The Honda TT Legends will start tomorrow’s 8 Hours of Doha from ninth on the grid following the final qualifying session at the Losail International Circuit today. John McGuinness, Keith Amor and stand-in rider Glen Richards each completed a second 30-minute stint on the Honda Fireblade in a bid to improve on yesterday’s lap times. 
 
All three riders managed this task, with Richards lapping the quickest. Cameron Donald’s replacement posted a 2:01.476 lap in the final stint to bring the team’s overall combined time up to 2:03.381 – enough to qualify in the top ten in a field of 26 teams. 
 
Neil Tuxworth
 
All three riders went a little bit quicker in that session, which we’re pleased about. The good thing is that all through the free practice sessions, qualifying and night practice we’ve had no incidents and no problems with the bike. We’ve got a sound basis for the race and I’d like to think we are in a strong position. You never know what is going to happen in eight hours but I’m hoping we can finish in at least a top five position. 
 
John McGuinness
 
We’re ninth overall on the grid but as we’ve seen in World Endurance qualifying is not the most important thing, it’s where we are at the end of eight hours and who knows how many laps! Glen has done some good times and I’ve been half a second quicker today so I’m happy with that. It’s a tough track and it’s going to be a tough race but I’m looking forward to it. I want to bring the bike home safe, score some points, maybe go up a bit in the championship and end the season as happy chaps. 
 
Keith Amor
 
I’m feeling a lot better than I was 24 hours ago. I’m starting to get used to the track and it’s not quite as much of a struggle. I found a bit of time today and I’m happy. It’s been a tough season but it’s nice to finish somewhere like this that is a bit easier on my injured shoulder. Let’s wait and see what happens in the race. 
 
Glen Richards
 
I’m feeling pretty good. I have a few little issues with my hands but we’ll try some different grips tomorrow maybe. Apart from that, the bike is working well and I felt better on it today than yesterday. It’s going to be a hard race for sure but then endurance races are always hard. We’ve just done a really good pit practice, so we’ll just get our heads down in the race and see what happens. 
 
The final eight-hour battle of the 2011 Endurance World Championship season will begin at 13.00 AST (10.00 GMT, 11.00 CET) tomorrow.

For real-time news, videos and images throughout the event follow @HondaTTLegends on Twitter and for post-qualifying and race reports visit www.HondaTTLegends.com Live timing is available at www.ris-timing.be

One of the stars of ITV’s hugely popular costume drama Downton Abbey is to appear at the Footman James Classic Motor Show at Birmingham’s NEC this weekend (11-13 November). Forget about Hugh Bonneville or Dame Maggie Smith; this star is of the four-wheeled variety!

The 1911 Renault type CB12/16hp driven in the show by chauffeur Tom Branson, played by actor Allen Leech, will appear on the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain stand and is sure to be a crowd pleaser. The car has appeared in many of the drama’s storylines including when Lady Edith, the middle Grantham sister played by actress Laura Carmichael, attempts learning to drive. Ironically, this was at a time when the actress herself was a complete novice behind the wheel.

The beautiful 1911 Renault is totally original and in its day would have been a luxury and fit for royalty. With its open drive laudelette body, the chauffeur was exposed to the elements whilst passengers traveled in relative comfort inside.

Downton Abbey is created by award-winning writer Julian Fellowes who himself is a keen classic car fan known to have visited the Classic Motor Show in previous years.

The car can be seen on Stand 8C16 at Birmingham’s NEC this weekend. On Sunday 13 November members of the Veteran Car Club in period costume will join the Renault.

For more information on the Footman James Classic Motor Show or Classic Motorbike Show, visit www.necclassicmotorshow.com

The IAM is calling for road casualty targets to be reintroduced in its contribution to November’s transport select committee’s inquiry into the government’s road safety strategy.  Targets were removed by the government in May this year.
 
Despite positive reductions in the number of people killed in road accidents in 2010, over the last six months deaths on Britain’s roads have increased by seven per cent compared to the same period last year* (casualties in total have gone down by three per cent).
 
IAM chairman Alistair Cheyne OBE, writing in the IAM members’ magazine Advanced Driving, said: “That road deaths have gone up is a tragedy. Emergency services do a fantastic job and manufacturers are making cars safer all the time.
 
“But crashes are best avoided and all drivers need to think about how to make their driving style safer. The government must play a part by reintroducing targets on road safety to give the entire industry a goal to aim for."
 
An IAM poll in September showed that only a quarter of the 2700 respondents think that the numbers of killed and seriously injured will continue to fall. Twenty-five per cent think they will keep going down. Thirty-four per cent think they will remain the same, and 36 per cent of respondents think that casualty rates will rise a little over the next three years.

www.iam.org.uk

One lucky visitor at this year’s Motorcycle Live could become the proud owner of the Yamaha R1 machine ridden and signed by Jorge Lorenzo during his parade lap at the 2010 Isle of Man TT.

The bike – which was recently ridden from the UK to Spain as part of the Viva Valencia! charity trip by BBC’s Matt Roberts – will be up for grabs in the Riders for Health auction supported by Arai.
 
The Yamaha will be one of the star lots in the auction, which will take place at 12.30pm on Sunday 20 November with the help of Arai-sponsored riders Cal Crutchlow, Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam. Visitors will also have a chance to bid for an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience at the Riders for Health Day of Champions at the 2012 Silverstone MotoGP, including the opportunity to meet and greet top riders from the championship.
 
Other one-of-a-kind lots will include a ride in the pace car at the Silverstone MotoGP, a signed Mick Doohan replica Arai helmet, signed Arai side pods from Ian Hutchinson and Kevin Schwantz, a signed Rossi cap and a signed canvas print of Crutchlow at the 2011 Misano MotoGP. All proceeds will go to Riders for Health, which makes sure that millions of people in rural communities in Africa have the health care they need by managing and maintaining reliable vehicles for health workers.  
 
The ticket price for Motorcycle Live 2011 is completely all-inclusive, meaning visitors can enjoy everything the show has to offer at no extra cost. Tickets are £16 in advance* for adults, £10 for seniors, £6 for children aged 6-16 and  kids 5 and under accompanied by a paying adult go free.

www.motorcyclelive.co.uk

www.facebook.com/motorcyclelive

or follow @motorcyclelive on Twitter

Dunlop heralds newly crowned 125cc World Champion Nico Terol (Bankia Aspar Team 125cc) who took his title in fine fashion with a podium finish at the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana yesterday.

Terol wins the 63rd and final 125cc World Championship as the category now comes to a conclusion, to be replaced next year by Moto3. The final race was won by Spaniard Maverick Viñales (Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing). It was Dunlop’s 133rd consecutive race win in the open tyre competition championship.

Spaniard Terol came into the event needing to finish in 11th position or higher to secure his title. He was handed a gift as his rival Johann Zarco (Avant-AirAsia-Ajo) fell on lap 3. Zarco needed to win the race with Terol finishing lower than eleventh for Terol to be denied his crown. The final standings saw Terol on 302 points from Zarco’s 262 with Viñales third with 248.

For Dunlop as well as motorcycle racing it is an end of an era. Dunlop tyres contested the very first 125 cc World Championship round in 1949 and as well as this final event. In between, there have been countless wins for Dunlop tyres. Despite open tyre regulations, the last time a tyre manufacturer other than Dunlop was represented on the top step of the podium was in 2003.

Next season, Moto3 makes its debut to replace the 125cc World Championship and Dunlop tyres will adorn every competitor thanks to Dunlop having been awarded the exclusive tyre supply contract for this exciting new series.

The first Moto3 test takes place today (Monday November 7) at the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana.

Quotes

Nico Terol - Bankia Aspar Team 125cc – 2011 125cc World Champion:
“Winning the championship for me is incredible and this moment is the best in my life; to be champion is amazing. Dunlop’s tyres were even better than they were last year in both rain and dry conditions. In the wet the tyres were more forgiving and in dry conditions the slick tyres are so good – perfect in tight corners and in fast corners incredible! For me, Dunlop’s tyres are perfect, so congratulations to Dunlop for all their hard work!”

Sharon Antonaros, Director Motorcycle PBU EMEA Motorcycle Business Unit:
“Firstly, I would like to thank all the Dunlop personnel who constantly strive for improved performance from our products and give their time and dedication both at the track and in our development and production departments. Our participation in the 125cc World Championship has been a vital part of Dunlop’s DNA to further our technological development. This has ultimately benefitted all riders who use Dunlop products, whether they be on the track or on the road. We say a fond farewell to the 125cc World Championship and look to Moto3 with expectation. Congratulations to Nico Terol and the Bankia Aspar Team for their title.

Stephen Male Dunlop Motorcycle Motorsports Manager:
“We say goodbye to the 125cc World Championship with a new and worthy champion crowned in Nico Terol. For Dunlop, it is an end of an era as we supplied tyres to the very first 125cc World Championship event, and now we have done so to the final. The final race winner, Maverick Viñales, won the 133rd race in this category on Dunlop tyres, despite the regulations allowing other manufacturers to compete. Although this was the last year of 125, we still introduced two new specifications showing Dunlop’s commitment to continuous evolution. Now we start the next challenge of Moto3.”

Alan Nicholls, Dunlop Motorsport, Senior Engineer:
"Congratulations to Nico and the whole of the Bankia Aspar Team. Nico has been consistently hard to beat all season. He has been a genuine star throughout the year and is a worthy final addition to the long list of 125cc World Champions. It is sad to say goodbye to the last of the original World Championship categories, but with the success seen in Moto2 we can only look forward to similar success and excitement in Moto3.”