Dorna Sports announced there will be a MotoGP test at Argentina’s Circuito Internacional Termas de Rio Hondo in July to allow teams to prepare for the track’s expected addition to the 2014 MotoGP calendar.

Argentina was actually supposed to join the MotoGP tour this season, but the round was scrapped because of a dispute between the country and Spain after the Argentine government seized control of a Repsol subsidiary. Repsol is, of course, a prominent sponsor of several teams including Honda‘s factory team.

A number of teams will take part in the test, which will take place July 1-5 following the TT Assen in the Netherlands. Dorna has not said which teams will take part in the test, only stating representatives of Ducati, Honda and Yamaha will be taking part. MotoMatters however reports the Repsol Honda factory team, the LCR Honda team as well as the factory Yamaha team will not be present. Continue Reading »

 

In order to use footage from a Dorna-sanctioned MotoGP test session — say, for marketing or promotional reasons — a team must receive approval from Dorna. The process is tedious, and even if permission is granted, there are strict limitations as to what the material may or may not be used for. So when Honda decided to conduct its own private test (which Yamaha also joined), at the Circuit of the Americas, it was free from any and all Dorna mandates.

Rest assured, Honda took full advantage.  Continue Reading »

The coming World Superbike racing season may be the last to feature Superstock classes as series promoter Dorna tries to differentiate its WSBK and MotoGP properties.

According to Italian outlet Motosprint, Dorna plans to rewrite the World Superbike and Supersport class rulebooks for the 2014 season to make the race bikes closer to their respective production models. This would create further separation between WSBK and MotoGP, with Superbike racing moving closer to its production-based roots while prototypes racing in the GP series.

The move would also render the 1000cc and 600cc Superstock classes redundant, with little to separate them from the higher classes. In there place, Dorna would introduce a small-displacement class. Motosprint reports the new class would feature racebikes based on models like the Honda CBR250R and the Kawasaki Ninja 300, or possibly lower-spec versions of Moto3 bikes. Continue Reading »

As we count down the days until 2013, it’s time for a look back at the year that was in motorcycles. Here now, is our top ten motorcycle news stories of 2012. Check back for three separate lists, our top off-beat motorcycle news stories of the year, ten news stories to look forward to next year, and the hottest bikes for 2013.

When Suzuki pulled out of MotoGP racing a year ago, the manufacturer said it hoped to return by the 2014 season. In the time since suspending its MotoGP program, Suzuki has been showing signs it is on track for a 2014 return.

Work on Suzuki’s 1000cc MotoGP project is apparently proceeding as planned, with the manufacturer reportedly ready to join official testing during the upcoming season.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Dorna Chief Executive Officer Carmelo Ezpeleta confirms Suzuki has asked to be included in some official MotoGP tests during the 2013 Championship. Continue Reading »

Dorna Sports has reached a new agreement with the Jerez de la Frontera circuit that would see the Spanish track stay on the MotoGP calendar through the 2015 season.

Jerez has been on the MotoGP tour since 1987 but its return for 2013 was put into jeopardy after the circuit went bankrupt in 2011. It’s not just the circuit that was in financial trouble. The entire Spanish city of Jerez has run out of money, being named the most indebted town in Spain by Time magazine.

Losing its MotoGP round, usually one of the higher draws on the calendar, would have been a blow to both the series and the community, so it was in the interests of both parties to get a deal done. The Jerez round will be held on May 5 as the third round of the 2013 season. Continue Reading »

Private equity firm Bridgepoint announced it is repositioning its two premiere motorcycle properties, MotoGP and the World Superbike Championship, under the Dorna Sports banner. It’s not quite a merger, as the two championships will continue working independently, but it does open up the potential for more cooperation between the two and the ability to share marketing resources.

Bridgepoint purchased MotoGP promoter Dorna in 2006 and added WSBK promoter Infront Motorsports in 2011, gaining control of the world’s top motorcycle prototype and production racing properties. Of course, the decision to acquire Infront had less to do with the rights to WSBK as it did the rights to Infront’s 120 or so other sports properties including the FIFA World Cup.

Until now, business has continued as normal for the two occasionally rival racing bodies. Dorna will now assume organization of both series while Infront will become a marketing partner and global adviser to both championships. Continue Reading »

It’s no secret that promoter Dorna Motorsports has been trying to push a standardized electronics control unit for teams in the MotoGP World Championship. The lack of a top-tier electronics package has been one of the biggest challenges faced by MotoGP’s claiming rule teams, and a spec ECU would narrow the gap between the CRT bikes and the factory prototypes. The manufacturers competing in the series, Honda, Ducati and Yamaha, understandably are resistant to the idea considering the effort they’ve put in to develop their electronics systems.

It may only be a matter of time before the premier class adopts a standardized ECU. The Moto2 and Moto3 classes have spec electronics packages, and sooner or later MotoGP will likely follow suit. The series has taken a big step towards that goal with the announcement of a four-year contract with Italian electronics company Magneti Marelli to provide its ECU to any and all MotoGP teams.

Beginning with the 2013 MotoGP season, teams will have access to Magenti Marelli’s latest electronic control system. The package includes an engine and chassis control unit with inboard data-logger, various tuning and data analysis tools, dashboard, handlebar toggle switch and inertial platform, as well as trackside support of Magenti Marelli technicians. Best of all, the Magenti Marelli package won’t cost teams a dime. Continue Reading »

Bridgepoint, the investment company that owns MotoGP promotor Dorna, has reached a deal in principle to acquire Infront Motorsports, the promotor of the World Superbike Championship.

While this may open up a number of possibilities in the minds of motorcycle racing fans, the racing aspect is just a small part of the deal. In addition to the WSBK series, Infront Motorsports promotes 120 different sports properties including some rights to soccer’s FIFA World Cup,  several soccer federations and teams, six Olympic winter sports federations including the International Ice Hockey Federation and International Ski Federation plus the Chinese Basketball Association. Motorcycle racing represents just a drop in a rather large bucket for Bridgepoint.

Continue Reading »

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Applications are now being accepted for the new Moto3 class in the 2012 Grand Prix World Championship.

Teams interested in competing in the four-stroke 250cc Moto3 class are asked to register their interest with the International Road Racing Teams Association. The IRTA will provide eligible teams with a prospectus with conditions for participating in the class. Teams must then submit a more detailed application by July 1, the first day of the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.

The IRTA, series promoter Dorna and the International Motorcycling Federation will review the applications and narrow the applications down. Teams will then have until Aug. 12, the first day of the Czech Grand Prix at Brno, to pay a deposit. Accepted teams will be announced following the Brno round.

Several teams currently competing in the 125cc class are expected to apply for Moto3.

Honda recently unveiled its Moto3 bike, the Honda NSF250R (shown in the video above) while KTM announced it will produce its own race bikes as well as supply engines for chassis maker Kalex engineering.

Related Reading
Honda Reveals NSF250R Moto3 Racebike Specs
KTM Ready to Race Again, Entering Moto3 Class in 2012

[Source: MotoGP]