Aspar edges closer to Kawasaki collaboration

The Team Principal for the Mapfre and Bancaja Aspar teams victorious in the lower cylinder categories in Misano, ex-rider Jorge Martinez Aspar is close to sealing a deal for a Kawasaki satellite project in 2009. The Spaniard says that the plan has taken another step´ over the weekend, with MotoGP rider Toni Elias in the frame for the ride.

`Everything is at a fairly advanced stage with Kawasaki now,´ confirmed Aspar, who has long harboured ambitions of running a team in the premier class. `It seems as if on the Japanese side the situation is shaping up to be a third bike. We´ve also talked with Elias, one of our priorities, and fingers crossed we´ll be able to confirm something soon, either at Indianapolis or in the coming days.´

One rider who won´t be making the move up to MotoGP as part of the deal is 250cc racewinner Alvaro Bautista, who Aspar also confirmed had agreed to a further year in the quarter-litre class.´

` This weekend has been special. I celebrated my birthday (on Friday) and we took the double with Alvaro and Gabor Talmacsi. For me, though, the best news has been Alvaro renewing with us for another year. He will be in the Mapfre Aspar team once more, and for me that is the best thing to have happened here,´ added an elated Aspar.

Bautista moved up to third in the 250cc standings with his triumph at Misano, and could still win the title in his sophomore year in the class.