Posted: 15 Oct 2009 08:59 PM PDT

MCR's Beau Baron has a gapping 21 point lead over the two time defending WORCS ATV Pro Champion- Josh Frederick. Baron who showed consistency last year earning him the #3 plate for this year, has made a huge impact on the ATV West Coast Pro ranks, showing he has the ATV skills to take home the GOLD hardware aboard his MRC/Motowork's/Maxxis backed Honda 450. Frederick who had a mid-season injury in the ITP series will definitely be looking at working on Baron to push him as he gives chase to his 3rd title in a row.

What does all this mean? If Frederick was to win, Baron needs a 11th place or better. If Baron happens to finish 12th and Frederick wins, it could get interesting as you then go to ties and believe it or not, Frederick and Baron are tied for 1st & 2nd place finishes. If that happens, the Championship would go to the best finish at Mesquite, interesting. Then to top it all off, Frederick's teammate Jeremie Warnia is one point behind Frederick, which he could throw a monkey wrench into this whole situation.

Other Pro ATV racers slated to show are the newly-added Motoworks team members Chad Weinen & John Natalie. Also rumored is Dillon Zimmerman is turning Pro as he has already secured the Pro-Am Championship at the last race in Glen Helen. Washington's race winner, Chris Borich is scheduled to return as we know he has the skills to win a 2-hr WORCS race. What not many people know, Borich has a history of MX which the Mesquite track suites with the terrain it offers. GNCC racer, Yamaha's Joey Gallagher and ATVRiders.com's Jarrod McClure are making their way out west for the finale as well. The final should shape up to be the best of the year for sure.

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Posted: 15 Oct 2009 08:59 PM PDT

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Australian GP: Repsol Honda preview - Motorsport.com

Posted: 15 Oct 2009 07:11 PM PDT

The high speed curves and spectacular undulations of the Phillip Island circuit provide the latest challenge to the Repsol Honda Team this weekend as MotoGP racing lands in Australia. Round 15 of the 17-race World Championship sees factory Honda pilots Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso once again going up against the best motorcycle racers on the planet at one of the favourite circuits on the calendar, as the 2009 season heads towards its climax.

Pedrosa goes into the weekend with the intention of opening the gap to local favourite Casey Stoner as the pair contest third position in the riders' World Championship. Only three points divide them, with Pedrosa holding a small advantage over his Australian rival, and the Spaniard is fully aware that he'll have to be at his brilliant best to beat Stoner at his home track. With a win under his belt from the 2005 250cc race, Pedrosa knows his way around Phillip Island and is determined to follow his podium finish from the last race in Portugal with an even stronger result.

Dovizioso, too, goes to Phillip Island with plenty still to play for in the championship and his Antipodean quest will be to put as much distance as possible between himself and Texan Colin Edwards, who lies eight points behind in sixth spot in the standings. Like his Repsol Honda team-mate, Dovizioso has pedigree at the beautiful ocean-side circuit, having taken victory in the 125cc class in 2004. This Italian also impressed during his debut MotoGP ride at Phillip Island last year, enjoying a no-holds-barred four-way fight for fourth place and only losing out on the final lap.

As well as the awesomely fast and demanding track layout, Phillip Island often throws the MotoGP teams a few curve balls on the weather front and, with unsettled conditions forecast, this year's visit seem likely to continue that trend. That's likely to make things tough for the riders, teams and eager fans who flock to the picturesque venue, but it also promises compelling and unpredictable two-wheeled action when the riders line up for Sunday's 27-lap race, which begins at 4pm local time.

DANI PEDROSA -- World championship position: 3rd -- 173 points

"I'm really looking forward to racing in Australia again. It feels like one of the most important races of the season for me and I'm very motivated to do my best there, get a good result and hopefully challenge for the win. I've had mixed experiences at Phillip Island but there have been some very good memories and those are the ones I'll be focusing on going into this weekend. The objective for the remainder of the season is to keep third place in the championship and score at least one more victory, so if that can come in Australia, all the better. The circuit is great to ride and the atmosphere is also unique and special. The track itself is a little bit bumpy in a few places and that combined with the really fast curves makes set-up very important because you need to be able to ride aggressively here to go quickly. I've had podium finishes in the last two races at Misano and Estoril and this weekend we'll be looking for that little bit extra to give us a chance of winning. The weather can be unstable in Phillip Island, but it'll be good to get out on track on Friday."

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO -- World championship position: 5th -- 142 points

"Phillip Island is one of the best places to race because of the track layout and laid-back atmosphere. It's a beautiful place - very green and the circuit is right by the sea which creates an unusual feeling. Unfortunately we race here at a time of the year where it's usually cold and windy, but still it's an event I always look forward to. The race track is really spectacular and it's always a big challenge to race here. The fast corners and elevation changes make it a circuit that's technical and demanding to ride, and it's one of the tracks where the bike slides a lot, so achieving good machine control is essential. There are always a lot of fans at Phillip Island whatever the weather and they are really passionate about MotoGP. At the end of the race they all come under the podium and this make for a very special atmosphere - so I hope I'm up there to enjoy the reception. I usually have decent results here and so I'm confident of having a good race. I'm certainly looking forward to getting back to this special track and pushing as hard as possible".

-credit: repsol

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Australian GP: Gresini Racing preview - Motorsport.com

Posted: 15 Oct 2009 07:11 PM PDT

SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI FOLLOW TOP TEN TRAIL TO AUSTRALIA

The San Carlo Honda Gresini Team makes the 19,000km trek from Portugal to Australia this week as the MotoGP World Championship goes 'Down Under' for the antepenultimate race of the 2009 season. Toni Elias and Alex de Angelis both tackle one of the fastest and most exciting circuits on the calendar with designs on another step towards a potential top ten finish in the championship by the time it reaches its conclusion in Valencia, via Malaysia, in a month's time.

Elias has targeted a final position of seventh overall after moving up to tenth with a stirring ride at Estoril last week. Sixth place for the Spaniard from thirteenth on the grid was another example of his bravery and overtaking skill, although a better qualifying performance is the goal in Australia. This is one of Toni's favourite circuits although he is hoping for better luck this weekend than in the past, having only finished on the podium once there in the 125cc class back in 2001.

De Angelis was forced to retire from the Portuguese race due to a technical problem with his RC212V and after scoring points in every race up to Misano, he has now failed to score points at two in a row -- a record he is desperate to put straight this weekend. The San Marino rider has been on the podium twice at this circuit, both times in the 250cc class.

Phillip Island held its first motorcycle race back in 1931 on a 12-mile road circuit, where two-wheeled racing continued until 1941, when it was stopped due to excessive sand blowing onto the asphalt. After the bridge linking the island to mainland Victoria was completed in 1952 a closed circuit was also built and in 1989 it welcomed the premier class of motorcycle racing for the first time.

# 15 ALEX DE ANGELIS

"Alongside Sachsenring, Philip Island is my favourite track on the calendar, without a doubt. It is fast and flowing, which suits my riding style, and it gives me an opportunity to really get the full potential out of my bike in the fast corners. After scoring zero points in the last two rounds we go there with the will and determination to do a good job and our potential is high so I'm confident. I'm thinking positive also because I've come really close to victory on many occasions here in both the 125 and 250 classes and I feel that after the good form we showed in the middle of the season we are overdue another good result."

# 24 TONI ELIAS

"Phillip Island is a wonderful track and I love it there, it's a great track to ride when you've got traction. Unfortunately that has been our main problem at a lot of the circuits we've been to this season and I'm concerned we'll be struggling this weekend because if you don't have grip you can't do the lap times. I'm expecting a difficult weekend but we'll give it our best shot and see what happens when we get there."

FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER

"Phillip Island is a circuit that in theory suits the base of the Honda. Alex really loves this kind of circuit and Toni has also gone well here in the past so I'm hoping for good things from this race. Both our riders are fighting for seventh place in the championship and that is the maximum objective we have set ourselves for this final phase of the season. Hopefully we can continue to work in the right way and achieve that over the last three races."

-credit: gresini racing

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