Pata Honda riders Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea will return to World Superbike action this weekend (2-4 August) for the ninth round event at Silverstone in the UK, just a few days after contesting the prestigious Suzuka 8-hours race in Japan.

The Suzuka race was won by Haslam, who teamed up with Pata Honda World Supersport team-mate, Michael van der Mark, and Japanese rider Takumi Takahashi. Rea had looked to be well-placed to repeat last year’s victory before his own team-mate, Ryuichi Kiyonari, crashed out of contention.

Both riders will arrive at Silverstone following an event with Honda colleagues at the company's European HQ on Wednesday 31 July and both are keen to get back to their regular Honda CBR1000RR machines on the fast and flowing 5.902km circuit in central England, home to the British Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Haslam, 30, has not won at Silverstone but visited the podium in 2010 and was leading last year’s race on slick tyres when rain began to fall, turning the circuit into an ice rink and the race into a lottery.

Rea took two second-place finishes in that 2010 event and the 26-year-old missed the following year’s races through injury. He took fourth place in race one last season but was bizarrely taken out by another rider’s machine immediately after crossing the finishing line.

Leon Haslam

Suzuka was an amazing experience and I struggled a bit during my first stint, probably trying too hard to be precise and have a good pace. Also, the compensating I had to do for my leg ended up giving me some really bad back problems, but it was all worth it in the end. Now it’s all change for Silverstone this weekend, but I’m really looking forward to it. I love the circuit and was on the podium in 2010 and led the race last year when we all got caught out on slicks when the rain came. I missed the races at Donington earlier this year because of my leg injury, so this will be the only chance to ride in front of the British fans this season, so it’s something I’m really looking forward to.

Jonathan Rea

I was devastated to finish the 8-hour race the way we did, but these things happen and I was happy for my Pata Honda team-mates and for Honda. I’m feeling really good though and looking forward to getting back on my bike this weekend. I've had mixed results at Silverstone in the past and I've had some great races there; I particularly remember a couple of second places in 2010, which I really enjoyed. We struggled a bit last year, but it's a nice circuit to ride. The modifications made to the track in recent years have made it better but I'll attack it the same way I attack every other circuit. Of course, being a second British round, it'll be good to see a lot of friendly faces there, even if they can be quite far away in some places.

This event ran for the first time in September 2012 and was one of the most successful first time events we have ever organised in terms of vehicle entries.

Following this first event we also ran in May 2013 and also attracted in excess of 600 classic vehicles for display. Unfortunately on both occasions the weather was not too kind to us with a grey day and cold wind in the morning followed by rain in the afternoon. Again we have had a fantastic uptake of display cars for August and it would be nice if we had the weather to go with the display. We expect to see lots of early pre-1950 vehicles such as Singer, Morris, Riley, Rover and Humber, through to modern day classics such as MG, Porsche, TVR and Mercedes along with BSA’s, Norton’s and Velocettes in the classic bike section.

There will be expert commentary in the arena and a concours competition taking place throughout the day. With in excess of 400 vehicles booked into display, we are anticipating this once again to be an excellent show.

Various clubs have booked stands for this event including the Cheshire Classic Car Club, Jaguar Enthusiasts, Retrobevets, MCNW, Potteries & South and many more.

Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the show but also have a walk around the garden which hosts a plant fair and if they wish have a look round Arley Hall (by separate admission). Catering facilities will be available at the event. Parking is free and dogs are welcome so long as they remain on a lead.

Andrew Greenwood’s Classic Shows

www.classicshows.org

Sunday 4th August 2013, 10am-4pm @ Arley Hall & Gardens, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 6NA

Admission Prices: • £7 per adult • £3 per child • Under 7's FREE

The Isle of Man Government Department of Economic Development, the rights holder of the TT Races, is progressing its plans to develop a TT Races World Series.

The TT Races have been running on the Isle of Man since 1907 and is one of the world's oldest continuous motorsport events. It currently attracts around 40,000 visitors to the Isle of Man annually contributing £25 million to the local economy and generates over £2 million in gross commercial revenue.

The TT Races had an audited worldwide TV audience of over 23 million viewers in 2012 with leading broadcasters including ITV in the UK, Australia's Channel 10 and Discovery Velocity in the USA taking the eleven one hour TT highlights shows produced by North One TV. The official iomtt.com website has over 2 million unique users annually.

The Isle of Man Government has completed an initial feasibility study, carried out by London based agency The Sports Consultancy, into the formation of a World Series of Motorcycle Races based around the original TT concept.

The initial feasibility study included a review of the intellectual property rights, suitable venues, commercial contracts and income opportunities, marketing and promotion, safety and risk management and logistics as well as team, manufacturer and competitor involvement.

The Department is now investigating the option of attracting a commercial partner to develop and promote an international series of races based on the Isle of Man TT concept that leverages the Isle of Man TT brand. It is anticipated that such a delivery partner would be responsible for all operational aspects of the Series including the Isle of Man round.

Laurence Skelly, Isle of Man Government Department of Economic Development Representative with responsibility for Motorsport and Tourism commented:

"We have re-established the TT profile worldwide and are now ready to capitalise on the brand's strength by working with an external partner to take the event to the next level."

He continued:

"We have already received positive feedback and interest from a number of international partners and potential hosts who believe in the concept of a TT World Series."

226,803 drivers in the UK have points on their licence for driving without insurance, according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists).

The FOI request, directed to the DVLA, revealed that 194,997 full licence holders and 31,806 provisional licence holders have been caught driving without vehicle insurance and have received points for doing so – one in two-hundred drivers. In the 17-35 age range, one in every 100 people with a full driving licence has points for driving uninsured.

Figures also show that in both licence categories and all age groups it is men who are far more likely to commit this offence. In the 17-24 age category, men are four times more likely to have points on their licence for driving uninsured than women.

Other findings were: • People in the 25-35 age category are most likely to drive uninsured (81,003 with points). • Drivers over 65 were least likely to have points on their licence for driving without insurance (0.06%, or 3,867 people). • 0.44% of people with a provisional license have been caught driving uninsured. • One in every 200 people with a full UK driving license has been penalised with points for driving without insurance.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “These findings are shocking. Those 200,000 individuals who drive whilst uninsured place the burden back on those who abide by the law through higher premiums and potentially the cost of vehicle repair.

 “The most concerning fact is that this could just be the tip of the iceberg, as these numbers only represent those who have been caught and penalised.  Insurance fraud and uninsured driving are also growing problems that need to be tackled through a coordinated approach from enforcement authorities. It is not acceptable that drivers pay up to £70 in higher premiums to compensate for those who ignore the law.”

As well as six points and a fine for driving uninsured, an eighteen year-old with a £950 premium could expect to see this increase to £2,195.  For a thirty year-old it would increase from £228 to £4621.

Peter Harrison, car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket, said: “It’s astonishing how many drivers are still prepared to hit the road without insurance. Not only is it illegal but you could face thousands of pounds in liability, a conviction, six points on your licence and a hefty fine should you be caught out or be involved in a crash. To make matters worse, uninsured drivers cost the insurance industry £500 million each year. Furthermore, insurance fraud adds £39 to the cost of every motor premium and uninsured driving an extra £30 – this is not fair on law-abiding motorists.

“The cost of insurance premiums will no doubt have influenced the decision from some drivers to forgo insurance altogether. However, the penalties for not having insurance are great, and could even result in your vehicle being confiscated. Although car insurance premiums may appear high, having suitable insurance and proving you are a safe driver will help bring premiums down over time. Not having insurance, and being caught without it, could result in you not being insurable in the future.”

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.