Motorcycle Sport & Racing News

Michael Dunlop tops Manx ‘Post Classic’ practice

Michael Dunlop tops Manx ‘Post Classic’ practice

Michael Dunlop posted the fastest time of the night in the Post Classic Senior class during the Manx GP practice last night. Dunlop lapped the 37.73mile course at 115.097mph on John Simms’ Trident...

JT at Silverstone

JT at Silverstone

Aaron, aged 9 from Rutland meeting James Toseland on practice day at Silverstone WSB.

Cal Crutchlow better off in WSB for 2011

Cal Crutchlow better off in WSB for 2011

Cal Crutchlow would be better off delaying his switch to MotoGP until 2012, according to a leading Yamaha boss. The British rider has become hot property since he won both races at the Silverstone WSB...

Cooper and Palmer on Jentin BMW at Cadwell

Cooper and Palmer on Jentin BMW at Cadwell

The Cadwell Park bank holiday weekend’s racing will see the return of Richard Cooper alongside fellow Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad riders Steve Brogan and Tristan Palmer. Palmer, who has been standing...

Valentino Rossi vital for Ducati's new 1000cc project

Valentino Rossi vital for Ducati's new 1000cc project

Ducati say Valentino Rossi’s development skills will be a priceless asset when MotoGP switches to a 1000cc four-stroke format in 2012. As well as winning over 100 Grand Prix races, the Italian is...

Casey Stoner critical of Karel Abraham's MotoGP move

Casey Stoner critical of Karel Abraham's MotoGP move

Casey Stoner has criticised Karel Abraham’s Ducati MotoGP move. The Aussie said money should never secure a top MotoGP ride over talent after Abraham’s premier class switch was signed in Brno earlier...

Ben Spies targets career best result at Indianapolis

Ben Spies targets career best result at Indianapolis

Ben Spies has targeted a career best finish in this weekend’s Indianapolis MotoGP race. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider is hoping to better his stunning third place at the British Grand Prix in June...

Riders battle elements in Manx practice

Riders battle elements in Manx practice

Variable conditions around the course on the Isle of Man meant a short delay in this evening’s first timed practice for the 2010 Manx Grand Prix, sponsored by visitisleofman.com but the session got...

Guy Martin at Ulster

Guy Martin at Ulster

My son Chris with Guy Martin just before first practice for the Ulster Grand Prix – Guy’s first road race after his big senior TT accident!

Kevin Schwantz keen on full-time management role

Kevin Schwantz keen on full-time management role

American Kevin Schwantz is hoping his foray into Grand Prix team management this week will be the platform to a permanent role in the future. The 1993 world 500cc champion will lead an American Honda...

Suzuki boss Paul Denning breaks leg

Suzuki boss Paul Denning breaks leg

Suzuki’s factory MotoGP boss Paul Denning has broken his leg while motocross riding last Friday. Denning was riding in Dorset when he crashed and broke his fibula bone. He is still in hospital in...

Manx GP underway

The 2010 Manx Grand Prix, sponsored by visitisleofman.com, got underway on Satrurday evening after a short weather delay. Roads closed around the course at 5.20pm but mist on the mountain and a rain shower meant that the first bikes left the startline on Glencrutchery Road shortly after 6.30pm in an untimed practice. The 41 newcomers to the Mountain course were the first on the track. They...

Bradley Smith kicks off Moto2 preparations

Bradley Smith kicks off Moto2 preparations

The 2011 Moto2 world championship maybe seven months away, but Bradley Smith has already kicked off preparations for next season. The 19-year-old was spotted testing a production Honda CBR600RR at the...

Suzuki dismiss downsize rumours

Suzuki dismiss downsize rumours

Suzuki has dismissed growing speculation that its disastrous results will see the Japanese factory quit or drastically reduce its involvement in MotoGP for 2011. The factory GSV-R is undoubtedly the...

Indy announcement for Ben Spies’ factory Yamaha switch

Indy announcement for Ben Spies’ factory Yamaha switch

Ben Spies’ move to replace Valentino Rossi in Yamaha’s factory MotoGP squad will be made official during the forthcoming Indianapolis MotoGP round. The Texan has been hugely impressive in his rookie...

Dani Pedrosa close to new Honda deal

Dani Pedrosa close to new Honda deal

Dani Pedrosa insists he will sign a new deal with Honda for 2011, despite protracted talks not yet being finalised. Pedrosa, who finished second behind Jorge Lorenzo for the third time in the last...

Dovizioso’s Honda contract saga drags on

Dovizioso’s Honda contract saga drags on

Andrea Dovizoso’s quest to remain a factory Honda rider next season could end up in a bitter courtroom wrangle. MCN sources say lawyers could settle the Italian’s contract dispute with HRC unless an...

Valentino Rossi signing a big risk for Ducati, says Jerry Burgess

Valentino Rossi signing a big risk for Ducati, says Jerry Burgess

Valentino Rossi’s crew chief Jerry Burgess reckons the Italian’s move to Ducati has heaped immense pressure on the Bologna factory for 2011. Rossi will partner Nicky Hayden next year in Ducati’s...

Spencer ’85 double impossible to repeat, says Valentino Rossi

Spencer ’85 double impossible to repeat, says Valentino Rossi

Twenty-five years since Freddie Spencer completed a remarkable Grand Prix double when he won the 250 and 500cc world titles in 1985, Valentino Rossi has dismissed the possibility of that unique...

Nori Haga at Silverstone

Nori Haga at Silverstone

He might not be having the best of times on track but he had time to chat with my daughters at silverstone WSB.

Ulster Grand Prix future

Ulster Grand Prix future

The Ulster Grand Prix has been through a difficult period but this year was revered as one of the best days of racing in the sport’s history. But what of the future? MCN spoke to Noel Johnston, the...

Hutchinson to Relentless Suzuki?

Hutchinson to Relentless Suzuki?

Rumours of Ian Hutchinson, Michael Dunlop and Keith Amor being courted by the Relentless by TAS Suzuki team for 2011 simultaneously began at Brands Hatch and  Armoy just over two weeks ago. The...

Top class Manx GP entry

This year’s Manx Grand Prix boasts an impressive line-up  for the classic and post classic races and enforces the event’s boast of being ‘the world’s premier classic road race.’ Practice is scheduled from Saturday 21st August with race week running from Monday 30th August to Friday 3rd September. The decision in 2009 to include races for Post Classic machines has been vindicated with a significant...

New Manx GP website

This year’s Manx Grand Prix festival audience is set to grow thanks to the launch of a new website branded as ‘Manx Grand Prix Festival’, which runs from 21st August to 5th September 2010. For the first time ever, race fans worldwide will be able to follow this year’s Manx GP races live via Manx Radio commentary and live timing on the internet. The MGP festival brings together four of the biggest...

Pirelli’s 133.977mph Ulster GP tyre

Pirelli’s 133.977mph Ulster GP tyre

Success at this year’s Ulster Grand Prix was looking a bit thin on the ground for Pirelli after Dunlop riders Ian Hutchinson won three races and Keith Amor had won one. But Bruce Anstey took the final...

Farquhar to quit racing?

Farquhar to quit racing?

Ryan Farquhar is at a crossroads in his career. For the past three seasons he’s been virtually unbeatable on the Irish Nationals – and last year even surpassed the late, great Joey Dunlop’s record of...

The big question: What’s the plan for 2011?

The big question: What’s the plan for 2011?

With the dust settled on the big three international road races, talk now is of what prospects might be in store for 2011. MCN asked two of the leading players what plans they might have for next...

Bruce Anstey: Road racing’s reclusive hero

Bruce Anstey: Road racing’s reclusive hero

Bruce Anstey arrived at the Ulster Grand Prix without as much as having ridden a scooter since the TT, let alone a 200+bhp superbike.  He left with a Superbike race win and a new 133.977mph lap...

Phillip McCallen: ‘Michael Dunlop must race short circuits’

Phillip McCallen: ‘Michael Dunlop must race short circuits’

Phillip McCallen is an 11 times NW200 winner, 11 times TT winner and 14 times UP winner. He’s also a TV pundit and MCN asked him to give us his views on Michael Dunlop… “I’ve been watching Michael...

Kenny Roberts backs Valentino Rossi’s Ducati move

Kenny Roberts backs Valentino Rossi’s Ducati move

Kenny Roberts is convinced Valentino Rossi will be a big success for Ducati when he partners Nicky Hayden next season. Rossi’s decision to quit Yamaha was confirmed last weekend in Brno in a move...

Testing boost for Valentino Rossi

Testing boost for Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi’s bid to quickly master Ducati’s factory GP11 could be given a boost with MotoGP bosses contemplating increasing the amount of testing permitted ahead of next season. Pre-season...

LCR Honda close to new 2011 deal

LCR Honda close to new 2011 deal

Randy de Puniet’s LCR Honda squad is close to finalising an agreement with HRC to lease an RC212V machine for next year’s MotoGP world championship. Italian team boss Lucio Cecchinello has been locked...

Ulster Grand Prix vs MotoGP

Ulster Grand Prix vs MotoGP

This year’s Ulster Grand Prix was another fantastic event with unbelievably close racing in every race. I’m so glad I didn’t go to Brno to fall asleep during another desperately boring MotoGP race.

Valentino Rossi expects to make Ducati debut in Valencia

Valentino Rossi expects to make Ducati debut in Valencia

Valentino Rossi expects to make his eagerly anticipated Ducati debut at Valencia in November. The 31-year-old is confident he will be released from his Yamaha contract to begin testing for Ducati...

Valentino Rossi angry at Yamaha fork ban

Valentino Rossi angry at Yamaha fork ban

Valentino Rossi has criticised Yamaha after he was banned from testing new Ohlins front forks in Brno yesterday. Already barred from testing a 2011 Yamaha prototype YZR-M1 following his decision to...

Valentino Rossi explains Ducati move

Valentino Rossi explains Ducati move

Valentino Rossi has spoken publicly for the first time about his decision to sign a dream deal with Ducati for next year’s MotoGP world championship. The Italian’s two-year deal with the Bologna...