July

Sidecars at Oliver's Mount

31 July 2013 by John

Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough. Cock o’ The North races 21/07/2013

Suzuka 8hrs: Haslam becomes second British winner in two years

29 July 2013 by Simon Patterson

For the second year in a row, a British rider has triumphed at the Suzuka 8hr race, as the MuSASHI Harc-Pro Honda team of Leon Haslam, Michael van der Mark and Takumi Takahashi took the win by a...

Armoy 2013

28 July 2013 by jamierob

Michael Dunlop has time to give me a look as he celebrates winning the race of legends at Armoy, where the big crowd and fantastic weather made for a great days racing.

Suzuka 8-hour: Monster Yart Yamaha team on pole

27 July 2013 by Simon Patterson

The Monster YART squad of Kats Nakasuga, Broc Parkes and Josh Waters continued to top the time sheets in this afternoon’s delayed final qualifying session to take pole for tomorrow’s Suzuka 8 hours...

Suzuka 8hrs: Monster YART take provisional pole

26 July 2013 by Simon Patterson

Monster Yamaha Austria is on provisional pole position for the 2013 Suzuka 8hrs, beating off the Japanese ‘special’ teams to take the front spot at the home of Honda. The team, consisting of...

Bradley Smith confident Tech 3 seat is safe for 2014

26 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith is convinced his YZR-M1 seat in the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad is not in jeopardy for 2014 as teammate Cal Crutchlow’s future gets closer to being finalised. Ducati appears to have won...

Honda unlikely to sell all production machines for 2014

26 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

Honda has admitted as many of two of its new production RC213V racers could go unsold for the 2014 MotoGP world championship. The Japanese factory had made available five production versions of its factory RC213V prototypes at a cost of between £800,000 and £1m for next season but presently only one order has been placed by Fausto Gresini’s Italian-based squad. That bike has been strongly linked...

Ducati: No time to replace Andrea Iannone at Laguna Seca

26 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

Ducati has explained why it knocked back the chance to give John Hopkins a shock chance to return to MotoGP action during last weekend’s US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. Former BSB runner-up Hopkins was one of numerous candidates considered by the Pramac Ducati squad to replace injured Italian rookie Andrea Iannone, who was forced to withdraw from the American round after dislocating his right...

Suzuka 8hrs: Rea tops first day at Suzuka

25 July 2013 by Simon Patterson

Defending champion Jonathan Rea topped the time sheets after the first day of free practice for the Suzuka 8hrs race in Japan. Rea, riding for the FCC TSR Honda team alongside former BSB champion...

BMW withdraw from WSB

24 July 2013 by Michael Guy

BMW have confirmed today that they will terminate their involvement in the World Superbike championship at the end of the 2013 season. BMW joined WSB with a big budget full factory team with their...

Aspar torn between Aprilia and Honda for 2014 MotoGP season

24 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

Spain’s high-profile Aspar MotoGP squad is torn over its future premier class plans, with options to remain as Aprilia’s number one outfit or buy Honda’s new production RC213V racer on the table. The...

Andrea Iannone: Too risky to race in Laguna Seca

24 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Iannone could have wrecked his rookie MotoGP campaign had he gambled on riding in Laguna Seca last weekend just a week after dislocating his right shoulder. The Italian damaged his right...

Bridewell joins Valentine at Halsall Racing

24 July 2013 by Phil Wain

Just over a week after parting company with the Bathams Honda team, Tommy Bridewell will now be seeing out the rest of the MCE British Superbike Championship season with the Halsall Racing squad. The...

Exclusive: Casey Stoner to test factory Honda in Japan

22 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

Double world champion Casey Stoner will make a dramatic return to MotoGP action next month when he tests a factory Honda RC213V at the Twin Ring Motegi track in Japan, MCN can reveal. The outspoken...

Rossi expected more errors from rookie Marquez

22 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi believed 2013 MotoGP rookie sensation Marc Marquez would have made more mistakes at the start of his premier class career after the Spaniard claimed a stunning victory on his Laguna...

Title thoughts creeping in for Marc Marquez

22 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

Laguna Seca MotoGP winner Marc Marquez has admitted he has started to think about the prospect of becoming the first rookie to win the premier class title since American legend Kenny Roberts in...

Cal Crutchlow reflects on worst finish for 12 months

22 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow saw his hopes of becoming the first British rider since Barry Sheene in 1982 to collect three consecutive MotoGP podiums end in disappointment at the US Grand Prix. The...

Engine failure ends Bradley Smith’s top 10 run

22 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

An undiagnosed engine failure robbed British rookie Bradley Smith of the chance to notch a seventh successive top 10 finish in the 2013 MotoGP campaign at Laguna Seca yesterday (Sunday). Smith was...

MotoGP Laguna Seca: Marquez secures audacious victory

21 July 2013 by Steve Hunt

With three, unfamiliar Hondas on the front row at Laguna Seca, it took superb reactions from the lights by Rossi to separate them with a blistering start. Stefan Bradl, showing no sign of rookie,...

BSB: Brands Hatch Race Two- Byrne extends championship lead with second race victory

21 July 2013 by Steve Hunt

Shane Byrne extended his lead to twenty-one points in the MCE BSB Championship this afternoon with a win in race two to make amends for his failure to finish in the earlier contest. ‘Shakey’ Byrne...

BSB: Brookes takes race one win at Brands Hatch

21 July 2013 by Steve Hunt

Pole starter Shane Byrne crashed out on lap 14 of the first race of the MCE BSB Championship at Brands Hatch whilst attempting to overtake eventual winner, Josh Brookes on his Tyco Suzuki. Having taken the lead on the fourth lap, Australian Brookes held on for the win and to narrow the lead of ‘Shakey’ Byrne to just ten points at the top of the championship. MCE British Superbikes Championship ...

WSBK/WSS: Remainder of Moscow races cancelled due to accident.

21 July 2013 by Steve Hunt

The remaining races for the weekend at the Moscow Raceway have been cancelled due to a tragic accident involving Go Elevent Supersport rider, Andrea Antonelli. The Italian rider fell on the final straight of the first lap of the World Supersport race – ran in severely wet conditions – and was unavoidably struck by Lorenzo Zanetti as he fell. Although there has been – as of yet – no official...

WSB Moscow Race One: Eventful race sees Melandri take victory

21 July 2013 by Steve Hunt

The twenty-five laps of race one at the tight Moscow raceway saw Chaz Davies make a great start to lead from turn one. The same could not be said of Carlos Checa however, who was taken out on only the...

Stefan Bradl snatches last gasp Laguna Seca pole

21 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

LCR Honda rider Stefan Bradl stormed to a career first MotoGP pole position in dramatic fashion at Laguna Seca this afternoon after a late crash denied Marc Marquez top spot in qualifying. Bradl’s...

Ben Spies ready to return in Indianapolis

20 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies has confirmed he will attempt to put a nightmare 10-month injury spell behind him when he returns to MotoGP action at the legendary Indianapolis track in mid-August. Spies has only raced...

BSB Brands Hatch: Shakey claims third pole of season

20 July 2013 by Philip Wain

Shane Byrne claimed his third pole position of the season at Brands Hatch on Saturday, edging out season long rival Alex Lowes. The Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki rider went top of the time sheets with...

WSS: Sofuoglu gains advantage with pole

20 July 2013 by Gordon Ritchie

With the weather conditions that met the WSS second qualifying session proving to be intermittently rainy, Sam Lowes (Yakhnich Yamaha) had one last chance to to ride to pole on his very last lap. His bike developed an engine problem however, which suddenly lost him power. Lowes almost crashed shortly after and although his third sector time showed that up until that point he was going to take the...

WSB Moscow: Sykes crashes out, Giugliano on pole.

20 July 2013 by Steve Hunt

Despite leading the qualifying times in all of the previous sessions, Tom sykes crashed out of Superpole three in Moscow, leaving him unable to complete a lap, and forcing him to start back in ninth...

Byrne sets opening pace at Brands Hatch

20 July 2013 by Philip Wain

Shane Byrne set the pace in the opening free practice session on the Brands Hatch GP circuit on Saturday morning, his time of 1m26.457s giving him a 0.456s advantage over Alex Lowes. The cool, cloudy conditions were far removed from the tropical temperatures of late – indeed, there were a few spots of rain in the air – but Byrne was in command throughout at a circuit he’s dominated at in recent...

Yamaha: No pressure on Jorge Lorenzo to race in Laguna Seca

20 July 2013 by Matthew BIrt

Injury ravaged reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo did not decide to make a surprise return to MotoGP action in Laguna Seca because he was under pressure from Yamaha to remain in the 2013 title...

Checa Crashes After Engine Problem

20 July 2013 by Gordon Ritchie

Carlos Checa suffered a fast crash on the Moscow Raceway straight in wet conditions when the rear tyre of his Ducati Alstare Panigale 1199 locked up and eventually spat him off, landing him hard on his hip, shoulder and head. Ducati SBK racing boss Ernesto Marinelli said that that the exact reason for the crash was as yet unknown but confirmed that it appears to have been an engine problem. “It...

Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa focus on damage limitation

20 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa both admitted that their primary focus for tomorrow’s US MotoGP round at Laguna Seca is to avoid crashing to collect as many vital world championship points as possible. Factory Yamaha rider Lorenzo was an impressive sixth quickest in practice yesterday and only 0.427s off the best pace on his surprise return from injury. Lorenzo emerged in California from a...

Nicky Hayden: Marquez favourite for Laguna win

20 July 2013 by Matthew Birt

Nobody knows better than Nicky Hayden what it takes to win at Laguna Seca and the American has already installed track newcomer Marc Marquez as favourite for Sunday’s US MotoGP victory. The Spaniard...

Laguna MotoGP practice

20 July 2013 by reestyboy

I just spent the afternoon of Friday practice at Laguna Seca on the pit wall. Igot chatting to Dec Crutchlow – what a true gent, and it was really good of him to explain to us how the timing screens work – all whilst he was doing Cal’s pit board. We were also taken into the Ducati garage by Paulo Ciabatti – another genuinely nice guy! Thanks for making our day guys – I just can’t wait to get back...

BSB Brands Hatch testing: Lowes sets the early pace

19 July 2013 by Michael Guy

Alex Lowes made his intentions for this weekend’s MCE British Superbike round at Brands Hatch crystal clear by topping the timesheets in a test session on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit this afternoon. Although this weekend s race will take place on the full 2.433 mile Grand Prix circuit it still gives Lowes the early advantage onboard his Samsung Honda CBR1000RR. Winner last time out at Brands...

Britten V1000 in action at Brands Hatch

19 July 2013 by Michael Guy

TT legend John Mcguinness fulfilled a lifelong ambition after completing a handful of demo laps onboard the iconic Britten V1000 at Brands Hatch today in the build-up to the sixth round of the MCE British Superbike championship. The New Zealand built Britten was the brainchild of the late John Britten who designed, fabricated and produced every part of the bike before his untimely death in...