Tech 3
Encyclopedia
Tech 3 is a motorcycle racing
team currently competing in MotoGP World Championship under the name Monster
Yamaha Tech 3 and uses the Yamaha YZR-M1
motorcycle.
The team was founded by ex-racer Hervé Poncharal, engineer Guy Coulon and Bernard Martignac and started racing in 1990
in the 250 cc class, using Honda
and Suzuki
motorcycles. In 1999
, the team partnered with Yamaha
for the factory team and in 2000
their riders, Olivier Jacque
and Shinya Nakano
, placed first and second in the 250 world championship. In 2001
the team moved the whole operation to the premier class, again with Yamaha, Jacque and Nakano on the YZR500
, though their status changed to that of satellite team
through to the present.
Towards the end of the 2002 season
, the team was given use of the YZR-M1
. In 2006
and 2007
the team used Dunlop tires
, but returned to Michelin
in 2008.
In the 2008 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
, the two-time and reigning Superbike World Champion
champion James Toseland
partnered with the two-time Superbike World Champion champion Colin Edwards
.
For 2010
, Ben Spies
replaced Toseland. Spies finished the season in sixth place while Edwards finished in eleventh place. In the new Moto2 category, Tech 3 rider Yuki Takahashi
finished the season in twelfth place while Raffaele de Rosa
finished 27th, aboard Honda-powered bikes using a Tech 3 chassis.
For 2011, Spies moved to the factory Yamaha team, and was being replaced by Cal Crutchlow
; the team again retained Colin Edwards for a fourth season. For 2012, Crutchlow moves into the second year of his two year deal, while Edwards announced that he was leaving for the Forward Racing
team with Andrea Dovizioso
having been confirmed as his replacement. Bradley Smith
signed a deal to ride for the team in MotoGP in 2013 and 2014, but will remain in Moto2 with the team for a second year, in 2012.
Motorcycle racing
Motorcycle sport is a broad field that encompasses all sporting aspects of motorcycling. The disciplines are not all "races" or timed-speed events, as several disciplines test a competitor's various riding skills.-Motorcycle racing:...
team currently competing in MotoGP World Championship under the name Monster
Monster Energy
-Distribution :Though it is not widely advertised in the media, Monster receives a large amount of recognition from its sponsorship of various sporting events, including motocross and car racing. Hansen Natural Corporation announced a distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch in the U.S. and Grupo...
Yamaha Tech 3 and uses the Yamaha YZR-M1
Yamaha YZR-M1
The Yamaha YZR-M1 is an motorcycle specifically developed by Yamaha Motor Company to race in the current MotoGP series. It succeeded the YZR500 by the 2002 season and was originally developed with a engine...
motorcycle.
The team was founded by ex-racer Hervé Poncharal, engineer Guy Coulon and Bernard Martignac and started racing in 1990
1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 42nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:1990 marked the beginning of the Rainey era with the Marlboro-Yamaha rider taking 7 wins and scoring points in every race but Hungary after he had already clinched the championship...
in the 250 cc class, using Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
and Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
motorcycles. In 1999
1999 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1999 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 51st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:The dominant reign of Honda's Mick Doohan came to an end with serious injuries suffered in practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. In his absence, his Honda team-mate Àlex Crivillé...
, the team partnered with Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
for the factory team and in 2000
2000 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2000 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 52nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:Kenny Roberts, Jr. fulfilled the promise of his 2nd place in 1999 by winning the championship for 2000 with 2 races to spare...
their riders, Olivier Jacque
Olivier Jacque
Olivier Jacque is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.He was second in the 250cc European Championship in 1994, before moving on to the 250cc World Championship. He achieved a top ten finish in the points standings every year he competed...
and Shinya Nakano
Shinya Nakano
is a retired Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Superbike rider. He is not related to the former Formula One racer Shinji Nakano.-Early years:...
, placed first and second in the 250 world championship. In 2001
2001 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
This article recaps the 2001 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.-Season summary:2001 was the end of the 500 cc era in Grand Prix motorcycle racing; in 2002 the premier class would be renamed MotoGP and dominated by 4-stroke 990 cc machines. However, 2001 was the beginning of another era, that of...
the team moved the whole operation to the premier class, again with Yamaha, Jacque and Nakano on the YZR500
Yamaha YZR500
The YZR500 was the Yamaha Motor Corporation’s entry for 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing between the years of 1973 and 2002.- Successes :...
, though their status changed to that of satellite team
Satellite team
In motorsport, a satellite team is a team related to a larger, better-funded team. This relation may involve ownership, technical support and staff sharing, including drivers...
through to the present.
Towards the end of the 2002 season
2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 54th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. The season consist of 16 races, which started with the Japanese Grand Prix on 7 April and ended with the Valencian Community Grand Prix on 3 November....
, the team was given use of the YZR-M1
Yamaha YZR-M1
The Yamaha YZR-M1 is an motorcycle specifically developed by Yamaha Motor Company to race in the current MotoGP series. It succeeded the YZR500 by the 2002 season and was originally developed with a engine...
. In 2006
2006 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2006 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 58th F.I.M. Road racing World Championship season.-Season summary:The 2006 MotoGP season was one of the closest battles and most thrilling in recent memory in which Honda's Nicky Hayden didn't claim the championship from Valentino Rossi until the...
and 2007
2007 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2007 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 59th F.I.M Road Racing World Championship season. The 2007 season was significant as it introduced a new regulation which specifies that competitors in the MotoGP class can use up to 800 cc motorcycles; between 2002 and 2006, competitors had...
the team used Dunlop tires
Dunlop Tyres
Dunlop Tyres is a British company owned 75% by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and 25% by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which bought the right to sell Dunlop-branded road tyres....
, but returned to Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
in 2008.
In the 2008 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
2008 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2008 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 60th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-MotoGP:The MotoGP class opened with the historic Qatar Grand Prix, the first night race held in the World Championship history...
, the two-time and reigning Superbike World Champion
Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
champion James Toseland
James Toseland
James Michael Toseland is a former English motorcycle racer. Toseland was the World Superbike Champion on a Ten Kate Honda, who also won the Superbike World Championship on a Ducati. He is one of only two men, the other being Troy Corser, to have won the Superbike World Championship for two...
partnered with the two-time Superbike World Champion champion Colin Edwards
Colin Edwards
Colin Edwards II nicknamed the Texas Tornado is an American professional motorcycle racer. He is a two time World Superbike champion and has competed in MotoGP since 2003, now riding for the Yamaha Tech 3 team in the 2011 season.-Early years:At the age of three, his Australian father, Colin...
.
For 2010
2010 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2010 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 62nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. It was the first season for the new Moto2 class....
, Ben Spies
Ben Spies
Ben Spies , also known as "Elbowz" due to his riding style where his elbows protrude outward, is a professional motorcycle road racer who turned pro in 2000...
replaced Toseland. Spies finished the season in sixth place while Edwards finished in eleventh place. In the new Moto2 category, Tech 3 rider Yuki Takahashi
Yuki Takahashi
is a Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. For 2009 he made his debut in the MotoGP class, with the Scot Racing Honda team but was subsequently dropped by the team after just seven rounds of the 2009 season due to financial issues...
finished the season in twelfth place while Raffaele de Rosa
Raffaele de Rosa
Raffaele de Rosa is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is currently competing in the Moto2 World Championship for the Mapfre Aspar Team.- Profile :*Country – Italy*2006 team – Multimedia Racing, 125cc...
finished 27th, aboard Honda-powered bikes using a Tech 3 chassis.
For 2011, Spies moved to the factory Yamaha team, and was being replaced by Cal Crutchlow
Cal Crutchlow
Cal Crutchlow is a professional motorcycle road racer. He is a former British Supersport champion and British Superbike race winner, and the 2009 Supersport World Champion.-Early years:...
; the team again retained Colin Edwards for a fourth season. For 2012, Crutchlow moves into the second year of his two year deal, while Edwards announced that he was leaving for the Forward Racing
Forward Racing
Forward Racing is a motorcycle racing team competing in the MotoGP and Moto2 World Championship.-History:The team started competing in the MotoGP class as Hayate Racing Team, a scaled down version of the Kawasaki factory team that withdrew from MotoGP for the 2009 championship due to the economic...
team with Andrea Dovizioso
Andrea Dovizioso
Andrea Dovizioso is a professional motorcycle road racer. He won the 125cc World Championship in 2004.-125cc:...
having been confirmed as his replacement. Bradley Smith
Bradley Smith (motorcyclist)
Bradley Smith is an English motorcycle racer, currently competing in the Moto2 Grand Prix World Championship. He was a regular frontrunner in the 125cc class, recording three wins, twenty podium finishes as well as nine pole positions in his five seasons in the class...
signed a deal to ride for the team in MotoGP in 2013 and 2014, but will remain in Moto2 with the team for a second year, in 2012.