Category: Moto GP

1. Ducati Grandstand at Silverstone MotoGP to double in size for 2014

   Posted on 8:30am Thursday 5th Sep 2013

   Over 1000 fans shared the excitement of last weekend’s MotoGP from the exclusive Ducati Grandstand at Silverstone circuit. For 2014, due to public demand Ducati UK will more than double the number of seats available from 1055 to 2310.

   The Luffield B Ducati Grandstand was the place to be as Ducati fans found themselves in prime position to see the best of the action at Silverstone. The covered Luffield B Grandstand provided spectators with a view of the bikes thundering down the Wellington Straight into the braking zone for Brooklands Corner before negotiating Luffield. The Luffield complex gave the spectators not only a fantastic view of all the significant action of the race but also produced an amazing atmosphere.

   The stand was a sea of red as Ducati fans made use of some of the goodie items provided by Ducati UK which included a Ducati flag, water bottle,T-shirt and Lanyard/Ticket holder. The spectacle and atmosphere created by the Ducati area was such that with many spectators in other areas enquired about obtaining tickets for the Ducati Grandstand for next year.

   For 2014, Ducati UK have secured the entire Luffield Grandstand which will seat 2310 fans making this one of the biggest Ducati Grandstands on the MotoGP calendar.

   Weekend tickets for the Ducati Luffield Grandstand are now already available with Weekend Tickets currently at a special ‘early bird’ price of just £90. Usual ticket price is £100.

   Sunday only tickets are also currently available at a special ‘early bird’ price of £75. Usual price is £85

   http://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/motogp2014/

   The 2014 MotoGP takes place at Silverstone on 5 – 7 September*

   Ducati UK remains committed to providing fans and owners with unique experiences and events, follow us on twitter @ducatiuk and www.facebook/ducati or click on www.ducatiuk.com for further information on events in 2013/14.

2. HIGHS AND LOWS FOR RAF RESERVES AT CADWELL

   Posted on 10:57am Tuesday 27th Aug 2013

   After a terrific fourth placed qualification followed up with a battling third place in the race, the RAF Reserves in association with Honda were excluded from the results at Cadwell Park due to rider Simon Andrew’s part in the crash with another rider.

   The verdict was a bitter blow for the RAF recruitment-backed team that had shown their true pace all weekend. The tight and twisty Lincolnshire circuit favours a bike with handling ability over outright horsepower and the team worked tirelessly to hone the chassis.  

   Immediately showing pace in the practice sessions, Andrews, 30, went on to produce a qualifying lap that was just 0.042s off a front row position to lead the second row in fourth. For the team made up from of two MOD civil servants and an RAF Cpl based at RAF Marham, they were still making improvements to the bike for morning warm-up and for the race so that Simon could challenge for the win.  

   When the lights went out, Andrews was baulked by one of the front row riders and almost had to take to the grass to avoid contact. Despite losing a couple of places, the Evesham rider regrouped and set about reducing the gap to the leaders and set the fastest time of the race on lap 4.   With the faster Ducati of Palmer in his sights, Andrews knew he had to make his move quickly. On the entrance to Charlies corner, the pair unfortunately clashed and saw both riders take to the grass. The no.6 Fireblade was able to re-join the track and cross the line in third place, but Palmer crashed heavily.  

   Despite taking the podium and spraying the champagne, championship officials elected to ‘exclude (no.6) for unfair manoeuvre which resulted in an accident to another rider (no.33)’. Though a hard move, many figures within the paddock described it as simply a racing incident.   Stripped of the 16 championship points, the team left Cadwell Park secure in the fact they had shown their potential and vow to continue the momentum to the next round at Donington Park on September 8.  

   After the race, Simon Andrews said: “Well, Superstocks is supposed to be level playing field but we’re quite a bit down on power. So I have to overtake mid corner or somewhere that’s not power orientated. The manoeuvre I put on Tristan was a bit rushed by me; we both went for the same bit of tarmac and, unfortunately, we both ran off track. I spoke to him after the race and apologised for the incident, but in my eyes, it was a racing incident and not a dangerous overtake.  

   “The officials’ decision is a real shame for the team not to get this result as we have been strong all weekend and made some changes to the bike that have worked fantastically. But we’ve got a good set-up for Donington, but it’s a horsepower track so we’ll have a fight on our hands with the Kawasakis and BMWs, but we’ll try our best as usual.”  

   Team Manager, Lee Hardy, said: “It’s great to be back at the front and be able to show our true potential. It’s taken a long time to get here, but the Honda is now working well and we’re finally in a ‘sweet spot’ with set-up; every change we made went in the right direction. Just shame the race ended the way it did.   Regarding the incident, it’s a narrow track and that sort of thing happens. The Ducati of Tristan Palmer was a lot faster than our bike and the move by Simon was aggressive but - according to many people in the paddock - not over hard. But we take the rough with the smooth and are confident for Donington Park.”  

   The next round is at Donington Park, 6-8th September

3. Honda TT Legends set to tackle EWC and the Ulster GP

   Posted on 10:32am Tuesday 13th Aug 2013

   The Honda TT Legends Endurance World Championship squad will head to Germany this week for the penultimate round of the 2013 season, while Michael Dunlop will compete for the team at the Ulster Grand Prix road races in Northern Ireland. 

   John McGuinness, Michael Rutter and Simon Andrews will form a three-man squad for the 8 Hours of Oschersleben and following a disappointing first half of the season, the riders and crew are determined to put in a good performance. The TT Legends narrowly missed out on the podium at the same race in 2012, so hopes are high for another solid result this year. The 8 Hours of Oschersleben will begin at 13.00 CET on Saturday 17 August.

   As the EWC team lines up in Germany, Michael Dunlop will be competing in the Superbike class at the Ulster Grand Prix aboard his Honda TT Legends CBR1000RR Fireblade. Dunlop already has six UGP wins under his belt and will be looking to add to his tally when he tackles the 150 Dundrod Superbike race on Thursday 15 August and the two Superbike races on Saturday 17 August.

   Neil Tuxworth - team manager

   We’ve had a few issues in the first two rounds of the Endurance World Championship so this time we’re hoping for a trouble-free outing and ideally a podium finish. If we have no problems and the riders are running to their full ability I think we can definitely achieve this. As for Dunlop and the Ulster GP, it’s the third major road race of the year following the NW200 and the TT and one with tremendous history. It’s also an event at which Michael has been very successful in the past and we’re hoping he can continue this success aboard the Honda TT Legends machine. We’re pleased to be able to support him in the Superbike category and also wish him all the best in the other classes, which he’ll compete in with his own team.

   John McGuinness

   After the first two rounds we’re due some better luck so hopefully that will come this weekend. Fourth place last year was a strong result and it would nice to do the same if not better this year. We need to get some points and get our foot on the championship ladder. It’s a magic atmosphere at Oschersleben and it’s a nice track that I think Simon and Michael will get to grips with pretty quickly. The team as a whole deserves a good result and there’s no reason why we can’t get one in Germany.

   Simon Andrews

   I raced at Oschersleben 10 years ago with World Superbikes so it’s not a totally new track for me but it’s been a long time since I rode there. I’m looking forward to the race as it’s a tight and twisty track so I think it will suit our bike well. We’re straight off the back of Suzuka and it will be good to race on the bounce as we all know where we’re at with the bike. The team got a fourth place there last year so I’d like to think we can come away with some good points and maybe even a trophy.

   Michael Rutter

   I’ve never ridden at Oschersleben before so I’ve got a bit of learning to do but I’m looking forward to this race. I hope that we can repeat last year’s strong performance and score some decent points as the team has been working really hard without much reward so far this year. We’re all determined to do well and we’re just hoping for a trouble-free race.

   Michael Dunlop

   I’m looking forward to racing at the Ulster on the Honda TT Legends superbike. We’ve done a lot of work on the bike this season with the NW200, TT and Southern 100 and we’re in a good position now. We’ve had some good results on it so it would be great to get a win at the Ulster too.

   www.HondaTTLegends.com

4. British Moto GP sponsored by Hertz

   Posted on 10:40am Friday 26th Jul 2013

   The home of motor sport once again opens its doors this summer as Silverstone welcomes the Hertz MotoGP to its iconic track.

   There are reasons this event attracts so much attention across the world and it isn’t just the prestige of the circuit. By September the World Championship will be near its crescendo and three drivers still have a major chance of winning biking’s ultimate crown.

   Current leaders Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo are set to battle for glory on this iconic motorsport circuit and if the Hertz British MotoGP is anything like last year we’re set for some thrilling action. Lorenzo dominated last season, finishing first before using the Silverstone victory to springboard himself to the World Championship. His main rival this term however, was hot on his tail as Pedrosa landed third and will push the Yamaha rider to the limit this summer.

   British hopes lie in Cal Crutchlow, Bradley Smith and Michael Laverty – all three of whom have raced well at Silverstone before. Crutchlow will hope to avenge his nightmare in 2012 when he broke his ankle before qualifying. Nevertheless, he finished sixth after a blistering run but we were left thinking “what if the crash hadn’t happened?” The Silverstone circuit is a tough one to master but there are numerous overtaking zones, which is what makes this race so gripping for spectators across the stands.

   For those looking to attend but don’t want to leave their car in the parking zones Hertz are on hand to provide car and van hire on hertz.co.uk for the British MotoGP. Getting to and from Silverstone couldn’t be easier and whether you’ve a full weekend ticket or a day pass there is ample parking spaces plus ‘park & ride’ facilities to help you get into the thick of the action. After all, the MotoGP experience is all about the race and no one wants any distractions, which is why Hertz has teamed up with the British Grand Prix for another year as the title sponsor.

5. Sky’s the Limit: MotoGP Riders Playing Poker in the S

   Posted on 11:58am Thursday 25th Jul 2013

   A different kind of high for bikers and card enthusiasts

   When put under the scrutiny of a sports analyst, both bike racing and the tactical game of poker share one key resemblance: being the sport of daredevils. Bike racing involves guts, skill, and strong focus so you can ride your bike easily through the track. It also helps to have a keen sense of the area to avoid possible collision with fellow riders. Alternately for card players, one must employ the same courageous approach but it should be coupled with a strong sense of logic and tactical thinking.

   See, these two sports are often fancied by the adrenaline junkies what with all the intensity that comes during the final lap of a race or with the thrill that comes from holding a powerful poker hand.

   Luckily fans of the iconic MotoGP racing, both sports have reached a new high. Last 2009, the fans of the biking world and the felt tables were given a treat with Bwin’s own poker in the sky. This MotoGP event in Jerez combined both sports by placing a poker platform up in the sky above the place’s race circuit. After the bikers finished the final laps in the race track, the riders were suspended up in the sky to play a round of poker where the racing legend Randy Mamola even graced the event. The event’s sponsor, Bwin, is also the operator of the online poker site partypoker.com, which makes the organization a credible host of both card players and bike riders. A year later, Bwin also sponsored another MotoGP event, but this time of a different approach—the seascapes. The event brought another thrill for the poker players and bike riders by taking the card competition aboard a luxury yacht.

   The future of biking and poker

   While we already have towering land-based casinos, floating casinos to add to the rich waterscapes, and even poker tables in luxury planes, there’s much too see when it comes to the future of the card industry. Similarly in the biking world, the limits of our imagination are constantly stretching.

   Just this June, hover bikes were introduced at a convention in Prague. Although the models are yet to be released, this prototype can pave the way to the future of the biking industry. Who knows, with this introduction of the electric bike, we may soon find hover bike circuits in a few years time. We may even witness airborne stadiums which are only seen in the movies. Although it may be a long shot, the futuristic and sci-fi movies and videogames often spark the imagination of today’s engineers and scientists. These prototypes are often built as a result of creativity and imagination.

   www.motogp.com

   www.partypoker.com