Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez for the second year running will have teams in all three classes in Grand Prix racing and yesterday at the “Casa Encendida” in Madrid officially presented his 2011 rider line-up and liveries.

Martinez is able to run six riders thanks to Mapfre who has doubled their sponsorship backing and the entry of Bankia, the new name of twelve Spanish savings banks that were fused together last November and is sponsoring Aspar’s 125cc team.

Continuing with Hector Barbera in MotoGP and in Moto2 with Julian Simon second in the 2010 overall standings, who is teamed up with Javier Fores, reigning CEV Stock Extreme champion who took part in three Moto2 wild card rides last season. In 125 on the Aprilia RSA’s will be Nico Terol, Hector Faubel and Adrian Martin, who recently was signed by the team.

“For the second consecutive year we are present in all classes of the Championship, I’m very proud of this. It’s a great challenge, we are all involved and we always give our best to move forward. We must say thanks to our sponsors as Mapfre, Spain’s leading insurance company and Bankia, the first national bank of Spain,” said Martinez. “I think that we will be successful in Moto2 and 125 in 2011 and we’re aiming at the titles, while in MotoGP with one year of experience we’re aiming for the top ten, and gaining the most points at every race and when possible, the top five. We are an all Spanish team with six riders, almost all of them from Valencia, it’s a great responsibility .”

....

0 comments

All the MotoGP teams have arrived in Malaysia and are already set up and ready to roll for the beginning of the official three day test that kicks off tomorrow.

Hector Barbera twittered these photos of his Ducati Desmosedici GP11 from the track, informing his fans that “El color es sorpresa,pero ya os digo que le queda precioso!y no,no es amarilla!:)” so the livery on his Aspar Racing Ducati bike will no longer be the distinctive yellow of the Páginas Amarillas (yellow pages) he used last year, and that we’ll be getting a surprise on the color.

After Valentino Rossi’s leathers and Ducati livery, anything can only be an improvement.

Source | motoblog.it

....

0 comments

Another piece of MotoGP’s 2011 silly season has fallen into place, Hector Barbera has extended his contract with Aspar for a second season.

Barbera joined the Aspar Team for the 2010 season after Alvaro Bautista, who was groomed throughout his career by Aspar Martinez decided to sign with Rizla Suzuki for two years. The Paginas Amarillas rider is currently twelfth after eleven rounds, with 54 points.

In the lower classes Barbera was known for his reckless and erratic behaviour and his battles on track with Marco Simoncelli filled the Spanish papers, however the jump to MotoGP has calmed the Spaniard down (despite criticisms that he has a tendency to try to catch tows and slow down the faster riders) and he has scored points in all the rounds except at Laguna Seca, where he had to pull out when the chain of his Ducati came off during the third lap.

Continue reading: Hector Barbera renews with Aspar MotoGP Team

....

0 comments

Alex de Angelis needs to make a pilgrimage to our Lady of Lourdes Sanctuary, because the Sammarinese rider after an innocent look crash has picked up a slight fracture to one of his lower verbrae and has been ruled out of tomorrow’s Moto2 race.

This is the second time that De Angelis has missed a race after crashing and the circuit doctors refusing to let him ride and in three races so far, has finished only one.

Ben Spies after this morning’s highside re-hurt his left ankle (ligament damage) that he injured at Le Mans, the Tech3 rider has a fractured malleolus (the rounded protuberance) he is expected to take part in today’s qualifying with no pain killers.

Hector Barbera’s sliding lowside in FP2 left the Spaniard a deep abrasion to his right forearm, but he’ll be riding.

....

0 comments

In the last ever 250cc race in motorcycling GP history saw Hiroshi Aoyama crowned the 2009 World Champion.
In an action packed, full of ‘mistakes’race it was Hector Barbera who actually won the race at Valencia.

Aoyama made the first mistake on lap 10 battling with the lead group and he tried an inside pass over braked and when for a long ride in the gravel trying to keep control and not fall over, he would then return to the race in 11th, a position that would let him take the title, even if closest rival Marco Simoncelli should win the race.

Simoncelli, was leading when Aoyama went off track, but the Japanese rider could breathe a sigh of relief when Simoncelli crashed out on lap 21. The Italian managed to save himself when his Gilera hit the white line, but just 30 meters later his front would fold and Simoncelli would slide into the kitty litter, handing Aoyama automatically the world title.

Continue reading: 250cc Valencia - Barbera wins and Aoyama is World Champion

....

0 comments

Hiroshi Aoyama who turned 28 today, gave himself a fantastic birthday gift by winning today’s 250cc race at Sepang, putting one hand firmly on the World title with a 21 point lead.

Aoyama took off from first on the grid, but it was Jules Cluzel who go the holeshot and Marco Simoncelli who barreled out of his eighth place to take third while Aoyama dropped back to fourth after a mistake at the Langkwai. Simoncelli took the lead on lap three.

Cluzel would crash on lap 10 while the battle between Aoyama and Simoncelli continued with Hector Barbera sneaking up on the pair.

Aoyama took the lead on lap 15 and began to pull away. Within another two laps the Japanese rider already had a three-second lead while Barberá began his battle with Simoncelli.

Aoyama crossed the finish line with a 6.397s advantage while second place would be decided a photo finish between Simoncelli and Barbera, The Race Direction declared that it was a dead heat, but Barbera was awarded 2nd because of a faster race lap.

Simoncelli’s third place gave Aoyama another four points extending his lead to 21 points before the season final at Valencia in two weeks time. Aoyama needs just an 11th place to take the 2009 250cc World Championship.

....

1 comment

Three Repsol riders, Dani Pedrosa, Hector Barbera and and off road racer and Dakar winner Marc Coma took advantage of a long break to try their talents in mountain climbing by taking part in the Desafío Extremo - Extreme Challenge offered by Jesús Calleja to climb Mont Blanc (4.810 mt), the highest mountain in The Alps.

Since none of the riders have almost any experience in mountaineering, they are being closely supervised and coached. Last Wednesday, Coma and Barbera and the rest of the team went to the Aigüille du Midi at 3.842 mt. where they spent the day getting acclimatised and on Thursday to Mer de Glace glacier, to learn how to use crampons, ice axes and screws and the twin rope system.

As a cold front coming down from the Artic willing be hitting the area on Tuesday, the team will to try to make the final ascent today.

Source | motograndprix

....

0 comments

When Jorge “Aspar” Martinez finally got his chance to field a team in MotoGP, his first pick was 250cc rider Alvaro Bautista who turned his back on a satellite Ducati Desmosedici ride preferring to sign up with Suzuki for the next two years.

With a need of a Spanish rider to pacify his sponsor, Martinez turned to his second choice Héctor Barberá, who has his own personal sponsorship backing.

Speculation had it that Barberà had already signed at Brno, immediately after Bautista confirmed his deal with Suzuki, but it was only today that Martinez confirmed that Barberà has signed a one year contract with his team, with a further option for 2011.

The feisty Spanish rider is currently fourth in the 250cc standings and his name was one of the many linked to a Yamaha Tech 3 ride during silly season.

....

0 comments

The MotoGP silly season game has become so popular that now we have a new player, Héctor Barberà.

Barberà currently rides for Pepe World Team in the 250cc series and he too wants to make the jump to the premier class in 2010, together with Alvaro Bautista and the much hated Marco Simoncelli.

According to website motociclismo.es the Spanish rider has offers from Honda Gresini and Yamaha Tech 3.

Continue reading: More Silly Season - Barberà gets offers from Gresini and Poncharal

....

0 comments

The Pons Racing WRB team managed by Sito Pons has signed rider Hector Barbera to head their new 250cc team in 2009 championship. Barbera will ride an Aprilia RSA and will continue to be sponsored by the Spanish company Globalia through their brand Pepe. The Spanish rider will work with the same team that he had in 2008, including crew chief Rossano Brazzi.

“I’m also very happy to have the opportunity to work together with Sito. He won two 250cc titles and he knows more about this game than anybody. I am convinced his experience can help me grow as a rider. I am just starting my rehabilitation now and I´m sure next year can be an incredible one for everybody involved” stated the rider.

Barbera, who is currently recuperating from two fractured vertebra sustained during free practice in Motegi and despite missing the last four races of the year, ended the 2008 season sixth in the general classification, having earned two poles and four podiums.

Source | Motociclismo.es

....

0 comments