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February

Blog: Can Hydrex Honda step up a gear?

24 February 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Last Friday’s Hydrex Honda launch was an impressive show of team owner Shaun Muir’s long-term commitment to the sport. The team’s new workshop facility in Guisborough is by far one of the most outstanding all new facilities in BSB and the fact that Muir has a three-rider team and is building seven bikes is an impressive display of the team’s determination to succeed on all fronts. It’s not only...

Hydrex boss: BSB does it for us

24 February 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Hydrex boss: BSB does it for us

Andrew Simcox is the Managing Director of Hydrex. The company specialises in the rental and sale of mobile plant equipment with the rail, industrial and construction industries – some of the worst...

Hydrex Honda HQ tour

24 February 2009 by MCN

Hydrex Honda have shown everyone they mean business this year by unveiling their all-new purpose built headquarters. Hydrex Honda have signed Karl Harris, Stuart Easton and held on to infamous road racer Guy Martin, so it’s one serious race effort. Team owner Shaun Muir is confident: “We’ve no excuses. We’ve got the best bikes, the best team and the best riders. There’s no one on the grid we...

Jonathan Rea WSB countdown Diary – Day 7

24 February 2009 by Michael Guy

Jonathan Rea WSB countdown Diary – Day 7

In last weekends two-day test at Phillip Island, Britain’s Jonathan Rea topped the time sheets with an impressive 1m 31.8s lap time. The Ten Kate Honda rider has hit form just in time for the opening...

Yamaha boss supports calendar cut

24 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha boss supports calendar cut

Yamaha’s senior MotoGP boss Masao Furusawa believes an effective way to slash costs in MotoGP would be to significantly reduce the world championship calendar. The MotoGP world championship currently...

Silverstone set to be fastest MotoGP track

24 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Silverstone set to be fastest MotoGP track

Silverstone’s revamped circuit to host the 2010 British MotoGP race looks set to make it the fastest on the world championship calendar with an average speed of 113mph! Simulations of the revised...

Valentino Rossi bemoans loss of qualifying tyres

24 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi bemoans loss of qualifying tyres

Six-times MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has bemoaned the loss of qualifying tyres under the new single tyre rule for 2009. The Fiat Yamaha rider is worried that Saturday afternoon’s qualifying...

Valentino Rossi is scared of Wayne Rooney

24 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi is scared of Wayne Rooney

Reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi isn’t scared of dicing with Casey Stoner at nearly 200mph. But he is scared of England football star and Manchester United ace Wayne Rooney. Rossi’s...

British Eurosport MotoGP announcement this week

24 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

British Eurosport MotoGP announcement this week

As MCN exclusively revealed last week, MotoGP will stay on British Eurosport in 2009, with an official announcement expected later this week. MCN understands a deal has been reached between Dorna and...

Carlos Checa rates his title rivals

23 February 2009 by Michael Guy

Carlos Checa rates his title rivals

Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Carlos Checa will start the 2009 season as one of the favourites. The veteran Spaniard now has a year of World Superbike experience and a year of developing his Honda...

Meeting Rea at the Belfast Show

22 February 2009 by jamierob

Meeting Rea at the Belfast Show

Met JR last Friday 13/2/09 at Belfast Motorbike show and took a couple of photos of him with my son and his mates , they were all really pleased to meet him ,so thanks and good luck this year,

Neukirchner leads the way in Phillip Island test

22 February 2009 by Michael Guy

Neukirchner leads the way in Phillip Island test

Alstare Suzuki man Max Neukirchner topped the time sheets on the opening day of the final two day test at Phillip Island. The 24 year old German riding the new 2009 GSXR-1000 set a time of 1m 32.5s to...

Jonathan Rea – WSB countdown diary – Day 5

21 February 2009 by Michael Guy

Jonathan Rea – WSB countdown diary – Day 5

Having spent the last four days on the beach and having BBQ’s it was down to the serious stuff today with the first of a two day Superbike test at Phillip Island. “I made my usual start to the day...

Happy Birthday Rossi

20 February 2009 by alan wilcocck

Happy Birthday Rossi

I just want to wish the ‘young’ Mr Rossi a very happy birthday and to thank him and his team manager for the best wishes and the gifts they sent to my brother “Colin” last year. He was recovering...

Rizla to stay with Suzuki’s MotoGP squad

20 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Rizla to stay with Suzuki’s MotoGP squad

Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen’s impressive start to 2009 has convinced title sponsors Rizla to remain with Suzuki’s factory MotoGP squad, MCN has learned. Negotiations that have been taking...

Credit crunch increases pressure in MotoGP

20 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Credit crunch increases pressure in MotoGP

Factory Suzuki boss Paul Denning believes the impact of the global economic crisis will only intensify the pressure to perform in MotoGP. Denning believes there will be closer scrutiny on teams to...

Team personnel key to Troy Corser’s success at BMW

20 February 2009 by Michael Guy

Team personnel key to Troy Corser’s success at BMW

Troy Corser has put his impressive testing pace onboard the new BMW S1000RR down to the strength of his immediate crew and professionalism of the German team. Get all the latest WSB news Corser is...

Jonathan Rea – WSB countdown diary – Day 4

20 February 2009 by Michael Guy

Jonathan Rea – WSB countdown diary – Day 4

With the two day World Superbike test at Phillip Island kicking off tomorrow, Jonathan Rea has continued to make the most of his time and has clearly settled into the Australian way of life. He didn’t...

Sete Gibernau withdraws from Qatar test

20 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Sete Gibernau withdraws from Qatar test

Spaniard Sete Gibernau has been ruled out of the night test in Qatar next month after suffering a left shoulder injury in training yesterday (Thursday). Get all the latest MotoGP news The Onde 2000...

Maxtra 125GP team to change name

20 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Maxtra 125GP team to change name

The new Maxtra 125GP team, spearheaded by British motorsport legend John Surtees, looks certain to have change its name less than two months before the start of its maiden world championship...

New-look Hydrex Honda

20 February 2009 by Gary Pinchin

New-look Hydrex Honda

The new-look Hydrex Honda team was unveiled this morning at their lavish new workshops in Guisborough. Team owner Shaun Muir has pinned his and the team’s hopes of lifting the BSB title on Karl Harris...

Chris Vermeulen confident in 2009 factory Suzuki

20 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Chris Vermeulen confident in 2009 factory Suzuki

Chris Vermeulen reckons Suzuki’s positive start to the 2009 testing campaign has already proven that the new factory GSV-R can be a podium challenger from the first race of the season. Suzuki provided...

Nicky Hayden lacking rear confidence

20 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden lacking rear confidence

American Nicky Hayden reckons he must adapt to the aggressive pumping from the rear of Ducati’s new factory GP9 as the start of the 2009 MotoGP campaign approaches. One of the biggest issues the 2006...

My son's Bruce Anstey tattoo

19 February 2009 by wullum

My son's Bruce Anstey tattoo

This is my son’s tattoo of Bruce Anstey, who signed it at the TT and gave him his knee sliders. Top bloke!

Jonathan Rea – WSB countdown diary – Day 3

19 February 2009 by Michael Guy

Jonathan Rea – WSB countdown diary – Day 3

On day three of Jonathan Rea’s WSB countdown diary the young Brit has been talking tactics with his team ahead of this weekends test at Phillip Island. He’s also found time to relax, have another BBQ...

2010 prototype MotoGP bikes to be unveiled in June

19 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

2010 prototype MotoGP bikes to be unveiled in June

The two post race tests on the 2009 MotoGP calendar will only permit manufacturers to test 2010 prototype bikes. That means a host of new bikes for the 2010 campaign could be seen as early as June 15...

Blusens Moto2 bike tested in Valencia

19 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Blusens Moto2 bike tested in Valencia

The Spanish-based Blusens squad created a slice of history for itself in Valencia this week when it became the first team to track test a new 600cc bike for the Moto2 class. Dani Rivas tested the new...

Tuxworth talks BSB cost-cutting

19 February 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Tuxworth talks BSB cost-cutting

In this week’s MCN we go behind the scenes at the HM Plant Honda team workshops in Louth to talk to the team about their 2009 race bikes. We also talked to team boss Neil Tuxworth about what he thinks...

British Eurosport to continue MotoGP coverage?

19 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

British Eurosport to continue MotoGP coverage?

British Eurosport has denied clinching a deal to continue showing coverage of the MotoGP world championship in 2009. But MCN understands that a deal is close to being reached with MotoGP rights owners...

Rockstar Farquhar at NW200

18 February 2009 by suzukimad07

Ryan Farquhar at the NW200. The biggest crowd puller in road racing!

Haslam satisfied with Phillip Island WSB test

18 February 2009 by Michael Guy

Leon Haslam believes he is ready to race after completing a two day test at Phillip Island. The Stiggy Honda rider has continued to work on machine set-up ended the test happy with his result after slashing a full second off his day one best lap time. He said: “It’s been good, we’ve worked a lot on set-up and been able to eliminate a lot of things. Phillip Island is different to where we’ve tested...

Fantasy Road Race: MCN sports reporters choose their teams

18 February 2009 by MCN

Fantasy Road Race: MCN sports reporters choose their teams

What do our globetrotting MCN sports reporters know about talent-spotting in racing? To find out, we got them to pick their teams for this year’s MCN Fantasy Road Race Competition, run in association...

Biaggi fastest in three day Phillip Island WSB test

18 February 2009 by Michael Guy

Biaggi fastest in three day Phillip Island WSB test

Aprilia’s Max Biaggi has ended the first round of testing at Phillip Island with the fastest time. Riding the Aprilia RSV4, Biaggi survived a day two fall at Honda Hairpin to get his pre season...

Practice reduced as MotoGP bosses agree 2009 cost cuts

18 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Practice reduced as MotoGP bosses agree 2009 cost cuts

Friday morning free practice sessions for all three MotoGP classes will be axed as part of a range of cost-cutting measures agreed for the 2009 season today. Electronic and hydraulic launch control...

Casey Stoner ‘disappointed’ with wrist operation

18 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner ‘disappointed’ with wrist operation

Former MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner has said he disappointed with the outcome of the left wrist operation that has still not fully recovered from. Despite topping the timesheets on his comeback...

Silverstone provides fresh start for British MotoGP

18 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Silverstone provides fresh start for British MotoGP

Silverstone bosses believe commitment to make radical on and off track changes convinced Dorna to move the British MotoGP race away from its long established home at Donington Park. Asked why he...