Motourage

FTR Moto was reunited with Kev Coghlan and the Joe Darcey Racing Team to take seventh place in Sunday’s sixth round of the CEV Buckler Spanish Moto2 Championship at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia. Coghlan, riding the FOGI Racing M211 machine campaigned by Kenny Noyes in this year’s Moto2 World Championship, qualified fifth before finishing seventh in the damp and tricky conditions.

Coghlan led the race into the first corner and was involved in a battle throughout the 19-lap affair before finishing just 0.023” behind former 125cc Grand Prix rider Tomoyoshi Koyama in a race that set a new record of 38 riders in a Spanish Moto2 race.

“It was a tough race in those conditions and easy to make little mistakes,” said Coghlan. “But, overall, it was great to be working with the FTR guys and with the Joe Darcey Team again, and I’d like to thank Angus Borland of FOGI Racing and everyone for the opportunity.”

“Kev rode intelligently in the conditions and it was his first time on the Michelins with the M211 in a race so there was plenty for him to think about,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “We’ve had a pretty satisfactory weekend at Valencia – after also qualifying in the top five – Kev set his fastest lap on the penultimate lap and we definitely have something to build on at Jerez this coming weekend.”

Coghlan will now contest the seventh and final round of the CEV Buckler Spanish Moto2 Championship at Jerez this coming Sunday, November 20.

FTR Moto’s challenger for the new Moto3 World Championship in 2012 will make its track debut later this month as interest in the new machine continues to grow.

The M311 has been produced specifically for the HRC-developed, single-cylinder, four-stroke motor which will be supplied to the World Championship teams and serviced by Geo Technology of Switzerland.

Armed with the knowledge from three years of Moto2 chassis development, FTR Moto’s Steve Bones believes the Moto3 machine will be a front-runner in what is certain to be a highly competitive series.

“We have learnt a lot in the last two years of the Moto2 World Championship and in the previous year’s Spanish Championship races,” he said. “The M311 prototype features a conventional design to assist with the introduction of the machine into the inaugural year of the World Championship and is obviously produced in this manner with development firmly in mind. We’ve also learnt a lot in the last 12 months with the CFD program and that has helped us react and develop machinery much faster than previous methods of analysis.”

Orders for the machine have already been taken and Bones expects – as with its race-winning Moto2 machinery – that the FTR Moto3 machine will prove popular.

Bones added: “We estimate that, from the interest shown in the Moto3 project that we would expect to have six or eight FTR riders in the 2012 Championship.”

FTR Moto and Kev Coghlan will be reunited for the final two rounds of the CEV Buckler Spanish Moto2 Championship at Valencia on November 13 and Jerez on November 20. Coghlan will ride the FOGI Racing FTR M211 World Championship machine in his return to the series in which he placed third – winning two races – in 2010.

Kev Coghlin in 2010

“It’s great news for me,” said Coghlan. “I’m pleased so many people have pulled together to make this happen, and I’ve obviously got to prove a point after things didn’t work out for me in this year’s World Championship.”

Coghlan’s previous Spanish Championship Team, Joe Darcey, with which he won the 2009 Spanish and European Supersport titles, will provide technical assistance to the Coghlan-FTR effort.

“This is a great way to end the season and to put Kev back on the map and hopefully help FTR and FOGI gain some coverage and success,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. There have been so many people involved in making this happen and I’m sure Kev will be able to repay the faith placed in him. Allan Wilson and Angus Borland along with the Joe Darcey Team’s Gerrard Roche and Miguel Gomez and Kev’s family have all contributed to what, I’m sure, will be a great end to the 2011 season.”

Coghlan – winner of the Albacete and Aragon races in last year’s Spanish Moto2 Championship – will race the M211 machine campaigned in the 2011 Moto2 World Championship by American rider Kenny Noyes.

FTR Moto returns to Moto2 World Championship action this weekend after a four-week break for round 10 of the series at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic.

The Buckingham, England-based company sits third in the Riders and Constructors World Championships with Italian rider Simone Corsi – on the Ioda Racing Project team’s FTR M211 – looking to give FTR a repeat of last year’s podium finish at Brno.

FTR enjoyed third place in last year’s race and three finishers in the top seven. Now, as FTR’s young crop of 2011 stars begin to realize their potential, this second half of the campaign is poised to see some of those riders, including Esteve Rabat (Blusens STX), Yonny Hernandez (also with Blusens STX), Pol Espargaro (HP Tuenti Speed Up) all improve on their top-six finishes so far this year.

“The results are starting to happen now and much of the FTR success in 2011 has come in the last three or four rounds,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “Since the last round in Germany a month ago we’ve had a good chance to review the nine races so far and it’s left everyone at FTR pretty excited about the second half of the 2011 World Championship.”

Additionally, Max Neukirchner on the MZ-FTR is looking to add to four top-10 finishes so far this year while his teammate, Australian Anthony West, is out to improve on his season-best of a fourth place, at Assen in Holland.

Corsi’s Ioda Racing Project teammate Mattia Pasini has finished in the top six this year already and has proven an ability to lead races. The Italian rider will now be looking to perform in front of the traditionally strong Italian travelling support at Brno.

Thai rider Ratthapark Wilairot (Thai Honda Singh SAG) is out to add to his only point-scoring finish of the year in Spain while Santiago Hernandez (SAG Team) and Frenchman Valentine Debise (Speed Up) go in search of their first points of 2011.

Bones continued: “Obviously Simone Corsi has proven to be the most consistent of any rider in the Championship but, from an FTR perspective, we have a good line-up of quality riders who are all capable of causing a surprise or two on their day.”

Alessandro Andreozzi

19-year-old Alessandro Andreozzi continued his impressive form with two more wins in rounds three and four of the Italian CIV Moto2 Championship on his FTR M211 at the Misano Circuit on the Adriatic coast.

Andreozzi won Saturday’s race by four seconds from Davide Fanelli before a dominant win in Sunday’s second race with a winning margin of nine seconds over Danilo Marrancone.

The wins also rocketed Andreozzi to the top of the championship table, opening up a lead of nine points over Marrancone with four of the eight rounds remaining.

Federico D’Annunzio – on the second of the FTR machines – followed up his eighth-place finish on Saturday at Misano with fourth place on the IODA Team machine, narrowly missing out on a second podium finish of the year after being third in the Misano opening round in early April.

FTR’s Steve Bones:
“Since his non-finish in the opening round of the year at Misano Alessandro Andreozzi has never looked back, he’s now won the last three rounds is fast becoming a favorite for the 2011 inaugural Moto2 title in Italy.

“We’re really pleased with the way the FTR Moto2 machines are working in the national championships, especially in Italy, and the performance of Andreozzi will hopefully continue and take FTR to a first championship title.”

Round five of the Italian Championship is at Mugello on July 23.

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FTR Moto continued its challenge for the Moto2 World Championship as three of its M211 riders finished in the top 10 of Sunday’s third round at Estoril in Portugal.

2010 125cc second runner up, HP Tuenti Speed Up team's Pol Espargaro

The IODA Racing Project Team’s Simon Corsi finished in fifth place and has moved to within 11 points of second place in the Championship. Ever-improving Pol Espargaro took his first World Championship points of the year as the young Spaniard brought his HP Tuenti Speed Up Team M211 home in sixth place at the end of the 26-lap race.

Talented Blusens-STX rider Esteve Rabat completed the top 10 to add to his point-scoring finishes in the opening two rounds, and the 21-year-old is joint 12th in the World Championship. Rabat started the race from 10th place and was involved in a six-way battle for sixth in the closing stages.

Kenny Noyes – on the FOGI Racing/GP Tech-backed FTR machine – continues to adapt to the M211 and took his best finish of the campaign with 17th place, an agonizing five seconds away from 14th place. Yonny Hernandez finished 18th, less than a second behind Noyes, on the Blusens-STX M211, missing out on Championship points for the first time in 2011. Colombian Hernandez fought through the field after being 36th at the end of the first lap.

Mattia Pasini finished 20th on his IODA Racing Project Team machine with Santiago Hernandez 24th on the Stop and Go Team M211. Luckless French youngster Valentin Debise crashed out of 14th place with three laps to go on the HP Tuenti Speed Up M211 while Ratthapark Wilairot was forced to retire his SAG Team machine on lap 22. Kev Coghlan opted not to race the Aeroport de Castello M211 after a Friday morning practice crash left the young Scotsman with a broken hand.

“Our results at Estoril were pretty solid again and we’re starting to see the emergence of the FTR riders as they become more acquainted with their respective M211 machinery,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “Simone Corsi is definitely proving himself as a Championship contender and I’d like to think that, with the improvements we have planned, he can repeat what he did in Jerez and lead a race before hopefully securing a first win for himself, the IODA Team and FTR.

“And the improved performance of some of the younger riders; Espargaro, Rabat, Debise and Hernandez means we have an exciting year ahead. We’re third in the Constructors Championship and I’d like to think we can join the battle for that title in the next few rounds.”

FTR Moto is looking to improve on the opening two rounds of the Moto2 World Championship at this weekend’s bwin Grande Prémio de Portugal at the Estoril Circuit.

Simone Corsi put an FTR chassis on the podium at Jerez

FTR enjoyed a first podium finish of 2011 with the IODA Racing Project’s Simone Corsi taking third place at Jerez in Spain three weeks ago, and seven of the 10 FTR riders have already scored World Championship points after just two of the 17 rounds.

Corsi’s teammate Mattia Pasini took his first points of 2011 with 13th place at Jerez and will be aiming higher at Estoril while World Championship debutant Kev Coghlan has an excellent eighth-place finish in Jerez to build on aboard his Team Aeroport de Castello machine.

Yonny Hernandez, on the Blusens-STX FTR machine, has already shown consistency in 2011 with two point-scoring finishes and the Colombian will be chasing a first top 10 finish on his M211 in Portugal. His teammate, Esteve Rabat, has also scored points in both the Qatar and Spanish races and will, like Hernandez, be chasing a first top 10 finish on Sunday.

Thai rider Ratthapark Wilairot collected his first points of the year at Jerez with 12th place while his fellow Stop and Go Team rider Santiago Hernandez continues the search for his first points of the year, as does Kenny Noyes on the FOGI/GP Tech Team M211.

“The opening two rounds have been manic and the rain in Jerez threw in added drama so the Championship is probably still just settling down and in the next few rounds a pattern should emerge as to who can challenge for the 2011 title,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “We’re certainly enjoying the early success and getting the World Championship points on the board and obviously hope that continues in Portugal on Sunday. Since Jerez and with the data collected from the first two rounds, we’re confident we have further developed and improved the M211 and are thankful to the teams for their feedback.”

FTR Moto heads into Sunday’s second round of the Moto2 World Championship in Spain looking to capitalize on the Jerez circuit experience of much its 12-strong rider line-up.

Non-Spanish riders Kev Coghlan (Team Aeroport de Castello), Kenny Noyes (FOGI/GP Tech Team), Yonny Hernandez (Blusens-STX) and brother Santiago Hernandez (Stop and Go Team) are all graduates of the CEV Buckler Spanish Championship classes.

Esteve Rabat

Additionally, Spanish riders Esteve Rabat (Blusens-STX) and Pol Espargaro (HP Tuenti Speed Up Team) will both be keen to impress on their FTR M211 debuts in their home Grand Prix.

The IODA Racing Project’s Simone Corsi arrives in Spain after a sixth place finish in the opening round in Qatar two weeks ago, improving from 11th on the grid to take 10 World Championship points on his M211.

His luckless team-mate Mattia Pasini was one of eight riders to crash out of the opening round and the determined Italian will be keen to impress at Jerez – the circuit where, in 2006, he recorded the first of 11 pole positions in the 125cc World Championship. Pasini also climbed the podium at Jerez in 2008 after taking a runner-up finish in the 250cc race.

“We got the 2011 World Championship under way with four of our riders in the points but, as is always the case with racing and development, you always feel you can do better and hopefully that will be the case in Jerez this weekend,” said FTR’s Steve Bones.

He continued: “We began our Moto2 story as a constructor in Spain at the end of 2009 and with four Grands Prix there last year plus our Spanish Championship commitments it really does feel like home. Last year we felt like we had a possible race win on the cards at Jerez after Alex Debon showed tremendous pace in the practice sessions – all until a first lap crash.

“This year we are looking to the strong Spanish presence and Spanish Championship experience that we have on the M211s. We’re also keen to continue our technical development after spending time testing at Jerez in the winter months so this weekend also offers us a comparison test for development of the new machine.”

FTR Moto took an opening round top-six finish and enjoyed three other point-scoring finishes as the Moto2 World Championship got under way at the Losail Circuit in Qatar last night.

The IODA Racing Project team’s Simone Corsi followed up a solid preseason testing display by qualifying in 11th place for the 20-lap race before battling through to sixth place in the evening affair, held under floodlights at the 3.340-mile desert track.

IODA Racing Project's Simone Corsi

Talented young Colombian Yonny Hernandez took 12th place, fighting his way through from 20th place on the grid aboard his Blusens-STX FTR M211 machine. Hernandez won a three-way battle for 12th and his team-mate Esteve Rabat was just 0.02s adrift of Hernandez as the young Spaniard brought his M211 home in 14th place.

The final World Championship point went to German Max Neukirchner as he took 15th place on the MZ-branded FTR machine. HP Tuenti Speed Up Team youngsters Pol Espargaro and Valentin Debise finished 22nd and 23rd respectively with Kenny Noyes finishing 24th on the FOGI Racing/GP Tech-backed FTR M211.

Stop and Go Team riders Santiago Hernandez and Ratthapark Wilairot both crashed out of the series opener as did Kev Coghlan on the Aeroport de Castello machine, all escaped injury.

“Overall we’ve had a pretty tough opening race but I’m pleased to see plenty of FTRs in the points,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “We always knew the beginning of 2011 would be demanding – with the many new teams we’re working with, the many young riders they have brought to FTR plus the riders moving from the 125cc World Championship class and the Spanish Championship.

“But the feedback from this opening round has been exceptional. To have so many teams and riders confident the FTR machine can win is a compliment but we want to move on from the Losail results now with a big improvement at Jerez in round two on Sunday week.”