The 1984 Daytona 200 was the last chance to see Fast Freddie vs King Kenny. The American duo had dominated the world but now they were set to battle it out for one last time Daytona.
Freddie Spencer sat down with Racing Lowdown to tell us why Daytona means so much to him
For Alex Lowes the opening round of the 2020 championship offered more than a victory; it offered clear illustration of what he’s aiming for in WorldSBK
In British Superbikes Scott Redding had it all his own way. With vastly more experience than his rivals he could control races. He found out at Round 1 that WorldSBK will be a very different story
This Week's Top Racing Lowdown Stories
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...
Latest News
Retro Racing: TT 2012 – A year without a Senior
Racing Retro: During the Coronavirus shutdown of motorcycle Racing Lowdown will bring you some retro pieces. This post looks back to the 2012 Isle of Man TT and a year that was dominated by close finishes. May 2012 it was announced that the Manx Grand Prix would run...
Road Racing: It’s all about respect
You’ve got to respect the roads. The moment you don’t is the moment they bite. Over the years we’ve seen Grand Prix and Superbike stars take on the challenge, but how do they approach the transition to racing on the roads?
MotoAmerica: The King who took back his crown
Cameron Beaubier has always been tipped as the next big star in the United States. As a four-time MotoAmerica champion he’s lived up to the billing but with Yamaha no longer operating as a factory outfit is now the time to eye up Europe?
Suzuka Sunday: VDM- The Boogeyman Of Superbike racing
First published in 2018 this interview with Michael van der Mark looks at his Indonesian heritage and the traits he took from his partents towards his racing career
Paddock Pass Podcast: Episode 139 – Meet the team
The COVID-19 outbreak may have put a temporary halt to racing, but it can't stop the Paddock Pass Podcast. With no racing to discuss, we take a different tack this week, as Jensen Beeler, Neil Morrison, Steve English, and David Emmett talk about their background and...
Retro Racing: TT 2011 – One to remember
Racing Retro: During the Coronavirus shutdown of motorcycle Racing Lowdown will bring you some retro pieces. This post looks back to the 2011 Isle of Man TT and one of the most exciting fortnights in memory. Having seen Ian Hutchinson dominate the 2010 Road Racing...
Road Racing: Hickman – Road Racing was how I kept my career alive
Peter Hickman is now the fastest Road Racer in the world but when he first made the switch it was a decision made out of neccessity rather than a need
Gallery: American Flat Track’s European Vacation
In the winter of 2016 the American’s came to town to showcase Flat Track Racing. Their European Vacation in November saw Brad Baker ride with Marc Marquez and show the MotoGP star a few tricks of the trade…
Racing with a ‘blade
Since the early ninties the Honda Fireblade has been a mainstay of the Superbike market. As a top selling road bike there’s no doubt that the bike has been a huge success commercially but it’s had a much more turbulent existence on the track. When you look back at the last thirty years there has been some huge changes to the Superbike sector and some of the top riders of world, national and road racing fame have ridden a ‘blade. Here they give their verdict on the Honda Fireblade through the years
Suzuka Sunday: Racing’s last remaining tyre war
The Suzuka 8-Hours is dominated by Bridgestone tire. Why is that? And what is the difference between a Bridgestone a Pirelli, and a Michelin at this iconic race?
Retro Racing: McWilliams – It was great to win but I had better races
June 2001 saw Britain finally end a streak of almost twenty years without a Grand Prix winner. The Dutch TT at Assen changed that with Jeremy McWilliams taking the flag in dominant fashio. Here is his story of the race…
Retro Racing: Top 10 closest Isle of Man TT finishes
Racing Retro: During the Coronavirus shutdown of motorcycle Racing Lowdown will bring you some retro pieces from our contributors. In this post, Phil Wain, takes a dive into the Isle of Man TT history books to find the ten closest finishes to TT races. Phil has...
Paddock Pass Podcast: Episode 138 – The Fast Freddie Spencer Special
In a Paddock Pass Podcast Special we look back on the career of one of MotoGP’s most unique stars-Freddie Spencer
Retro Racing: TT 2010 – Five in a week!
The 2010 International Road Racing season was dominated by one man; Ian Hutchinson.
Northwest 200, Isle of Man TT and Ulster Grand Prix wins made this a year for the record books for the Padgetts Honda rider.
Tech Briefs: Evolution through revolutions
In the era of control tyres in WorldSBK Pirelli has shown that it’s no excuse to halt development
MotoGP: Can Roberts live up to the Qatar hype?
The 2020 Moto2 season certainly started with a bang for American Joe Roberts in Qatar. Roberts set the all-time lap record at the Losail International Circuit in FP2 and started from pole position, becoming the first American to claim a pole position in Moto2 since...
Suzuka Sunday: How a Suzuka spec stacks up
Want to know how a Suzuka 8 Hour special compares to regular racing mounts in a Superbike series or MotoGP? Jack Miller, Sylvain Guintoli and Michael van der Mark compare their Suzuka bikes with their regular machinery It’s easy to see how a Suzuka Special fares up to...
Road Racing: TT Tony brings you the 2010 Isle of Man TT
The 2010 Isle of Man TT will go down as one of the greatest in TT history. It was the year Ian Hutchinson won a record-breaking 5 races. Here we look back at it.
Paddock Pass Podcast: Episode 137 – The Fabio Quartararo Show
There may be no racing going on for the foreseeable future, but there is still plenty to talk about. This week's episode of the Paddck Pass Podcast is a special about Fabio Quartararo. Steve English, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett gather remotely to discuss the past,...
WorldSBK: Aaron Slight – It was different in our day
During the Coronavirus shutdown of the motorcycle world RacingLowdown.com will bring you some retro pieces from our archive. Some of the posts have been on the cutting room floor and haven't seen the light of day until now. This feature with Aaron Slight is from...
Retro Racing: Top 10 Riders never to be World Champion
Racing Retro: During the Coronavirus shutdown of motorcycle Racing Lowdown will bring you some retro pieces from our contributors. In this post, Phil Wain, looks at some of the greatest riders who never quite managed to win a world title. Phil has established himself...
Road Racing: McGuiness – Why I love the TT
First published in a 2016 issue of On Track Off Road this is John McGuiness speaking about why he's always been drawn back to the Isle fo Man. This interview came in the aftermath of his Northwest 200 injury that put his career in doubt. The then 43 year old was in...
Retro Racing: Working with the GOAT
What’s it like to work with Valentino Rossi? There’s not many people better to ask than those that have worked closest to him througout his career
Tech Briefs: Chatter and finding the perfect pitch
Every day is a school day in motorcycle racing and with the ongoing delay until racing can resume what better time than now to dive into the technicalities of motorcycle racing. In the first installment of Tech Briefs we'll look at chatter and what causes it. This...
Paddock Pass Podcast: Episode 136 The Engines of WorldSBK
The latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast is something a bit special. With no racing on, Steve English and Gordon Ritchie take a different tack in this shorter episode, examining the difference between an inline four engine and V4. Gordon gives his insight, based...
MotoGP: Andrea Wilson shoots Laguna Seca 2010
Andrea Wilson is one of the top photojournalists in the United States and during the upcoming delay to racing she will be contributing galleries to Racing Lowdown. Here’s a look back to Laguna Seca 2010!
The impact of Covid-19 on the paddock
It’s at times of crisis that you see how small a part of the picture sports are. They’re a fantastic distraction, they give structure to our free time and while motorcycle racing is important, it’s not the be all and end all. It’s why we’ve seen so many positive...
Road Racing: TT 2020 Cancelled, NW200 postponed
For the first time since 2001 the Isle of Man TT has been cancelled. At the turn of the century it was due to the widespread outbreak of foot and mouth in the UK and Ireland but the recent Covid-19 crisis has now forced the hand of the Manx Government. In a statement...
WorldSBK: How to train your dragon
If you want to be a certified practitioner of something – whether brain surgery or electrical re-wiring – you have to get a recognised qualification. Degree level or craft level, most of the important stuff that keeps us and our families safe and well features real...
Paddock Pass Podcast: Episode 135 Qatar MotoGP
It was a weird weekend in the desert for the season opener at Qatar. No MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 taking center stage, and a seemingly endless stream of news of race postponements, cancellations, and who knows what else. On the Monday after the race, Neil...
British Superbike: Chasing the sun in Spain
Throughout the 2020 Bennetts British Superbike Championship Dave Neal will offering insight and interviews from within the heart of the world’s strongest domestic racing series for RacingLowdown.com. In his first instalment, Dave gives us the rundown of the opening...
Freddie Spencer: ’84 at Daytona was the big one between me and Kenny
“The Daytona 200 taught me everything I needed to know about racing,” said Freddie Spencer as he opened a conversation about the famous American race. “Managing a motorcycle. Looking after a tyre. Understanding how a race was developing. I had one of my first ever...
MotoGP Gallery: Round 1 Qatar
Rob Gray has quickly established himself as a go to source for some of the best photography in motorcycle racing. Here’s his look at the Qatar Grand Prix
Updated WorldSBK calendar
The updated 2020 WorldSBK calendar with changes to the Spanish and French Rounds
MotoGP: David Emmett – Notes from the Qatar Grand Prix
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. A...
MotoGP: Neil Morrison – Five notes after the Qatar Grand Prix
Want to know what Neil Morrison thought after the Qatar Grand Prix? Click here and get his inisght into why he thinks there could be ten different winners in Moto2 this year and a dozen in Moto3
MotoGP Gallery: Round 1 Qatar Pitlane Portraits
Pitlane Portraits from the opening MotoGP round of 2020
MotoGP: Neil Morrison – Five notes from the Qatar Grand Prix
What does Neil Morrison think will happen at the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend? Here’s his rundown of what’s what in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes
WorldSBK: Things like that…Round 1 Australia
Over the winter everyone in the WorldSBK paddock has spoken and written about the optimism of a potentially great season. In Australia this hope was met with a resounding confirmation. Three races with three different winners, all five manufacturers have reasons to be excited for the coming year and we saw three races that went down to the wire. It will be hard for WorldSBK to match the heights of the opening round this year but it certainly gave itself a great starting point
MotoGP: Updated MotoGP calendar
The impact of the coronavirus on the 2020 MotoGP season has been felt in recent weeks but today Dorna has released an updated calendar to take this into account
