Superprestigio Conspiracy Update

After airing a conspiracy theory that was floating around about the Superprestigio, we had a load of great feedback and discussion.  

JP wrote...

 Marc had a hotrod CRF that had several maps that he was choosing from during the heats. a few times he was on the straight reaching over to the right bar with his left hand changing settings on the bike. The commentators on Fanschoice.tv pointed it out a few times, wondering what he was doing, then saying he had multiple engine maps to choose from, and his bike was being worked on by his MotoGP engineers. Brad (if I heard him right while the commentators talked over him)[edit- just read a Crash.net post with him saying that he really messed up tire selection, so yeah, I heard him right] though did mention he missed the tire setup for the last race and had no traction. 

Also, the bikes don't look to have the needed wiring for TC to be used. Speed sensors for both wheels would be needed or some other way to judge bike speed vs wheel speed/spin. I'd bet it wasn't the TC that was the advantage, but the engine controls where he had a selection. TC also tends to have a particular sound when on a bike without a fly-by-wire throttle because it isn't able to shut the butterflies, so it uses ignition and dropping spark. But. if you start losing traction, and can select a different ignition and EFI map to soften the engine, et viola. Marc was the only one I saw doing that during a race. Big advantage, anyhow. Elias wasn't on a Honda and was out to lunch until getting setup help from his old MGP mechanic, and Jared Mees via phone calls. So saying him also having TC was because he won Moto2 on a Honda engined is a bit of a reach. I doubt Yoshimira Suzuki or Catalan Suzuki (Who Elias said were all faster than him Thursday) gave him a TC setup from Honda. Did Brad send a bike this time, or was it provided to him?

 Lots of good stuff in there. It was me, who made the mistake about Elias being on a Honda. And yes, it is a bit of a reach, but that's why it's a conspiracy theory, not a news story. I'm not sure the sound of well set up traction control would be audible over a TV feed with so much other noise, and bikes geared to hit the rev limiter on the straights, but that's just more conspiracy fuel.

None of the original post was supposed to put any doubts about Marquez being a hell of a rider, Elias too. But who doesn't love a good conspiracy theory? G

Baker in Superprestigio Shock

Well, it was a shock to me. My cast iron, put-the-house-on-it prediction that Brad Baker would win the Superprestigio came up short. How short? As short as Dani Pedrosa stood in a pothole.

Baker was slightly off the pace in timed practice, being out-qualified by Supermoto champ, Thomas Chareyre, but it wasn't a concern to me or my prediction, because Baker's a racer.

The 2014 GNC champ comfortably made the Superfinal to race Marquez for the first time in the night. After a mid-pack run to the first corner, Marquez kept tight and exited turn 2 in the lead, with Baker behind him, then checked out. Even, and I say that with all due respect, Toni Elias passed Baker, pushing him back to third at the flag. It just wasn't Brad's night.

 The American said tyre choice was crucial and showed on Flat Track Live's feed that his soft Michelin Supermoto wet was chewing up. It seemed the same for everyone though. The official Superprestigio website quoted him as saying 'I haven’t feel at my ease in the race track and honestly I’ve been much more nervous in this event than in my current competition in flat track in the US.'

In a crash-strewn night, the British DTRA riders had mixed fortunes. A strong travelling support saw Ollie Brindley make the Open Finals, but one of the UK's brightest stars didn't progress to the Superfinal this time. George Pickering just missed out on the Open finals in his first Superprestigio, while Alan Birtwistle was out of sorts after having his van was broken into and robbed outside the event. Young Toby Hales had the bad luck too, when he couldn't avoid a crash bike on his line, was catapulted over the bars and broke his wrist.

 Keep an eye out for 2017 DTRA dates being released this week. G

Hard racing, decent crowd.

Ollie looking relaxed before the battle.

The appearance of 16/17in wheels on DTX bikes made the machinery look too much like Supermoto for some hardcore fans, others didn't care.

 Avoiding first corner carnage was crucial. 30, Alan Birtwistle about to go up the inside.

Baker leads Chareyre

 Japanese rider Masatoshi Ohmori styling it up for the crowd.

British rider Alan Birtwistle styling it up for the crowd. Rad his 'Get Schooled' How To guide tips for winning a championship without team back up in Sideburn 27.  

Ollie Brindley Flying at the Superprestigio

Young DTRA racer Ollie Brindley posted a quicker lap time than Brad Baker in Friday night's Open Class class practice. Marc Marquez topped the Superprestigio class and was quickest overall, Ollie second quickest.

Ollie has always qualified well at the big races, but hasn't always had the best luck in the races. He has made the grand final in the past.

Contrary to what we posted the other days, the Fanschoice stream is for the US only. Motors TV are showing the live footage in the UK. Go to DTXBarcelona for other country details.

The other Brits out there are Alan Birtwistle (who gives us his Get Schooled tips in Sideburn 27); George Pickering and Toby Hales. 

 Photo: Anthony Brown

Superprestigio: This Weekend

Superprestigio is on this weekend and the evening main event is being livestreamed for free around the world on fanschoice.tv.

2015 Superprestigio champion Brad Baker has been in Spain since early November, training on the bike he is going to compete on, including a visit to Rossi's Ranch. As long as he doesn't get tangled up in a crash he is going to win it, he's an indoor short track animal. He did crash in the Barcelona event in 2014, breaking his shoulder, with experts blaming it on unfamiliar 17in wheels. They're not unfamiliar any more. The Superprestigio rules demand 17in wheels and Michelin road race wets, not the regular 19in wheels regular dirt track races use. This is because Michelin are a sponsor and don't make suitable 19in tyre.

British interest is stronger than ever. The DTRA has four riders in contention - Superprestigio regulars Ollie Brindley and 2017 DTRA champion Alan Birtwistle, plus George Pickering and Toby Hales.

The DTRA were allowed to field extra riders when the troubled Spanish National dirt track series fizzled out before it could hold its end of season qualifying race.

For those unfamiliar with the format, the entry is split into two: Superprestigio and Open. The former is for road racers. The only current MotoGP rider in the whole field this year is Marc Marquez, where in the past there has been a handful of MotoGP men. There are still plenty of Moto2 and Moto3 riders and, for the first time, former WSB factory Ducati rider Ruben Xaus (see him below on a Ducati Hypermotard), but the entry is nowhere near as eyecatching as previous years, but don't let put you off. Indoor short track is never boring.

The open class is for riders who compete primarily on dirt - flat trackers, speedway, long track and also, supermoto. There are top racers from Spain, Italy and the UK, plus Baker, the only American this year after Jared Mees pulled out because of injury.

The top four from each class face off in a Super final.

Here is the Superprestigio schedule so you can plan your fanschoice viewing. G

Kocinski's Wood Rotax

Is this the prettiest Wood Rotax ever? So beautifully put together. The exhaust has that unusual run, along the right hand lower frame rail, because this is one of Ron Wood's monoshocks with the RSU under the engine, early-Buell -style.

It belongs to former 250 grand prix world champion and multiple 500 GP racewinner, John Kocinski. He holds a couple of outright lap records on short tracks, set within the last few years, not in his racing heyday.

I interviewed him at Pomona a while ago, for a major motorcycle title who made a clichéd dog's dinner of it and I was embarrassed at the outcome. Maybe it's time to put it in Sideburn and make it sing... G

Foggy at Dirt Quake

When I was a draughtsman, drawing engineering components for a living, I used to watch Carl Fogarty's every WSB race on Sky TV. Now the magazine we make puts on events that he competes in on a cool Triumph Bonneville.

Dirt Quake V was special for a lot of reasons. Thanks to everyone who made it so good, especially the spectators who lap up our daft ideas.

This photo of a flying Foggy was taken by Gergo Toth. Click his name to see his gallery of DQV images. G

Troy Bayliss to Race in GNC

Road race hero Troy Bayliss, one of the proper good guys in world racing, is going to race a select number of GNC Miles on the Lloyd Brothers Ducati this season.

At the age of 45, the former car sprayer has had a second wind. He is Aussie dirt track and Supermoto champ. He raced at the Superprestigio (but didn't make the final) and hosts his own high profile, star-studded Troy Bayliss Classic flat track race in his hometown of Taree.

The announcement is getting non-FT fans very excited, which has only got to be good for the sport.

Bayliss is one of a handful of riders to win a MotoGP and WSB race (Bayliss didn't just win a WSB race, he won 52 of them and three WSB titles). Bayliss, Hayden, Biaggi, Kocinski, Checa... Who am I missing?

All Bayliss's wins were on Ducati, so the link with Lloyd Brothers make sense.

If Bayliss has a good showing (easier said than done), perhaps it will convince Nicky Hayden to pack in being an also-ran on an uncompetitive bike in MotoGP and go back to his first love.

The Lloyd Brothers Ducati won back in 2010 with Joe Kopp on board. It was Ducati's first and, so far, only GNC win. Two-time GNC champ Jake Johnson rode for Ramspur Winery-Supported Lloyd Brothers team in 2014, and had the choice of XR750, Kawasaki and Ducati (see above, our own snaps from Pomona in October).

Out of the 12 mile or half-mile races, he chose the Ducati four times; XR750 five times and the Kawasaki three times. In a very consistent season he was never lower than sixth,. He scored two seconds on the XR, one second on the Kawasaki, but 'only' three fourths and a fifth on the Italian bike. G

Bayliss in Australian dirt track action. 

On the 1098 Superbike.

And the Desmosedici. It's going to be great to see him on the Miles. He sounds confident and Jared Mees is quoted as saying he's ready (though he's hardly going to say he'll get his ass handed to him). 

Superprestigio Grand Final

I've been trying to track down and embeddable version of this and I finally found it. With the all-time great Chris Carr giving expert commentary.
Check out the DTRA's Ollie Brindley.

We have superb photos and analysis from Superprestigio coming up in the next issue. G

Superfinal Video

Ben found this on YouTube.
So proud to see Ollie with his DTRA sticker on his helmet and DTRA plate on the grid in this company.
Can anyone find a YouTube post with Chris Carr commentating? G

Watch Superprestigio LIVE

The Superprestigio goes off tomorrow evening in Barcelona, Spain. It's arguably the most hotly anticipated dirt track race of the 21st century, and Fanschoice TV, the same great service that has brought live casts and YouTube recordings of every GNC race this year,  is offering a live feed.

If that wasn't enough, our old mate Chris Carr is guest commentator.

The official press release (aimed at Americans, hence the Eastern Time - just google it to work out what time that is where you are) says:

The Superprestigio is set to begin at 12:00 noon ET (9:00 a.m. PT) on Saturday, Dec. 13 and all of the action will be broadcast live on www.FansChoice.tv, the official home for live streaming of all AMA Pro Flat Track events.

There is an incredible line-up of riders including:

SUPERPRESTIGIO CLASS
Marc Marquez - 2014 MotoGP WC
Tito Rabat - 2014 Moto2 WC
Alex Marquez - 2014 Moto3 WC
Scott Redding
Bradley Smith
Toni Elias - 2010 Moto2 WC
Troy Bayliss - 2001, 2006, 2008 WSB WC
Kenny Noyes - 2014 CEV SBK champ

OPEN CLASS
Brad Baker (2013 GNC Champ)
Jared Mees (2x GNC champ)
Shayna Texter
Joonas Kylmakorpi (4x long track WC, who is racing a Zaeta painted by Maxwell Paternoster!)
Thomas Chareyre (3x Supermoto WC - surely a dark horse)
Fabrizio Vesprini (2x FIM Euro flat track champ)
Francesco Cecchini (2014 FIM Euro flat track champ)
Ivan Cervantes (4x Enduro WC)
Taddy Blazusiak - (5x Superenduro WC)
Guy Martin

And from the DTRA in the Open Class

Tim Neave (2014 champ), Tom Neave, Aidan Collins (4x UK champ), Ollie Brindley, Alan Birtwistle

(WC = World Champion)

The winners of each class race each other in a grand final.

Below is a photos from the @marcmarquez93 instagram feed of him practicing yesterday at the Canudas track. Many of the top riders were there.

Dirt Quake III by Mr Porky

Check out this 18-minute long, documentary-style film about this summer's Dirt Quake III made for one of the event's sponsors, Mr Porky pork scratchings!

It features Guy Martin (a Mr Porky-sponsored athlete); Maxwell Paternoster; Vicki from the Bike Shed; Mario and Luigi; Vicky Cee from Survivor Customs and a bunch more of our friends.

Music by MFC Chicken

See some great James Sharrock portraits of ten Dirt Quake III heroes in Sideburn 19. 

Marc Marquez Practice Track

Practicing with his brother Alex (Moto3 champ) and Tito Rabat (Moto2 champ).
See him in action at the Superprestigio in Barcelona on December 13.

Thanks to David Death Spray for the tip-off. G

Cocksure

We sometimes get 'foreigners' leaving blog post comments here, that they don't understand our peculiar use of the English language - or even getting thrown (confused) buy* just single words that have ambiguous meaning. Google Translate probably has a lot to answer for (is to blame for international miscommunication). Now I have a foreign wife and I'm teaching my young kids to read and write, I'm even more aware of the bizarre irregularities in the English language. The use/meaning of words changes with time and cultural/social climate too. When I was at school the word 'spunk' meant bravado - I can remember our Latin teacher using it. Today it means something else and Latin is no longer taught in schools (is there a connection there?).
Today's word in question is 'cocksure'. I'm not sure of its origin - male fighting chickens? My Collins Gem English Dictionary (printed in 2004) lists it as: '(adjective) overconfident, arrogant'. To me there has to me some male swagger in there - I wouldn't say overconfident, but definitely large balls (testicles) clanging - like Marco Melandri here.... BP *UPDATE:
Beste Adriaan,
I really didn't get your 'buy, bye, or by?' comment, and was too busy to scratch my head over it for any length of time. Now my editor has pointed out more specifically that it was a typo. Like my Dutch wife, you are evidently better at spelling English than me. BP

Superprestigio 2

Marc Marquez's team are organising another Superprestigio, to follow January's. Brad Baker made a hell of an impression, but I hope they can get whoever is this year's number 1 (and it doesn't look like it's going to be Baker) over for this. We spoke to a bunch of top racers when we were at Springfield and they're dead keen. Here's the official blurb...

It’s now confirmed. Marc Márquez and the current No#1 Dirt Tracker in the World, Brad Baker, will compete next December 13th for the supremacy of the Sant Jordi Arena. 

Backed by Barcelona City Council and organised by RPM Racing and Moto Club Segre, the Sant Jordi Arena will live again in December one of the most exciting and thrilling duels of motorcycling. Last January, the City of Barcelona lived a unique show in the Sant Jordi with a sensational oval soil track, the match between the # 1 World dirt tracker, American Brad Baker, and the youngest ever MotoGP champ, Catalan Marc Márquez. 

A heart breaking finale, unfinished 
Somehow, back in January, the fight for the #1 dirt tracker finished null-null, as Márquez fell following a contact with Baker, two laps before the end of the race, handing the victory to the US rider. In front of 8.000 spectators, after shaking hands, Brad Baker and Marc Márquez agreed for a second edition of the Superprestigio Dirt Track with the aim to have another try of that unfinished Final. 

Over 20 riders from the World Road Racing Championship, and some of the Top American dirt trackers also invited With five months to go 16 road racers have already confirmed their intention to take part in the Event: Tito Rabat (ESP, Moto 2), Bradley Smith (GBR, Moto GP), Álex Márquez (ESP, Moto 3), Scott Redding (GBR, Moto GP), Álex Rins (ESP, Moto 3), Mika Kallio (FIN, Moto 2), Álvaro Bautista (ESP, Moto GP), Johann Zarco (FRA, Moto 2), Jonas Folger (GER, Moto 2), Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA, Moto 2), Julián Simón (ESP, Moto 2), Kenny Noyes (USA, CEV Superbike) Marcel Schrotter (GER, Moto 2), Xavier Simeon (BEL, Moto 2), Niklas Ajo (FIN, Moto 3) and Enea Bastianini (ITA, Moto 3). 

Other confirmations are expected increasing the list of riders in the Superprestigio category (reserved to road Racing riders). More than 20 riders are expected. Brad Baker will not be the only rider representing the US. These riders together with the best nationals in Enduro, MX and Supermotard will join the Open category. 

Tickets on sale from 25 Euros Tickets will be on sale soon through www.rpmticket.com and www.atrapalo.com starting from 25 Euros 

Marc Márquez: “It was a great to compete against Brad Baker, #1 in the US, in the 1st edition of the Superprestigio Dirt Track. As I expected it was a magical event, full of light, skids and racing with the crowd so close was amazing. The crash was the only inconvenient of that great evening, so I am looking forward to racing again in the Sant Jordi arena, have fun.... and try to beat Brad!”. 

Brad Baker: “I am super excited to visit Barcelona again in December! I met so many great people when I was there in January and everyone made me feel like I was home. RPM Racing and everyone involved with them was top notch and I'm sure they will make the second edition of Superprestegio even greater than the first! It's a complete honour to be invited to Barcelona for a second time and I'm really looking forward to riding with Marc Marquez and all the other great GP riders again as well”.

Dirt Quake III: All in the details...

Except for the pie setting on fire, that all went according to plan.
Great bikes, people, music, weather (except for a little shower that did the track a lot of good in the long run), Colin Furze and his jet bike, wildest podium celebrations ever seen, pork scratching catapult, milk chug...

Thanks to the DTRA and all our helpers on the day who included; the Wigan crew, the Lincoln lot; the DTRa racers who stayed and marshalled...

Thanks to the sponsors...

Bike Social - the biking social network
Krazy Horse - custom cycles, cafe and apparel
Davida - British-made helmets
Racefit - Fine titanium exhausts, hard parts and custom builds
Biltwell - hard parts and helmets
Influx - High quality online motoring magazine
Triumph - Fine motorcycles
Zaeta Motorcycles - exclusive street trackers
Redmax Speedshop - Street tracker and cafe racer parts
Muff Customs - Cafe and bikes builders
Mr Porky - Pork Scratchings!

And, obviously, the racers and spectators.

Caption: Guy Martin, in 1991 Doohan Suzuka 8-hour replica leathers,  celebrates winning the Dash for Mash on his Krazy Horse Sportster by picking out a sausage from the crown of Smash. Meanwhile, Davros, Dirt Quake's feckless commentator, is distracted by a seagull.

Photo: Geoff Co-Built

Panigale v Dirt Quake USA

Lovely video by the guys at Moto Corsa, Portland. Perhaps the most Inappropriate Road Bike ever.
See more like this at Dirt Quake on Saturday. G

Aussie Dirt Track Champ - Troy Bayliss

From Paul Dawson in Australia

Not sure if you are aware but just thought I'd take the time to inform that Troy Bayliss (#21) recently picked up his first Australian titles, Troy is obviously somewhat famous for wining 3 World Superbike championships but up until the beginning of this month he'd never won an Australian championship. 

Firstly he won 3 Australian Dirt track titles at the Old Bar track at Taree in NSW, this is the track where he grew up racing. Taree is an oil track which makes the surface more like tar, it's dirt with oil mixed in and rolled flat. He picked up the 250, 450 and Open class trophies against some of the best dirt-track racers in the country, including Ex-AMA flat-tracker Michael Kirkness. Race report here

The Following weekend he raced supermoto at the Whitsunday raceway in Queensland and came away with 2 Australian titles in the 450 (S2) and 250 (S3) class, competing against some multiple time Australian champions.

Guy Martin to race Dirt Quake III

Guy Martin is racing a Krazy Horse Harley in the Chopper class at Dirt Quake!

All the race entries (except the lady class) are now full. If you were on the reserve list, we're trying to squeeze you in. We'll be in touch.
If you haven't entered, we're sorry, but it's too late.

July 18-19, 2014
King's Lynn, UK

Advance tickets are on sale at Dirt Quake tickets.

Frequently asked questions (and answers) are here.

Quickfall x Martin (+Sideburn)

Newcastle-based illustrator Ryan Quickfall has contributed a bunch of work to Sideburn - illustrations for the mag (some of which we now have as top quality, limited edition screen prints for sale), posters, T-shirts, stickers... He's also working for different clients around the world including Guy Martin - illustrating some of his 2014 calendar and the German magazine FastBike (nothing to do with the UK one with a similar name).
The Guy-related images above are for these two clients.

In other Guy news, his autobiography is out today and he's on the BBC's One Show this evening at 7pm. You can order signed copies from Guy Martin's online shop.

I'm starting the rumour now that Guy is going to race at Dirt Quake III (that Ryan also did the poster for). Just a rumour...

Finally, we have a few of the Ryan Quickfall-designed Gore Rider shirts (as worn by Guy on TV) in stock.  G

Superprestigio - Super Slo-mo

This raised the hairs on the back of my neck.
#9 is Kenny Noyes (from the Noyes Camp in Spain)
#93 is Marc Marquez
#41 is Aleix Espargaro
#7 is Alessandro Baldassari
#30 is Alan Birtwistle
#1 is Brad Baker
#53 is Tito Rabat.

Watch how the holes on the corner entry unsettle Marquez's bike, but not Marquez. G

UPDATE: We have some exciting Kenny Noyes/ DTRA news coming up later today.