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2009

Hodgson Hospitalised after Motorcross crash

17 March 2009 by Michael Guy

Hodgson Hospitalised after Motorcross crash

Neil Hodgson has sustained a collapsed lung, dislocated shoulder and injured ribs in a motorcross training accident. The 35 year old Brit hit a fallen riders bike, crashing heavily and was taken to...

Chris Vermeulen expecting early engine upgrades

17 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

Chris Vermeulen expecting early engine upgrades

Aussie Chris Vermeulen has told MCN he expects Suzuki to roll out new engine upgrades in the early part of the season to help bridge the horsepower deficit to rivals Ducati, Honda and Yamaha. Suzuki...

Valentino Rossi hopeful on Dani Pedrosa’s fitness fight

17 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi hopeful on Dani Pedrosa’s fitness fight

Reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has said he hopes Dani Pedrosa will be fit to start the new world championship in Qatar next month. The Spaniard is facing a desperate race to be fit for...

Kawasaki to cease MotoGP development soon

17 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

Kawasaki to cease MotoGP development soon

Kawasaki’s involvement in the new Hayate MotoGP project will be severely reduced by the end of March, MCN has learned. The Japanese factory will only develop new parts for the Hayate, which is a...

WSB boss outlines cost cutting future

17 March 2009 by Michael Guy

WSB boss outlines cost cutting future

WSB boss Paolo Flammini has vowed to make only considered and rational changes to his championship in light of the current economical down turn. Two weeks ago it was confirmed that WSB race weekends...

Bradley Smith remains top Brit in Estoril test

17 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith remains top Brit in Estoril test

Bradley Smith has remained top British rider after the second day of testing at the Estoril circuit in Portugal. The Aspar Aprilia rider clocked a best time of 1.46.328 to lap 0.3s faster than he...

John Surtees 125GP team drops Maxtra name

17 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

John Surtees 125GP team drops Maxtra name

The new Chinese-backed 125GP team spearheaded by British motorsport legend John Surtees will not race under the Maxtra name. Provisional entry lists released by the FIM yesterday (Monday) have British...

Danny Webb crashes unhurt in Estoril

17 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

Danny Webb crashes unhurt in Estoril

Danny Webb survived a pre-season scare when he crashed his new 2009 Aprilia 125GP machine on the second day of testing in Estoril yesterday (Monday). The British rider, who claimed a career best...

LCRRC 4th round winter season

16 March 2009 by Pat Contrino

LCRRC 4th round winter season

The fourth and final round of the LCRRC Winter Season held at Whilton Mill on 7th and 8th March brought a feast of entertainment to spectators throughout the weekend in all categories of racing.

Suzuki confirms new Rizla MotoGP deal

16 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki confirms new Rizla MotoGP deal

Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen will continue to run in Rizla colours for the 2009 MotoGP world championship. The Japanese factory has confirmed today (Monday) that the British-based team will...

Marco Melandri satisfied with Hayate potential

16 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

Marco Melandri satisfied with Hayate potential

Italian Marco Melandri is confident he will be competitive on the new Hayate MotoGP bike in 2009. Having recently confirmed he will race the re-branded factory Kawasaki ZX-RR in a deal exclusively...

Danny Webb passes driving test

16 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

Danny Webb passes driving test

British 125GP racer Danny Webb might be one of the fastest teenagers on the planet on two wheels, and now he’s all set to take to the road on four too. The DeGraaf Aprilia rider recently passed his...

MCN helps James Toseland show off BKS quality

16 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

MCN helps James Toseland show off BKS quality

James Toseland has used MCN’s exclusive pictures of his amazing 125mph Sepang high-side in winter testing to showcase the protection offered by BKS leathers. The double World Superbike champion...

Bradley Smith third quickest in Estoril

16 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith third quickest in Estoril

British teenager Bradley Smith has continued his promising start to 2009 by clocking the third quickest time on the opening day of 125GP testing in Estoril, Portugal. The Aspar Aprilia rider clocked a...

Andrea Dovizioso wants 2009 title tilt

16 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso wants 2009 title tilt

Italian Andrea Dovizioso is confident he can threaten Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi’s recent domination of the MotoGP world championship when the new MotoGP season kicks off in Qatar next...

Dani Pedrosa targeting Qatar return

16 March 2009 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa targeting Qatar return

Injured Spaniard Dani Pedrosa has refused to rule himself out of the opening MotoGP race of 2009 in Qatar next month. The Spaniard is facing a desperate battle to be fit for the opening race under...

Racing results round-up: March 14-15

16 March 2009 by MCN Sports Desk

Racing results round-up: March 14-15

Each week we will have a full list of the racing results from the previous weekend. Click on the name of the championship you wish to see the results of. WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP, LOSAIL, QATAR,...

WSB Qatar: Haga and Spies Open Points Gap

14 March 2009 by Mike Nicks

WSB Qatar: Haga and Spies Open Points Gap

Noriyuki Haga and Ben Spies look like making the battle for the 2009 World Superbike Championship a two-man shootout after both edged away from rivals in today’s two races in Qatar. Haga holds onto...

WSB Qatar: Spies Batters Haga Again

14 March 2009 by Mike Nicks

WSB Qatar: Spies Batters Haga Again

American new boy Ben Spies again drubbed the World Superbike Championship old guard when he won the second race at the second round of the series in Qatar on his Yamaha R1. The former AMA  Superbike...

WSS Qatar: Defeated Pitt Still Leads Points Table

14 March 2009 by Mike Nicks

WSS Qatar: Defeated Pitt Still Leads Points Table

Reigning World Supersport champion Andrew Pitt was generous in defeat after he mounted the podium in Qatar today in second place below race winner Eugene Laverty. “Second again, but still some good...

WSS Qatar: How Laverty Climbed from Grand Prix Obscurity

14 March 2009 by Mike Nicks

WSS Qatar: How Laverty Climbed from Grand Prix Obscurity

Eugene Laverty’s success in topping the rostrum in the World Supersport race at Qatar today is a wonderful reward for a young rider who could so easily have sunk into the obscurity suffered by so many...

WSS Qatar: Laverty Hammers Ten Kate Pair

14 March 2009 by Mike Nicks

WSS Qatar: Laverty Hammers Ten Kate Pair

Eugene Laverty emerged from two years of despair in 250cc grand prix racing to win his first World Supersport Championship race in an extraordinary sprint to the line on his Parkalgar Honda CBR600 in...

WSB Qatar: Byrne Backs up Words with Strong 6th

14 March 2009 by Mike Nicks

WSB Qatar: Byrne Backs up Words with Strong 6th

British champion Shane Byrne lived up to his confident pledge to bounce back in the second round of the World Superbike series by scoring a strong sixth place in the opening leg on the Losail circuit...

WSB Qatar: Spies Cuts into Haga's Lead

14 March 2009 by Mike Nicks

WSB Qatar: Spies Cuts into Haga's Lead

American Ben Spies sent a chill through the Ducati Xerox pitbox in Qatar today when he won his second consecutive World Superbike Championship race on the new Yamaha R1 on the desert circuit. Noriyuki...

WSB Qatar: Makoto Tamada ruled out of races after big warm-up crash

14 March 2009 by Michael Guy

WSB Qatar: Makoto Tamada ruled out of races after big warm-up crash

Factory Kawasaki rider Makoto Tamada will miss the two races in Qatar following a heavy high side in warm-up this morning on his Paul Bird prepared ZX-10R. The former WSB and MotoGP race winner...

WSB Qatar: Sykes targets podium

14 March 2009 by Michael Guy

WSB Qatar: Sykes targets podium

Tom Sykes believes he has the pace to run with his dominant team-mate Ben Spies after an impressive practice and qualifying session in Qatar. The 23 year old will line up on the second row of the grid...

Why no Brands Hatch WSB this year?

13 March 2009 by Steve Edwards

Why is there no Brands Hatch WSB this year? It surely must still be one of the best events in Europe, for racing and atmosphere, and still drawing large crowds, and all the Brits racing this year? Seems crazy to me! We have Donnington, but sorry it’s not the same or as good, (should still have Moto GP) or Moto GP at Brands, why not. Then we get Moto GP to Silverston in 2010, a useless spectator...

Qatar WSS: Crutchlow and Laverty 1-2 on grid

13 March 2009 by Michael Guy

Qatar WSS: Crutchlow and Laverty 1-2 on grid

World Supersport men Cal Crutchlow and Eugene Laverty are convinced they can fight for victory in Saturday’s 18 lap race after qualifying first and second on the grid. The two men have been on top...

Qatar WSB: Spies takes second successive pole

13 March 2009 by Liam Marsden

Qatar WSB: Spies takes second successive pole

Factory Yamaha rider Ben Spies has taken his second successive pole and smashed another lap record at the Qatar World Superbike round. Spies – who has run at the front in all sessions – posted a lap...

Kapital Moto Racing to contest National Endurance Championship

13 March 2009 by Phill Clarke

New to the Hottrax Motorsport National Endurance grid in 2009 will be Kapital Moto Racing, who will be competing in the ProSuperbike class for fully World Endurance-specification machines. The series will be held over 7 rounds in 2009, each race being up to 6 hours long and involving frequent pit stops for refuelling, tyres, and rider changes. The Twickenham-based team intend to contest the...

John Hopkins to Stiggy Honda rumours persist

13 March 2009 by Michael Guy

John Hopkins to Stiggy Honda rumours persist

Rumours that exiled Kawasaki MotoGP rider John Hopkins could make his debut in WSB this year have resurfaced in Qatar. Hopkins has been linked to the new Stiggy Honda World Superbike team to ride...

WSS Qatar - Crutchlow top in second practice session

13 March 2009 by Samuel Pinney

WSS Qatar - Crutchlow top in second practice session

British rider Cal Crutchlow led the way in the World Supersport practice session today in Qatar. Crutchlow’s fastest lap was a blistering 2’02.442 on his Yamaha YZF R6. Reigning world champion Andrew...

Sofuoglu walks away from big crash

13 March 2009 by Michael Guy

Sofuoglu walks away from big crash

Kenan Sofuoglu was left nursing a battered right elbow after crashing his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda during the opening free practice session this morning. Sofuoglu crashed at the fast turn two and...

Ten Kate Honda back on the pace in Qatar

12 March 2009 by Michael Guy

Ten Kate Honda back on the pace in Qatar

After a nightmare in Phillip Island, the Ten Kate Honda squad have bounced back to form with all three riders in the top five at the end of first qualifying in Qatar. Britain’s Jonathan Rea leads the...

Qatar WSB: Ben Spies dialled into Qatar circuit

12 March 2009 by Michael Guy

Qatar WSB: Ben Spies dialled into Qatar circuit

Ben Spies continued to push the pace at the front of WSB by setting provisional pole position during the opening qualifying session at Qatar. The Yamaha World Superbike rider has acquainted himself...

Qatar WSB: Spies Attacks with Provisional Pole

12 March 2009 by Mike Nicks

Qatar WSB: Spies Attacks with Provisional Pole

American threat Ben Spies again pressured his WSB rivals when he claimed provisional pole position on a Yamaha R1 for Saturday’s second round of the series at Qatar. Spies ripped round the desert...