APRILIA READY TO DEFEND ITS LEADERSHIP IN THE MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP, SYLVIAN GIUNTOLI IN THE HUNT FOR THE RIDER TITLE.

BOTH TITLES STILL UP FOR GRABS IN THE FINAL ROUND AT LOSAIL IN QATAR.

Qatar, 29 October 2014 - The Superbike season which is coming to an end could be the inspiration for an excellent screenplay: great entertainment, continuous upsets and a wide open grand finale which is the stuff of a great action film.

The key players will most certainly include Aprilia and Sylvain Guintoli, respectively the Manufacturer Championship leader and the second place contender in the rider competition. At Losail, a track that is back on the calendar after a four year absence, the races will be held at night with the aid of a sophisticated artificial lighting system. Another "theatrical stroke" worthy of the best Hollywood director.

While Aprilia is leading the Brand World Championship with a 23 point advantage, spoils that must be defended in Qatar, a 12 point gap stands between Sylvain and his first Rider World Championship. The Aprilia Frenchman has made a sensational comeback to close a 44 point gap since the Laguna Seca round. Guintoli has a good record on the Losail track and for his assault he will be able to count on an RSV4 which has demonstrated brilliant performance in the last four rounds, taking as many "one-two" wins with two riders consistently on the top two steps of the podium.

Sylvain Guintoli: “Last visit to Qatar I won the race ("8h of Doha") and the Team I raced for was World Champion (Endurance), back in 2010. I love the track and it will suit the RSV4 like a glove. I am very excited about this weekend and very focused on our target. I have worked very hard for this and since Laguna we have closed the gap from 44 to 12 points. Sykes is defending well but we are now very close”.   

Marco Melandri, who has shown great progress, has great expectations for the Losail race. Coming off of 4 wins in the last six races, the rider from Ravenna is now lying third in the rider standings with a wide margin from the nearest contender. Marco also has an excellent change of finishing the season with honours.

Marco Melandri: “I'm very happy to race at night in Qatar. I really like both this place and this track and I'm sure that my RSV4 will adapt very well. I really want to continue my position streak and help Aprilia take the Manufacturer World Championship”.

Happy Birthday Cal!

A professional motorcycle road racer and former British Supersport champion and British Superbike race winner.

Since 2011 he has been competing in the MotoGP class, with the Yamaha Tech 3 team between 2011 and 2013, and in 2014, Crutchlow moved to Ducati.

From Wikipedia

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has chartered additional P&O Express sailings to assist with demand for TT 2015.

The charter has allowed the Steam Packet Company to revise its schedule and increase the number of sailings. An extra four return sailings have been added to the schedule from the Northern Irish port of Larne while Manannan will operate an additional five Liverpool returns during the TT.

Bookings for the additional sailings open at 8.30am on Monday, 3rd November, and demand is expected to be high.

The Steam Packet Company had already increased capacity for motorcycles to travel to the Island for the annual road racing festival with the announcement earlier this year that a specially-built mezzanine deck will be in place on the Manannan during the TT. These extra spaces have proved very popular, with many peak days already sold out.

Chartered freight vessel MV Arrow will also once again be in service during the TT, freeing up Ben-my-Chree to accommodate additional vehicles.

Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward said: 'We are constantly looking at ways we can help the TT grow as an event by working round the clock during the event and ensuring we do everything possible to meet as much demand as we can.

'There was a marked increase in demand when bookings for the 2015 TT opened in May, with first day bookings up 41% on the previous year and many sailings for the period virtually sold out within just days.

'One of the biggest areas of demand is from people wanting to bring their motorcycles, and we have responded to that by making a substantial investment in a mezzanine deck which will increase motorcycle capacity on Manannan by 30%.

'We have been in discussions with P&O for several months awaiting the finalisation of their schedules before confirming the charter of Express and completing our TT timetable.

'We are delighted that the charter of P&O Express has allowed us to add additional sailings from Northern Ireland and on the popular Liverpool route.'

He added: 'The extra sailings will be available to book on Monday 3rd November and we will have as many staff as possible available to deal with inquiries to assist passengers secure their travel so they can come and experience the unique action and atmosphere of the TT.'

To book visit www.steam-packet.com or call 661661 (Isle of Man), 08722 992 992* (UK) or 0044 8722 992 992* (ROI & Outside UK). *Calls to these numbers are charged at 10 pence per minute including VAT from a BT landline, calls from other networks and mobile operators may vary.

Halloween events on next weekend include the Unwanted MCC's Spooktacular Weekend, Halloween Special Bike night @ the Ace and Havoc MCC Halloween Rock Night...

Also the Original Cruisers Halloween Extravaganza, 6th - 9th November held at Pontins, Southport (The lovely ladies pictured were there)

See the Whats On section for ghoulish events

This year the National Motorcycle Museum is celebrating 30 years since first opening to the public which will cumulate with a huge free “Museum Live” open day on Saturday 01/11/14.

The weekend will start on the evening of Friday 31/10/14 when the Museum will host Steve Parrish for an evening of outrageous tales as part of his 2014 M.A.D tour.

Utilizing both the Museum and our extensive conference facilities Saturday 01/11/14 will see the National Motorcycle Museum host a huge free open day when we will throw open the doors of the Museum and everyone will be invited to visit the Museum collection free of charge.

Not only that but there will be a host of other free attractions including a series of amazing “stars on stage” events featuring the bikes, the stars and the people behind it all!

Museum Director James Hewing commented “utilizing our conference venue that adjoins the Museum we are planning a huge celebration event in some of the most prestigious surroundings you can imagine. We want to thank everyone that has supported us over the last three decades with an amazing free event for all the family to enjoy”.

30th Anniversary Celebration Museum Live Timetable.

Friday 31/10/14
Steve Parrish M.A.D tour: The Museum will host a date of Steve Parrish’s M.A.D tour which will include free Museum entry on Friday 31/10/14 for those purchasing a M.A.D tour admission ticket. Tickets can be purchased by calling (0121) 704 2784 or on-line from www.thenmmshop.co.uk

Saturday 01/11/14
Free Museum Entry: Everyone will be invited to visit the museum collection, free-of-charge, to celebrate our successes over the last thirty years. The day will also include free guided tours! To assist visitors everyone arriving on site will be given a free timetable with a full list & timings of all the day’s events!

Indoor Autojumble: The event will feature a large indoor autojumble held within the warm & dry surroundings of the National Motorcycle Museum’s conference facilities. For details of how to book a 6ft pitch for just £20.00 contact Steve or George on (0121) 704 2784 or e-mail [email protected]

Stars on Stage & Live Race Bike Fire Up’s!
Steve Parrish will be your host when we present four “stars on stage” features throughout Saturday 1st November. Held on the stage of the Museum’s magnificent Imperial suite (featuring the mighty Wurlitzer organ!) these free 45 minute chat shows will include not only the star riders but we will also be firing up the machines that made them famous! Of even more interest to visitors will be the fact that these talks will also feature the men behind the scenes such as some of the original factory mechanics.

The four features will be-
The Norton Rotary Years- (Including Brian Crighton, Trevor Nation & Ian Simpson.)
Slippery Sam- (Including Mick Grant, Les Williams, John Woodward & Norman Hyde.)
Norton 750 Racers & the NVT Challenge- (Including Phil Read, Mick Grant & Norman White)
The TT machines- (Including John McGuinness, John Cooper, Norton’s Stuart Garner & Ken Sprayson).

Plus more star names to be announced!

Museum Partners & Trade Displays: Throughout the day we will have special feature “tables” showcasing some of the specialist suppliers & craftsmen (including the Museum’s own restoration team) who will be available to chat and answer questions. The event will also feature trade stands & displays from many well-known names including Bonham’s Auctioneers, Footman James Insurance brokers and Norton Motorcycles.

Motorcycle “Try a Bike” Training: Wheels Motorcycle Training will be giving visitors the chance to “try a bike” free of charge during Saturday 01/11/14. Everyone from just 16 years of age will have the opportunity to learn to ride in a controlled environment. Because of this features popularity you can pre-book by contacting Wheels Motorcycle Training on 0121 328 9906 or e-mail [email protected]

Photo Studio: We will be offering every road racing fan a dream opportunity to have their picture taken astride the iconic 2002 Senior TT Winning Rotary Norton “The White Charger”. There will be a nominal cost of just £2.50 for an A4 print that will be printed off to take away immediately.

Celebratory Book Signings: Phil Read, Ken Sprayson, Norman Hyde and other motorcycling personalities will be available to sign copies of their books in the Museum shop during the event.

Wheelie Machine: Learn how to pull that “big wheelie” in safety on the Extreme Wheelie Simulator (charge for attraction will apply).

Museum Shop & Restaurant: The Museum shop and restaurant will be open throughout the day serving breakfast, lunch & a range of hot meals & snacks.

Plus the draw for the best classic motorcycle raffle prize in the world

Our special anniversary raffle to win a 1951 Vincent Series C Rapide worth £35,000 will be drawn by one of our celebrity guests live on stage during the afternoon of the Museum’s open day event on 01/11/14.

There’s still time to enter to win this beautiful matching numbers Vincent with raffle tickets available to purchase on-line from www.thenmmshop.co.uk or by calling the Museum on 01675 444140