2011

Thruxton BSB: Alex Lowes takes pole

29 May 2011 by Tom Cambio

Alex Lowes (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) secured pole position in qualifying at Thruxton this afternoon, finishing the final session ahead of John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) and Swan Yamaha rider...

TT Preview: Bruce Anstey - new team, new focus

29 May 2011 by Gary Pinchin

There’s something very different about Bruce Anstey this year. He smiles a lot. He’s chatty (well, more so than ever before). He’s training. He’s out and about at official engagements. And he seems...

Checa dominates opening day at Miller, Camier second

29 May 2011 by Michael Guy

Championship leader Carlos Checa lived up to all the hype that he will be the man to beat by decimating his rivals during the opening free practice and qualifying sessions at Miller. The Althea Ducat...

Byrne quickest in Thruxton BSB practice

28 May 2011 by Gary Pinchin

Shane Byrne topped the first day of practice at Thruxton today for Bank Holiday Monday’s fourth round of the MCE British Superbike championship. The HM Plant Honda rider set the pace with a 1:15.248...

TT Preview: Michael Dunlop, the Maverick

27 May 2011 by Gary Pinchin

Michael Dunlop. Twenty-two years old. TT winner. Privateer. Maverick. Dunlop was courted by top teams this winter but eventually stuck with his gang of friends and backers, who have supported him so...

Valentino Rossi pleased with second GP12 test

27 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi completed his second test on Ducati’s new 2012 MotoGP prototype at the Mugello circuit yesterday (Thursday), the Italian declaring a 60-lap run as positive. The nine-times world...

Aspar Ducati confirms MotoGP expansion plan

26 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ducati could expand its MotoGP involvement to seven bikes in 2012 with the Aspar squad confirming to MCN it is negotiating a deal to run a two-rider effort next season. The Spanish squad, run by...

Ducati’s GP12 unlikely to repeat 2007 dominance

26 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ducati is unlikely to replicate its domination of MotoGP after the last time the premier class instigated a major rule change back in 2007. When engine capacity was reduced from 990cc to 800cc, Ducati...

James Ellison’s meet and greet party

26 May 2011 by Gary Pinchin

Since James Ellison is racing abroad this year and won’t get as much of an opportunity to meet his fans in the UK as he likes, he’s organized his own meet and greet party in Matlock, this Sunday (May...

Dorna expects Motegi race to go ahead

25 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

A letter updating teams and paddock personnel of the current situation relating to the staging of the rescheduled Japanese MotoGP race makes it clear that Dorna believes the event will go ahead in...

TT Preview: Now or never for Martin

25 May 2011 by Gary Pinchin

Relentless by TAS Suzuki team owner Philip Neill has given Martin every opportunity to focus 100% on preparation for this year’s TT – more than the 29-year old from Kirmington has ever enjoyed: four...

Stuart Easton's injuries and recovery

25 May 2011 by Andy North

This story is in relation to Stuart Easton’s crash at the NW200. According to news reports he has broken both femurs and sustained other injuries. I had a motorcycle accident in May 2002 in Central London where I broke both my femurs and sustained other injuries. I had to be operated on at the roadside to stabilise my condition before being airlifted to hospital, where I underwent a nine hour...

Minitwins at Brands Hatch - Chris Green's crash

25 May 2011 by Steve Dyke

I attended Brands Hatch GP circuit over the weekend and managed to capture some great pictures of a dramatic crash in the Minitwins BMCRC MRO Championships race. Chris Green (number 60) took a big off...

Valentino Rossi’s development skills vital for Ducati

25 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ducati is finally starting to reap the rewards of having the technical skills of Valentino Rossi develop its factory GP11 MotoGP machine, according to factory team boss Vittoriano Guareschi. Rossi has...

Casey Stoner praises Marc Marquez

25 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner has praised Marc Marquez and tipped the talented Spaniard to develop into a MotoGP star of the future. The reigning 125GP world champion won an army of admirers in 2010 and Aussie Stoner...

TT Preview: McGuinness' Mountain Desire

24 May 2011 by Gary Pinchin

15 TT wins. 29 podiums. Outright lap record holder. TT legend. With his record on the TT mountain course, John McGuinness could be forgiven for being a bit of a superstyar be he’s more like your best...

Tinmouth resigns from BSB ride

24 May 2011 by Gary Pinchin

Jenny Tinmouth has resigned from the Splitlath Aprilia team after a brief flirtation of just two BSB rounds. The news came as no surprise to team owner John Dimbylow who said: “We were expecting it...

Croft BSB: Results - Kirkham wins race one, Byrne takes race two

24 May 2011 by MCN

Samsung Crescent Suzuki rider Jon Kirkham won the first BSB race at Croft, finishing ahead of American team mate John Hopkins. Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) took third place. In race two Shane...

Ducati confident GP12 will suit more styles

24 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ducati is confident its new 1000cc MotoGP bike will suit a range of styles and won’t be the extreme and hard to tame package like previous versions of its factory Desmosedici machine. Valentino Rossi...

Adam Child at the North West 200

23 May 2011 by Craig Miskimmons

Just a few shots of Adam Child during the supersport race at the NW200

WSB set for Russian round of the championship in 2012

23 May 2011 by Michael Guy

The World Superbike championship is set to break new ground in motorsport by having a Russian round of the series in 2012. While other race series such as F1 and MotoGP are concentrating on races in...

Colin Edwards: Simoncelli overtake was 'wrong'

23 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

American Colin Edwards reckons Marco Simoncelli’s controversial Le Mans overtake that left Dani Pedrosa injured was too aggressive. Simoncelli and Pedrosa were battling for second place on lap 18 of...

Toni Elias ride not in danger

23 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Toni Elias is not in danger of being axed by the LCR Honda squad, despite his wretched return to MotoGP in 2011. The reigning Moto2 world champion has endured a disastrous return to MotoGP and in the...

Only one race at 2011 NW200

23 May 2011 by Gary Pinchin

Heavy rain, high winds, a bomb scare and finally an oil slick for over a mile of the coast road meant that only one race of the scheduled five on the 2011 North West 200 programme was run on...

Reed strikes gold in California

23 May 2011 by Paul Harris

The AMA Motocross Nationals kicked off on Saturday at the Hangtown Classic in California – all the supercross wannabes forgot to tell Kevin Windham that they wanted to be number one, the Honda veteran charging out to a lively holeshot in the opening 450 moto, much to the general satisfaction of the massive crowd. But he soon had close company in the form of Ryan Dungey, reigning champion and fresh...