International Dealer News IDN 152 December 2019/January 2020 | Page 10

news ROOM NEWS BRIEFS Husqvarna Motorcycles has announced a return to international road racing and the FIM World Championship Grand Prix Moto3 class where they will officially support the Max Racing Team. Owned by four-times 250 cc World Champion Max Biaggi, and under the management of experienced German former racer Peter Öttl, the team will field Romano Fenati and Alonso Lopez in the 2020 season on the new Husqvarna FR 250 GP. British distributor Bickers has added distribution of NOCO battery chargers and jump packs. The NOCO boost range features five lithium-based jump packs; there are also five battery trickle chargers available, plus an accessory range that includes extension cables, adaptors, connectors and protective cases. Historically, NOCO's origins are with the two-step NCP2 "No Corrosion Product" - a battery corrosion preventative invented by Joseph Henry Nook in 1914. Michelin has signed an agreement to acquire 80% of PT Multistrada Arah Sarana TBK ("Multistrada"), a tyre manufacturer based in Indonesia. Michelin will pay USD 439 m for their controlling stake. With a production capacity of more than 180 thousand tons (i.e., 11 million passenger car tyres, 9 million two-wheel tyres and 250 thousand truck tyres), Multistrada generated net sales of USD 281 million in 2017. With this transaction, Michelin will strengthen its presence in the highly promising but local-production dominated Indonesian market by acquiring a very competitive local plant with good quality facilities and immediately available production capacity. 10 Matteo Ferrari takes inaugural FIM Enel MotoE World Cup Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) has been crowned 2019 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup winner thanks to a P5 finish in Race 2 at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana. Brazilian Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorma Racing) beat Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) on the final lap to claim a double victory at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, with Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) completing the Race 2 podium after being disqualified from Race 1. Having achieved a double win at Misano in September, Ferrari entered the Valencia races with a 19-point lead over his nearest rival, Tech 3's Hector Garzo. The first race at Valencia was won by Granado, with Garzo disqualified for running tyre pressures below the permitted minimum. Granado's Race 2 was enough to give Ferrari a 20-point buffer over MotoGP podium finisher Bradley Smith as he entered the final lap. The champion himself took the chequered flag in fifth, challenging Granado on the opening lap, but ultimately yielding to Garzo and Pramac rider Alex de Angelis. Former MotoGP star Sete Gibernau, who will depart the MotoE grid after one season, finished his final race in the category in seventh, losing out to fellow ex-premier class rider Mike Di Meglio on the final lap by 0.038s. While Ferrari and Smith retained the first two spots in the standings, Granado leaped ahead of his teammate and ex- Avintia MotoGP rider Xavier Simeon for third. Simeon crashed on the opening lap of the final race, his accident collecting Pramac's Josh Hook in the process. Ferrari will remain part of the Gresini MotoE line-up next year. 2020 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup - Provisional Schedule The provisional calendar for the 2020 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup will see the series visit more venues for another six rounds in its second year. The season will begin at the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuito de Jerez- Angel Nieto before round two sees MotoE head to Le Mans and the French Grand Prix. From there it’s on to a new venue, the TT Circuit Assen, which replaces the Sachsenring on the Cup calendar for 2020. MotoE will then get back on track at the Red Bull Ring in Austria before the summer break, with a double- header at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli to round out the year as the Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini hosts the season finale for the 2020 Cup. TABLE 1 - 2019 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (6 RACES) Position Rider Nation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 FERRARI Matteo SMITH Bradley GRANADO Eric GARZO Hector DI MEGLIO Mike SIMEON Xavier ANGELIS Alex RAFFIN Jesko CANEPA Niccolo CASADEI Mattia ITA GBR BRA SPA FRA BEL RSM SWI ITA ITA INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - DECEMBER 2019 / JANUARY 2020 Total Germany Points 99 11 88 20 71 8 69 13 63 16 58 9 47 10 47 3 46 4 39 5 Austria 11 16 0 - 25 20 13 7 8 3 Misano Race 1 25 4 3 20 - 16 - 13 11 - Misano Race 2 25 8 10 20 6 - - 9 13 16 Valencia Race 1 16 20 25 - 6 13 11 9 10 7 Valencia Race 2 11 20 25 16 10 - 13 6 - 8 www.idnmag.com