With the 2013 EICMA show just a couple months away, it is unsurprising to see next year’s bikes cropping up on the internet — case in point, this photo of the Ducati 899 Panigale.
Rumored since the Ducati 1199 Panigale broke cover two years ago, the Bologna Brand’s supersport-class sport bike appears to be mostly as expected, though it is surprising to see Ducati fitting a standard-style swingarm to the machine instead of continuing its iconic single-sided design.
Talking to MotoGP.com this weekend at the Indianapolis GP, Kenny Roberts Sr. admitted to the website that he is working on putting together a new GP program for the 2014 or 2015 season — though was quick to caution against the project’s full-fruition. “We’re working on it. And we’re working on something quite big – it’s going to happen or it’s not going to happen. It’s not going to be almost there. When we come back we’ll come back in a big way! And if you don’t see me, you’ll know we didn’t get it done,” said King Kenny. What the GP legend means from his words, we can only infer, though the prospect of the Godfather of American road racing returning to the premier series of motorcycle racing bodes well for the wealth of racing talent that we have domestically.
MotoGP: Race Results from the Indianapolis GP
Somebody appears to have neglected to inform Marc Marquez of the laws of physics. Though the track is less slippery…
Despite the posturing ahead of this year’s Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, which seemed to suggest that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway would exercise an option to forgo hosting the 2014 MotoGP Championship, Dorna and IMS have come to an accord on keeping the Indianapolis GP for next season, with a date in mid-August still to be announced. Keeping three American races on the calendar for at least the immediate future, IMS also announced that it was working with MotoGP on a “long-term future” to keep the premier class coming back to Indianapolis, which bodes well for the US keeping its dominant role in hosting the MotoGP Championship.
In the United States, race track corners don’t get much more iconic than Laguna Seca’s Corkscrew, but for our brothers and sisters across the pond, two-wheeled spectacle perhaps reaches its zenith at “The Mountain” at Cadwell Park. Known for launching riders off the tarmac with its short and steep incline, The Mountain has been conquered by many a rider, but no one puts on a better show at Cadwell than Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Brookes. If Brookes is an example on how to properly take the leap at Cadwell, his new teammate, American transplant PJ Jacobsen, perhaps gives us the converse approach of how not to tackle the famous section of British track. Not to worry though, we’re sure PJ got some tips from Josh after his close encounter — found after the jump.
MotoGP Qualifying Results from the Indianapolis GP in Indianapolis, Indiana
Celebrating 50 years in the United States, Suzuki has a “special edition limited production” Suzuki GSX-R1000 for the 2014 model year. Only fifty units of this machine will be sold to brand enthusiasts in the USA (100 units worldwide), with the 2014 Suzuki GSX-R1000 SE Limited Production debuting today at the Indianapolis GP. Like the 2013 Suzuki GSX-R1000 “One Millionth” Special Edition we saw late last year, the machine is mostly a cosmetic exercise. Highlights include a chrome-plated frame, and a polished chrome rims that have blue spokes. Other blue bits abound, for +1,000 biker boyz bling points. If this sort of thing gets you going, you’ll have to check with your local Suzuki dealer about getting one. As of this moment, pricing and availability have not been announced.
Ben Spies’s run of truly appalling luck continues. During the Saturday morning FP3 session of practice for the MotoGP race at Indianapolis, Spies was thrown from his Ignite Pramac Ducati and fell very heavily on his left shoulder. The Texan was taken to the medical center at the circuit, where he was diagnosed with an acromioclavicular joint dislocation, the separation of the collarbone from the shoulder blade. Spies has been forced to withdraw from the Indianapolis GP.
