Grand Prix

MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Added to MotoGP COTA Round

Popular motorcycle racing series, MotoAmerica, has expanded its 2024 Mission King of the Baggers Championship by adding a new round at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. Scheduled for April 12-13, it will coincide with the third round of the FIM MotoGP World Championship. This is the first instance where the King of the Baggers event will be showcased to an international audience. This occasion is set against the backdrop of the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, an event that attracts global attention.

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Rare Suzuki at Bonhams Auction to fetch £35,000

by Rob Hull from https://www.dailymail.co.uk A 34-year-old motorcycle with just TWO ‘Push Miles’ on the clock: Rare Suzuki road bike that’s never been ridden is tipped to sell for £35,000 The Suzuki RG500 Gamma is an ultra-rare two-stroke road bike from the 1980s It’s based on the factory 500cc Grand Prix racers of the era that won two titles This example has never been ridden with its two recorded miles accrued while being manoeuvred during storage Bonhams will sell it at auction this weekend with an estimate of £30k to £35k A late eighties Suzuki RG500 motorcycle is set to go under the hammer this weekend with an astonishingly low number of miles clocked in its 34 years – and none of them came from it being driven. The two-stroke road-going replica of the factory Grand Prix race machines of the era is already a hugely collectible motorbike today – but this particular example stands out for having just two miles on the clock. Bonhams, which is offering the bike at its 9 October sale at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show in Stafford, says these are ‘push miles’ only, accrued by owners moving the bike around by hand – meaning it’s never actually been ridden. The auction house has estimated that the motorcycle could sell for between £30,000 and £35,000 – though its like-new condition and lack of use could see it easily eclipse that valuation when bidding commences on Saturday. Bonhams says it represents ‘a possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire an unused and unregistered example of this iconic Suzuki model’. The RG500 ‘Gamma’ was only produced by the Japanese motorcycle brand for two years between 1985 and 1987 and was heavily based on the racing machine used by its factory team. And it was a title-winning package, with Italians

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98th Loudon Classic a Great Success

LOUDON, NH, UNITED STATES – The 98th Annual Loudon Classic weekend by Mayhew Tools featured three days of perfect weather, fans from all over New England and racing with the NorthEast Motorcycle Road Racing (NEMRR) series. NEMRR is part of the national Championship Cup Series organization and riders from the Northeast, Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic regions competed in a twin sprint weekend that ran an impressive 45 races in total. The feature events of the weekend were the three Grand Prix classes, which boasted $9500 in purse money in total. Specialty Saw presented the Seacoast Sport Cycle Lightweight Grand Prix class and the Street and Competition Unlimited Grand Prix classes. Mayhew Tools was the title sponsor of the featured Loudon Classic Middleweight Grand Prix class together with presenting sponsors Motorace and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In the twin sprint format the lap times from the Friday races were used to set the grid for the Saturday main events, and the Friday Motorace Middleweight Grand Prix race featured a $1500 purse. Saturday’s feature races were held in front of a fantastic crowd and led off with the two support classes presented by Specialty Saw, Lightweight GP and Unlimited GP. First off were the small displacement machines and NEMRR #1 rider Rick Doucette of Sandown, NH showed why he was the heavy favorite, scoring the holeshot and running a string of blazing fast laps in the 1:14 and 1:15 range on his special de-stroked Yamaha R5. The surprise of the day came from Eli Block riding a strong running KTM 450 motard bike who challenged Doucette right to the very end. The Motard bike was down on power to machine of Doucette, but the combination of the nimble handling and equisite skill of Block made for an incredibly entertaining race to watch. Block

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Unlucky end to French Grand Prix for Lowes and Fernandez

Both Elf Marc VDS Racing Team riders crashed out of promising positions in the early laps at Le Mans after showing podium potential in tricky conditions. After heavy rain through the morning, the 2.6-mile Le Mans Bugatti Circuit was soaking wet for Sunday’s warm-up sessions, but dried sufficiently to give riders a clear tyre choice ahead of the 25-lap Moto2 race. All the field ran slick tyres on a track with numerous wet patches, providing a real challenge for the field. Both Augusto Fernandez and Sam Lowes unfortunately crashed out when fighting for the podium places. Augusto Fernandez – DNF Starting from fifth, his best qualifying result of the season so far, Augusto enjoyed a fantastic first lap, gaining two places to sit third. But there was heartbreak for the rider from the Balearic Islands on the second lap, when he crashed out of a podium place at turn 11 when hitting a damp patch. As a result of a second DNF of the year, Augusto drops three places in the championship to twelfth with 23 points to his name. “We will work to arrive stronger in Mugello” “It was a real shame again. I was so calm at the beginning, trying to not make a mistake like at Jerez. I had a great start and when (Joe) Roberts passed me, I passed him back. At the beginning there were some wet patches. I went just a little bit wide and touched one wet part with the front and lost it so soon. I couldn’t do anything. We have to take the positives. It’s been a fantastic weekend in all the practice sessions, be it in mixed conditions, wet conditions, or dry conditions. I had the pace to win and now I know we can be there every weekend at

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Lowes fights back to third at the Spanish Grand Prix

After a tough start, Sam Lowes saved his best for last to claim his third podium finish from the opening four races of 2021, while Augusto Fernandez suffered an unfortunate early crash from third. The Moto2 field had to navigate 23 laps of the Circuit of Jerez Angel Nieto in ambient temperatures of 21 degrees for the fourth round of 2021. There were mixed fortunes for the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team riders in an outing that broke the previous Moto2 race record. Sam Lowes scored 16 important points for his world championship challenge, while Augusto Fernandez failed to finish. Augusto Fernandez – DNF The 23-year old enjoyed a brilliant start from seventh on the grid, and climbed four places in the first half a lap to sit a very strong third. But Augusto’s race came to a frustrating end when he tucked the front at turn six on the third lap, a result that brings his first non-score of the 2021 season. It means the rider from the Balearic Islands slips to ninth in the championship with 23 points. “The positive thing is we have the speed again” “A big shame! I made a great start. I was there and in the lead group. My pace was podium pace and I felt good. I did a 1’41.7s with a full tank on the second lap. I was third and thought it was time to relax so I could be strong at the end of the race. But I made a little mistake, coming into turn six hot with the brakes. With the full tank, the front closed immediately. I couldn’t do anything. The positive thing is we have the speed again. Also, we are constant in every practice at different tracks – the second weekend in Qatar, Portimao and

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Rare unused CZ Motorcycle at Mecum auction

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com This CZ Motorcycle Arrived in New York Decades Ago, Was Left Untouched Say you read these two words: Ceska zbrojovka. For an English speaker, they are tongue-twisting, and they probably don’t mean that much either. Except, perhaps, if you’re into firearms. Or motocross machines. That’s because the Czech company by that name makes products for both these worlds. As far as motorcycles go, people know the company best as CZ. Present mostly on the European market, the moniker reached American shores in the 1970s, forever changing how motocross racing was done. For instance, a racer by the name John DeSoto won the 1970 Elsinore GP on a CZ bike. That is just one of CZ’s achievements; the nameplate holds six Motocross Grand Prix World Championship titles (consecutive ones, won between 1964 and 1969), but is also responsible for impressive wins in enduro. Presently, finding a new CZ motorcycle is almost impossible, as they don’t make them anymore. One has to look long and hard just to come across such a two-wheeler with a few miles on it. But what if we told you the one you see before your eyes, although almost half a century old, is literally brand new? Over the years, we’ve come across machines that could have easily been described as virtually new, but this one is literally so. As in, the thing has never ever been ridden, and it still comes in the original factory crate it was shipped to the U.S. in. It is the complete package, with all the packing plastic and oiled paper, and even an original spare parts list. We stumbled upon this incredible piece of motoring history on the lot of motorcycles that are going under the hammer this week in Las Vegas. Sadly, we don’t

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The weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix

Lowes and Fernandez chasing big gains in Spain The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team remains on the Iberian Peninsula to make the short trip across the border from Portimao to Jerez for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. The famous Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto hosted the Spanish and Andalusian rounds as part of a double-header that kicked off a heavily revamped European schedule last July. Sam Lowes and Augusto Fernandez enjoyed a successful pre-season test in Jerez just a few weeks ago and both are confident they can play a prominent role in the 23-lap battle, which is scheduled to commence at 1220pm local time on Sunday. Successive top six finishes, including a gritty ride to an outstanding fifth last time out in Portimao, have given Fernandez a huge injection of confidence heading into his home Grand Prix. Fernandez finished 13th in both Jerez battles last season but the 4.4km track has special memories for the 23-year-old after he started on the front row and finished on the podium for the first time in his World Championship career in 2019. “We are getting closer to where we need to be” “I’m really excited to start the weekend in Jerez after the strong race in Portimao. I finished really close to the podium and I was in the front group for the whole race and that’s where I want to stay now. It seems like we are getting closer and closer to where we need to be, so hopefully we can continue to improve and fight for a top position again.” Lowes is determined to reassert his authority on the 2021 title chase after a first corner crash meant the Briton left round three in Portugal empty-handed. The Jerez track is the perfect place for Lowes to rediscover his winning touch after

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Honda extend MotoGP commitment

Honda extend MotoGP commitment: Most successful MotoGP team to compete until 2026 Honda will continue to add to their illustrious history in Grand Prix racing, having extended their contract for the next five years until 2026 from https://www.financialexpress.com Honda will continue to expand their illustrious history in Grand Prix racing having signed an agreement with Dorna Sports S.L. to compete for the next five years, from 2022 to 2026. Honda started in 1954 when Honda’s founder, Soichiro Honda, declared entry into the Isle of Man TT, the premier motorcycle racing event of the era, with the aim of becoming the best in the world. This journey has so far seen 100 different riders win on Honda machines and amass over 800 wins across all categories. In the premier class alone, Honda has claimed 850 podiums and 25 Rider World Championships, more than any other brand in history. The journey will continue for at least five more years as Honda have agreed with commercial rights-holder and series-promoter Dorna Sports S.L. to guarantee their place on the grid until 2026. Noriaki Abe, Managing Officer, Motorcycle Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.: “First, I would like to express my respect and gratitude to Carmelo Ezpeleta and everyone at Dorna Sports for their hard work in organizing races during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am very pleased that we have renewed our contract to compete in MotoGP from 2022 to 2026. “Honda has been competing in the FIM Grand Prix World Championship since 1959, and won its 800th grand prix last year. Honda believes MotoGP racing is vital to our motorsports activities. MotoGP is the pinnacle of motorcycle racing – it allows us to develop various technologies, and through fierce competition, teach our engineers and nurture their skills. With these engineers working on the development of

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The 60th Annual Woodville Weekend

Press Release: Bikesport NZ from https://www.scoop.co.nz It was a special weekend of motocross that had everything – high intensity dirt bike action, a slew of different race winners, weather that remarkably switched from chilly to baking hot and, of course, a significant birthday party. The 60th annual Honda-sponsored New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville on Saturday and Sunday was a celebration of the sport, the popular event at the eastern end of the Manawatu Gorge achieving a landmark in more ways than one. It was not only marking six decades since the sport was properly introduced to New Zealand in 1961 by now-87-year-old Palmerston North man Tim Gibbes, but it was also for the first time being run in conjunction with the first round of four in the 2021 New Zealand Motocross Championships. It was a rare double honour – the opening round of the national championships tied in with New Zealand’s largest stand-alone motocross event – and the riders rose to the occasion. With all three races in each class counting towards the Woodville GP titles and only the first two of the three races being deemed eligible for the national championships, the event threw up separate podiums in each class. Taupo’s Wyatt Chase therefore won the Woodville GP crown for the first time and West Auckland’s Hamish Harwood, incidentally the GP title winner last season, missed out on repeating the feat, but Harwood left Woodville with a slender six-point lead in the premier MX1 class for the national title hunt, the national series continuing on at Rotorua in three weeks’ time (on Sunday, February 21), with round three to follow at Pukekohe on Saturday, March 20. It all wraps up at Taupo on Sunday, March 28. Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis won the MX2 (250cc) class for the Woodville

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New Auction World Records Set at Successful Bonhams Motorcycles Winter Sale

from https://www.bonhams.com/press_release/31428/ The Winter Sale including The National Motorcycle Museum Reserve Collection – Bicester Heritage 11 – 12 Dec 2020 Bicester, Bicester Heritage Offered from the National Motorcycle Museum Collection,1936 Brough Superior 982cc SS100 Registration no. VD 6582 Frame no. M1/1661 Engine no. BS/X 1001 £3 MILLION TOTAL REALISED WITH 92 PER CENT SELL-THROUGH RATE 1936 Brough Superior 982C SS100 from the National Motorcycle Museum Reserve Collection, SOLD for £276,000 Two world auction records for a Sunbeam and Norton F1 motorcycle were set over the weekend at the successful Bonhams Motorcycles Winter Sale at Bicester Heritage, which realised more than £3 million and had an impressive sell-through rate of 92 per cent. A 1928 Sunbeam 493cc TT Model 90 Racing Motorcycle, which had raced at Pendine Sands, powered through its top estimate of £24,000 selling for £41,400, while a 21,188-mile 1990 Norton F1, the roadster inspired by the sporting partnership with John Player Special, made £40,250, both setting new world auction records. However, the name dominating the sale was Brough Superior, with no fewer than five examples featuring in the sale’s top ten, led by a highly original 1936 Brough Superior 982cc SS100, bearing the earliest engine number in a production model, which sold for £276,000. All three machines were offered direct from the National Motorcycle Museum’s Reserve Collection, an exclusive selection of 52 British motorcycles – and motorcycle-related cars – presented on the first day of the two-day sale. A brace of 1937 Brough Superiors offered from The Connoisseur Collection – comprising blue-chip examples from the estate of a late motorcycle enthusiast – also featured in the sale’s top ten, a 982cc SS80 and a 1,096cc 11-50hp which both exceeded their top pre-sale estimates selling for £73,600 and £71,300 respectively. The Connoisseur Collection also offered an example of one

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