May

Year: 2012

Month: May

Nicky Hayden eager to evaluate Ducati upgrades in Catalunya

31 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden says he can’t wait to see if new technical upgrades to his Ducati GP12 machine will reap immediate rewards when practice starts for the Catalunya Grand Prix tomorrow (Friday). The...

Cal Crutchlow gets brake upgrade for Catalunya

31 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow will race in this weekend’s Catalunya MotoGP round in Spain with the latest spec 2012 Brembo front brake calipers and pads having backed down on his refusal to buy them out of his...

Win British Superbike tickets with WD-40!

31 May 2012 by Marc Abbott

MCN and WD-40 Specialist are giving one reader the chance to win a VIP day for themselves and a guest at Oulton Park International British Superbikes on July 8. The competition is to celebrate the...

Improved acceleration focus for Yamaha in test double-header

31 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha will focus on improving acceleration and grip on corner exit when Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies test a host of YZR-M1 updates in Catalunya and Motorland Aragon next week. The pair will evaluate...

Yamaha: No extra pressure on Ben Spies

31 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha has denied that Texan Ben Spies is under increasing pressure to improve his results as he goes in search of his first top six finish of a troubled 2012 world championship campaign in Catalunya...

Chaz Davies doubts Casey Stoner will step out of retirement

31 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

Chaz Davies doubts that close friend Casey Stoner will return to racing once the reigning world champion retires from MotoGP at the end of the 2012. Stoner stunned the racing world earlier this month...

Isle of Man TT: McGuinness hits 130 before mist calls a halt to practice

31 May 2012 by Phil Wain

Competitors were met with considerably different conditions for the third night of practice at the 2012 Isle of Man TT Races powered by Monster Energy and although dry, the temperature was down on the...

Isle of Man TT blog: Cameron Donald’s supercross charge

31 May 2012 by Gary Pinchin

There I was, in the gym at 7.15am this morning – stupidly had a 15-minute lie-in and missed the doors actually opening – giving it max on the rower, listening to Manx Radio. And there was some chat of...

Meeting Lorenzo

31 May 2012 by Stewart White

A picture of my son, Jonathan with Jorge Lorenzo at Silverstone during last year’s MotoGP before the rain came.

Chad's TT 2012 blog - preparing the bike

30 May 2012 by MCN

MCN Senior Road Tester Adam ‘Chad’ Child is racing at the Isle of Man TT 2012 this year, fulfilling a lifetime’s ambition. After completing his first practice laps of the circuit on Saturday May 26...

Isle of Man TT blog: Mackman gives Norton V4 it’s tentative first TT lap

30 May 2012 by Gary Pinchin

112.36mph. By Senior TT standards that’s not fast. But it was a landmark for Stuart Garner’s Norton team as Ian Mackman completed the all-new V4’s first lap of the 37.73 Mountain course. I know there...

Isle of Man TT: McGuinness and Donald up the ante

30 May 2012 by Phil Wain

Competitors were met with yet another dry, sunny evening for the third practice session of the 2012 Isle of Man TT Races with conditions described as dry and clear all the way around the course,...

Chad's TT 2012 blog - the paddock

30 May 2012 by MCN

Isle of Man TT: McGuinness sets the pace with 128mph practice lap

29 May 2012 by Phil Wain

A dry, sunny evening met the competitors for Monday evening’s practice session with conditions described as good all around the course. Riders were again warned of wet tar at Guthrie’s whilst the...

Isle of Man TT blog: McGuinness throws the gauntlet down

29 May 2012 by Gary Pinchin

So there I was, sat in my hotel room at around 10 yesterday morning crashing out the MCN back page bits and bobs from Snetterton BSB. We’d just jetted into Ronaldsway from Birmingham (always sounds...

Miller WSB Race 2: Melandri wins after epic battle with Rea, Davies fourth

29 May 2012 by Michael Guy

Despite being delayed for over an hour, the second race at Miller was well worth the wait. After a brilliant race long battle, Italian Marco Melandri claimed a hard fought victory ahead of Jonathan...

Miller WSB Race one: Checa takes convincing win ahead of determined Melandri

28 May 2012 by Michael Guy

Carlos Checa continued his unprecedented run of form at the Miller Motorsports Park round with a brilliant race one win. The 39 year old Spaniard had to fight hard at the beginning of the race with...

Chad's TT 2012 blog - the first laps

28 May 2012 by MCN

MCN Senior Road Tester Adam ‘Chad’ Child is racing at the Isle of Man TT 2012 this year, fulfilling a lifetime’s ambition. On Saturday May 26 Chad completed his first laps on the closed circuits...

Miller WSB Warm-up – Sykes leads the way from Checa in morning warm-up

28 May 2012 by Michael Guy

In sunny conditions Tom Sykes set the fastest time of this morning’s warm-up session at Miller with a best time of 1.49.080. The factory Kawasaki rider topped the time sheets ahead of Carlos Checa,...

Norton announces Santander TT partnership

28 May 2012 by Liam Marsden

Norton Motorcycles has joined forces with Santander to sponsor Norton for this year’s senior TT. The Norton SG1 (pictured) will race in the senior TT on June 8, in Santander livery. The SG1, which...

WSB Miller Superpole – Smrz backs up qualifying pace with impressive Superpole win

28 May 2012 by Michael Guy

Liberty Racing Effenbert Ducati rider Jakub Smrz secured a brilliant Superpole win with an impressive lap in the final seconds of the session. The Czech rider has been on stunning form all weekend...

Snetterton BSB: Laverty clinches first race win of season

27 May 2012 by Liam Marsden

Samsung Honda rider Michael Laverty took his first victory of the 2012 campaign in the second race at Snetterton after starting from pole position. Laverty led from start to finish after a good start...

Snetterton BSB: Hill takes race one victory

27 May 2012 by Liam Marsden

Reigning BSB champion Tommy Hill took his second race win of the 2012 season onboard his Swan Yamaha at Snetterton today. Hill’s team-mate last year, Michael Laverty – now on a Samsung Honda – secured...

Miller WSB Q1 – Smrz on top as Ducati’s dominate

27 May 2012 by Michael Guy

Czech rider Jakub Smrz powered his Liberty Racing Ducati to provisional pole position for the sixth round of the World Superbike Championship at Miller Motorsports Park in America. The 29 year old was...

Snetterton BSB: Brookes clinches pole position

26 May 2012

Josh Brookes has secured pole position for the British Superbike round at Snetterton by the narrowest of margins, edging out Michael Laverty by just 0.001 seconds. The Australian Tyco Suzuki rider’s...

Valentino Rossi: “I’ve never thought about stopping”

25 May 2012

MotoGP fans around the world breathed a collective sigh of relief when Valentino Rossi vowed to race on until the end of 2014 during last weekend’s French Grand Prix at Le Mans. After Repsol Honda...

10 good reasons why this year's TT is going to be a belter

25 May 2012 by MCN

The 2012 Isle of Man TT kicks off with the first practice session tomorrow afternoon (May 26) and it looks set to be a good year. Here’s 10 reasons why this year’s TT is set to be berilliant. Ian...

Lucio Cecchinello not surprised by Stoner’s retirement decision

25 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

Lucio Cecchinello, the man who played an integral role in helping Casey Stoner become double MotoGP world champion, says he is not surprised the Australian has decided to retire at the peak of his...

Scott Redding targets consistent podium challenge

25 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

British teenager Scott Redding believes his first Moto2 podium for over 18 months in Le Mans last weekend will help him become a consistent top three contender in 2012. Redding mastered treacherous...

HRC boss: No way to change Casey Stoner’s mind on retirement

25 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner’s Repsol Honda boss Livio Suppo says HRC didn’t try and talk the Australian out of his shock decision to retire from full-time racing at the end of 2012. Stoner stunned the racing world...

Cal Crutchlow: Casey Stoner’s retirement took b***s

24 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow reckons Casey Stoner’s shock decision to retire from MotoGP at the end of 2012 took ‘massive b***s’ from the reigning world champion. Stoner confirmed 2012 will be his last...

Valentino Rossi: Too early to ponder 2013 change

24 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi says it is too early to contemplate where his future lies in MotoGP after Casey Stoner’s shock decision to retire sparked rumours the Italian could make a dramatic return to Honda or...

Andrea Dovizioso: Lorenzo holds key to 2013 shake-up

24 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Andrea Dovizioso says current world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo has complete control of the rider market for next season. Casey Stoner’s bombshell decision to...

Paul Bird: “Ellison can kick on now”

24 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

Paul Bird believes James Ellison’s confidence will have soared and his results continue to improve after the British rider finished top CRT rider for the first time in Le Mans last weekend. Ellison...

Hillier to race Zytek Kawasaki in TT Zero race

23 May 2012 by Gary Pinchin

British Superbike racer James Hillier is to debut a ZX-10R-framed electric bike in this year’s TT Zero race. Hillier’s BSB team, Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki, and electric powertrain innovators, Zytek...

LCR Honda thrilled with Stefan Bradl’s form

22 May 2012 by Matthew Birt

LCR Honda boss Lucio Cecchinello says he is thrilled with the form of MotoGP rookie Stefan Bradl after the German claimed his best result so far in 2012 during a rain-lashed French Grand Prix on...