With the stunning entry assembled for the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, the excitement and anticipation is set to increase as the start numbers are now confirmed for the 1000cc solo classes. 2014 will again see riders in numbers 1-20 being seeded and it's a top twenty packed with established race winners, regular front runners and exciting new talent.

After taking number three last year to honour Joey Dunlop's first TT win for Honda, twenty-times TT winner John McGuinness will revert back to number one on the grid, with the Morecambe Missile having won races in 2011 and 2012 starting from the head of the field. The experienced Honda Racing rider will be expected to use the advantage of the clear road to try and break the chasing pack.

Ten seconds behind will be the man who shadowed him for much of last year's PokerStars Senior Race, James Hillier, and having lapped in the 131mph bracket to become the fifth fastest rider ever, the Quattro Plant Muc-Off Kawasaki rider knows he'll have to do more of the same and with McGuinness ahead on the road he'll have no better target.

Number three will, arguably, be the most celebrated rider at TT2014 with Ian Hutchinson, the five-time winner of 2010, returning to a hero's welcome. The Milwaukee Yamaha rider has been to hell and back since that achieving that magnificent feat and will be determined to get back to winning ways immediately.

He'll be pushing for his ninth TT race win with his first chance in the Dainese Superbike Race but behind him is a man challenging for his first with Guy Martin, as in 2013, heading off at number four. It's also the fourth year he's been with Hector and Philip Neill's Tyco Suzuki squad so could 2014 finally be the year?

The potential race winners come thick and fast though with the next ones to set off down Bray Hill being Bruce Anstey, Michael Dunlop and Gary Johnson. Dunlop, of course, almost swept the board in 2013, taking four race wins and a second place, but now he's made the switch to the BMW Motorrad/Hawk Racing team all eyes will be on him to see if he can continue his winning spree.

Anstey, now the second fastest rider ever, can never be ruled out and although he failed to add to his nine wins last year, he was on the pace and is still determined to take his first Superbike Race win. Likewise Johnson, who challenged for the lead in the early stages of both the Superbike and Senior Races in 2013 before technical gremlins intervened, will be looking for his first 'big bike' win.

William Dunlop has made the move to the Tyco Suzuki team and gets his first 1000cc top ten start at 8 while the top ten is completed by Michael Rutter and local hero Conor Cummins, the latter looking to replicate his 2010 form when he led the Superbike Race for four laps. Now part of the Honda Racing squad, all of his rivals know he's one to watch.

Dan Stewart, carrying the number 11 plate, will again be looking to get the SMT /Wilcock Consulting machines in amongst the factory riders while a strong lower order threat comes from number 12 in the shape of Dean Harrison. Now approaching his fourth year at the TT, Harrison is expected to be challenging for race wins on the RC Express Racing by MSS Performance Kawasaki.

Another exciting youngster, Lee Johnston, the reigning TT Privateer's Champion, can be found at number 13 and is expected to make further strides forward while arguably one of the most exciting riders at TT2014 can be found at number 14 - Josh Brookes. Now riding for Milwaukee Yamaha, the Australian rider became the fastest ever newcomer last year when he set a scorching lap of 127.726mph, beating Steve Plater's six year mark, and many are predicting a130mph lap and possible podium for the BSB star this time around.

Leading privateers Steve Mercer (15), David Johnson (16) and Dan Kneen (17) will be hoping to keep Brookes in their sights with Simon Andrews (18) looking for a strong run on Rico Penzkofer's BMW. The recent news that Cameron Donald will be back at the TT sees the double winner line up at number 19 on the Norton, echoing Steve Hislop's stunning 1992 race victory, meaning that there are three Australians in the top twenty. The final seeded rider, completing the top twenty, will be Ben Wylie, winner of the 2009 Newcomers Trophy.

Outside the top 20, race order will again be determined by qualifying times but numbers to look out for include Ryan Farquhar who has opted to take his usual number 77, which indicates he'll be looking more for enjoyable rides rather than being in the competitive mix, and the returning American Jimmy Moore, riding again for East Coast Construction, at number 21.

Jamie Hamilton, now riding for Wilson Craig Racing, will have the number 26 plate with Horst Saiger, who was second fastest newcomer behind Brookes in 2013, taking 28 while Ivan Lintin, contesting the 1000cc races for the first time, will have number 37 adorning the Taylor Lindsey Racing Honda's.

The newcomers are spread out through the entry list with Martin Jessopp and Peter Hickman taking their regular British Superbike numbers of 40 and 60 respectively. Others to look out for include former Grand Prix regular Danny Webb (66), Canadian ace Dan Kruger (71) and leading IRRC riders Vick de Cooremeter (92) and Laurent Hoffmann (93).

The RL 360° Superstock entry sees most of the riders given the same numbers although Hutchinson, Brookes and Donald have all decided not to take part which will see riders below them moving up the grid. A number will also be in different livery including McGuinness (Padgetts Motorcycles), Michael Dunlop (MD Racing) and Cummins (RAF Reserves Racing).

Ace Cafe London hosts the special launch party of the new "Rockin' Wheels & Chicks" 2015 calendar, from 7pm to late, Saturday 29th March.

This free to attend party evening, occasion of the cafe's regular monthly All American Cruise-In and Rhythm n' cruise Record Hop, held on the last Saturday of every month, includes for this special launch night with rockin' sounds of the band "The Flyin' Leathernecks", as well as DJ Jimmy Guntrip!

Special guests on the night include the cars and gals featured in the calendar!

www.rockinwheelsandchicks.com

For more information about what's on at the Ace:
www.ace-cafe-london.com

Norton Motorcycles has confirmed that Cameron Donald will contest the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, with the Australian ace lining up in the Dainese Superbike and PokerStars Senior TT Races for the British manufacturer. Cameron will start both races from the number 19 position, made famous by the late Steve Hislop who took Norton’s last TT victory in the 1992 Senior Race.

After three years with Wilson Craig Racing, there has been much speculation about Donald’s future since last year’s TT. However, while the change in teams will see his career take a different direction, it signals his intention to continue racing at the highest level and also his passion for competing on the Mountain Course.

Hailing from Warrandyte, near Melbourne, Donald won the TT Newcomers Trophy in 2005 and set the paddock alight a year later when he took a stunning second place in the Senior TT. 2008 saw him claim a Superbike-Superstock double victory for Relentless by TAS Suzuki before setting the first ever 131mph+ lap in practice for the 2009 meeting although a spill a day later ultimately put him out of the races.

Although he has yet to win another race, he now has an impressive tally of ten podiums with his most recent coming in last year’s Superbike Race when he took second place behind Michael Dunlop. With a fastest lap of 130.729mph, Donald is also the eighth fastest rider ever to have lapped the 37 and ¾-mile course and showed his versatility with second in the inaugural Okells Brewery 350cc Classic TT Race last August.

Having made an unsuccessful return to the TT in 2009 with Michael Dunlop, Norton bounced back in 2012 with Ian Mackman on board their all-new machine although the Senior Race cancellation put paid to their hopes of a competitive finish. However, with further development, they came back stronger in 2013 with a two-man team comprising Mackman and Daniel Hegarty and the duo lapped at 122.277mph and 122.290mph respectively with Mackman claiming the best result of the fortnight with 18th in the Superbike Race.

Over the winter, Norton have secured the services of both Mick Grant and Steve Plater to aid further development and progress and by signing a proven TT winner in Donald, in a three year deal, their intentions for the 2014 TT have clearly been set.

Cameron Donald commented: "When Norton began talking to me about their plans for TT 2014 I knew it was an opportunity I didn't want to miss. With the enthusiasm and experience of the Norton team behind me and ex TT winners such as Mick Grant and Steve Plater now involved, this is sure to be an exciting year. Norton is synonymous with the Isle of Man TT and I can't wait to ride the new SG3 round the Mountain Course and add to their Isle of Man history."

Stuart Garner, CEO, Norton Motorcycles commente d:"Cameron is a really great rider to have on board, not only as a racer but also as a brand ambassador for Norton. His support, feedback and endorsement will all be really important to us both as a company and a race team as we look to and we are all relishing the challenge of developing a strong bike and team around him for the long-term. We will also be working with Cameron within our road bike business, primarily to help develop our Australasian markets where Norton, Cameron and the TT all have a great following."

Calling all bikers….this Spring, bikers from across the Midlands are invited to attend one of the region’s biggest biker events in support of two local charities - Midlands Air Ambulance and the Royal Air Force Museum.

Taking place on Sunday 27th April, the Bike4Life Festival is being held at the RAF Museum Cosford and is backed by some of the biggest biker organisations, dealerships and suppliers in the UK including Stratstone, Triumph, Harley and Bridgestone. You will find everything a biker could possibly need all in one place and in addition to this, with arena displays, stalls and exhibitions, biker tutorials raising awareness of road safety and live music supported by Planet Rock radio, the atmosphere will be electric. Plus, there will be a spectacular flypast from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire to wow the crowds. 

This fundraising festival will run from 10:00am to 4:00pm and visitors of all ages, not just bikers are encouraged to come along. There will be plenty of family entertainment including Kiddie Quadz and in the arena there will be a mountain bike display team and a Moto Gymkhana demonstration. Plus, why not have a go and test your strength in the tyre balance game sponsored by Bridgestone where you could be in with a chance of winning a set of Bridgstone tyres worth over £300. Specially commissioned Bike4Life merchandise including biker snoods, hoodies and collectable enamel pin badges will be available to purchase on the day with all proceeds going towards the two event charities.

Midlands Air Ambulance is the only charity responsible for funding and operating three air ambulances serving six counties within the Midlands. What is not widely known is that the service receives no Government or National Lottery funding. Each time the air ambulance undertakes a mission it costs £2,500, meaning in excess of £6.5 million is needed each year to keep its three air ambulances operational, which is donated entirely by the public and local businesses, with four in ten of those they help, funded by gifts in wills.

As a national museum, the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford proudly hosts a world class collection of aircraft and aviation memorabilia that can be viewed for free daily from 10am. Exhibits on display include the worlds’ oldest Spitfire, the mighty Vulcan bomber and the Dornier Do17 recently salvaged from the bottom of the English Channel. Additional funding for future expansion, acquisition and development must be found through sponsorship, donations and fundraising events such as this. Funds raised from the Bike4Life event will go towards the upkeep of the exhibits on display.

RAF Museum Cosford Events Executive, Nina Mitchell says: “After years of holding and developing this event, the 2014 Bike4Life Fest promises to be a great day out for the whole family to enjoy. Year on year, the event has grown from strength to strength and this year the response from the biking community has been phenomenal, with over 1,600 bikers already signed up for the Ride Out, the biggest advanced registration in the events history. We have lots of added extras at this year’s event including a ‘Best in Show’ competition and fantastic live music supported by Planet Rock.”

In addition to the Festival, bikers have the option of taking part in the Bike4Life Ride Out, gathering at Meole Brace Park and Ride, Shrewsbury from 10am and travelling en mass to the Bike4Life Festival at Cosford, arriving around midday. Entry to the Festival and participation in the Ride Out is free, however we ask bikers to dig deep and make a suitable donation on the day, with all proceeds from the event going towards the running costs of each charity.

Organisers are anticipating that as the day draws nearer and the weather warms up, hundreds more will show their support. For more information on Bike4Life Festival or to register for the Ride Out, please visit www.bike4lifefest.com. Keep up to date with the latest news and event information by following us on Facebook – Bike4Life Fest or on Twitter @Bike4LifeFest.

The event is also in collaboration with Safer Roads Partnership and West Mercia Police who work tirelessly to promote road safety and to help reduce the number of road traffic collisions across West Mercia. Bikers can find out more information on the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity by visiting www.midlandsairambulance.com or for more information on the RAF Museum Cosford visit www.rafmuseum.org.

Further details about the Safer Roads Partnership can be found at www.srpwestmercia.org.uk

After finishing in fifth place with Chris McGahan in the SES TT Zero in 2013, Italian based Team Vercarmoto, who made their debut in the event in 2012, has announced that American Mark Miller will ride for them in the 2014 Race.

The American rider is seen as a specialist in the category and boasts a respectable track record in the Isle of Man TT Zero class with the runner up position in 2011 and 3rd place in 2012 to go with his 2010 race victory. The American is also one of only three riders to break the prestigious 100mph mark around the iconic 37.73 mile TT Mountain Course on an electric bike, a feat he achieved in the 2012 race.

"I'm very excited to be joining Team Vercarmoto for the 2014 TT Zero event," said Miller. "I met the team owner Carlo Gelmi a few years ago when he told me he was building a very fast electric race bike and indeed he has done it. After their Vercar R6E finished in 5th place in the 2013 TT Zero Race I had a close look at their bike, a heavily modified Yamaha R6 with a gearbox intact. With loads of carbon fibre and other trick bits, it definitely looks capable of doing the business to fight for the podium and this will be our aim."

He continued: "I want to wish MotoCzysz and Michael Czysz all the best as they take a year off from racing and welcome this terrific opportunity to work with my new Italian team. I cannot wait to get the TT fortnight rolling again."

Miller will compete riding the Vercar R6E, the only electric motorcycle with 6-speed gearbox, extremely compact dimensions and chassis borrowed from the starting bike: Yamaha YZF-R6.

The performance is around 75 bhp with a weight of about 225 kg and a speed close to 250 km/h (155 mph), obtained thanks to an engine with drive control that allows the recovery of kinetic energy during braking. The Motorcycle batteries with lithium-ion technology are very high performance with a special electronic management system (BMS) that allows the optimization of the energy in any operating condition.