Category: Moto GP

1. Michael Dunlop: the most successful Isle of Man TT rider of all time

   Posted on 2:00pm Wednesday 5th Jun 2024

   History was made at the Isle of Man TT today when Michael Dunlop, a Furygan supported rider, claimed his 27^th victory and surpassed the legendary record held by his uncle, Joey Dunlop. This extraordinary achievement cements Michael’s status as the most successful TT rider of all time, a testament to his unparalleled skill, determination and passion for road racing.  

   After delays and updated racing schedules, the Metzeler Supertwin TT Race 1 proved to be another Dunlop masterclass with the Northern Irishman consistently riding at close to lap record pace aboard his Paton. Throughout the three laps, Dunlop kept increasing his gap to those behind and ended up crossing the line 20.406 seconds ahead of his closest challenger.

   Furygan is proud to have been a part of Michael’s journey since 2013 and witness the multiple successes that he has had on the way to making history today. The French motorcycle protection specialists provide the 35-year-old with custom fitted suits and work with him to tailor them to his specific requirements – as the Isle of Man TT provides unique challenges with walls, lamp posts and hedges lining the 37.73 mile Mountain Course.

   David Robert, Furygan Communication, Marketing and Sponsorship Manager

   “Dedication and striving for excellence are definitely a meeting point between Furygan’s Racing Department and Michael Dunlop, and we both get there with the same fuel: passion. What Michael has done today is the pinnacle of an incredible performance at an incredible event and all of us at Furygan are so happy to have been able to accompany this fierce racer on his journey. I want to say how incredibly proud we are to be a part of his team, not because he is a TT legend, but because of how genuine and great the man is. That’s what gives meaning to what we do. Thank you Michael.”

   Furygan’s customers are able to benefit from these hours and miles of testing, in addition to the technical innovations that the Motion Lab develops for competition riding that have applications on public roads. In essence, the partnership helps to maintain Furygan’s high standards of comfort, protection and style that are synonymous with the panther emblem.

   Michael Dunlop’s 27th victory is a celebration of his remarkable talent and a tribute to the enduring spirit of competition at the Isle of Man TT. With five races still to run, including the blue riband Senior TT, there is potential for the record to be broken further.

   Michael Dunlop

   “After the disappointment last time I really wanted to make up for it today, it should have been 28. We had an issue on the first night and the boys worked hard to fix it so thanks to them for working all night. I felt good, knew I needed to relax, calm down and just go. The wee bike felt good, although it was windy up there and I’m not the smallest. This is a nice place to be though. I’ve never modelled myself against Joey and I don’t want to be. He was a special talent, and everybody aspires to be him. I’ve broken records but this was a personal thing I wanted to break. That’s the one I’ve always wanted.”

   More images to follow on https://furygan-press.co.uk/

    

2. MOTOGP TEAM GRESINI RACING AND SPORTPASS LAUNCH WORLD'S FIRST FAN-POWERED MOTORSPORT SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 5th Jun 2024

   Prominent MotoGP team Gresini Racing, in partnership with MotoGP Guru and Animoca Brands’ subsidiary SPORTPASS, today launched the first-ever fan powered sponsorship program. The program will enable MotoGP fans to purchase and own an exclusive personal team sponsorship package — all for as little as €125.
    
   “This is a world-first in sports; we have worked with Gresini Racing to bring the fans even closer to the team and the riders they support, and do so using the latest technology to provide the security of ownership and value,” said SPORTPASS CEO Jordan Fogerty. “We hope that the SPORTPASS platform and the value it provides to fans will prove to be a turning point in the way teams and riders connect with fans as well as the brand partners, which are pivotal to enhancing fan experiences.”

   The new program offers fans a number of exclusive benefits money can’t buy, such as VIP Paddock Experiences at the Grands Prix of 2024, name placement on the bikes, and being invited to exclusive events, zoom calls with the team members, special custom merchandise, and a chance to win Ducati Panigale V4S, a highly customized official test bike used by the Gresini Racing’s riders Marc and Alex Marquez. Fan sponsors will also get to own exclusive digital passes, collectibles, invitations, and credentials, as well as access to other exclusive sponsor-only content.
    
   Gresini Racing has recently risen to international fame after the team signed eighth-time world champion Marc Marquez, who joined his brother Alex to compete in the 2024 MotoGP World Championship on the Ducati Desmosedici GP23. The anticipation of the satellite teams’ performance and Marc’s early season podium success, along with his massive following, have shone a spotlight on Gresini Racing, and they have wasted no time bringing a world-first initiative to MotoGP aficionados.

   “We have always had an incredibly loyal fan base not only of the team but the many riders who have achieved success in our championship projects. We could not be happier to be the first team to ever allow actual fans to become sponsors and make this available globally,”.added Carlo Merlini, Commercial & Marketing Director of Gresini Racing. “We look forward to innovating and engaging in new and exciting ways.”
   
   These sponsorship experiences were brought to life by SPORTPASS and MotoGP Guru, which also produces and publishes the official MotoGP Prediction Game and the officially licensed mobile racing game MotoGP Guru Racing ‘24. MotoGP Guru is also part of another Animoca subsidiary, The Motorverse—an interoperable ecosystem of motorsport-centric games boasting pioneering IP collaborations and championing digital ownership.

    

3. TEAM GRESINI RACING MOTOGP SCORES IMPORTANT POINTS AT MUGELLO

   Posted on 6:00pm Sunday 2nd Jun 2024

   It was surely a positive weekend for Team Gresini MotoGP, who places both their riders in the higher part of the race classification and leaves Mugello with a total of 31 points scored in what was the first of two home events for the Faenza-based squad. 
   
   Marc Marquez bagged 22 of those points courtesy of yesterday’s second-place finish and today’s fourth position at the line. It was a challenging race in which the GP24 machines of Bagnaia, Bastianini and Martin had something more. The overtake on Enea and a few points taken from Martin in the standings are for the record books. The championship lead is now 36 points away, six less than two days ago. 
   
   Alex Marquez has found again some consistency and two top-ten finishes at a venue that has never been too kind to him. He put up a great fight with his former teammate Di Giannantonio, with a good feeling to take home ahead of the three-week break. 
   
   The on-track action does not stop here, however, as it is time for official testing, taking place at Mugello tomorrow – if weather allows.

   4^th - MARC MARQUEZ #93
   “We missed out on the podium, but we did a positive race. I couldn’t overtake bastianini and when he passed me with two laps ago, it seemed as though he was on fresh tyres. Both Pecco and him were really strong. We’re leaving with a few more points in the standings and we’re very positive ahead of the next two back-to-back races. We’ll keep working during the test day in order to further improve our feeling.”
   
   9^th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73
   “It was a very similar race to Austin for how demanding it was. We started well and we were in a fast group of riders, even though I lost one position at the end. We were 12 seconds quicker than in last year’s race, but obviously we want more. We’ll try to find something in the test with regards to better balance and more speed.”

    

4. MUGELLO SPRINT RACE: SIXTH CONSECUTIVE PODIUM FOR MARC

   Posted on 5:00pm Saturday 1st Jun 2024

   Marc Marquez has scored his sixth consecutive podium of the season today as he shows top form also at Mugello. Today’s result was not a given despite one of his best qualifying performances of the season (4th) but the #93 did well in keeping Binder first, and then Martin, at Bay, before taking a shot at the win. Nine more points in the bag that translate in a new, reduced gap to Martin’s lead – 32 points – as the latter crashed out of third place.   Alex Marquez also had a solid performance as he finished with points the Italian sprint race. From the third row of the grid, the Spanish rider did well in staying focused in the first part of the encounter before starting to move up. Binder hindered a bit the comeback by the rider #73, who will have a bigger chance tomorrow in the 23-lap encounter, starting from 14:00 local time (GMT +2).  2nd - MARC MARQUEZ #93 “We had the pace to win today but Pecco was uncatchable and there was no time left to bridge the gap. This is a track that I never really got fully right, but it’s a whole different story with the Ducati. We managed to compete against the GP24, which still have something more. Maybe we missed something at the start, but we’re happy with today.”   8th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73 “I didn’t get a very good start. I lost a lot of ground, and it was almost impossible to pass with Binder ahead on the main straight. The feeling is good, and we were surely ready to battle further ahead. We will likely go for the soft tyre again tomorrow, even though we’ll give a chance to the medium tyre in the warm up.”

5. Michael Dunlop achieves 26th Isle of Man TT win

   Posted on 5:00pm Saturday 1st Jun 2024

   In a thrilling Monster Energy Supersport TT, Michael Dunlop has clinched his 26th victory, equalling the long-standing record held by his uncle, Joey Dunlop. The Northern Irish road racer, who has worn Furygan leathers since 2013, crossed the line aboard his Yamaha 8.574 seconds ahead of his closest challenger with a fastest lap of 17:31.185. The Dunlop family is synonymous with the 37.73-mile Mountain Course, with Michael’s aggressive style popular with many fans, and today’s achievement has cemented the belief that no one knows the Isle of Man TT better than a Dunlop. As the Isle of Man TT continues to be a pinnacle of motorcycle racing, moments like these underscore the enduring spirit of competition and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Furygan shares Michael’s ethos of always giving 100% and strives to ensure that those who proudly wear the ‘panther’ enjoy the highest quality garments and benefit from the safety innovations of Furygan’s Motion Lab – whether that’s for a casual Sunday ride or lapping in excess of 200mph on closed roads. With seven races left on the schedule for Dunlop, all eyes with continue to be on the 35-year-old to see if he can rewrite the history books and become the most successful Isle of Man TT rider of all time. Michael Dunlop “To equal Joey’s record is something that’s been playing on my mind all week and I think it’s something that’s on everybody’s minds. It’s fantastic. No matter what happens in life everybody’s always wanted to get to Joey’s record, and I’ve got to it. For me, that’s something really special.”

   article supplied -  Furygan.com