2007 | Page 62

WSS carnage

22 February 2007 by Michael Guy

Within eight minutes of the start of the first World Supersport Free Practice of the season in Qatar there was a four bike pile up which brought out the red flags. The crash was caused when Hungarian...

Kawasaki: Fuel no problems

22 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Kawasaki bosses have confirmed they have no worries about the new fuel capacity regulations that will come into force for the 2007 MotoGP world championship. Tank capacity has been cut from 22 to 21...

Stoner happy with Rossi

22 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner says he was delighted when he heard that seven-times world champion Valentino Rossi had extended his Yamaha contract until the end of 2008– because he wants to beat the Italian! Stoner is...

Team NB on Pirelli

22 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Devizes-based bothers Ollie and Tommy Bridewell will race Team NB Suzuki GSX-R1000s in BSB this year. And the team, essentially the re-branded Vivaldi outfit from 2006, have switched from Dunlop...

Elias reluctant to push

22 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Toni Elias has admitted he won’t push too hard on tyres he’s not 100 per cent happy with because he’s scared of getting injured for the new season. The Spaniard has struggled in winter testing while...

Yamaha chatter finished

22 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s crew chief Jerry Burgess reckons the chatter problems that dogged Yamaha in the early part of last season are now a long and distant memory. Yamaha engineers have ensured the new...

WSB auction update

21 February 2007

WSB rights holders FG Sport have issued a press statement following rumours that the series may be up for auction with a price tag of £50m. The statement says: “With reference to the articles...

Barros: Good to be back

21 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Alex Barros is hoping he can repay the faith Ducati has shown in him in the 2007 MotoGP world championship. The 36-year-old South American made a surprise return to the premier class having thought...

No tyre issue for Edwards

21 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards has backed the new tyre restrictions that will come into force for the 2007 MotoGP world championship. In a cost-cutting move, Michelin, Bridgestone and Dunlop agreed to limit the number...

Wind problmes for Checa

21 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Carlos Checa is still hoping that a new fairing will arrive for his LCR Honda 800 machine before the new MotoGP season kicks off in Qatar on March 10 to give him more protection. The Spaniard, who...

Burgess happy at Yamaha

21 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Aussie crew chief Jerry Burgess says he has got no intention of ending his formidable partnership with seven-times world champion Valentino Rossi. Rossi recently extended his Yamaha contract to run...

Classic Endurance

20 February 2007 by MCN

Phase One Endurance aren’t just chasing the World Endurance title this year. The West Country-based team are also preparing a 1978 Peckett & McNab Kawasaki in conjunction with Kevin and Chris Jones at...

WSB up for sale

20 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

The new World Superbike championship campaign gets underway this Saturday in Qatar, but it could be news off the track hitting the headlines after rumours emerged that Italian owners could be willing...

Milan win for Cabestany

20 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Sherco’s Albert Cabestany came out on top in a three-way Spanish final in the Milan round of the World Indoor Trials Champion on Saturday night. Adam Raga topped the qualifying round by cleaning every...

Blog: Desert Storm

19 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

MCN’s MotoGP Matt Birt gives an update on what’s happening behind the scenes midway through the IRTA tests in Qatar. Greetings all from the barren desert landscape that is the Losail circuit in...

Aoki on Jerez standby

19 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Japanese rider Nobuatsu Aoki has been placed on standby by Suzuki with American John Hopkins a major doubt for this weekend’s IRTA test session in Jerez. American Hopkins will be in Spain for the...

Reed's first win

19 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Chad Reed won his first AMA Supercross Series race of the year aboard a Yamaha at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego in front of 60,529 fans. Although Suzuki’s Ivan Tedesco won the race to the first corner...

Stoner: 'Happy now?'

19 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner has had a sarcastic crack at those who said he crashed too much last year in his MotoGP debut season. The works Ducati star had his first off on the Italian bike at Qatar’s major IRTA...

Marco seeks tyre life

19 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

A disappointing test in Qatar this week has left Marco Melandri bemoaning rear tyre endurance as the time ticks away for Bridgestone to make better rubber for the Italian’s Honda. With the first race...

Pitt sees positives

19 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Despite a torrid Qatar test well off the pace of the front men, Ilmor rider Andrew Pitt says the bike is showing real strengths for when the engine management issue is cured. The Aussie told MCN:...

Loris: 'Qualifying vital'

19 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

A good performance in race simulations during tests last week won’t translate to a good race showing if he can’t qualify well, says Ducati’s Loris Capirossi after problems using qualifiers in the...

Jezza explains problems

19 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Engine management remains the new Ilmor 800’s biggest Achilles heel according to Jeremy McWilliams, following a tough Qatar test this week. The Ulsterman, who trailed last in the timesheets after...

Breakthrough for Vermeulen

19 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

A breakthrough in front-end set-up has left Chris Vermeulen upbeat after a difficult Qatar test this week for Chris Vermeulen. The Suzuki star found a set-up that allowed him to move away from usually...

Phaseone's 2007 season

19 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

World Endurance is undergoing big changes in 2007. Former promoters FG Sport have gone and the series is back in the hands of the FIM. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is the commitment to the...

Hopkins sees specialist

16 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki’s John Hopkins will see a specialist in Derby tonight as he battles to recover from broken bones sustained in a sickening 120mph+ highside in testing yesterday. The Rizla man has broken two...

Jezza: "work to do"

16 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Jeremy McWilliams rode through the pain barrier to complete 36 laps on the final day of testing in Qatar. The British veteran was not surprisingly last on the timesheets, with the new Ilmor still...

Barros crashes

16 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Brazilian veteran Alex Barros added his name to a long list of crashes at the Qatar test late on the final afternoon. The D’Antin Ducati rider lost the front end at Turn Two as he ended the day with...

Rossi Satisfied

16 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi finished the Doha IRTA test in third place as he got a reminder that Dani Pedrosa is likely to pose the biggest threat to him winning back the MotoGP world crown in 2007. Rossi’s best...

Hayden struggles

16 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Reigning MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden slumped to 14th fastest on the final day of testing in Qatar as he tried to bounce back from a day two horror show. The Repsol Honda rider crashed twice...

Dani quickest

16 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa topped the timesheets at the end of the IRTA test in Qatar today as he saved Honda red faces in the Middle East. The triple world champion set a blistering best of 1.55.471 on a...

Hopkins in pain

16 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

American John Hopkins will fly back to the UK tonight and see a specialist in Derby next Monday to learn the extent of his injuries suffered in massive crash today in Qatar. The factory Suzuki rider...

Mondello Upgrades

15 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

The drainage system at Mondello Park is being improved after last year’s dramatic cancellation of the BSB races due to persistent heavy rainfall. There was a general acceptance that no race track...

World Endurance politics

15 February 2007 by MCN

Last November the FIM announced they would promote the Wolrd Endurance Championsghip themselves, so ending five years of FG Sports running the series. Italian-owned FG Sport continue to promote...

Coghlan joins UK 125 class

15 February 2007 by Gary pinchin

Kev Coghlan has joined UK Racing for this year’s British 125GP Championship season. A last minute deal re-unites the 18-year-old with the team he last with in 2005 and subsequently earned a place in...

Breaking news: Hopkins in hospital

15 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

American John Hopkins has been transferred to a Doha hospital after suffering a massive crash just before the lunch break on the final day of testing in Qatar. The Rizla Suzuki rider suffered a huge...

Edwards continues form

15 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Texan Colin Edwards has continued to outpace his MotoGP rivals on race tyres in Qatar today. While John Hopkins topped the timesheets this morning, the factory Suzuki riders best time came on a...