Category: Events and Shows

1. The 30th year of The Bulldog Bash

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 2nd Dec 2015

   In August 2016, The Bulldog Bash celebrates its' 30th year...

   With a drag strip, demos, stunt shows, Wall of Death, Custom show sponsored by BSH, cheap beer and quality food, along with a massive indoor bar and stage marquee, great entertainment from top class bands, a rock karaoke tent, loads of trade stands and much more… With over 7,000 attending in 2015, it is thought that 2016 will see a record number of attendies!

   venue: Long Marston Airfield, Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 8LL. Gates open at about 1pm on Thursday 11th August and then you can party right through until Sunday. 
   price: Pre-book: £30 earlybird until the end of April 2016. After earlybird is finished, the pre book price is £40. OTG: £50. 
   tel: 01623 432972
   www.bulldogbash.co.uk
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2. al Automobile Club announces contenders for Torrens Trophy‏

   Posted on 12:37pm Tuesday 1st Dec 2015

   Each year the Royal Automobile Club awards a series of historic trophies and medals to individuals and organisations, celebrating and recognising outstanding achievements, technical skills and innovation in the motoring and motor sport industries.
   
   The Torrens Trophy recognises an individual or organisation considered to have made an outstanding contribution to motor cycling in Britain. The Trophy was first awarded in 1978 in memory of Arthur Bourne, a motor cycling journalist and Vice Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club who wrote a column under the name Torrens. It has only been awarded eight times in its history and only when the club feels that the achievement justifies it.

   Its last recipient was four times British Superbike Champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne. Shakey, upon receiving it said ‘It’s a great achievement to win the Torrens Trophy and be recognised by such an established and respected organisation as the Royal Automobile Club’.
   
   This year, with such a strong crop of potential worthy recipients, the Club’s Torrens Trophy Nominations Committee - consisting of Royal Automobile Club member Ben Cussons, Torrens Nomination Committee Chairman and ex-bike racer Barrie Baxter, well-respected motorcycle journalist Mat Oxley, former racer and commentator Steve Parrish and Arthur Bourne’s son Richard Bourne - debated long and hard. The overall winner of the Torrens Trophy will be awarded at the prestigious Pall Mall clubhouse in January. In no particular order, the shortlist of nominees for the 2015 trophy is:
   
   Ian Hutchinson
   Ian Hutchinson has bettered Isle of Man TT greats like Stanley Woods, Mike Hailwood, Joey Dunlop and John McGuinness by winning five TT races in one week. That was five years ago. Since then Hutchinson has been to hell and back. Just weeks after his unique achievement the Yorkshireman broke his left leg badly. Surgeons prescribed amputation but Hutchinson resisted and has since undergone 30 operations to retain the limb. His comeback is an awe-inspiring tale of triumph over adversity, climaxing with his return to winning form at the 2015 TT, when he won another three races.
   
   Danny Kent
   Britain has enjoyed plenty of success in the World Superbike Championship over the past few decades but none in motorcycling’s premier MotoGP series. Until Danny Kent came along. On November 8th the 22-year-old from Gloucestershire became this country’s first Grand Prix World Champion since Barry Sheene in 1977. Honda rider Kent won his crown in the harum-scarum Moto3 title, MotoGP’s junior championship, which launched the careers of Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and many others. Next year Kent moves up to Moto2, with the MotoGP class itself his eventual target.
   
   Jonathan Rea
   Years of hard work paid off for Northern Irishman Jonathan Rea when he secured the World Superbike Championship in September. Rea had been a race winner in the series for six seasons, but it took a change of manufacturer to fully realise his potential. The 28-year-old utterly dominated the 2015 campaign, taking his Kawasaki to victory in 14 of the 28 races and finishing on the podium in all but four races. Rea follows in the wheel tracks of fellow British World Superbike champions including Carl Fogarty and Neil Hodgson and former Torrens Trophy winners James Toseland and Tom Sykes.
   
   Tai Woffindon
   Speedway is one of the few surviving racing disciplines in which the rider’s right wrist is effectively connected to the rear tyre, untrammelled by a little black box of electronics making win-or-lose decisions. Not only that, speedway bikes run on methanol and have no brakes! Twenty-five-year-old Woffindon has climbed to the top of this most visceral of motor sports twice in the last three years, winning the 2013 and 2015 World Speedway Championships. The Australian-born Britain, known for his stylishly aggressive riding and cast-iron bravery, is also a multiple British Speedway Champion.
   
   
   The Torrens Trophy
   The Royal Automobile Club has always had a close association with the motor cycling world. The Club formed the Auto Cycle Club in 1903, which went on to become the Auto Cycle Union in 1947. The first Tourist Trophy race was held on the Isle of Man in 1905 for cars - two years before the first TT for motorcycles.
   
   The Torrens Trophy recognises an individual or organisation considered to have made an outstanding contribution to the cause of safe and skilful motorcycling in the United Kingdom OR to have made an outstanding contribution of technical excellence to further the cause of motor cycling in the UK OR to have shown outstanding skill in international motor cycling sporting events in the United Kingdom.
   
   The Torrens Trophy was first awarded in 1978 in memory of Arthur Bourne, a motor cycling journalist who wrote a column under the name Torrens. Arthur Bourne was also a Vice-Chairman of the RAC.
   
   Previous winners of the Torrens Trophy include BMW in 1989 in recognition for their contribution to motor cycle safety through their development of their anti-lock braking system and in 1998 to Ian Kerr of the Metropolitan Police for 20-years of tireless work in promoting safe and responsible motorcycling. In 2008 World Superbike Champion James Toseland was awarded the Trophy for his immense contribution to raising the profile of motorcycle racing in this country. In 2013 Tom Sykes was awarded the trophy for being crowned the fifteenth World Superbike Champion, the fourth from Great Britain and only the second rider to win for Kawasaki in the series for twenty years. The last recipient was Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne for his unique achievement of securing a fourth British Superbike Championship.

3. Motorcycle Live 2015 comes alive!‏

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 28th Nov 2015

   Motorcycle Live 2015 fired into life at The NEC, Birmingham today with a star-studded roll call of racing VIPs, over 30 manufacturer stands and 16 interactive features – including nine FREE opportunities to ride a bike – keeping the bike fans that flooded through the doors entertained all day long.

   The Black Horse Stage in the Eurosport Entertainment Zone welcomed a whole host of racing royalty, including three-time 500cc World Champion Kenny Roberts, 2015 World Superbike Champion Jonathan Rea, 2015 Moto3 Champion Danny Kent, 2015 World Speedway Champion Tai Woffinden, 2015 British Superbike Champion Josh Brookes, MotoGP riders Maverick Vinales and Scott Redding and 2015 Isle of Man TT Senior winner John McGuinness.

   Meanwhile, the world’s leading motorcycle manufacturers showcased their 2016 models in the UK for the first time and over 150 other exhibitors displayed everything from leathers, helmets and boots to dream adventure tours.

   Visitors of all ages enjoyed a whole host of live and interactive features, including the all-new FMX Live, presented by Arenacross – the craziest freestyle motocross show ever to hit Motorcycle Live, featuring the world’s leading riders whipping and back-flipping to lasers, lights and LEDs and a heart-pumping soundtrack. Motorcycle Live 2015 runs for the next eight days until Sunday 6 December.

   Tickets are available to buy on the door at £20 per adult, £14 for Seniors and £9 for children aged 11-16* (kids ten and under accompanied by a paying adult go free).

   Visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk for more details.

4. Triumph Motorcycles unveils new Explorer, Speed Triple and complete new Bonneville range at Motorcycle Live 2015

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 26th Nov 2015

   The launch of the all-new Bonneville family, which has taken four years of development to create, opens a new chapter in the story of the most famous name in motorcycling. From the fun and accessible Street Twin, to the timeless style of the Bonneville T120 and T120 Black, through to the race-inspired Thruxton R, the new range is more powerful, more capable and more beautiful than ever before.

   Visitors to the Triumph stand will also get the chance to see the latest additions to the adventure range, the new Tiger Explorer as well as the all new Speed Triple.

   Triumph Motorcycles are also displaying a complete range of inspiration kits for the new Bonneville range, accessories and clothing.

   The Triumph stand will be manned by our very own Hinckley factory staff. These highly knowledgeable bike enthusiasts will be on hand to answer all your questions.

   We look forward to welcoming you to Motorcycle Live 2015

   

   Click here for more information

5. NEW LIVE CINEMA SHOW TO FORM CENTRE PIECE OF ISLE OF MAN TT EXPERIENCE AT MOTORCYCLE LIVE

   Posted on 10:00am Thursday 26th Nov 2015

   John McGuinness talking through his incredible outright record breaking lap from this year’s PokerStars Senior TT is just one of many highlights on the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy stand at this year’s Motorcycle Live show at the NEC in Birmingham.

   John will be revealing all his tricks of the trade as he commentates live to stunning big screen on board footage and he’ll be joined by many of his Mountain Course rivals, who will no doubt be listening intently as they plot to dethrone the Morecambe Missile.

   Others lined up to talk through their laps include Michael Dunlop and James Hillier the latter man explaining what was going through his mind on his Kawasaki H2R parade lap from earlier in the year. And if you ever wondered what it feels like to race a sidecar around the 37¾ mile course, you’ll get the chance to get up close and personal with the Birchall brothers as they talk through one of their TT laps.

   Many of the TT and Classic TT winning bikes will be on the stand including John McGuinnesses’ trusty Honda Fireblade that fired him to victory in the unforgettable PokerStars Senior TT, not to mention the Valvoline by Padgetts Racing Honda that Bruce Anstey rode for his first, hugely emotional, ‘big bike’ TT Mountain Course win in the RST Superbike Race. 

   No less emotional will be an appearance by Ian Hutchinson who will be reunited with the double Monster Energy Supersport Race winning Team Traction Control Yamaha while nostalgia fans can enjoy the Classic TT race winning Team Classic Suzuki and Black Eagle Racing MV Agusta that Michael Dunlop and Dean Harrison raced to victory in the Motorsport Merchandise Formula 1 and Bennetts 500cc Races respectively.

   And as well as the race winning-bikes, you can also see, and be pictured with, the glittering collection of every race winning trophy from this year’s TT Races including the iconic and priceless winged Mercury Senior TT Trophy, one of the most instantly recognisable trophies in world sport.

   The Isle of Man will be taking centre stage at the NEC in the now traditional Classic TT Day on Sunday 29th of November, with many of the leading names from this year’s nostalgia fest appearing in chat shows with ITV4 commentators James Whitham and Steve Parrish and signing sessions throughout the day while the 2015 Motorcycle Live show will finish on its now traditional high with ‘Mad TT Sunday’ on 6th December with the TT stars reliving their best moments from this year’s memorable TT meeting.

   The Isle of Man TT will be on stand 4e10 in Hall 4 for this year’s Motorcycle Live show, which runs from Saturday 28th November to Sunday 6th December.

   The full list of confirmed TT riders to appear during the show is:

   
   SATURDAY 28th NOVEMBER / OPENING DAY

   John McGuinness
   Micheal Dunlop
   Michael Rutter
   Josh Brookes
   Ben and Tom Birchall
   
   SUNDAY 29th NOVEMBER - CLASSIC TT DAY
   
   John McGuinness
   Micheal Dunlop
   Michael Rutter
   Dean Harrison
   Daniel Cooper
   Dan Kneen
   Josh Brookes
   
   MONDAY 30th NOVEMBER

   Bruce Anstey
   Dan Kneen
   Ben and Tom Birchall
   
   TUESDAY 1st DECEMBER
   
   Ryan Farquhar
   Keith Amor
   William Dunlop
   Peter Hickman
   
   WEDNESDAY 2nd DECEMBER 
   
   Dean Harrison
   William Dunlop
   Lee Johnston
   
   THURSDAY 3rd DECEMBER
   
   Keith Flint (Team Traction Control)
   Gary Johnson
   Dean Harrison
   Ivan Lintin
   Lee Johnston
   
   FRIDAY 4th DECEMBER
   
   Gary Johnson
   Ian Hutchinson
   Conor Cummins
   
   SATURDAY 5th DECEMBER

   John McGuinness
   Michael Dunlop
   Conor Cummins
   James Hillier
   Peter Hickman
   
   SUNDAY 6th DECEMBER - TT DAY / MAD SUNDAY
   
   John McGuinness, Ben and Tom Birchall
   Michael Dunlop, Dave Molyneux and Dan Sayle
   Conor Cummins, Tim Reeves and Patrick Farrance
   James Hillier, John Holden and Andy Winkle
   Peter Hickman, Conrad Harrison and Mike Aylott
   Lee Johnston
   Ian Hutchinson
   Ivan Lintin
   Bruce Anstey