2004 / Silly Season thread

[Kojima_KE007]

Originally posted by ASCII Man
Well, are there any pictures of Rossi on the Yamaha yet?

Honda, Yamaha ans Suzuki's first test of the year is scheduled on 24, 25, and 26 January at Sepang.

[Alex K]

BTW. Kurtis Roberts and Nobu Aoki in at Proton Team KR (Kenny Roberts team). Still no conf. on tyres: Michelins or Dunlops...

Moriwaki wants to ride in five races this year with their MD211VF

[racer69]

Haga supposedly to sign with Renegade Ducati for the World Superbike Championship alongside Leon Haslam. Where does that leave Michael Rutter?

Then again, Haga has also been rumoured to have been talking to Ten Kate about a second Fireblade alongside Vermuelen.

Admittedly they will mostly be Ducati's, but with all the serious Ducati outfit's having 999s, Toseland vs Laconi vs McCoy vs Haga should be good to watch.

ANyone know what Andrew Pitt is up to?

[chunder]

Haga has signed with Renegade alongside Leon and it looks like Michael Rutter may ride for the Honda GB team aboard the new Blade as Plater has gone back to Virgin Yamaha.
Not sure if they are gonna have a two bike team eiethr with the new Blade.
Perhaps he might sign for ETI, maybe be announced at teh show in Ally Pally this weekend.

[x_dt]

(source: http://www.motogp.com)

MotoGP
3. Max Biaggi (ITA) Honda, Camel Pramac Honda Pons
6. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Honda, Camel Pramac Honda Pons
7. Carlos Checa (SPA) Yamaha, Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha
9. Nobuatsu Aoki (JPN) Proton KR, Proton Team KR
10. Kenny Roberts (USA) Suzuki, Suzuki Grand Prix Team
11. Ruben Xaus (SPA) Ducati, D'Antin MotoGP
12. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Ducati, Ducati Marlboro Team
15. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Honda, Telefonica Movistar Honda
21. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki, Suzuki Grand Prix Team
33. Marco Melandri (ITA) Yamaha, Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3
45. Colin Edwards (USA) Honda, Telefonica Movistar Honda
46. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha, Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha
50. Neil Hodgson (GBR) Ducati, D'Antin MotoGP
56. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki, Kawasaki Racing Team
65. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, Ducati Marlboro Team
66. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki, Kawasaki Racing Team
67. Shane Byrne (GBR) Aprilia, Aprilia Racing
69. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda, Repsol Honda
80. Kurtis Roberts (USA) Proton KR, Proton Team KR
99. Jeremy McWilliams (GBR) Aprilia, Aprilia Racing

250cc
2. Roberto Rolfo (ITA) Honda, Fortuna Honda
6. Alex Debon (SPA) Honda, Troll Honda BQR
7. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Aprilia, LCR
8. Naoki Matsudo (JPN) Yamaha, Yamaha Kurz
9. Hugo Marchand (FRA) Aprilia, Zoppini Abruzzo
10. Alfonso Nieto (SPA) Aprilia, Repsol - Aspar Team
11. Joan Olive (SPA) Aprilia, Campetella Racing
14. Anthony West (AUS) Aprilia, Team Zoppini Abruzzo
15. Christian Gemmel (GER) Honda, Kiefer Castrol - Honda Racing
16. Johan Stiegefelt (SWE) Aprilia, Aprilia Germany
19. Sebastian Porto (ARG) Aprilia, Repsol - Aspar Team
21. Franco Battaini (ITA) Aprilia, Campetella Racing
23. Gino Borsoi (ITA) Aprilia, Racing World
24. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda, Fortuna Honda
25. Alex Baldolini (ITA) Aprilia, Matteoni Racing
26. Daniel Pedrosa (SPA) Honda, Telefonica Movistar Junior Team
28. Dirk Heidolf (GER) Aprilia, Aspar Junior Team
33. Hector Faubel (SPA) Aprilia, Aspar Junior Team
34. Eric Bataille (FRA) Honda, Troll Honda BQR
50. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Aprilia, Campetella Racing
51. Alex de Angelis (RSM) Aprilia, Aprilia Racing
54. Manuel Poggiali (RSM) Aprilia, Aprilia Racing
57. Chaz Davies (GBR) Aprilia Aprilia Germany
73. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Honda, Telefonica Movistar Junior Team
96. Jakub Smrz (CZE) Honda, Arie Molenaar Racing

125cc
3. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aprilia, Seedorf Racing
6. Mirko Giansanti (ITA) Aprilia, Matteoni Racing
7. Stefano Perugini (ITA) Gilera, Gilera Racing Team
10. Julian Simon (SPA) Aprilia, Angaia Racing
11. Mattia Angeloni (ITA) Aprilia, Angaia Racing
12. Thomas Lüthi (SUI) Honda, Elit Grand Prix
14. Gabor Talmacsi (HUN) Malaguti, Semprucci Malaguti
15. Roberto Locatelli (ITA) Aprilia, LCR
16. Raymond Schouten (NED) Honda, Arie Molenaar Racing
19. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Aprilia, Seedorf Racing
21. Steve Jenkner (GER) Aprilia, WWC
22. Pablo Nieto (SPA) Aprilia, Master - MXonda - Aspar Team
24. Simone Corsi (ITA) Honda, Team Scot
25. Imre Toth (HUN) Aprilia, Team Hungary
26. Dario Giuseppetti (GER) Honda, Elit Grand Prix
27. Casey Stoner (AUS) KTM, KTM Red Bull
28. Jordi Carchano (SPA) Aprilia, Matteoni Racing
32. Fabrizio Lai (ITA) Gilera, Gilera Racing Team
33. Sergio Gadea (SPA) Aprilia, Master - Mxonda - Aspar Team
34. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Honda, Team Scot
36. Mika Kallio (FIN) KTM, KTM Red Bull
41. Youichi Ui (JPN) Aprilia, Abruzzo Racing Team
42. Gioele Pellino (ITA) Aprilia, Abruzzo Racing Team
44. Joshua Waters (AUS) Honda, Ajo Motorsport
47. Angel Rodriguez (SPA) Derbi, Derbi Racing Team
48. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Derbi, Derbi Racing Team
50. Andrea Ballerini (ITA) Aprilia, Fontana
51. Manuel Manna (ITA) Malaguti, Semprucci Malaguti
52. Lukas Pesek (CZE) Honda, Ajo Motorsport
54. Mattia Pasini (ITA) Aprilia, LCR
58. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) Aprilia, WWC
63. Mike di Meglio (FRA) Aprilia, Racing World
66. Vesa Kallio (FIN) Aprilia, Team Hungary

Note Borsoi has appeared on the 250cc entry list...
Also 3 bikes for Campatella.

[tobesterr]

Andrew Pitt is signed for 2004 as test rider for Moriwaki who are using their own chassis with a Honda RC211v engine in it. Team Moriwaki aim to compete in 5 rounds in 2004 as wild cards and then in 2005 season long if they can secure grid slots, maybe a deal with WCM can be done.

HRC are testing at Sepang 20th - 22nd January at Sepang, 11th - 13th February also at Sepang and 17th - 19th February at Phillip Island. The February Sepang test will see the introduction of Alex Barros as he will not be taking part this week in Malaysia due to recovery from his shoulder surgery. The Feb Sepang test will also see the introduction of the 2004 Honda bike with revised engine, chassis and suspension evo's. Tohru Ukawa who is now a test rider for Honda has the new 2004 bike at Sepang shaking it down before hading over to the HRC racers next month.

Rossi is riding the new evolution M1 at Sepang for the first time this Saturday 24th January. Suzuki and Kawasaki are testing alongside HRC this week at Sepang.

Norick Abe is signed to ride for Tech 3 Fortuna Gauloises Yamaha with Marco Melandri and will test at Sepang too with Melandri and Checa alongside Rossi.

Tobe

[Dani Filth]

abe confirmed by yamaha .. finally
http://motogp.tiscali.com/en/motogp/...fo_11388_1.htm

[Alex K]

... we're still waiting for Barros