Crescent Suzuki with newly signed Leon Camier will be testing for three days at Portimao starting next Monday. This will be Camier’s first test on the GSX-R1000 in preparation for the team’s World Superbike debut in 2012.

Unfortunately John Hopkins will not be present as he’s still recovering from his recent finger surgery following the massive infection that sent him back into the operating room. Hopkins will be replaced newly crowned British Supersport Champion Alastair Seeley.

The team will have a vast amount of items to go through during the test, including their current Suzuki engines as well as new Yoshimura partner’s engines and the electronics package.

Camier said, “I’m very excited to get out on the bike. There is a lot to test on the Crescent Suzuki and I’ll be getting to know the team. My focus will initially not be solely on lap times; at the minute it’s more about getting comfortable with the bike and having a good platform for the next test.” while Seeley commented, “I’m really excited about testing with Crescent Suzuki. It’s always interesting to see how things work with another team, plus it will be great to be back on a Superbike after a year in a different class.”

Continue reading: Leon Camier to test Crescent Suzuki at Portimao

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Crescent Suzuki will be moving to World Superbikes next season and have already signed up Leon Camier as one of their riders and now have announced that renowned Japanese tuning company Yoshimura will build, supply and develop the engines and exhaust systems for Crescent Suzuki’s GSX-R1000s.

Yoshimura engineers have already spent some time at the Crescent race headquarters in Verwood and evaluated the development already made with the 2011 engine and devolopment will continue to make the bikes even more competitive and the team will be testing later this month with Camier.

Yoshimura has had several of their own wildcard entries in World Superbikes, but this agreement with Crescent seems to exclude that the Japanese team will be entering the series anytime soon and it also seems that the British team will not be getting any factory support directly from the Japanese manufacturer.

“When Fujio and Yohei came to see me at the Japanese Grand Prix to discuss this partnership, it was clear that their passion and enthusiasm to work with Crescent Suzuki on the global stage was genuine and something they felt strongly about. For us as a team it is a significant level of assistance and a substantial boost to our performance potential. The Yoshimura company was built on engineering the best possible performance from engines and exhaust systems, and that principle has never changed. It is also very pleasing that the whole attitude to the project is of open communication and using the best combination of Yoshimura’s own concepts and ideas and those which already exist in the Crescent developed engine. Yoshimura is a global household name in the motorcycle industry and we are very proud that they have shown such trust in the Crescent Suzuki World Superbike team to partner us so closely, and for us to uphold their honour on the world stage.” said team owner Paul Denning.

Fujio Yoshimura (Owner, Yoshimura Japan): “We at Yoshimura greatly appreciate this collaboration and it will be our highest priority. Thanks to Paul (Denning) and Crescent Suzuki for trusting our engine tuning capabilities and our passion towards competing at the front of the 2012 WSBK Championship Series. We believe Crescent Suzuki has a record of structuring the best racing team in the BSB championship series, with very dedicated technical and supportive team members presenting the most competitive machinery and riders at all races. We hope that the partnership between Yoshimura and Crescent Suzuki will be the most perfectly matched racing team on the WSBK circuits!”

Source | worldsbk.com

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After announcing that they would be in World Superbikes in 2012 late last month, Crescent Suzuki has confirmed now Leon Camier as their first rider for their debut season.

The former 2009 British Superbike champion heads to the new team after spending his two seasons in World Superbikes with the Aprilia Alitalia factory team, where he went to the podium seven times in 52 race starts.

“I am absolutely thrilled and excited to be joining the Crescent team and with the opportunity to ride the GSX-R1000! My first two years in WSB have been tough but I’ve learnt a lot and had some good results to build on, so this is a great opportunity for me. I have met with Jack and Paul and it’s clear that the team’s attitude suits me perfectly. I feel we all have the same goals and I can’t wait to start testing.

“I’m really looking forward to the new season and I believe that the Suzuki GSX-R is certainly a very capable bike, especially with the technical plan the guys have in place. This is a fantastic chance for me to take the next step in my career and I’m very thankful to the guys at Crescent for giving me the opportunity,” said Camier, who will begin testing the GSX-R1000 later this month.

Continue reading: Leon Camier stays in World Superbikes and signs with Crescent Suzuki

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Max Biaggi will be returning to action in this weekend’s last round of the World Superbike season at Portimao. The Italian missed the last three crucial rounds due to a freak incident at Nurburgring that fractured his foot, which dropped him out of the title running against Carlos Checa, who lifted the 2011 crown at Magny Cours.

Even if he isn’t completely healed, Biaggi is making the effort to finish the season in style and try to repeat his 2010 double victory at the Portughese track, Carlos Checa permitting.

“I really hoped to get back onto the track quickly,” said the Aprilia Alitalia rider. “This is the first time in my career that I’ve missed races. Obviously my condition is not at 100%, but the desire to get onto the track in Portimao is very strong. The kind messages I received from my fans certainly helped to speed up my recovery! Portimao is a beautiful track, very demanding and spectacular. Last year I took the first double victory for myself and Aprilia, so we’ll know straight away during the Friday practice sessions what results we can aim for. I’ve worked as much as possible to recover muscle tone and to prepare as best I can.”

Team mate Leon Camier is also looking to end the season in style, in what will be his last race with the Aprilia factory team, as it is almost 99% certain that Eugene Laverty will be replacing him on the RSV4 next season.

Continue reading: Max Biaggi to return to action at Portimao

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The expected rain and cold hit the Miller Motorsports Park track right on schedule and qualifying practice 2 was a total washout, with the riders venturing out for a lap or two and then wisely electing to return to their garages and stare at the dark skies, hoping that this afternoon’s all important Superpole session will see a slight respite in weather conditions.

Lap times were naturally far from normal, some 16 seconds off pace with Leon Camier being the fastest rider in these treacherous conditions, with a 2.04.901 lap followed by Jakub Smrz, Leon Haslam, Carlos Checa, Sylvain Guintoli Max Biaggi, Tom Sykes, Ayrton Badovini and Jonatha Rea. Marco Melandri was the only rider to crash.

Out of the Superpole action will be Joan Lascorz, James Toseland, Mark Aitchison, Maxime Berger and Roberto Rolfo.

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It must have been a somewhat interesting day at the Mugello circuit yesterday, with Ducati finishing up testing on the GP12 with Franco Battaini and the Alitalia Aprilia was also there with Max Biaggi and Leon Camier doing some important development work ahead of next week’s WSBK round at the ‘Temple of Speed’ at Monza.

Aprilia can hardly wait to get to the legendary Italian track where Max Biaggi took a double win last year and started his roll to go on to win the 2010 title and the team is spending two days putting in laps on a new RSV4 spec engine and a new exhaust that can help Biaggi try to catch up with Carlos Checa in the standings.

For those of you who may not remember, Battaini and Biaggi also had some ‘history’ together, check out the video after the jump.

Continue reading: New Aprilia spec engine tested ahead of Monza round

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You’d think that after his antics and subsequent meltdown at Donington Park and being publically blasted every way but loose that the Roman Emperor would have learnt his lesson and mended his ways, but not Max Biaggi, the guy never changes.

The Aprilia Alitalia rider was even sporting a plucked chicken sticker on his Suomy helmet this weekend at Assen, to play off his disastrous weekend at Donington Park, but like they say a leopard can’t change his spots, and this time it was team mate Leon Camier to get the brunt of the Italian’s too well known behaviour to throw off other riders and again it happened during the Superpole session.

Check out what an angry Camier had to say in the video. Biaggi may be a top class World Champion, but he’s just aching to get his Italian ass kicked hard, and not on track.

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The World Superbike championship is returning to Donington Park this weekend for round two of this 2011 season after taking a year off due to important renovations to the track.

The Brit pack will be out in full force minus James Toseland, who will miss the first of two home races that take place in Great Britain after breaking his wrist during testing at the Motorland Aragon circuit last weekend.

Jonathan Rea should be fully recovered from his injuries picked up at Phillip Island last month and ready to take on points leader Carlos Checa, as is Leon Camier who’s over his debilitating bout of glandular fever, but is still taking it easy on the fitness side, not wanting a setback.

Leon Haslam should also perform well if his BMW won’t give him any problems as he knows the circuit like the back of his pocket, lives close by and his dad Ron runs a racing school at the Leicestershire circuit. Eugene Laverty will try to better his 4th and 15th place results after his debut in World Superbikes, while Tom Sykes will try to repeat his 2008 2nd place podium when he raced as a wildcard, but this time with his official Kawasaki.

For more from the Brits check out the video.

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After last week’s Aprilia celebration bash at Noale, Leon Camier has announced that he’ll be at the Aragon circuit in Spain next week to take part in the three-day unofficial tests.

Camier missed the final two rounds of the season after fracturing his scaphoid during qualifying at Nurburgring two months ago and after surgery and rehabilitation is ready to climb back on his RSV4 in preparation of the 2011 season.

“My wrist is pretty good now and I am all ready to go testing at Aragon next week. I have no more medical checks to do, and have been having a lot of physio on my wrist, trying to get more movement in it. But I need to get back on a bike to push it as far as I can; it is difficult to do any training to replicate that kind of use. The first test for us is not about trying any new things, and the bikes will be the same. It is about learning the new circuit, and seeing how my wrist is.”

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Leon Camier has decided not take part in final round of the 2010 World Superbike Championship that will be held this weekend at the Magny Cours circuit in France, after breaking his scaphoid during qualifying at Nurburgring.

Camier who also missed the Imola round after undergoing surgery to correct the fracture and is still doing rehabilitation and physiotherapy, prefers to sit out the next round to concentrate on full recovery before the start of winter testing.

“I’m obviously disappointed at not being able to race this weekend but I need to be sensible about the situation. I’d be taking a chance by coming back too early and risking further damage to the bone which could result in a long term problem, and it’s really not worth it. The team and I have made the decision together and agreed that it’s best to wait and focus now on our winter testing schedule.”

Camier, who last week signed a contract to continue with the factory Aprilia team next season, also talked about his WSBK rookie year: “It has been a real learning curve for me not only getting to grips with the bike, but also riding the circuits for the first time. I’ve loved working with the team and full credit to them for winning the Championship with Max. I’m obviously really pleased for both him and the team. I’m already looking forward to next season and can’t wait to get back on the bike. I intend to come back stronger than ever in 2011!”

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