While most riders are still in training and preparing for the 2013 official tests to take place Moto2 rider Anthony West was in Qatar taking part in the second round of the Qatar International Road Racing championship, where not only did he qualify in pole position with a Suzuki GSX-R 1000 he also won both races of the double header from start to finish with a comfortable margin.

Also partecipating as a wildcard in the race as part of his Middle East promotional tour was MotoGP rookie Bradley Smith who finished second in race 1 and DNF’d in race two due to mechanical issues on his Yamaha YZF-R1.

Anthony West: ‘I had a good feeling and I tried to keep my rhythm and stand on the track as there was a horrible wind all day. I am happy that I didn’t had to fight too much because I got a good gap with the rest’

Bradley Smith: ‘I had some clutch problems and my start was not good. I made a mistake in the first laps and I run off the track so I lost time to be back. Then I had a good battle with Alex and I hope to resolve the problems in the clutch and be closer to West in second race.‘

Even if the Australian rider was already on the provisional 2013 Moto2 entry list, he officially renewed his contract with the Qatari team following his double victory at Losail.

Continue reading: Anthony West wins second round of QIRRCH and renews Moto2 contract

It looks like that Anthony West will not be appealing against the 30-day ban that he received from the FIM after testing positive to Methylhexanamine after the French GP last May, as QMMF has announced that Indonesian rider, 17-year old Rafid Topan Sucipto will be replacing him in this weekend’s final Moto2 round at Valencia.

Topan has no experience in Moto2 as he debuted this season in Asia Road Racing Championship Supersport 600cc class with the Yamaha Indoprom TJM Yamalube KYT team and is currently 16th, after winning the Indonesian national Novice championships in 2007 and 2008 and the Expert title in 2009 and in 2011 won the Underbone title in the Asia Road Racing Championship.

QMMF had already decided to field a young Indonesia rider in 2013 next to West - dropping Elena Rosell - as confirmed by Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycling Federation (QMMF) after the Phillip Island GP, where West scored his second straight podium, so Valencia may actually be Topan’s audition for a full-time ride in Moto2.

Photo source | asiaroadracing.com

QMMF rider Anthony West has received a one month ban for doping. The Australian who scored a second place podium in last weekend’s Moto2 race at Phillip Island, was found positive for the use of methylhexaneamine after the Le Mans round last May.

West had now been stripped of his 7th place result obtained in the race and will also have to miss the final Moto2 round of the season at Valencia, unless he appeals with International Tribunal of Appeal (TIA) within 5 days from the notification of the decision.

Methylhexaneamine is considered a stimulant on the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) Prohibited List, but it is often contained in nasal decongestants (imagine having a very runny nose when you’re racing) but it is also used as a dietary supplement to lose weight and/or control weight.

Taller and heavier riders have been forced to lose weight in recent years to help them cope with smaller machines and relative fuel consumption issues against the wave of featherweight riders coming through the ranks.

As part of their Ride Clean Campaign, FIM stepped up their anti-doping controls back in 2010 with riders subject to random testing if they were not part of the ADAMS program, and they also held anti-doping fact meetings for both the MotoGP and World Superbike paddocks last season.

FIM press release after the jump.

Continue reading: Anthony West gets one month ban for doping

The start of the Moto2 race at Sepang was delayed after the circuit was hit by a torrential rain shower that flooded the track with zero visibility during the Moto3 podium, that saw Sandro Cortese crowned the World Champion.

The rain abated and some sun started to shine as the riders took to track with rain tires and wet gear as the asphalt began to slowly dry out as once again the weather conditions gave fans a thrilling and totally unexpected podium with Malaysian wildcard Hafizh Syahrin inflaming the numerous fans, as Marc Marquez crashed out unable to re-start, while closest rival Pol Espargaro was unable to capitalize on Marquez’s DNF as he finished only 11th.

Alex de Angelis was assigned his first victory of the 2012 season in the wild and crazy race that was halted on the 17th lap with another massive downpour hitting the circuit just as Gino Rea had grabbed the lead from de Angelis before the race was finally stopped. With the countback, de Angelis took the win with Anthony West claiming second ahead of Gino Rea, as both took their first ever Moto2 podiums.

Continue reading: Alex de Angelis wins wet and wild Sepang Moto2 race as Marc Marquez crashes

QMMF’s Moto2 GP riders Anthony West and Elena Rosell will be competing in the upcoming 8 Hours of Doha at Losail, Qatar for the second round of the FIM Endurance World Championship and will be switching from their 600cc Honda -Moriwaki’s to riding Suzuki GSX-R 1000s.

The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation willl field two teams in the Superstock category, their QERT 95 team will be formed by Nasser Al Malki, Anthony West and Nina Prinz, with Al Malki and Prinz having taken part in last year’s event, while their QERT 96 team that fielded an all female line-up in 2011 (Prinz, Cazzola, Kovacs) instead will be fielding Al Sulati, Elena Rosell and Sultan Al Kuwari.

The 8 Hours of Doha will start on Saturday June 9th at 5 pm.

Moto2 QMMF racing team has decided to axe Damian Cudlin just five days before the start of the 2012 season in Qatar after his IRTA test at Jerez which saw him languish down on the timesheets between 29th and 30th (team mate Elena Rosell did worse) and will be replacing him with Anthony West.

This is the same West that struggled all pre-season to find a ride after being dropped by Speed Master’s MotoGP (CRT) team when he couldn’t find the budget to race until he finally hooked up with soon-to-be debuting Supersonic BMW team in British Superbikes, leaving them with only Patrick Muff as a rider in next week’s season opener at Brands Hatch, while Cudlin will be able fall back on the Endurance championship with BMW Motorrad France.

“It’s great to be back in Grand Prix racing, with a team that operates on such a highly professional level and with the support of Moriwaki, one of the most experienced and highly regarded manufacturers. We haven’t had the chance to go through the pre-season preparations together, so we can’t expect miracles at the team’s home Grand Prix of Qatar next week. But I’m really excited about this opportunity and I’ll push to the maximum to get the best possible result. My goal is and always has been Grand Prix Racing. I am sorry to turn my back on the BMW Supersonic Team, who gave me the chance to continue my career. At the same time, I am happy they understand my decision and I wish them all the best for this season,” said West.

Source | bikesportnews.com

After being dumped by MotoGP CRT Speed Master team because he couldn’t find the necessary funding and then passed over by Swan Yamaha to replace the injured Ian Hutchinson by the much more popular Noriyuki Haga, Anthony West has found a home in newbie British Superbike team Supersonic Racing.

Supersonic Racing just earlier this week announced they would be joining the highly competitive British series and using BMW S1000RR bikes that will supplied by BMW Motorrad Italia and adapted for the new BSB technical regulations (click here to see the video with the new technical regulations).

Joining West in Danilo Soncini’s team will be Switzerland’s formerSuperbike champion Patric Muff, who debuted last season in the BSB Evo class with Tyco Racing, after a stint in the IDM and the endurance championship with Bolliger Team Switzerland.

Continue reading: Anthony West and Patric Muff to ride for Supersonic Racing

Can anyone be as unlucky as Anthony West? The Australian rider lost his Speed Master MotoGP ride to Mattia Pasini when he couldn’t come up with the funding and now it looks like he’s lost another ride, but this time in British Superbikes to Noriyuki Haga.

Apparently West was on the verge of finding a ride in British Superbikes and it seemed he was to replace the recently injured Ian Hutchinson in Swan Yamaha, but rumors from the British press now have it that World Superbike drop out Haga-san could be taking up that vacancy.

Could this be why Haga, who is still updating his personal website has just recently changed the photo from his last ride on an Aprilia RSV4 to his old Yamaha R7?

It looks like Anthony West has changed his mind regarding retiring from motorcycle racing. The Australian was dropped by Speed Master’s CRT team after he couldn’t come up the sponsorship money to fund his MotoGP ride late last month - they’ve already replaced him with Mattia Pasini - and bitterly added that he would be likely ” not race any more and will return to australia to find a normal job. Sorry to my fans.”

This sad comment has probably touched a couple team owner’s hearts because West is now claiming that he has received offers to continue riding and is currently thinking them over:

“To keep people up to date, I have had some offers to ride BSB, AMA, IDM and endurance racing. Of course I want to be in GP but all rides are taken and same in WSBK. I’m just looking for the best way to go, and a team that can win. And I will start now to try to raise the money to come back into GP or WSBK for 2013.”

If you were in West’s shoes would you choose the highly popular BSB that helped rejuvenate John Hopkins or the AMA and try to be become the next Mat Mladin?

Source | bikesportnews.com

After Anthony West’s announcement that he would no longer be riding for Speed Master’s CRT team as he couldn’t find a sponsorship to fund his MotoGP ride, Speed Master officially announced that Mattia Pasini would be taking his place.

Apparently Pasini who just recently announced that he too was having the same problems in finding a sponsor and a ride (he was tipped to be riding for Moto2 team Stop and Go) has found the necessary funding, and being friends with Andrea Iannone, whose father Regalino owns the team and also being buddies with Valentino Rossi and his BFF, Alessio ‘Uccio’ Salucci who also works in Speed Master, probably also helped pave the way.

Pasini’s racing career has had its ups and downs, but Ducati’s Filippo Preziosi described him as a ‘natural talent’ after letting him test back in 2009, the Desmosedici for three days at the Mugello.

Press Release after the jump:

Continue reading: Mattia Pasini takes Anthony West's place in Speed Master's MotoGP team