MotoGP: American Adventure ahead for Kawasaki July 23, 2006
After ripping up Hollywood Boulevard on a Ninja ZX-10R during a Dorna Pre-Event promotional appearance on Tuesday, Shinya Nakano, together with Kawasaki teammate Randy de Puniet, heads for Laguna Seca and this weekend’s round eleven of the MotoGP World Championship.
For Nakano this will be the second time he’s raced at the Laguna Seca circuit, having taken a hard fought ninth place in US Grand Prix last season, but for de Puniet this will be his first time on the track, and his first encounter with the infamous Laguna Seca Corkscrew.
The 25-year-old Frenchman took the opportunity to run the Laguna Seca …
MotoGP: Ducati ready for Wild West Adventure
Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau are all set for their Wild West adventure at Laguna Seca - MotoGP’s most westerly venue and almost certainly its wildest racetrack. The undulating Californian circuit is a veritable rodeo ride for MotoGP riders who must control their 340kmh/211mph motorcycles around its tight, twisting layout where the average speed is just 155kmh/96mph, slower than any other MotoGP venue.
Capirossi, who led the 2006 MotoGP World Championship until he crashed at last month’s Catalan Grand Prix, has already enjoyed success at Laguna. The Italian won the US 250 GP at the track way …
SBK: Kawasaki’s Fonsi second quickest after busy opening day at Brno
Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) made a very positive early start for the PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse team at Brno, taking the second fastest time in what was an eventually rain-affected qualifying session. His team-mates, Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) and Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) were eighth and ninth fastest respectively, and were deprived of a final opportunity to go for a faster lap when the rains showed up, with around ten minutes left to run in the session.
James Toseland set an early provisional pole time, with the Ducati of Lorenzo Lanzi third after one day. One more timed session …
SBK: Ducati’s Lanzi goes provisional third, Bayliss eleventh in Brno
Lorenzo Lanzi produced a positive performance for the Ducati Xerox Team at Brno, setting the third quickest time in Friday’s opening qualifying session, while points leader Troy Bayliss could only manage an uncharacteristic eleventh place.
“It was a strange day. I hopped onto the bike this morning and I was just like on another planet. I wasn’t there with it and who knows why!” commented Bayliss. “This afternoon I was feeling OK and we got going but the track was a bit warmer than last time I was here and I tried the hardest front tyre that we used last time …
SBK: FPR battle with the Brno heat
Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Steve Martin and Craig Jones refused to wilt in the heat of the first day’s qualifying at round seven of the Superbike World Championship at the Czech Republic circuit of Brno.
In sweltering conditions, Steve finished the first day 10th fastest while Craig was 22nd in an extended field of 31 entrants.
Steve bettered his time on race rubber from the recent test at the punishing circuit, a second down on provisional poleman James Toseland, setting a time of 2:03.408 before a freak downpour ended the session prematurely.
He said: “I was pretty happy with the day and we …
BSB: Shakey on front row pace while Steve gets up to speed
RIZLA SUZUKI’S Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne set the fourth fastest time during today’s practice for the ninth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park.
Shakey tried two bikes with different settings to compare performance and has found a strong direction for improving his pace tomorrow.
Steve Plater was 16th on his debut ride for the team standing in for the injured James Haydon. He wisely spent the day acclimatizing himself with the Rizla Suzuki race bike. He is happy with what he learnt about his GSX-R1000 and is confident he can slash his lap times tomorrow. Ducati’s Leon Haslam topped …
BSB: Tommy Hill stars in new film
Team Virgin Mobile Yamaha’s lead rider stars in a new DVD aimed at helping reduce casualties on the road.
The DVD will be officially launched in Team Virgin Mobile Yamaha’s hospitality facility at Oulton Park, Cheshire, tomorrow lunchtime (Saturday 22 July) at the ninth round of the British Superbike Championship.
The “Great Roads, Great Rides” DVD is a reference manual for riders and gives them all sorts of advice including; how to carry out basic maintenance at the start of the season to negotiating turns and bends on the roads in all weathers.
Launched by the Highways agency this weekend, the DVD features …
US Motorcycle and Scooter Sales Pumped Up in 2006 July 21, 2006
Motorcycle and scooter sales continued climbing for the first half of this year, putting two-wheelers on the road to 14 straight years of increasing popularity. Compared to the first half of 2005, among the 15 leading brands, bike sales jumped 10.9 percent through the second quarter, according to Motorcycle Industry Council statistics. Sales of on-highway motorcycles (not including scooters) rose 11 percent in the first six months of the year, and scooter sales alone are up 19.7 percent compared to the same period last year.
“It’s exciting to see continued, growing interest in motorcycling across America, and that there are more …
Flat Track: Mees earns victory in Virginia for Harley-Davidson Wrecking Crew
Jared Mees led Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Wrecking Crew Saturday, earning a place on the top spot of the podium during an AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Twins championship competition. Mees a Clio, Mich., resident took the Joe Weatherly Memorial event victory, riding his Texter Harley-Davidson/Screamin’ Eagle entry to the win at Virginia Motor Speedway.
“It was actually the most important win of them all,” Mees said of his first win of the season, third career. “My team is based in Virginia, and all of (tuner, team owner) Johnny Goad’s friends, family and neighbors were all at the track. …
MotoGP: Hopkins hits Hollywood for USGP
Rizla Suzuki racer John Hopkins prepared for this weekend’s Red Bull USGP by joining fellow MotoGP stars on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles to give fans a taster of what’s to come at Laguna Seca this week.
Hopkins rode a Rizla liveried Suzuki GSX-R in the event and treated spectators outside the famous Chinese Theatre to a series of ride pasts. Hopkins is a local favourite and is looking forward to racing at home this week - he was born in California and still has a house there.
This weekend’s race is round 11 of the 2006 MotoGP World Championship and signals …