One of the most successful Classic teams in recent years, Team Winfield, will again take to the Mountain Course in 2016, continuing with a strong two-man line up for the Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts.

The team will concentrate their efforts this year on the Bennetts Senior Classic TT race with Honda Racing team-mates John McGuinness and Conor Cummins piloting Roger Winfield’s rapid 500cc Patons.

It’s the fourth year in a row that 23-time Isle of Man TT Race winner McGuinness has campaigned the Italian machine and both he and the team will be hoping for a change in fortune having yet to complete a race since the combination came together at the inaugural Classic TT in 2013.

The Morecambe Missile has shown his pace in practice, with his best lap to date coming in 2014 at 112.031mph, unofficially a class lap record, but on each occasion he’s been denied the victory he craves for.

However, there’s no doubt that the combination of McGuinness’s skill and talent and Winfield’s engineering expertise is one to be feared and they will come into this year’s event as one of the pre-race favourites again. If it all comes together on race day, McGuinness and the Paton will take some beating.

Cummins, meanwhile, will get his first taste of the 500cc Paton with the Manxman taking over the seat usually filled by Ryan Farquhar. With the Dungannon rider continuing his recuperation following the serious injuries he sustained at the North West 200, the Ramsey Rocket has a superb chance of taking victory around his favourite Mountain Course despite only having one previous outing at the Classic TT in 2013.

Riding the Dunnell Nortons, he was out of luck in the 500cc race but took a solid seventh in the Okells 350cc Classic TT before going on to claim an excellent second place on the Team Classic Suzuki in the Motorsport Merchandise Formula 1 Classic TT.

Farquhar took the Paton to victory in the 500cc Classic Manx Grand Prix on no less than five occasions between 2007 and 2012 and both McGuinness and Cummins will be keen to give Winfield his maiden victory at the Classic TT.

Speaking about this year’s Classic TT, team owner Roger Winfield said:

“We had some terrible luck with John at the Classic TT and we hope this year will see an end to that and we can enjoy watching him complete four fast laps. There is no doubt that if he crosses the finish line, he is going to be among the leading riders and his times in practice previously make him unofficially the fastest rider ever in this class.”

He continued:

“We are delighted to welcome Conor back to the team. He has ridden with us at the Island Classic in Australia for the past few seasons and always done a great job. This will be his first ride on the Paton for us and there is no doubt he has the speed to be one of the favourites for victory come the race.”

Classic TT Grandstand tickets are available for Friday’s final qualifying session priced at £5. All prior qualifying sessions are free for the main Grandstand. There are also race day tickets available for both Classic TT race days on Saturday 27th and Monday 29th as well as VIP and Platinum hospitality tickets. To purchase tickets go to iomtt.com or phone Duke Marketing on (00 44) 1624 640011.

TWO DAYS OF TESTS FOR BAUTISTA, LOWES AND DI MEGLIO ON THE NEW AUSTRIAN CIRCUIT

The MotoGP riders had a chance to discover the Austrian Red Bull Ring circuit, one of the new additions to the 2016 calendar. Characterised by hard braking, fast acceleration and steep slope changes, the new track will host the next round on the weekend of 14 August.

Only Alvaro Bautista was on the track for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, whereas his teammate, Stefan Bradl, is still recovering after his crash during the warm-up session at the Sachsenring last weekend.
Two more RS-GP machines available to the Aprilia Test Team were ridden by tester Mike Di Meglio and Same Lowes, the English rider currently on the Gresini Moto2 Team, on his second time out with the Italian MotoGP bike that he will ride next season. Sam is continuing his apprenticeship on the RS-GP that began recently in Misano, completing 58 laps on the first day of testing.

Bautista focused on preparatory tests for the race, therefore working on the chassis and electronics setup, in addition to tyre choice. The Austrian track proved to be rather particular straight away. There are a lot of blind corners and the braking and acceleration sections become extremely important, just as much as engine performance that is put to the test on the long, uphill straight stretches. Alvaro also conducted some comparative tests with a new type of front wing and the lighter swingarm that had already been tested at the Sachsenring, two elements that will require further evaluation.
The results in terms of times were satisfactory, with Alvaro taking 166 laps over the course of the two days.

ALVARO BAUTISTA
“On this new track you need a lot of engine and a stable bike in braking and acceleration. We worked with these goals, finding some interesting solutions in terms of the race. We still need to do some more testing on the lighter swingarm though. I'm still not certain that it provides an advantage. I should also point out that this is a rather particular track, so it is quite difficult to make comparisons. In terms of safety, on the other hand, I think there are a few spots with very little space and close to the walls. Before the race it would be good to think about a few solutions, especially given the high speeds”.

SAM LOWES
“After the first contact in Misano, I'm beginning to feel more and more at ease astride the RS-GP. It is a positive trend. I improved every time I went out and we began to work on the bike setup to adapt it to my riding style. We have more tests scheduled with Aprilia, but at the moment I am pleased with the level we have achieved. The track is very nice. There are some tight corners and flowing sections. Overall it's fun. It isn't very difficult to learn; you just have to remember the right reference points on the blind corners. Let's just say that, after riding the RS-GP, the straight stretches will seem even longer with the Moto2 bike!”.

Lorraine Allaway lost her husband Bob, in a horrific head on crash with a drunken driver. She has started a petition to hopefully make changes to the law and bring in harsher sentencing that should deter others and save other families the distress caused by such lenient sentences.

From Lorraine

On Saturday 3 October 2015 at 12pm, My husband Bob (Drac) Allaway from Long Preston, Skipton was riding his motorbike along the A65 near Settle when he was involved in a head on collision with a Nissan Note.

Bob sadly died at the scene, from multiple injuries. At the time of the accident Bob was only 46 years old and still had so much more to give.

He could be counted on to join charity events when he would dress as his alter ego Freddie Mercury. He spent many hours collecting for Macmillan cancer support and the Love Leah fund.

A roadside breath test was conducted on the driver of the Nissan Note and he returned a reading of 83ug per 100ml of breath – nearly two and a half times the legal limit (35ug/100ml). North Yorkshire Police conducted an investigation into the collision and found that whilst under the influence of alcohol, the driver of the Nissan Note had driven his vehicle across double solid white lines onto the wrong side of the road and collided head on with Bob’s motorbike.  

The driver pled guilty and has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison and served with a five year, eight month ban from driving for causing the death of a motorcyclist whilst being drunk behind the wheel. So this driver will serve approximately two and a half years of his sentence whilst my family suffer a lifetime of pain at the loss of my husband.  

I know any changes to the law will not affect the sentence this man has received but I hope that it will save other families the distress caused by such lenient sentences. If I were to go out and kill someone with a weapon I would get a life sentence but you get in a car drunk and kill someone you get 4 years, where is the justice in that. It is a disgrace and an insult to those left behind.  

Sign here

A novel run is being organised by Auld Reekie Edinburgh (ARE) Section of the VMCC to give non-members a taste of Club life and action on Saturday 24 September, 2016.

The novelty is to combine a road run from a central starting point (the Lochside Bistro, Loch Leven, Kinross) with a social get together at the halfway lunch stop ( The Crieff Visitor Centre, Crieff). The event is tailored to classic motorcyles from the 1970s through to 1991 with a run of around 100 miles on A and B roads but any machine made prior to 1992 is eligible to enter. The Club is keen to attract new members and for this reason there is no entry fee and two ways to enjoy the day. The “Ride Out” will leave the Lochside Bistro from 10.30am for a run around Perthshire to the lunch stop at the Crieff Visitor Centre where, from about 12.30pm, individuals can “Ride In “ and meet us for a chat and/or get a bite to eat. 

Alastair Alexander, VMCC Area Rep. for Scotland said, “Many enthusiasts do not know that bikes made from 1991 or earlier are eligible for VMCC events. The 1970s and 1980s were dominated by Japanese motorcycles and we are keen to see them and meet their owners on the day. Spectators are most welcome to come along to the start at Kinross from around 9.00am and at the lunch stop. Kinross and Crieff were chosen because of their accessibility to riders from all over Scotland and beyond. Come and join us and see what the VMCC has to offer.”

Alastair Alexander - Area Rep. Scotland

Entry forms are available from ARE Section Secretary, George Plumb on 0131 333 3336 or [email protected].

The forthcoming “Pure&Crafted” event, held over the weekend of 12th and 13th August 2016, featuring amongst many others, the sounds of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Mando Diao, Band of Skulls and more, includes with the thrills of the Motodrome, a myriad of specialty stands and displays, a red open top double decker bus and, as well as an Ace Cafe London display, from central Berlin starting on Friday 12th at 10.30am  to the Pure&Crafted Showground  at  the unique Postbahnhof event venue location, the Ace Cafe London “ Ton Up & Cafe Racer Ride“

As a warm up for this event, and with free admission, a special Ace rock n’ roll and cafe racer party featuring bikes and, live on stage, the four piece r n’ r sounds of Ray Allen & Band and the wax spinning  Record Hop maestro,  DEE-JAY Red Mokum, is being held at Berlin’s famous Roadrunners Paradise Club on Thursday night 11.8.16  from 8 to late – join us with loud pipes in celebrating clip-ons, rear-sets and rock n’ roll!

www.pureandcrafted.com