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January

Nicky Hayden delighted with Casey Stoner partnership

14 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden delighted with Casey Stoner partnership

Nicky Hayden believes his good rapport with factory Ducati team-mate Casey Stoner will bolster his hopes of being a success on the new GP9 next season in MotoGP. The American is looking forward to...

GSE Racing’s Yamaha R1s arrive

14 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

GSE Racing’s Yamaha R1s arrive

Two of GSE Racing’s four Yamaha R1s which they’ll race in the 2009 BSB series arrived this week and MCN were there to capture the moment. This is the first time since the team was established in 1997...

Donington v Silverstone

14 January 2009 by doctorfrank

I for one have been going to donington since they started staging it and seen bad crowds and good ones. Ticket prices have been on the up but with advance booking I’ve always managed to keep prices ”reasonable” but the facilities situation at donington has always been terrible, and they have had plenty of opportunities to resolve it. But I’m from the old school and having to put up with bad...

Ducati launch Stoner's carbon fibre MotoGP bike

14 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Ducati launch Stoner's carbon fibre MotoGP bike

Ducati has officially unveiled its 2009 factory GP9 MotoGP contender that Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden will campaign next season. Although a special launch photo shoot in Madonna di Campiglio has...

Ducati boss against unifying MotoGP and World Superbikes

14 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Ducati boss against unifying MotoGP and World Superbikes

Ducati boss Claudio Domenicali is opposed to unifying MotoGP and World Superbikes, insisting that the two world championships can co-exist in the current dire economic climate. There has been...

Video: Tommy Hill talks 2009

14 January 2009 by Michael Guy

MCN caught up with Hannspree Altea Honda rider Tommy Hill at Donington Park last week. The 23 year old Brit only recently returned to action after breaking his right Femur twice in 2008 and has already proved he is on the pace. Hill gave MCN an insight into his aims for 2009 and his current level of fitness with WSB testing in Portugal kicking off next week.

Kawasaki testing 2009 MotoGP bike in Australia!

14 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Kawasaki testing 2009 MotoGP bike in Australia!

Kawasaki might have withdrawn from the MotoGP world championship, but bizarrely test rider Olivier Jacque is poised to evaluate the new ZX-RR in a test double-header in Australia. Kawasaki confirmed...

Dakar Day 10 – Viladoms wins as leaders get lost

14 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Dakar Day 10 – Viladoms wins as leaders get lost

Spaniard Jordi Viladoms took full advantage of race favourites Marc Coma and Cyril Despres getting lost to claim his first stage win of the 2009 Dakar. The factory Repsol KTM man powered to the...

BSB boss Palmer talks title sponsorship

13 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

BSB boss Palmer talks title sponsorship

MSVR boss Jonathan Palmer was shocked to see today’s press release from Bennetts, announcing they were no longer the BSB title. He said: I’m surprised they put that release out. Bennetts’ option to...

Bennetts quit BSB

13 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Bennetts quit BSB

As we intimated only hours ago, Bennetts has announced today it will no longer be the title sponsor of the British Superbike championship. The insurance company has backed the championship for the...

BSB without title sponsor?

13 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

BSB without title sponsor?

The absence of Bennetts branding on the official British Superbike website has led to speculation that negotiations between the insurance company and BSB series promoters MSVR have broken down. BSB...

Casey Stoner not fussed by British MotoGP switch

13 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner not fussed by British MotoGP switch

Former world champion Casey Stoner says he’s not fussed about the decision to switch the British MotoGP race to Silverstone from 2010 onwards. This year’s race at Donington Park will be the last after...

Dakar day 10 – Simon Pavey blog

13 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Dakar day 10 – Simon Pavey blog

BMW’s Simon Pavey got his Dakar back on track after suffering a crascked head gasket problem on day eight to post the the 34th quickest time on day tens special stage. Pavey’s impressive result has...

Bring on silverstone

13 January 2009 by lee cameron

At last Donington have been given their maching orders after years of very poor service for over the odds ticket prices! I have been going to the GP for years and the quality never gets any better but the price keeps going up, now at least we will be treated to the same high standard as the F1 fans!!!!!! I dont think for 1 minute that they would tolarate having to use over flowing toilets and...

Ducati duo shocked by Kawasaki withdrawal

13 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Ducati duo shocked by Kawasaki withdrawal

Factory Ducati riders Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden have spoken of their shock at Kawasaki’s recent decision to quit MotoGP. The move leaves Stoner’s former team-mate Marco Melandri and Hayden’s...

Nicky Hayden: Electronics influence getting ‘ridiculous’

13 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden: Electronics influence getting ‘ridiculous’

New factory Ducati rider Nicky Hayden reckons if electronic rider aids continue to develop at such a rapid rate it will become ‘ridiculous’. Speaking at the launch of Ducati’s 2009 MotoGP team at the...

Casey Stoner satisfied with wrist progress

13 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner satisfied with wrist progress

Aussie Casey Stoner is confident his left wrist will be recovered sufficiently for him to resume winter testing in Sepang next month. The former MotoGP world champion visited specialists in Italy...

John Hopkins unsure of 2009 prospects

13 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

John Hopkins unsure of 2009 prospects

American John Hopkins has admitted he has no idea what his immediate future holds following the recent withdrawal of Kawasaki’s official factory team from MotoGP. The 25-year-old has been left without...

Donington Park disappointed at losing British GP

12 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Donington Park disappointed at losing British GP

After 22 years, Donington Park has lost the rights to host the British motorcycle GP to rival circuit Silverstone as of 2010. This year’s prestigious race will still take place at Donington on 26th...

What a tragedy Donington losing MotoGP!

12 January 2009 by Andy

What a tragedy Donno losing motogp! What a boring flat track S/stone is, come on guys get your act together, but maybe 2015 Donno will be up to spec and get the race back!

Silverstone confirm five year MotoGP contract

12 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Silverstone confirm five year MotoGP contract

As reported on motorcyclenews.com yesterday Silverstone will host the British round of the MotoGP championship from 2010. The Northamptonshire circuit most famous for hosting Formula One has confirmed...

Poll: Where would you prefer to see the British GP?

12 January 2009 by Rob Hull

Poll: Where would you prefer to see the British GP?

With rumours of the British GP switching to Silverstone from Donington for 2010, we want to know what you think. Reports have emerged that Silverstone has offered to pay series organisers Dorna a...

Silverstone to run MotoGP race in 2010?

12 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Silverstone to run MotoGP race in 2010?

Despite the announcement last week that Donington Park has been given the planning consent for multi million pound circuit development, MCN has learned that the Leicestershire venue could lose the...

Dakar day 9: Simon Pavey blog

12 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Dakar day 9: Simon Pavey blog

After racing his BMW G650 Xchallenge almost 5,000 kilometres through to Stage 8 of the punishing 2009 Argentina – Chile Dakar Rally, Simon Pavey suffered his first major problem in the Rally. The...

Dakar Day 8 – Despres takes stage win to move in to third overall.

11 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Dakar Day 8 – Despres takes stage win to move in to third overall.

Frenchman Cyril Despres powered his Red Bull KTM to the stage win on day eight of the Dakar and now holds third position overall with seven days remaining. Despres took 4h 7m 9s to complete the 294KM...

Dakar Day 7 – Lopez wins stage as riders arrive in Chile

10 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Dakar Day 7 – Lopez wins stage as riders arrive in Chile

Francisco Lopez claimed a memorable stage victory onboard his Team Copec Movistar KTM on day seven of the 2009 Dakar Rally. The Chilean rider received an incredible reception from the thousands of...

Dakar day 7 - Simon Pavey blog

10 January 2009 by Michael Guy

The World of BMW Off-Road Skills Chief Instructor Simon Pavey has impressively finished Day 7 of the Rally, riding 815km from Mendoza in Argentina and crossing the border to Chile to arrive in the bivouac in Valparaiso. Pavey finished the Special Timed Stage in a credible 58th position and is placed 49th overall in the Rally. Writing for MCN, Pavey said: “Today we were faced with the South...

The future of MotoGP?

10 January 2009 by Anonymous

Here’s an article I wrote for the ‘OD-Racing’ website a couple of years ago. Of course some small things have changed since, but in the new racing climate it makes for interesting reading: The top class in the World Championship has successfully changed from 500cc 2 strokes to 990cc 4 strokes, without too many problems, but now a few little problems are starting to surface. The two main problems...

Dorna boss hopeful Kawasaki ‘private’ team will race in 2009

09 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Dorna boss hopeful Kawasaki ‘private’ team will race in 2009

Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta is confident that Kawasaki will have some involvement in the 2009 MotoGP world championship, despite today’s announcement its factory team would not race next...

Marco Melandri not shocked by Kawasaki withdrawal

09 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Marco Melandri not shocked by Kawasaki withdrawal

Italian Marco Melandri says he wasn’t shocked by today’s official announcement that Kawasaki is to quit the MotoGP world championship with immediate effect. Despite rumours of a last-minute reprieve...

Video: The special status of the North West 200

09 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Back in the office after two days in Northern Ireland, primarily for Thursday’s North West 200 launch and I was trying to explain just how the race is revered in the province. The launch festivities kicked off at around 10.00am but by then there were already pictures flying through cyber-space to serve websites worldwide of bikini-clad Miss Northern Ireland, draped across a 1930s Rudge in front of...

Supercross action heads to Liverpool and London

09 January 2009 by Sarah Carnell

Supercross action heads to Liverpool and London

The final three rounds of the British Supercross Championship are fast approaching and the line up of riders is already looking impressive.   Flashing lights, motocross style bikes soaring through the...

Karl Harris training hard

09 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Karl Harris training hard

Hydrex Honda boss Shaun Muir has written strict fitness and dietry controls into the contract of new signing Karl Harris. Harris has always previously used boxing as a method of training but his new...

BSB blog 2009 – plenty of sub plots

09 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

BSB blog 2009 – plenty of sub plots

It may be a long way off to the start of the British Superbike season – and it’ll seem even longer with a predicted cutback in pre-season testing. But that hasn’t stopped talk in the MCN office about...

Video: North West 200 launch: Rutter and Plater interviewed

09 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Video: North West 200 launch: Rutter and Plater interviewed

Last year’s big North West 200 winners Steve Plater and Michael Rutter are both on different bikes this year. MCN asked them about their news deals. Michael Rutter NW200 Coca Cola Zero Yamaha You had...

Tech 3 bosses urges caution on rule changes

09 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Tech 3 bosses urges caution on rule changes

James Toseland’s Tech 3 Yamaha boss Herve Poncharal believes it will be hard for MotoGP to radically revamp technical rules to counter the impact of the credit crisis. Several suggestions have been...