The North West 200 race in Ireland this month will see two internationally renowned female riders making their mark on the circuit

Although largely unknown to most Indian bikers, the North West 200, held in the month of May every year in Northern Ireland, is quite a significant motorcycle race in Europe in its own right. Held on a street circuit made up of public roads running between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush (also known as The Triangle), the North West 200 is one of the fastest road races in the world with speeds well in excess of 320 kmph.

And, slowly but gradually, this usually male-dominated sport is witnessing a perceptible shift with the inclusion of more and more ladies brave enough to demolish popular opinion that they’re are just there as eye candy and are actually capable of rubbing shoulders with hardened men at speeds that will make ordinary mortals flinch.

Returning for their second year at the NW200 are such two internationally renowned female riders, Simona Zaccardi and Ornella Ongaro, from Italy and France respectively. Of them, Zaccardi (37) has taken part in the Manx Grand Prix as well as the Italian and the European Championships, providing stiff competition to her male counterparts on championship podium finishes and overall points.

She say’s being a woman in this male dominated sport usually throws her in the lime light but still admits that it is not a problem for her and she does not mind it as she is a road racer and not some movie star. Event technical director Mervyn White states that he would like to see more female competitors at the North West event and he says that it is great to have women competing in the NW 200 and proving a point in competitive racing. Here’s wishing the two brave ladies all the best for the North West 200 and all their future racing endeavours.

The North West 200 race in Ireland this month will see two internationally renowned female riders making their mark on the circuit

Although largely unknown to most Indian bikers, the North West 200, held in the month of May every year in Northern Ireland, is quite a significant motorcycle race in Europe in its own right. Held on a street circuit made up of public roads running between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush (also known as The Triangle), the North West 200 is one of the fastest road races in the world with speeds well in excess of 320 kmph.

And, slowly but gradually, this usually male-dominated sport is witnessing a perceptible shift with the inclusion of more and more ladies brave enough to demolish popular opinion that they’re are just there as eye candy and are actually capable of rubbing shoulders with hardened men at speeds that will make ordinary mortals flinch.

Returning for their second year at the NW200 are such two internationally renowned female riders, Simona Zaccardi and Ornella Ongaro, from Italy and France respectively. Of them, Zaccardi (37) has taken part in the Manx Grand Prix as well as the Italian and the European Championships, providing stiff competition to her male counterparts on championship podium finishes and overall points.

She say’s being a woman in this male dominated sport usually throws her in the lime light but still admits that it is not a problem for her and she does not mind it as she is a road racer and not some movie star. Event technical director Mervyn White states that he would like to see more female competitors at the North West event and he says that it is great to have women competing in the NW 200 and proving a point in competitive racing. Here’s wishing the two brave ladies all the best for the North West 200 and all their future racing endeavours.

Current World Champion announces retirement

Just when speculations about HRC being faster than Yamaha in the upcoming race were at their peak, reigning World Champion and Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner announced his retirement at the end of this season. The rider made this official statement at the start of Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, saying that the sport has reached a point where he’s not enjoying it and neither is he passionate about it anymore.

Fans are shocked about this sudden announcement, especially here in India with the news of MotoGP coming to the country next year being confirmed. After winning a title and then struggling with the Ducati in later years, Stoner adapted to Honda as soon as he returned to the team and then there was no looking back. This season has been very favorable to him so far, with the #1 Honda flying away from the pack, to claim the win in almost every race. But then, there have been comments reflecting his disapproval over several aspects of the sport from time to time too. His dislike for electronics in racing, his views on CRTs, etc showed that he wasn’t really pleased with the ongoing scenario in MotoGP. Nevertheless, all we can say is that we knew such a thing was coming, but not so soon!

Current World Champion announces retirement

Just when speculations about HRC being faster than Yamaha in the upcoming race were at their peak, reigning World Champion and Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner announced his retirement at the end of this season. The rider made this official statement at the start of Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, saying that the sport has reached a point where he’s not enjoying it and neither is he passionate about it anymore.

Fans are shocked about this sudden announcement, especially here in India with the news of MotoGP coming to the country next year being confirmed. After winning a title and then struggling with the Ducati in later years, Stoner adapted to Honda as soon as he returned to the team and then there was no looking back. This season has been very favorable to him so far, with the #1 Honda flying away from the pack, to claim the win in almost every race. But then, there have been comments reflecting his disapproval over several aspects of the sport from time to time too. His dislike for electronics in racing, his views on CRTs, etc showed that he wasn’t really pleased with the ongoing scenario in MotoGP. Nevertheless, all we can say is that we knew such a thing was coming, but not so soon!

Announces 200 units of the special 690 Duke Track racer edition

KTM recently lunched a very special version of the 690 Duke, called the 690 Duke Track. As the very name suggests this bike has been especially prepared for track riding and features performance upgrades that put it in a much higher league of machines. This bike is based on the motorcycle that KTM run for the European Junior Cup, a support event for the World Superbike Championship, at eight rounds throughout the year.

The 690 Duke Track has been homologated only for track use and, as such, will be illegal for street riding purposes. At over Rs 8 lakh (UK price), the special-edition motorcycle makes 80 PS of peak power (nine PS more than the stock version) and weighs 10 kg lighter. There are a number of performance parts like the Akrapovic exhaust system, modified airbox, high performance camshaft and an altered fuel mapping, which together give this bike a considerable edge over its stock sibling.

Announces 200 units of the special 690 Duke Track racer edition

KTM recently lunched a very special version of the 690 Duke, called the 690 Duke Track. As the very name suggests this bike has been especially prepared for track riding and features performance upgrades that put it in a much higher league of machines. This bike is based on the motorcycle that KTM run for the European Junior Cup, a support event for the World Superbike Championship, at eight rounds throughout the year.

The 690 Duke Track has been homologated only for track use and, as such, will be illegal for street riding purposes. At over Rs 8 lakh (UK price), the special-edition motorcycle makes 80 PS of peak power (nine PS more than the stock version) and weighs 10 kg lighter. There are a number of performance parts like the Akrapovic exhaust system, modified airbox, high performance camshaft and an altered fuel mapping, which together give this bike a considerable edge over its stock sibling.

Mahindra Racing’s Sarath Kumar becomes the first Indian to secure a podium finish in an international motorsports event

Mahindra Racing’s Sarath Kumar created history at the CIV-Italian Championship in Monza where he finished third, getting his first ever podium finish. This is the first time an Indian has secured a place on the podium at an international motorsports event in Europe. The Indian rider originally placed fourth but moved up in the rankings after third place winner, Andrea Mantovani, was disqualified due to engine irregularities.

Sarath moved off pretty well from the grid and rapidly found a good pace that allowed him to recover many positions to finish 3rd in the 125GP. The Indian rider also clocked a remarkable time of 25:38:775 at the Monza circuit.Recently, Sarath also became the first Indian to score points in this competitive Championship during the second round in Imola.

On the other hand, the winner of the first two rounds Ricardo Morreti was forced into early retirement after his bike suddenly turned off due to technical issues. After the third round 125GP, Kumar climbs up the classification to 5th place with 22 points and Moretti now lies in second position in the standings with 50 points. The next two CIV races will take place on June 23rd and 24th at Mugello’s Autodromo Nazionale.

Mahindra Racing’s Sarath Kumar becomes the first Indian to secure a podium finish in an international motorsports event

Mahindra Racing’s Sarath Kumar created history at the CIV-Italian Championship in Monza where he finished third, getting his first ever podium finish. This is the first time an Indian has secured a place on the podium at an international motorsports event in Europe. The Indian rider originally placed fourth but moved up in the rankings after third place winner, Andrea Mantovani, was disqualified due to engine irregularities.

Sarath moved off pretty well from the grid and rapidly found a good pace that allowed him to recover many positions to finish 3rd in the 125GP. The Indian rider also clocked a remarkable time of 25:38:775 at the Monza circuit.Recently, Sarath also became the first Indian to score points in this competitive Championship during the second round in Imola.

On the other hand, the winner of the first two rounds Ricardo Morreti was forced into early retirement after his bike suddenly turned off due to technical issues. After the third round 125GP, Kumar climbs up the classification to 5th place with 22 points and Moretti now lies in second position in the standings with 50 points. The next two CIV races will take place on June 23rd and 24th at Mugello’s Autodromo Nazionale.

Two consecutive wins for Mahindra Racing on Mugello & Imola circuits

Mahindra Racing recently created history when their Indian rider, Sarath Kumar, scored his first points in the competitive Championship during the second round in Imola. The team got off to a spectacular start in its maiden entry in the Italian championship this year with ex-Italian champion, Riccardo Moretti, winning the opening two rounds in the 125 GP class. Kumar finished seventh in the second round for a personal tally of nine points after a technical issue forced him into early retirement in the opening race.

 

“We are delighted by Sarath’s performance at Imola and are confident that he will only get better. Mahindra Racing sees the Italian championship as an opportunity to nurture and grow rising Indian talent like Sarath. Riding in a championship with such high standards is a great opportunity for him to hone his skills and develop into a world-class rider,” said Mufaddal Choonia, Chief Operating Officer, Mahindra Racing, at a special ceremony in Chennai to felicitate Sarath for his achievement.

“This is a moment of great pride for me as the Italian Championship is one of the most competitive breeding grounds for emerging talent on the racing circuit. I would like to express my gratitude to the Mahindra Group for all their support and encouragement and I look forward to delivering a strong performance in future races,” said Sarath.

Round 3 of the eight-round Italian championship with Mahindra Racing on top will be held at the Monza circuit on April 29, 2012.

 

Two consecutive wins for Mahindra Racing on Mugello & Imola circuits

Mahindra Racing recently created history when their Indian rider, Sarath Kumar, scored his first points in the competitive Championship during the second round in Imola. The team got off to a spectacular start in its maiden entry in the Italian championship this year with ex-Italian champion, Riccardo Moretti, winning the opening two rounds in the 125 GP class. Kumar finished seventh in the second round for a personal tally of nine points after a technical issue forced him into early retirement in the opening race.

“We are delighted by Sarath’s performance at Imola and are confident that he will only get better. Mahindra Racing sees the Italian championship as an opportunity to nurture and grow rising Indian talent like Sarath. Riding in a championship with such high standards is a great opportunity for him to hone his skills and develop into a world-class rider,” said Mufaddal Choonia, Chief Operating Officer, Mahindra Racing, at a special ceremony in Chennai to felicitate Sarath for his achievement.

“This is a moment of great pride for me as the Italian Championship is one of the most competitive breeding grounds for emerging talent on the racing circuit. I would like to express my gratitude to the Mahindra Group for all their support and encouragement and I look forward to delivering a strong performance in future races,” said Sarath.

Round 3 of the eight-round Italian championship with Mahindra Racing on top will be held at the Monza circuit on April 29, 2012.