Motorcycle Sport & Racing News

Qatar test: Casey Stoner lights up night test

Qatar test: Casey Stoner lights up night test

Former world champion Casey Stoner produced a dazzling performance under the Losail International Circuit’s floodlights tonight, the Aussie dominating the second night of MotoGP testing. Stoner had...

Qatar test: Chris Vermeulen escapes injury in crash

Qatar test: Chris Vermeulen escapes injury in crash

Chris Vermeulen’s promising start to 2009 suffered a minor setback when the Aussie suffered a badly swollen right thumb in a crash on the second night of testing in Qatar. The factory Suzuki rider...

Qatar test: Jorge Lorenzo struggling with Bridgestone switch

Qatar test: Jorge Lorenzo struggling with Bridgestone switch

Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo has conceded he is struggling to adapt to Bridgestone tyres after a disappointing second night of testing at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.  The Fiat Yamaha rider...

Qatar test: Dani Pedrosa injured in night crash

Qatar test: Dani Pedrosa injured in night crash

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa is facing a fight to be fit for the final pre-season test in Jerez later this month after he suffered left wrist and knee injuries on the second night of testing in...

Cal Crutchlow: "I could have won it"

Cal Crutchlow: "I could have won it"

Cal Crutchlow and Eugene Laverty confirmed they will be title contenders in the World Supersport championship after finishing fourth and fifth, separated by 1/1000th of a second and just one second...

Phillip Island WSB gossip

Phillip Island WSB gossip

41 riders fined for speeding A total of 41 riders were fined for breaking the 60kph pit lane speed limit during the Phillip Island meeting. Pit lane speed is usually controlled by a marshal sitting at...

WSB Blog: Phillip Island Race

WSB Blog: Phillip Island Race

Well it’s fair to say that the opening round of the World Superbike championship lived up to all the hype. Ben Spies proved beyond doubt that he is the real deal by setting pole and winning race two...

Qatar test: Nicky Hayden talks top spot

Qatar test: Nicky Hayden talks top spot

Nicky Hayden believes the opening night of testing in Qatar was not a waste of time as the American topped the timesheets on Ducati’s carbon fibre chassis GP9. The Kentucky rider clocked the best time...

Qatar test: Colin Edwards happy with neck injury progress

Qatar test: Colin Edwards happy with neck injury progress

Colin Edwards has declared himself satisfied that his troublesome neck injury is clearing up after a largely meaningless night of testing in Qatar. The one positive for the Texan after a short rain...

Qatar test: Marco Melandri relieved to be back on track

Qatar test: Marco Melandri relieved to be back on track

Marco Melandri posted the second best time on a rain-hit opening night of testing in Qatar as he began to put a nightmare winter behind him. Riding the Hayate bike, which is a factory Kawasaki ZX-RR...

Qatar test: James Toseland frustrated by desert downpour

Qatar test: James Toseland frustrated by desert downpour

British rider James Toseland’s hopes of kick starting his 2009 MotoGP campaign were thwarted by a five-minute rain shower on the opening night of testing in Qatar. Desperate to bounce back from his...

Qatar test: Valentino Rossi rues desert downpour

Qatar test: Valentino Rossi rues desert downpour

Valentino Rossi was left a frustrated figure as he completed just one lap on the opening night of testing at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The reigning world champion spent most of the...

Qatar test: Nicky Hayden quickest after desert storm

Qatar test: Nicky Hayden quickest after desert storm

Factory Ducati rider Nicky Hayden ended a weather-hit opening night of testing in Qatar with the fastest time. Get all the latest MotoGP news The American posted the best time of 2.00.717 in his...

Scott Redding tries new bike test

MotoGP rider Scott Redding, motorcycle Instructor Steve Guest and new rider Ted try the new motorcycle test at the Gloucester test center. The test is coming in on April the 27th.

Grip issues at Qatar night test

Grip issues at Qatar night test

Strong winds and early morning rain have already caused grip issues on the opening night of the MotoGP Qatar test session. The Losail International Circuit has been buffeted by strong winds in the...

Rain stops testing in Qatar

Rain stops testing in Qatar

The opening night of MotoGP testing at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar has already been badly disrupted by rain. Only ten riders had been out on track when a heavy cloudburst hit the desert...

Five Brits join Red Bull MotoGP talent search

Five Brits join Red Bull MotoGP talent search

Five British riders, including the son of former 500GP racer and triple MCN British Superbike champion Niall Mackenzie, will contest this year’s Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. Taylor Mackenzie will be...

Reading MCN at Phillip Island

Reading MCN at Phillip Island

Here’s a couple of pictures that were taken of us reading MCN at turn 1, WSB Phillip Island.

Phillip Island WSB: Haga and Spies share spoils

Phillip Island WSB: Haga and Spies share spoils

Ducati rider Noriyuki Haga and WSB rookie Ben Spies took a win each at the opening round of the season at Phillip Island. Race one Haga made his intentions for the season clear by taking the win in...

Rea delighted with Superpole front row

Rea delighted with Superpole front row

Jonathan Rea showed his undoubted potential with an accomplished performance in Superpole to secure his place on the front row for Sunday’s two WSB races at Phillip Island. Rea secured the third...

Haslam secures impressive sixth in qualifying

Haslam secures impressive sixth in qualifying

Leon Haslam was the surprise package of Saturday Superpole by securing sixth position for Sunday’s two 22 lap WSB races. The 25 year old Brit was consistently one of the fastest riders on track after...

Crutchlow baulked by Pitt in final qualifying

Crutchlow baulked by Pitt in final qualifying

Cal Crutchlow secured a place on the front row of the grid for Sunday’s opening World Supersport race at Phillip Island despite being baulked by Andrew Pitt on his fastest lap of qualifying. Crutchlow...

Foret in doubt for Phillip Island Supersport race

Foret in doubt for Phillip Island Supersport race

Yamaha Supersport rider Fabien Foret could miss the opening round of the World Supersport championship at Phillip Island tomorrow following a crash in final qualifying. The Frenchman crashed within...

Phillip Island WSB: Ben Spies takes pole on debut

Phillip Island WSB: Ben Spies takes pole on debut

Yamaha rider Ben Spies smashed the lap record to take pole position on his WSB debut at Phillip Island. Spies broke the lap record – held by Troy Bayliss – by four tenths of a second with his best...

Phillip Island WSB: Superpole explained

Phillip Island WSB: Superpole explained

The all new World Superbike Superpole kicked off at Phillip Island today. After ten years of running the one lap Superpole shootout where the fastest 16 riders after regulation qualifying entered the...

Laverty confident for opening race

Laverty confident for opening race

Eugene Laverty will start tomorrows 21 lap race World Supersport race from fifth position after an impressive performance during final qualifying. The Parkalgar Honda rider arrived at Phillip Island...

Kawasaki to race as Hayate MotoGP in 2009

Kawasaki to race as Hayate MotoGP in 2009

Kawasaki’s one-rider MotoGP effort for the 2009 campaign will be re-branded ‘Hayate’, MCN can exclusively reveal. Hayate means ‘Hurricane’ in Japanese and is the team name that Kawasaki’s ZX-RR will...

James Toseland eager to begin Qatar test

James Toseland eager to begin Qatar test

Tech 3 Yamaha rider James Toseland can’t wait to get back on track on Sunday night as preparations for the new MotoGP season continue in Qatar. Sunday’s opening night will be the first time Toseland...

Jorge Lorenzo backs James Toseland to bounce back in Qatar

Jorge Lorenzo backs James Toseland to bounce back in Qatar

Jorge Lorenzo reckons James Toseland will be mentally stronger as he backed the Brit to bounce back from his 125mph Sepang crash nightmare. Spaniard is an expert in bouncing back from adversity and...

Randy Mamola sad at British Eurosport exit

Randy Mamola sad at British Eurosport exit

Popular MotoGP pundit Randy Mamola has told MCN of his sadness at not being able to continue his role as pitlane commentator for British Eurosport in 2009. As part of new coverage plans for 2009,...

British Eurosport confirms 2009 MotoGP plans

British Eurosport confirms 2009 MotoGP plans

British Eurosport has confirmed that popular commentary duo Julian Ryder and Toby Moody will be reunited for 2009. Dorna confirmed yesterday (Thursday) that coverage of the 2009 MotoGP world...

Bulgaria to host MotoGP race in 2012

Bulgaria to host MotoGP race in 2012

A Bulgiarian round of the MotoGP world championship will be staged from the 2012 season onwards. Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta has signed a preliminary five-year deal with the Bulgarian Motorcycling...

Andrew Pitt: ‘We don’t have a tyre to do the race”

Andrew Pitt: ‘We don’t have a tyre to do the race”

World Champion Andrew Pitt set the fastest time in qualifying today but declared that he doesn’t have a rear tyre that will last full race distance. The Ten Kate Honda rider who won last years...

Phillip Island WSB: Smrz surprise package in WSB first qualifying

Phillip Island WSB: Smrz surprise package in WSB first qualifying

Jacob Smrz stole the limelight on the opening day of round one of the World Superbike championship to take provisional pole position. In scorching 33 degree ambient temperatures and 51 degree track...

Phillip Island WSS: First blood to Sofuoglu at Phillip Island

Phillip Island WSS: First blood to Sofuoglu at Phillip Island

2007 World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu set the pace in first free practice at Phillip Island today. The Turkish Ten Kate Honda rider continues to make a seamless transition back to Supersport...

Phillip Island WSB: Hill suffers engine blow-up and fire

Phillip Island WSB: Hill suffers engine blow-up and fire

Tommy Hill survived a spectacular engine blow-up and fire during the opening free practice session at Phillip Island today. Despite the set back, the Altea Honda rider still managed to secure the 15th...