BatiFans.com Announces RACECARD '09 Competition

Okay - a quick and cheeky bit of non-125Brits pimping if you'll forgive me just this once... A sure sign that the fun's about to begin in MotoGP is the announcement of the annual BatiFans.com RACECARD Competition...
It's dead simple - for every 250cc race in 2009 you can enter your qualifying and race predictions for how Alvaro Bautista is going to do. You get 5 points for a correct qualy prediction and 10 points for a correct race result.
We keep an eye on the scores, and at the end of the season one lucky winner walks off with some great prizes, like a rare Alvaro Bautista photo-biography, a diecast model of his 2005 Seedorf Honda, and a superb documentary about Alvaro on DVD.
It's free to enter and open to all members of the BatiFans Forum and adds an extra bit of fun and excitement to each race weekend.

Just get clicking on the link to find out more about the RACECARD 2009 Competition...
Sign up, join in, and bag yourself a bunch of fun across the season - and possibly a great prize at the end of it.

Confirmation Of 125cc Entry List For 2009

Now finally confirmed by the FIM:

5. ALEXIS MASBOU, LONCIN RACING
6. JOAN OLIVE, DERBI RACING TEAM
7. EFREN VAZQUEZ, DERBI RACING TEAM
8. LORENZO ZANETTI, ONGETTA TEAM I.S.P.A.
10. LUCA VITALI, CBC CORSE
11. SANDRO CORTESE, AJO INTERWETTEN
12. ESTEVE RABAT, BLUSENS APRILIA
14. JOHANN ZARCO, WTR SAN MARINO TEAM
16. CAMERON BEAUBIER, RED BULL KTM MOTOSPORT
17. STEFAN BRADL, VIESSMANN KIEFER RACING
18. NICOLAS TEROL, JACK & JONES TEAM
24. SIMONE CORSI, JACK & JONES TEAM
29. ANDREA IANNONE, ONGETTA TEAM I.S.P.A.
32. LORENZO SAVADORI, FONTANA RACING
33. SERGIO GADEA, BANCAJA ASPAR TEAM 125cc
35. RANDY KRUMMENACHER, DEGRAAF GRAND PRIX
38. BRADLEY SMITH, BANCAJA ASPAR TEAM 125cc
44. POL ESPARGARO, DERBI RACING TEAM
45. SCOTT REDDING, BLUSENS APRILIA
53. JASPER IWEMA, RACING TEAM GERMANY
60. JULIAN SIMON, BANCAJA ASPAR TEAM 125cc
66. MATTHEW HOYLE, HAOJUE TEAM
69. LUKAS SEMBERA, MATTEONI RACING
71. TOMOYOSHI KOYAMA, LONCIN RACING
73. TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI, ONGETTA TEAM I.S.P.A.
77. DOMINIQUE AEGERTER, AJO INTERWETTEN
87. LUCA MARCONI, CBC CORSE
88. MICHAEL RANSEDER, HAOJUE TEAM
93. MARC MARQUEZ, RED BULL KTM MOTOSPORT
94. JONAS FOLGER, ONGETTA TEAM I.S.P.A.
99. DANNY WEBB, DEGRAAF GRAND PRIX

More Photos From The Molenaar Launch

British Eurosport Keeps MotoGP Coverage

Final proof that there is in fact a God, and that we do not live in some cruel and meaningless void, comes this morning with news that - as predicted earlier in the week by MCN - a deal has been struck to return a big fat chunk of MotoGP coverage to the thoroughly deserving British Eurosport.

There is a small degree of sacrifice in that they won't be screening the main MotoGP race itself *live* on race weekends - this is presumably a sop so that the BBC can retain a special status of partial exclusivity on what is largely perceived as the "main event".
Strangely enough, I don't mind that too much.
Of far more importance to me - and, it turns out, many others - is that the wholesale descruction of decent coverage of the entire weekend as far as 125cc and 250cc classes are concerned has been avoided (it still astonishes me that the BBC could have thought they could get away with treating 125cc with such utter contempt given the presence of hugely popular British young guns Scott Redding, Danny Webb, Bradley Smith and Matt Hoyle in the class) - and we should now not have to worry about being able to watch live coverage of a host of the practice and qualifying sessions.

UPDATE: Toby Moody and Julian Ryder will remain as the commentary team - although Randy Mamola is no longer on the crew.

And if you're one of the people who's been complaining to the Beeb, pestering them and taking part in forum discussions and protest messages over all this then pat yourself on the back, because it's without a shadow of a doubt that it's *punter power* that's at the root of the change of heart.
Well done! Top stuff!

And, to be fair, a genuine thank you DORNA for seeing sense.

2009 125cc Provisional Entry List

This was originally released by the FIM in mid December, and is subject to a further confirmation / ratification.
Already we know for instance that Pere Tutusaus will not be competing in the class after all...

5. ALEXIS MASBOU, FRA, LONCIN RACING
7. DOMINIQUE AEGERTER, SWI, AJO INTERWETTEN
8. LORENZO ZANETTI, ITA, WWC
11. SANDRO CORTESE, GER, AJO INTERWETTEN
12. ESTEVE RABAT, SPA, BLUSENS APRILIA
16. CAMERON BEAUBIER, USA , RED BULL KTM 125
17. STEFAN BRADL, GER, KIEFER RACING
18. NICOLAS TEROL, SPA, JACK & JONES PONS WRB
24. SIMONE CORSI, ITA, JACK & JONES PONS WRB
27. STEFANO BIANCO, ITA, CBC CORSE
29. ANDREA IANNONE, ITA, WWC
30. PERE TUTUSAUS, SPA, MATTEONI RACING
32. LORENZO SAVADORI, ITA, FONTANA RACING
33. SERGIO GADEA, SPA, BANCAJA ASPAR TEAM 125cc
34. RANDY KRUMMENACHER, SWI, DEGRAAF GRAND PRIX
38. BRADLEY SMITH, GBR, BANCAJA ASPAR TEAM 125cc
44. POL ESPARGARO, SPA, BELSON DERBI
45. SCOTT REDDING , GBR, BLUSENS APRILIA
60. JULIAN SIMON, SPA, BANCAJA ASPAR TEAM 125cc
66. MATTHEW HOYLE, GBR, MAXTRA TEAM
71. TOMOYOSHI KOYAMA, JPN, LONCIN RACING
72. MARCO RAVAIOLI, ITA, CBC CORSE
73. TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI, JPN, WWC
81. JASPER IWEMA, NED, KIEFER RACING
88. MICHAEL RANSEDER, AUT, MAXTRA TEAM
93. MARC MARQUEZ, SPA, RED BULL KTM 125
94. JONAS FOLGER, GER, WWC
99. DANNY WEBB, GBR, DEGRAAF GRAND PRIX

Scott Redding Contemplates 2009 Season

"I have got a new bike this year so I have to work hard in testing and get the bike set up well so that we are ready for the season. We will start testing at the end of January I think, so I'll work hard and see what happens."
"The races (in 2008) were a lot longer than what I had experienced before so I had to get used to that. I had to see how the others raced and had to learn about saving the tyres for the end of races and so on. I want to try and get into the top three in the championship and get a few podiums this year. As long as I know I have tried as hard as I can I'll be happy with that."
"It is so hard to say (who the main 2009 rivals will be) because there are normally up to ten riders who can win a race and every rider in the World Championship is good. I just don't have a clue who will be at the front because everyone has new bikes so we have to wait and see how it works out."


Source: MotoGP.com