Anthony West (motorcyclist)

Anthony "Ant" Keith West,[1] (born 17 July 1981 in Maryborough, Queensland), is an Australian motorcycle road racer. He most recently raced in the 2019 Brazilian Superbike Championship for the Kawasaki Racing Team.[2] West has been suspended from participating at any FIM sanctioned events for 24 months due to testing positive for banned substances on July 8th 2018. The suspension ends on September 14th 2020.[3] In 2018 he competed in the Supersport World Championship, aboard a Kawasaki ZX-6R and in the Asia Road Race SS600 Championship, aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6.

Anthony West
West in 2005
NationalityAustralian
Born (1981-07-17) 17 July 1981
Maryborough, Queensland, Australia
Current teamEAB antwest Racing
&
Webike IKAZUCHI Racing
Bike number13
Motorcycle racing career statistics
MotoGP World Championship
Active years20072008, 2015
ManufacturersKawasaki, Honda
Championships0
2015 championship positionNC (0 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
32 0 0 0 0 109
Moto2 World Championship
Active years20102016
ManufacturersMZ-RE Honda, Moriwaki, Speed Up, Suter
Championships0
2016 championship position27th (6 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
99 1 1 0 0 193
500cc World Championship
Active years2001
ManufacturersHonda
Championships0
2001 championship position18th (27 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
14 0 0 0 0 27
250cc World Championship
Active years19992000, 20032007
ManufacturersHonda, Aprilia, KTM
Championships0
2007 championship position19th (25 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
92 1 5 0 1 578
125cc World Championship
Active years1998
ManufacturersHonda
Championships0
1998 championship positionNC (0 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
1 0 0 0 0 0
Superbike World Championship
Active years20162017
ManufacturersKawasaki
Championships0
2017 championship position27th (13 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
16 0 0 0 0 77
Supersport World Championship
Active years2004, 2007, 2009, 20162018
ManufacturersHonda, Yamaha, Kawasaki
Championships0
2018 championship position10th (51 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
33 2 9 0 2 330

During 2017 he has raced in the Supersport World Championship (600 cc) and the Asia Road Race SS600 Championship initially aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6 followed by a Kawasaki ZX-6R, and also selected events in the Superbike World Championship on a Kawasaki ZX-10R as a stand-in rider for Puccetti Kawasaki.

He has won two races in Grands Prix, the 2003 Dutch TT in the 250 cc class, and the 2014 Dutch TT in the Moto2 class. He is known as "The Rain Man" because of his ability to ride well in the extreme wet, which he attributes to a dirt track racing background.[4]

Career

500cc World Championship

In 2001, he was a 500cc rider for the Dee Cee Jeans Racing Team, scoring minor points in 12 of the 16 races to place 18th overall.

In 2002, he had a year away from motorcycling as he could not gather enough sponsorship to secure a factory Aprilia ride.

Return to 250cc

In the 2003 and 2004 seasons, West rode for the Italian Abruzzo Racing team, running a privateer Aprilia both years. 2003 was the more successful of the years, he won a race and achieved three additional podium places.

2005 was supposed to be his big break, but a factory deal with KTM saw him miss three quarters of the season due to a lack of development and several mechanical failures. However, West rode the KTM to a podium place on debut, placing second in the rain soaked British Grand Prix at Donington Park.

Early in the 2007 season, he rode in the 250cc World Championship on a semi-factory, LE Aprilia run by Matteoni Racing. A disappointing start to the season saw West unable to match the times he set on the Kiefer Bos bike in 2006, with a best result of ninth after the fourth round of seventeen, leading him to quit the team.

However, West enjoyed more success when, at the Monza round of the 2007 World Supersport Championship, he rode through the field from 18th on the grid to finish 3rd, while substituting for injured compatriot Kevin Curtain on his first visit to the track, on his first race aboard the Yamaha. Then, in the following World Supersport round at the historic Silverstone circuit, West secured victory in a wet race. He repeated this feat again at Misano.[5] He finished the championship in ninth place, despite only contesting three of the thirteen rounds.

Return to MotoGP

Following the retirement of Olivier Jacque in June 2007, West was offered the position to race with the Kawasaki Racing Team in MotoGP and aboard the Ninja ZX-RR for the remainder of the season, buying out his contract with Yamaha.[6] He made a good debut at the British Grand Prix, reaching fourth position, but then crashing and eventually finishing 11th.[7] His first four races each saw him finish progressively higher, with seventh at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and eighth at the Sachsenring.[8] He was seventh again in the wet at Motegi, but could have been even higher. Starting 6th, he jumped the start fractionally – by the time the ride-through penalty was handed out, he was leading the race. Teammate Randy de Puniet came second amidst an all-Bridgestone podium, emphasising the missed opportunity. In his home country's Grand Prix the Australian's error caused him to only finish 12th while compatriot Casey Stoner won aboard his Ducati.

At the following race in Malaysia, Sepang, West qualified an impressive fifth behind teammate Randy de Puniet but was yet again given a ride through penalty, this time for lining up incorrectly on the starting grid. West climbed his way back through the field to 15th, capturing one championship point.

Anthony West riding a Kawasaki at the 2007 Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island

West remained with Kawasaki full-time for 2008, joined by John Hopkins. However, he did not achieve great success, and spent much of the season as the last of the 18 regular riders in the championship. There was improvement at Brno however; he qualified sixth in the wet and carried the form over into a dry race, finishing fifth in a race dominated by Bridgestone tyred bikes.

It had already been announced on the Saturday at Brno that West would not be riding for Kawasaki in the 2009 season. Kawasaki reportedly offered him a ride in another championship (which would likely be the Supersport World Championship, in which he competed briefly in 2007); West did not immediately reveal whether he had accepted or declined this offer.

Due to Kawasaki team manager Michael Bartholemy's stated desire to keep West in the Kawasaki family, West was rumoured to be an outside chance to ride a third Kawasaki in MotoGP, which would have been run by Jorge Martínez 'Aspar', who runs the Aspar 125cc and 250cc teams.[9] However, West was never officially mentioned and it transpired that Martinez and his sponsors were only interested in hiring a Spanish rider, a factor that resulted in the team's entry to MotoGP being postponed until after 2009 when no suitable rider could be found.

On 16 October 2008 it was announced that West had signed to ride for the Stiggy Honda team for the 2009 World Supersport Championship, cutting his ties with Kawasaki.[10]

Moto2 World Championship

For 2010 West raced in the new Moto2 class.

2012

For 2012, West was scheduled to ride for the Speed Master team in MotoGP with their CRT Spec Aprilia RSV-4, however he failed to raise the sponsorship necessary and the ride went to Mattia Pasini. West then signed with Supersonic Racing, riding the BMW S1000RR in the British Superbike Championship after narrowly missing out on a ride with Swan Yamaha.

Further drama was to come however, when West's fellow countryman Damian Cudlin was dropped from the QMMF Moto2 Team after struggling with the Moriwaki machine in pre-season testing. West quickly signed with the team, less than a week before the season opener in Qatar. He subsequently left the British Superbike Championship to race in Moto2 full-time.

From Mugello onwards, West raced the Speed Up chassis in place of the struggling Moriwaki. He achieved two season best results of second at Malaysia and his home Grand Prix in Phillip Island.

On 31 October, it was announced that a sample that West had provided for testing at the French Grand Prix contained traces of methylhexanamine, a banned substance. West was stripped of his seventh-place finish in the French Grand Prix and was banned from competing in any FIM-sanctioned race for one month.[11]

2013

For 2013, West continued with the QMMF Moto2 Team alongside Indonesian rider Rafid Topan Sucipto who replaced West at Valencia following his ban. In November 2013 the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency against the decision of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme to only ban West for one month following his positive drug test in 2012. The court retrospectively increased the ban to 18 months and all his results between 20 May 2012 and 19 October 2013 were voided.[12]

2014

In 2014, West remained again with QMMF Racing Team, this time partnered by Spanish rookie Roman Ramos. Both raced in the Italian Speed Up.

West started very well the season, finishing the first five races in points positions, with a best of 7th place at the American GP. While Ràmos always struggled with the Speed Up (he never scored points) West was always fighting for points and he was the best Speed Up rider in a field almost dominated by Kalexs.

At the Dutch TT, West qualified in a poor 23rd position out of 34 riders. But in a wet-drying race where most riders struggled, West once again showed his amazing wet ability and climbed up in first position, to win his second career world championship win, once again in the Dutch TT after his 2003 win. He was the first non-Kalex rider to win that year. Only two other non-Kalex riders won a race that year, both on a Suter. He climbed up to 8th position after that win.

He rarely scored points again after that Dutch win, and he finished in 12th position with 72 points. He scored 3 more points than rookie Sam Lowes, so he was the best Speed Up rider that season.

West was confirmed once again to ride with the QMMF team for the 2015 season.

2015

In 2015, West was partnered this time by a more competitive rider than the others, Spain's Julián Simón.

This time West's performance were not so good. He often struggled in qualifying and he always had to regain positions in the race, going to the limits and retiring more often than previous years.

Tensions with the team didn't help and when West was finally in the midpoints positions, he was sacked by the team after the San Marino GP. He was replaced by Mika Kallio.

He did not race the remaining five races and he finished the season in 22nd position, with 30 points. His best races were at Austin and a wet Silverstone, where he finished 7th in both occasions.

2016

West has raced in World Supersport Championship in 2016 with a wildcard entry in his home race with team Tribeca Racing riding a Yamaha YZF-R6. He finished the race at third position. He also entered the Assen race with his self-sponsored team called West Racing, but he did not race.

West competed in World Superbike with Pedercini replacing Lucas Mahias. At Sepang West finished the race in 9th in the first race and 5th in the second race in wet conditions. He raced for all but two races onwards, always finishing on points scoring positions, except in one race when he retired. He finished 17th in the standings with 64 points.

West made a wildcard appearance with Montaze Broz Racing in Moto2 aboard a Suter at the 2016 Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix, he started 28th on the grid and finished in 10th place on rain-affected conditions, one of the two drivers who scored points in a Suter that year.

He finished sixth in the Asia Road Race SS600 Championship with 3 wins, the only rider able to do that.

2017

For 2017, West re-entered his private West Racing team in the Supersport World Championship. At Phillip Island, he finished once again in third position. He did not raced in Thailand and Aragon, though he entered the Spanish race. He finished in points scoring positions in every race he entered that year. At Assen he finished 14th. At Imola he finished 11th. At Donington Park he managed a 7th place, at Misano a 10th place and at the Lausitzring he finished 8th. West finished the season in 8th place with 83 points.

He also raced in the Monterey Peninsula round of the MotoAmerica SuperBike Championship, where he finished in 5th and 8th place, resulting in a total of 19 points and a current 17th place in the standings.[13]

West entered four races in the World Superbike Championship for the Puccetti Kawasaki Racing team at the Portuguese and French rounds, replacing injured Randy Krummenacher.[14] He scored 13 points with an 8th place in Race 2 at the Algarve's Portimao Circuit being his best result, before switching to the Puccetti Supersport 600 machine for the last two meetings of the year, due to Kenan Sofuoğlu's injuries and Kyle Ryde's termination by the team leaving machines available. The Puccetti Superbike was taken over by Sylvain Guintoli.[15]

Career statistics

By season

Season Class Motorcycle Team Race Win Podium Pole FLap Pts Plcd WCh
1998 125cc Honda RS125 Christopher West Plumbing 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC  
1999 250cc Honda NSR250 Shell Advance Honda Team 16 0 0 0 0 66 12th  
2000 250cc Honda NSR250 Shell Advance Honda Team 16 0 0 0 0 146 6th  
2001 500cc Honda NSR500 Dee Cee Jeans Racing Team 14 0 0 0 0 27 18th  
2003 250cc Aprilia RSV 250 Team Zoppini Abruzzo 16 1 4 0 0 145 7th  
2004 250cc Aprilia RSV 250 Freesoul Abruzzo Racing Team 14 0 0 0 0 88 11th  
2005 250cc Aprilia RSV 250 Aprilia Germany 1 0 0 0 0 30 17th  
Honda NSR250 Wurth Honda BQR 1 0 0 0 0
KTM 250 FRR Red Bull KTM GP250 5 0 1 0 1
2006 250cc Aprilia RSV 250 Kiefer-Bos-Racing 16 0 0 0 0 78 11th  
2007 250cc Aprilia RSV 250 Team Sicilia 7 0 0 0 0 25 18th  
MotoGP Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR Kawasaki Racing Team 11 0 0 0 0 59 15th  
2008 MotoGP Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR Kawasaki Racing Team 18 0 0 0 0 50 18th  
2010 Moto2 MZ Moto2 MZ Racing Team 17 0 0 0 0 26 23rd  
2011 Moto2 MZ Moto2 MZ Racing Team 17 0 0 0 0 40 22nd  
2012 Moto2 Moriwaki MD600 QMMF Racing Team 16 0 0 0 0 0 NC  
Speed Up S12
2013 Moto2 Speed Up SF13 QMMF Racing Team 17 0 0 0 0 19 21st  
2014 Moto2 Speed Up SF14 QMMF Racing Team 18 1 1 0 0 72 12th  
2015 Moto2 Speed Up SF15 QMMF Racing Team 13 0 0 0 0 30 22nd  
MotoGP Honda RC213V-RS AB Motoracing 3 0 0 0 0 0 NC  
2016 Moto2 Suter MMX2 Montáže Brož Racing Team 1 0 0 0 0 6 27th  
Total 238 2 6 0 1 907 0

By class

Class Seasons 1st GP 1st Pod 1st Win Race Win Podiums Pole FLap Pts WChmp
125cc 1998 1998 Australia 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
250cc 1999–2000, 2003–2007 1999 Malaysia 2003 Catalunya 2003 Netherlands 92 1 5 0 1 578 0
500cc 2001 2001 South Africa 14 0 0 0 0 27 0
MotoGP 2007–2008, 2015 2007 Great Britain 32 0 0 0 0 109 0
Moto2 2010–2016 2010 Qatar 2014 Netherlands 2014 Netherlands 99 1 1 0 0 193 0
Total 1998–2001, 2003–2008, 2010–2016 238 2 6 0 1 907 0

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pos Pts
1998 125cc Honda JPN MAL SPA ITA FRA MAD NED GBR GER CZE IMO CAT AUS
Ret
ARG NC 0
1999 250cc Honda MAL
14
JPN
10
SPA
17
FRA
9
ITA
Ret
CAT
Ret
NED
10
GBR
11
GER
6
CZE
15
IMO
15
VAL
9
AUS
10
RSA
9
BRA
Ret
ARG
8
12th 66
2000 250cc Honda RSA
5
MAL
6
JPN
6
SPA
5
FRA
5
ITA
7
CAT
9
NED
4
GBR
Ret
GER
10
CZE
10
POR
4
VAL
7
BRA
5
PAC
6
AUS
7
6th 146
2001 500cc Honda JPN RSA
14
SPA
15
FRA
DNS
ITA
Ret
CAT
Ret
NED
15
GBR
14
GER
15
CZE
Ret
POR
12
VAL
13
PAC
14
AUS
12
MAL
12
BRA
13
18th 27
2003 250cc Aprilia JPN
Ret
RSA
6
SPA
5
FRA
7
ITA
9
CAT
3
NED
1
GBR
3
GER
6
CZE
Ret
POR
10
BRA
8
PAC
Ret
MAL
9
AUS
2
VAL
Ret
7th 145
2004 250cc Aprilia RSA
16
SPA
4
FRA
6
ITA
10
CAT
9
NED
6
BRA
Ret
GER
7
GBR
6
CZE
4
POR
6
JPN
Ret
QAT
Ret
MAL
Ret
AUS
DNS
VAL 11th 88
2005 250cc Aprilia SPA POR CHN FRA
18
ITA CAT 17th 30
Honda NED
Ret
KTM GBR
2
GER
10
CZE
12
JPN
Ret
MAL
Ret
QAT
DNS
AUS TUR VAL
2006 250cc Aprilia SPA
Ret
QAT
Ret
TUR
9
CHN
9
FRA
11
ITA
8
CAT
9
NED
8
GBR
9
GER
7
CZE
Ret
MAL
15
AUS
9
JPN
11
POR
9
VAL
19
11th 78
2007 250cc Aprilia QAT
13
SPA
9
CHN
Ret
TUR
13
FRA
10
ITA
10
CAT
21
19th 25
MotoGP Kawasaki GBR
11
NED
9
GER
8
USA
7
CZE
12
RSM
8
POR
12
JPN
7
AUS
12
MAL
15
VAL
16
15th 59
2008 MotoGP Kawasaki QAT
16
SPA
13
POR
16
CHN
17
FRA
14
ITA
15
CAT
12
GBR
10
NED
Ret
GER
10
USA
17
CZE
5
RSM
13
IND
11
JPN
15
AUS
12
MAL
12
VAL
17
18th 50
2010 Moto2 MZ-RE Honda QAT
Ret
SPA
15
FRA
26
ITA
27
GBR
17
NED
Ret
CAT
9
GER
13
CZE
18
IND
10
RSM
17
ARA
21
JPN
23
MAL
24
AUS
21
POR
7
VAL
27
23rd 26
2011 Moto2 MZ-RE Honda QAT
Ret
SPA
11
POR
27
FRA
25
CAT
22
GBR
Ret
NED
4
ITA
21
GER
23
CZE
29
IND
26
RSM
27
ARA
11
JPN
12
AUS
Ret
MAL
Ret
VAL
4
22nd 40
2012 Moto2 Moriwaki QAT
25
SPA
16
POR
17
FRA
DSQ
CAT
DSQ
GBR
DSQ
NED
DSQ
GER
DSQ
NC 0
Speed Up ITA
DSQ
IND
DSQ
CZE
DSQ
RSM
DSQ
ARA
DSQ
JPN
DSQ
MAL
DSQ
AUS
DSQ
VAL
2013 Moto2 Speed Up QAT
DSQ
AME
DSQ
SPA
DSQ
FRA
DSQ
ITA
DSQ
CAT
DSQ
NED
DSQ
GER
DSQ
IND
DSQ
CZE
DSQ
GBR
DSQ
RSM
DSQ
ARA
DSQ
MAL
DSQ
AUS
10
JPN
11
VAL
8
21st 19
2014 Moto2 Speed Up QAT
9
AME
7
ARG
12
SPA
11
FRA
14
ITA
18
CAT
10
NED
1
GER
17
IND
9
CZE
22
GBR
22
RSM
17
ARA
Ret
JPN
Ret
AUS
22
MAL
18
VAL
9
12th 72
2015 Moto2 Speed Up QAT
Ret
AME
7
ARG
14
SPA
15
FRA
11
ITA
19
CAT
22
NED
Ret
GER
Ret
IND
13
CZE
21
GBR
7
RSM
15
ARA JPN 22nd 30
MotoGP Honda AUS
23
MAL
20
VAL
22
NC 0
2016 Moto2 Suter QAT ARG AME SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GER AUT CZE
10
GBR RSM ARA JPN AUS MAL VAL 27th 6

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos Pts
2004 Honda SPA AUS SMR ITA GER GBR EUR
9
NED ITA FRA 32nd 7
2007 Yamaha QAT AUS EUR SPA NED ITA
3
GBR
1
SMR
1
CZE GBR GER ITA FRA 9th 66
2009 Honda AUS
3
QAT
9
SPA
2
NED
7
ITA
Ret
RSA
8
USA
10
SMR
7
GBR
Ret
CZE
2
GER
15
ITA
8
FRA
4
POR 7th 117
2016 Yamaha AUS
3
THA SPA NED
DNS
ITA MAL GBR ITA ITA GER FRA SPA QAT 23rd 16
2017 Yamaha AUS
3
THA SPA
DNS
NED
14
ITA
11
GBR
7
ITA
10
GER
8
POR FRA 8th 73
Kawasaki SPA
3
QAT
5
2018 Kawasaki AUS
Ret
THA
6
SPA
9
NED
DNS
ITA
6
GBR
11
CZE
7
ITA
6
POR FRA ARG QAT 10th 51

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Pts
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
2016 Kawasaki AUS AUS THA THA SPA SPA NED NED ITA ITA MAL
9
MAL
5
GBR
10
GBR
12
ITA
10
ITA
11
USA
12
USA
9
GER
11
GER
Ret
FRA FRA SPA
14
SPA
9
QAT QAT 17th 64
2017 Kawasaki AUS AUS THA THA SPA SPA NED NED ITA ITA GBR GBR ITA ITA USA USA GER GER POR
13
POR
8
FRA
18
FRA
14
SPA SPA QAT QAT 27th 13

References

  1. "ARRC Sentul Supersport 600 class Race Result". Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  2. "The Strange Case of Anthony West: "I can only run in Brazil". sbk-italia.it. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  3. "ASADA Sanction".
  4. "A Quick Chat with Rainmeister Ant West". Bike Sport News. 9 July 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
  5. "West to replace Jacque at Kawasaki". gpupdate.net. 21 June 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  6. "Anthony West gets a Kawasaki MotoGP Ride for the remainder of the season". Daily Motos. 21 June 2007. Archived from the original on 24 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  7. "West reckons victory was possible". autosport.com. 24 June 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  8. "KAWASAKI CELEBRATE A TOP TEN TRIPLE AT LAGUNA". motorsport.com. 22 July 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  9. Strang, Simon; Lostia, Michele (20 August 2008). "Kawasaki to run satellite bike in 2009". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  10. Keen, James (16 October 2008). "Team Stiggy signs Anthony West for 2009". Motor Cycle News. Bauer Media Group. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  11. "Moto2 rider Anthony West suspended for doping". autosport.com. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  12. McLaren, Peter (28 November 2013). "Anthony West loses results after Anti-Doping appeal". Crash.net. Crash Media Group. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  13. "2017 MotoAmerica SuperBike Results" (PDF). MotoAmerica. 20 August 2017.
  14. West to replace injured Krummenacher for remaining WorldSBK rounds Read motorsport, 12 September 2017, Retrieved 24 October 2017
  15. Sylvain Guintoli & Ant West Will Race in Jerez Asphalt and Rubber, 17 October 2017, Retrieved 24 October 2017
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