Leading US based lubricant company Bel-Rey has confirmed a three-year partnership deal with Team Aspar to supply the oil to Aspar’s MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 teams.

For the 2012 racing season, Team Aspar will consist of Hector Faubel and Alberto Moncayo in Moto3, Toni Elias and Nico Terol in Moto2 and Aleix Espargaro and Randy de Puniet in MotoGP.

“Bel-Ray has a long history in the Spanish market, supplying the most technically advanced lubricants throughout the Powersports industry,” said Bel-Ray Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Liquori. “We are thrilled to align with Team Aspar, and their similar history of performance, integrity and winning. We look forward to a long partnership, filled with success.”

“It is very important for us to have the collaboration of a sponsor as prestigious as Bel-Ray. I am sure that this union will be mutually beneficial. Team Aspar will continue to be the biggest private team in the World Championship next season, with a presence in Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP classes. Bel Ray will support us in all three classes. The fact that the Team Aspar has international sponsors shows that we are doing a good job, that our hard work is of interest outside of our homeland and that allying oneself with Team Aspar is synonymous with success,” said
Aspar Team Owner, Jorge Martínez.

Bel-Rey also signed a two-year partnership agreement World Superbike team Althea Ducati last December

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Althea Ducati’s Carlos Checa and team owner Genesio Bevilacqua were more or less complaining that the twin cylindered Ducati’s are struggling against the four cylinders and they were lacking in acceleration and top speed and the current rules are penalizing the twins, and believe us here in Italy this isn’t exactly breaking news.

Former Xerox Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi, before switching over the BMW team, used to moan about the same thing, at least twice a year and usually on certain tracks especially when his former team got their butts kicked.

After his victory in Australia, Checa asked for a faster bike, but Ducati’s Ernesto Marinelli told the private team that they already had the max on the current technical development of the Ducati (electronics excluded). The problem is that satellite teams run different rpm on their 1198’s. The factory team Ducati’s reaches 12,800 and are checked over every 400-500 km, while the Althea team engine’s are limited to 12,200 and revisioned after 800 km. Jakub Smrz of the B&G team has a standard 2009 1198 (and no ride by wire) that is blocked at 11,700rpm and his engine gets revisioned after 1200 km.

Continue reading: The Usual Ducati Superbike Lament - The Twins are Penalized

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Freezing temperatures and rain showers hampered the second day of private testing at Valencia. The Aprilia team even packed in early and won’t be testing tomorrow, because Max Biaggi and Leon Camier will be in Montecarlo for Piaggio’s European Dealers Convention.

“Unfortunately this time the weather was against us,” declared Max Biaggi, “and this could be a problem because we didn’t get the confirmation we were looking for. In addition our rivals will also be testing tomorrow, when it’s expected to be sunny. Now the situation is a bit more complicated, we’ll be testing in Australia before the race, but if there are any problems then it will be too late to do anything. I’m still optimistic however because I have every confidence in the work of the Aprilia engineers“.

Xerox Ducati rider Noriyuki Haga completed 19 laps, while team mate Michel Fabrizio did about four before heading back to his garage. Shane Byrne and Carlos Checa riding their Althea Ducati’s also did a handful of laps before calling it quits.

Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus each managed about 10 laps with very high lap times on their BMW S 1000 RR and they too decided that riding in today’s weather wouldn’t produce any decent testing.

Aprilia won’t be on track tomorrow, while Ducati, BMW, Althea Ducati and Team Pata (Borciani-Guandalini) will try to get some testing done, weather permitting.

Source | wsbk

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It looks like Shane Byrne is going to be leaving Marco Borciani’s Team Sterilgarda BRC Racing and is heading towards Althea Ducati in 2010.

The British rider had been spotted entering the Althea Honda (before switching to Ducati ) truck during the Portimao weekend and apparantly the rider is about to close a deal with Genesio Bevilacqua’s Italian team according to MCN.

Althea decided to switch marques for the upcoming 2010 World Superbike season and announced that they wanted another rider after signing up veteran Spanish rider Carlos Checa. Ducati Corse is keen on keeping Byrne on one of their satellite bikes and could help in finalizing the deal.

Byrne’s finished eighth in this year’s standings, after a lacklustre 2009 season begining came back very strong during the second half, taking second place at Misano and several fourth places.

UPDATED

Althea Racing has confirmed signing Shane Byrne. More after the jump.

Continue reading: WSBK: Shane Byrne to Althea Ducati?

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