April

Year: 2012

Month: April

Thruxton BSB: Tommy Hill takes pole

14 April 2012 by MCN

Thruxton BSB: Tommy Hill takes pole

Reigning BSB champion Tommy Hill will start from pole tomorrow after setting the fstest time during a drying qualifying session. The first qualifying session – held in wet conditions – was extended to...

TV coverage for road racing

14 April 2012 by Anonymous

How come we have road races on and we never get much info about them? This weekend is the Scarborough event at which I will be working with a team. These people entertain the public, put their lives on the line, all of which they are happy to do in order to race. However, it is very rarely on TV unless it is local TV or the TT. Please get a campaign going to put this type of racing on TV. There’s...

Loris Capirossi certain Valentino Rossi still fast enough to win

13 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi certain Valentino Rossi still fast enough to win

Valentino Rossi is still fast enough to challenge Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo’s recent domination of the MotoGP world championship. That’s the view of Rossi’s fellow Italian Loris Capirossi, who...

Qatar fourth confirms huge step by Cal Crutchlow

13 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar fourth confirms huge step by Cal Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow’s fantastic fourth place in last weekend’s season opening MotoGP race in Qatar was confirmation of the huge leap made by the British rider for the 2012 world championship. The Monster...

MotoGP budget cap impossible to police, say HRC and Yamaha

13 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP budget cap impossible to police, say HRC and Yamaha

Yamaha and Honda have said plans for a £12.5m budget cap on what factories can spend on their 1000cc MotoGP projects each season is impossible to police. Dorna is keen to implement a budget...

Yamaha: Jorge Lorenzo’s Qatar win vital early boost

12 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha: Jorge Lorenzo’s Qatar win vital early boost

Jorge Lorenzo’s factory Yamaha boss Wilco Zeelenberg said it was vital that the Spaniard pounced on Casey Stoner’s arm pump issue to claim a historic first 1000cc win in Qatar last weekend. Aussie...

Rev limit best way to cut cost and performance of MotoGP prototypes

12 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Rev limit best way to cut cost and performance of MotoGP prototypes

A rev limit is the most effective way of reducing costs and cutting the gulf in performance between the factory prototypes and new 1000cc production-based CRT machines in MotoGP. That’s the view of...

Poll: Should MotoGP and WSB be merged?

11 April 2012 by MCN

Poll: Should MotoGP and WSB be merged?

MotoGP and WSB are now owned by the same company, and althought WSB is a production-based class historically cheaper that MotoGP, Biaggi used 28 engines throughout 2011. Some of the top factory WSB...

Poll: Will Cal Crutchlow get on the podium this year?

11 April 2012

Poll: Will Cal Crutchlow get on the podium this year?

Tech 3 Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow equalled his best ever MotoGP result at Qatar last weekend with a fourth placed finish behind Casey Stoner. The Coventry rider impressed during winter testing and...

John Laverty at Brands Hatch

10 April 2012 by guineapigs

John Laverty at Brands Hatch

I took this shot at Brands Hatch on April 9 of John Laverty coming a cropper.

Brands Hatch BSB: Second superbike race cancelled

09 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Brands Hatch BSB: Second superbike race cancelled

The second superbike race of the 2012 BSB season opener at Brands Hatch has been cancelled after fuel was spilled during the British Supersport race. Pauli Pekkanen crashed during the second...

Jerry Burgess: “We’re nowhere near fast enough.”

09 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Jerry Burgess: “We’re nowhere near fast enough.”

Valentino Rossi and Ducati endured a dark night in Qatar after the Italian slumped to a dismal 10th place finish to start the new 1000cc MotoGP world championship. The nine-times world champion was a...

Qatar MotoGP: Yamaha thrilled with Cal Crutchlow form

09 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Yamaha thrilled with Cal Crutchlow form

Cal Crutchlow’s fantastic fourth place in last night’s opening MotoGP clash in Qatar drew praise from Yamaha management thrilled with his stunning form in 2012. The British rider continued his...

Qatar MotoGP: Ben Spies vows to bounce back quickly

09 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Ben Spies vows to bounce back quickly

Ben Spies is aiming to bounce back quickly from a torrid start to the new 1000cc MotoGP era after the Texan slumped to a bitterly disappointing 11th place in Qatar last night. Two heavy crashes...

Qatar MotoGP: Arm pump halts Casey Stoner’s victory bid

09 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Arm pump halts Casey Stoner’s victory bid

Casey Stoner’s hopes of a fifth victory in six years in the season’s opening MotoGP race in Qatar were thwarted by a severe right arm pump issue that dropped the Australian back into third spot. The...

Qatar MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo hails ‘perfect’ start

09 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo hails ‘perfect’ start

Jorge Lorenzo was thrilled after a stunning late surge secured him a historic first victory in the new 1000cc MotoGP world championship in Qatar last night. The factory Yamaha rider pounced on Casey...

Brands Hatch BSB: Kirkham wins wet first race

09 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Brands Hatch BSB: Kirkham wins wet first race

Samsung Honda rider John Kirkham has won the opening race of the 2012 BSB championship in wet conditions at Brands Hatch. The safety car was called out onto track twice during the 30 lap race, first...

Qatar MotoGP: Lorenzo victorious at season opener

08 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Qatar MotoGP: Lorenzo victorious at season opener

Factory Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo has won the opening race of the 2012 MotoGP championship at the floodlit Losail circuit in Qatar. Lorenzo took to the front of the pack on the first lap, but...

Qatar MotoGP: Marquez victorious in Moto2

08 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Qatar MotoGP: Marquez victorious in Moto2

Spaniard Marc Marquez completed a stunning return to Moto2 by taking victory in the opening race of 2012, despite having only been declared fit to race three weeks before the opening...

Qatar MotoGP: Maverick Vinales wins Moto3 opener

08 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Qatar MotoGP: Maverick Vinales wins Moto3 opener

FTR Honda took the top two steps of the podium after Avintia Racing rider Maverick Vinales won the first ever Moto3 race at the Losail circuit, Qatar. Grand Prix newcomer Romano Fenati was the...

Brands Hatch BSB: Josh Brookes takes pole

08 April 2012 by MCN

Brands Hatch BSB: Josh Brookes takes pole

Tyco Suzuki rider Josh Brookes will start the first race of the 2012 BSB championship from pole position after setting a fastest time of 52.877secs, ahead of Samsung Honda rider John Kirkham. Rapid...

Brands Hatch BSB: Hill tops Saturday free practice

08 April 2012 by Gary Pinchin

Brands Hatch BSB: Hill tops Saturday free practice

Tommy Hill topped both free practice sessions at Brands Hatch yesterday preparing for the opening round of the 2012 MCE British Superbike Championship on Monday. The Swan Yamaha rider set a best time...

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow aims for maiden rostrum

08 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow aims for maiden rostrum

British fans who have waited over a decade for a British rider to claim a MotoGP podium might only have to wait another few hours after Cal Crutchlow qualified on the front row of the grid for...

Qatar MotoGP: Chatter thwarts Casey Stoner’s pole bid

08 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Chatter thwarts Casey Stoner’s pole bid

Casey Stoner fears a repeat of the severe chatter that ruined his bid to claim pole position in Qatar last night could also deny him the chance to claim the first victory of the new 1000cc era at the...

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi shocked by qualifying slump

08 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi shocked by qualifying slump

Valentino Rossi’s Ducati troubles deepened tonight in Qatar when the Italian finished in a lowly 12th place in qualifying for tomorrow night’s opening MotoGP round at the Losail International...

Qatar MotoGP: Lorenzo steals pole from Stoner

07 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Qatar MotoGP: Lorenzo steals pole from Stoner

2010 MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo has ended Casey Stoner’s dominance, stealing pole position from the reigning champion in the dying moments of the qualifying session with a lap of 1:54.634. Stoner...

Qatar MotoGP: Luthi dominates to take pole

07 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Qatar MotoGP: Luthi dominates to take pole

Suter rider Thomas Luthi has taken pole position with a fastest time of 2:0.187, which he set at the beginning of the session on only his third lap. Luthi has topped every session of the weekend so...

Qatar MotoGP: Sandro Cortese takes first ever Moto3 pole

07 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Qatar MotoGP: Sandro Cortese takes first ever Moto3 pole

Red Bull KTM rider Sandro Cortese has taken the first ever Moto3 pole position under the floodlit Losail circuit in Qatar today, with a time of 2:08.188. Cortese pipped Spaniard Maverick Vinales to...

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow plays down podium hopes

06 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow plays down podium hopes

Cal Crutchlow has played down hopes that he could kick off the new 1000cc MotoGP era with a podium on Sunday night in Qatar after he ended practice in second position and just 0.154s behind Jorge...

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi seeks smoother Ducati power

06 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi seeks smoother Ducati power

Understeer is not the only issue that Valentino Rossi believes is preventing him from moving the Ducati GP12 closer to challenging Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo’s recent domination of the MotoGP...

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow second, Lorenzo fastest in practice

06 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow second, Lorenzo fastest in practice

Cal Crutchlow came tantalisingly close to finishing practice for the opening round of the 1000cc MotoGP world championship in Qatar with the fastest time at the floodlit Losail International Circuit...

Brands Hatch BSB: Byrne tops afternoon session

06 April 2012 by Gary Pinchin

Brands Hatch BSB: Byrne tops afternoon session

Shane Byrne topped the afternoon practice session at Brands Hatch today ahead of the weekend’s first MCE British Superbike round of the season. The Rapid Solicitor Kawasaki rider was the only one to...

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner leads second practice

06 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner leads second practice

Casey Stoner shrugged off blustery conditions at the floodlight Losail International Circuit in Qatar tonight to top the timesheets in the second MotoGP practice session. The Australian, who was...

Brands Hatch BSB: Graham Gowland tops first session

06 April 2012 by Gary Pinchin

Brands Hatch BSB: Graham Gowland tops first session

Graham Gowland set the pace in this morning’s first test session prior to the weekend’s first round of the MCE British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch. The BY Team WFR Honda rider clocked a...

Qatar MotoGP: Slow starter Cal Crutchlow sixth in opening practice

06 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Slow starter Cal Crutchlow sixth in opening practice

For the first half of the opening practice session of the new MotoGP campaign in Qatar tonight, British rider Cal Crutchlow was languishing uncharacteristically outside of the top 10. All through...

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi worried ahead of season opener

06 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi worried ahead of season opener

Valentino Rossi said a lack of rear grip with his new Ducati GP12 machine was a big cause for concern after he ended the opening practice session of 2012 at the floodlit Losail International Circuit...