Carlos Checa set for MotoGP return?

Carlos Checa looks increasingly likely to return to the MotoGP ranks before the 2010 season is out as rumours grow that he is being lined up to replace Mika Kallio at Pramac Ducati.

Speculation began circulating at Sepang that Checa, whose reputation in the Ducati ranks has soared on the back of his outstanding World Superbike campaign with Althea Racing, would take over from Kallio for the final two events at Estoril and Valencia.

While both parties have remained coy on the subject, rumours have spiked after Checa posted a video on Twitter of him testing the official Ducati GP10 machine at Mugello.

It is thought Checa, whose WSBK season is over, would be drafted in to replace the out-of-favour Kallio, who sits at the bottom of the MotoGP leaderboard for full-time riders and has finished at the back during the last three races.

The Spaniard, who has 220 grand prix starts to his name, would be an ideal replacement for Kallio, bringing necessary experience to a Pramac team that has persevered with two fairly novice riders in 2010.

The move, however, would not be a precursor to a potential MotoGP return for the 37-year-old as he has already committed to a two-year deal with Althea Ducati in World Superbikes.

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Casey Stoner unconcerned by Sepang spill

Casey Stoner is refusing to dwell on the first lap accident that ruled him out of the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang as he looks to make it four consecutive wins on home soil at Phillip Island.

Stoner was chasing a third straight victory at Sepang but wouldn't complete the opening revolution, an error that has once again opened up the fight for third in the standings between himself, Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso.

Nonetheless, having won at Aragon and Motegi before that, Stoner is merely pleased to have found a breakthrough with the Ducati GP10, which coupled to his excellent Australian Grand Prix record, gives him optimism of further success this weekend.

"Three races ago this race wasn't looking good for us because the bike wasn't working in the areas that you need it to work at Phillip Island,” he said. “But, during the last three races we have made improvements, so we come into this weekend looking pretty good.

“It's good sometimes to race in the cooler conditions we get at Phillip Island, but the best thing about this track is definitely the fast corners!"

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Stoner had a 'dossier of employees'

News circulating from the disgruntled Ducati camp is that their Antipodion griper Casey Stoner had asked for a 'dossier of employees' so that he could build up a case to why he hated each and every one them.

"He's taken personal complaining to a whole new stratosphere' admitted one greasy Ducati member "Stoner asked for personal details on all our backgrounds so he could single out how and why we'd each want him to fail. He needn't have bothered though as we all hate him for the exact same the reason - he's a whiney little weasel-faced ship-jumper."

So far this season Casey has managed to blame every single member of the Ducati team for his failures claiming that they weren't trying hard enough to make him look great. Stoner's crowning achievement came at Brno when he completed his blame-a-thon by claiming that Paolo, the man Ducati sporadically hire to de-crust the inside of the staff toilets, had a funny limp* that put him off and cased the front end of his bike to continually wash out.

Since completing his quest to blame all members of Ducati the Australian complainer has been forced look further a field for his performance accusations. Not only has he blamed every MotoGP rider for riding too hard and fast but has also accused the sun of being too bright and causing his unsightly facial mole to itch and Hephaestus, the crippled god of fire, of having an off-putting name that's too hard to spell.

"We won't be too sorry to see the moaning little bastard go" concluded out mystery oil-baked employee "I just can't wait to hear him sulk that Japanese HRC team have 'off putting eyes'. That should go down brilliantly."

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Rossi: “One of the best races of my career”

Valentino Rossi’s second victory of the season came on a track at which the Italian has enjoyed great success in the past when he won at Sepang on Sunday, and the result will go down as one of the 31 year-old’s great displays.

Rossi could do little to stop Jorge Lorenzo from taking the 2010 title but with victory achieved his 46th win with Yamaha, recovering from a second-row start which had seen him drop to 11th on the opening lap to mount a stirring comeback.

“I want to say congratulations to Yamaha and to Jorge; he has been fast all season, at all tracks and in all conditions and he deserves to be the World Champion,” said Rossi, who went on to discuss his own result.

"This is a wonderful moment for me, I am so happy to win like this and take my 46th win with Yamaha on ‘my' M1,” added the Italian, who has now won at Sepang six times in the premier class – four of those with Yamaha.

Reviewing his phenomenal climb through the order, Rossi continued: “It was one of my worst starts and for a moment I was really worried, but within a few corners I understood that I could go for it, because my bike felt great today thanks to a small change we made in warm-up. Jeremy's (Burgess, chief mechanic) idea really worked!”

“I rode so well and it was a fantastic race, one of the best of my career I think. I wanted this 46th win so much because as everyone knows it's a special number for me! Thanks to my team because everyone worked so hard this weekend and I think this is a great repayment for everyone. To win like this, from 11th at the first corner, is a great feeling.”

With the result Rossi moved into third in the Championship standings, where he now lies 47 points off second-placed Dani Pedrosa with three rounds remaining.

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Stoner takes emotional final pole for Ducati at Valencia

Casey Stoner will start his final race as a Ducati rider from the front of the MotoGP grid tomorrow after a typically determined ride in the Valencia sunshine this afternoon. Stoner struggled to find a set-up he was entirely comfortable with throughout the 45-minute qualifying session but he took 0.8 seconds off his best time to break the 1'32 barrier on his 14th lap and he followed up with two more efforts in the 1'31 bracket on a short but sweet final run, sealing his 25th and final pole position for the Italian factory.

Nicky Hayden also enjoyed a positive afternoon, qualifying inside the front two rows for the fourth successive race. The American shaved a full second off his best effort from free practice and is confident he could have gone even faster but for a front end slide that cost him time and confidence on his first flying lap, although his pace was still good enough for fifth on the grid.

CASEY STONER (Ducati Team) 1st – 1'31.799
“This morning we were struggling a little bit with the front because you have to spend a lot of time at this circuit with the bike leaned over so this afternoon we tried a lot of different things without really finding the right feeling. When I went out on a soft tyre I didn't think I'd be able to beat Jorge (Lorenzo) or Marco (Simoncelli) but it gave me the confidence I needed to go much faster and I set a lap time I was very happy with. I actually made a couple of mistakes on my last two laps otherwise I think I could have improved it but the important thing is that I was able to give Ducati another pole position before I sign off. There are a couple of sections where we need to improve for tomorrow but other sections that remind me of Phillip Island in the way I can attack them so overall I am comfortable and confident. It will be an emotional day I'm sure tomorrow but for now my job is to focus on the race and achieving the best result possible.”

NICKY HAYDEN – (Ducati Team) 5th – 1'32.422
“The middle of the second row isn't a disaster. The track seemed to really come in this afternoon and immediately on hard tyres we were a lot faster than we've been all weekend. We made a couple of little changes this afternoon and straight away I made up the couple of tenths I've been lacking so far. When we put the first soft tyre in I got straight into the 1'32s and with the second one in the first split I had a moment with the front and that's not the way you want to start your first flying lap. It cost me a little confidence and maybe a place on the front row because even though I managed a 1'32.4 I wasn't able to find those last couple of tenths. Each tenth makes a big difference around here so we have to claw for every one we can get. Tomorrow ain't going to be cake, I know that, but I want to finish the year with a strong result and I'm looking forward to it.”

Circuit Record: Casey Stoner (Ducati - 2008), 1’32.582 – 155.732 Km/h
Best Pole: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha - 2006), 1’31.002 – 158.436 Km/h

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Iran beats South Korea 1-0 in friendly

Masoud Shojaei's first-half goal Tuesday gave Iran a 1-0 victory against South Korea in a friendly.

The Osasuna striker scored in the 35t minute from the edge of the area after receiving a pass from Pejman Nouri following a mistake by South Korea defender Lee Young-pyo.

South Korea was playing its second game since reaching the second round of the World Cup, and went close to scoring through Park Ji-sung, Park Chu-young and Lee Chung-yong. The Koreans put the visitors under pressure for most of the match as both teams continue preparations for the 2011 Asian Cup in January.

The victory marks a successful return to Seoul for Iran coach Afshin Ghotbi, a former assistant with South Korea.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com
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Turkey’s Sahin Will Be at Home in Qualifier

Berlin - He may have been born and raised in Germany, but Turkey midfielder Nuri Sahin says he will have no problem wearing the red shirt on Friday and taking on the country of his birth in Berlin in a Euro 2012 qualifier.

Around 30,000 Turkey fans are expected at Olympic Stadium for the Group A clash.

With 1.66 million Turks and 700,000 Germans of Turkish origin currently living in Germany, the qualifier between the group’s top two sides will almost have the air of a home match for Guus Hiddink-coached Turkey.

Having played for Turkey since 2005, Sahin had no problem choosing to play for the country of his ancestors and says it was a matter of personal choice.

“The German national football team has set the example, they are a multicultural team and the whole country cheers when Mesut Ozil scores,” he said.

In the wake of the labor shortage caused by World War II, Germany recruited guest workers from overseas and a flood of immigrants from Turkey means the country still has a strong Turkish community today.

Just like Real Madrid’s Ozil, one of the stars of the World Cup, Sahin was born in Germany to Turkish parents.

“Although I am a Turk, I am also more than a little German. This is a very special game for me,” Sahin said.

The German Football Federation is working hard to make sure few other German-born players slip through the net to play for other countries.

With an estimated 200,000 footballers in Germany eligible to play for Turkey, the federation is doing what it can to keep hold of homegrown talent.

“It is our aim to integrate those players with a migration background into our talent development scheme,” the federation’s sport director, Matthias Sammer, told the magazine Kicker. (Ryland James)

Agence France-Presse

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