Thursday mornings second practice cum qualifying session was indeed wet as predicted. As such, all times from Tuesday’s session will set the grid for Saturday’s racing. Here are the times from Thursday’s Superbike and Supersport sessions. Read more…

Team Suzuki Press Office – May 18.

Seeley gets his Suzuki GSX-R1000 sideways ahead of Farquhar’s Kawasaki ZX10 in the wet
Image credit Suzuki Racing

Alastair Seeley made history on a number of fronts during last night’s Superstock race one victory at the International North West 200 in Northern Ireland: The Carrickfergus rider and his TAS Racing crew gave new title sponsor Tyco Security Products its debut International Road Race victory and Suzuki a global first in the class with the new GSX-R1000.

Seeley also became the first man to win a Thursday night race at the event after decimating his rivals with a 22-second victory, and afterwards the six-time winner on the North Coast praised his team, the GSX-R machinery and Pirelli tyres. Read more…

Ryan Farquhar in the wet on Thursday
Image credit Michael Bradley for NW200

The North West 200 got off to a cracking start Thursday evening on the Triangle Circuit despite trying weather and track conditions for the riders. Heavy rain during the day left the track soaking, but with skies clearing and no further rain expected, tyre choice was critical. Most opted for full wets in the opening Superstock race, as the ambient temperature and 6 lap race would not likely excessively dry the track surface.

Pole sitter Alastair Seeley said it was “very slippery, too wet for intermediates, it’s not going to dry in time”, a sentiment echoed by Ryan Farquhar “it’s not dry enough for intermediate’s, I’m going for full wets”. Read more…

Ducati Team heads to “stop-and-go” Le Mans circuit

Having encountered at least one day of rain during every winter test and in every race so far except for Qatar, the two Ducati Team riders hope for a weekend with stable weather conditions at Le Mans as they continue working on the setup of the GP12.

Friday will find Valentino Rossi back on the track where he finished on the podium last year, and with the Portuguese post-race test having been cancelled due to bad weather, he’ll start with the settings he used at Estoril race, with the goal of improving upon his seventh-place finish there.

Nicky Hayden also hopes to do better than in Portugal, and although he doesn’t count the French circuit among his favourites, he thinks some of its characteristics could be a good match for his Ducati. Read more…

Greatest MotoGP™ Rivalry Continues At Historic Le Mans

MotoGP™ returns this weekend at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, where Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner will look to extend his lead at the top of the championship standings.

He will face stiff competition from his teammate Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo, who have been the only three racers to stand on the podium this season. They have already cemented themselves as one of the greatest rivalries in the 64-year history of the sport, having shared the podium a record 16 times – four more than any other trio in the past. Read more…

This earlier press release from Nadynn International.

Win the Race of Life at 180 MPH: Female Motorcycle Racer Invited to TED Conference in Montreal

Championship motorcycle racer, international inspirational speaker, best-selling author and success coach is invited to attend the world-renowned TEDx Conference in Montreal promoting success skills among industry experts Read more…

The Green Team Gets Ready To Kick Off His Grand Prix Of France

The MotoGP World Championship stops off in France this week as the Le Mans circuit prepares to host the fourth round of the 2012 season.

The French track is one of the least technical circuits on the calendar, with the first part being the most complicated where the high speed turn one, is one of the fastest in MotoGP, and it is followed by a number of tight chicanes.
The rest of the track is made up of short straights and hairpins, calling not just for balance and control under hard and repeated braking, but also for a neat and swift transfer from full braking to full acceleration on the exit of the corners. Read more…

Bradl Keen To Ride At The Famous “Stop-And-Go” Le Mans Track

Le Mans, 17th of May: Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP RC213V) finished third in Le Mans during his strong early season run that led to the 2011 Moto2 World Championship. At this week’s event LCR Honda MotoGP Team is pleased to announce that ELF will act as Title Sponsor branding the German talent motorbikes ahead the fourth round of the season. Bradl has three finishes in the top nine in his rookie MotoGP campaign, having finished seventh in Jerez, a track similar to Estoril. Read more…

Le Mans awaits the NGM Mobile Forward Racing Team

Le Mans will be the place to be for the fourth round of the World Championship. The now classic race of the World Championship takes place at a very particular time for the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team. Absent at the last GP in Portugal after Colin Edwards’s injury on this left collarbone, the team arrives on French soil with an old friend of the MotoGP. Read more…

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium. Rear: Soft, Medium (Asymmetric).

Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Soft (Main), Hard (Alternative).

MotoGP™ heads to the sacred motorsport arena of Le Mans this weekend with the 4.185 kilometre Bugatti circuit playing host to the fourth round of the 2012 season. Read more…