Preliminary 2012 MotoGP Entry List Released

The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has released a preliminary entry list for the 2012 MotoGP World Championship. The provisional list includes 21 riders in the premiere class, including nine classified as Claiming Rule Team entries.

Defending MotoGP Champion Casey Stoner will wear the #1 plate for the 2012 season, the first with both CRT entries and the new 1000cc engine displacement cap. He will be joined by Dani Pedrosa on the Repsol Honda factory team. Satellite Honda riders include Stefan Bradl of LCR and Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista. Gresini will also field Michele Pirro as a CRT entry, riding an FTR chassis with a modified Honda CBR1000RR engine.

The Yamaha factory team will again be represented by 2010 Champion Jorge Lorenzo and American Ben Spies, while Cal Crutchlow will be joined by former Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso on the Tech 3 Yamaha satellite team.

While the 2011 season saw six Ducati Desmosedicis on the grid, this season will see that number reduced to just four. Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden return with the factory Ducati team, hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 2010 campaign. Also returning are Hector Barbera wtih Pramac and one of last season’s surprises, Karel Abraham of Cardion AB.

Joining Pirro in the CRT ranks is American Colin Edwards with Forward Racing. Edwards will be riding a Suter chassis powered by a modified BMW S1000RR engine.

Perhaps the most intriguing CRT entries are the Aspar duo of Randy De Puniet and Aleix Espargaro. Both riders are experienced MotoGP pilots, but interestingly, they will ride prototype Aprilia chassis equipped with engines based upon the Aprilia RSV4 powerplant, a decision some critics say go against the spirit of the CRT category. Anthony West, another familiar name from the MotoGP as a former Kawasaki factory rider, will also ride an Aprilia-designed CRT entry for the Speed Master team, as is Paul Bird Racing’s James Ellison. Danilo Petrucci of Ioda Racing will ride another Aprilia-powered entry, but instead of an Aprilia chassis will use the team’s own custom-built chassis.

Rounding out the grid are the BQR Avintia Racing Team with Ivan Silva and Yonny Hernandez riding on a BQR-FTR chassis with Kawasaki engines.

Preliminary 2012 MotoGP Entry List

1 CASEY STONER AUS – HONDA TEAM, HONDA
4 ANDREA DOVIZIOSO ITA – YAMAHA TECH 3, YAMAHA
5 COLIN EDWARDS USA – FORWARD RACING, SUTER*
6 STEFAN BRADL GER – LCR HONDA MotoGP, HONDA
8 HECTOR BARBERA SPA – PRAMAC RACING TEAM, DUCATI
9 DANILO PETRUCCI ITA – IODA RACING PROJECT, IODA*
11 BEN SPIES USA – YAMAHA FACTORY RACING, YAMAHA
13 ANTHONY WEST AUS – SPEED MASTER, ART*
14 RANDY DE PUNIET FRA – ASPAR TEAM MotoGP, ART*
17 KAREL ABRAHAM CZE – CARDION AB MOTORACING, DUCATI
19 ALVARO BAUTISTA SPA – HONDA GRESINI, HONDA
20 ALEIX ESPARGARO SPA – ASPAR TEAM MotoGP, ART*
22 IVAN SILVA SPA – BQR, BQR-FTR*
26 DANI PEDROSA SPA – HONDA TEAM, HONDA
35 CAL CRUTCHLOW GBR – YAMAHA TECH 3, YAMAHA
46 VALENTINO ROSSI ITA – DUCATI TEAM, DUCATI
51 MICHELE PIRRO ITA – HONDA GRESINI, FTR*
68 YONNY HERNANDEZ COL – BQR, BQR-FTR*
69 NICKY HAYDEN USA – DUCATI TEAM, DUCATI
77 JAMES ELLISON GBR – PAUL BIRD RACING, ART*
99 JORGE LORENZO SPA – YAMAHA FACTORY RACING, YAMAHA

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By Dennis Chung