IRISH Supertwins Champion John Burrows will be joined in the Cookstown/BE Racing team this year for selected events by one of the fastest ladies in the world – Maria Costello MBE.

Burrows, having been selected by the Moira Motorcycle Racing Club to ride their Honda CBR600 RR in the Supersport class this year, decided to look for a rider to ride his own Yamaha R6, rather than leave it sitting idle in his workshop, and the Northamptonshire lady met all his requirements.

Burrows commented: “After Maria found out my R6 was available she made contact with me and after discussions I was delighted to welcome her to the Cookstown/BE Racing team. Maria will ride the Yamaha at the Cookstown 100, the Isle of Man TT and selected other national events after the TT. Before hitting the roads, Maria will get the chance to test the machine at Kirkistown.(...)
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Elena Myers becomes the first woman to win a professional race at Daytona International Speedway. She won the AMA Pro Motorcycle-SuperStore.com SuperSport race.

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BY GODWIN KELLY, MOTORSPORTS EDITOR

DAYTONA BEACH — Elena Myers made racing history Saturday when she became the first professional woman racer to win a major event at Daytona International Speedway.

Myers won the closely contested AMA Pro Motorcycle-SuperStore.com SuperSport race, which was staged prior to the 71st Daytona 200, won by Joey Pascarella.

“I was crying the whole cool-down lap,” she said. “I was crying and that was ridiculous. I’m such a girl. I can get away with it.”

The 18-year-old Myers stayed in the lead group, forging to the top of the chart on Lap 6 of the 10-lap sprint over Daytona’s 3.51-mile Long Course.

James Rispoli tugged the lead back on Lap 7.

On the final, white-flag lap, Myers found herself with the lead as she exited the chicane — a quick left turn that separates the 3,200-foot back straightaway from the Turn 3 banking.(...)
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Post tags: ama pro motorcycle superstore.com, daytona international speedway, elena myers, supersport

Costello used the Racedays track time to shakedown the brand new bespoke Wilbers suspension and latest engine work on her Supertwin, in preparation for the busy 2012 road race season that lies ahead.

Accompanying Maria on the Spanish trip was crew chief Tim McGivern and suspension guru Paul von Mensenkampff from VMtek Suspensions, suppliers of Wilbers products.

Paul commented:

“We have fitted a Wilbers 643QS shock to the rear of the Supertwin. This shock features rebound damping, both high and low speed compression damping, a ride height adjuster and a hydraulic preload adjuster. It’s a custom shock, as are all Wilbers shocks, which has been sprung and valved specifically for Maria’s weight and usage. Maria is also using Kawasaki ZX-6R forks that are sprung and valved to Wilbers specifications. Having this adjustability helped us greatly when setting up trackside. We were able to adjust the geometry and damping with ease. Our adjustments worked very well and Maria’s lap times reflected this fact. It was great to see her constantly improve. I’m looking forward to supporting Maria throughout the 2012 season.(...)
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Maria Costello MBE, one of the country’s most prominent female motorcycle racers, is excited to announce that she will be riding a Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki ZX10R prepared and backed machine at the Isle of Man TT.

The Northamptonshire based motorcycle racer will use the Pr1mo BKR liveried Kawasaki ZX10R in the Superstock 1000, Superbike and Senior classes at the TT and at other selected 2012 road race events. Maria will receive full back up from the Pr1mo BKR Elite Superbike team at all of these meetings.

Bournemouth Kawasaki Racing Team Owner Peter Extance added:

“We are very pleased to be able to back and work with Maria on a Pr1mo BKR ZX10R for 2012. The team has a big presence on the roads with James Hillier and it will be great to be able to support Maria with her road racing this season.(...)
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The Australian Riders Division (ARD) of Motorcycling Australia (MA) has proudly announced Kim Krebs as 2011 winner of the inaugural ‘Woman of the Year’ award at the Celebration of Women’s Motorcycling in Yackandandah, Victoria.

Kim, a local rider from Yackandandah, accepted the prestigious award in her home town last Saturday 28 January in front of approximately 100 female riders gathered from across the country for the Celebration.

The award recognises Kim’s achievements as a Land Speed Record (LSR) holder, her continued dedication and unique contribution in an often overlooked discipline of Motorcycle Sport.

Kim achieved recognition as the ‘fastest woman in Australia’ when on the salt flats of Lake Gairdner, South Australia, she set a Land Speed Record of 188.412mph (303Kph) in 2010 on her Suzuki GSX-R 750.(...)
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Post tags: australian riders division, Celebration of Women’s Motorcycling, kim krebs, Lake Gairdner, Land Speed Record, Land Speed Record of 188.412mph (303Kph), motorcyclings of australia, South Australia, Victoria, woman of the year, Yackandandah

I’ve written this first sentence what seems like a million times and then I delete it. The second sentence followed the same pattern…. so I’m just going to “vomit” all of it out so that I can get over my first blog. Doing anything for the first time is the hardest so I know it will get easier as time goes on.

My name is Jenny Besaw and I’m currently racing my 2007 Honda CBR 600RR with the Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association (OMRRA). I was a late bloomer and swung my leg over a bike at the age of 24. Within a couple months I ended up purchasing my first bike which was a 2004 Honda CBR 1000RR. I spent a little under a year riding the streets before I made it out to the track as a spectator. I don’t remember to much about that day but I remember walking up to the grandstands and the first thing I noticed was a female racer in her leathers with the name “Rimes” written on the back. This lady not only inspired me to ride because I thought to myself, “If she can do it, I can do it”. I was only able to watch her do a few laps before the day had ended but ever since then I haven’t looked back.

I was hesitant to get out on the track with the boys so I signed up for an all women’s track day in 2005. I asked a friend to drive my car so that I could have a gas can and cooler available while I rode my bike. This was a day that will forever change my life…. take a peek at the pictures to see how “green” I was at riding .

After a year of track riding I decided to take my hand at racing. I applied for my novice license with the Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association (WMRRA) and competed in my first race in 2006. I only raced 1 – 2 times a year as it was mainly just for fun. It wasn’t until 2010 that my goals had changed. I was mentally ready and wanted to become more competitive in the sport. I ended 2011 with the following finishes – (2) 1st place, (3) 2nd place and a 3rd place finish. I applied for an expert license through OMRRA at the end of this year and my application was accepted.

Next year will be my first year competing as an expert and I plan on racing in the 600 supersport, 600 superbike and super team races. If you’d like to stay up-to-date with my racing feel free to check out www.facebook.com/jennybesawracing or check back on FRN for a race report during the season.

Hopefully you ladies (and guys) made it through my first blog and haven’t fallen asleep. I have additional news to share… lets just say I picked up a wonderful sponsor who gave me a chance of a lifetime. The company starts with a G and ends with alfer!

PS – A special Thank You to Amber Rimes.

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IT’S been a season to remember for York motorcycle racer Sarah Boyes.

The 23-year-old Team Boyes Racing rider has clinched the Auto66 Club Road And Track Championship, while also winning a coveted ‘replica’ at the Isle of Man TT races.

Boyes, who lives on the outskirts of York, took the nine-round championship by storm, winning her Northern Lightweight class by eight points on her 125cc Honda bike.

In only her third season of competitive racing, the former Manor School pupil also achieved one of her motorcycling dreams at the Isle of Man Manx Grand Prix.

She finished 11th in the newcomers race for bikes up to 400cc with an average speed of 91.5mph and 20th in the lightweight race for up to 400cc machines.

However, that was enough to earn the North Yorkshire Road Race Supporters Club rider first place in the 125cc category – and the accolade of best female rider.

Boyes, who works for Royal Mail delivering in the Stamford Bridge area, said: “It’s been a really good season. I fulfilled my ultimate ambition at the Isle of Man – to win a replica was really special.(...)
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Post tags: Auto66 Club Road And Track Championship, Sarah Boyes, Team Boyes Racing

Being a professional motorcycle racer is tough enough, but being one of the youngest among the AMA riders and being a female makes what Elena Myers has accomplished even more impressive.

Myers, 17, became the first woman to ever win an AMA event when she took the checkered flag on May 15 last year at Infineon Raceway in California. This year, she recently finished fifth in the SuperSport West standings despite missing two races with a broken wrist. She’ll finish he 2011 campaign this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Myers won’t be racing for points since her class is divided into East and West, but she’s anxious to get out and improve on her eighth-place finish in the race she started in Millville last year.

“It’s a fun track and last year I didn’t perform as well as I would have hoped,” Myers said. “This year, it’s been a work in progress and I hope to do well and I’m going to go all out.

“I just want to get experience at all the tracks, and it would be terrible to think that my season is ending in July.”

(...)
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Racing a Bob Jackson Suzuki T20 two-stroke for the first time around the TT course, Maria set off from number 64 on the road and despite encountering traffic as early as on as Quarterbridge she was lying in fourth place, only 3 seconds back on third place.

Bob Jackson’s strategy to pit for fuel on lap three saw Maria move in to first place with a lead of almost 9 seconds from Barry Davidson with Peter Wakefield a further 4 seconds back in third.

Costello added: ‘Getting a board at Sulby Bridge with P1 on it put a massive smile on my face. I knew it would change once the others came out of their pit-stops. But it was a great strategy by Bob Jackson, especially with such wet and misty conditions the race could easily have been stopped early. ‘

With Costello coming into the pits to refuel at the end of lap 3, Barry Davidson moved back into the lead with a 21 second ahead of Peter Wakefield in second. The Bob Jackson team did a great pit-stop and Maria was pushed off by Graeme Crosby – Daytona 200, Imola 200, Suzuka 8 Hours, and Isle of Man TT winner, and rejoined the race in third place.

The chequered flag was out and Barry Davidson took the honours with a race time of 1:42.30.89 from Peter Wakefield (1:43.08.50) in second but there was drama unfolding for the final podium position.

Costello, who was the first woman solo competitor to achieve a podium on the mountain course in 2006, having closed the gap to 7 seconds in third place by the Bungalow, was reported to be stopping at Governors Dip.

The battery on the T20 had failed and the bike had stopped. Maria, without knowing that she had almost six minutes on the next rider in fourth place, paddled the bike out of the dip and then, with the chequered flag in view, pushed the bike to the finish line to take third place in a time of 1:47.31.88.(...)
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