The speed limit on Britain’s motorways is set to rise to 80mph but with a big expansion in the number 20mph zones in cities and towns, The Independent has learnt. As part of a deal negotiated with the Liberal Democrats the Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond is expected to announce the Government’s intention to bring in the new speed limit at the Conservative conference. Ministers will then consult on the proposal later in the year along with plans to significantly expand the number of areas in Britain covered by 20mph zones.

 

Championship leader Casey Stoner claimed pole position Saturday for the Aragon MotoGP in Spain as he set a new lap record on the Motorland circuit. The Australian powered his Honda to a time of one minute 48.165 seconds, almost half a second better than his own record set at the corresponding race 12 months ago. The Repsol Honda rider will be joined on the front row by his teammate Dani Pedrosa of Spain and Yamaha's U.S. star Ben Spies. It was a very eventful qualifying session for us Casey Stoner Stoner was taking pole for the ninth time out of 14 races so far and will looking to build on the 35-point lead he holds over defending champion Jorge Lorenzo of Spain. Lorenzo will start on the second row with Italian pair Andrea Dovizioso and Marco Simoncelli, but will take heart from his performance in the last race, the San Marino GP, where he beat Stoner into second place. Ducati's former world champion Nicky Hayden was seventh fastest, but the American's illustrious teammate Valentino Rossi crashed in the opening 15 minutes of qualifying and could only manage 13th best. MotoGP newcomer Karel Abraham of the Czech Republic took a fine eighth spot ahead of Honda's Hiroshi Aoyama in ninth and France's Randy de Puniet in 10th. But it was a story of Stoner domination in qualifying yet again and he might have gone even faster but for a miscalculation at the end of the session where he ended up needing to lay down his bike to avoid going into the wall. "It was a very eventful qualifying session for us," he told the official MotoGP website. "Everything has been going very well this weekend, we have a good feeling with the bike and I'm feeling great," he added.

 

Friday's second practice session for the Aragon MotoGP was cancelled after a power cut in Spain. Electricity problems at the circuit meant that 125cc afternoon practice was delayed, but did take place before further power cuts cancelled the planned MotoGP and Moto2 sessions. Saturday's morning sessions will be longer to help teams get ready for Sunday's race. MOTOGP STANDINGS Continue reading the main story Casey Stoner: 259 points Jorge Lorenzo: 224 Andrea Dovizioso: 185 Dani Pedrosa: 150 Ben Spies: 135 Valentino Rossi: 133 Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa was quickest in Friday's morning session. Title rivals Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner were second and third, with Marco Simoncelli fourth on his Gresini Honda. British rider Cal Crutchlow said: "It is obviously disappointing not to have the second session because it hurts me more than the other guys. "I need to be out there learning the track and you lose the momentum gained. I felt really confident at the end of this morning and was looking forward to this afternoon, but now I've got to build up my pace all over again. "There's nothing I can do about what happened and I'm confident with more time on track I can climb further up the timesheets." Simoncelli added: "The cancellation of a practice session due to a power shortage certainly doesn't look good for a World Championship. "They clearly need to look into it and make sure that things are repaired and that it doesn't happen again." Aragon practice times: 1. Dani Pedrosa (Spn) Repsol Honda 1'50.281 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Spn) Yamaha 1'50.730 3. Casey Stoner (Aus) Repsol Honda 1'50.806 4. Marco Simoncelli (Ita) Gresini Honda 1'50.893 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Repsol Honda 1'51.091 6. Randy De Puniet (Fra) Pramac Ducati 1'51.376 7. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati 1'51.418 8. Valentino Rossi (Ita) Ducati 1'51.676 9. Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha 1'51.826 10. Hiroshi Aoyama (Jpn) Gresini Honda 1'51.859 Selected others: 14. Cal Crutchlow (GB) Tech 3 Yamaha 1'52.580

 

Casey Stoner admits he's feeling the pace of a long, gruelling season as he prepares for the Aragon Grand Prix in Spain. It's the 14th race of an 18-event season which comes just a week after he was defeated in San Marino. Last weekend, Stoner started on pole position at Misano but was beaten into second place by world champion Jorge Lorenzo who cut the gap at the top of the standings to just 35 points on the Australian with five races remaining.  Stoner said he has spent the past week relaxing to recharge batteries being sapped by a championship which started in the Middle East, came back to Europe, took two separate trips to the United States before heading off to Asia and Australia. The series will finish back in Valencia on November 4. "I've managed to rest since the hard race in Misano, where I was totally worn out," said Stoner. "The hectic schedule we follow had drained me completely and I had no energy, nothing left to give, so I've enjoyed relaxing this past week and getting back to some training. "The Aragon track is ok, it's not one of my favourite circuits, I feel it could be a little faster. We ran well there last year, mainly due to the fact we took a big step in the set up on the bike." "It's still going to be very tight. Every time we talk about the Championship I say there's no way Jorge is going to give up, and he'll take every point he can." Last year, Lorenzo started in second spot on the grid but finished in fourth. "I am very happy to be riding at home again and for a second time in Aragon," said Lorenzo of a race which was drafted into the calendar last year to replace the scheduled race in Hungary. "Last year I couldn't get the podium which was a big shame. I wanted it because I was competing in Spain and the season had been perfect." Meanwhile, nine-time champion Valentino Rossi confirmed he will race in next month's Japanese Grand Prix despite fears expressed by other riders over safety at the Motegi track in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster. "I will go to Japan for the race. All the tests are negative, it looks quite safe so yes, I will go to race at Motegi," said Rossi

Image by Impact Images

Marlboro Ducati's Valentino Rossi is expecting better results for himself at the put-upon team at this weekend's Aragon MotoGP round after he found a good setup at Misano which allowed him to run a faster pace in the early part of the race.

Rossi is still sixth in the world championship standings despite having, by his standards, an utterly abysmal year and only trails Ben Spies by two points and Dani Pedrosa by 17.

“Last year at Aragon was the best race of the year for Ducati, so we approach this round with our expectations a little higher than usual. In addition, after the difficult practice sessions at Misano, we found a good setup in the end and I had a better feeling with the bike and managed to ride it better in the race, especially in the early laps," said The Doctor.

"Now we’ll try to combine the two things—the track that seems to work well with the Desmosedici and the good setup work—in order to find the same feeling on Sunday.” 

 

In Moto2, Marc Márquez will try to keep reducing the difference with the leader. For the second time in its short history, the Motorland Aragón circuit will hold this weekend a Motorcycling World Championship round, just before the Continental Circus starts its tour around Asia and Australia. The Repsol riders will have their third “home” Grand Prix after the races in Jerez and Catalunya. Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso will look for another victory in MotoGP, while Marc Márquez, who will focus in reducing the difference with the overall standings leader, could achieve his third consecutive victory in Moto2. Casey Stoner, leader of the MotoGP standings with a 35-point advantage, will try to repeat his win of last year at the Aragon track, the circuit awarded by the IRTA —teams and riders association— as the best 2010 Grand Prix. The Australian rider of the Repsol Honda Team is very consistent, as he was able to get on the podium in all the races he has finished —he has 11 consecutive podiums— and firmly leads the Motorcycling World Championship premiere category thanks to his seven victories in the 13 races already held. His team mate Dani Pedrosa arrives to Motorland Aragon looking forward to compete after missing the last home Grand Prix —Catalunya—. After his second positions at Indianapolis and Misano, the Repsol rider will try to improve his position to get his third victory of the season. Andrea Dovizioso does not want to settle with the third overall position and will keep fighting for podiums that would help him get to the runner-up spot. The Italian of the Repsol Honda Team is having his best season in MotoGP and will try to get on the podium again after finishing fifth in the last two Grand Prix. To get 145 points of 150 available in his first year in the class is not something all riders could do, but this is what Marc Márquez just did in Moto2. The Spanish rider is now only 23 points away from the overall leader, Germany’s Stefan Bradl, while six races ago the difference was 82. Márquez has mixed feelings about the Aragon track, as he achieved an amazing pole position last year in 125cc, but another rider hit him in the first corner. His last wins in Brno and San Marino are the best boost to face the next round with optimism. Dani Pedrosa “I have very good memories of the Grand Prix of Aragon, last year we started well and we had a good race. I’m satisfied with our performance in the past few weeks and I feel better every day. This week I’ve been able to rest and recover some energy and now I’m really looking forward to this race. People from all around Spain attend the Aragon GP and the atmosphere there is incredible. The circuit is spectacular and very technical, it combines fast and slow corners, some of them complicated and blind where you need to find points of reference outside the track. We need to set up the bike very well for this track and make the most of all the practice sessions. The data we have from last year can help us on this and it will be important to start in a good direction but we cannot relax. I’m excited to see the Spanish fans again after missing the Catalunya race and I hope the home support will give me an extra boost so that we can enjoy this race together”. Andrea Dovizioso “We arrive in Aragon third in the Championship looking to close the gap to Lorenzo in second, but also needing to defend from Dani in fourth. I like Motorland Aragon, the circuit is very nice and it’s fun to ride. The key characteristic is the downhill braking areas and it has some similarities to the Istanbul circuit with interesting corners and changes of direction. It’s not so fast but all in all I like to race there. Last year it was a new track so I think that with one year of experience we can be even more competitive. Last year I crashed on the very last lap while I was fighting with Ben Spies for 5th position, this year we arrive confident that we can have a strong race”. Casey Stoner “I’ve managed to rest since the hard race in Misano, where I was totally worn out. The hectic schedule we follow had drained me completely and I had no energy, nothing left to give, so I’ve enjoyed relaxing this past week and getting back to some training. The Aragon track is ok, it’s not one of my favourite circuits, I feel it could be a little faster. We ran well there last year, mainly due to the fact we took a big step in the set up on the bike. This year we arrive there with a totally different bike so we have a lot of things to learn in FP1, getting the gearbox set up right and a few other things in general. It will be interesting to go there on the Honda, Dani was competitive there last year and I think we can work well there also, and expect a good result. We’ll get there and see what we can do”. Marc Márquez “I am always happy to compete in front of the Spanish fans, so this weekend we arrive to the Aragon Grand Prix with a lot of motivation. It is a race we will face the same way as any other, but we know that the excess of motivation could also play against us. With the 125cc bike it went very well and we had very good practice sessions, but we were unlucky in the race. I hope that changes this year. It is a fast circuit —with the moto2 it can be a lot of fun— but it will be difficult to find the good set-up”.

 

James Toseland forced to retire through injury Page last updated at 11:06 GMT, Friday, 9 September 2011 12:06 UK E-mail this to a friendPrintable version Click to play Toseland says goodbye to MotoGP in 2009 James Toseland will retire from racing with immediate effect because of a wrist injury he sustained during a crash at Aragon, Spain in March. The double World Superbike champion was told he could not continue after a visit to surgeon Mike Hayton. The 31-year-old, said: "I've tried everything possible but the sad truth is that none of it has worked. "My wrist will never fully heal enough for me to operate the throttle properly and navigate right hand turns." Toseland's injury to his right wrist happened during testing. He has been racing in World Superbikes since ending his two-year spell in MotoGP and has been part of the BMW Motorrad Italia team this year. His title triumphs came in 2004 with Ducati and in 2007 on a Ten Kate Honda. REACTION - 'GREAT AMBASSADOR' Continue reading the main story I am stunned by this news, absolutely gutted. I was with James only two weeks ago in Indianapolis and he was completely determined to get the full range of movement back in his wrist and get his career back on track. To be told this isn't going to be possible must be devastating for him. He has been a great ambassador for motorcycle racing and certainly helped expand the sport's appeal beyond the typical boundaries Matthew Roberts BBC MotoGP presenter In a statement, he added: "I've had a tough time since injuring my right wrist during a testing crash at Aragon in Spain earlier this year. "At the time of first seeing my consultant, he warned that the damage to my wrist could be career-threatening, but we both committed to doing everything we could to ensure that I could continue racing. "Having struggled through a couple of races and then crashing out in the terrible conditions at Nurburgring in Germany, I went back to see the consultant, Mike Hayton, this week and the diagnosis was the worst I could have prepared myself for. "I have to put the safety of the other riders on track first, as well as thinking about my own safety. Knowing that I will never again be fully fit to race at the highest level, it's also unfair for me to occupy a great seat in WSBK that a young, talented rider who is fully fit could take better advantage of." REACTION - 'RIGHT DECISION' Continue reading the main story It can't have been an easy decision for James but it's undoubtedly the right one. You never want to retire through injury but in this sport it happens more than not Steve Parrish BBC Motorcycling commentator Toseland emerged as a talent a decade ago. In only his second year in the World Superbike series in 2002, he was a regular top-six finisher and secured his first-ever podium finish at Assen. He followed that up with a momentous 2004 season with Ducati as he became the youngest-ever World Superbike champion, aged 23. It was a feat he repeated again three years later when, after a thrilling season of racing, he sealed the title again. In 2008, he switched to MotoGP but, after an injury-hit two years, he was back in World Superbikes before the injury news ended his career.

 

Two-time World Superbike champion James Toseland says he has put his own safety first after being forced to retire from racing due to a wrist injury. The Doncaster-born rider has been troubled by the problem since a testing crash in Spain in March, and a fall in the most recent round of the series at the Nurburgring prompted him to return to his consultant, leading to his decision to retire at the age of 30. And Toseland says the nature of the injury would have made it too dangerous for him to consider returning to the track. Writing on his personal website, he said: "The easiest way to explain it is that I don't have enough range of movement in my wrist to race professionally and no amount of physiotherapy is going to improve that. This all led to the verdict was that it's no longer safe for me to continue a career in motorcycle racing." He added: "As you all know, I've had a tough time since injuring my right wrist during a testing crash at Aragon in Spain earlier this year. "At the time of first seeing my consultant, he warned that the damage to my wrist could be career-threatening, but we both committed to doing everything we could to ensure that I could continue racing. "Having struggled through a couple of races and then crashing out in the terrible conditions at Nurburgring in Germany, I went back to see the consultant, Mike Hayton, this week and the diagnosis was the worst I could have prepared myself for. "I have to put the safety of the other riders on track first, as well as thinking about my own safety. Knowing that I will never again be fully fit to race at the highest level, it's also unfair for me to occupy a great seat in WSBK that a young, talented rider who is fully fit could take better advantage of.'' The decision brings an end to an illustrious career which saw the Briton secure Superbike World Championship crowns with Ducati in 2004 and Honda in 2007. His latter success, which saw him finish fourth at the 2007 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, paved the way for him to make the move to MotoGP, raising hopes that he could become the first British champion in the top class since Barrie Sheene. Riding for the Tech 3 Yamaha team, Toseland qualified second for his first race in Qatar and finished sixth, but a promising start slowly ebbed away and he was never to hit those heights again during his two years in Grand Prix racing.

Jaguar has released new details of a hybrid sports model it is working on as a potential successor to the legendary E-Type.

The new C-X16 two-seater uses a new 3.0-liter V6 engine along with a 70kW hybrid motor and is described as an ‘exploration’ of future performance hybrid options.

Using a combination of gasoline and batteries, the C-X16 offers a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) and a 0-100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds, with an electric-only top-speed of 50 mph (80 km/h)

The electric motor can also be activated using a steering wheel button for a power boost, inspired by the recently-introduced Formula One KERS system, charged through a brake regeneration system.

The C-X16 picks up on a couple of new Jaguar styling signals such as the front trapezoidal grille, although Jaguar says that it is intended to showcase the evolution of its design direction, with sharp creases on the hood and a sweeping roofline.

Inside, it is finished in ‘vermillion red’ and uses a climate control system which Jaguar says is inspired by the Typhoon fighter jet, with dash-mounted vents that appear from the dash to provide a blast of air as necessary, retracting afterwards.

The model will go on show for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show (september 15-25), where it will compete for attention with the upgraded Porsche 911 Carrera, the Maserati GranCabrio Fendi and the Ferrari 458 Spider

 

 

 

The man who won the 2011 AMA XR1200 series, Chris Fillmore, once again competed aboard the HMC KTM Superbike Race Team 1190 RC8 R at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) last weekend Fillmore began the final round of the AMA Superbike series by qualifying eighth. But luck wasn't on Fillmore's side during race 1 Saturday at NJMP. While running 13th in the opening laps, Fillmore high-sided the KTM RC8R, ending his afternoon. Fillmore walked away unharmed, and the KTM team repaired the bike for Sunday's race 2. While Fillmore was 11th, the race was restarted due to a red flag from a solo crash involving the Canadian Brett McCormick (BMW S1000RR). On the restart, Filmore fell back to 12th, then dropped to 15th. He made his way up 11th soon after making a pass on BMW S1000RR pilot Larry Pegram, then moved into ninth after two riders ahead crashed (Kawasaki's Steve Rapp, Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Tommy Hayden). But again, luck was not on Fillmore's side; on the 17th lap Fillmore's KTM RC8 R' suffered an electrical problem and was forced to withdraw from the Superbike race; he was credited with 18th overall. Chris Fillmore (KTM 1190 RC8 R AMA Superbike) says: "I was feeling pretty good in today's race. I felt like my speed was consistent and I was improving with each lap and would have liked to finish inside the top ten. "Unfortunately we encountered an electrical problem which caused me to not finish the race. This is still our developmental year so we know we will be stronger when we return for a full season. I am really excited to be here and can't thank my Team Manager Mitch Hansen, HMC Racing and KTM enough for giving me this opportunity."

 

The funeral of an 18-year-old rider who died at the British Superstock Championships has taken place. Ben Gautrey, from Southport, died in a fall during the Metzeler National Superstock 600 race at Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire, on 29 August. A PA system at St Cuthbert's Church, Churchtown, relayed the service which was attended by hundreds of friends and fellow bikers, his family said. Ben's uncle, Chris Jones, said: " I have never seen a funeral like it." Race organisers described Ben's death as a "tragic and freak accident". British Superbike Series director Stuart Higgs said Ben was a "super young guy" who showed "plenty of promise". Police and health and safety officials have started investigations into the death.

 

Following the revelations in Germany last weekend, Kawasaki has asserted its intentions to assume 'a greater degree of control' over its World Superbike Championship effort in 2012 – whilst at the same time hinting at a continued team involvement through a European 'operating base'. On the same day that Tom Sykes delivered the Japanese manufacturer its first WSBK victory for five years at the Nürburgring, Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM) dropped a bombshell by announcing that Kawasaki would be dispensing with its services come season's end [see separate story – click here]. There had already been speculation that another team could be commissioned to take over the outfit, with the names of Team Pedercini, Supersonic Racing and MSS Colchester all mooted earlier on in the summer – although the favourite appears to be Provec Motocard.com, credited with turning Kawasaki into title-contenders at World Supersport level over the past three years. The latest statement, however, suggests that in addition to employing a new team, Kawasaki will henceforth take its WSBK operation more in-house and take more decisions from Japan – a sign of continued commitment to the championship. 'Focussing on the race-winning potential of the new Ninja ZX-10R, the company has decided to exercise a greater degree of control over the engineering and structured development of the flagship machine for the 2012 season,' it reads. 'Having worked closely with Paul Bird Motorsport for the past three years, the relationship for the WSBK effort will draw to a close at the end of the 2011 season. Kawasaki praises the efforts of PBM and all those team members and riders involved during that time.' “We have enjoyed three valuable years alongside the Paul Bird Motorsport team,” affirmed race manager, Ichiro Yoda, “and we would like to put on record our sincere thanks for the time, effort and dedication they have shown to the Kawasaki World Superbike racing programme. “The direction of our World Superbike effort from 2012 moves to even closer control from our HQ, where decisions will be made back in Japan next year. There are plans for much more testing in the future, and so from a European logistical perspective, Kawasaki's WSBK operating base will need to be close to the best circuits and good weather conditions, for practical reasons. Additionally, this new situation must also match the budget constraints that the company has to operate within. “Understandably, it is a considerable challenge to develop a brand new machine into a potential race-winner whilst competing in the public arena, and we applaud the efforts of all those who have contributed towards getting us to our current position. We hope that everyone with an interest in the World Superbike Championship will look forward to seeing Kawasaki on the grid once more in 2012.” There has been no mention of riders, although contrary to PBM's press release over the weekend, Sykes has since stressed that from his point-of-view, at least, 'there is a strong desire from both parties for there to be an ongoing relationship that can reap the full benefits of the work done to-date

Shane Byrne is warning his British Superbikes rivals that he expects his HM Plant Honda to be faster than ever at Donington Park this weekend.

 

Byrne, who is seeking a third BSB title, endured another winless round last time out at Cadwell Park over the August Bank Holiday weekend finishing third twice and fourth and now has just one victory in 11 races.

But the 34-year-old explained his team were sacrificing the final round of the regular season to experiment on making his HM Plant Honda machinery unstoppable for opening stage of the Showdown.

The first of three Showdown rounds, which pit the top six riders against each other to decide the 2011 champion, commences this weekend with Swan Yamaha’s Tommy Hill now leading ahead of Byrne.

Courtesy of collecting fewer podium credits, Byrne trails by seven points and although he lost ground on Hill at Cadwell, he insists the sacrifice will pay dividends when they take to the track at Donington.

“We spent Cadwell Park testing and seeing how we could make the bike better,” said Byrne. “It didn’t help that some of the new parts didn’t turn up in time but we learned a lot.

“We had a difficult time but we knew Donington was the target for getting the bike at its best. We go in seven points behind but that’s not much.

“There are 175 points available overall and if I get two wins at Donington, even if Tommy gets two seconds, I’ll be back at the top.

“But we’re not taking it for granted. There are six riders with a near fresh start, all in with a chance, and I certainly can’t count my team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari out.”

Twice a BSB champion in 2003 and 2008, Byrne flew the nest for the World Superbike paddock three years ago, and is desperate to taste glory on his return to the British equivalent.

And, although a third BSB title – equalling the feat of Ryuichi Kiyonari – could turn heads on the world stage once again, Byrne insists it would take an irresistible offer to tear him away from HM Plant Honda.

“Winning the championship is what I came back for,” added Byrne. “I have got a great team behind me, they finished first and second last year, and I couldn’t ask more of them.

“I just want to get this season out of the way with first before I start thinking about next year. I wouldn’t want to leave HM Plant for a second-rate World Superbike team.

“If I was going to go, it would have to be the right team. We’ll wait and see what happens, I just want to try and do the best I can this season first.”