2007 Ducati 1098 on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Tough battles at Brands in the 848 Challenge

The unique prospect of racing on both the Indy and GP circuits at Brands Hatch meant that Round 5 of the Rapid Solicitors Ducati 848 Challenge was very much a tale of two halves. Having already raced the Indy circuit earlier in the season, the first part of the weekend was going to be reminiscent of previous rounds, while the switch to the GP circuit would favour those few who had previous race experience on the longer track. A full schedule on the opening day of the round saw Mike Edwards (MSKWorks.com) top the qualifying table to claim his first pole position of the season with a storming 48.86 sec lap, despite a low-side reminder of how slippery Druids can be in early morning free practice.

2011 Isle of Man TT Recap

The Isle of Man TT usually provides a lot of drama, and this year’s event was no different. John McGuinness, second on the all-time TT wins list, added two more wins to his resume to win the Joey Dunlop Trophy while MotoCzysz once again fell just short of taking the bounty for being the first electric motorcycle team to record a 100 mph lap on the Mountain Course. The 2011 Isle of Man TT also had its share of tragedy with three racing fatalities.

Looking after number 1

There was a time when a rider’s number indicated his position from the previous season, with the ultimate accolade being the number 1 emblazoned on the front of the champion's bike. The rise of branding in MotoGP and a rider wanting to market themselves, born from Barry Sheene and his retention of no.7, saw riders decide against displaying their finish from the year before. Rossi, who on winning his numerous championships, stuck with his famous #46 in defence of his titles, instead of stamping a great number 1 on his bikes.