Arma Athletes On Top!

May 20, 2013 By

It has been an insane weekend for the Arma team around the world! Here is a recap of all the action that went down at X-Games, Moto GP, Hangtown MX, MXGP, and the pro wakeboard tour!

-Gary Young won his first gold medal in BMX Park at X-Games. Gary has been with Arma from the begining and we couldn’t be more stoked for him!

-Stevie McCann took 5th in BMX Big Air and 6th in BMX Vert at X-Games.

-Matt Buyten took a bronze medal in X-Games step-up.

-Scott Redding and Mika Kallio finished 1 and 2 at Le Mans Moto GP2. Great weekend for the Marc VDS team.

-Weston Peick overcame a few unfortunate problems with his bike and still finished 10th overall at Hangtown. Great finish for a privateer!

-Phil Soven won the first stop of the Pro Wakeboard Tour in Georgia.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Big Weekend for Marc VDS in Texas!

April 21, 2013 By

Austin, Texas – 21 April 2013: The Marc VDS Racing Team had double reason to celebrate at the end of the inaugural Grand Prix of the Americas today, with Mika Kallio storming to a brilliant third place and Scott Redding seizing the Moto2 World Championship points lead with a hard earned fifth.

A lightning start from ninth on the grid and a super aggressive first two laps immediately thrust Kallio into podium contention where he remained to the chequered flag after a pulsating fight with Dominique Aegerter and Esteve Rabat.

Using all his experience to try and protect second position at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), he was fortunate not to crash on the final lap when Aegerter clipped the back of his Kalex machine. Kallio expertly kept control of his bike and he missed out on securing second place by just 0.050s.

His third Moto2 podium though moved him into a three-way tie for second position in the overall World Championship rankings.

Starting from pole position for the first time in his 86-race World Championship career, Redding went straight into full attack mode to try and put clear air between him and the pursuing pack.

But rapidly deteriorating front and rear grip, which Redding had expressed concerns about in advance of the 19-lap clash, meant he was unable to sustain his blistering early pace.

Rather than take unnecessary risks to force his way back into the podium hunt, Redding rode the remainder of the race with precious World Championship points in mind after Pol Espargaro’s unfortunate early crash.

The 11-points secured for a battling fifth position gives Redding a four-point cushion at the top of the World Championship standings heading to the start of the European phase of the 2013 World Championship in Jerez next month.

Mika Kallio #36: 3rd
“I am really happy to be on the podium because it backs up a solid top five in the first race and now I am in a very good position in the championship. It was a very difficult race because I knew Aegerter and Rabat would be coming to attack on the last lap and I knew we’d have a moment. I got clipped from behind but fortunately I stayed on the bike to get a podium. I’m a little disappointed because a small mistake at the last corner cost me second, but I’m still very satisfied. I didn’t have the best top speed or the best front grip, but I could see that I could fight for the podium from the beginning. It has been a great weekend for the Marc VDS Racing Team and this result gives us a lot of confidence heading to Jerez.”

Scott Redding #45: 5th
“I’m obviously disappointed not to be on the podium after starting from pole position but I salvaged fifth position out of a difficult race and now I am leading the championship and that’s a great feeling. Before the race I knew we’d struggle with the tyres going off and that’s exactly what happened. I went out there to win but after six laps I knew it was impossible. I guessed that Espargaro and Nakagami were out so I just used my brain and didn’t push too hard to risk a crash that would have been very costly. It was a decent fifth and now I am leading the championship I need to hold it together for the rest of the year after a great start to the season.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“We certainly won’t be forgetting our first trip to COTA in a hurry. Scott scored an amazing debut pole position and today he leaves leading the World Championship after a very mature ride. And Mika got a podium, which was a great way to end the weekend. Mika got a great start and was very aggressive in the first two laps to give himself a great chance of the podium. He then rode really fast while trying to conserve his tyres to stay in the podium places right to the end. He’s now finished in the top five in both races and that is great for his confidence. After Scott’s pole position we’d hoped he’d at least be on the podium. His strategy was to make a break and manage the gap at the front, but we knew he’d have some issues with tyre wear. He still did a brilliant job and he used his head to score some really important points. I’m really happy for the Marc VDS Racing Team and in particular Marc, who has given incredible support to this project. We are leading the World Championship for the first time and hopefully we can remain there.”

More information and high resolution images are available on the Marc VDS Racing Team website at www.marcvds.com.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Marc VDS heads to Texas!

April 15, 2013 By

Gosselies, Belgium – 15 April 2013: The Marc VDS Racing Team head across the Atlantic this week, for the second round of the FIM Moto2 World Championship at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

It’s the first time the Circuit of Americas has featured on the Moto2 calendar, but learning the track is not a concern for Scott Redding, who is keen to continue the run of form that saw him finish on the podium in the opening round of the season in Qatar just over one week ago.

Mika Kallio left Qatar disappointed with fifth place in Qatar, as the 30-year-old Finn was convinced a podium finish was on the cards after qualifying on the front row of the grid. Kallio lost ground in the early stages of the race as a result of some over enthusiastic overtaking moves by others, a situation he is keen to avoid this weekend in Texas

Circuit of the Americas was completed in 2012 and is the first purpose built Grand Prix track in the United States. The track, which features a change in elevation of almost 41 metres and a unique incline at the end of the front straight, was designed by Hermann Tilke with input from the 1993 500GP World Champion, Kevin Schwantz.

At 5.513km in length the circuit comprises 11 left and nine right corners, many of which mirror famous sections of iconic racetracks from around the world.

Scott Redding #45:
“Second in Qatar was a good start to the season, but we need to carry that momentum into the next outing in Texas. It’s a new track for everyone, which will be interesting, but I’m sure it won’t take any of us long to get up to speed. I’ve never had a problem learning new tracks and I’m looking forward to seeing what the Circuit of the Americas has to offer. If we approach this race in the same way as we did the last then I think there’s every chance we can repeat the success of Qatar in America. That’s the goal, anyway.”

Mika Kallio #36:
“It was good to get a top five finish in the first race of the season in Qatar, despite some issues with the engine. I didn’t seem to have the acceleration or top speed of the people I was racing against. Other than that the bike worked well in Qatar and, although Circuit of the Americas is a brand new track for us, I’m pretty confident we won’t have to make any big changes to get the bike working equally well there. New circuits have always been quite good for me in the past, so I hope Circuit of the Americas will be the same. It will still take some learning, but I think we’ll be pretty much up to speed on the first day if we can get plenty of laps done in the first two practice sessions.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“We got the season off to a flying start in Qatar, with Scott on the podium and Mika finishing top five, but now we need to build on that in Texas with two more strong results. Both riders showed last weekend that they are capable of qualifying and racing at the front and, although Circuit of the Americas is a track at which we have no previous experience, I can see no reason why Scott and Mika shouldn’t do the same again this weekend. Two more good results in Texas would put us in a strong position when we return to Europe at the end of the month for the Jerez race.”

More information and high resolution images are available on the Marc VDS Racing Team website at www.marcvds.com.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Redding Takes 2nd in Qatar!

April 7, 2013 By

Doha, Qatar – 7 April 2013: The Marc VDS Racing team got their 2013 World Championship campaign off to a flying start, with Scott Redding riding a superlative race to second place and Mika Kallio bringing his Kalex Moto2 machine home in fifth position.

Once early race leader Takaaki Nakagami had been despatched, Redding and Pol Espargaro put on a racing master class, going wheel to wheel on the Losail International Circuit until the final lap, when Espargaro held on to take the win.

Kallio was forced wide by another rider in the opening laps and was pushed back to tenth as a result. The 30-year-old Finn fought his way back through the field, only to lose the slipstreaming battle for fourth place to Dominique Aegerter at the finish line.

Redding is the heaviest rider on the Moto2 grid, while Kallio is the lightest. Proof, if any was needed, that the combined minimum weight limit introduced for this season has levelled the playing field for everyone.

Scott Redding #45: 2nd Position
“I’m happy to get the season started with a podium here in Qatar. I lost the clutch on the sighting lap, which is a problem we had in practice and qualifying. The guys managed to fix it on the grid, but it wasn’t right for the first few laps and the bike was really aggressive on corner entry. In the end I just feathered the clutch going into the turns until it sorted itself out. I wasn’t expecting to lead here, so I didn’t really have a plan once I got to the front, other than to keep a good rhythm and maintain my pace. It was a good battle with Pol; I thought I had him on the last lap, but he’s a tough rider and I couldn’t quite make it through. Next time I know to try that little bit harder to push him into a mistake. Thanks to the team for their hard work, and thanks also to Marc van der Straten for his support.”

Mika Kallio #36: 5th Position
“The chance of a podium for me was gone in the first few laps, unfortunately. I got pushed wide in one turn and, in Moto2, it’s not just one rider than goes up your inside when that happens. After that it took a while for me to find my rhythm and start moving back up through the field. It was hard to overtake, because our engine doesn’t seem to have the push we need out of the turns, but I eventually fought my way through to fourth, only to be pushed wide in the final turn by Aegerter. I tried to slipstream him to the line, but I just didn’t have the power from the engine to do it. It could have been better today, but fifth will do for the first race.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“What a race, and what a start to the season for the team. Scott rode a superb race, from lap one until the end. He closed down the early leader and then fought out a fantastic battle with Pol Espargaro, only to lose out on the final lap. It was a real spectacle, and one I hope we’ll see time and again this season. Mika isn’t too happy with fifth, because he was also looking for a podium here, but he should be pleased with such a good result. He lost out in the early stages, but rode a good second half of the race to finally finish inside the top five. So, a great job by everyone in the team, a fantastic start for both riders and now we just need to carry this momentum into the remaining rounds, starting in Texas in two weeks time.”

More information and high resolution images are available on the Marc VDS Racing Team website at www.marcvds.com.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Redding and Kallio Start the Season!

April 4, 2013 By

Gosselies, Belgium – 2 April 2013: The Marc VDS Racing Team’s Mika Kallio and Scott Redding head to the Middle East looking for a strong start to the season, as the 2013 Moto2 World Championship gets underway this weekend at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.

Redding heads into the new season as one of the favourites for this year’s championship title, after successful preseason tests at Valencia and Jerez. This will be Redding’s fourth season with the Marc VDS Racing Team, and his fourth in the Moto2 World Championship, and the 20-year-old Briton is determined to get it underway with a strong finish in the opening race.

For Kallio preseason testing has been all about working with this new chief mechanic, Naoya Kaneko, to find a good base setting for his Kalex Moto2 machine. The 30-year-old Finn struggled with chatter at some tracks last year, but heads into the new season with renewed confidence after all but eliminating the problem during the tests in Valencia and Jerez. Like his Marc VDS teammate, Kallio has his eyes set firmly on a top five finish in Qatar.

The Marc VDS Racing Team’s Moto3 rider, Livio Loi, will travel to Qatar to support his teammates but will not race this weekend. The 15-year-old Belgian will make his Grand Prix race debut at the third round of the Moto3 World Championship in Jerez, just eight days after his 16th birthday.

The Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar is unique in that it is the only race on the GP calendar to be held at night. The 5.380km / 3.434 mile Losail track is illuminated by 3,600 light fixtures burning a massive 5.4 million watts of power, creating enough light to cover an area equivalent to 70 football pitches.

Scott Redding #45:
“Last year we achieved our aim of top five finishes, but this season I need to step it up and be aiming for the podium in every race, starting this weekend in Qatar. We head for the first race off the back of three very positive preseason tests, with a bike that I feel confident with and a package that we know is competitive. I’m probably better prepared, both physically and mentally, for the start of the season than I’ve ever been before, so I’m really looking forward to the weekend ahead. A podium finish in Qatar would be the perfect start to what promises to be another tough and hard fought season, so that’s what I’m aiming for.”

Mika Kallio #36:
“We’ve worked hard with the bike over the winter to eliminate the front end issues that caused me so many problems last season. It’s meant changing the settings quite significantly, which took me some time to get used to. The good news is that, at Valencia and Jerez, the chatter and vibration from the front was almost non-existent, which is a big step forward. It means I go to Qatar with much more confidence compared to this time last year. Our aim this weekend is clear; I think there are probably eight or nine riders capable of finishing on the podium in Qatar and I need to be up there battling with them for a top three finish at the first race of the season.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“It’s been a long winter but, finally, we’re heading to the first race of the new season in Qatar. For Scott there is a little bit more pressure this season, as he’s been tipped as one of the main contenders for the championship, but he hasn’t let that distract him from his build up to the first race. He knows what he has to do, not just in Qatar but also during the whole season, and I’m confident he will deliver. Mika has made some big changes to the bike over the winter and, despite preseason testing being disrupted by the weather, he goes into the first race with more confidence than we’ve seen from him previously. I think Mika may well turn out to be the dark horse of the championship this season. We’re looking for two good results to kick off the season in Qatar and I expect to see both riders running towards the front of the field this weekend.”

More information and high resolution images are available on the Marc VDS Racing Team website at www.marcvds.com.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Redding Ready to Race!

March 25, 2013 By

Scott Redding is ready to race, after successfully completing the final preseason test of 2013 at Jerez today.

Scott was able to work through his planned test schedule at Jerez, despite rain interrupting proceedings on the first full day of testing.

Scott was happy enough his lap times in both wet and dry conditions to park his Kalex Moto2 machine on Wednesday evening and sit out today’s final track sessions. The 20-year-old Briton ended the test fifth fastest and just 0.7s from the top of the timesheet.

“For once the weather was kind to us and we got some dry miles done on the bike this week,” said Scott. “We’ve got a good direction with the set-up and we haven’t had to test as much here, which allowed me to focus on just riding and building confidence on the bike. The one rainy day here at Jerez was ideal to confirm our wet weather set-up. The fact that I was fastest in the wet also helps to build confidence. We know exactly where we’re at after this test and we know what we need to do at the first race, which is all I’m focussed on right now.”

The Marc VDS Racing Team will now crate up Scott’s bike and equipment for transport to the first Grand Prix of the 2013 season, which takes place at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar on Sunday 7th April.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Marc VDS ready to race after successful final test!

March 21, 2013 By

Jerez, Spain – 21 March 2013: The Marc VDS Racing Team are ready to race, after successfully completing the final preseason test of 2013 at Jerez today.

All three of the team’s riders – Scott Redding, Mika Kallio and Livio Loi – were able to work through their planned test schedules, despite rain interrupting proceedings on the first full day of testing.

Redding was happy enough his lap times in both wet and dry conditions to park his Kalex Moto2 machine on Wednesday evening and sit out today’s final track sessions. The 20-year-old Briton ended the test fifth fastest and just 0.7s from the top of the timesheet.

Both Kallio and Loi continued testing into this morning, but the 30-year-old Finn was unable to better his time from the first day and finished 10th on combined times. Loi was also unable to improve his time today, after the wind picked up considerably for the Moto3 session, but finished the test 21st fastest and just one second off a top ten position.

The team will now crate up the bikes and equipment for transport to the first Grand Prix of the 2013 season, which takes place at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar on Sunday 7th April.

Scott Redding #45: 5th – 1’43.372
“For once the weather was kind to us and we got some dry miles done on the bike this week. We’ve got a good direction with the set-up and we haven’t had to test as much here, which allowed me to focus on just riding and building confidence on the bike. The one rainy day here at Jerez was ideal to confirm our wet weather set-up. The fact that I was fastest in the wet also helps to build confidence. We know exactly where we’re at after this test and we know what we need to do at the first race, which is all I’m focussed on right now.”

Mika Kallio #36: 10th – 1’43.774
“The one positive we can take from this test at Jerez is that we managed to confirm that we went the right way with the settings in Albacete. The chatter that we had last year, including here in Jerez, has all but gone, so that’s a big step forward. We were hoping to do more here, but I lost the front without warning at the fast turn 12 yesterday and went down hard. I was lucky to walk away uninjured, but it effectively ended the day for me as the bike was badly damaged. The lost track time meant we didn’t get to try everything we had planned, but we already know how we need to set up the bike for the first race, so it’s not such an issue. I could have done with more time on the bike just to build more confidence, but these things happen in racing and we just have to deal with it.”

Livio Loi #11: 21st – 1’48.568
“Overall I’m pretty happy with the test. We were fast once again in the wet and we made definite improvements in the dry. Of course, I’d like to be a little bit nearer to the top of the timesheet, but racing at this level is very new for me and I need to learn to walk before I can run. I could have gone faster, a 1’47 was definitely possible, but in these conditions the chance of a crash was just too high and the last thing I need is an injury before the season has even started. There is still some work to do on our set-up in the dry, but this will come with more laps on the bike. At the moment I’m relying very much on the team when it comes to settings, but this will change once I gain more experience on the bike. It will be tough to sit out the first two GP races, because all I want to do now is race!”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“Despite the best efforts of the weather this year, we’re ready to race. Both Scott and Livio showed impressive pace in the wet and Scott backed that up with fast and consistent lap times in the dry. We know where we are with him; where we are strong and where we need to improve. Mika has also made solid progress with a very different set-up on the bike than he’s used to. I’m confident that he’d have finished higher up the order if he hadn’t lost time to a crash yesterday. What can I say about Livio; he has already exceeded our expectations in the dry but when the weather turned wet he was straight into the top five on the timesheet. He will miss the first two races because of his age, but he’ll test and race in the national championships at Le Mans and Catalunya instead, so he knows the tracks when he returns later in the season for the Grand Prix.”

More information and high resolution images are available on the Marc VDS Racing Team website at www.marcvds.com.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Successful Testing for Redding

February 26, 2013 By

Scott Redding left this week’s weather-hit Jerez Moto2 test full of confidence after an impressive performance in wet and dry conditions.

The British rider was third quickest on the only dry day of the test and impressively fast inside the top six in wet conditions that dominated the first and opening day of the second pre-season test session.

The Marc VDS Racing rider, who is hotly fancied to mount a serious title challenge in 2013, told MCN: “It has been good to have some wet track time as well because sometimes last year I had an issue riding in the rain.

“Last year in the rain it felt like I had no grip at some tracks. It was more of a confidence thing in the early part of the race. If I could feel there was decent grip from the off I’d be comfortable and work with the bike and we have been working on improving that this week.

“We managed to test a few things to try and help with the rear grip and I’m pretty satisfied with the progress made. I always said the Valencia test was just about me settling back into it and then I wanted to get closer to the top at every test.

“It looks like (Pol) Espargaro has been on his level for a while and I’m slowly but surely cutting that gap.”

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Scott Redding fifth in weather disrupted Jerez Moto2 test

February 20, 2013 By

Scott Redding’s preparations for an assault on the 2013 Moto2 world championship continued in Jerez today, with the British rider fifth fastest in wet conditions.

Redding, who was seventh in last week’s Valencia test, logged a best time of 1.54.571 to finish 0.740s behind former 125GP world champion Nicolas Terol, who led the way with a quickest time of 1.53.831.

Tech 3 Racing Team rider Danny Kent finished 17th fastest with a best pace of 1.56.174. That left him 2.3s back of Terol.

Spanish-based Brit Kyle Smith was two places further back in 19th having set a best time of 1.56.607.

Title favourite Pol Espargaro ended the first session in fourth, with Simone Corsi and Julian Simon completing the top three in front of the Spaniard.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , ,

Sit Down with Scott Redding!

December 28, 2012 By

Check out this interview with Marc VDS/Arma Energy Moto GP athlete Scott Redding. Scott talks about a lot, on and off the bike. You might learn something new!

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/videos/2012/December/dec2512-video-five-minutes-with-scott-redding/

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts