Latest Posts:
Asphalt & Rubber
Tag

flat-track

Browsing
Bikes

Harley-Davidson XG750R – The Bar & Shield’s Next-Gen Flat Tracker, For Racers Only

By 18 Comments

What you see here is the first purpose-built Harley-Davidson race bike to come from the Milwaukee for quite some time, as its been several decades since the Bar & Shield brand formally offered flat track racing machines – 44 years, to be precise.

Called the Harley-Davidson XG750R, the flat track racing machine is based off the Harley-Davidson Street 750 platform, and it will make its racing debut this weekend at the AMA Pro Flat Track Springfield Mile in Illinois.

As the name suggests, the Harley-Davidson XG750R features the same 750cc v-twin engine that is found in the Harley-Davidson Street 750 street bike, though it has been tuned for racing duty.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Two Enthusiasts Podcast – Episode 15 – Not Star Wars

By 3 Comments

We have a bevy of Two Enthusiasts podcast shows to get out to you, as we clear our backlog. First up is Episode 15, where we tackle a few news items that have been going on in the industry these past couple of weeks.

As such, Quentin and I talk a little bit about the Superprestigio, and finish up the nonsense with the Yamaha YZF-R1 recall. We also give some time to the Dainese/Alpinestars legal happenings, the sale of Miller Motorsports Park, and the changes to the World Superbike Championship.

What we definitely don’t talk about is the new Star Wars movie. Nope, not at all. Not even a little. Anyhoo…keep an eye out for a few more shows over the next few days.

As always, you can listen to the show via the embedded SoundCloud player, after the jump, or you can find the show on iTunes (please leave a review) or this RSS feed. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well. Enjoy the show!

Keep Reading
By
Dirt

Paddock Pass Podcast – Episode 13 – Superprestigio

By 2 Comments

Just because it’s the off-season, doesn’t mean that the Paddock Pass Podcast has a dearth of topics to cover. As such, Episode 13 comes to you from Barcelona, where the guys were on-hand for the third meeting of the Superprestigio event.

This special race, hosted by Marc Marquez, once again showed some close racing from riders across a variety of disciplines and nationalities. If you happened to miss the Superfinal, or your live feed died on you mid-race, you can watch/re-watch it on FansChoive.tv now.

In addition to all the happenings in Spain, the crew also wraps-up some updates from the MotoGP and Moto2 paddocks, namely the progress of KTM’s factory MotoGP team and the departure of Suter Racing from the Moto2 series.

If you notice a new voice on the show, it’s because Steve English is back on the mics with us. We are very happy to have Steve working with us again, and we think his exceptional insights will be enjoyed by all racing enthusiasts.

As always, be sure to follow the Paddock Pass Podcast on Facebook, Twitter and subscribe to the show on iTunes and SoundCloud – we even have an RSS feed for you. If you like the show, we would really appreciate you giving it a review on iTunes. Thanks for listening!

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

Photos from the 2015 Superprestigio in Barcelona

By 7 Comments

Asphalt & Rubber is fortunate to publish this outstanding photos by friend and photographer/journalist Steve English. Most motorcycle racing fans will know Steve for his work in the MotoGP paddock, but thankfully his skills translate well on dirt ovals. We hope you enjoy his work and captions. -JB

Failure to prepare leads to failure. On Friday, Brad Baker made sure that everything was just right for him to succeed on Sunday. Having crashed heavily last year and broken his shoulder and elbow, the Washington native took a different approach to this year’s Superprestigio.

“Last year was tough and when I crashed I was just trying so hard. This year I took a different approach because the win is given on the last race and I was building all weekend towards it. Two serious surgeries in two years helps you realize that the most important race is the final. Last year I was going out to impress everyone and I crashed and missed the race. This year I was able to win both finals and it’s great after such an emotional year.”

Superprestigio-2015-Barcelona-Steve-English-26

Double Pro Flat Track Grand National champion Jared Mees wasn’t able to make the magic happen in the Superfinal, but enjoyed the weekend and said afterwards that “I’m glad Brad won because it means that it’s another win for America!”

The flat track rivals both joked that this weekend was a very different challenge for them. “For me and Jared we’re usually on opposite sides and looking to beat each other so it was fun that we both approached this weekend thinking ‘If I don’t win I hope you do,'” was how Baker summed up their approach to the weekend.

Superprestigio-2015-Barcelona-Steve-English-25

“Is that a penny at the apex?” Marc Marquez brought a tremendous style to MotoGP when he arrived three years ago and his flat track style is equally impressive.

Leaning so far off the bike to try and generate grip from the edge of the tire is a very different style to that employed by the full-time flat track racers, but on the 200m Barcelona track it worked well for the Spaniard.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

Superprestigio: Day 1 Practice – Marc Marquez & Toni Elias Lead Jared Mees & Brad Baker

By 3 Comments

The first sessions of practice for the Barcelona Superprestigio event took place on Friday evening, and the man behind the event is fastest, as might be expected.

Marc Marquez posted a lap of 11.797 during his second run on the track, ahead of Toni Elias, with an 11.8. Jared Mees and Brad Baker were the fastest of the Open riders, for off road and dirt track specialists, both posting times in the 11.9 bracket.

Headline times are not the full story, however, with Marquez’s times less consistent than the two Americans. Brad Baker was particularly impressive, posting a long strings of 11.9s, showing he has good race pace.

Keep Reading
By
Racing

How to Watch the 2015 Superprestigio Race in Barcelona

By 3 Comments

This year marks the third time that road racers and flat track racers will meet in Barcelona for the revived Superprestigio event.

The short-track format dirt track race is a welcomed addition to the doldrums of the winter off-season, and it features international names like Marc Marquez, Toni Elias, Jared Mees, Brad Baker, and many others (see the entry lists, after the jump).

DTX Barcelona, the promoter of the event, has been very forward-thinking its approach to the Superprestigio, and as such we have been blessed with a quality live stream each year, the 2015 Superprestigio being no different.

FansChoice.tv will host the live stream, which will begin with the opening ceremonies on Saturday, at 9am PDT. For a full schedule of the day’s events, check here. Be sure to tune in, it should be a fun event for the off-season.

Keep Reading
By
Dirt

2015 Superprestigio Set for December 12th in Barcelona

By 11 Comments

The Barcelona Superprestigio race is becoming a regular fixture in the winter break, and this year is no exception. The third edition of the race is due to take place on December 12th in the Palau Sant Jordi, part of Barcelona’s Olympic Ring up on the Montjuic hill which sits on southwest edge of Barcelona.

Once again, the feature will pit some of the best MotoGP riders in the world against the cream of the US flat track scene, as well as top riders from many other motorcycling disciplines.

Star of the show is once again Marc Marquez, the man who helped organize the show after hearing about previous editions of the race which had been run in the 1980s and 1990s.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pro – When Hipsters Go Racing

By 11 Comments

Debuting today in Milan, Italy – just ahead of the EICMA trade show – Ducati has announced the Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pro. The model comes from Ducati’s foray into the flat track realm, where Troy Bayliss made a tough return to motorcycle racing.

Ducati’s flat track race bike hasn’t really mimiced anything in the Italian company’s lineup, until now of course. Behold the first new model to the Scrambler Ducati brand, the Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pro.

Keep Reading
By
News

Michael Lock Is the New CEO of AMA Pro Racing

By 3 Comments

AMA Pro Racing has a new CEO, and it’s a name you will likely recognize. Consulting for AMA Pro Racing through the 2015, Michael Lock will now take the reigns of the France Family’s two-wheeled racing organization.

This announcement means that Lock will replace Michael Gentry as AMA Pro Racing’s de facto leader, who will continue with his COO position within the company, effective November 1s, 2015.

“Adding Michael Lock to the executive team shows our commitment to elevating professional motorcycle racing in North America,” said Jim France, Principal of AMA Pro Racing. “His expertise will be critical to the long-term success of the sport, and we are excited to have him join the team.”

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Yamaha DT-07 Flat Track Concept – Turn Left, Slide, Repeat

By 11 Comments

There has been some talk about how the Yamaha FZ-07 platform is well-suited for flat track racing. The parallel-twin engine produces tractable power, and the FZ-07 (that’s MT-07, to our European readers) is an affordable starting point for would-be racers.

Yamaha Motor USA has heard that chatter, and run with the idea, producing what it calls the Yamaha DT-07 Concept to tackle the American dirt track scene.

The concept is the work of Jeff Palhegyi Design, in conjunction with Yamaha’s US race shop. As you would expect, the Yamaha DT-07 features a race-tuned engine, 19″ wheels, no front brakes, and a custom exhaust system that was created by Graves Motorsports.

The DT-07 features a special race-tuned FZ-07 twin-cylinder engine with an exhaust system created by Graves Motorsports. Debuting at this year’s AIMExpo, the Yamaha DT-07 has Yamaha’s special yellow and black “speedblock” livery design, to commemorate the company’s 60th anniversary.

Keep Reading
By