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  1. John McGuinness received the prestigious award of honorary membership of the BRDC Annual Award Ceremony at the Grand Connaught in London last week.

    Honorary membership of the BRDC is only by invitation of the Directors and John is only the second motorcycle racer ever to have been offered membership purely on his achievements on two wheels after Valentino Rossi in 2015. There are others within the Club who are known for their success on two wheels but all of these have qualified for membership from their four wheel achievements.

    Many awards were given out on the evening, recognising outstanding achievements and individuals during the Motorsport year, but one of the undoubted highlights of the evening was when John McGuinness was awarded an honorary membership of the prestigious association at the end of the evening.

    The 23 time TT Race winner, the Isle of Man’s ‘King of the Mountain’, is only the second ever motorcyclist to win the award. The only other two-wheeled racer to win that honour in history is nine time world champion Valentino Ross. Recently retired F1 champion Nico Rosberg was also in attendance and won the trophy for the fastest lap of the season at Silverstone.

    “Wow, wasn’t expecting this at all, but great surprise. Super proud and humbled. Thank you,” said McGuinness on picking up the award.

    The British Racing Drivers’ Club is, arguably, the most exclusive club in motor racing. With a membership that numbers only 850, it is home to the most successful racing drivers from Great Britain and the Commonwealth. Those who have met the exacting entry criteria have achieved at the highest levels of the sport, or made a significant contribution to enable others to do so.

    Membership of the BRDC is highly sought after and extremely difficult to achieve. The list of Members, past and present, reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of motor sport.

    Fellow BRDC Members Ed Jones, Alexander Albon, George Russell and Jann Mardenborough were also honoured with BRDC awards having, achieved notable success this year in single seater championships worldwide. Sir Stirling Moss OBE and Lady Moss, Damon Hill OBE, Nigel Mansell CBE, Sir Chris Hoy MBE and 2017 Renault Sport Formula One Team driver Jolyon Palmer joined over 300 guests to celebrate at this exclusive event, which also supported the BRDC Benevolent Fund.

    John McGuinness receives prestigious honorary BRDC membership

    The full list of 2016 BRDC Annual Awards winners is:

    The John Cooper Trophy                  –          Lance Stroll
    The Spencer Charrington Trophy      –         George Russell
    The Richard Seaman Trophy            –         Jann Mardenborough
    The Nigel Moores Trophy                 –          Tom Ferrier (TF Sport)
    The Fairfield Trophy                          –          Oliver Gavin
    The ACO Plate                                   –          Mike Conway
    The Silverstone–Le Mans Challenge –          Porsche: Romain Dumas, Neel Jani & Marc Lieb
    The Earl Howe Trophy                      –            Ed Jones
    The John Cobb Memorial Trophy     –            Simon Dolan & Harry Tincknell
    The Woolf Barnato Trophy               –              Strakka Racing:
                                                               (Nick Leventis, Jonny Kane & Danny Watts)
    The Colin Chapman Trophy              –          Darren Turner
    The ERA Club Trophy                        –          Rob Bell
    The Innes Ireland Trophy                   –         Josef Newgarden
    The Henry Surtees Award                 –          Lando Norris
    The Sir Jackie Stewart Award            –          Paddy Lowe
    The Bruce McLaren Trophy               –          Daniel Ricciardo
    The Jim Clark Trophy                        –          Matheus Leist
    The Chris Bristow Trophy                –          Lando Norris
    The Graham Hill Trophy                    –          Alexander Albon
    The Johnny Wakefield Trophy           –          Nico Rosberg
    BRDC Silver Star                               –          Colin Turkington
    BRDC Gold Star                                –          Lewis Hamilton MBE

  2. 10th December 2016
    Three Amigo's Annual Toy Run

    In aid of the local Childrens ward and disabled children in the care of the local NCH. Bring a toy or chuck a few bob in the bucket. Presents should be unwrapped and new. 13:00 departure.

     

    venue: Meet @ 12:00 from The Commons Car Park, Pembroke, South West Wales, SA71 4EA

    tel: 07515 631 554
    facebook

    11th December 2016
    Roughleys Toy Run   Roughleys Toy Run 2016

    Bring some cheer to those children who are less fortunate than us by bringing a toy to give to them. We will be leaving Tesco's in Stockport at 12 prompt, proceeding to The Rainbow Family Trust in Didsbury then onto The Together Trust in Cheadle, learner friendly route. If you could mark the gifts with either Male/Female, approx age (don't forget there are teenagers in these establishments) that would help so much. 

    venue: Stockport Tesco, (near Manchester) Tiviot Way, Portwood, Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 2BT 
    price: Cash donations are welcome 
    website
    facebook

    12th December 2016
    2 Wheels in Unison

    Annual charity ride to the local hospital children ward. Ride starts at 12.30, returning to The Woodlands by 2pm for refreshments. Also a band on in the evening.

    venue: The Woodlands Hotel, 362 Liverpool Rd, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 1RU
    price: Please bring a new unwrapped toy or a donation to the baby unit.
    tel: 07851 810060
    website: www.taliesinbrotherhood.co.uk
    facebook
    e-mail: [email protected]

    11th December 2016
    Toy Run - Ace Cafe

    The cafe's annual Christmas Toy Run into central London departs at 11am on Sunday 11th December to attend the children's wards of three hospitals:

    St Mary's (Paddington) 11.45am - 12.15pm 
    Royal Brompton (Chelsea) 1pm - 1.30pm 
    Evelina Children's Hospital (Westminster) 2pm - 2.30pm

    As always, any surplus gifts will be distributed to various children's homes and groups. Please bring gifts that are wrapped and labelled Boy/Girl/Age Group. Because of allergies hospitals advise against stuffed toys and sweets - the nursing staff however may appreciate some sweeties!

    On returning to the cafe, there will be prizes for the 'Best Dressed Bike' and the 'Best Dressed Rider' - and a hot cuppa!

    venue: Ace Cafe, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London, NW10 7UD 
    tel: 020 8961 1000 
    website: www.ace-cafe-london.com - www.acecafeevents.com 
    facebook
    e-mail: [email protected]

    11th December 2016
    Cambridge Bikers Christmas Toy Run

    Caimbridge Bikers Christmas Toy RunJoin lots of other Bikers in a truly spectacular ride to Addenbrookes Hospital taking gifts and toys to those in hospital over the festive period. Previous years have seen three miles of bikers riding into Cambridge with many dressed in costume. Meet at 9am ready to ride at 9.45am. Bacon rolls, tea and coffee should be on offer again. There may be a one way system in place this year to make exiting a little easier.

    venue: La Pergola, Cambridge Road, Harlton, Cambridgeshire, CB23 1HA. A603 outside Cambridge. 
    price: Just bring a toy or gift for someone in hospital. One gift per rider or pillion.
    facebook
    facebbok event
    e-mail: [email protected]

    • The around the world trip with the Multistrada 1200 Enduro will end up in Borgo Panigale on 15 December
    • The seventh and final globetrotter has departed from the Isle of Man and will cover the remaining 2000 km of this incredible adventure
    Ducati Globetrotter 90th is now in its final exciting phase. Having started in Borgo Panigale on 4 July, the around the world voyage on the Multistrada 1200 Enduro will come to a close on 15 December, with the bike returning to its starting point at the Italian manufacturer’s Bologna-based HQ.

    The seventh and final globetrotter is Germany’s Timo Schäfer, who began his journey from the Isle of Man on 5 December. During this last stage of Globetrotter 90th, Schäfer will cover the remaining two thousand kilometres of this incredible adventure, which has involved 30,000 km of riding to some of the symbolic sites that have contributed to the first ninety years of Ducati’s history.

    Timo Schäfer, from Karlsruhe in Germany, is 30 years old. A mechanical engineering student, his first motorcycle was a Cagiva Elephant with a Ducati engine. Today a smiling Schäfer confirms: “Clearly Ducati was my destiny all along!” During the final phase of Globetrotter 90th, Schäfer will stop in the city of Canterbury to meet with Paul Smart, who starred in what Ducati considers the most significant win of its history. On 23 April 1972, the first Imola 200 Miles was in fact won by a young, unknown Smart, riding the standard 750 GT; Bruno Spaggiari crossed the line in second place, with the same bike.
     
    Then it’s on to Belgium, where the seventh globetrotter will visit the Spa - Francorchamps racetrack where, in 1958, Alberto Gandossi won on board the 125 Desmo. Timo Schäfer will then continue on to Germany and once in Bavaria, he will visit the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt that, up until 30 April 2017, will house the "More Than Red - Passione Ducati" exhibition, celebrating the motorcycle manufacturer’s 90th anniversary. Lastly, the return to Italy, and to Monza, where long ago on 30 November 1958, the futuristic Ducati Siluro, with a mere 100cc displacement, set 44 world speed records. There is no doubt that Timo Schäfer’s planned meeting with Santo Ciceri, one of the heroes of that day in the late ‘50s, will be a moving one.
     
    After this, Schäfer will head to Florence to see Giuliano Maoggi, born in 1926 and a living legend for Ducati. In 1956, Maoggi won the 4th Motogiro d’Italia on the Gran Sport 100, known as the Marianna, designed by Fabio Taglioni. Having crossed the renowned Futa Pass, the Multistrada 1200 Enduro will arrive in Borgo Panigale on 15 December, thus concluding the epic Globetrotter 90th voyage.
     
    Before the torch and Multistrada were passed on to the German, the final globetrotter, they were entrusted to Englishman Hugo Wilson. The Brit left Lisbon on 17 November and travelled day and night in all conditions, covering almost two thousand kilometres across Portugal, Spain and France before boarding the ship at St. Malo. Having crossed the Channel, Wilson arrived home, where the Multistrada 1200 Enduro was exhibited at Motorcycle Live in Birmingham, Britain’s biggest motorcycle show. Straight after this, the globetrotter travelled to Silverstone, because it was here that Mike Hailwood won two races in two different classes – both on a Ducati - on the same day in 1960. At Donington, the World Superbike temple, Hugh Wilson relived Ducati’s SBK wins right from the very first race of the first championship, or rather 3 April 1988 with Marco Lucchinelli on the newborn 851 SBK.
     
    Lastly, on the Isle of Man, Wilson met with the seventh globetrotter Timo Schäfer. The baton was passed on here because the Isle of Man is a truly evocative setting. Long ago, on 2 June 1978, during the demanding Tourist Trophy, Mike Hailwood, who was 38 at the time and had already retired from racing, scored a victory with the Ducati 900 SS TT IOM that deeply moved the 300,000 spectators, a feat that Ducati would celebrate the following year with the birth of the legendary 900 Mike Hailwood Replica.
     
    Follow the Globetrotter 90th adventure on the official Globetrotter90.ducati.com site
  3. Four weeks into this poll and the leader board is...   Drum Roll Please

    Mt Heads Rally - 78 votes
    You've Been Nabbed 25 - 72
    Caveman Bash - 57 votes
    Avernus MCC Rally - 48 votes
    Rally in a Chalet - 41 votes
    Tiger MCC Soggy Moggy Rally - 40 votes
    Tees Riders Rusty Nut Rally - 35 votes
    One Aim Rally - 33 
    Perverts in Leather Rally - 27 votes
    Drink Drop and Doss - 20
    Roughleys Bike Show - 18 votes
    Mobile Chaos MCC Kamikaze Run Rally - 19 votes
    Stormin' the Castle - 17 votes
    Big Barn Rally - 16 votes
    Roughleys Bike Show - 15 votes
    Cumbria Custom Show - 14 votes
    Ragnarock Rally - 14 votes

    The poll will run until 2017.

    For the wining event we will send booklets, stickers, a t-shirt for the organiser (or for a raffle), a banner for the entrance and extra promotion for the event on THE BIKER GUIDE website.

     

    The vote is open to members of the facebook group for THE BIKER GUIDE -  go here to vote

    www.facebook.com/groups/thebikerguide/

  4. Guy Martin is currently cycling around the coast of the UK, trying to beat the current Guinness World Record of 22 days of riding the 4,800 mile route around the UK coast line, set in 1984 by Nick Sanders.

    This is Guy’s last challenge of the year, where the aim is to complete the distance by Christmas Day, averaging 250 miles a day and we hope in 'kind weather'.

    Guy says “It’s further than you think” - "It's not the best time of year to be doing it" and proudley shows off his 2017 Calendar, before he head off to the pub for a 'quick pint' before bedtime for an early start on Wednesday 7th December. 

    The programme will be aired on Channel 4 on Thursday 29th December, 9pm. 

    Guy Martin, Guinness Record for cycling around the coast of Britain, Cyclin