News In Brief catalogues other trackside news of interest from the MotoGP race at Mugello, Italy.
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JUNE 8, 2003 - SUNDAY |
CAPIROSSI TAKES BACK THE TOP SPEED RECORD!
Well, in yesterday’s report we challenged Loris to break Troy’s top speed record of 331.1 km/h (205.7 mph) and he rose to that challenge. Set during the race as he fought to close the gap on the race leader, Capirossi broke the record with a speed of 332.4 km/h (206.5 mph). The Ducati MotoGP Team have broken the record on each day of the three-day Mugello Grand Prix event with Capirossi also setting the fastest lap of the race with a 1'52.623 on lap 20 of 23.NEW SEAT VENTS ON RACE DAY
Producing 220+ bhp also has its disadvantages, the biggest of which is the incredible heat produced by such a powerful power unit. On race day the Ducati MotoGP Team used extra cooling around the rear end of the Desmosedici in the form aerodynamic slots on the top and rear of the rear seat unit. The design improved the airflow around the rear tail pipes and allowed the stale air under the unit to rejoin the air flow.LUCA GETS HIS KNEE DOWN AGAIN!
Former 125 and 250 World Champion Luca Cadalora returned to action at Mugello this morning – as passenger to former rival Randy Mamola on the Ducati MotoGP Team Desmosedici two-seater MotoGP bike. The pair rode two laps of the track, Cadalora becoming the first ever two-seater guest to get his knee down.“That was great, you just need to place total trust in the rider, which was difficult because it was Randy!” joked Cadalora, who raced 500 GPs for Marlboro Team Roberts and 250s for Marlboro Team Agostini. “After half a lap we both shifted forward and then the fun really began, that’s when I started to get my knee down. It was great!”
Ducati aerodynamics consultant Alan Jenkins also took a ride this morning. “I spend quite a lot of time in wind tunnels,” said the Briton. “But I really had to fight to stay on down the straights. And it’s so physical on the brakes, you kind of lose your focus because you’re trying not to end up in the grandstand!”|
JUNE 7, 2003 - SATURDAY |
MINOLI GETS TO TRY HIS OWN CREATION!
Ducati boss Federico Minoli had the ride of his life at Mugello this afternoon – riding two laps aboard the brand new Ducati MotoGP Team Desmosedici MotoGP two-seater behind former GP winner Randy Mamola, comparing the 220-plus horsepower V4 to a jet fighter!
“The acceleration was the most impressive thing,” said Minoli, president and CEO of Ducati Motor Holdings. “A few years back I had a ride in a jet fighter and the Desmosedici feels pretty much the same. I have no idea how fast Randy was going but it was certainly the fastest I’ve ever been on the ground, though I’d say only 70 per cent of his potential. I have to admit I asked him to be calm, but it was still like a rollercoaster ride, and it definitely gave me an idea what these machines are really like.”
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After Minoli’s outing, DJ Ringo had his two laps. “If you want to guess what this feels like – take a normal motorcycle ride and multiply by 100!” he grinned. “I was expecting something incredible and that’s what I got. At the end of the straight I was asking myself: ‘When is he going to brake? When is he going to brake?’ I promised Santa that if I survived I would always be a good boy!”BAYLISS BREAKS CAPIROSSI’S TOP SPEED RECORD
As the MotoGP free practice started this morning the question around the paddock was would Capirossi be able to break into the 329s after setting a new speed record yesterday of 328.9km/h? What they hadn’t considered was Troy’s reluctance to let the ink dry in the record books before he tripped the radar trap at the end of the straight at a staggering 331.1 km/h (205.7 mph)! Loris, it’s over to you again...|
JUNE 6, 2003 - FRIDAY |
CAPIROSSI’S DESMOSEDICI BREAKS TOP SPEED RECORD
Having broken the top speed record in the pre-season test at Barcelona earlier this year, Capirossi pushed his own record a little higher today with an incredible speed of 328.9 km/h (204.3 mph) at the end of the long Mugello start-finish straight. Impressively, the record set in Barcelona was even faster than the Formula 1 car top speed there and today’s speed was reportedly faster than the Ferrari F1 test speeds. While Capirossi’s provisional pole proves the performance of the Ducati chassis around the twisty Tuscan circuit, today’s straight line speed figures undoubtedly show just how efficient the Desmosedici power unit and aerodynamic solutions are.|
JUNE 5, 2003 - THURSDAY |
THE TWO-SEATER DESMOSEDICI MAKES ITS DEBUT
Making its debut at the Italian GP in Mugello will be the Ducati two-seater Desmosedici. This full-blooded MotoGP bike is virtually identical to the ones raced by Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss, and has been specially designed by Borgo Panigale’s racing division to let guests and VIPs experience the thrill of the Desmosedici’s 220+ bhp! At certain GP venues (Mugello, Barcelona, Donington, Estoril, Valencia) celebrities from the world of entertainment, fashion, cinema and sport will be selected to ride pillion - and enjoy the unforgettable exhilaration of a high-speed lap around the track.
The “two-seater” Desmosedici will be ridden by none other than Randy Mamola – a name that guarantees a perfect mix of talent, skill, technique and just a pinch of calculated recklessness that is sure to offer up a shiver of excitement for those lucky enough to take to the track with him. “I tried out the bike last Friday in France, on the Ladoux circuit!” says Mamola, “and it is simply fantastic. I can’t wait to try it out at Mugello and give my passengers the chance to experience the same thrill.”For the first time, then, a passenger will be able to experience the excitement of riding a real 4-stroke MotoGP motorcycle. A privilege reserved for a lucky few who’ll be getting a first-hand taste of just how fast and powerful this amazing bike is.
The modifications made to the “two-seater” version essentially regard allowances for the presence of a passenger. While there is a different suspension set-up, all the other key components - the frame and the generous Ducati V4 engine - remain unchanged. The saddle support has, of course, been fully re-designed and reinforced to take a passenger and the fuel tank now features two slots which house safety grips, indispensable for the passenger to offset the incredible forces of acceleration and into-the-bend braking. Additional footrests complete the two-seater kit.|
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