2006 Ducati 800ss on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Capirossi Announces Retirement at Conclusion of 2011 Season

Loris Capirossi announced he will retire at the end of the 2011 MotoGP season, closing off a quarter century of racing including 22 years at the Grand Prix level and three World Championships. “It’s an important moment in my career, and the decision I made has come about after a lot of reflection,” says Capriossi. “I’m happy that after 25 years, of which 22 were in the world championship, I’m at a point where I can still have a smile on my lips as I part ways, even if it’s difficult to think that I won’t be riding a bike next year.” The announcement was made during a press conference at Misano for the upcoming San Marino Grand Prix, the final Italian stop of the 2011 season.

848 Challenge official race report: Assen

Robbie Brown shared the race wins with a resurgent Darren Fry at Round Two as the Ducati 848 Challenge visited the Assen TT circuit, the first of its two overseas rounds this year.Championship leader Brown (Ducati Manchester) was on imperious form all weekend, but Fry (Hirebase/JHP Racing), still not back to full fitness following an illness that left him in doubt about riding this year, put in a performance that was reminiscent of the form that took him to the Challenge title in 2010.With a win and a second place this weekend Brown extended his lead at the top of the table, but in also picking up a win and second Fry is back in the game in second with six rounds still to go. Sam Coventry (Moto Rapido), new to the Challenge this season and quickly getting back up to speed racing a twin after his year away in Spanish CEV championship, bagged third in both races to leapfrog to third in the championship.A number of other riders were able to put in solid performances over the two dry race days to do themselves no harm in the championship; in particular Jack Keen (Team Havoc Racing) with a fourth and fifth, and another championship newcomer Sean Neary (MotoCorse UK Racing) who scored a seventh and sixth.Race 1 was something of a dramatic affair with a number of fallers on the first lap, including front-runners Mike Edwards (OHLINS@P&H Motorcycles), Mark Cheetham (Hunt Pie Machines) and James Folkard (Win43.com) who came together at the first left-hander while battling for second place behind Brown. That left Coventry and Fry a clear track to chase down Brown, with Keen and Ed Smith (Ultim8 Racing) pushing hard through the field to close the gap.

WSBK: 2012 Phillip Island Results – Video

Max Biaggi won the opening race to the 2012 World Superbike Championship while defending champion Carlos Checa came back from a high-speed crash in the first race to win the second at Australia’s Phillip Island circuit. Reigning champion Checa of Althea Ducati had a stunning high-side crash while leading on the sixth lap of Race One. The WSBK paddock was already in shock with the death of 17-year-old Oscar McIntyre in the Superstock 600 race the day before but thankfully Checa was not seriously injured.