Mark Van Driel has ridden into the record books on a Kawasaki ZX6R 636 fitted with Michelin Pilot Road 3 tyres.

Mark, from the Michelin-sponsored 2 Bros Racing stunt riding team, broke the world record for performing the most ‘switchback zero rotations’ in one minute.

The feat was captured by national television as part of CBBC’s second series of Officially Amazing – the show that follows wild and wacky World Record attempts.

Switchback zero rotations involve the rider sitting facing backwards, using only expert balance to steer the bike through full circles – if the hands touch the handlebars at any time, the attempt has failed.

In spite of terrible weather, Mark managed 13 rotations in 60 seconds, beating the previous unofficial record of 12 rotations and earning himself a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Mark said: “With terrible weather on the day of the attempt, I wasn’t sure what we would be able to achieve. Fortunately my stunt bike is fitted with Michelin’s Pilot Road 3 tyres, offering superb grip and stability – even when riding a bike backwards on wet concrete! Safety is absolutely critical to me whether I’m performing stunts or just enjoying being on the road, and the Pilot Road 3s go a long way to ensuring that safety margins are maximised.

“I was really chuffed with the result. It’s a great feeling having your name attached to a World Record.”

Michelin has sponsored Mark and his teammate Ash at 2 Bros Racing for two years, and is dedicated to showing how world-class tyres can transform both safety and performance.

The Pilot Road 3 is testament to Michelin’s Total Performance ethos – a commitment to constantly improve tyre performance across a wide range of criteria including fuel efficiency, wet braking, dry braking, longevity and noise.

Find out more about motorcycling with Michelin at moto.michelin.co.uk

Dates and circuits now defined for 2014 MotoGP and World Superbike Ducati Grandstands

• Key European venues for both championships confirmed. Ducati make an official return to WSB events and debut a MotoGP Grandstand in South American
• Tickets for the first events of the season now available online

Borgo Panigale (Bologna), 25 February 2014 – With last weekend’s race at Phillip Island, Australia officially opening the World Superbike season and the first MotoGP race arriving soon, Ducati are preparing to support their riders with special Grandstands full of passionate Ducatisti.

The Ducati Grandstands, organised to follow both World Championships, offer a great opportunity to see races from the most spectacular viewpoints of the circuits, with additional giant video screens ensuring that no action is ever missed. Ticketholders not only enjoy a fantastic atmosphere, but also benefit from access to reserved motorcycle parking facilities, a cloakroom service and a Ducati welcome kit.

The first MotoGP Ducati Grandstand for 2014 will host fans at the opening race in Qatar on 23 March before moving on to the exciting Circuit of the Americas in Austin (Texas) on 13 April. The Ducati Grandstand then makes its debut in Argentina on 27 April, hosting over 2,000 Ducati enthusiasts and attracting Colombian Ducatisti to see fellow countryman Yonny Hernandez in action on the Pramac Racing Team Desmosedici. As usual, the Ducati Grandstands will also provide energy-fuelled support at European races like Jerez (Spain), Le Mans (France), Mugello (Italy) and the Sachsenring (Germany) before returning to the US for Indianapolis. The Ducati Grandstand then crosses the Atlantic again and heads for Silverstone in England on 31 August, ready for local Ducatisti to welcome Cal Crutchlow as he competes in front of his ‘home’ crowd.

The championship heads back to Italy on 14 September for the San Marino GP at Misano, where Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing Team) will enjoy the benefits of racing in front of their second ‘home’ Ducati Grandstand. Chances to experience the incredible atmosphere of these Grandstand events for the 2014 MotoGP season will close with the exciting three races of Motegi (Japan), Sepang (Malaysia) and Valencia (Spain).

With the return of the official Ducati Superbike Team to the World Superbike Championship series, Ducati fans will also have the chance to support Davide Giugliano and Chaz Davies on their 1199 Panigale Rs from the exciting viewpoint of a Ducati Grandstand. The Grandstand venues start on 27 April at the famous Dutch circuit of Assen before moving on to the historic circuit of Imola (Italy) on 11 May. Just a few miles from the Ducati Factory, Imola is expected to attract thousands of Ducati fans from the surrounding area passionately following the official factory riders as well as Italian Niccolò Canepa (Althea Racing Team) competing in the new EVO category aboard his Ducati 1199 Panigale R.

The World Superbike 2014 Ducati Grandstands will paint the circuits of Sepang, Misano, Laguna Seca and Magny Cours in Ducati red before moving on to South Africa on 19 October, where local Ducatisti get their chance to experience the passion that surrounds the iconic motorcycles from Bologna.

Full information on Ducati Grandstands, including ticket purchasing, is available on the official Ducati website, where subscription is already open for the first events and more events being added soon.

Leading Belgian road racer Vick De Cooremeter will make his debut at the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, with entries in all three 1000cc races.

The 28-year old will ride a BMW S1000RR for the Okidoki Racing Team in the Dainese Superbike, RL 360⁰ Superstock and PokerStars Senior TT Races and fulfill a racing ambition as he tackles the Mountain Course for the first time.

The former Belgian Junior Supersport Champion is no stranger to road racing, having been a regular in the International Road Race Championships in recent seasons, and 2013 saw him have his most successful season to date when he placed third overall in the Superbike category behind dominant Champion Didier Grams and fellow Belgian Nicky De Wit.

Hailing from Laarne, Ghent, De Cooremeter had a steady start to the Championship but, after placing fourth at Oostende, came into his own in the second half of the season taking second and third at Chimay and then two more thirds at the final round at Frohburg. By season’s end, he had finished inside the top ten in nine out of the ten races held, only a DNF in the third race at Chimay preventing a 100% finishing record.

De Cooremeter has also excelled in the Belgium Endurance Championship, winning the title in 2011 alongside Gregory Fastre. At the 6 Hour Endurance race at Spa-Francorchamps, the duo won the event with former Grand Prix rider and World Superbike race winner Stephane Mertens whilst the trio also won the 500km of Zolder, a feat De Cooremeter repeated in 2013 with fellow Belgian Wim Bieseman.

De Cooremeter also had the tremendous experience of racing alongside Belgian greats Didier de Radigues and Mertens in the 6 Hours of Spa of 2010 when they finished eighth.

Speaking ahead of his TT debut Vick commented: “Competing in the TT is a dream for me and having built up my racing credentials on the European road race scene, I now feel ready to tackle the Mountain Course for the first time. I have been working hard learning the circuit using on board footage and I recently travelled to the Island to spend time with the organisers. I plan to make a further trip as part of my preparations but already I am feeling more comfortable with my circuit knowledge. I’m under no pressure to get results for now, and I’m really looking forward to getting out there and experiencing the event for the first time.”

Ace Cafe London recently hosted the 'Go Ultra Low' launch, the national Government and UK automotive industry campaign encouraging drivers to consider ultra-low emission vehicles.

Attending the cafe and backing the 12 month campaign to help motorists understand the benefits, cost savings and capabilities of the raft of new ultra-low emission vehicles on the market, included not only the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg MP, but also BMW, Nissan, Renault, Toyota and Vauxhall, all showcasing their vehicles at the historic North Circular Road cafe.

The campaign website www.goultralow.com gives motorists everything they need to know about owning an ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV), providing a one-stop shop for information about running one of these vehicles, the makes and models available and the locations of the thousands of publicly accessible ChargePoints - to include now at the Ace!

The collaborative Go Ultra Low campaign is the first of its kind, bringing together the Department for Transport, the Office for low emission vehicles, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and a group of leading car manufacturers.

For more information, check out:

www.golultralow.com
www.sourcelondon.net

The fourth annual Prescott Bike Festival is taking place on Sunday 6th April 2014 and promises to be an action-packed day for all the family in support of the Nationwide Association of Bloodbikes charity.

Festival organiser Gordon Downie said “Prescott Bike Festival continues to go from strength to strength; we are delighted to announce that all track time entries sold out in January and there are only a few Exhibitor spaces left. This year all major motorcycle manufacturers are represented, and there will be a large display of famous historic, modern and race bikes, plus bike clubs, famous racers, demo areas, passenger ride experiences, stunt show, trade stands, junior fun section, live music, good food and a raft of entertainment both on and off the track to keep the whole family amused. We are all gearing up for our largest and best festival yet”.

Special guest appearances include: former three times British Superbike Champion and Bloodbike ambassador John Reynolds, former racer and MotoGP commentator Steve Parrish, motorcycle adventurer Nick Sanders. Plus Smith’s Triumph Racing with British Supersport Championship Billy McConnell and new signing Graeme Gowland, Tag Racing Team with British Superbike rider Richard Cooper and Superstock rider Shaun Winfield, BeWiser Kawasaki Superstock rider Josh and Skyzone Racing Supermoto Team riders Chris Hodgson, Jay Smith and Thomas Elam.

Amongst the hundreds of historic, classic and race bikes taking to the historic hill climb course include:

•Carlos Checa’s MotoGP Ducati Desmosedici GP5 and Checa’s 2011 WSB winning Ducati 1198 F1 (courtesy of Dawn Treader Performance)
•David Jeffries' GSX-R1000 TT bike and James Toseland's first WSS machine
•Frankie Chili’s 1998 Ex WSB Ducati 996
•The 1930 Rudge Ulster belonging to David Osborne
•Chris Sawyer's 1928 Cotton Blackburne
•A rare Sachs R800 Roadster from 2002 owned by Barry Fahey
•The 1959 Norton Dominator of Ian Cordes
•Rare Excelsior Manxmans from Dave Lee and Adrian Sellars
•Eric Bostrom’s 2005 AMA factory 999 (same bike as Neil Hodgson rode in 2005)

Special features:

•Local dealers representing: Triumph, Ducati, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Piaggio, BMW, Harley Davidson, Victory, Kuberg, Watsonian Squire and KTM
•A ‘Trials Competition’ to be held throughout the day and ran under the auspices of the Western Centre ACU
•Nick Sanders and his new Steampunk Cinema, plus regular book signing sessions
•The popular Dave Coates Motorcycle Stunt Show performing at 1.15pm
•Thrilling passenger ride experiences include: a national hill climb sidecar, Morgan 3 Wheelers (both modern and vintage) a Westfield XI, Westfield SEiW and the Grinnal Scorpion III
•Live music by 1950s inspired rockabilly, rock & roll and R&B inspired band, Josie and the Outlaw, plus Road House Rooster, Chickenbone John and his custom guitars, the Blitz Buddies Dancers and a Retro DJ spinning some vinyls
•Junior section features: go karts, Kuberg electric motorbikes, large scale climbing wall, fairground rides, inflatable play area and the return of the world's largest Star Wars Garrison
•Angelic Bulldog showcasing their 400mph streamliner land speed motorbike project
•George Formby Tribute and his antics
•Plus more than 100 trade stands

Motorcycle and racing clubs confirmed:

•The Classic 50cc Racing Club – with their racing machines and riders representing the clubs early beginnings around 1953 up to 1983
•London Douglas Owners Club
•Norton Owners Club
•Leominster Classic Motorcycle Club
•Yamaha XJR Owners Club
•XJR Owners Club
•Rolling Hills (Harley Owners Club)
•Honda Owners Club
•Suzuki Owners Club
•Chopper Owners Club showcasing extreme custom bikes

For bikers that enjoy classic machinery, entries on the hill include a 1930 Rudge Ulster 500 cc Racer, a 1928 Blackburne-engined Cotton, 1924 two cam Harley-Davidson racer, 1927 Scott Flyer, 1935 cotton JAP, plus all the historic marquees represented like Bantam’s, BSA, Ariel, Matchless and Norton.

www.prescottbikefestival.co.uk