HONDA DEBUTANTS FINISH DAKAR

Honda’s Quinn Cody has astonished with a top 10 overall finish in what has been his first Dakar Rally. What’s more, Honda’s 10-times Women’s Trial World Champion, Laia Sanz, has taken a stunning victory in women’s category on her Dakar debut.

The final short and quick special stage of the Dakar 2011 finished at the Baradero racing track in front of many enthusiastic spectators. It was an emotional time for both of Honda’s star debutants completing their first Dakar. To complete the Dakar Rally can be considered the culmination of a life dream but to complete it in such style, first time out, is nothing short of spectacular!


American Quinn Cody earns top rookie status on the 2011 Dakar with a truly awesome ride! Quinn is a regular winner on the Bajas and boasts an impressive roll of honour (three times winner of the Baja 1000). But the Dakar is very different animal and one that must be tamed using different skills. Quinn really got into his stride as the rally developed and showed by the end that he is truly a world-class desert racer, finishing in 9th position in the overall classification.

Honda’s 10-time Women’s Trial World Champion, Laia Sanz also showed her class, finishing in 39th position overall and taking victory in the women’s category. It had been a tough and eventful rally for the 25 year-old Spaniard but she displayed the true grit and determination that has earned her numerous world titles in the discipline of Trials. She now has a new title to add to her collection, ‘fastest women on the 2011 Dakar Rally’!


Team Honda Europe’s Mirjam Pol has also experienced many ups and downs over the last two weeks but ended in 69th position and as the second fastest woman of the Dakar, a title she is sure to be proud of. Laia Sanz’s team mate, Jordi Arcarons, came home in a solid 41st position, just two places behind Laia. Alexey Naumov was also making his rally debut and completed the challenge to come home in an impressive 67th position. Vadim Pritulyak fought a private battle for two weeks and can be proud of his personal victory that saw him take 90th position in the overall standings. All in all, a fantastic Dakar Rally for those aboard Honda!

Quinn Cody, Team Honda Europe
“I’m trying to learn and do my best. It’s working well and I’m really happy with the way things have gone. This Dakar has been a great learning experience! What I have learned is that you need to be ready to race from day 1. The first week I needed to adjust to the bike. To do better I need to do more rallies, and do a lot of testing with the Dakar bike. For sure I would love to come back and definitely plan on being back next!”


Laia Sanz, Team Aracons
“It was incredible. I just do not believe it. For me it is a dream come true, and even more with the team that I have, to Jordan (Arcarons), Angels (Rovira), Moi (Gangolells), Paco (Ivars), who have worked hard. It was very hard, especially the second week, with a lot of suffering, but it was worth it because there have been many more good times than bad.”

Overall Results
9th position for Quinn Cody
Total time 56:17:10 Variation 04:52:10
39th position for Laia Sanz
Total time 66:19:18 Variation 14:54:18
41st position for Jordi Arcarons
Total time 66:25:75 Variation 15:00:15
64th position for Mirjam Pol
Total time 77:33:03 Variation 26:08:03
75th position for Alexey Naumov
Total time 84:29:57 Variation 33:04:57
90th position for Vadim Pritulyak
Total time 106:08:29 Variation 54:43:29

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MX1 RIDER BOBRYSHEV TURNS TO TARMAC

Date: 29/10/2010

Honda Racing MX1 rider Evgeny Bobryshev recently donned his leathers to try out a bit of road racing aboard Honda’s flagship sports models, the CBR600RR and CBR1000RR at Ron Haslam’s Race School, Silverstone.

The day comprised a morning’s group instruction on board the track-spec CBR600RR before stepping up to the CBR1000RR for one to one instruction with lap time and on-board telemetry analysis. When asked how he felt about stepping up to the 1000cc machine after a morning on the 600, Bobby replied “the 600 is more than enough, I am not sure that I need more power but hey, I will give it a go anyway”.


On the CBR1000RR at the Silverstone International Circuit, if you can post below 1:20min lap times you are considered in the top tier of quick riders (bearing in mind that Ron himself can do a 1:12.5). Bobby was consistently banging in 1:19s throughout the afternoon session to prove that...if you can ride a bike quick, then you can ride a bike quick...whatever the surface!


Russian born Evgeny Bobryshev is not entirely new to road racing. He was Russian 125cc Champion in 2004 before making the switch to off-road. “I was once smoked by Mika Kallio in a race and that made me think that I should focus more on riding on dirt” he explained. As it turns out, Mika Kallio was actually in a different class in that race and was on superior machinery. Nonetheless the decision had been made and who can say that it was a bad one.


Bobryshev has had an amazing debut season in the MX1 World Championship. He has been challenging for podium positions on regular occasions and has established himself as one of the potential front runners of the series. He has also recently won the the ProSX1 race at the Belfast Supercross to cap off the 2010 season. In 2011 he will be looking to add consistency to his flashes of pure speed. Maybe he can apply some of the techniques learned on tarmac to his off-road riding. If not, he does have a job offer on the table as an Instructor at the Ron Haslam Race School.

“It was an awesome day! The high speeds and cornering took a bit of getting used to but once I got into the flow, I was loving it! I haven’t ridden a road racing machine for over six years so it was all a bit strange at first, to have all of that power was a little scary but huge fun! You know, I might even think about doing a bit of road racing next year” Evgeny Bobryshev.


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CHAMPION TONI BOU STAYS WITH MONTESSA

Date: 28/10/2010

Montesa Honda and Toni Bou have extended their contract together for a further two years, until the end of the 2012 season. Since 2007, when Bou became part of the Repsol Montesa Honda team, together they have achieved eight World Championship Trials titles (four Indoor and four Outdoor) and have been the dominant force in the world of Observed Trials.

Bou has also been crowned Spanish champion five times and has been part of the winning ‘Trial of Nations’ team no fewer than four times. He has now extended his winning record to 143 victories in World Championship events and together Montesa honda and Bou will look to extend this record further in the next two years, in search of their ninth world championship title.

Toni Bou

Koji Maehara, President of Montesa Honda SA
“We are very pleased to continue the relationship with Toni Bou, an athlete willing to continue bringing new success to this company. Toni is the best trials rider in the world and we knew that in the final year of his contract, many other manufacturers would be interested in signing him. However, I am proud that Toni has once again put his trust in Montesa Honda and in our commitment to continue the technological evolution of the 4T, with which we have obtained these latest world titles."

Toni Bou, Montesa Honda
"Knowing that I will continue two more years as I Montesa rider brings peace and joy. This is where I have won my eight world titles and still want more. I love the bike and feel completely and fully supported by a very professional team. When everything around me is working perfectly there is no reason to consider a change of scenery. "

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MIKA AHOLA WINS 4TH WORLD ENDURO TITLE

Posted By: Ollie S
PR Courtesy of: Tom Hobbs/Honda Racing


Mika Ahola and Honda World Champions for the fourth consecutive time!

“Like a fine wine, Mika Ahola gets better with age” is a quote from the FIM World Enduro Championship website. I could not think of a better way to describe the exploits of the 36 year old Finn who sealed his fourth successive FIM EWC World Championship and fourth in a row with Honda and the formidable Honda- HM-Zanardo Team at the Grand Prix of France, Noiretable.


Mika Ahola took his CRF450R to victory on the first day of a wet Grand Prix of France. He was in imperious form across the wet terrain to defeat main rival Ivan Cervantes and claim the E2 category for the second time and add the latest accolade to the two previous E1 titles. Ahola has been one of the very best riders in the Enduro World Championship during the second half of the last decade and renewal of the number one plate after another reverential display in central France cements his status as one of the true greats of the sport.


Ahola had to negotiate slippery conditions on Saturday and even made a mistake in the Enduro test that increased the tension. With Cervantes not able to reach the Honda rider’s level in the second half of the competition that involved three cautious and demanding 70km laps, Ahola bided his time for a podium slot and was fortuitous when Fabien Planet suffered a mechanical problem in the final stages and the party could begin for the Italian squad thanks to their tenth winner’s trophy of the campaign.

With the championship in the bag Ahola elected to take it easy through Sunday and his absence from the top of the leader-board was the only blip on his 100% podium record across eight rounds and sixteen days of action.


“What a fantastic day for Mika, the team and also for Honda with four titles in a row,” commented Honda Motor Europe Off-road Racing Manager Roger Harvey. “It has been a long and hard season for the team to keep up that excellent record of results and it shows how competitive the battle with Ivan Cervantes actually was as the title fight went down to the final round despite the fact that Mika had not finished off the podium for seven grand prix. Full credit for the guys with their achievements on a new bike for 2010 and we are thrilled with their success.”

An in-depth interview with the new EWC E2 Champion will follow in a separate release shortly.

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AHOLA ON BRINK OF 4TH WORLD TITLE

The AMV Grand Prix of France at Noiretable this weekend will wrap-up the 2010 Enduro World Championship and could be another remarkable event in the illustrious career of Honda- HM-Zanardo Team’s Mika Ahola. The 35 year old is on the precipice of his fourth crown in succession and second in the E2 (450cc) category. The Finn holds a 28 point lead over sole title rival Ivan Cervantes with both days of the GP yielding a total of 50; even if he finishes second to the Spaniard on the first day of action in central France then a fourth World Championship with Honda will be assured.


The veteran has enjoyed an excellent season on the modified CRF450R, earning nine day wins from the fourteen held in the seven rounds so far and has not dropped out of the top three in all outings.

Ahola – who was 3rd and 4th in the E1 class in France in 2009 – admitted in his personal blog that the weekend will hold special significance. ‘The last GP will be in France. It's gonna be in Noiretable which is the same place where I confirmed my first world title in 2007, so I have a nice memories and I'm looking forward to a good race like back then! My lead over Ivan Cervantes is 28 points which more than enough but there's no space for big mistakes either. Just have to keep calm and focused. Easy to say but can't help the pressure building.’


Noiretable is a familiar course to the riders of the E1, E2 and E3 classes and the entry lists are likely to be swelled in what is a popular event. The 70km lap involves the standard Enduro, Motocross and Xtreme tests and stand-out features involve two steep hill sections, a long 10km Enduro zone and a fast MX area. The race could be complicated by a poor weather forecast.

“It will be an important weekend for us obviously but also a bit nervous because anything can still happen especially if rain arrives,” said Team Manager Franco Mayr. “Mika likes slippery and technical conditions and was actually practicing in something similar in Finland recently but wet terrain also carries more risk; we will have to wait and see.”

“We will arrive there on Thursday and have a look at the course and be ready to change the setting of the bike if the rain falls,” he added.

Oscar Balletti is likely to finish 2010 with 6th in the E2 class as the Italian needs 32 points over Swede Joakim Ljunggren to enter the top five. Balletti enjoyed his best day of the season two weeks ago in Greece so will be aiming to end the campaign on a similar note. Fabio Mossini has options to break into the top fifteen (he is 16th) after a difficult and injury-riddled season in E1. The Italian was able to take his CRF250R to a double point-score in Greece however.


Ahola could be Honda’s second World Champion in off-road motorcycling this year after Repsol Montesa-Honda’s Toni Bou dominated the 2010 Indoor and Outdoor Trial competitions. Fingers are crossed at Honda that the flying Finn can do the business this weekend and cement the pace he has shown all year aboard the Honda CRF450R.

For a full report on the final Grand Prix of the season, visit www.hondaproracing.com throughout the course of the weekend.

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HONDA PRO RACING - MX1

Honda Racing MX1 Race Summary – St Jean d’Angely, France

Following heavy overnight thunderstorms the MX1 riders woke up to a track that had changed drastically from the day before. However, the rain had stopped and it wasn’t long before it began to dry out, although by the time it did the ruts had become deep, adding further technicality to the hillside track. The cloudy conditions were a big change from the blazing hot sunshine and 30 degree temperatures of Saturday and it seemed that riders welcomed the cooler operating conditions.


Davide Guarneri had qualified best of the Honda riders, lining up in an impressive 5th spot. His LS Honda team-mate Tanel Leok finished 11th in the qualifying heat and was hoping for a better start on race day. Both CAS Honda riders, Gareth Swanepoel and Evgeny Bobryshev, had also qualified outside the top 10 and had the same ambition. Unfortunately Honda Racing MX Martin were left spectating, as MX1 rider Jimmy Albertson did not travel to France due to an injury sustained at his home GP in Glen Helen, USA just a week before.

In the first moto, Antonio Cairoli grabbed the holeshot on his KTM and began to move away from the field. Guarneri slipped his Honda CRF450R into second and began pursuit. Leok had got the good start he was hoping for and moved into the leading pack in a strong 5th spot.

CAS Honda riders Gareth Swanepoel and Evgeny Bobryshev had gated well and in the early stages and all 4 Honda’s were running in the top ten. At half-distance Guarneri and Leok had settled into 5th and 6th place respectively and were sticking in consistently close lap times as they battled between themselves. Suzuki man Steve Ramon and Cairoli were battling for the lead, swapping places in a fascinating dice.
As the sun began to break through, Leok turned the heat up on his Italian team mate before a small mistake put pay to his challenge. He eventually had to settle for 6th place, just one spot behind his team mate Guarneri in 5th. CAS riders Evgeny Bobryshev and Gareth Swanepoel had both failed to make in-roads into the top 10 and finished in 11th and 13th respectively. The race was won by Cairoli with Ramon keeping him honest all the way to the line.


In the 2nd moto, Guarneri got the holeshot and moved away from the field in the early parts of lap one. Yamaha’s David Philippaerts soon began to apply the pressure as the riders got into their stride. A scruffy second lap saw the Italian drop to 3rd behind Philippaerts and Suzuki’s Clement Desalle. Both CAS riders had poor starts and were running outside the top 10 as the race developed. At half distance, Bobryshev was forced to retire when a wire broke off the ignition coil, a rare and unfortunate event that left the Russian stranded at the bottom of one of the steep climbs.

Towards the later part of the race Guarneri was involved in a fearsome tussle with Ken de Dycker, at one point putting a fantastic overtake on him while in mid air, but his challenge faded and he was forced to settle for 8th, one place ahead of his team mate Leok. The remaining CAS Honda rider, Gareth Swanepoel, also suffered technical difficulties and came over the line in 13th place.

The result saw 3 Honda riders in the overall top 10 classification and a best result of the season for Guarneri in 6th overall. The Italian is certainly starting to come good and looks like mounting further challenges to the podium throughout the second half of the season.

Davide Guarneri, LS Motors Honda
In the end not bad, I took more points today then at any time in the rest of the season but I am not happy about the second moto as I made many mistakes and chose the wrong lines in the early part of the race and did not find my rhythm. The first moto went well but it is not really my favourite kind of track. I prefer it when it is not so rutted. I do not have the agility because of my size, I work better when it is slippery. I am happy but I want more.

Tanel Leok, LS Motors Honda
It was ok but can be better. I was hampered by illness as I have tonsillitis and I began to get quite tired towards the end of the second moto. My starts were good. I like the track, it is my kind of track, quite physical and demanding. It was just a shame that I was not on top form.

Evegeny Bobryshev, CAS Honda
It wasn’t so good. I had a big crash on Saturday. I had good speed but made a mistake and I went down. Sunday there was a lot of rain and the first race was difficult, lots of ruts and slippy ruts that made it hard going. I was stiff on the bike and not relaxed and therefore did not have good speed. In the second race I was much better. I started to find good lines and was much faster. The bike had a problem when a stone took out the cables and the bike just stopped. It wasn’t such a good day but I am hoping to find more luck next time out.

Roger Harvey, Honda Off-road Manager
It’s been a hard track, very difficult conditions. Leok and Guarneri were riding excellently but could have probably gone better in the second moto. Guarneri is struggling a little bit with fitness but you can see the confidence growing and his smooth style is a pleasure to watch. Leok did well to battle against illness all weekend and I am sure he will be back stronger in Germany. The CAS guys had an unfortunate weekend with technical difficulties and Bobryshev has hit a bit of a difficult patch with crashes which is expected in his first season in MX1. The Martin boys were sad not be involved in MX1 but we just have to wait until Jimmy comes back which should be next time out in Teutschental.

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TOWNLEY NOTCHES SECOND HONDA CRF450R VICTORY IN TWO MEETINGS

A hot, breezy, fast and intense Grand Prix of USA at the challenging Glen Helen circuit in eastern California was the scene of the sixth round of fifteen in the 2010 FIM World Championship. Former MX2 world champ, current AMA title contender and GP wild-card, Ben Townley, expertly guided his CRF 450R across the finish line in first position for the second meeting in succession.

The Troy Lee Designs Lucas Oil Honda man claimed victory in the second moto at the first USGP since 1999 and first since 1992 at Glen Helen on Memorial Day weekend and in front of 16,000 spectators who braved unrelenting sunshine and temperatures in the low ‘30s.


The New Zealander – returning from several seasons plagued with injury – was in fine form as he escaped to victory in the second moto. Unfortunately he was left to curse his retirement in the first moto – as a consequence of bike damage sustained in a tussle with Mike Alessi while pushing for second spot – which ultimately put him out of the hunt for the overall win. Townley had to settle for 8th spot overall and question what could have been had he not suffered cruel luck first time out. The impressive Italian Antonio Cairoli took the overall win on his factory KTM 350 EX-F but can perhaps count himself lucky that Townley dropped out of the first moto, and out of contention for the overall win.
LS Motors Honda David Guarneri was also in good form and had a productive meeting. The Italian scored two top ten finishes for 7th overall and can take encouragement from his showing, particularly in the second moto where his pace – for virtually the entire 35 minute and 2 lap race – was on a par with the fight for 3rd spot just ahead of him on the track.


Ben Townley, Troy Lee Designs Lucas Oils Honda:
“It was awesome and a great feeling to win. It doesn’t matter what race it was but to beat the best people in the world – whether in America or Europe – is the goal I was aiming for. I am not anywhere near how could I can be and when that point arrives then it will be pretty cool. I felt like I had some of the old magic back a little bit after the qualification race yesterday and it come together today. Following Mike and Tony was not hard for me, so speed-wise I don’t have a problem.


Davide Guarneri, LS Motors Honda:
“It was a good GP. I have had some problems in the past with the really hot weather but today was not bad, I lost two positions on the last lap because I was completely finished. In the second moto I was keeping pace with Alessi and Cairoli; I did not start that strongly but was building my speed.”

Roger Harvey, Off-road Manager, Honda Motor Europe:
“It was great to see Ben Townley running at the speed we know he and the bike are capable of and it shows the good work the guys are doing in the US to have him competitive in the AMA one weekend and then winning here and beating the best in the world the next.”

Source: HondProRacing

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