Rossi lines up Ferrari Test drive 2008 MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi will be back behind the wheel of a Ferrari Formula 1 car before the end of the month, taking part in a private test at Mugello as reward for his title victory. Italian news agency ANSA report that the Fiat Yamaha rider will be using the F2008 car, as ridden by regular drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen in races this year. The test will take place next Thursday and Friday (November 20th-21st), less than a week before Rossi returns to the more familiar world of two wheels for the MotoGP Official Test in Jerez.

Schumacher could join Superbikes Honda say they are ready to offer retired seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher a ride in the 2009 World Superbikes championship. Schumacher, 39, has raced in German superbike races with Honda this year. Honda Racing boss Carlo Fiorani told La Gazetta dello Sport: "Michael has not asked us to race in the worlds. But if he wants to, there is a way for him." Meanwhile, MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi says he could switch to rallying when he finishes racing bikes.

Rossi set for Wales Rally drive Six-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi will switch from two wheels to four next month when he drives in the Wales Rally GB. The 29-year-old will race in a Ford Focus which will carry logos in support of the BBC's Children in Need appeal. Rossi, who is said to be interested in a long-term switch to rallying, first raced in the Welsh Rally back in 2002. "I am hoping for a good result at next weekend's Monza Rally to prepare for the forests of Wales," said Rossi. "I'm also delighted to be supporting BBC Children in Need, which does such vital work in the UK.

Stoner strolls to sixth win in Spanish sunshine Casey Stoner ended the 2008 season as he began, victorious onboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP8. The Australian took the win at the Gran Premio Parts Europe de la Comunitat Valenciana in emphatic fashion, breaking away from pole for triumph number six of the year. Runner-up in the overall standings, Stoner was riding for pride in the final race of the campaign, once again competing through the discomfort of a scaphoid injury that will be treated almost immediately following Monday and Tuesday´s post-race test. Setting circuit records along the way, Stoner eventually crossed the line some 3.390 seconds clear of any challenge to his superiority.

Third Tittle for Baylis Troy Bayliss secured his third World Superbike crown with a third place and victory at Magny-Cours in France. The Australian, 39, who retires at the end of the season, sealed the title in race one when he finished behind winner Noriyuki Haga and Fonsi Nieto. The Xerox Ducati rider then celebrated his success by winning race two ahead of Haga and compatriot Troy Corser. Bayliss said: "We changed to a harder front tyre for race two. The grip was very similar but more consistent."

Home win for Stoner Casey Stoner led from the start to win the Australian MotoGP ahead of new world champion Valentino Rossi, who clinched second from 12th on the grid. Home favourite Stoner made light of his broken wrist to produce a flawless performance at Phillip Island. Rossi passed Nicky Hayden on the final lap, leaving the American to settle for the last place on the podium Britain's James Toseland finished sixth to equal his best finish in his maiden MotoGP season.

Japan 6th Heaven for Rossi With his eighth victory of the 2008 season, Valentino Rossi sealed his sixth MotoGP World Championship title , and eighth in all classes at the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan. The Fiat Yamaha rider proved unstoppable at Twin Ring Motegi as he relegated outgoing champion Casey Stoner to second place in the 24-lap race. Rossi had started from the second row of the grid, and looked to be on the back foot when Stoner took the holeshot and attempted to break away. The top three in the standings, Rossi, Stoner and Pedrosa became embroiled in an early battle for supremacy, narrowed down to a duel on lap five courtesy of a hard overtaking move by Stoner on his Spanish rival. The Ducati rider apologised for the pass, which took place on the run-up to the bridge section of the circuit, but still upped the pace in the ensuing laps –with Rossi hot on his tail.

Shakey wraps it up Shane Byrne sealed Bennetts British Superbike title glory with a comfortable ride into third place in a dramatic, incident packed opening race of the penultimate round at Silverstone. The Airwaves Ducati rider had begun the race knowing that a top nine finish would suffice to see him regain the crown he had first held won back in 2003 and Byrne was running eighth as the first of two telling incidents unfolded into front of him. Leon Haslam, the HM Plant Honda rider who had started with an outside chance of edging out Byrne in the title stakes, was sent tumbling at the chicane as Tom Sykes clattered into him, with the Rizla Suzuki later penalised for careless riding. Then a further two laps on James Ellison and Michael Laverty tangled at the same Woodcote section and Byrne was upto third: “I thought to myself, good result. All of that happening put me up to third and I was in a position to think about going for the win. “It was all about keeping it safe, keeping my concentration and not doing anything silly – I said to myself you’ve got a podium finish, you’ve got the title, stay as you are.”

IOM TT 2008 DVD

The official DVD review is a must for the estimated 40,000 fans who travelled to the Isle of Man for the ultimate racing festival, and for the many thousands more who followed the action around the world.

Following the Centenary of the TT in 2007, interest in the event is at an all-time high. The festival attracted media coverage in newspapers around the world, made headlines in the sport pages of several UK newspapers and has featured in lifestyle magazines as well as specialist motorcycle publications.

There has also been extensive TV coverage, reaching in excess of 900,000 viewers, including features on channels like Sky News, race coverage on ITV4, highlights on the BBC and more.
This media interest, coupled with some of the best racing the Isle of Man TT has seen, ensures the event has one of its strongest followings in its 101-year history.

The official review features high speed action from all nine races, including first time winners, record-breaking victories and the amazing Senior TT – described in Motor Cycle News as the greatest race the Isle of Man has seen for more than 15 years. Available now in our OnLine Store

MotoGP Indianapolis

The latest round of the MotoGP World Championship sees an exciting new track join the MotoGP calendar, with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosting its first ever World Championship race. The Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix is one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year, and the second visit stateside for the MotoGP riders.

Taking place on September 14th, the maiden Indianapolis race promises to be a late-summer blockbuster, with the previous thirteen rounds having provided some breathtaking and unpredictable action. The 2008 world title still up for grabs, the riders will, as always, be going all-out for victory and the honour of becoming the first winner of the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix.

Series leader Valentino Rossi has made a career out of breaking records and reaching new milestones, and on September 14th he has another possibility of prestige; Following victory at Misano, Indianapolis is now the only circuit at which `The Doctor´ has not crossed the line first. Last time out, Rossi took Italy´s 700th Grand Prix victory, broke his Misano jinx and equalled the record for premier class wins set by MotoGP Legend Giacomo Agostini but, most importantly, he also edged one step closer to a sixth MotoGP World Championship.

Valentino Rossi's title hopes increased after he won the San Marino MotoGP Australian Stoner, who started on pole despite fracturing his hand on Friday, misjudged a corner, lost control and crashed out on lap six in Misano. That left Italian Rossi in the lead and the Yamaha rider roared home to extend his championship lead to 75 points. Rossi's victory equalled fellow Italian Giacomo Agostini's record of 68 wins. Britain's James Toseland had a good race and came home in sixth place after a thrilling battle with Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen. Rossi's team-mate Jorge Lorenzo clinched second and the final place on the podium went to Toni Elias. But the story of the race was undoubtedly Stoner's crash, which virtually ends his hopes of retaining his title with still five races to go, and Rossi's astonishing record-equalling feat.

BENNETTS BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP 24/25 August Cadwell Park Haslam enjoys daily double to go third in title stakes. Leon Haslam maintained his record of winning a race every year at Cadwell Park with a dominant performance in the ninth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship as he won both races to move into third place in the title chase. The HM Plant Honda rider had to work hard for his success, with pole starting Rizla Suzuki rider Tom Sykes making the early running in each of the races before being taken by the hard charging Haslam at Park corner after half a dozen laps. The weekend didn't start great here for me,” reflected Haslam. “I had a heavy crash in practice then we had a wet session and qualifying didn't go according to plan and I was fourth and a second row start.

MotoGP: Stoner crash gifts Rossi victory

Valentino Rossi was gifted victory in the Czech MotoGP after Casey Stoner crashed when he was comfortably ahead.
Rossi extended his championship lead over Stoner to 50 points with the win.
Reigning world champion Stoner was one second clear of Rossi when, under no particular pressure, he skidded into the gravel on lap six.
His Ducati was too badly damaged for him to continue and Rossi went on to win, ahead of Toni Elias in second and Loris Capirossi in third.
Afterwards, Stoner told BBC Sport he was not quite sure what had happened.

MotoGP Lorenzo escapes with broken foot Jorge Lorenzo will have to wear a cast on his left foot for 10 days after fracturing three metatarsal bones when he crashed out of the US MotoGP. The Fiat Yamaha rider, who has already had an injury-plagued season, was lucky to escape with just minor fractures after his spectacular first-lap crash. He will be able to start rehabilitation after 10 days of being immobile. He hopes to be fit to return for the first race after the summer break, the Czech Grand Prix on 17 August. The 21-year-old double 250cc world champion has had an eventful first season in elite class racing. He took pole position in his first three races, winning the Portuguese Grand Prix, but has also suffered a string of dramatic crashes, finishing second in the French Grand Prix despite riding with two broken ankles.

MotoGP USA Laguna Seca Valentino Rossi added Laguna Seca to his list of conquered tracks on the MotoGP calendar in a breathtaking Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, ending Casey Stoner´s run of wins and garnering an important addition to his points tally heading into the summer break. In contrast to his comments after Saturday´s qualifying session, Rossi needed neither a gun nor a 30-second headstart to stop the man so dominant in practice. Instead he relied on a storming start and his best pace of the weekend to stifle Stoner´s breakaway attempt, presenting himself as the only object between the Australian and a fourth consecutive victory.

BSB Round seven – 20 July – Oulton Park Tom Sykes was long overdue a victory in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship having come close on several occasions and the Rizla Suzuki set the record straight with a dominant seventh round performance at Oulton Park where he completed the daily double. He had been on the pace throughout the weekend, missing out on pole by barely a quarter ofa second, but with his team Sykes had worked hard to ensure that his bike was perfectly set for the two 18 laps races at the Cheshire circuit. Sykes made the running on the first lap of the opener which began in the damp but soon dried but was taken by James Ellison aboard the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda who headed the pack for the first third when the Rizla Suzuki rider made the decisive move at Hizzy’s chicane. He was able to extend his advantage, taking his first ever Superbike victory by almost five seconds ahead of Ellison who was matching his best result while series leader Shane Byrne took third place on his Airwaves Ducati at the expense of HM Plant Honda rider Leon Haslam.

Aussies nick it from the Poles

The two sides were level going into a run-off but it was Adams who defeated Jarek Hampel to put Australia into the Final and leave Poland facing Russia again, along with two other teams, on Thursday at Vojens.
Four Polish riders scored double-figures, Hampel's maximum being backed up by Rune Holta (13) and Tomasz Gollob (12).
Holta said: "The Australians came really good in the end, they had the advantage with the joker and Leigh did the job to cash six points.
"But we're quite happy with the meeting. Most of the guys were going well by the end, and now we have to go to Denmark and start working again on a different track and in different conditions.
"We're looking forward to Thursday. For us it might be an advantage - it's a smaller track and different to the ones in Poland so in one way it will be good for us. We want to qualify for the Final and do a good Final as well, and I think this might give us a better chance."

Speedway GP Cardiff

JASON Crump is back! That was the headline news from the 2008 FIM Meridian Lifts British Grand Prix at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Saturday night when the two-times World Champion gave Nicki Pedersen a stark warning that this year’s title hunt is not a foregone conclusion.

Pedersen, who still leads the championship table by 10 points, endured an amazing night during which he was twice fortunate to benefit from controversial decisions by Polish referee Marek Wojaczek.

MotoGP Assen

Casey Stoner gave himself, Ducati and Bridgestone a first premier class Assen victory with a superb breakaway from pole.

It would have taken a brave man to bet against him achieving a second consecutive victory after his phenomenal form in practice, qualifying and the Saturday warmup, and the Australian set out his stall early in Assen. The circuit record was passed over to the Ducati Marlboro rider after just two laps, and he improved gradually as the race went on to take the win.

Stoner´s task was made slightly easier by the absence of Valentino Rossi from the battle for supremacy, the Fiat Yamaha rider crashing on the opening lap after losing the back end of his bike and careering into Randy de Puniet. Rossi returned to action, at times bettering the pace of the frontrunners with the exception of Stoner, but even if he had stayed on track the 2007 World Champion would almost undoubtedly have proved too fast to catch.

Bennetts British Superbikes Mallory Park

Michael Rutter powered in a popular victory in a dramatic sixth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship as he headed off the challenge of runaway series leading Shane Byrne in a rain affected second race at Mallory Park.

Earlier in the afternoon the Airwaves Ducati rider had taken his eighth victory and he was not too concerned about having to settle for second best to his North West 200 Ducati rival who had gambled correctly on tyre choice
.
Rutter, regarded as something of a circuit expert, decided that the rains had passed and the Leicestershire track would dry – he opted to run on slick tyres and that decision was a winner as a dry line quickly developed.
He led throughout, always in control, to take his first victory since his success at Oulton Park back in May 2005, crossing the line a little over four seconds clear of Byrne

Donnington Park MotoGP 20th-22th June

Casey Stoner proved uncatchable for his MotoGP rivals as he cruised to a second Donington Park victory in as many years. The 2007 World Champion was the fastest off the line from pole position, taking the kind of runaway win typical of his title winning year at the bwin.com British Grand Prix
.
The MotoGP World Championship has a new British star, and a new youngest ever racewinner, in 15 year-old Scott Redding. The Blusens Aprilia rider took home victory at the 125cc bwin.com British Grand Prix to delight the crowd and put himself into the record books.

BENNETTS BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Round 5 Snetterton

Leon Camier enjoyed maiden race winning glory in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship in the first race of the fifth round at Snetterton but his Airwaves Ducati team-mate Shane Byrne headed him off with a spectacular ride in the difficult wet conditions of the second race.
Byrne, who had missed out on victory in the opener by a split second, had it all to do next time out after Rob Mac Racing Yamaha rider Karl Harris had high-sided off right in front of him on the opening lap, forcing the Ducati rider to stop and take avoiding action of the stricken rider.

“There was no choice – I had either to stop or run over him, or hit his bike,” explained Byrne who had been running third at the time, but who dropped ten places, prompting a remarkable ride through the pack in the difficult conditions as the track in places began to dry, while in others it was extremely wet.
“It’s been a tough couple of weeks for us, but we’ve come through it all and done a good job here,” said Byrne. “I enjoy riding this circuit, although it has been hard on me in the past, but we have had no problems here, with the bike running smoothly, with a good setting.

WSB Haga seals double Nurburgring win Noriyuki Haga closed the gap on World Superbike championship leader Troy Corser after claiming a double victory at the Nurburgring. A thrilling battle in the rain between the two team-mates was brought to a premature end by the red flags. Corser was leading the second race but with the count-back rule the race was deemed finished after lap 15, where Haga was ahead of the Australian.

Pedrosa wins home GP A breakaway plan from Dani Pedrosa worked to perfection in the Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya, as he took the holeshot at his home race and never looked back. The win ended a long premier class run without a local winner in Barcelona, stretching back to 1999 and a popular triumph for Alex Criville. Keen to avoid a battle between himself and predicted podium finishers Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi, the Repsol Honda rider burst out of the blocks and set about putting space between himself and the rest of the field. A new circuit record was made by Pedrosa by the second lap, and he kept the pace up throughout the 25 lap race.

McGuinness wins amazing Senior TT The final race on the famous Mountain circuit of the 2008 Isle of Man TT proved the incredible duel everyone had hoped for. It was John McGuinness who emerged victorious after a six-lap battle with Australian star Cameron Donald, who challenge faded on the final lap as the Relentless by TAS Suzuki machine developed mechanical problems. The win means McGuinness is now tied for second most successful TT rider with the late, great Mike Hailwood, both on 14 wins. Although McGuinness got a good start, he was put off his stride by Conor Cummins suffering an engine problem and throwing oil onto the front of the Padgett’s Honda.Riding the Padgett’s Manx Gas Racing Honda, McGuinness was embroiled in a titanic battle with Bruce Anstey and Cameron Donald and with the lead exchanging hands on no less than 8 occasions, it really was anyone’s race. However, Anstey was forced out of the lead at the first pit stop with mechanical problems whilst Donald had an oil leak on the final lap and all of this allowed McGuinness to take the win by an eventual 51.95seconds. Ian Hutchinson followed up his second in Wednesday’s Supersport race with third

Rossi in 7 Heaven

Rossi in7th Heaven Amidst blazing sunshine and starting from pole position at a track where he had been untouchable for the past six years, Valentino Rossi claimed a third consecutive victory of the season in the Gran Premio d´Italia Alice.

The script had been written, but it was still up to the Fiat Yamaha rider to perform when the lights went out. Taking the lead from 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner on the fourth lap, Rossi then set about creating a gap between himself and the chasing pack. He did so with a series of increasingly faster times, and eventually crossed the line with a comfortable advantage for Mugello premier class victory number seven. His rivals must now wait another year to attempt to dethrone the `King of Mugello´.

Lorenzo takes maiden MotoGP victory in Estoril thriller In the realisation of a lifelong dream, Jorge Lorenzo took his maiden MotoGP victory in a thrilling bwin.com Grande Premio de Portugal. The Spaniard had an incredible race onboard his Fiat Yamaha M1, and now leads the World Championship after his phenomenal start to 2008. Lorenzo achieved the `holy trinity´of pole position, fastest lap and race win at the circuit where he had never previously triumphed in the lower cylinder categories, joining 2005 race winner Alex Barros as the only rider to perform the feat in Estoril.

BSB snowed in at Brands, Wins for Lanzi and Haga in Valencia Lorenzo Lanzi (RG Ducati) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) took the wins in a spectacular day of action at Valencia in front of 60,000 spectators, a record attendance for World Superbikes at the Spanish circuit.

Pedrosa takes bragging rights with runaway home win

Dani Pedrosa sent Spanish fans home on a high at the Gran Premio bwin.com de España, taking a runaway home victory and, as a consequence, the leadership of the MotoGP World Championship.

The Repsol Honda rider was starting from second on the grid, and after snatching the holeshot from poleman Jorge Lorenzo he never looked back. Fast laps from the off confirmed Pedrosa´s intentions of breaking away, and he built upon his lead to win by nearly three seconds. The win was the 22 year-old´s second victory on home soil, after last year´s race at Valencia, and makes him the first local race-winner in Jerez since Sete Gibernau in 2004. It also echoes the only blue riband category win of his mentor, Alberto Puig.

BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRY LIST A healthy mix of experience and young-guns hungry for success feature in the 31 strong rider line-up.

Qatar MotoGP: Win for Stoner, but heartache for Bradley Australian Casey Stoner was in ominously good form in Qatar as he made a winning start to the defence of his MotoGP crown under floodlights. Bradley Smith failed to capitalise on his pole position, finishing 16th in the 125cc race at the Qatar Grand Prix. But fellow Brit Scott Redding, 15, was fifth on his debut, with Danny Webb in sixth behind winner Sergio Gadea.

Stoner eager to silence doubters Casey Stoner wants to retain his MotoGP crown to finally silence the critics. Stoner, 22, begins his title defence in Qatar at the weekend but says there has been too much focus on his Ducati's technology instead of his ability. Ahead of the sport's first floodlit race, the Australian told BBC Sport: "It's frustrating people put everything down to that or the speed or the tyres. "They're just trying to find excuses. It would be nice to think if we win it again the accusations would stop." In only his second season competing in the top class of motorbike racing, Stoner racked up 10 wins as he surged to the 2007 title.

Bayliss takes Aussie double win Troy Bayliss won both World Superbikes races at Phillip Island after starting from pole on his home circuit. The 38-year-old Australian, who retires at the end of the season, now has three victories in four starts in 2008. The Ducati rider cruised home in Sunday's first race ahead of compatriot Troy Corser (Yamaha) with Italian team-mate Michel Fabrizio third. In race two, Bayliss finished 1.1 secs ahead of Spaniards Carlos Checa (Honda) and Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki). Max Biaggi, who started the day second behind Corser in the championship standings, suffered a high-speed spill in the second race which left him with a broken left wrist.

First ever MotoGP night test runs smoothly in Qatar Ducati Marlboro’s World Champion Casey Stoner was the fastest rider in MotoGP’s inaugural floodlit test at Losail International circuit on Thursday evening, lapping 0.689s ahead of his nearest rival in a groundbreaking session which concluded without problems. Also in the top five were Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo, LCR Honda’s Randy de Puniet, JiR Team Scot’s Andrea Dovizioso and Tech3 Yamaha’s James Toseland – a quartet of Michelin riders who all lapped within a second of Stoner’s hot lap. Under the state-of-the-art lighting system at the desert circuit, Alex de Angelis from the San Carlo Honda Gresini squad made it a good night all round for the 2008 MotoGP rookies as he lapped sixth quickest.

Bayliss impresses in Qatar opener Troy Bayliss got off to a fine start at the first round of the World Superbike Championship, winning the opening race and finishing fourth in race two. Bayliss held off fellow Ducati rider Max Biaggi in the final lap of race one in Doha, while Troy Corser was third. Fonsi Nieto, riding a Suzuki, claimed his first championship win in race two, with Ducati's Ruben Xaus second.

MotoGP set for first night GP after successful test Barely two months after the announcement that next season's MotoGP curtain raiser in Qatar would be run under floodlights subject to approval from the Riders' Safety Commission, a successful test at the Losail International Circuit this evening gave the project its final go-ahead. As such the 2008 Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar will become the first motorsports World Championship Grand Prix to take place at night, an historic moment for MotoGP and Qatar.

Qatar preparations on schedule for historic night race With just over a month to go before what promises to be an exciting start to the 2008 MotoGP season, the ambitious lighting project at Losail International Circuit is progressing perfectly ahead of the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, which will take place under lights on the evening of March 9th, 2008.

Stoner takes victory in home race World champion Casey Stoner led from the first lap to claim a dominant victory in front of his home fans at the Australian MotoGP on Sunday. The 21-year-old started third on the grid but surged into the lead to take his ninth victory of the season. The Australian finished ahead of his Ducati team-mate Loris Capirossi with Yamaha's Valentino Rossi in third.

Toseland relieved after title win World Superbike champion James Toseland admits his nerves were tested by his two-point championship winning margin. The Ten Kate Honda rider from Sheffield beat Noriyuki Haga by just two points to claim his second Superbikes crown.

Giving Something back One of britain's most prominent cancer charites has gained a new corporate partner in the shape of AGV SPORT, They are donating £15.00 for every jacket sold in there Lady Jane Range

Stoner takes his 1st tittle Casey Stoner secured his first MotoGP world title at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. Ducati rider Stoner only needed to finish ahead of Yamaha's Valentino Rossi to claim the championship with three races remaining.

Rossi wins Valentino Rossi took victory just ahead of Dani Pedrosa in a thrilling MotoGP at Estoril in Portugal. Italy's five-time world champion used all his experience to edge out Spaniard Pedrosa in an electrifying final few laps to take the win for Yamaha.

MotoGP hits Portugal for possible title decider The 14th round of the 2007 MotoGP World Championship takes place at the Estoril circuit on September 16th, as the best riders on two wheels go head to head at the bwin.com Grande Premio de Portugal. Always an exciting race, this year’s visit to Portuguese soil also has the added intrigue of being a possible title decider. With Casey Stoner currently leading the World Championship by 85 points with five races remaining, and a lowest finish of fifth this season, the Australian has an outside chance of clinching his maiden crown before his departure from Estoril.

FIM ANNOUNCEMENT - 2008 PROVISIONAL MotoGP CALENDAR The FIM today announced amendments to the provisional calendar for the 2008 MotoGP World Championship. The events in Portugal and Valencia will be held a week earlier than originally scheduled, whilst Japan and Australia exchange their dates:

Traffic Choas in NYC On the corner of a slightly run-down street in the Meatpacking District of New York, a row of 30 shiny, colourful scooters stands out like a coloured umbrella on a rainy day.

World Superbikes Australia's Troy Bayliss topped the timesheets in the first qualifying session for Sunday's World Superbike races at Lausitz in Germany. The reigning world champion clocked a best time of one minute 38.569 seconds on his Ducati around the Eurospeedway.

Sheens Still the Hero Statues may be erected in honour of the great and the good, or buildings named after them, but surely the ultimate tribute is when your name enters everyday speech.