Two separate overseas web sites are reporting that Andrea Dovizioso has signed for Tech III Yamaha for next year, replacing Colin Edwards.
KTM has confirmed that they will be entering Moto3 next year as an engine supplier and are also looking at some wild-card entries into WSBK in 2012 with a view to a full campaign in 2013.
Eugene Laverty, who was hopeful of snaring the second Tech III Yamaha seat has now been linked with a move to Aprilai in WSBK replacing the fast, but unreliable Leon Camier.
Hector Barbera has been operated on yesterday for a multiple fracture of his collarbone and will miss Phillip Island. His place is being taken by Taree’s Damian Cudlin, his second MotoGP gig in a fortnight, but this time with a much more professional team.
With Dovi’s impending switch to the dark side in 2012, LCR have lost their # draft pick. They are now courting Randy de Puniet or John Hopkins. It makes you realise just how shallow the gene pool is when this is their two best choices. Do I sniff a move to MotoGp by Marc Marquez a year sooner than expected? He could easily serve his apprenticeship in the satellite squad and move up to the full Repsol gig in 2013.
Tony Elias will finally say goodbye to MotoGp (the guy’s had more comebacks than Nellie Melba) and has already been linked to a WSBK ride with one of the Italian Ducati squads.
I had a great morning this morning at the annual Maxpower Angel Flight Barbeque. Steve and Nat run it every year to raise funds for this very worthy charity and it’s always worth the run up to the northern suburbs. This morning the John Sample group had a fleet of new Aprilias and Moto Guzzis for the punters to evaluate and they sure got their fair share of attention. Funnily enough, though, with a crowd of predominantly sports-bike riding attendees, the bike that got the most attention by a huge margin was the gorgeous Moto Guzzi V7 Racer. This is definitely a “dream garage” candidate.