It might be a new year, but the coronavirus continues to disrupt the plans of the motorcycle racing community, and the 2021 edition of the North West 200 is the first race of the year to be canceled because of COVID-19 concerns and restrictions.
The road racing calendar took a big hit today, with the 2020 Isle of Man TT canceled because of concerns about the spreading coronavirus.
The news is especially bleak as the North West 200 seems certain to also see its racing canceled or postponed, and the Cookstown 100 and Tandragee 100 have been postponed as well.
This announcement from the Manx government comes as the United Kingdom has stepped up its coronavirus response, and for the TT, the Isle of Man has increased its measures to protect the island nation from the outbreak.
The check boxes are getting ticked by the Ducati Panigale V4 R. WorldSBK race winner? Check! British Superbike race winner? Check! Road Racing winner? Not just yet.
The Ducati Panigale V4 R was designed and developed to dominate, and Gigi Dall’igna has said that the goal is to make the bike the most sought after Superbike in every paddock.
Last year the Italian spoke about how important it was to win the North West 200 because this was a race that Ducati had never won. Breaking new ground was important 12 months ago, and it’s even more important now.
The new bike is one that can, in theory, be a contender at the Suzuka 8 Hours, and finally give Ducati a reliable platform to compete at races such as that. The North West 200 is also a potential precursor to once again seeing Ducati on the roads of the Isle of Man.
This bike has the potential to be a real challenger, but it will take success this weekend to really show just how good the Panigale V4 R can become.
To find out what goes into making a bike into a contender on the roads Asphalt & Rubber talked with Paul Bird Motorsport to find out exactly what it takes.
Peter Hickman and Josh Brookes are two riders who have proved that short circuit riders can still make the switch to the roads.
Twenty years ago the, top British short circuit riders were all racing on the roads. Whether you were an up and coming John McGuinness, or an established star like Michael Rutter, it was expected that you would join the list of short circuit racers that raced on the roads.
The practice was as old as factory contracts, and it was expected that if you wanted to have the best bikes in the British championships, you would race at the North West 200 and the Isle of Man TT.
That practice has slowly faded out, but in recent years the move has been made by some short circuit riders to return to the roads.
Josh Brookes and Peter Hickman have both shown exactly what short circuit riders can do on the roads, and with Hickman having won a series of international races, and Glenn Irwin’s recent North West 200 victory, it’s clear there are still some short circuit riders keen to test their nerves.
The 2018 Isle of Man TT is underway and Asphalt & Rubber has you covered to get up to date with some of the biggest names at the Isle of Man TT.
The road racing capital of the world is rarely called a paradise, but it is hard to look past that word when the sun shines on this 200 square miles of rock in the Irish Sea.
This week the sun is certainly shining, and practice week has already been one to remember. Lap records look set to be shattered as this past winter is banished from memory by the burning sun.
John McGuinness came away from this year’s North West 200 battered and bruised, with the Honda Racing rider suffering a compound fracture to his right leg, along with a set of broken ribs and four fractured vertebrae, after crashing during the superbike practice.
The injuries have ruled McGuinness out of this year’s Isle of Man TT, which is only 10 days away at this point in time. Still in the hospital, awaiting an external fixture to hold his broken leg together, McGuinness will also have to wear a back brace for the next six weeks.
Reaching out to his fans, through a statement from the Honda road racing team, McGuinness has expressed his thanks for all the well wishes from fans and the road racing community, and confirms that for this year’s TT, the best he can hope for is to be a spectator.
You can read the full statement from John McGuinness, after the jump.
Crashing during the superbike practice at the North West 200 on Thursday, John McGuinness was reported to have suffered a broken right leg. But now getting an update on his condition, we can see that his injuries are far worse than was initially thought.
While Honda Racing has withdrawn from the rest of superstock and superbike races at the North West 200, because of concerns regarding a mechanical issue causing the McGuinness’ crash, these injuries also cast significant doubt over John McGuinness competing in this year’s Isle of Man TT.
Big news today out of the North West 200, as John McGuinness suffered a crash at the Primrose corner, during the Superbike practice session. He was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, with a suspected broken right leg.
The injury has cast some doubt on McGuinness’s participation in this year’s Isle of Man TT, but it has also scuttled Guy Martin’s plans for the Superstock race at the North West 200.
Michael Dunlop will be on an all-new machine for the 2017 Isle of Man TT, as the Northern Irishman has inked a deal that sees him on the new Suzuki GSX-R1000R superbike for the North West 200, Isle of Man TT, and Ulster GP.
Confirming the news with Britain’s MCN, Dunlop says he will continue to ride with the Hawk Racing team in the Superbike class, with full-factory support from Yoshimura.
The deal also sees him campaigning another GSX-R1000R in the Superstock class under his MD Racing name, as well as a yet-to-be-determined Supersport model.
Road Racing’s biggest personality is returning to the paddock, as Guy Martin has signed up with the factory Honda Racing team. Martin will be alongside John McGuinness, and the pair will compete in the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT on the Honda CBR1000RR SP2.
The news is a welcomed announcement for those who missed Guy Martin’s presence in the road racing scene – the truck mechanic from Lincolnshire sat out the 2016 Isle of Man TT, and other racing events, choosing instead to take on some other projects, like a land speed record attempt at Bonneville.
The world’s favorite road racer will not be at the 2016 Isle of Man TT, nor at the North West 200, as Guy Martin says he will be missing those events on this year’s calendar. Instead, Guy Martin will take to a different kind of road bike, cycling in the Tour Divide race through North America.
There has been rumor for some time about Martin forgoing the TT for quite some time now, and there has even been talk of the Lincolnshire man hanging up his leathers entirely.
The latter doesn’t seem to be the case, but Martin does seem to be drifting away from the Isle of Man TT – an event he has never won a race at, though he has come close.
“I’m not done with motorbikes and if I race on the roads again this year it will be with the TAS team,” said Guy Martin, talking with the Isle of Man TT website. “The BMW bikes are mega and the team are spot on.”