 13th
Loris Capirossi had a more difficult last qualifying session of the season, losing vital time on his final qualifying run when he lost control through the complex cambered fast left-hander that precedes the tight final turn at Valencia. The Ducati Marlboro Team man ended the day 13th quickest, which puts him on the fifth row of the grid.

“I’m not so happy because we’ve not been able to get the bike working the way I like,” said Capirossi. “It feels pretty hard to ride here, I’m not so comfortable. On my best qualifying lap I lost the rear through the fast left, I was lucky to stay on, which cost me a lot of time. The race is going to be difficult, because although I can do 34s, I think the fastest guys can do 33s. Furthermore, I’m starting from the fifth row of the grid, which for sure won’t help!”



More, from a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

AOKI CUTS TIME, ROBERTS WITHDRAWS FROM VALENCIA GP

Round 16, Valencia GP, Ricardo Tormo Circuit Final Qualifying: Saturday, October 30, 2004

Nobuatsu Aoki: 21st, 1:35.082
Kurtis Roberts: 24th, 1:37.922

Proton Team KR rider Nobuatsu Aoki cut his previous best lap time by almost a second in today’s final qualifying session for tomorrow’s Valencia GP, last round of the 2004 MotoGP season. But on a day when conditions were more favourable for all riders, he lost two places on the grid.

Team-mate Kurtis Roberts, however, did not take part in the final qualifying session, and will not race tomorrow. The American son of team principal Kenny Roberts, who has been battling for fitness after sustaining elbow and wrist injuries at the Czech Republic GP in August, tried to ride again this morning, but found his wrist and hand lacked strength.

Aoki picked up time in spite of warmer conditions than yesterday, which did not suit his tyres as well. The improvement came after running through a big batch of the latest Dunlops, and finding one that offered significantly better grip.

Sunday’s race is the final round of the 2004 MotoGP World Championship series, and brings to a close a tough season for the England-based Proton team. Development of the second version of the V5 engine has been hampered by sundry problems, but by the end of the season the engine had found consistency and reliability, which it demonstrated again at the Valencia round.

NOBUATSU AOKI
We tried a couple of setting changes today, especially to the front fork. But they didn’t work, so I went back to the settings I had yesterday. We had quite a few tyres to test for tomorrow, and I found one Japanese rear that worked pretty well, even though the track temperature was higher today. It’s a pity. I improved my time by almost a second, but lost two positions on the grid. But we’re still making progress.

KURTIS ROBERTS
Before I came, I was able to ride a minibike for an hour straight, but obviously a MotoGP bike puts a lot more strain on the wrist. I could only go three or four laps before it got really painful. I was riding better today than yesterday, but the nerve sensations in my hand aren’t right. It’s almost as though it’s going to sleep. I had the same problem three weeks ago riding the minibike, and I got through that. But with two days and two sessions a day here, we weren’t going to have enough time to sort it out. I definitely wouldn’t be able to make it through 30 laps … no chance.

CHUCK AKSLAND – Team Manager
The bikes ran good all day, and Nobu got a better time with a better tyre. Every race Dunlop bring a lot of tyres and every race there is something better. Kurtis found there’s a lot of difference between riding minibikes and motocross bikes than a MotoGP racer. His wrist was getting sore after just a few laps. He gave it his all, but he needs more time. He was not confident he could finish the race, and there’s no point in risking doing more damage to his wrist.



More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda:

GP of the Valencian Community – Round 16 – MotoGP
Valencia – Saturday October 30th 2004

Yellow Camel Hondas line up on front row in Valencia

The bright yellow RC211Vs of the Camel Honda team, and their riders Makoto Tamada and Max Biaggi conquered the front row in Valencia today. Makoto took yet another pole position, whilst Max Biaggi was second quickest. Both the riders and the technicians worked flat out on getting the perfect set-up and in today’s practices the yellow team’s two flag-bearers once again showed determination and efficiency in getting the job done. They will start side by side from the front row for the final race of the World Championship tomorrow, where they both hope to play a major role.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“Two yellow Camel Honda bikes on the front row, so I’m satisfied with the work we have done these past two days to get ourselves competitive and ready for tomorrow’s race. We have tried lots of different solutions and our main objectives have been achieved. So I’m confident for the race, a very important last round of the 2004 championship, where we hope to be the main protagonists.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) – 2nd – 1’32.831
“Between yesterday and today we have really made a big step forward with the set-up and at the crucial moment I made the most of the qualifying tyres also. It’s a shame that on my fast lap I had Hayden in front of me, because he was riding a lot slower at the time. He immediately got off the racing line, but when it’s this tight for pole position, even thousandths of a second make a big difference. Anyway, the most important thing is that I feel good on the bike and I’ll be setting off from the front row tomorrow. Perhaps in the warm up we will make a few slight modifications but it’s just some little tweaks. I have to thank the team and Honda for the hard work they’ve done these past days.”

Giulio Bernardelle – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada’s Technical Director)
“We have carried out all the work we needed to do for this race in Valencia. We still need to check a couple of things to get the race consistency which will make the difference. In the warm-up therefore, we’ll be making some final changes. So even tomorrow it will be important to work out early on what the grip levels are like, as they are constantly improving, because that could affect the tyre choice for the race.”.

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – 1st – 1’32.815
“We used soft tyres to make the fast time, that’s all I can say. It was a great lap and the pole came with it. We have done so much work adapting to the constant changes in the track conditions on these first two days. We still have a few details to sort out, but we have the warm-up tomorrow to do that. It’s the race where I really have to do well though.”



More, from a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

Tamada takes final pole of 2004

Makoto Tamada will start the final MotoGP race of the season from pole position at the Ricardo Tormo circuit on Sunday after clocking the fastest time in the final qualifying practice this afternoon. Watched from the stands by basketball legend Michael Jordan, Tamada held off the challenge of his team-mate Max Biaggi in an exciting climax to the session, with World Champion Valentino Rossi qualifying third fastest to join the Camel Honda pair on the front row.

“We used soft tyres to make the fast time, that’s all I can say,” revealed Tamada, who has set pole position twice already this season. “It was a great lap and the pole came with it. We have done so much work adapting to the constant changes in the track conditions on these first two days. We still have a few details to sort out, but we have the warm-up tomorrow to do that. It’s the race where I really have to do well though.”

Local favourite Sete Gibernau was held up by a slower rider on his fastest lap and could only manage fourth place after setting provisional pole yesterday. The Spaniard is joined on the second row by Nicky Hayden, who was cheered on from pit-lane by his two brothers Tommy and Roger Lee, in fifth place and Troy Bayliss in sixth. Bayliss makes his final appearance for Ducati tomorrow after two years with the Italian factory in the MotoGP series.

John Hopkins signed a new contract with Suzuki yesterday evening and celebrated with the seventh fastest time, putting him at the front of the third row ahead of American compatriot Colin Edwards. Whilst Edwards makes his final appearance for Honda before switching to Yamaha tomorrow, the man he will replace at the Japanese factory, Carlos Checa, starts alongside him in ninth place.

The track action continued after qualifying was over this afternoon with the huge local crowd entertained by Michael Jordan, who completed several laps riding the Ducati Desmosedici which Randy Mamola usually uses to give pillion rides to VIPs. However, on this occasion Jordan took control of the 230bhp machine himself and followed MotoGP riders Kurtis and Kenny Roberts, Sete Gibernau and Colin Edwards around the 4.005km track.

Dani Pedrosa had a mixed afternoon, qualifying on pole position for the fourth time this season in the 250cc class despite crashing his Honda at the start of the session. Pedrosa escaped major injury, suffering a slight knock to his left thumb, and will take his place at the front of the grid as he looks to celebrate his title success in front of over 120,000 fans tomorrow. Alex de Angelis continued his positive end to the season with third place and the front row is completed by Randy de Puniet.

Andrea Dovizioso again showed why he is the 125cc World Champion with his eighth pole position of the season, a comfortable 0.219 seconds clear of his nearest contender Hector Barberá. Jorge Lorenzo qualified third fastest and will start his final race with Derbi from the front row of the grid, where he is joined by veteran Italian Gino Borsoi, also making his final appearance in the class due to new age restrictions which come into force next season.



More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Grand Prix of Community of Valencia, Valencia, October 29, 30, 31 2004

Final Qualifying October 30

FLYING TAMADA ROMPS TO THIRD POLE OF SEASON

MotoGP final qualifying was torn apart by Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V), riding on Bridgestone tyres, here at Valencia. He set a 1m 32.815 second lap to grab pole and the nearest man to that time was his team-mate Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) who joins him as second fastest on the front row. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) qualified third.

In sunnier, warmer conditions than yesterday, Tamada really got to grips with the 4.005km Cheste track. The Japanese ace timed his flying lap to perfection with two minutes of the hour-long session to go and although Max stayed out to try and best Tamada’s time in the dying moments, he was to remain 0.016 seconds away.

Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) was the first man to go faster as the session got underway and the American would end up on row two as fifth fastest qualifier. He was fastest in the morning hour of free training, shaving 1.9 seconds from his Friday time.

Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) topped the timesheet in the early stages and although he starts from row two in fourth, the Spanish World Championship runner-up is just 0.121 seconds shy of the pole time and well in contention for the race tomorrow.

Colin Edwards (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) looked strong and hoisted himself to pole with 15 minutes to go. But he couldn’t sustain the effort required to continue the improvement and had to be content with an eventual eighth place on the third row.

Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) struggled in the morning and never really found form here. The best the Brazilian could muster was 12th place on row four.

“We used soft tyres to make that fast time,” said Tamada. “It was a great lap and the pole came with it. We’ve done so much work adapting to the constant changes in the track conditions during these first two days. We still have a few details to sort out and we’ll do that in warm-up. But it’s in the race that I really need to perform.”

Max said, “We made a big step forward in set-up at a crucial time and I managed to make the most of the qualifying tyres too. I had Hayden in front of me on my fast lap, which was a shame because he was going slower than me. Even thousandths of a second make a huge difference. But the important thing is I feel good on the bike.”

“I was half a second faster today,” said Sete. “But I’m still not happy with my rhythm here yet. I need to concentrate in the warm-up tomorrow to get a bit more confidence here. I really want to win here at home and although we’ve improved my race pace I’m not at 100% here yet.”

His team-mate Edwards said, “I’m happy with the set-up, we’ve found some good solutions, although I’m a bit disappointed I couldn’t get the best out of my second qualifying tyre when Melandri was in my way. I need a good start tomorrow so I can push on from there for a podium.”

Hayden said, “Today we had a much better feeling on the bike. We made some changes from yesterday and went in the right direction. We wanted more grip and we got it. I also managed a whole bunch of fast laps, which is even more encouraging. The top group of riders is really close on time and it should be a fun race tomorrow.”

Barros knows he’s in for a tough race but the Brazilian remains upbeat about his chances. “We’ve at last found some good feeling from the bike,” he said. “Now things are better but I feel sorry for the team because they’ve worked very hard and we should not be where we are on the grid. This makes the race more complicated but we’re in much better shape than yesterday.”

The 250cc qualifying session belonged to new World Champion Dani Pedrosa (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW). The 19-year-old Spanish maestro sped to a fastest lap of 1m 36.367 seconds, 0.168 seconds faster than Sebastian Porto who qualified second.

Alex de Angelis and Randy de Puniet (both Aprilia) complete the front row in third and fourth. Tony Elias (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) heads row two in fifth while Hiroshi Aoyama (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) also lines up on the second row in seventh.

Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) was taken out mid-session in a two-bike crash when he was rammed from behind. But the resilient Italian lines up 18th on the grid nonetheless.

Dani said, “I really want to win here tomorrow, but there are four, maybe five riders who are really close together on times here and that’s going to make it hard. We’ll also have to see what the conditions are like here tomorrow.”

Elias is confident after finding a good set-up. “We had a lot of work to do on the front suspension here – and now it’s working well. I’ve got a good rhythm on race tyres but when we put a softer compound in I couldn’t improve and attack the pole time. There’s a bit more to try in warm-up tomorrow.”

The final half-hour of 125cc qualifying belonged to Andrea Dovizioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) who romped to his sixth pole of the season. The reigning World Champion put in a lap of 1m 39.927 seconds to deny Hector Barbera (Aprilia) the top slot.

Dovi was lucky to stay on board his machine in the final minute when he lost grip while fully leant over. He saved the slide with his knee but had to take to the grass and a gravel trap. But he’d already secured pole by that stage.

The other front row starters are Barbera who was second fastest with a 1m 40.146 second time, Jorge Lorenzo (Derbi) third fastest and Gino Borsoi (Aprilia) in fourth. Julian Simon (Angaia Racing Honda RS125R) qualified on the second row in eighth. Simone Corsi (Team Scot Honda RS125R) qualified 13th.

“I’m pleased with qualifying,” said Dovi. “We had some front end trouble early on but that’s now fixed. The bike has been no problem really and I feel confident on it. The only place I can’t a good feeling is through the last turn here.”

Simon said, “Everything’s fine. Really no trouble at all, the bike just got better and better and I was able to set my time alone. I waited for a tow and no on

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Kel Edge

Former Superbike World Champion Troy Corser has signed to ride the new Suzuki GSX-R1000 for Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra in 2005.

Troy and Alstare Suzuki team boss Francs Batta inked the deal today and Troy will make his first appearance for the team at the International Motorcycle Show at the NEC in Birmingham, UK next week.

Troy said, “I am really looking forward to riding the Alstare Suzuki and can’t wait for the first tests. The current GSX-R1000 has been good enough to win the British and American Superbike titles, so I know it is a good package. I am very excited about this new challenge and I will be going all out for the title next season right from the start.”

From a press release issued by BMW:

BMW Motorrad BoxerCup

The BMW Motorrad BoxerCup 2004 has its eighth and final race of the season at Valencia
this weekend wrapping up one of the most exciting seasons of racing known with the BMW R1100 S machines. From Daytona in March, via the best MotoGP circuits in the world, this concluding race on Sunday afternoon will once more see fairing to fairing, cylinder head to cylinder head racing right to the flag as the last positions in the championship are decided.

The whole Valencia MotoGP weekend is a celebration for fans and teams alike as the gruelling summer of testing and racing comes to a point in front of a capacity crowd of over 100,000, many of whom will have been in the circuit from before dawn to get the best seats in the house. For the BMW Motorrad BoxerCup 2004, this is a new circuit on the calendar, replacing the equally popular Catalunya venue of Barcelona a little further up the Eastern coast of Spain.

On the track, Austrian Thomas Hinterreiter is the 2004 BMW Motorrad BoxerCup title-holder after a stunning run of six podiums from seven races so far. Hinterreiter clinched the title at Brno in August and took with him a new BMW M3 Coupe, but that still leaves Brian Parriott (USA), Roberto Panichi (I) and Markus Barth (D) chasing second place and a brand new
BMW Z4 2.2 for the reward. Third placed man after Sunday’s race will take home one of the massively popular BMW R 1200 GS motorbikes. Parriott is in second place at the moment, 5 points ahead of Panichi, who in turn is 4 points ahead of Barth, but it has been Parriott’s finishing consistency that is his strength. Riding for the Spanish Auto Sport Busquets squad, the American is looking forward to holding his place and riding at the team’s home race.

The BMW YoungStar rider battle will be the race within a race come Sunday too with Richard Cooper (GB) looking to keep his lead in the special title chase for under 21 year old riders. A brand new Mini Cooper potentially awaits a rider with the same name!

For the BMW R 1100 S machines on track, it will be their last appearance on track in the one make BMW Motorrad BoxerCup after five years of racing that started in Belgium and France before a more Pan-European series started in 1999. Star riders and thrillingly close races have been the hallmark of the series that has visited Mugello, Daytona, Barcelona, Assen, Doningon, Spa, Oulton Park, Le Mans, Sachsenring, Brno and here at Valencia for the final race. 500cc Grand Prix winners such as Mamola, Cadalora, Schwantz, Martinez have all ridden too as guest riders along with many journalists. This year at Daytona even saw a Live TV commentary from a guest rider racing around the famous banking at the Florida track–2005 will see a brand new series based on a naked version of the four cylinder BMW K1200R although precise regulations and details are being discussed at the moment.