2009

Year: 2009

Month: ALL

Donington Park disappointed at losing British GP

12 January 2009 by Michael Guy

After 22 years, Donington Park has lost the rights to host the British motorcycle GP to rival circuit Silverstone as of 2010. This year’s prestigious race will still take place at Donington on 26th...

What a tragedy Donington losing MotoGP!

12 January 2009 by Andy

What a tragedy Donno losing motogp! What a boring flat track S/stone is, come on guys get your act together, but maybe 2015 Donno will be up to spec and get the race back!

Silverstone confirm five year MotoGP contract

12 January 2009 by Michael Guy

As reported on motorcyclenews.com yesterday Silverstone will host the British round of the MotoGP championship from 2010. The Northamptonshire circuit most famous for hosting Formula One has confirmed...

Poll: Where would you prefer to see the British GP?

12 January 2009 by Rob Hull

With rumours of the British GP switching to Silverstone from Donington for 2010, we want to know what you think. Reports have emerged that Silverstone has offered to pay series organisers Dorna a...

Silverstone to run MotoGP race in 2010?

12 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Despite the announcement last week that Donington Park has been given the planning consent for multi million pound circuit development, MCN has learned that the Leicestershire venue could lose the...

Dakar day 9: Simon Pavey blog

12 January 2009 by Michael Guy

After racing his BMW G650 Xchallenge almost 5,000 kilometres through to Stage 8 of the punishing 2009 Argentina – Chile Dakar Rally, Simon Pavey suffered his first major problem in the Rally. The...

Dakar Day 8 – Despres takes stage win to move in to third overall.

11 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Frenchman Cyril Despres powered his Red Bull KTM to the stage win on day eight of the Dakar and now holds third position overall with seven days remaining. Despres took 4h 7m 9s to complete the 294KM...

Dakar Day 7 – Lopez wins stage as riders arrive in Chile

10 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Francisco Lopez claimed a memorable stage victory onboard his Team Copec Movistar KTM on day seven of the 2009 Dakar Rally. The Chilean rider received an incredible reception from the thousands of...

Dakar day 7 - Simon Pavey blog

10 January 2009 by Michael Guy

The World of BMW Off-Road Skills Chief Instructor Simon Pavey has impressively finished Day 7 of the Rally, riding 815km from Mendoza in Argentina and crossing the border to Chile to arrive in the bivouac in Valparaiso. Pavey finished the Special Timed Stage in a credible 58th position and is placed 49th overall in the Rally. Writing for MCN, Pavey said: “Today we were faced with the South...

The future of MotoGP?

10 January 2009 by Anonymous

Here’s an article I wrote for the ‘OD-Racing’ website a couple of years ago. Of course some small things have changed since, but in the new racing climate it makes for interesting reading: The top class in the World Championship has successfully changed from 500cc 2 strokes to 990cc 4 strokes, without too many problems, but now a few little problems are starting to surface. The two main problems...

Dorna boss hopeful Kawasaki ‘private’ team will race in 2009

09 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta is confident that Kawasaki will have some involvement in the 2009 MotoGP world championship, despite today’s announcement its factory team would not race next...

Marco Melandri not shocked by Kawasaki withdrawal

09 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Italian Marco Melandri says he wasn’t shocked by today’s official announcement that Kawasaki is to quit the MotoGP world championship with immediate effect. Despite rumours of a last-minute reprieve...

Video: The special status of the North West 200

09 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Back in the office after two days in Northern Ireland, primarily for Thursday’s North West 200 launch and I was trying to explain just how the race is revered in the province. The launch festivities kicked off at around 10.00am but by then there were already pictures flying through cyber-space to serve websites worldwide of bikini-clad Miss Northern Ireland, draped across a 1930s Rudge in front of...

Supercross action heads to Liverpool and London

09 January 2009 by Sarah Carnell

The final three rounds of the British Supercross Championship are fast approaching and the line up of riders is already looking impressive. Flashing lights, motocross style bikes soaring through the...

Karl Harris training hard

09 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Hydrex Honda boss Shaun Muir has written strict fitness and dietry controls into the contract of new signing Karl Harris. Harris has always previously used boxing as a method of training but his new...

BSB blog 2009 – plenty of sub plots

09 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

It may be a long way off to the start of the British Superbike season – and it’ll seem even longer with a predicted cutback in pre-season testing. But that hasn’t stopped talk in the MCN office about...

Video: North West 200 launch: Rutter and Plater interviewed

09 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Last year’s big North West 200 winners Steve Plater and Michael Rutter are both on different bikes this year. MCN asked them about their news deals. Michael Rutter NW200 Coca Cola Zero Yamaha You had...

Tech 3 bosses urges caution on rule changes

09 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

James Toseland’s Tech 3 Yamaha boss Herve Poncharal believes it will be hard for MotoGP to radically revamp technical rules to counter the impact of the credit crisis. Several suggestions have been...

Dakar day 6 - Simon Pavey Blog

09 January 2009 by Rob Hull

World of BMW Off Road Skills Chief Instructor Simon Pavey has secured his best Special Stage result of the 2009 Argentina – Chile Dakar Rally on the sixth day of the event. Pavey was 34th overall in...

Dakar Day 6 - Despres takes first stage win

09 January 2009 by Michael Guy

2007 Dakar champion Cyril Despres took his first stage win of the 2009 event to get his race back on track. The Frenchman has had a torrid time so far with punctures, crashes and navigation problems...

Kawasaki confirms MotoGP exit

09 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Kawasaki has confirmed this morning that it will quit the MotoGP world championship with immediate effect, leaving John Hopkins and Marco Melandri without a ride just three months before the first...

Donington Park revamp to go ahead

09 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Donington Park has been granted planning permission for a multi million pound development that promises to turn it into Britain’s flagship racing circuit. After months of speculation regarding the new...

HM Plant Honda will run two superbikes

08 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

HM Plant Honda team boss Neil Tuxworth has scotched rumours suggesting that their superbike effort would be slashed to just one rider for the forthcoming season. Rumours have persisted that Josh...

Michael Dunlop to race Norton at North West 200

08 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

The North West 200 organisers are on the verge of granting special dispensation to allow Michael Dunlop to race the rotary-engine Norton at this year’s 80th Anniversary meeting on May 16. Dunlop is to...

Michael Rutter in NW200 course inspection

08 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Ahead of today’s 2009 North West 200 press launch, NW200 Yamaha rider Michael Rutter met with NW200 Clerk of the Course to discuss possible safety improvements to the superfast 8.96 mile ‘Triangle’ of...

Ben Spies confirms Yamaha MotoGP interest for 2010

08 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies has confirmed he sits high on a list of Yamaha MotoGP targets for 2010. The Texan is already being touted for a possible seat in the Tech 3 Yamaha squad, depending on how he performs in his...

Dakar day 5 - Simon Pavey Blog

08 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Honorary Brit, Simon Pavey dug deep on the hardest stage of the Dakar to secure an impressive 46th place finish on the arduous 506KM sixth stage. His strong result moves the BMW man up to 45th overall...

Carmelo Ezpeleta holds Kawasaki crisis talks

08 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta has staged crisis talks with top Kawasaki management in Japan today in a bid to get the Japanese factory to race in MotoGP in 2009. Kawasaki has still not officially...

Dakar Day 5 – Strong showing by Brits on toughest stage so far

08 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Brits Mick Extance (Honda Europe Dakar Sport) and Stanley Watt (KTM Front Row GB) proved their credentials on the hardest day of the 2009 Dakar so far with impressive results. Dakar veteran Mick...

Donington Park revamp under consideration

08 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Local planners will consider the multi-million pound revamp of Donington Park at a meeting today (Thursday). North West Leicestershire District Council’s planning committee will consider the plans to...

Casey Stoner ready for wrist assessment

08 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Former world champion Casey Stoner will learn whether is on course for an early February comeback when he undergoes medical checks on his left wrist in Italy next week. The Australian is due to fly...

Coca Cola Zero backing announced for North West 200 and Rutter

08 January 2009 by Marc Potter

Coca Cola are backing motorcycle racing with the announcement that Coca Cola Zero will sponsor Michael Rutter in British Superbikes, and back the North West 200 races in May. This is the first...

MotoGP blog: MotoGP in crisis

07 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Kawasaki’s bombshell decision to quit MotoGP was a wake up call of Big Ben proportions for the racing world. Well for MotoGP at least, which had previously seemed impregnable to the global economic...

Dakar day 4 – Simon Pavey Blog

07 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Six times Dakar veteran Simon Pavey secured his best result in the Rally Special Stages so far, of 48th position and moved up 20 places to 65th overall in the motorcycle category. Day four of the...

French rider killed in Dakar Rally

07 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Frenchman Pascal Terry has been found dead on the Dakar Rally in Argentina. The 49-year-old was found after the fourth stage having been missing since Sunday’s second stage between Santa Rosa and...

Engine development freeze can slash MotoGP costs

07 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Honda team boss Lucio Cecchinello believes costs could be cut by 20 to 30 per cent with a freeze on engine development in MotoGP. The LCR Honda boss is one of several teams treading a financial...