The Pata Honda team has announced that its rider line-up for the 2014 World Supersport championship season will remain unchanged with Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti aiming for the title once more.

Both van der Mark and Zanetti were rookies to the series this season and currently hold fourth and fifth places respectively in the points table, with the final round scheduled for Jerez in Spain on 20 October.

Van der Mark stepped up to World Supersport after his European Superstock 600 championship victory last season on board the Honda CBR600RR of the Ten Kate Junior team. His highlight of 2013, however, has arguably been winning the Suzuka 8-hour race alongside Takumi Takahashi and his Pata Honda World Superbike team-mate Leon Haslam.

The 20-year-old Dutch rider from Rotterdam impressed at the first 2013 World Supersport round in Australia last February, taking a podium finish on his debut. Van der Mark has visited the podium at two further races so far this season.

After contesting the World Superbike championship last year, Zanetti, from Brescia in Italy, has adapted well to Honda’s CBR600RR and has also tasted champagne on the rostrum this season at his home round of Monza.

In spite of injuries sustained in a crash at Moscow, the 26-year-old has found an impressive level of consistency as the season has progressed and is targeting regular podium finishes as part of his 2014 title campaign.

Michael van der Mark

I am really happy to have my plans fixed with the prospect of another year with the Pata Honda World Supersport team. This season has been really great and I think for next year we really can fight for the championship. I’m very thankful to the team, to Honda and to the sponsors like Pata that we can be in this position. This has been my first year in the world championship and I have learned a lot, but I think we can make another big step next season. I feel really comfortable in this team and I know the bike really well now, so I think we can already start next season in a better position than the beginning of this one.

Lorenzo Zanetti

It’s fantastic for me to continue with this team and in the class because for the last four years I have changed bikes and teams. It’s really difficult to learn a new bike at the beginning of the season so, for me, 2014 will be starting in a good way with a bike and a team that I already know. I think over the last few races I have begun to show my potential and this winter will be important to make the next steps and prepare to fight with Michael for the championship from the start of next season.

Ronald ten Kate – team-manager

We’re very happy with next year’s line-up because we’ve been very satisfied with this year’s performances from Michael and Lorenzo. For both riders it has been a rookie season in World Supersport and both have done really well. At the end of this season there is still a fight for third position so we believe there is a lot more to come. They are great guys to work with – on the track and off it – and they have a really good working relationship, both between themselves and with the team, so it’s an almost a perfect combination.

Carlo Fiorani – racing operations manager, Honda Motor Europe  

The decision on our Supersport rider line-up was based on different reasons for each rider. For Michael, we think that it will be good for him to have another season in this championship before stepping up to a bigger class. With his brilliant result at the Suzuka 8-hour race this year he has shown his great potential on a bigger machine, but we would like to have him for another year in Supersport to improve his competition skills and racecraft at the top of a world championship. We think he will certainly be a protagonist in the title next year. Lorenzo learned his craft on smaller bikes and that experience has been very useful for Michael this year. He has also had a year to learn our machine after coming from Superbike last year and has really shown an improvement and demonstrated his potential in the last few races. We are very happy that he will continue that development next year and fight for the 2014 world championship.

The final round of the 2013 World Supersport championship featuring Pata Honda riders Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti will take place at Jerez in Spain over the weekend of 18-20 October.

Thursday 17th October, 7pm

On the eve of Round 12 (18th-20th Oct) BSB, the Brands Hatch "Triple Header" final round, Ace Cafe London hosts an evening with TT race legend John McGuinness, together with the Milwaukee Yamaha Team - James Ellison, Tommy Bridewell, William Dunlop, Conor Cummins, Ian Hutchinson and Josh Waters!

If you want to get up close to proper fast riders, and get yourself a signed poster, this is your chance!

Monster Energy Party & Signings, from 7pm, Thursday 17th October.

www.monsterenergy.com/gb/en

www.britishsuperbike.com

www.milwaukeeyamaha.com

Commitment to supporting grassroots racing remains key for leading bike insurance specialist

Fifteen-year-old Chester racer Joe Francis continued his path towards motorcycle stardom by winning the Moto3 class of the British Motostar championship at Silverstone yesterday.

Bennetts first backed Joe in 2011, providing financial backing to help the then 13-year-old complete his season in the Aprilia Challenge championship, a series which has helped launch the career of numerous world champions including Cal Crutchlow, Chaz Davies and two-time MotoGP champ Casey Stoner. After going on to take the title in thrilling style, Bennetts continued to back the prodigious talent as he entered the British championships as part of its policy of supporting young riders.

This season saw Francis join forces with the professional Team WD-40, racing a Honda NSF250R Moto3 machine in the British championship. Starting with a second place in his first race at Brands Hatch, the youngster scored a podium finish at every round until Sunday’s Silverstone event, where he rode with maturity to take the fifth place required to secure the title.

Joe Francis said: “It’s a fantastic feeling to win the British championship. We had a few problems in qualifying but I knew what I had to do going into the race and I was able to get the fifth place that I needed to win the championship with a race to spare.

“Bennetts have supported me since 2011 and have proved a great sponsor, not only in terms of helping me raise the finances required to go racing but also in raising my profile and putting me in touch with professionals who can help me progress my career. In the past year I have worked alongside Scott Redding and James Toseland, Bennetts’ other ambassador riders, and been interviewed by national TV, radio and newspapers.

“Being a Bennetts ambassador is a fantastic experience for a young rider and they’ve certainly played their part in helping me to become a British champion. My ultimate aim is to make it to MotoGP and become a world champion, and I hope to continue working with Bennetts as I move on to the next step in my career.”

Bennetts is committed to supporting Britain’s top motorcycle racing talent and up-and-coming young riders. In addition to Francis, the company is currently in its third season of backing Scott Redding, who currently leads the Moto2 world championship, and retains an association with two-time former World Superbike champion James Toseland.

Any young riders who think they have what it takes to follow in the tyre tracks of Francis and Redding are invited to email Bennetts at [email protected], detailing their racing history, 2014 plans, career objectives and sponsorship requirements for the 2014 season.                            

The Department of Economic Development Motorsport team has negotiated for the Senior TT Trophy to feature in a prestigious one-day exhibition alongside some of the world's most iconic sporting trophies.

The exhibition, which will take place at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day on 19th October, will also feature The FA Cup, The Ashes Urn, the Rugby League Challenge Cup and the Calcutta Cup.

The trophy was donated to the Auto Cycle Club, now the Auto Cycle Union, by Joseph the Marquis de Mouzilly St Mars, the President of the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme in 1905-1906. His name can still be seen on the award. The Senior TT Trophy was first presented, to Charlie Collier, in 1907 who won the first TT Race.

The Senior Trophy was based on the Montague Trophy, awarded to the winner of the TT car races, which pre-dated the motorcycle TT, and was handed to the rider of the winning single cylinder machine.

Standing 197centimetres tall and weighs 59.5 kilograms, it features Mercury, the Winged God of the Messengers from Roman mythology, crafted in silver standing atop a winged wheel. The effigy is mounted on a tiered plinth featuring engraved shields detailing the winner of every Senior race.

Past winners read like a who’s who of motorcycling including Geoff Duke, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Stanley Woods, Joey Dunlop and Giacomo Agostini. Current champion John McGuinness, who has won twenty TT Races, has won the Senior TT six times.

Although insured for at least £1.5million, it is a priceless, unique part of the TT’s heritage. It is kept in the Isle of Man, under tight security provided by G4S Secure Solutions (Isle of Man) Limited, and will travel to Ascot with G4S's Divisional Manager for Security Services Lloyd Mister.

The Ascot exhibition will include other famous sporting trophies and mementos including the Jules Rimet Trophy won by the England football team in 1966, the Sid Waddell Trophy won by PDC World Darts Champion Phil Taylor in 2013, the World Snooker Championship Trophy won five times by Ronnie O’Sullivan, the European Player of the Year Award – The Ballon d’Or – won by Michael Owen in 2001, along with his Premier League Golden Boot awards and medals relating to the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup.

The display will also include a number of prestigious trophies from the world of horse racing, including the Champion Jump Jockey Trophy won a record 18 times by AP McCoy, along with his BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award from 2010; the Champion Flat Jockey Trophy; the Champion Racehorse Trainer Trophies; nine of the most famous trophies won by Frankel during his unbeaten career; and the silver salver to be presented to the winner of the 2013 £1.3 million QIPCO Champion Stakes.

The last time so many national sporting trophies were displayed together was over half a century ago at an exhibition in April 1956 at the Café Anglais, London.

Michael Owen, the former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and England striker, who is now an ambassador for British Champions Series, said: ‘It’s a real honour to have my awards and mementos sitting alongside so many famous cups, trophies and decorations. It’s on these occasions that you really appreciate Great Britain’s amazing achievements in so many different sports.’

Rod Street, chief executive of British Champions Series, added: ‘QIPCO British Champions Day has, in just two short years, become one of the world’s most important race days so it’s fitting that some of the most iconic trophies from other sports are on show alongside racing’s most coveted prizes.’

‘Champions Day is one of the highlights of the autumn sporting calendar and the exhibition celebrates the sporting achievements of some of our greatest champions. We’re indebted to the organisations and individuals who’ve agreed to participate, ensuring that our Day is a true celebration of Great British sport.’

We should of wound our very small charity up at the start of the year due to lack of donations and support. However we couldn't do this due to the amount of people contacting the charity from all over the UK in need of our advice or support.  

The charity has noticed a sharp increase in the amount of carbon monoxide incident's it's seeing this year. I am sure you like I have noticed this and are as keen as us to try to prevent even more from happening. I believe we can expect more deaths and injuries from this silent killer this year if more organisations, companies etc don't join together with our very small charity to try to prevent them. I believe many of those living/working in the UK today still don't know enough about the dangers of carbon monoxide to make sure they and their family stay safe from this silent invisible killer. Therefore I thought that for just one week this November I would try to enlist your support to make sure that as many people as possible living/working throughout the UK become a little more aware about the dangers of carbon monoxide.

Most people still don't realise that carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless highly toxic gas that is produced by the incomplete combustion of any hydrocarbon fuel e.g. coal, charcoal, wood, oil, petrol, diesel, natural gas and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) They still seem to believe that it's produced by just the incomplete combustion of "natural gas" and if they don't use natural gas or have a gas boiler they are totally safe. This just isn't true. People still believe that you either die or make a full recovery from carbon monoxide. This isn't true as many of those poisoned by just low levels of carbon monoxide go on to develop long term chronic health problems. A group of people poisoned by carbon monoxide can be found here:

I believe anyone with a interest in people, families, health and/or the safety of others can to do much more to help prevent people being injured or falling victim to this silent killer.  The charity's posters/leaflet's carry both the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) and National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU). I am sure you will agree the webmaster did a fantastic job.

Allowing anyone living here in the UK to find information on carbon monoxide very quickly. The charity's "Carbon Monoxide Android Phone App" can be downloaded via the above website's. Its a very handy app for everyone to have.

The charity will launch a NEW updated website www.covictim.org on Monday 18th November 2013.  The charity's 8th National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week starts Monday 18th November 2013. However for the first time in eight years the charity finds it's unable to visit Scotland, Wales, Ireland or any other area due to lack of donations. Therefore this year we are looking for people, organisations, businesses etc to pledge their support to the charity's 8th National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week to help us reach the people we can't this year.   Please pledge your support and help us raise awareness about the dangers of this silent killer to everyone living/working here in the UK before they become the next victim of this silent killer!!!   

Please don't forget to add Monday 18th November to your diary and do all you can to help our very small charity raise awareness about the danger of this silent killer to those living/working anywhere in the UK. I myself am a victim of this silent killer. My family and I were poisoned by carbon monoxide for over a decade. Fourteen years later we are still paying the price for our exposure to this silent killer. Please don't let someone you love/know or someone listening to YOUR show fall victim to this silent killer.  

I don't get paid a penny for my charity work I do it because I don't want anyone else to suffer they way we have/still are. Please pledge your support and together we can save lives and prevent injuries to all those living and working in every community.

Thank you. Kind regards

Lynn

Lynn Griffiths. Carbon Monoxide Awareness President/Victim of Carbon Monoxide.
Founder of National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week 
Carbon Monoxide Awareness. Independent registered charity run "entirely" by volunteers. Charity No. 1125755