Team Classic Suzuki will field one of the strongest line-ups at the 2016 Classic TT presented by Bennets with Michael Dunlop, Lee Johnston and Nick Jefferies riding for Steve Wheatman’s impressive team.

As in 2015, the trio will line up in the 4-lap Motorsport Merchandise Superbike Classic TT, scheduled for Monday 29th August, on near identical GSXR 1100cc-engined XR69 Suzukis and will start among the favourites.

Dunlop took the inaugural Formula 1 Classic TT in spectacular style in 2013 leading the race from start to finish despite suffering from an oil leak. Lapping at a scorching 123.196mph, the Ballymoney rider won the race by almost a minute from then team-mate Conor Cummins, following his victories in the Manx Grand Prix Post Classic Superbike races in 2010 and 2012.

He was out of luck in 2014 but bounced back in style last year when he again won the race, this time after a fierce battle with Bruce Anstey. There was little to choose between the pair but a final lap of 125.050mph saw the Ballymoney rider, who set a new outright lap record of 133.962mph at this year’s TT, claim his second Classic TT victory.

Lee Johnston rode for the team for the first time in 2014 and finished fifth in the Formula One race while last year saw him take seventh with a fastest lap of 123.636mph. Nick Jefferies joined the team in 2015 where he took a solid 17th place, the winner of the 1993 Formula One TT race lapping in excess of 114mph.

On confirming his team line up for the Classic TT, team owner Steve Wheatman commented:

“The Classic TT has grown every year since its introduction in 2013 and we have been happy to support it each year. We’ve experienced both success and disappointment in that time, but as reigning champions in the Superbike class, we are fully committed to defending that position and off the back of an incredible TT, Michael Dunlop is definitely the man for the job.”

“Lee Johnston is back to full fitness after a crash earlier in the year will challenge for a podium place and in Nick Jefferies we have a real legend of the TT in our line up who adds a lot of experience to the team.”

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 August as well as VIP and Platinum hospitality tickets. To purchase tickets go to iomtt.com or phone Duke Marketing on (00 44) 1624 640011.

Nicky Hayden has crossed the line in third place at the end of a hard-fought, 25-lap opening World Superbike race in front of his home crowd at Laguna Seca. In doing so, the experienced American rider has claimed the third podium of his rookie WorldSBK season. Michael van der Mark was right behind his Honda WorldSBK team mate in fourth, after a great recovery from eleventh place on the grid.

Hayden got a great launch from row two and was fifth at the exit of turn one; while keeping a solid pace, he was promoted first to fourth and then to third as the two Ducati riders Davies and Giugliano crashed out of contention on lap five and thirteen, respectively. The 34-year-old from Owensboro, Kentucky, brilliantly held on to the final step of the podium despite the pressure from Alex Lowes and, in the final two laps of the race, by a resurgent van der Mark.

The young Dutchman was able to make up several positions in the early stages despite a small mistake on lap one and, as the race entered its second half, he joined the battle for third place. With a spectacular overtake on Lowes at turn two at the start of the penultimate lap, van der Mark moved up to fourth and set his sights on his team mate; he then dived on the inside of Hayden at the last hairpin, eventually running wide.

The second and last World Superbike race of the US round will get underway tomorrow at 14:30 local time (GMT -7), after the traditional 15-minute warm up scheduled at 11:00.

Hundreds of BMWs will descend on the British Motor Museum when it hosts the annual BMW Car Club National Festival on Sunday 14th August. The event, which is Europe’s largest gathering of BMW’s, will celebrate 100 years of BMW and promises to be even bigger and better than before. Last year there were over 800 vehicles on display and this year they hope to double it, with models including M Power, Alpina, ZED, as well as modern, classic and modified models plus MINI’s will take part in the popular show.

The focal point of the event will be the driving arena, where there will be a master of ceremonies, Steve Deeks. There will be speeches by the regional chairs, presentations of the concours and competition winners as well as live music entertainment. Other activities will include a drifiting track, laser shooting, mini tanks, radio controlled cars, a wheel changing competition, show and shine competition, tombola, lots of trade stands and a special display of 100 cars forming the figure ‘100’ to be photographed from the air.

Representatives from insurance companies will be on hand as well as staff from the BMW Car Club to answer questions and enrol new members. There will also be the club’s register and regional displays, all taking place in and around the British Motor Museum.

Tom Caren, Show Manager for the British Motor Museum stated “The BMW Festival is a fantastic family day out. To mark this special anniversary year we will be organising plenty of additional activities to entertain visitors. Seeing so many BMW’s on display from different decades is a brilliant spectacle to see!”.

Tickets cost £17 for adults, £9 for children (under 5’s are free) and £45 for a family. Entry to the Museum is also included in the ticket price. Discounted tickets are available in advance from the BMW Car Club Office on 01970 267 989 or www.bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

To find out more about the British Motor Museum please visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk

Tickets for Motorcycle Live 2016 – the UK’s biggest bike show, offering live features, riding opportunities and entertainment for visitors of all ages – go on sale next month. This year advance purchasers will enjoy even bigger savings on the entry fee, plus the chance to win one of hundreds of prizes in the show’s all-new Golden Ticket promotion. The all-inclusive ticket will now also include FREE entry into the FMX Live Arena.

An advance adult ticket is priced at just £19.50 – a massive £5.50 less than the on-the-door price. Families will also benefit from the new pricing structure, with kids aged 11-16 paying just £1, both in advance and on-the-door, and kids aged 10 and under getting in FREE. This means the entry fee for a family of four now comes in at well under £50.

Those buying in advance online could be in with the chance of receiving one of hundreds of Golden Tickets, and will find out instantly whether they have won a prize. The Golden Ticket prize pool will include anything from keyrings, caps and t-shirts, to motorcycle clothing, helmets and boots, VIP racing tickets and experience days. The prize pool will be constantly replenished so there is always the chance to win.

Motorcycle Live 2016 takes place at The NEC, Birmingham from 19-27 November. Advance tickets go on sale at 9am on Monday 1 August, at just £19.50 per adult, £12 for Seniors, £1 for 11-16 year olds* and FREE for children aged ten and under (accompanied by a paying adult).

*Advance ticket price, closing date for advanced tickets is midnight on 18 November 2016. There is a £1.50 fulfilment fee per order.

Lancashire-based Mistral Racing will return to the 2016 Classic TT presented by Bennetts with a three-pronged attack on the four-lap Motorsport Merchandise Classic TT Superbike Race.

Steve Mercer, Jamie Coward and local ace Dan Kneen will all campaign ZXR750 Kawasakis and are sure to be major contenders for the podium places.

Both Mercer and Coward have prior experience with the team, Mercer taking fourth place in the corresponding race in 2014, after posting a 121mph+ lap, whilst Coward was on board one of the ‘Green Meanies’ in 2013 only to be forced to retire on the third lap whilst in fifth place.

The Yorkshire rider missed the 2014 event due to injury, ironically being replaced in the team by Maidstone’s Mercer, but was back twelve months ago when he finished in sixth place with a best lap of 121.834mph. He arrives at the Classic TT on the back of an excellent campaign at the TT where he narrowly missed out on winning the coveted TT Privateer’s Championship.

Kneen, meanwhile, joins the team after making his Classic TT debut in 2015 when he rode the Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Motorcycles 750cc OW01 Yamaha. Back then, he took ninth place with his fastest lap being in excess of 120mph. Having missed the TT due to injury, the Braddan rider, who normally rides the Mar-Train Racing Yamaha’s, will be keen to get back out on the Mountain Course and score a strong result on the Mistral Kawasaki.

Run by highly experienced former racer Ian Harrison, the squad is again expected to run their immaculate machinery in Team Kawasaki France replica colours. Huge supporters of the Classic TT, having fully embraced the spirit of the event since its inception in 2013, they will again have one of the greatest presences in the paddock as well as being one of the most professional.

Speaking about his line up for the Classic TT, Team Owner Ian Harrison commented:

“We are really excited about the Classic TT this year with three riders in our team who are in the form of their lives. Jamie and Steve had their best ever TT’s this year and have been strong in testing and racing on our bikes also.”

“We are delighted to welcome Dan Kneen to the team. Dan is one of the best young riders in road racing, and was showing excellent form on the run up to the TT before he was forced to miss the event after picking up a training injury. He will be back to full fitness in time for the Classic TT and we will be providing him a bike capable of winning the race on.”

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