Satria F - modif

ModeL - ModeL Satria F

Andrea Dovizioso

Rider: Andrea Dovizioso
Nickname: Dovi
Team: Repsol Honda
Machine: Honda RC212V (#4)
Born: March 23, 1986 in Forlimpolpoli, Italy

The young Italian racer Andrea Dovizioso has quickly became a rising star on the MotoGP stage. Like most of his collegues Andrea started riding at a young age. After being introduced to mini-moto at age four he went on to win two national championships in short order. At 14 he won the 2000 Aprilia Challenge at Misano. The following year he won both the Italian and European 125cc Championships.

At 16 years of age, when most people are learning how to drive on four wheels, Dovizioso was shooting up through the 125cc World Championship. Riding for Team Scot Honda he won the 125cc world Championship in 2004 with five victories and six other podium finishes. In 2005, Team Scot Honda moved Dovizioso into the 250cc World Championship where he won the Rookie of the Year award for his five podiums and overall third-place finish in the Championship. The next two years saw Dovizioso challenge for the championship, but both times he settled for 2nd to current MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo.

In September 2007, Dovizioso announced that he would make the move to MotoGP with his existing team in 2008. Dovizioso's rookie year was a huge success considering the depth of talent in the field. He notably passed Valentino Rossi on the last lap of the Qatar season opener to take fourth. He proceeded to be one of Honda's most consistent riders, placing 4th and 5th on several occasions, and achieving a 3rd place podium finish at the Malasia's Sepang GP. He finished fifth overall, making him the highest placing privateer of the 2008 MotoGP champion. It was no surprise that the factory Repsol Honda team snatched the young Italian for their 2009 campaign.


Career Highlights:
2008 - 5th MotoGP (Honda)
2007 - 2rd 250 MotoGP (Honda)
2006 - 2nd 250 MotoGP (Honda)
2005 - 3nd 250 MotoGP (Honda)
2004 - 1st 125 MotoGP (Honda)
2003 - 5th 125 MotoGP (Honda)
2002 - 16th 125 Moto GP (Honda)
2001 - 1st 125 European Championship (Aprilia)

Daniel "Dani" Pedrosa

Rider: Daniel "Dani" Pedrosa
Nationality: Spanish
Team: Repsol Honda
Machine: Honda RC212V
Born: September 29, 1985 in Sabadell, Spain

Daniel Pedrosa is a racing phenomena - plain and simple. The Spanish superstar turns everything he touches into a championship trophy. He was the youngest rider to win back to back 125cc and 250cc Grand Prix championships, in 2003 and 2004 respectively. In 2005, after sustaining a shoulder injury, he had 8 wins and 14 podium finishes en route to another 250cc World Championship title. Dani joined the Repsol Honda team in 2006 to test his mettle in the MotoGP class.

His first year in the premier class was a successful one, with Pedrosa tallying 2 wins and eight podiums en route to Rookie of the Year honors. The diminutive Spaniard was in the running for the title right up until the final two rounds, when he crashed out at Estoril, but, even more shocking, took out his title-leading teammate, Nicky Hayden, in the process. Pedrosa made up for the boneheaded maneuver as best as he could by shielding Hayden at the Valencia finale.

Heading into 2007 and the 800cc era, Pedrosa was poised for a title run, but could not come close to the dominance of his 250 rival Casey Stoner. However, Pedrosa was able to best Valentino Rossi on the final round of the season to steal second-place in the championship. For 2008 Pedrosa was on the RC212V, albeit running the number-2 plate. In 2008 Dani was one of the most consistent riders in the paddock, with two wins and 11 podium finishes for the

season.

Career Highlights
2008 - 3rd MotoGP (Honda)
2007 - 2nd MotoGP (Honda)
2006 - MotoGP Rookie of the Year (Honda)
2006 - 5th MotoGP (Honda)
2005 - 1st 250cc MotoGP (Honda)
2004 - 1st 250cc MotoGP (Honda)
2003 - 125cc World Champion (Honda)
2002 - 3rd 125 MotoGP (Honda)
2001 - 8th 125 MotoGP (Honda)
1995 - 4th 125cc Spanish Championship
1994 - 8th MoviStar Activa Joven Honda Cup
1993 - 1st Spanish Pocket Bike Championship
1992 - 3rd Spanish Pocket Bikes Championship

James Toseland

Rider: James Toseland
Nationality: British
Team: Monster Yamaha Tech 3
Machine: Yamaha M1 (52)
Born: May 10, 1980 in Doncaster, UK

James Toseland was introduced to motorcycles after his divorced mother began seeing a motorcycle enthusiast, named Ken Wright when he was eight. He would eventually shift his focus from being a pianist to a professional racer.

Toseland paid his dues during a ten year span competing in the World Superbike championship before finally making the move to MotoGP at the start of the 2008 season. For '08 King James will take the plunge in MotoGP riding a Tech 3 Yamaha along side fellow 2-time SBK champ Colin Edwards.

The 2004 World superbike Champion had a dismal season in 2005 but he still finished fourth in the title chase. For 2006 the British Superstar switched to the Winston Ten Kate Honda squad, where he finished runner-up in the title.

2006 was Toseland's second for the Ten Kate team, having been passed aside by Ducati after 2005 when the Italian marque opted to go with Bayliss instead. Toseland got the last word in 2007 when he piloted the Ten Kate Honda to his second World Superbike title.

Career Highlights:
2008 - 11th MotoGP (Yamaha)
2007 - 1st World Superbike (Honda)
2006 - 2nd World Superbike (Honda)
2005 - 4th World Superbike (Ducati)
2004 - 1st World Superbike (Ducati)
2002 - 7th World Superbike (Ducati)
2001 - 13th World Superbike (Ducati)
2000 - 12th British Superbike (Honda)
1999 - 11th World Supersport (Honda)
1998 - 18th World Supersport (Honda)
1997 - 1st British Honda CB500 Champion
1997 - 3rd British Supersport (Honda)
1996 - 11th British Superteen

Randy De Puniet

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Toni Elias

Rider: Toni Elias
Nationality: Spanish
Team: San Carlo Honda Gresini
Machine: Honda RC212V (#24)
Born: March 26, 1983 in Manresa, Spain

Elias emerged as a force to be reconed with in the 250 class during the 2002 season. The Spanish rider performed well throughout the campaign, even winning at Motegi and finishing fourth in the standings behind 3 of the best riders in the paddock.

Moving into the MotoGP class, Elias was 12th for the Fortuna Yamaha in his rookie 2005 campaign. the Spaniard improved to 9th overall with the Fortuna Honda team in 2006, and was the most improbable race victor of '06 when he rode like a madman to the checkers at Estoril - his first-ever MotoGP podium.

For 2007, Elias returned alongside teammate Marco Melandri on the Hannspree Honda team, where just as soon as you'd forget about him the Spaniard come out of nowhere for a surprise podium. The 2008 sesaon sees Elias riding a Ducati for the satellite Alice squad.

Career Highlights:
2008 - 12th MotoGP (Ducati)
2007 - 12th MotoGP (Honda)
2006 - 9th MotoGP (Honda)
2005 - 12th MotoGP (Yamaha)
2004 - 4th 250 MotoGP (Honda)
2003 - 3rd 250 MotoGP (Aprilia)
2002 - 4th 250 MotoGP (Aprilia)
2001 - 3rd 125 MotoGP (Honda)
2000 - 20th 125 MotoGP (Honda)
1999 - 33rd 125 MotoGP (Honda)

Alex de Angelis

Rider: Alex De Angelis
Nationality: Italian
Team: San Carlo Honda Gresini
Machine: Honda RC212V (#15)
Born: February 26, 1984 in Rimini, Italy

At the age of seven Alex De Angelis received his first minimoto from his father, who also prepared a rally car and minibike track for him to practice on close to their house. With early experience on two wheels made Angelis a quick rider with skill in the art of race.

In 1999, Alex made his 125cc world championship debut at the age of sixteen. From 2002 to 2007 the rider from San Marino, a sovereign state landlocked by Italy, raced in the 125cc and 250cc MotoGP classes. He earned the 125cc vice-champion title behind Dani Pedrosa in 2003 and third place in the 250cc category for tow years in a row (2006 and 2007). After five season and 32 podiums with Aprilia, Alex moved to the Gresini Honda to in MotoGP.

Career Highlights:
2008 - 14th MotoGP (Honda)
2007 - 3rd 250cc MotoGP (Aprilia)
2006 - 3rd 125cc MotoGP (Aprilia)
2005 - 7th 125cc MotoGP (Aprilia)
2004 - 5th 250cc MotoGP (Aprilia)
2003 - 2nd 125cc MotoGP (Aprilia)
2002 - 9th 125cc MotoGP (Aprilia)
2001 - 14th 125cc MotoGP (Honda)
2000 - 125cc GP Rookie of the Year
2000 - 18th 125cc MotoGP (Honda)

Marco Melandri

Rider: Marco Melandri
Nickname: Supermarco
Nationality: Italian
Team: Hayate Racing Team
Machine: Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR (#33)
Born: August 7, 1982 in Ravenna, Italy

Marco Melandri was introduced to a minibike at he age of six and was soon racing through the national leagues toward bigger titles. In 1997 he became known for winning the Italian 125cc championship and finishing 4th in the European 125cc championship, both while he was only fourteen. The next year Benetton Honda made him a regular on the 125cc World circuit. An impressive performance at Assen TT, Netherlands made him the youngest rider at the time to win a Grand Prix. He finished 3rd for the year, and in the next season he miss the Championship title by only one point.

After nearly winning the 125 crown in 98-99, he moved up to the 250 class. He was signed by Aprilia in 2000 to replace Valentino Rossi after he moved into the 500cc championship. Melandri quickly become a fan favorite. His post race wheelies have been well documented in the MotorcycleUSA MotoGP gallery so have a look!
Despite struggling with the larger bike his first year he still managed to place 5th overall. He followed the next year with his first Grand Prix win in the class and took 3rd for the season. 2002 was the year Marco broke through and established himself as one of the premier riders in GP. He dominated the 250 class on his way to his first World Championship. His reward: a factory Yamaha MotoGP ride alongside Carlos Checa on the 4-stroke M1.

"I will never forget going onto the straight for the first time when I first rode the bike," recalled 20-year-old 250cc World Champion. "When I opened the throttle I imagined it would be about twice as powerful as the 250, but I just couldn't believe it. It was at least three times as much."

The Yamaha bikes struggled to keep pace with their Honda and Ducati competitors, leaving Melandri with just two 3rd place finishes for the year. He fared no better the next year after moving to the Tech 3 Yamaha satellite and consequentially was released from his contract in 2004. Melandri was down, but not out.

In 2005 Fausto Gresini picked up Melandri to race for the Movistar Honda team alongside Sete Gibernau. Melandri turned out to be a good fit for the Honda RC211V. He racked-up a series of podium finishes and caped the season off with back-to-back wins in Turkey and Valencia, finishing the season as a strong-runner up to the Champion, Valencio Rossi. The next year saw him riding beside Toni Elias on Gresini's Fortuna Honda Team. Melandri was right up with the championship leaders when a nasty first-turn pileup at Catalunya spoiled his championship intentions. Instead Supermarco had to settle for 4th overall. Entering 2007, the Italian star remained with the Gresini Honda team, although sponsorship changed from Fortuna to Hannspree. Also new for 2007 was the switch from Michelin to Bridgestone rubber. With the Italian earning a fifth-place in the championship Ducati decided to draft him to ride on their factory 2008 team. With the same machine that Stoner used to smoke the class in '07, Melandri has no excuse to make a bid for the title.

2008 proved disatrous. Bad blood soon developed between the vocal Italian and Marlboro Ducati. He signed a two year contract with Kawasaki, but Kawasaki unexpectedly pulled their MotoGP factory support for 2009. However, Marco Melandri will contest the 2009 season as a Hayate Racing rider on a Ninja ZX-RR with no further factory development.

Career Highlights:
2008 - 17th MotoGP (Ducati)
2007 - 5th MotoGP (Honda)
2006 - 4th MotoGP (Honda)
2005 - 2nd MotoGP (Honda)
2004 - 12th MotoGP (Yamaha) 2003 - 15th MotoGP (Yamaha)
2002 - 1st 250 World Championship (Aprilia
2001 - 3rd 250 World Championship (Aprilia)
2000 - 5th 250 World Championship (Aprilia)
1999 - 2nd 125 World Championship (Honda)
1998 - 3rd 125 World Championship (Honda)
1997 - 1st 125 Italian Championship (Honda)
1997 - 1st 125 Honda Trophy (Honda)
1997 - 4th 125 World Trophy (Honda)
1996 - 125 Italian Championship (Honda)
1996 - 13th 125 World Trophy (Honda)

Jorge Lorenzo

Rider: Jorge Lorenzo
Nationality: Spanish
Team: Fiat Yamaha
Machine: YRZ-M1 (#99)
Born: May 4, 1987 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Jorge Lorezo stormed onto the 125 scene in 2002 and has worked his way to being a title contender after only three seasons.

He moved up to the 250 Moto GP class for 2004, finishing fourth in the championship that year. He went on to becoming on of the most dominant 250 riders over the next two seasons and picked up a pair of 250 titles in '06 and '07.

After proving he had what it takes to be a Grand Prix champion there was only one thing left for him to do: Step-up to the big leagues.

For 2008 the Spanish sensation moved into the MotoGP paddock to see where he stood amongst the best in the world. His teammate on the Fiat Factory Yamaha MotoGP squad is some fellow by the name of Valentino Rossi.

"I am currently working very hard so that one day I can become World Champion, which is my objective. I don’t know if I will achieve it next year, within two years or within five but that is the objective." - Jorge Lorenzo, 2009

Yamaha was nice enough to build a wall in the garage between the two team-mates so that the serious Spaniard wasn't driven crazy by the unruly Italian. It turned out to be a very up and down rookie year for Lorenzo. He started well, with a victory in the third race and claiming a number of poles and other podiums. Yet, the normally conservative rider experienced a lot of crashes. Lorenzo set out to make 2009 a new era for his racing career, upgrading to the Crossplane crankshaft YZR-M1, switching management, and changing his longtime number 48 to 99. Despite these changes the wall will be staying between him and Rossi.

Career Highlights:
2008 - MotoGP Rookie of the Year
2008 - 4th MotoGP (Yamaha)
2007 - 1st 250 MotoGP (Aprilia)
2006 - 1st 250 MotoGP (Aprilia)
2005 - 4th 250 MotoGP (Honda)
2004 - 4th 125 MotoGP (Derbi)
2003 - 12th 125 MotoGP (Derbi)
2002 - 21st 125 MotoGP (Derbi)

Loris Capirossi

Rider: Loris Capirossi
Nationality: Italian
Team: Rizla Suzuki
Machine: Suzuki GSV-R (#65)
Born: April 4, 1973 in Castel San Pietro Terme, Bologna

Another of the great Italian riders, Loris has been winning races and championships since he was a teenager. He won the 125cc World Championship at age 17 - the youngest rider to ever claim a world title at that time.

In 1995 he moved into the 500cc Grand Prix World Championship with Pileri Honda. After struggling for a year he won a race in 1996 for Wayne Rainey's Yamaha team. Capirossi returned to 250cc championship to race for Aprilia in 1997. The 1998 season saw him win the 250cc series, but Capirossi was let go by Aprilia during the off-season after controversially ramming his own team-mate Tetsuya Harada during the final race in Argentina. He was taken up by Honda and ended third overall in the in 1999 championship, but once again showed his aggressive riding style when he was black flagged for dangerous riding at Mugello.

In 2000, Loris Capirossi returned to the 500cc world championship and stayed there through its evolution into the 800cc MotoGP two years later. In 2003 he jumped ship from Honda to Ducati. He took Ducati's first win at Barcelona and 4th overall, before a slightly disappointing 2004 on the GP4 bike that lacked grip in the corners. Most of the next year was spent adjusting the bike to riding on new Bridgestone tires, which would pay off in 2006 with Capirossi's best MotoGP result. The fact that Capirex did so well in '06, finishing third in the championship, is underscored by the fact that he was tied for the championship lead when he became entangled in the infamous first-turn incident at Catalunya. Mangled from the crash, which was caused by then teammate, Sete Gibernau, the lion-hearted Capirossi kept racing, albeit at less than 100%.

2007 was not as strong a season for Capirossi. Immediately following the conclusion of the 2007 USGP race at Laguna Seca, Ducati announced the signing of Marco Melandri and the extension of Casey Stoner's contract for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Capirossi's position on the Marlboro Ducati team was left uncertain. On August 16, 2007 Capirossi announced that he was parting ways with long-time employer Ducati to campaign alongside Chris Vermeulen aboard the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R.

Now in his ninth consecutive year in the premier series, the 36-year-old Capirossi is the elder statesman on the Rizla Suzuki team. Capirossi is a likable rider, and many fans will be rooting for him. An example of the good-natured demeanor of the Italian ace is the change on his leathers and helmet from the familiar "Capirex" nickname to "Capi-T-rex." He may be getting on in years, but Capirossi ain't a dinosaur yet and extinction is a long way off. With a new era in MotoGP upon him, the veteran rider and former 250 and 125 GP champion will still be looking for his first-ever title in the premier class.

Career Highlights:

2008 - 10th MotoGP (Suzuki)
2007 - 7th MotoGP (Ducati)
2006 - 3rd MotoGP (Ducati)
2005 - 6th MotoGP (Ducati)
2004 - 9th MotoGP (Ducati)
2003 - 4th MotoGP (Ducati)
2002 - 8th MotoGP (Honda)
2001 - 3rd 500 GP (Honda)
2000 - 7th 500 GP (Honda)
1999 - 3rd 250 GP (Honda)
1998 - 1st 250 GP (Aprilia)
1997 - 6th 250 GP (Aprilia)
1996 - 10th 500 GP (Yamaha)
1995 - 6th 500 GP (Honda)
1994 - 3rd 250 GP (Honda)
1993 - 2st 250 GP (Honda)
1992 - 12th 250 GP (Honda)
1991 - 1st 150 GP (Honda)
1990 - 1st 150 GP (Honda)

Colin Edwards

Rider: Colin Edwards
Nickname: Texas Tornado
Nationality: American
Team: Monster Yamaha Tech 3
Machine: Yamaha YZR-M1 (#5)
Born: February 27, 1974 in Houston, Texas

In the beginning the kid from Conroe Texas was one of the most dominant amature riders to ever ride in the US. After setting numerous records in WERA & CCS he moved to the pro level in the AMA 250 class in 1992. The Texas Tornado, aka: Colin Edwards II, raced his way through the AMA series before earning his WSBK ride with Yamaha in 1995. After several years learning the european circuits he took the ride with Castrol Honda aboard the RC45, a decision which may have been the biggest move of his career. The arrival of the long awaited RC51 V-Twin rewarded the young Texan with his first ever world championship in 2000. His title defense did not go as well yet he still finished second and may very well have held on to the title if not for a few costly mistakes.

In 2002 Colin Edwards overcame 14 victories to start the season by rival Troy Bayliss and took a one point lead into the finale at Imola. There Colin won both races after epic battles with the Aussie. That said: Colin was once again a Worldsuperbike Champion.

After being spurned by Honda for a GP ride, Colin was hired on by Aprilia to campaign the 2003 MotoGP series on the 3-cylinder Cube. Colin only spent a season with Aprilia before jumping to the Movistar Honda squad in 2004. Back on a Honda the Texas Tornado scored his first MotoGP podium at the British GP, but didn't seem comfortable on the RC211V throughout the year. In 2005, Colin joined Rossi on the Yamaha M1 and had his best season to date, landing 4th overall in the Series. In 2006 the Texas Tornado suffered a heartbreaking crash at Assen while in the lead and within sight of the finish line. Overall '06 was a bit of a setback for Edwards, with just one podium finish to his credit.

Heading into 2007, Edwards was looking to break out but it was a rough season for all the Yamahas and their Michelin tires. In 2008 Colin joined the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha team along side James Toseland. He initially had better success, but suffered towards the end of the year. For 2009 the laid-back Texan will be scrapping for points on the satellite Yamaha Tech 3 squad alongside teammate and fellow World Superbike champion James Toseland.

Career highlights:
2008 - 7th MotoGP (Yamaha)
2007 - 9th MotoGP (Yamaha)
2006 - 7th MotoGP (Yamaha)
2005 - 4th MotoGP (Yamaha)
2004 - 5th MotoGP (Honda)
2003 - 13th MotoGP (Aprilia)
2002 - 1st World Superbike (Honda)
2002 - Suzuka 8 Hour Champion (Honda)
2001 - 2nd World Superbike (Honda)
2001 - Suzuka 8 Hour Champion (Honda)
2000 - 1st World Superbike (Honda)
1999 - 2nd World Superbike (Honda)
1998 - 5th World Superbike (Honda)
1997 - 12th World Superbike (Yamaha)
1996 - 5th World Superbike (Yamaha)
1996 - Suzuka 8 Hour Champion (Yamaha)
1995 - 11th World Superbike (Yamaha)
1994 - 5th AMA Superbike (Yamaha)
1993 - 6th AMA Superbike (Yamaha)
1992 - 1sr AMA 250 GP (Yamaha)

Chris Vermuelen

Rider: Chris Vermeulen
Nickname: The V, Chris V
Nationality: Australian
Team: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
Machine: Suzuki GSV-R (#7)
Born: June 19, 1982 in Brisbane, Australia

The charismatic Australian started his path to MotoGP by claiming the World Supersport Championship in 2003 and moving up to the Superbike class the following season. After two years in SBK, Vermeulen made the jump to MotoGP at the start of the 2006 season, signing with Rizla Suzuki MotoGP. MotoGP is where the Aussie always wanted to be, allowing him to prove his worth on the biggest stage of all.

Vermeulen spent 2006 transitioning from a successful career in WSB. There were times in 2006 when Chris the V upstaged his American paddock-mate, John Hopkins, the most noticeable moment being Laguna Seca, where the Aussie snagged the pole position and almost the podium before falling short in the final laps. Vermeulen claimed the pole position at Turkey as well, and also had a great run at Phillip Island, his home track, where he charged up through the ranks to finish second.

2007 saw the introduction of the smaller 800cc GP bikes with improved traction control, which required a different riding style and a focus on maintaining corner speed. Chris V adapted well and won a maiden victory at a wet Le Mans circuit in France. It was also Suzuki’s first victory in the four stroke category. He finished the 2007 season in 6th place with three other podium finishes for the year.

2008 found Chris V struggling to achieve the power he needed from his Suzuki GSV-R. Despite this he managed two third place finishes at Sachsenring and Laguna Seca and finished 8th overall for the season. He also penned a monthly column called Vermeulen's Inside Line for a cool online magazine by the name of MotorcycleUSA.com.

Provided the Suzuki project continues to develop in the right direction, Vermeulen has proven he has the talent to pilot the baby blue ride to the top of the steps. Considering their impressive performances in offseason testing, we could be seeing some blue up front in 2009.

Career Highlights:
2008 - 8th MotoGP (Suzuki)
2007 - 6th MotoGP (Suzuki)
2006 - 11th MotoGP (Suzuki)
2005 - 2nd World Superbike (Honda)
2004 - 4th World Superbike (Honda)
2003 - 1st World Superpsort (Honda)
2002 - 7th World Supersport (Honda)