Category: Superbikes

1. McGuinness and Cummins to compete on the roads for Honda

   Posted on 10:24am Saturday 23rd Nov 2013

   Honda Motor Europe today announced its rider line-up for the 2014 Isle of Man TT and North West 200 road racing events. Twenty-time TT winner John McGuinness will be joined by Manxman Conor Cummins to form a two-strong team competing aboard the 2014 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade in the Superbike and Senior races. Cummins will also ride for the team in the Superstock class.

   The new road racing squad was revealed as McGuinness and Cummins appeared as team-mates for the first time on the main stage at Motorcycle Live in the UK. The duo promises to pose a serious threat on the roads with the combination of McGuinness’s unrivalled experience and Cummins’s undeniable talent and ambition.

   The 2013 Isle of Man TT proved that at 41 years old, McGuinness is still the man to beat on the mountain course as he set a new outright lap record during the Superbike race and took an epic Senior victory to rack up his 20th win and 41st podium. The Morecambe Missile also has six NW200 wins under his belt and shows no signs of slowing down.

   Cummins – who will make his debut for Honda – was fastest newcomer at the TT and the NW200 in 2006. He secured the first of four TT podiums in 2009 and is the third fastest rider in the history of the event, as well as holding the record for the fastest lap from a standing start at 131.5mph. A career-threatening crash during the 2010 TT has done nothing to dampen the 27-year-old’s ambition as he aims to come back fighting with the Honda team.

   Honda Europe’s revised commitment to road racing represents a new direction following the successful three-year Honda TT Legends project, which has seen the manufacturer compete in both road racing and the Endurance World Championship under the same banner. The 2014 road-racing team will continue to be run from Louth in Lincolnshire and managed by Neil Tuxworth. Honda’s plans for the 2014 EWC season will be announced shortly. 

   Neil Tuxworth

   We’re pleased to announce our 2014 line-up for the roads and very happy to welcome Conor Cummins to the team. He’s an Isle of Man lad whose father and uncle have raced on the island so the TT in is in his blood. He has a great work ethic and a determination to succeed and I have a lot of admiration for him. He’s back to full fighting fitness following his 2010 crash and as one of the fastest men ever around the mountain course, he definitely has the ability to win races. The relationship between John and Honda is well-established and proven to bring results. He is by far the most successful current TT rider in terms of wins and podiums and he showed at this year’s event that he is still the quickest rider around the Isle of Man. We are of course very happy to have him with us again. With John and Conor on board, I believe we are in a very strong position for the 2014 road racing events.

   John McGuinness

   I’m really glad to be staying with Honda to continue the strong relationship we’ve built up in road racing over the years. The team is like family to me and it’s important that I have support that I know I can rely on 100%. It’s great news that Conor will be joining the team. I have a lot of respect for him – he’s young, he’s hungry for it and he has so much passion for racing. It will be a pleasure to be his team-mate. This year proved that there’s life in the old dog yet, so I can’t wait to get back on the Fireblade and see what we can do.

   Conor Cummins

   I am thrilled to bits to be with Honda in 2014. In my eyes this is the absolute pinnacle of road racing. Riding for a team like Honda has been something I’ve been aiming for my whole career so for me this is a huge deal. The team has so much experience and I just want to make the most of the opportunity I’ve been given. I’m really looking forward to racing the new Honda Fireblade and hopefully bringing home some good results.

2. TT Stars Head to NEC for Motorcycle Live to promote Isle of Man's 2014 Motorcycling events

   Posted on 11:19am Tuesday 19th Nov 2013

   Leading TT stars are heading to Motorcycle Live to promote the Isle of Man's 2014 motorcycling events calendar including the TT Races, the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling and the Southern 100.

   20-times Isle of Man TT winner John McGuinness and 2013’s big winner Michael Dunlop will be leading a star-studded line-up which also includes Manxman Conor Cummins, fan favourite Bruce Anstey, SES TT Zero winner Michael Rutter and rising star James Hillier, who won his first TT race this year.

   John Holden and Andy Winkle, Ben and Tom Birchall, Tim Reeves and Dan Sayle and sixteen-time TT champion Dave Molyneux along with his passenger Patrick Farrance will be representing the Sidecars.

   The riders will be signing autographs and meeting fans on the high profile TT Paddock Experience stand and taking part in daily Q&As with TT commentator James Whitham on the Black Horse Stage in the British Eurosport Entertainment Zone. On Sunday 1 December, the TT will take over the stage, with four Q&A sessions and a special TT-themed edition of Fast Bikes Question of Bikes hosted by Steve Parrish.

   The Department of Economic Development has again developed the TT paddock themed stand which will feature a display of fabulous racing machines from the TT and Classic TT including Michael Dunlop’s Dainese Superbike Race winning Honda Superbike and his Motorsport merchandise Formula 1 Classic TT Race winning Suzuki. The stand will also have the iconic Senior TT Trophy and will show 2013 race highlights on a large screen.

   Members of the Department of Economic Development Motorsport team, representatives of the Isle of Man TT Marshals Association and official TT Travel Agency Regency Travel who will be promoting travel and accommodation, grandstand and VIP hospitality packages, will be manning the stand.

   This year's Motorcycle Live features two days dedicated to the Isle of Man’s flagship road racing festivals. Sunday 24 November will celebrate heritage event the Classic TT, while Sunday 1 December - 'Mad Sunday – TT Day' - will be devoted to the world’s most famous road race, the Isle of Man TT.

3. TWO DAYS OF TESTING FOR THE APRILIA RACING TEAM AT ARAGON

   Posted on 11:21am Friday 15th Nov 2013

   MARCO MELANDRI CONTINUES HIS RUN-IN PERIOD ASTRIDE THE RSV4 WITH WHICH HE WILL TAKE ON THE 2014 WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP.

   Aragon, 15 November 2013 - Preparations continue for the Aprilia Racing Team, reigning Manufacturer Champions, in view of the 2014 Superbike season. The setting for two days of testing was the Spanish Aragon circuit where Marco Melandri, new arrival on the Aprilia Racing Team, and the Italian manufacturer's test rider Alex Hofmann were hard at work.

   The rider from Ravenna, former World Champion with Aprilia in the 250 class World Championship, continued his apprenticeship on the V4 from Veneto with which he will take on the World Superbike championship next season. This was the second test session for Marco Melandri after his first contact with the new bike at Jerez immediately following the last World Superbike race of the season. That was a test session which was nullified by less than mild weather conditions but where Melandri was left with a good feeling on the RSV4 anyway.

   This time at Aragon Melandri was able to ride more consistently, putting in a total of 102 laps over the two days and increasing the feeling. Despite the low temperatures which counselled caution Marco finished with a best time of 1'58.0.

   Melandri and the Aprilia Racing Team will also be busy on 25, 26 and 27 November at Jerez for the final testing session prior to the compulsory stoppage period.

   Marco Melandri: “It has been two very interesting days even if they were complicated by the low temperatures. We worked on riding position and I was able to test an RSV4 with the same configuration Guintoli uses, gathering a lot of useful information. Now we'll wait for a day when the weather is better so that we can compare material and decide which way to go. It has been a good test and I can't wait to get back on the track to try and improve my times on the fast lap”.

   Sylvain Guintoli was absent from Aragon after undergoing surgery last week to correct the right shoulder injury he suffered before the Moscow round that compromised his level of competitiveness during the last part of the 2013 season. The course and rehabilitation are proceeding according to schedule and he should be back on the track by the first months of next year.

4. John McGuinness helps to launch Honda's 2014 models‏

   Posted on 10:16am Thursday 7th Nov 2013

   Honda TT Legends rider John McGuinness has appeared with some of Honda's biggest racing stars in a presentation to launch the company's new model line-up for 2014.

   The 20-time Isle of Man TT winner joined Pata Honda World Superbike star Leon Haslam, 14-time World Trials Champion Toni Bou and 2013 FIM World Rally Champion Paulo Gonçalves in Milan in Italy on Monday night to ride the new models on to the stage in front of the world's motorcycle media.

   They were joined by three of Honda's racing stars of the future, European Junior Cup winner Jake Lewis, Honda 150 European champion Filippo Grigoletto and European Junior Cup rider Sabrina Paiuta.

   Honda's 2014 line-up includes six new models, with two 650cc machines featuring a new inline four-cyclinder engine, the new CTX1300 cruiser and the next evolution of the NC series.

   The range also features new directions for Honda's VFR800F and the CBR1000RR Fireblade which spearheads Honda's racing activities in World Superbike, the Isle of Man TT and World Endurance, including the famous Suzuka 8-Hour race in Japan.

   McGuinness rode an updated CBR1000RR Fireblade on to the Milan stage, while Haslam, who won this year's Suzuka 8-Hour race, brought on the new CBR1000RR Fireblade SP featuring Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes.

5. Ducati announce 2014 World Superbike riders

   Posted on 8:44am Tuesday 29th Oct 2013

   Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano destined to race in Ducati colours for 2014 World Superbike season

   Riders and technicians to immediately start pre-season testing 30-31 October at Jerez

   Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 28 October 2013 – Following the announcement of the mutual decision to conclude early the partnership with Team Alstare, Ducati today confirm its participation in the 2014 World Superbike Championship and its agreement with the riders who will compete aboard the Ducati 1199 Panigale motorcycles.

   Welsh rider, Chaz Davies, and the Italian, Davide Giugliano, are both now officially confirmed to compete for the Italian manufacturer during the 2014 and 2015 World Superbike seasons. This is an important decision for Ducati, determined to bounce back after a year of disappointing results for the 1199 Panigale, which failed to deliver the results expected in World Superbike despite its considerable success in many national championships and the highly-competitive FIM Superstock Cup.

   The new Ducati Superbike riders will immediately join technicians of the Ducati development team to start work 30-31 October at Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), carrying out the first of three test sessions planned for the winter break.

   More detailed information concerning the organisation and management of the team will be available in the coming weeks.

   Rider profiles:

   Chaz Davies  was born 10 February, 1987 in Knighton, Wales (UK) and first started racing in minimoto in 1995, winning the championship title in this rookie category the following year and retaining it until 1998. From 2002-2006 he competed at World Championship level in the 125GP category, moving up to 250GP soon after. After additional experience in the AMA championship he was selected to take part in the World Supersport Championship and in 2011 became World Supersport Champion. The following year he moved up to World Superbike, a category in which he scored his first victory in 2012 and three more in 2013.

   Davide Giugliano was born in Rome on 28 October, 1989 and started his racing career in 2005 by competing in the European Superstock 600 championship, finishing third in the championship the following year. After a year in the World Supersport Championship he switched to FIM Superstock 1000 Cup and in 2011 rode the Ducati 1098 R to championship victory competing for the Althea Racing team. Giugliano made his Superbike debut in 2011, riding as a wildcard at Portimão immediately after clinching the Superstock Cup title. In 2012 he became an official rider for the Genesio Bevilacqua team alongside Carlos Checa, taking two podiums and closing the season 10th overall. In 2013, he achieved one pole position and two more podiums in the World Superbike series, finishing the championship in 6th position.