"Airwaves Ducati wont be racing this weekend at Donington park" thread in "Motorbike Racing"
British Superbike Championship leaders Airwaves Ducati will not be racing at Donington Park for round four of the season. Team Owner Darrell Healey has withdrawn ...

British Superbike Championship leaders Airwaves Ducati will not be racing at Donington Park for round four of the season.

Team Owner Darrell Healey has withdrawn the team who lead both the riders and teams standings, due to a safety concern with the recently added regulation.

It was announced on Monday that anyone running V-twin machinery in BSB will have to carry a minimum weight of 175kg, instead of 165kg as set out at the beginning of the season.

The move to hit the Ducati’s with a weight penalty came as a result of four-cylinder teams suggesting they were over-stretching the standard engine parts of their bikes to keep with the Italian machines.

Airwaves Team Manager Colin Wright told MCN: “We won’t be going to Donington this weekend.

“The race organizers have imposed this penalty without any supporting evidence.

“There has been concerns about the safety of other bikes and reliability, but adding 10kg of weight to our bikes effectively four days before a race weekend means we can’t do any testing and for safety reasons we are going to withdraw.

“I don’t know what MSVR will do as we may have broken the conditions of the championship by not attending and be kicked out.

“But Ducati hasn’t even tested the 1098R with an added 10kg either.

“We are prepared to go along with the new regulation as long as we get time to test with it.

“From tomorrow onwards the team and myself will look into how we can add this extra weight, but for us Donington isn’t going to happen.”

In an official team statement, Team Principal of the GSE team, Darrell Healey said: "I am absolutely astounded that the changes have been introduced after only three race meetings and four days before the next event at Donington Park.

"We, as a team, have spent tens of thousands of pounds testing and developing the 1098R based on what we thought were fixed regulations, but it is now clear that under Article A5 MSVR/MCRCB can clearly change the rules as and when they please!


"This is not a situation that either the team or I are comfortable with, and whilst little can be done for this year, I would certainly require absolute clarity on a fixed set of technical rules if we were to compete in any future British Superbike Championships.”

“The bottom line is that we do not have the most competitive race bike performance wise, and that is clear for everybody to see, but both of our riders have been consistent over the first six races and that is why Shane leads the championship.

"Similarly, had our competitors achieved consistent race finishes, our lead would most probably be less than 5 points, which begs the question as to whether the organisers would have reached the same conclusion!

“However, the real joke here is that last October, we, on behalf of Ducati, requested the use of non-production pistons on safety grounds to use in this years BSB Championship, and that request was completely thrown out by ALL the teams racing four cylinder motorcycles.

"Now, just over six months later, those same teams are demanding rule changes to allow non-standard engine parts to be fitted on safety grounds!

"I would suggest that their time would be better spent concentrating on producing fast, but reliable race bikes, rather than constantly whingeing to the race organisers to vary the technical rules.”

Shocking news really.

I didn't assume that the 10kg counted for this week.

MAdness to ask someone to just slap 10kg extra on it in 4 days.

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950 SMR, for men who know the difference

Yeah, bit of poor planning as regards timescale, cricket stumps/ball duly removed and taken home.

Are Ducati taking their ball home because they won't be allowed to win?

Did you actually read it ?

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950 SMR, for men who know the difference

Darrell Healey, pictured earlier

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In the Bible, God made it rain for 40 days and 40 nights. That's a pretty good summer for us in Wales. That's a hosepipe ban waiting to happen. I was eight before I realised you could take a kagoule off.(Rhod Gilbert)

http://www.therevcounter.com/british...tml#post243793

Keep up old bean.

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A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.

i thought it was Colin Wright

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950 SMR, for men who know the difference

Yep. "But Ducati hasn’t even tested the 1098R with an added 10kg either." What's the problem? Health and fucking safety?

Professional motorcycle racing. Don't make me laugh. Everyone involved is a bunch of cheating, two-faced, money chasing, bare-aresed liars.

How dangerous could it be to add 10kgs to the bike?

Assuming they have the sense not to put it into a topbox or attach it to one end of the front wheel spindle.

So where exactly would they put the 10kg then? Does seem a bit like sour grapes from the other teams, why on earth did they allow the 1098s in the first place if they were that concerned?

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TALK TO ME OR THE BUNNY GETS IT!

thats what i thought...

5kg either side of the frame tucked nicely under the fairing...

jobs a goodun

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18 and going for it...

WEll you tell us....

Where / How would you put 10Kg exactly ?

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950 SMR, for men who know the difference

how ? what'ss it made of ? how is it secured ? how does this affect stability at speed/cornering/braking ?

What happens in an accident to the 5kg 'weights' ?

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950 SMR, for men who know the difference

The danger is that the red bikes won't be allowed to win.