April

Year: 2013

Month: April

Guy Martin at Cookstown

29 April 2013 by John Haveron

Guy Martin at Cookstown

Guy Martin gets it crossed up at the Cookstown 100.

WSBK Race Two: Laverty matches pace and snatches win from Sykes

28 April 2013 by Steve Hunt

WSBK Race Two: Laverty matches pace and snatches win from Sykes

The second ‘big bike’ race from Assen saw Sykes looking to build on his emphatic first race win and to truly begin his assault on the championship that he so desperately desires. With the chasing...

Lowes takes dramatic Superpole win in Assen

28 April 2013 by Steve Hunt

Lowes takes dramatic Superpole win in Assen

Sam Lowes – after the horrendous problems at Aragon in the last round – started this World Supersport race in pole position and desperate to make up the Supersport championship points here at Assen.

WSBK Race One: Sykes storms to race one win in Assen

28 April 2013 by Steve Hunt

WSBK Race One: Sykes storms to race one win in Assen

It was a morning of contrasts for British riders, with Chad Davies having a spill in the earlier warm-up session for race one, leaving his S1000RR minus pieces of fairing, requiring a few adjustments...

Lowes On Pole For Assen WSS Race

27 April 2013 by Gordon Ritchie

After taking pole in the first round in Australia Sam Lowes (Yakhnich Racing Yamaha) pushed himself to the top spot in the WSS practice order by over 0.643 seconds from second place rider Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Mahi Racing Team India). Sofuoglu’s team-mate Fabien Foret was third. Said Lowes after his impressive pre-race showing, “It was really good today, a very positive day, and both session...

UK riders claim entire front row in Assen Superpole

27 April 2013 by Steve Hunt

UK riders claim entire front row in Assen Superpole

Riders were finally greeted by a dry track in Assen for the World Superbike Superpole sessions. From the fifteen riders from session one, only twelve progress and although there was little by the way...

Giugliano Beats Sykes To Fastest Qualifying Time

27 April 2013 by Gordon Ritchie

Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Aprilia) surprised the leading pack at Assen by posting the fastest combined qualifying time in the only truly dry qualifying session of the weekend so far. Giugliano goes into Superpole 0.069 seconds ahead of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and his Bol d’Or winning KRT team-mate Loris Baz. Jonathan Rea did his best to raise the spirits of the Pata Honda World...

Leon Haslam Injury Update

26 April 2013 by Gordon Ritchie

Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike) suffered a left lower leg fracture (not right as we previously reported) after he crashed at turn seven in the first timed practice session at a wet Assen circuit. Initial tests at the local Assen hospital indicated that he had suffered breaks in his tibia and fibia quite close to the left knee, which will require specialist surgery to fix. He is scheduled...

WSB Assen: Sykes Splashes To Provisional Pole

26 April 2013 by Gordon Ritchie

WSB Assen: Sykes Splashes To Provisional Pole

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) extended the advantage he already had in wet conditions in the first qualifying session at Assen to record a lap of 1’57.190 and push himself fully 1.634 seconds ahead...

Iddon Second After first WSS Qualifying

26 April 2013 by Gordon Ritchie

Iddon Second After first WSS Qualifying

Christian Iddon made good use of his three-cylinder MV Agusta F3 675 in a fully wet first qualifying session at Assen, going second fastest overall and only held back from the status of provisional...

Leon Haslam Injured In First Free Session At Assen

26 April 2013 by Gordon Ritchie

Leon Haslam Injured In First Free Session At Assen

UPDATED 1612 Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike) suffered a left lower leg fracture after he crashed at turn seven in the first timed practice session at a wet Assen circuit. Initial tests at...

Assen too tough to call for Rea

26 April 2013 by Gordon Ritchie

Assen too tough to call for Rea

With four wins in the last three years at Assen, Jonathan Rea and his Pata Honda have been the WSB benchmark at the Dutch track. But heading into this year’s race at the weekend, Rea’s sense of...

Dani Pedrosa responds to Kevin Schwantz criticism

26 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa responds to Kevin Schwantz criticism

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has spoken of his disappointment at recent comments attributed to American legend Kevin Schwantz that were critical of the Spaniard and his long-serving manager and...

Camier declared fit to ride at Assen, Cudlin remains as back-up

26 April 2013 by Michael Guy

Camier declared fit to ride at Assen, Cudlin remains as back-up

Leon Camier will be out on track this morning in the opening Free Practice session at Assen after being declared fit to ride. The Fixi Crescent Suzuki rider suffered a serious knee in the Aragon WSB...

Chaz Davies talks double WSB wins

25 April 2013 by MCN

Chaz Davies talks double WSB wins

Last weekend was a momentous moment for Welsh World SBK rider and FreestyleXtreme sponsored athlete Chaz Davies. After just his second race for the factory BMW GoldBet Motorrad Team, he managed a...

Ducati MotoGP effort boosted by new CEO appointment

25 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Ducati MotoGP effort boosted by new CEO appointment

Nicky Hayden and Ducati MotoGP boss Paolo Ciabatti believe Claudio Domenicali’s recent appointment as CEO of the Bologna factory can only be a major plus for its MotoGP and WSB projects. Domenicali...

Underdog Brits shine at Bol d'Or

24 April 2013 by Simon Patterson

Underdog Brits shine at Bol d'Or

The Bol d’Or 24 hour race this weekend was one for the underdogs as far as British success was concerned; with both Steve Mercer and Michael Rutter coming from nowhere to achieve excellent...

MotoGP remembers Daijiro Kato

24 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Last weekend’s inaugural MotoGP race at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Japanese rider Daijiro Kato. Kato lost his life in an accident in the opening round of the 2003 world championship at Suzuka when riding for the Italian-based Gresini Honda squad. All Gresini bikes in all three classes at COTA sported tribute 74 stickers on the fairing in memory...

Jorge Lorenzo’s boss praises ‘incredible’ Marc Marquez

24 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo’s boss praises ‘incredible’ Marc Marquez

Jorge Lorenzo’s factory Yamaha boss Wilco Zeelenberg has praised Spanish rival Marc Marquez after the Repsol Honda rider won only his second MotoGP race at the spectacular Circuit of the Americas...

Marc Marquez expecting tougher times ahead

24 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Marc Marquez expecting tougher times ahead

MotoGP sensation Marc Marquez has admitted that he faces a difficult challenge to continue the stunning start to his premier class career in 2013. After a brilliant third place on his debut in Qatar...

Andrea Dovizioso waiting on Ducati upgrades

23 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso waiting on Ducati upgrades

Andrea Dovizioso says all he can do is be patient and push at 100% while waiting for a series of upgrades to be rolled out by Ducati’s factory MotoGP squad later in the season. Small updates for the...

Valentino Rossi impresses in NASCAR test

23 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi impresses in NASCAR test

Valentino Rossi indulged in his passion for four-wheeled motorsport in America yesterday when the Italian tested Kyle Busch’s NASCAR Toyota Camry at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Fresh from a...

Jakub Smrz goes club racing

22 April 2013 by Stuart Jewkes

Jakub Smrz goes club racing

Padgett’s Honda showed up at Oulton Park last Saturday 20th April, with a low-key, unannounced, minimalist entry into the Hottrax collective’s MotoSolo Allcomers races, in order to give BSB rider...

Valentino Rossi hails ‘fantastic’ Cal Crutchlow

22 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi hails ‘fantastic’ Cal Crutchlow

Valentino Rossi praised fellow Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow after the Briton easily beat him to claim a fantastic fourth place finish in the first MotoGP race to be staged at the state-of-the-art...

Marc Marquez savours record-breaking Texas win

22 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Marc Marquez savours record-breaking Texas win

Marc Marquez became the youngest MotoGP winner in history yesterday when he triumphed in the inaugural Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Texas. A red-hot pre-race favourite after dominating a Honda...

Jorge Lorenzo claims landmark 100th podium

22 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo claims landmark 100th podium

After a weekend of getting battered by Honda duo Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo did at least have something to celebrate in Texas when he claimed a 100th career podium. Lorenzo took...

Dani Pedrosa relieved to be back in victory hunt

22 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa relieved to be back in victory hunt

Dani Pedrosa’s disapointment at a second successive defeat to rookie teammate Marc Marquez was outweighed by his relief to have challenged for victory in the inagural Circuit of the Americas (COTA)...

Scott Redding seizes Moto2 points lead

22 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding seizes Moto2 points lead

Scott Redding scored his first pole position in Texas and now leads a world championship category for the first time in his career after he secured a hard fought fifth place at the Circuit of the...

Marc Marquez becomes youngest ever MotoGP winner

21 April 2013 by Steve Hunt

Marc Marquez becomes youngest ever MotoGP winner

The first MotoGP from the Circuit Of The Americas [COTA] opened with 20 year old Marc Marquez attempting to be the Youngest ever premier class winner – challenging the record of Freddie Spencer set in...

Bol d'Or: Honda TT Legends challenge ends with blown engine

21 April 2013 by Simon Patterson

Bol d'Or: Honda TT Legends challenge ends with blown engine

The Honda TT Legends have been forced to retire from the 2013 Bol d’Or after completing almost 19hrs of the 24hr race, after a split heat exchanger caused their engine to blow. The team had challenged...

Cal Crutchlow doubts podium challenge

21 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow doubts podium challenge

British rider Cal Crutchlow believes he has little chance of scoring a third MotoGP podium in today’s Texas race at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider missed a...

Marquez dominates COTA qualifying

20 April 2013 by Steve Hunt

Marquez dominates COTA qualifying

A tense qualifying ended at the Circuit Of The Americas [COTA] in Texas with Marc Marquez posting an excellent 2:03.021 to take his first ever MotoGP pole position, some two-tenths ahead of Honda...

Valentino Rossi rules out Texas victory challenge

20 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has ruled out the prospect of winning the first MotoGP race to be staged in Texas after the Italian finished a tough opening day of practice at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) almost two seconds of the pace. Rossi set a best time of 2.06.868 to finish fifth on the combined timesheets but his pace was a massive 1.837s behind dominant Marc Marquez, who was quickest again after...

Jorge Lorenzo expresses grip concerns

20 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

The chances of Jorge Lorenzo adding victory in Sunday’s first Circuit of the Americas (COTA) MotoGP race to his opening round triumph in Qatar appear close to zero. The Spaniard was no match for Honda trio Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and Stefan Bradl in yesterday’s opening two 45-minute practice sessions and he finished well over a second off the best pace. The factory Yamaha rider logged a best...

Cal Crutchlow expecting Honda romp in Texas

20 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow believes Sunday’s inaugural MotoGP clash at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) will be a Honda dominated affair after the RC213V machine dominated the opening day of practice in Texas. It was no surprise to see Marc Marquez dominating the timesheets today after his stunning performance in a private test at COTA last month. But his best time of 2.05.031 put him a massive...

Bol d'Or: Rutter secures 11th hour deal to start Bol d'Or

20 April 2013 by Simon Patterson

Bol d'Or: Rutter secures 11th hour deal to start Bol d'Or

Michael Rutter has secured an 11th hour deal that will see him compete in this afternoon’s Bol d’Or 24hr race at Magny Cours. The Honda TT Legends rider was dropped from his starting spot by the team...