Herve Poncharal must be in love with his rider Bradley Smith, because the French manager announced that the has signed a three-year agreement with the British youngster will continue to ride for his Moto2 team in 2012 and get this, the long term agreement also forsees that Smith will be in MotoGP in 2013 and 2014 with his Yamaha Tech3 squad.

Moto2 rookie Xavier Simeon (sponsored by RTL-Sport) has also received the confirmation that he’ll be staying with the French Moto2 team in 2012.

An estactic Bradley Smith said, “I am thrilled to have signed a three-year deal with the Tech 3 Racing Team and I am looking forward to continuing the excellent relationship we’ve developed in 2011. I have a fantastic relationship with Herve, my crew chief Tom Jojic and all my crew, who all have an amazing passion for racing. It is that dedication and desire to succeed that convinced me to join Tech 3 in 2011, so to be staying until the end of 2014 is the perfect scenario for me. There was never any doubt in my mind that Tech 3 would be the best option to develop my career. It has been flattering to have attracted interest from so many top teams in Moto2, but the opportunity to move to MotoGP in 2013 was simply too good for me to turn down. To think I’ll be riding a Yamaha 1000cc MotoGP bike just over a year from now is hard to believe. I’ve worked so hard for many years to earn the chance to be given an opportunity like this, and now it has come I intend to grab it with both hands. Tech 3 gave me the chance to move to MotoGP in 2012 and it was an honour to be even considered at this stage of my career. The decision to stay in Moto2 was one of the hardest of my life but I believe that together, we can be fighting at the front from the start of next season and pushing to challenge for the Championship.”

Continue reading: Bradley Smith gets three-year deal with Tech3 - to ride in MotoGP in 2013 and 2014

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Several Moto2 riders have been tipped to make the jump to MotoGP next season, like Marc Marquez, Andrea Iannone and Bradley Smith, however the 20-year old Brit has opted to spend another year in Moto2, as it would be more beneficial to him.

Speaking in his column on Crash.net, Smith wrote: “I’ve decided I will stay in the Moto2 World Championship and push really hard for the title next year. I have some options to consider but hopefully will be able to reveal my plans by the time we race in the next round at Aragon in Spain.

“Racing against the top guys both at Indianapolis and Misano made me realise just how much I’m learning and there is still so much more to come. At my age another year will really benefit my career and so MotoGP can wait although of course it’s my ultimate aim to ride in the greatest Championship in the World.”

Smith had been linked to make a vertical move to his squad’s Yamaha Tech3 MotoGP team to replace Colin Edwards who recently announced he’ll ride for Forward Racing’s CRT team next year, but with Smith backing off this will leave one less rider in contention for the highly fought over M1, which includes WSBK rider Eugene Laverty, Andrea Dovizioso (also linked to ride a 2nd Ducati for Aspar) and Randy de Puniet. Despite interest by Yamaha’s Lin Jarvis for Stefan Bradl, it seems that the German rider will be on a Honda RC213V next season.

Not making a move to MotoGP could also be Marc Marquez, as Emilio Alzamora has repeatedly denied that his rider/client Marc Marquez will be switching to the premier class next season and Andrea Iannone has also hinted of late he may be staying another for a third year in Moto2, despite the fact that his Speed Master team was accepted as one of the six CRT teams expected to debut in 2012.

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It looks like Colin Edwards doesn’t want to retire at the end of this MotoGP season and still wants to ride, but as he’s kind of getting long in the tooth for the very youngish MotoGP grid, and despite some good performances including a 3rd place podium at Silverstone a week after collarbone surgery, the 37-year old Texan could make a return to World Superbikes next year and try to take on oldies, but goldies Superbike leaders Carlos Checa (38) and Max Biaggi (40).

Edwards was poised to make the switch last season and was negotiating with Ducati Xerox until the Italian manufacturer decided to pull out their factory effort, while this time the American is in talks with the BMW Motorrad team, even though there may be other options as he revealed to GPWeek.

While the highly popular Edwards hopes to stay on with Yamaha Tech3 for another year, team owner Herve Poncharal has been inundated with requests from riders to take over Edwards M1. Current Moto2 points leader Stefan Bradl has been eyed by Yamaha’s head honcho Lin Jarvis very early on (unless the German rider ends up on Honda and with an all German team under Lucio Cecchinello’s watch) which could be an option as Yamaha would directly foot Bradl’s contract. English rider Bradley Smith could make the vertical move from Poncharal’s Moto2 team and team up with Cal Crutchlow which would make it popular with British fans and the BBC, as could Eugene Laverty.

The Northern Irishman had talks with the French manager at Brno, after losing his 2012 WSBK ride when Yamaha made their shock pullout announcement and is recorded as saying he’s “optimistic” about a MotoGP ride. Randy de Puniet is also rumored to make the switch to World Superbikes, and he’s always been on Poncharal’s wishlist, with the manager’s eye on the marketing appeal of a French rider in a French team to pull in more sponsors.

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17-year-old Marc Marquez has won the 2010 125cc World Championship with a smart and careful ride to fourth in the last race of the 2010 season at Valencia, which was won by Bradley Smith.

Marquez needed only an eighth place to cinch the title, controlled his position in the race and even let one of his title contenders, Pol Espargaro take his third position on the 9th lap and then he coasted for the rest of the race to grab the title.

Bradley Smith in his last race in the 125cc series before switching to Moto2 next year, dominated the race from the first turn to take his first win of the season and the third of his career and breaking the Spanish brigade dominion in the series for the first time since 2009

Second went to Espargaro, who will also be in Moto2 in 2011 and third to Nico Terol who will remain with the Aspar team in the last season 125cc season before Moto3 takes it’s place in 2012.

Marquez is the youngest Spaniard to have won the title with ten victories this season and was on pole position 12 times equalling Mick Doohan’s 1997 record number of poles and the youngest ever rider to win five successive Grand Prix races.

Continue reading: 125cc Valencia: Bradley Smith wins and Marc Marquez claims title

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Herve Poncharal’s Moto2 Tech3 team will be completely changing it’s rider line-up next season. The French manager has announced he’ll be fielding Bradley Smith and Mike di Meglio in 2011, dropping both Raffaele di Rosa and Yuki Takahashi.

Bradley Smith will be moving up from the 125cc class to debut in Moto2, while Mike di Meglio, the 2008 125 cc World Champion raced for for Aspar’s (first RSV then Suter) Moto2 team this season. Smith is currently fourth in his championship, while di Meglio is 20th in the Moto2 rankings.

Smith will begin his preparations for the 2011 season immediately after the final round in Valencia next weekend, making his debut on Monday, November 8 and Yamaha Tech3 veteran Colin Edwards is expected to take some timeout from his MotoGP testing, to give some precious feedback on the new 2011 Mistral chassis Moto2 bike.

Continue reading: Poncharal changes Moto2 line-up in 2011 with Smith and Di Meglio

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We like to follow the up-and-coming racing careers of those race ‘brats’ who would like to follow the tracks of their famous fathers. We’ve got the Rossi’s, the Roberts’, the Haslam’s, the Nieto’s, the Pons’ and several other racing families and we’ve also got Dakota, the 15 year old son of the iconic Randy Mamola.

Dakota won his first race last year in Valencia racing in Metrakit 125cc Pre-GP Campeonato Mediteraneo de Velocidad (Mediterranean Championship) with team Monlau, and this year will contest in twelve races in the British 125cc GP Championship and in several races in Spain.

Mamola will race for Team KRP, founded and managed by Mark Keen and supported by this year’s 125cc runner up Bradley Smith.Dakota’s team mate will be Taylor Mackenzie (Red Bull Rookies Cup) and son of another famous GP rider and 3 times BSB champion, Niall Mackenzie.

Continue reading: Dakota Mamola to race in British 125cc Championship

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It can’t be easy being the son of what the world once considered the most exciting and charismatic Grand Prix motorcycle racers of his generation, but Dakota Mamola, the 15-year-old son of four-time 500cc World Championship runner-up Randy Mamola, is trying to live up to his famous name and on Sunday took his first ever win.

In the final round of the Metrakit 125cc Pre-GP Campeonato Mediteraneo de Velocidad (Mediterranean Championship) at Valencia, the red headed youngster who looks like Bradley Smith’s kid brother was 17th on a grid of 42 riders, took off like a rocket and found himself fifth at the first corner and despite rain swept conditions managed to take his first win.

Riding for the Monlau Team run by Emilio Alzamora, the former 125cc World Champion, Mamola junior races in two different championships. Dakota also saw the podium when he finished third last March in the Pre-125 class of the Campionats de Catalunya de Motociclisme at the Catalunya circuit.

Dakota who speaks English, French, Spanish and Catalan (how many 15 year olds do you know that speak four languages) is sponsored by Monster Energy, Arai helmets, and Alpinestars leathers.

Source | mcn and dakota mamola facebook

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Julian Simon won his fifth race of the 125cc season with a spectacular last lap pass at Phillip Island on Bradley Smith and won the 2009 125cc World Championship title with two races to spare.

Simon, who was third on the grid, after the first lap found himself in eighth position had to work his way down the field to catch his rivals. Smith took the lead on lap 10 and on lap 13 Simon caught up with Smith and the two team mates put up an exciting duel.

With Smith in the lead on the last lap, Simon dived up the inside at the MG turn and took the win. Sandro Cortese took an excellent third place after he was 17th at the end of the first lap.

Continue reading: 125 cc Julian Simon Wins Race and Title - Last Lap Video

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125cc rider Bradley Smith who is currently third in the championship and Formula One championship leader Jenson Button aren’t going to take each other on two wheels or four, but they’re going to to compete in the Mazda London Triathlon on August 2nd . Smith is going to raise money for Riders for Health, the official charity of MotoGP while Button is doing his bid for the Make A Wish Foundation, a charity which supports children and young people fighting life-threatening illnesses.

Riders for Health is an organisation that is dedicated to reaching communities in rural Africa with health care on a regular basis by giving health care workers access to reliable motorcycles and four-wheeled vehicles so predictable health care reaches even the most isolated communities

The London triathlon (multi-discipline endurance event where the competitor has to demonstrate proficiency in running, swimming and cycling) is the largest in the world, and Smith challenged Button after they met at Silverstone during the British F1 Grand Prix where Smith, in recognition of his achievement of being the first British rider in three decades to lead any Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship, was attending as a guest of Bernie Ecclestone.

MAP Raceways Yamaha rider Billy McConnell will also be joining Smith and Jenson. McConnell will be doing the trialthon for his favourite charity Get Kids Going, which raises money to buy sporting equipment for disabled children.

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The greatest road race festival in the world, the Tourist Trophy will be roaring back into life from Saturday May 30th until Friday June 12th, and you can check out their 2009 promo video.

MotoGP star Valentino Rossi will present at the Isle of Man on June 6th, and will do a parade lap before the Dainese Superbike race on a Yamaha R1 together with Grand Prix legend Giacomo Agostini who raced and won 10 TT races when the course was part of the World Championship series.

Bradley Smith, the English 125cc rider who won his first race at Jerez this year, will also be visting the famed Isle for the Dainese Superbike event and will be presenting prizes after the race.

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In almost every Grand Prix season some rider breaks a certain record and this year was no different. We’re not talking about Valentino Rossi’s 373 points earned in just one season or Casey Stoner’s circuit breaking lap records, but the number of crashes. 876 to be precise.

Between free practices, qualifying and races, the 125cc, 250cc and Motogp series logged up this amazing but frightening number. This is an average of 48 crashes for each race weekend. It is however true that this was the wettest season in the history of the series, with 16 out of 18 GP’s having at least one day of rain in the official three days.

Who heads the list of the most crashes in 2008? Randy DePuniet with 22 crashes in Motogp, Mattia Pasini and Karel Abraham with an equal but unenviable record of 23 in the 250cc class, Bradley Smith and Jules Cluzel who share 19 each in 125cc’s.

Crash stats numbers for the past seasons in the next part of the post:

Continue reading: 2008 Grand Prix Crash Record

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