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Paddock Pass Podcast: Episode 153 – Back at last!
With the MotoGP paddock assembled once again at Jerez, racing is on the verge of starting again. On Wednesday evening, after the test at Jerez had concluded for all four classes racing this weekend, the Paddock Pass Podcast crew got together to discuss what happened...
MotoGP: David Emmett – What am I looking forward to at Jerez?
Throughout the 2020 season David Emmett, editor of Motomatters.com, will be providing Racing Lowdown with some exclusive analysis of what he sees in MotoGP.This will take the form of the topics that David is most interested in before and after every Grand Prix. What...
MotoGP Gallery: Jerez IRTA Test
MotoGP is back in action and we've boots on the ground with Polarity Photo's Rob Gray shooting under the scorching Spanish sun. His hard work didn't go unrewarded at Wednesday's test that acted as a curtain raiser for this weekend's action. Here's some of Rob's best...
Dovi and VDM: Same story, different series?
A strange week in the rider market took another turn with the threat from Simone Battistella, manager of Andrea Dovizioso, claiming that his rider would sit out 2021 in search of the right opportunity the following year. It’s a brave gamble to take, but with Dovi set...
WorldSBK Gallery: Catalan Test Day 2
Almost the full WorldSBK grid has decamped to Spain for a final two day test before the season restarts in Jerez at the end of the month. All of the factory squads are present as well as a host of independant teams. In addition the likes of Michael Ruben Rinaldi, so...
WorldSBK Gallery: Catalan Test Day 1
Almost the full WorldSBK grid has decamped to Spain for a final two day test before the season restarts in Jerez at the end of the month. All of the factory squads are present as well as a host of independant teams. In addition the likes of Michael Ruben Rinaldi, so...
Paddock Pass Podcast: Episode 151 – More MotoGP Silly Season Madness
As racing draws near, the rider market is starting to pick up, with KTM announcing their entire rider line up, and Michael van der Mark moving from Yamaha to BMW in WorldSBK. So the latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast sees Neil Morrison, Steve English and David...
WorldSBK: Will we ever see a return to wild days?
Rose tinted glasses are a constant danger. It’s why the memories of great races cloud your view. It’s why we remember great races for being great seasons. In WorldSBK one of the most historic rounds was Imola 2002. It was a classic title decider that went down to the...
WorldSBK: Why did van der Mark leave Yamaha?
The WorldSBK rumour mill spun into action by the news that Michael van der Mark would leave Yamaha at the end of this season. The Dutchman has enjoyed a very successful three seasons with the Crescent Racing run operation and there’s little to suggest that he won’t be...
WorldSBK Gallery: Misano Testing
Numerous WorldSBK teams were back in action this week at Misano with a three day test. Scott Redding led the way with an unofficial lap record Picture Credit: Matteo Cavadini (courtesy of Kawasaki Racing Team, Aruba.it Ducati and GoEleven Ducati). If you like what...
Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 150: The Top Five Grand Prix Riders Of All Time
The latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast is sure to generate debate. In episode 150, Steve English and David Emmett debate who are the best five Grand Prix riders ever to swing a leg over a racing motorcycle. Steve and David are unanimous on their choice for...
WorldSBK: Action back underway
A lot can change over the course of four months. From Phillip Island until now the world has changed but has the WorldSBK order changed? At the opening round of the year in Australia we saw an incredibly competitive weekend of racing and after two days testing-in...
WorldSBK: Jonathan Rea at Kawasaki – Why would he leave? Why should he leave?
The news that Jonathan Rea had re-signed with Kawasaki was met with almost universal ambivalence. There are lots of pros and cons to Rea staying put. From a racing perspective, why would he leave? He has a team centred around him with a proven track record of success....
Foto Friday: Peter Hickman – Why I Road Race
A picture is worth a thousand words but the memories of a picture can be even more important. What does a picture mean to you and what does the moment captured mean? We’ve already seen what it feels like to win a race or what it feels like to race on the roads but...
Road Racing: Hutchinson and what might have been
Five in a week. A TT legend. All before you think about various comebacks from injury. Ian Hutchinson has certainly had a career unlike any other. By any measure Hutchy has earned his status as a TT legend-five race wins in a week would do that-but a further eleven...
Foto Friday: Josh Brookes – The inner calm of riding at the Isle of Man TT
A picture is worth a thousand words but the memories of a picture can be even more important. What does a picture mean to you and what does the moment captured mean? We’ve already seen what it feels like to win a race or what it feels like to race on the roads but...
Silly Season: Playing the field and playing the market
Picture the scene. The sun is setting over the hills that surround the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The day has been fierce and the weekend is only going to get hotter. Keeping a cool head, keeping your eyes on the prize will be crucial but all you can hear is talk...
Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 147: Listener Questions Answered
In the latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast, Neil Morrison, Steve English, and David Emmett take on some of the questions sent in by listeners, some serious, some slightly less so. Some of the subjects covered include whether it will be time or another rider...
America gets back to racing
In the United States this weekend marks a return to action for motorcycle racing. The AMA Supercross championship and MotoAmerica will be back on track in the long anticipated return for bikes. More importantly than seeing a return to normal these series will offer a...
Foto Friday: Glen Irwin – Road Racing needs to be like a holiday
A picture is worth a thousand words but the memories of a picture can be even more important. What does a picture mean to you and what does the moment captured mean? Last week Alex Lowes shared his memories of the 2018 Suzuka 8 Hours and what it feels like for a rider...
Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 146: A Deep Dive Into Silly Season
With the news that Jack Miller has signed with Ducati, the Paddock Pass Podcast crew gathered together to discuss how the rider markets for both MotoGP and WorldSBK are playing out in the time of COVID-19. Steve English, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett go over the...
Foto Friday: Alex Lowes – You don’t need the sun in your eyes at 130R!
A picture is worth a thousand words but the memories of a picture can be even more important. What does a picture mean to you and what does the moment captured mean? We've previously heard Michael van der Mark tell the tale of the 2018 Suzuka 8 Hours and now his...
Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 145: Crew Chiefs, Riders, And How They Work Together
There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to the role of the crew chief, what their job is, and what role the rider plays in managing the bike. In the latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast, Steve English and David Emmett discuss the many things they have...
WorldSBK: The mental games to win the battle
The elite of the racing world are incredibly demanding on themselves. They’re their own harshest critics. For the best of the best winning isn’t expected; it’s demanded. It’s why when a rider wins a race the emotion they feel isn’t joy; it’s relief. The relief that...
Roadmap to a racing return?
The return of live sports has now taken place. Football, Mixed Martial Arts, golf and motorsport have led the way. There's been potential roadblocks aplenty but last weekend the Bundesliga came back in Germany and NASCAR roared back into action. It was a surreal...
Foto Friday: VDM – The relief of winning
A picture is worth a thousand words but the memories of a picture can be even more important. What does a picture mean to you and what does the moment captured mean? For the first in this series we talked with Danilo Petrucci about the moment he won his home Grand...
Tech Briefs: Team work is the key to success in WorldSBK
A race team is forged on the principle of working together to find solutions. No-one can work i isolation and even though once the lights go out and a rider is out there alone the result will come on the basis of the days building up to that point. Motorcycle is a...
Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 144: Coronavirus Update And Restarting MotoGP At Jerez
This week's episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast, we take a break from our looks back at seasons past to get back up to date with recent developments. Since Dorna announced that MotoGP is to resume at Jerez on July 19th, with two back-to-back races at the circuit,...
WorldSBK: End of an era?
Eventually all empires come to an end. Rivals come to the fore and take on the King. The unbeatable suddenly are vulnerable. Injuries, motivation and circumstances have all rooted out riders in the past and are we about to witness the end of the Rea-era of WorldSBK?...
WorldSBK: Points make prizes
With only one round of the WorldSBK championship run so far ‘we’ are in a luckier position than most other championships. Doesn’t feel like it of course, under global lockdown still and with race weekends being cancelled and rescheduled all over. But, admit it, we...
Foto Friday: Petrucci – I did it!
A picture is worth a thousand words but the memories of a picture can be even more important. What does a picture mean to you and what does the moment captured mean? For the first in this series we talked with Danilo Petrucci about the moment he won his home Grand...
Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 143: Retro Review – MotoGP 2015 (Part 2)
In the second part of our look back at the historic 2015 MotoGP season, Neil Morrison, Steve English, and David Emmett review the dramatic events of the second half of that year. The period from the German GP at the Sachsenring through to Phillip Island saw some of...
Retro Racing: A look back to the 2015 Aragon Grand Prix (Part 2)
To catch up on Part 1 of our look back at the 2015 Aragon Grand click here The Aragon Grand Prix would be a perfect illustration of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship. On the days where Jorge Lorenzo could hit the front he was unbeatable. When Marquez had to push...
Retro Racing: A look back to the 2015 Aragon Grand Prix (Part 1)
The 2015 MotoGP World Championship was one of the most dramatic in the history of the series. Far more than just the clash at Sepang and the drama of the final weeks of the season this was a campaign of consistency from Valentino Rossi versus the dominance of Jorge...
Suzuka Sunday: The drive for five comes unstuck
Originally published in the Dutch magazine Moto73 this feature looked at Michael van der Mark’s quest for a fifth Suzuka 8 Hours victory came unstuck, but once again the Dutchman gave it everything. The Suzuka 8 Hours pulls riders from pillar to post. For most of the...
Retro Racing: A look back at the chaotic 2014 German Grand Prix (Part 2)
To catch up on Part 1 of our look back at the 2014 German Grand click here Just thirty minutes before the start of the 30 lap German Grand Prix the paddock faced a dilemma. After a dry Moto2 race, rain was starting to fall around the Sachsenring. Suddenly crew...
Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 142: Retro Review – MotoGP 2015 (Part 1)
The Paddock Pass Podcast crew continue their look back at great seasons of the past, and this time, they come to 2015. Remembered mainly for the events at Sepang that year, it is easy to overlook what a wild and fascinating year it truly was. So much happened in 2015,...
Retro Racing: A look back at the chaotic 2014 German Grand Prix (Part 1)
During the 2014 MotoGP season Marc Marquez constantly rewrote the definition of domination. It was one win after another, and most were comprehensive. Claiming victory at Losail, COTA, Termas de rio Honda, Jerez, Le Mans, Mugello, Montmelo and Assen it left one question as MotoGP headed to Germany and the final round before the summer break; could anyone stop Marquez?
Building a modern Flat Tracker
Twelve months ago JD Beach made history by becoming the first rider to win in the premier class of American Flat Track racing. It was a stunning success for Beach and Yamaha but what was the story behind the MT07 DT?
Suzuka Sunday: How strategy plays out over 8 Hours
Following last year's Suzuka 8 Hours-which saw Kawsaki, Yamaha and Honda battling it out at the front throughout-we took a look at the strategy that each factory employed to try and win one of the closest races in the history of the great Japanese race. Eight hours,...
