Just try to have some fun

Pedrosa and Dovizioso leave Sepang happy

2010-02-08T14:45:00.001+07:00

A constructive test in Malaysia sees Repsol Honda’s two riders make positive statements about their respective experiences.
Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso were in good spirits following the conclusion of the first 2010 MotoGP test on Friday, with each rider highly satisfied with what had been achieved.

Pedrosa finished the second and final day of the test as the fourth quickest rider on board the RC212V, which he rode with Öhlins suspension. The Spaniard also took advantage of the rain in the morning to test his new machine, with its enhanced electronic package.

“We got through a lot more testing today and I can say that we improved significantly - and that’s important in terms of finding a good direction to follow,” said Pedrosa, whose best lap was 2’01.822. “We were working mainly on the rear suspension and we’ve managed to collect a lot of data that should help us for the next test here in two weeks’ time. We were also testing swingarms and at the end of the day I could feel the improvements, and so I’m happy about that.”

He continued: “Yesterday (Thursday) it took me longer to get into a rhythm on the machine because it was the first day back in the saddle, but today it was much better - though I’m not at 100% yet. To have the second test here in just two weeks is really good for us. I haven’t asked for new parts because me and the team think it’s better to analyse what we’ve found here and focus on that. I’m going home satisfied.”

Dovizioso continued the detailed testing programme designed to configure the settings for this year’s factory machine, focusing predominantly on suspension set-up. The Italian reported that the electronics have improved many areas of the RC212V’s dynamic performance.

“I leave Sepang feeling positive and I’m confident for the next test because we have clear ideas about the direction we have to follow,” said Dovizioso, who timed his best lap at 2’02.272. “Today we worked on the suspension and tested some set-up options - with positive results. I’m happy because, thanks to the electronics, the package has improved in all aspects - but there is still a job to do.”

He added: “In particular we need to take another step forward regarding the balance. I’m confident that we can work on this at next test session here in Sepang. Today we were always running on hard tyres and we didn’t look for ultimate lap times. I think the next Sepang test will be more indicative about our true pace.”(motogp)

Donington Park MotoGP Result

2009-07-26T23:05:00.003+07:00

Pos. Points Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Gap
1 25 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda
2 20 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1.360
3 16 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1.600
4 13 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 8.958
5 11 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 21.622
6 10 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 22.465
7 9 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 35.284
8 8 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 38.769
9 7 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 42.112
10 6 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 45.845
11 5 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 53.190
12 4 41 Gabor TALMACSI HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'12.315
13 3 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'20.398
14 2 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1 Lap
15 1 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1 Lap

DNF
99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 22 Lap
24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 23 Lap

Raines’ forecast: MotoGP Expert Eye predicts Pedrosa victory

2009-07-26T16:36:00.002+07:00

Official MotoGP statistician Dr. Martin Raines expects Dani Pedrosa to take the holeshot and run to victory at the British Grand Prix on Sunday.

Although World Champion and poleman Valentino Rossi has a good record at Donington, MotoGP expert Dr. Martin Raines believes it will be Dani Pedrosa who crosses the line first at the end of Sunday’s final premier class race at Donington Park.

Raines can name any number of Donington racewinners from the history of the World Championship, but his prediction for the future shows Pedrosa as the top man for the final event at the track. His list of picks indicates Rossi and his Fiat Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo in a battle for second place, with Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso also in the top five. The motogp.com statistician thinks that home rider James Toseland will feature in the top ten, and says to watch out for Marco Melandri in the event of a Donington downpour…(motogp)

Pedrosa says front row "more important than pole"

2009-07-26T16:28:00.002+07:00

Pedrosa delighted with front row

Repsol Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso had a positive qualifying session for the British Grand Prix, with the former placing second and his Italian colleague fifth. Both are optimistic about their chances of a top result -even if rain falls on Donington Park- and Pedrosa in particular can be content with a front row that he insists was his principal objective.
Dani Pedrosa -2nd

“We did a good job in both sessions today and I’m happy to qualify on the front row because, in reality, that’s more important than taking pole position. On my last run at the end of the qualifying session I found some traffic on the circuit which caused me to lose my concentration and rhythm slightly, so I think I could have gone a little quicker. But still, the middle of the front row is OK. Our dry set-up is nearly there so we’ll aim to make just a few little improvements before the race. The weather is looking changeable for tomorrow, though at least we’ve had some practice time in the wet yesterday. If it’s raining I’d like to improve my riding and my pace a bit but the weather is out of our control so we’ll have to see. It’s the last MotoGP race at Donington tomorrow and of course I’d like a good result to sign off with - preferably a win.”

Pedrosa ups pace to head MotoGP morning session

2009-07-25T20:12:00.002+07:00

Dani Pedrosa kept up his pace in Saturday morning’s practice session for the British Grand Prix, racking up the fastest MotoGP time for the second successive run-out at Donington Park. The 2006 racewinner at the Midlands circuit was under two-tenths quicker than nearest rival Jorge Lorenzo courtesy of an exceedingly quick late lap.

Lorenzo and Pedrosa engaged in a brief shootout on a dry track, at one point both level at the head of the timesheet with exactly the same time. It took a further lap from Pedrosa to distance the Spanish pair.

A crash three minutes in at Melbourne gave Casey Stoner something to think about early on, but the Ducati Marlboro rider appeared unfazed as he rejoined the action soon after. There was no repeat of the low speed tumble en route to his third place finish on the session’s results board.

Completing the top quartet of the class’ ‘big four’, Valentino Rossi was just behind and still under half a second slower than Pedrosa. Colin Edwards, Toni Elías, Andrea Dovizioso, Marco Melandri, Randy de Puniet and Mika Kallio completed the top ten.(motogp)

Pedrosa happy to be on top in FP1

2009-07-25T20:08:00.003+07:00

Dani Pedrosa showed that he isn’t giving up in the battle for race victories with an early warning for his rivals at Donington Park. The Spaniard was fastest in the Friday practice session for the British Grand Prix, elated by the late lap that took him up to the top spot.
Dani Pedrosa -1st

“It feels great to be on top today and I’m pleased with how we handled a tricky practice session. The conditions were continually changing and so we needed to make the best use of the track time to learn as much as we can. There are a few areas we can improve upon - such as the feeling from the bike when it’s really wet - and we’ll look at working on the settings for those conditions because the weather doesn’t look so stable for the weekend and we could see more rain on Sunday. It nearly dried out fully towards the end of the session but we stayed on wet tyres for the whole time and I think this was useful because you can have this sort of situation in the race. We’re in reasonable shape for the rest of the weekend and I hope I can be in this position at the end of Sunday afternoon.”(motogp)

Pedrosa and Dovizioso get chance to avenge German performances

2009-07-25T20:00:00.003+07:00

Seven days on from race in which they were unable to challenge the leaders on a potentially winning bike, Repsol Honda duo get second chance in Donington.

Ice cold and focused, Dani Pedrosa is not one prone to sentimentality. However, the Spaniard has admitted in the run-up to the British Grand Prix that he will miss the Donington Park circuit, the scene of one of his first MotoGP premier class victories.

Pedrosa and teammate Andrea Dovizioso suffered from tyre problems in Germany last Sunday, with the latter’s troubles the more serious. For this reason both are looking to give Donington Park a Repsol Honda send-off.

“We’ve built some momentum with our good results in the last two races and we’ll be looking to take that to Donington this weekend. It’s a circuit I like and I’ve had some good results there so I’m confident we can have a strong weekend. To be honest, while the podium in Germany wasn’t a bad finish and we weren’t far behind the winners, we thought another win was possible last weekend,” says Pedrosa, whose third place in Sachsenring kept up his strong run of form but did little to close the gap on his title-contesting rivals.

“Naturally, the weather is always a consideration at Donington so we need to be prepared for anything,” adds Dovizioso, not averse to wet weather riding and with added experience on Bridgestone’s cut compounds.

“We gained some valuable experience on the Bridgestones in the wet in Germany so we’ll be working to make maximum use of the practice sessions, whatever the conditions. It’ll be sad to see the back of Donington because the track itself is very good to ride and one I like. I hope I can sign off there with a good result.”(motogp)

Sachsenring MotoGP - Race Result

2009-07-22T19:10:00.004+07:00

1 V. ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 41'21.769
2 J. LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team + 0.099
3 D. PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team + 2.899
4 C. STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team + 10.226
5 A. DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini + 21.522
6 T. ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini + 30.852
7 M. MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team + 31.301
8 N. HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team + 31.726
9 C. EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 + 32.865
10 J. TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 + 43.926
11 L. CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 57.375
12 N. CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing + 1'00.539
13 C. VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 1'03.645
14 M. KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing + 1'04.155
15 G. TALMACSI HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP 1 Lap

DNF
A. DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team 5 Lap

Not finished 1st lap
R. DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP

Pedrosa fightback brings lap record, podium

2009-07-22T18:45:00.002+07:00

Dani Pedrosa backed up his US GP victory with third place, and a new lap record, in Sunday's German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring.

The 23-year-old Spaniard blasted from eighth on the grid to second at the first corner, but was spooked by a big slide and dropped to fourth on lap 9 of 30, behind Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

Sensing an improvement in feedback, Pedrosa later went back on the attack, setting a new lap record on lap 25 and retaking a struggling Stoner for third soon after.

But Rossi and Lorenzo were just out of reach and the Repsol Honda rider crossed the line in third position, 2.899sec from victory, to record his fifth podium of the 2009 season.

“I'm pleased to be on the podium, and finishing this close to the leaders proves that our win at the last race wasn't by chance,” said Dani. “I made a very good start and in the first few laps I was comfortable behind Valentino. On about lap six or seven though I had a big moment in the last corner and almost crashed, so after that I slowed down a little and dropped back to fourth.

“With a slightly slower pace I felt the feedback coming back and towards the end of the race I was able to push hard again. I got past Casey and tried to catch the leaders but by this time I was a bit too far behind.

“Third place is a good result, but we were ready to fight for the win at this circuit so it looks like we still have a little bit of work to do. The team is in good shape though and we're making progress all the time, so I'm confident we can continue to challenge for better results and preferably for wins. Donington is next and I'm looking forward to it. Let's hope we can have an even better race there.”(crash)

Pedrosa says he could have won Sachsenring showdown

2009-07-22T18:37:00.003+07:00

Pedrosa: ‘I couldn’t ride at the maximum’

Front tyre problem blamed for Spaniard’s not being able to take victory.

Dani Pedrosa took a praiseworthy podium at the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland on Sunday afternoon, following up his Laguna Seca victory with third place in the German race.

The Spaniard made one of the flying starts that have become his trademark with the Repsol Honda RC212V, having started from a lowly eighth on the grid. He was unable to take off out in front as he had done before crashing in 2008, but says that a race win was still a possibility.

“A podium is good, but I think that we could have won. We were strong enough to win, but I had a front tyre problem when I was going fast,” said the Spaniard on the same difficulty that forced Andrea Dovizioso out of the race.

“My teammate seemed to have a big problem with it, so I’m happy to have got on the podium, but anyway I thought that today we could have been faster.”

Pedrosa raced with a new Honda engine this weekend as the Japanese factory look to beef up their 2009 machine, and Sunday saw his most extensive run yet with the new motor. Reviewing his feeling with the latest novelty, he added that “we have some experience now for the next round with the new spec.”

Pedrosa is currently fourth in the overall classification, 68 points behind leader Valentino Rossi.(motogp)

Dovizioso and Pedrosa receive new engine

2009-07-17T20:24:00.004+07:00

The Repsol Honda team have received a new engine from HRC which they hope will be specifically suited to the characteristics of the Sachsenring circuit.
Factory Honda pair Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso have a new engine at their disposal this weekend at the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, an update from HRC which they hope will be a specific advantage at Sachsenring.

Having incorporated a new chassis into the RC212V as of the visits to Catalunya and Assen, both riders are pleased to see the prototype Honda evolving further as the season progresses.

The pair have been pushing for improvements since the beginning of the year and Pedrosa proved at Laguna Seca that their package is already reaching an acceptable level of competitiveness – so it is hoped that with the new engine will allow them to take another step forward in Germany.

The Sachsenring track is ‘tight and twisty’, short in overall distance, one of the slowest on the calendar and requires a specific gear ratio setting given that the riders only use first gear at the start and spend a lot of time using third and fourth. The new Honda engine has been developed to assist the riders with better power delivery and the German track could be ideally suited to demonstrating that benefit.

Speaking in Thursday’s official press conference, previewing the ninth GP of the season, Pedrosa said, “The new engine is to improve power delivery because our engine is always very ‘peaky’ and we have lot of spinning in the lower gears, so we are trying to avoid this and trying to get better drive out of corners.”

For Dovizioso, meanwhile, having undertaken much of the team’s test work since his recruitment into the factory set-up over the winter - due to the injuries which restricted Pedrosa’s availability - the update is much anticipated.

The Italian rider is looking to get back in the podium fight having crashed out of the last two races and he commented enthusiastically, “Honda have brought a new engine, so I am excited to try it, especially at this track because it is very slow and the new engine should be better in terms of its character. I am confident about it.” (motogp)

Pedrosa in buoyant mood ahead of Sachsenring visit

2009-07-17T20:22:00.002+07:00

Heading back to the scene of a season-changing 2008 crash, Dani Pedrosa returns to Germany this weekend after ending his win drought in Laguna Seca at the last round.
When Dani Pedrosa surged to a significant lead in last year’s Sachsenring contest he appeared to be on course to extend his championship advantage, but his costly crash in the wet at the end of the start-finish straight saw him lose the standings lead, suffer a hand injury and crucially lose momentum in the title fight.

Effectively Pedrosa’s nightmare run of accidents and injuries started at that moment in the German 2008 MotoGP contest, so it was a highly crucial result for the Spanish star at the last round in Laguna Seca when he crossed the line in first place for the first time in more than a year.

Pedrosa responded perfectly on the pressure building up on him as a factory Honda rider, taking the holeshot in the States and never looking back. Whilst his young championship-chasing rivals Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner suffered big crashes at Laguna, Pedrosa finally enjoyed a fully productive weekend and the maximum points haul means he can go into the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland confident of ‘exorcising’ more demons.

Indeed, despite last year’s mishap Pedrosa has a good record in Germany, having scored three previous Grand Prix victories there - twice in the 250cc class in 2004 and 2005, and again in MotoGP in 2007. He will need another top result in order to claw back the 59 point deficit by which he trails Valentino Rossi in the general classification.

“I’ve had some good results at this track and I take a lot of confidence into the race weekend at Sachsenring because we’re probably in the best shape we’ve been in for a while,” stated the Honda star. “The win in Laguna Seca was really important for me and the team because it proves we’ve been making progress and we now have the pace to win races.”

Pedrosa continued, “However, we can’t take anything for granted and I’m sure our rivals will be strong again and determined to fight back. I really like the Sachsenring circuit too and, despite what happened last year, I think we can be competitive again here.” (motogp)

Leitner: ‘We never lost confidence in Dani’

2009-07-17T20:20:00.002+07:00

Repsol Honda’s Mike Leitner, crew chief to Dani Pedrosa, says he never lost confidence in his rider during a year-long period without a win.
When Dani Pedrosa crossed the line in first place at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon, 0.344s ahead of World Champion Valentino Rossi, it was the Spanish rider’s first victory in more than 12 months, and brought to an end a year of difficulties and troubles.

During that period Pedrosa crashed out of the race lead at Sachsenring damaging his hand, injured his leg with another crash in the race at Phillip Island, hurt himself in preseason testing at Qatar, hurt his hip and suffered another DNF at Mugello and then crashed out again at Assen.

It has been a rollercoaster ride of intermittent podium appearances, visits to the surgeon’s table, long periods of physio and rehabilitation from injuries and a distinct lack of practice time.

Nonetheless, one of the people closest to Pedrosa in a tight circle of trusted assistants is the Repsol Honda rider’s crew chief Mike Leitner – who insists that the team of individuals closest to the 23 year-old never doubted him during the difficult period which ultimately came to a happy conclusion last weekend.

“The close group around him never lost confidence in him,” Leitner told motogp.com. “Sure people outside think, ‘what’s going on?’, because they don’t know how bad the damage is to the rider. I mean in Mugello and Barcelona he was really suffering and the Assen race was an extra blow, so it shows this Laguna result was very good.”

Asked also about the team’s faith in their RC212V race prototype, Leitner commented, “A race bike is never at 100%, this is clear, but at least you can win a race with this bike. That is a good sign. But everyone knows that at each racetrack we have the same situation, we have to find the best setting and to improve the bike because the other manufacturers are very strong.” (motogp)

'Confident' Pedrosa returns to '08 downfall

2009-07-15T07:18:00.002+07:00

The last time Dani Pedrosa, or any Honda rider, was leading the MotoGP World Championship was heading into last year's wet German Grand Prix.

A crash while comfortably leading (pictured) not only effectively ended the Spaniard's title hopes, but also marked the start of a punishing injury run from which he is still recovering.

Pedrosa returns only fourth in the 2009 world championship, but fresh from the high of his first race win in over a year, courtesy of a shock US Grand Prix triumph last time out at Laguna Seca.

The Repsol Honda rider also has an excellent record at the short and technical Sachsenring track, where he has scored three previous grand prix victories - twice in the 250cc class in 2004 and 2005, and again in MotoGP in 2007 where he obliterated the opposition with a winning margin of over 13 seconds.

"I've had some good results at this track and I take a lot of confidence into the race weekend at Sachsenring because we're probably in the best shape we've been in for a while,” said Dani. “The win in Laguna Seca was really important for me and the team because it proves we've been making progress and we now have the pace to win races.

“However, we can't take anything for granted and I'm sure our rivals will be strong again and determined to fight back. I really like the Sachsenring circuit too and, despite what happened last year, I think we can be competitive again here.

“I've had a good week since Laguna, and it was great to be able to go and see the start of the Tour de France stage in Barcelona on Friday. I've been able to get back in training on the bicycle, and seeing the Tour gave me even more motivation. So I'm feeling confident for this weekend and I'm looking forward to Germany."

Pedrosa will start the German Grand Prix weekend 43 points behind third placed Casey Stoner.(crash)

Laguna Seca MotoGP - Race results

2009-07-06T08:21:00.005+07:00

1. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team 44min 1.580 sec
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 44min 1.924 sec
3. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team 44min 3.506 sec
4. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 44min 14.012 sec
5. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 44min 23.243 sec
6. Toni Elias SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini 44min 23.621 sec
7. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 44min 31.781 sec
8. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 44min 34.437 sec
9. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 44min 41.905 sec
10. Marco Melandri ITA Hayate Racing Team 44min 49.608 sec
11. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini 44min 50.390 sec
12. Niccolo Canepa ITA Pramac Racing 45min 20.111 sec

DNF:
Gabor Talmacsi HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP
Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team
Sete Gibernau SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando

DSQ:
James Toseland GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3

"Let Go" new single from AC is about Hilary Duff???

2009-07-06T07:31:00.021+07:00

Aaron Carter’s latest single, Let Go, may have been written for Hilary. Aaron reportedly Tweeted “I wrote this song about Hilary. Wow Really? This Long?“, but the tweet was later removed.

whatever the rumors is about. this song is great and you need to check it out.
Aaron Carter - Let Go.mp3

Pedrosa thankful after tasting victory again

2009-07-06T07:24:00.003+07:00

A stunning victory for Dani Pedrosa on Sunday at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix brought big smiles to the faces of his Repsol Honda team members, including his Crew Chief mechanic Mike Leitner and personal manager Alberto Puig, who have supported the talented Spaniard through a difficult period.

For the factory Honda team Pedrosa’s Californian success came as big relief following a year long win drought stretching back to June 2008 and Pedrosa’s home victory in Catalunya.

Indeed, the pressure had been mounting on Pedrosa for several months with a string of injuries and crashes – dating back to Sachsenring last year when he crashed out as he led the race – and the former 125cc and 250cc World Champion was quick to thank those around him as he stepped off the Laguna podium.

“It was a nice race and a nice weekend for us,” Pedrosa told motogp.com. “It has been tough but we did a good job and to finally get a win here is a good feeling. After a whole year with so many troubles and injuries this is perfect. Not only for me but for my team, because they also really needed it and we are very happy. I especially want to thank them for continuing to push forward in the bad times.”

Also acknowledging the medical treatment he has received in the past twelve months on catalogue of hand, arm and leg injuries Pedrosa stated, “I also want to thank the doctors who have treated me as they have enabled me to return to racing at this level. I want to thank everybody around me.”

When it was put to him that he may have a chance to exorcise some demons in Germany at the very next round in two weeks time, Pedrosa commented, “Sachsenring last year was very good until it became a disaster, so I hope this year it will be the opposite!”.(motogp)

Pedrosa ends Honda win drought in stunning fashion

2009-07-06T07:17:00.003+07:00

After more than a year without a victory for Honda, since his own win at Catalunya last season, Dani Pedrosa triumphed at Laguna Seca on Sunday, taking the holeshot from fourth on the grid and not looking back - to cross the finishing line ahead of his closest rival Valentino Rossi.

Following a string of crashes and injury problems Pedrosa was finally back to his very best, lapping at a pace which none of his opponents could match. At one stage he had built up a significant gap at the front and although Rossi chased him down on the final lap there were no mishaps this time.(motogp)

Pedrosa still has some way to go if he is to challenge at the head of the standings however, as current leader Rossi picked up more good World Championship points in second place, whilst Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner were third and fourth respectively.

Pedrosa feeling confident about Californian visit

2009-07-01T20:09:00.002+07:00

Currently sitting fifth in the World Championship standings, tied on points with Yamaha satellite rider Colin Edwards and behind his own team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, it is fair to say things have not gone according to plan so far in 2009 for Dani Pedrosa.

A series of injury problems dating back well into the 2008 campaign and his latest mishap at Assen, where he crashed out when well positioned early in the race, have hindered the highly talented Catalan rider – who wants to use this weekend’s Laguna Seca race to put things right.

Pedrosa has reasons to be cheerful despite his problems, having qualified second on the grid at Assen on the evolving RC212V which has recently been updated with a new chassis.

The 23 year-old also has a decent record at Laguna having finished second on his first visit to the track in 2006, when he set a new lap record. In 2007 he finished fifth after qualifying second.

Last year Pedrosa tried to ride in Friday practice but then withdrew from the event suffering from injuries received in the previous round in Germany. He has perhaps not shown his full strengths since then, but his current injuries are improving and he is in a positive frame of mind ahead of round eight.

“I’m actually really looking forward to getting to Laguna and I’m feeling confident going into the weekend, as I was before Assen,” revealed the Honda star. “The result there wasn’t great, but there’s no reason why we can’t have a strong race in the US. I felt much better on the bike in Assen than I did in Barcelona and, although my physical fitness is not at 100% because I haven’t been training as usual for quite a while, the injury is getting better and isn’t giving me any problems on the machine.”

On returning to the States for the first time this year, Pedrosa added, “The Laguna track itself is unique and it can be a lot of fun to ride, as long as you’re going quickly. When you’re struggling it obviously isn’t quite as much fun! As a team we’ve got to continue working hard and bring the whole machine package up to a level where we can compete for wins again. We’re making progress and with luck Laguna will take us closer to that target.”(motogp)

Pedrosa try to give the best for the fans

2009-07-01T19:57:00.004+07:00

After the frustrating race last saturday pedrosa is trying to stay focus to the next race at Laguna Seca US this week. Hi said that the accident was really sressfull not only for him but also for the team when the team mate Dovizioso also fallen at the same corner like pedrosa did.

"I really feel better the day I came to Assen, with the chasis we got, and it feels good for me, and also my condition that i feel better than before. I really confident to race in Assen" said the spaniard thought about his accident in Assen.

After all, pedrosa promise to give the best for all his fans who always support him in Laguna Seca on July 5th.(maulida)

Pedrosa: Rossi helped me a lot

2009-06-27T09:30:00.003+07:00

Dani Pedrosa kept in close contact with reigning six time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi during the closing minutes of Friday's qualifying session at Assen, and was rewarded with second on the Dutch TT grid.

“I'm pleased with my qualifying position today, especially considering that there was quite a lot of traffic on track in the final few minutes,” said Pedrosa, who lapped just 0.085sec slower than Rossi for his first front row start since pole at round four in France.

“I was lucky at the end of the session to have Valentino in front and being behind him helped me a lot to set this lap time,” admitted the #3, who had been sixth in the free practice sessions.

“The feeling from the machine is quite good, although we still need to make some adjustments to the set-up to make best use of the Bridgestone tyres for the race, and this is what we'll be working on in the warm-up.”

Nursing an injured hip since Mugello, the Repsol Honda rider has now dropped to fifth in the world championship, but is hoping for a strong race tomorrow.

“My physical condition on the bike today was again much better than at the last race in Barcelona and this makes a lot of difference because I am able to concentrate fully on riding. I know that the race will be very physically demanding though, so I can take nothing for granted. Still, with some final set-up improvements, I hope I can make a good start and have a strong race tomorrow,” said the Spaniard.(crash)

Pedrosa wants to get on RC212V and off painkillers for Assen race

2009-06-24T06:47:00.003+07:00

Dani Pedrosa had little time to recover from a hip injury ahead of his home round in Barcelona last time out, and suffered discomfort throughout the race weekend which he had felt obliged to attend in order to keep up with the MotoGP series leaders. The Spaniard has had more time to recover for the Alice TT Assen, with the idea being to ride in the Netherlands without the aid of painkillers.

“Since the race in Barcelona I’ve basically been resting, trying to give my hip as much chance to improve as possible. Obviously there hasn’t been a lot of time - just over one week - but I certainly feel a lot better now than immediately after the last race when I was totally exhausted,” says the Repsol Honda rider, who struggled to sixth at the last race.

“I’m feeling positive about the weekend and we’ll just have to see how it goes when riding starts on Thursday. My intention would be to ride without receiving any pain-killing injections because gradually they lose their effectiveness and they are not something I want to rely on - we’ll see how the feeling is when I start to ride.”

Pedrosa has been taking the medication since a ‘tankslapper’ moment at the Italian round of the World Championship at Mugello, although the required sensitivity, grip and movement onboard a MotoGP machine has been lacking due to the nature of the injections.

Assen has traditionally been a fruitful track for the former World Championship runner-up, who finished second in the 2008 edition of the Saturday race.(motogp)

Spaniard will miss Monday test after 'worthwhile' sixth place.

2009-06-15T06:45:00.003+07:00

At less than 100% fitness, Dani Pedrosa had a tough weekend at his home Grand Prix. The Spaniard held on for sixth place at the Circuit de Catalunya, but the race will be his last action at the track for the immediate future as Honda requested that he miss Monday's test.

"It’s been a very hard weekend and I finished the race exhausted and in a lot of pain, but I don’t regret being here this weekend trying to do my best. I didn’t want to miss my home race and even though sixth position is not the best result in front of my fans, I’m happy with it. I could feel their enormous support during the whole weekend and it helped me a lot to race. It also wouldn’t have been possible without the doctors’ help: they kept me in the best possible condition to bear the pain. The injections I’ve had on each day worked, but obviously to do 25 laps it’s been very hard. The doctors told me that this fracture needs time to heal so I’m going to rest as much as possible and see what the progress is for Assen. The Team asked me not test tomorrow to give me the best chance to recover and it’s a sensible decision. I didn’t have a great start today, but I could manage to stay in the second group in the race. I tried to stay with Capirossi, but I couldn’t, so I choose to maintain the sixth position. I’m really tired now, but it was a worthwhile race."(motogp)

Dani Pedrosa denies new Honda deal

2009-06-12T14:09:00.002+07:00

Dani Pedrosa has denied that he has signed a new MotoGP contract with Honda, but did reveal that he will try a new chassis during this weekend's Grand Prix of Catalunya.

The Spaniard has been a factory Repsol Honda rider ever since his 2006 MotoGP debut and is the only Honda rider to win a race since the switch to 800cc engines.

Pedrosa has won two races a year since joining the premier class with a best championship ranking of second, a distant 125 points behind Casey Stoner, in 2007.

But the 125 and double 250cc world champion is yet to mount a sustained title attack and has appeared increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress with Honda's RC212V project.

Rumours had also circulated that Repsol might try to sign fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo to replace Pedrosa, but those looked to have died down and Pedrosa remaining at Repsol Honda seems the most likely scenario.

Nevertheless, pressed on whether rumours that he had signed a new contract with Honda for 2010 were true Pedrosa responded: "We have not even had that conversation yet."

Pedrosa, who will ride with the aid of pain-killing injections this weekend after cracking his thigh last time out at Mugello, did confirm that he will try a new chassis in Catalunya, as Honda fights to adapt the RC212V to the new single-tyre rule.

“We have something which, if the conditions are good, we will try straight away this weekend,” he said. “It is a modified frame to improve the stability under braking. That is the main target and we will check how it works. If I can handle the pain then I will also take part in the test on Monday.”

Pedrosa will start round six of the 2009 world championship in fourth position, 33 points behind Stoner.(crash)

Pedrosa tests injection, intends to race

2009-06-10T17:17:00.002+07:00

Dani Pedrosa will ride in front of his home fans in this weekend's Grand Prix of Catalunya, with the aid of pain killing injections.

The Repsol Honda rider, who underwent knee (twice) and forearm surgery before the season had even begun, cracked his thigh bone in a near highside last time out at Mugello.

A race day accident fortunately avoided further physical damage, but the Spaniard has now dropped out of the title fight (at least temporarily) sitting 24 points behind third placed Valentino Rossi. Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner are just nine points apart.

“I'm really looking forward to my home grand prix even though the build-up has hardly been perfect. For the past week I've just been resting and that's pretty boring. But [on Tuesday] I went to see the doctor and the results of the new scan have been quite positive,” explained Pedrosa.

“They decided to give me a trial pain-killing injection so that I can judge how it will feel ahead of the weekend. And the scan really helped them pinpoint the best location for the injection so it can have the maximum effect, which was something they weren't able to do in Mugello.

“The feeling was good, so it looks like I'll have an injection before riding each day,” he confirmed. “Obviously it's still not going to be comfortable riding the bike but I'm feeling positive that we can go into the weekend and aim for the best possible result.

Pedrosa has won in all three classes at Catalunya, including a dominant victory and new lap record one year ago. That victory remains Honda's most recent MotoGP win.

“In spite of the problems, my motivation for my home race is still the same,” he said. “I've been waiting for this race for a long time and I want to get the best possible result for all the fans who will be there to support me. I hope I can give them a good weekend.”

This weekend's event will be the second of three rounds on Spanish asphalt, the first - round three at Jerez - was the only grand prix weekend so far this year not to be interrupted by rain.

Weather forecasts predict another fine weekend in Catalunya.

Pedrosa : I will be in the Great Prize of Catalunya

2009-06-10T11:28:00.006+07:00

Hello to all.
As I promised to you yesterday, a day later I put myself in contact again with you to announce that luckyly, I am going to be able to compete this weekend in Montmeló. It does much illusion to me, because i don't want to lose this race anyway.

first, because I realize that losing this race is very bad to us in the classification. and on the other,
because i dont want to miss a change to race in front of our fans, my family and friends.

What was happened in Mugello it is already past. It is forgotten. Now it is time to confront the Great Prize of Catalunya with illusion. although, we are realize that I am physically not ecovered, I am not 100% fit. So this weekend will be called on to suffer, but I am preparation for it.

The Championship is complicated because there is certain difference of points, but we are going to continue working what we have did until now, and I am convinced that they are going to arrive good races.

After the fall of Mugello, the doctors recommended absolute rest to me, and that is what I've been doing last the nine days, always thinking about being able to be in the best possible physical training conditionses for Catalunya.

Today I have returned to go the Dexeus, and Dr. Mir and Dr. Ribas have made me an ecography to see the evolution of the fracture. Still it hurts to me, but I am contented because they have said to me that I can run, and mainly, already they have been able to make an infiltration for seeing how I react before the effects of the anesthesia and the antiinflammatories that have put on me.

If the sensations are good, we will repeat the procedure during the weekend, to be in the best conditions as much in the training as in the race. More I am animated, and is positive to be able to advance to several days the treatment, to be sure that it works when arrives the necessary moment.

A strong hug for all of you and thanks to be there, supporting me always. We see ourselves in Montmeló! .(Dani-Maulida)

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince (Review)

2009-06-10T08:05:00.003+07:00

Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts turns out to be quite the exciting year. First off is the arrival of a new teacher at Hogwarts, Horace Slughorn, who is a bit more useful to Harry than he realizes. Next, Harry obtains a Potions book which used to be belong to the very mysterious Half-Blood Prince. Harry finds that the Half-Blood Prince's ancient scribbles are written along the margins of almost every page, giving Harry advice on how to improve greatly on his Potions work, and also teaching him a few helpful (and dangerous) spells along the way.

Amidst this, Harry is starting private lessons with Professor Dumbledore, during which Harry learns the dark secrets of Voldemort's past, hoping that they could use these secrets to find a way to defeat him.

Harry's year gets even more stressful with the suspicious actions of Draco Malfoy, who has been sneaking around the school doing, so Harry assumes, Voldemort's bidding. Harry quickly becomes determined, and slightly obsessed, to find out exactly what Malfoy has been up to and putting and end to it.

Yet, during this time, Harry and his friends go through daily life, busy with school work, Quidditch, (in which Harry has been made captain of the team) and of course, romance. Ron has found a new girlfriend, Lavender Brown, a perky (if not obnoxious) Gryffindor student, and Hermione is not happy about it. Ron and Hermione's friendship takes a toll throughout the school year and Harry, as usual, is stuck in the middle. Harry, meanwhile, is facing a romantic dilemma of his own: he realizes he is falling for his best friend's sister, Ginny Weasley, who is unfortunately dating Harry's classmate, Dean Thomas. Harry's pining for Ginny and Ron's hilarious relationship with Lavender give this story a large dose of reality.

Throughout all the school drama, however, the obvious darkness of Voldemort's impending rise to power is always apparent. The incredible action-packed climax is sure to leave the audience stunned and, inevitably, prove that you shouldn't trust everybody who you think is good and also prove that not everyone can manage to survive.(imdb)

Stoner: Leading now means nothing

2009-06-09T12:22:00.001+07:00

Casey Stoner, who returned to the head of the MotoGP World Championship with victory last time out at Mugello, insists leading the standings at this stage in the season means 'absolutely nothing'.

The Australian took his first victory since the Qatar season opener with a one-second win over Jorge Lorenzo in the wet/dry Italian Grand Prix. The win was Stoner's 18th in the premier-class, matching countryman and fellow world champion Wayne Gardner.

However, with only a four point lead over fellow double 2009 race winner Lorenzo, and a nine point advantage over reigning six time champion Valentino Rossi, Stoner believes his present position is irrelevant with 12 rounds and 300 points still to be decided.

“This championship is extremely difficult and competitive and even a victory like the one at Mugello, wonderful as it was, needs to be put behind us so that we can turn our focus to the next race,” he began.

“Being leader of the championship at this stage means absolutely nothing. My rivals are very clever, mature and capable of winning races so we have to stay focused, do our best to be competing for the top step of the podium again and if that's not possible then make sure we are bringing home the maximum number of points.”

Stoner won at Barcelona during his title winning 2007 season, and was third last year.

“Barcelona was one of my favourite circuits until they re-laid it,” he said. “Even though they put a completely new surface down a few years ago it has never been the same as it was before and the fact they race F1 there hasn't helped the situation in terms of the bumps and potholes.

“The layout is nice though - the first part isn't too difficult but the middle and end parts of the lap are technical and demanding, especially the fast pair of right-handers coming onto the start-finish straight.”

On Friday morning both Stoner and Nicky Hayden will be honoured by the Circuit de Catalunya with the unveiling of their own plaques on “Champions Avenue” - adding their names to those of Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Dani Pedrosa, amongst others - in celebration of their MotoGP titles.(crash)

Save The Day

2009-06-08T19:32:00.004+07:00

Tied to the tracks and I hear you call
Your voice is shaking
The train is coming faster than you thought
And there's no escaping it
And you think that you know
How the end of the story goes
That's a page I rewrote
And I'm taking away the ropes
There's more hope than you'll ever know

So keep breathing
I said that I'll always be there
Now I mean it more than ever before
There's a future worth fighting for
So don't be scared
I know how you must be feeling
No one to help you carry the pain
I'm coming to save the day

Hands of the clock
Are standing still
But your heart is racing
You're losing your grip on the windowsill
Pulled down by the weight of it
And you pray for relief
As you lie on the bathroom floor
As you wait
You can see
There's a light underneath the door
This is the day you've been waiting for

So keep breathing
I said that I'll always be there
Now I mean it more than ever before
There's a future worth fighting for
So don't be scared
I know how you must be feeling
No one to help you carry the pain

We're finally breaking
Into the daylight
Feel the warmth of the sun
I will stand by your side
Till your fear passes on
So just look in my eyes
Baby, try to hold on
And you'll find
It won't be long

So keep breathing
I said that I'll always be there
Now I mean it more than ever before
There's a future worth fighting for
So don't be scared
I know how you must be feeling
No one to help you carry the pain
I'm coming to save the day, yeah

Comin' to save the day
(There's a future worth fighting for)
Don't be scared
I know how you must be feeling
You know that it won't be long
No one to help you carry the pain
It won't be long

Tied to the tracks and I hear you call
Your voice is shaking