2003

Walker tops first qualifying at a very wet Sugo

22 April 2003

Chris Walker has topped the time sheets during a wet first qualifying session at the World Superbike round in Sugo, Japan. The session was ended with nine minutes to go, due to poor visibility, and...

Heckles joins Honda full time

22 April 2003

Mark Heckles has impressed Honda Racing team bosses so much that he has now been given a permanent place on the factory British Superbike team. The ex-World Superbike rider was drafted on to the team...

Are you gonna go my way?

15 April 2003

Noone had trouble spotting this road sign.

Up close and personal

15 April 2003

Step away from the brolly babe.

999s test at Mugello

15 April 2003

The Ducati World Superbike team has been testing at Mugello this week with test rider Lorenzo Lanzi. The Italian rider spent two days on the 999s that Hodgson and Xaus will be racing at Sugo on...

Oi, that’s my phone!

15 April 2003

” Yes officer, two girls in red PVC have stolen by 6ft high mobile phone. No, I haven’t been drinking? ”

How can he remain focussed?

15 April 2003

How he can keep looking straight ahead is beyond us…

Two wheels good, four wheels bad

15 April 2003

We know it’s technically a quad, but sometimes you have to make allowances.

Aberdeen to Snet for BSB Suzuki winner

15 April 2003

Here is the winner of our Suzuki British Superbikes Competition, Brian Druguid, and his fiancée Julie making the most of the Rizla Suzuki hospitality suite at last weekend’s BSB round at...

BMZRC, Lydden Hill, April 5-6

15 April 2003

Contributor: Debbie Welfare, Series: BMZRC 250 MZ Championship Races. The second outing of the season saw a full grid of MZs. Saturday, Race 1: An excellent start off of the line by Jon Hart saw him leading the race for several laps. However never far behind and closing was Tim Kaley. Tim leads the championship at the moment and has not been beaten in any of his races; he was also last season’s...

Kato succumbs to injuries

15 April 2003

Daijiro Kato, the former 250cc World Champion, has died in hospital in Japan. Kato passed away at 00:42 local time today, Sunday April 20, in the Yokkaichi Central Hospital. Kato, 26, had been in a...

Byrne goes for double at Thruxton

15 April 2003

Round three of the British Superbikes championship at Thruxton this weekend is set to be the most exciting so far. And we’ll be bringing you full coverage here on motorcyclenews.com. Qualifying starts...

All together now

15 April 2003

Eeenie, meenie, mynie, mo. How do you choose your favourite?

Rutter heads Superpole at Thruxton

15 April 2003

Michael Rutter went 1.5 seconds faster than his best qualifying time to claim pole position for the race at Thruxton on Sunday. Rutter put his Renegade Ducati 0.362 seconds in front of Shane Byrne on...

Tracktime at Monza with HM Plant

15 April 2003

World Superbike team HM Plant Ducati is offering the chance to ride around Monza with its riders Chis Walker and James Toseland…on one of their paddock scooters. The prize is currently being auctioned...

Mugello test for Ducati GP team

15 April 2003

Ducati is continuing its policy of getting closer to the public after opening the gates to its latest private test at the Mugello circuit in Italy this week. More than 500 fans watched Ducati riders...

Byrne does double at Thruxton

15 April 2003

Shane Byrne continued his dominant form in British Superbikes with a double victory at Thruxton. Race One: Byrne won the first race from reigning champion Steve Hislop. Byrne, on the Monster Mob...

Kato shows slight improvement

08 April 2003

Daijiro Kato is still in a serious condition after his horrific crash in the early stages of the first MotoGP race on Sunday. The hospital has not made any official statement but it is known that the...

Ukawa releases statement on Kato

08 April 2003

The Camel Pramac Pons team have issued a statement to the press on behalf of rider Tohru Ukawa, which mysteriously retracts his earlier statements about the crash which seriously injured Daijiro...

Schwantz breaks hand in supermotos

08 April 2003

Former 500GP world champion Kevin Schwantz has broken bones in his hand after a tumble in a one-off STTARS supermoto race. The race was a support event at the AMA Superbike championship round at...

Club racing round-up

08 April 2003

Here’s the latest instalment of our club racing round-up. The links on the right will take you to reports from our contributors about last weekend’s racing. If you are a club secretary, rider, or just...

Heckles gets factory Honda ride

08 April 2003

Former World Superbike privateer Mark Heckles will ride a factory Honda SP-2 alongside Steve Plater at Snetterton this weekend, and Thruxton the weekend after. Heckles is still waiting to find out...

New Era, Mallory Park, April 6

08 April 2003

Contributor: Alan Holland, Coordinator, Phil Bevan Racing, Club: New Era MCC Phil was back at a very cold Mallory Park yesterday for part two of a busy month with New Era. As the normal crew were AWOL we again received support from JHP and with Rick as Crew Chief, Phil was determined to put in a good performance (otherwise Rick was definitely going to give him a P45). Up until now grid positions...

08 April 2003

Taking a pass

08 April 2003

Hang on, only one of them has a pass to be here?

Keep scrubbing

08 April 2003

Two of the highlights from the MCN Spring Spectacular

They’re not grab rails

08 April 2003

Now that’s giving it a handful…

Put your hands together

08 April 2003

Surely, the young lady deserves the round of applause

Two podiums for Reynolds despite injury

08 April 2003

Shane Byrne, Michael Rutter, Sean Emmett, and John Reynolds made up the top four all weekend at the second round of the British Superbikes championship at Snetterton, but only 15 days previously Rizla...

Kato stable, Gibernau to race on

08 April 2003

Daijiro Kato showed some signs of improvement yesterday but is still in a critical condition after his accident at the first round of MotoGP on Sunday, in Suzuka, Japan. With the rider making it...

Reynolds will race despite injury

08 April 2003

John Reynolds has confirmed he will be racing at the Snetterton round of British Superbikes this weekend, despite a broken collarbone. The Suzuki rider is having laser treatment, after crashing his...

‘And then he just rode off…’

08 April 2003

The Brolly Babes discussed how the race went…

NG, Thruxton, 30 March

08 April 2003

Racer: Richard Halford, Club: NG Road Racing Beautiful weather and an incredibly fast circuit made for an excellent weekend. Me and Cath arrived at Thruxton after John and Nicola who had parked up...

Bemsee, Lydden, April 5-6

08 April 2003

Rider: Pete Fishwick, Bike: TZR250, Club: Bemsee, Class: Yamaha Past Masters (YPM) For those that don’t know YPM, it allows TZR250, 250LC, 350LC and 350 Powervalves in the class running to tight regulations specified by the club and provided to all riders. The weather forecast was good and all races for both days were dry, although a little cold and windy. Saturday Race 1 From 5th of the grid I...

Reed takes two in two weeks

01 April 2003

Chad Reed has capitalised on a mistake by reigning champion Ricky Carmichael to take his second win in two weeks at Sunday’s AMA Supercross round in Houston, Texas. In the 250cc final, Honda’s...

Rossi grabs provisional pole

01 April 2003

The first round of the MotoGP world championship kicked off the struggle for supremacy with Italian rivals Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi finishing the opening qualifying session separated by just 0.2s on Friday. The morning’s free practice saw Ducati rider Loris Capirossi topping the time sheets with a time of 2:04.604, 0.02s ahead of Valentino Rossi. All that changed for the qualifying session...