2008

Loris Capirossi rallies to claim podium

Loris Capirossi rallies to claim podium

Loris Capirossi was back on the podium last weekend when he claimed a superb third place in the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup at the Tempest Rally. Video: Rally driving with Loris Capirossi The triple...

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: The Doctor

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: The Doctor

To celebrate the launch of MCN’s exclusive 132 page Valentine Rossi tribute bookazine available on November 11, we’ll be bringing you a Valentino Rossi helmet of the day for you to poll on. The MCN...

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: Feel the love

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: Feel the love

To celebrate the launch of MCN’s exclusive 132 page Valentine Rossi tribute bookazine available on November 11, we’ll be bringing you a Valentino Rossi helmet of the day for you to poll on. The MCN...

Video: Rally driving with Loris Capirossi

Loris Capirossi is no slouch on a MotoGP bike, but the Italian showed his prowess on four wheels this week when he tested a Suzuki Swift Sport Cup rally car this week. The Italian completed a shakedown test session at the Turweston Aerodrome in Northamptonshire ahead of an appearance in the Tempest Rally, which will be run on an 80km course through the forests and military training grounds of...

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: The beginning

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: The beginning

To celebrate the launch of MCN’s exclusive 132 page Valentine Rossi tribute bookazine available on November 11, we’ll be bringing you a Valentino Rossi helmet of the day for you to poll on. The MCN...

John Laverty fastest after day one of Kings of Wanneroo

John Laverty fastest after day one of  Kings of Wanneroo

John Laverty was the fastest of the UK based racers who are taking part in this year’s Kings of Wanneroo race meeting in Perth, Western Australia after today’s first practice session. Riding a Honda...

Jerry Burgess worried for Valentino Rossi’s rivals

Jerry Burgess worried for Valentino Rossi’s rivals

Valentino Rossi’s crew chief Jerry Burgess believes the switch to a single make tyre rule for 2009 could have potentially dire consequences for the world title aspirations of Casey Stoner and Dani...

Kawasaki choose Paul Bird to run factory WSB effort

Kawasaki choose Paul Bird to run factory WSB effort

Kawasaki have ended weeks of speculation by confirming that the British based Paul Bird Motorsports team will run their factory effort in WSB from 2009. Bird will be tasked with turning Kawasaki’s...

Work starts on new Hungary circuit

Work starts on new Hungary circuit

Work has commenced on the new Balatonring circuit in Hungary, which is due to stage a round of the MotoGP world champion in just 10 months time. 2009 MotoGP calendar The first stone was laid...

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: The homage

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: The homage

To celebrate the launch of MCN’s exclusive 132 page Valentine Rossi tribute bookazine available on November 11, we’ll be bringing you a Valentino Rossi helmet of the day for you to poll on. The MCN...

Valentino Rossi to support Children in Need at Rally GB

Valentino Rossi to support Children in Need at Rally GB

MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi will carry the famous Pudsey bear logo for Children in Need on his Ford Focus when he competes in the Wales Rally GB next month. Rossi will drive an M-Sport-run...

David Knight signs for factory BMW off-road team

David Knight signs for factory BMW off-road team

Britain’s leading off-road racer David Knight has joined the factory BMW Motorrad team to race in the 2009 World Enduro Championship. In addition to the newly-crowned 2008 US Grand National Cross...

SMT Honda retain Jason O’Halloran and Adam Jenkinson

SMT Honda retain Jason O’Halloran and Adam Jenkinson

SMT Honda will have a presence in both the British Superbike and Superstock classes in 2009 after retaining two young talents they ran briefly in 2008. Jason O’Halloran, who finished fourth in this...

Valentino Rossi: Tyre rule won’t change front runners

Valentino Rossi: Tyre rule won’t change front runners

Reigning world champion Valentino Rossi believes a new single tyre rule introduced in MotoGP for 2009 won’t change the riders fighting for race victories next season. Only Rossi, Aussie Casey Stoner...

Sete Gibernau unsure of 2009 prospects

Sete Gibernau unsure of 2009 prospects

Returning Spaniard Sete Gibernau says he has no idea where he will finish in next year’s MotoGP world championship. Gibernau started plotting his shock return to premier class racing last month in...

Shane Byrne tops final day of Parkalgar test

Shane Byrne tops final day of Parkalgar test

Shane Byrne made a seriously impressive start to his World Superbike career by topping the time sheets in the two day test at the Parkalgar circuit in Portugal. The newly crowned BSB champion set a...

Shakeys Byrne's first outing

Shakeys Byrne's first outing

Here are some images from Shane “Shakey” Byrne’s first test outing on the Sterilgarda Ducati in Portugal on Tuesday morning. Shakey was on track with other top riders such as Ben Spies, Tom Sykes and...

Loris Capirossi impresses in Suzuki rally shakedown

Loris Capirossi impresses in Suzuki rally shakedown

Loris Capirossi might be one of the fastest MotoGP riders on the planet, but he showed that he’s also pretty handy on four wheels as he prepared for an appearance in the final round of the Suzuki...

Raceblog: Harley one-make series for BSB?

Raceblog: Harley one-make series for BSB?

How about a Harley-Davidson XR1200 racing series as a support class for the 2009 BSB championship? I only ask because I just happened to spot this Italian Harley XR1200 Trophy race when I was surfing...

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: Peace and love

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: Peace and love

To celebrate the launch of MCN’s exclusive 132 page Valentine Rossi tribute bookazine available on November 11, we’ll be bringing you a Valentino Rossi helmet of the day for you to poll on. The MCN...

Spies shows pace after first day of testing

Spies shows pace after first day of testing

Ben Spies proved he will be a WSB contender in 2009 by matching the lap time of Noriyuki Haga first time out on the Yamaha Italia R1 at Parkalgar. The American posted a 1m 44.0s lap onboard the bike...

Fiat sign new Yamaha deal

Fiat sign new Yamaha deal

Fiat has signed a new two-year deal to remain as title sponsor of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo’s factory Yamaha MotoGP squad. There had been fears that Fiat would withdraw its sponsorship with...

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: Face-off

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: Face-off

To celebrate the launch of MCN’s exclusive 132 page Valentine Rossi tribute bookazine available on November 11, we’ll be bringing you a Valentino Rossi helmet of the day for you to poll on. The MCN...

Sykes and Spies test 2009 Big Bang R1

Sykes and Spies test 2009 Big Bang R1

Tom Sykes and Ben Spies got their first taste of the all new big bang Yamaha R1 they will be campaigning in next years World Superbike championship  on Monday. The two WSB rookies got out on track a...

Guintoli's first ride on the Crescent Suzuki British Superbike

Guintoli's first ride on the Crescent Suzuki British Superbike

Sylvan Guintoli has just completed his first session testing the Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 after moving to British Superbikes from MotoGP. MCN caught up with him as soon as he came in from his first...

Racing results round-up: November 1-2

WORLD SUPERBIKES, PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL, SUNDAY JURBY, ISLE OF MAN, SUNDAY ROAD RACING WORLD SUPERBIKES, PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL, SUNDAY First race: 1 Troy Bayliss, Australia (Ducati) 2 Carlos Checa, Spain (Honda) 3 Troy Corser, Australia (Yamaha) 4 Jonathan Rea, GB (Honda) 5 Fonsi Nieto, Spain (Suzuki) 6 Gregorio Lavilla, Spain (Honda) 7 Leon Haslam, GB (Honda) 8 Ryuichi Kiyonari, Japan (Honda) 9 Ruben...

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: Through the testing wash

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: Through the testing wash

To celebrate the launch of MCN’s exclusive 132 page Valentine Rossi tribute bookazine available on November 11, we’ll be bringing you a Valentino Rossi helmet of the day for you to poll on. The MCN...

Gimoto National Supermoto Championship

Gimoto National Supermoto Championship

National Open Championship Steve Alford led the first D group race from start to finish followed by Gavin Hall, though Gregg Whitmee was the rider who made the most progression in this first race and...

Nicky Hayden: Team effort vital for Ducati

Nicky Hayden: Team effort vital for Ducati

Nicky Hayden reckons the key to Ducati winning back the MotoGP world title in 2009 will be team effort. The American made his factory Ducati debut in Valencia last week, immediately working in tandem...

Yuki Takahashi tipped to succeed in MotoGP

Yuki Takahashi tipped to succeed in MotoGP

MotoGP newcomer Yuki Takahashi has been given a vote of confidence by former team-mate and factory Honda star Andrea Dovizioso. Takahashi has been promoted to the JIR Scot Honda MotoGP seat with...

Portimao WSB impressions

Living here in Portugaland having been a life long fan of all motorcycle events you can imagine how we felt knowing the WSB was coming to a track minutes away from our house. Sunday was a day to remember with one of the greatest riders of the modern era competing at this new venue. He did not dissapoint. Troy Bayliss went out in style. What a pity there were down sides to our day. Why is it, when...

Valencia 'riot'

Just got back from Valencia GP and I won’t be going back there again! After going to various GPs, Valencia was the worst one for travelling to and from the track. I couldn’t fault the track – it was great for spectators but when it came to leaving after the race had finished it was like a free for all! If you went to the race in a vehicle, you had to park a few mile down the road then be ferried...

Portimao WSB: Perfect end to career for Bayliss with double win

Portimao WSB: Perfect end to career for Bayliss with double win

Troy Bayliss has ended his WSB career in perfect form after grabbing pole position and taking the double win at the Parkalgar Autodrome, with Brit Leon Haslam finishing third. As in the first race...

Portimao World Supersport: Kenan Sofuoglu dominates to take win

Portimao World Supersport: Kenan Sofuoglu dominates to take win

2007 World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu marked his return to World Supersport in spectacular fashion by taking a dominating win at Portimao. Sofuoglu took the lead in to the first corner, but on...

Portimao WSB: Troy Bayliss takes race one win

Portimao WSB: Troy Bayliss takes race one win

World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss has taken his tenth race win of the 2008 season in the first WSB race at the new Portimao circuit in Portugal. Bayliss took the lead on the first lap and...

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: Getting patriotic

Valentino Rossi helmet of the day: Getting patriotic

To celebrate the launch of MCN’s exclusive 132 page Valentine Rossi tribute bookazine available on November 11, we’ll be bringing you a Valentino Rossi helmet of the day for you to poll on. The MCN...