Moto Rapido into Moto3 with Thomas Strudwick
Moto Rapido have expanded their MCE British Superbike paddock presence to run a Hel Motostar standard class entry with Thomas Strudwick in the hot seat.
Strudwick made his debut in the Santander Consumer Finance KTM British Junior Cup, before progressing into the Motostar class. Now the youngster from West Sussex is looking forward to his 2017 campaign with the support of the Moto Rapido Ducati team.
“This is a new project for the team and I’m very pleased it’s happening. Thomas brings with him his racing team and family so he can be in familiar surroundings and to maintain their own programme with some fantastic support from his sponsor Case Electrical,” said team boss Steve Moore
“For a long time I have wanted to be able to mentor a young aspiring racer, so we are here to give them access to our Superbike staff as one team. We are all really excited to have Thomas join us for 2017 and I’m confident that we can make a difference both technically and professionally for him.
“I’m very pleased that some of our own sponsors (Motul, Solent Scientific, R&G, HEL) have come on board with help for him too. Hopper is very keen on this project to support our young talent and I’m sure Thomas can learn a lot from just being in the pit box and sharing some track notes – I know Thomas is excited to be Hopper’s team mate 2017.”
John Hopkins returns to Moto Rapido Ducati
Hopkins hunts 2017 MCE BSB success with Moto Rapido Ducati return.
American John Hopkins has secured his place on the 2017 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship grid after signing a new deal to return to the Moto Rapido Ducati team for the forthcoming season.
The Californian, who has previously been a MotoGP podium finisher, came tantalisingly close to lifting the 2011 MCE BSB crown in one of the most memorable season finales in history. ‘Hopper’ missed out on the crown to Tommy Hill by just 0.006s at Brands Hatch making it the closest ever championship title decider and is now gunning to be back in contention in 2017.
Hopkins had his first taste of the Ducati in 2015 when he joined the Winchester-based Ducati dealership run team mid-way through the season. Hopkins then went on to score the first ever podium finish for the Ducati Panigale R in the Championship as the team scored their first top three finish in MCE BSB at Brands Hatch.
Hopkins said: “To be back with the Moto Rapido team and on the Ducati again is something I am really so excited about. I enjoyed last season but I never felt as comfortable on the Yamaha as I did the first time I rode the Ducati in 2015. It’s such a great bike to ride and it really suits my riding style; I certainly hadn’t had as much fun riding motorcycles in a while until I had my first laps on the Panigale in 2015.
“I love this team and they were always one of my first choices for the new season. We had a podium finish together in 2015 and I know that they have come on leaps and bounds with the development since then. During my time with them previously there were several occasions when we were in guaranteed podium finishing positions until we had some minor technical problems because so much was so new, but now this bike is the complete package.
“My hopes are extremely high for next season and it is going to be one of the most competitive seasons ever I feel. We say it every year, but with so many riders from the World Championship on the grid, some new riders and some of the established contenders it is a stacked field of world class riders for sure. Our aim and focus is to go testing and then be there right from the start.”
Team owner Steve Moore commented: "This time I wasn't going to miss out on John so we started talking right after the last race of 2016. The last time he was in the team we had consistently great lap times and even our first podium. Importantly the fit with John, our team and the Panigale was perfect. John’s very aggressive riding style and the Ducati work well together so I will be expecting top results.
“BSB is going to be one of the toughest classes in any motorsport competition in 2017 with top class riders making up all the points scoring positions. It's a cruel class where being fractions of a second off put you at the back. I know we have the bike with some good updates for 2017 from Ducati Corse and a very good technical team, so I needed a rider who is very fast, is familiar with the pressure of the championship and loves the Panigale - so of course John was my obvious choice.
“Myself, the team and sponsors are very happy and I'm sure our fans will be too. We had a shocking 2016 but taking positives we have proven the bike’s speed and reliability plus tested many new parts. I'm really looking forward to John jumping on the 2017 spec bike and can't wait to go testing now.”
Moto Rapido BSB in Best shape ever
From BSN - David Miller
Lloyds British Moto Rapido Ducati boss Steve Moore believes his team are in their best ever shape going into this year’s MCE British Superbike season after two successful Spanish tests with youngster and Nando’s worrier Danny Buchan.
The squad did four days at Cartagena where Buchan was right at the time-sheet sharp-end before moving on to Guadix where the first day was full of snow. However, the sun appeared on day two and Buchan concentrated on a new brake setup and his pace on worn tyres.
“We are in really good shape, the best we have ever been without a doubt. We’ve done more testing than ever before. We had a lot of work to do with Danny as he doesn’t have that much Superbike experience but he has taken to it really well,” said Moore, speaking to bikesportnews.com from a ‘services’.
“We left Cartagena with a good setup and we went to Guadix to qualify that setup. It is easy to set the Panigale up for one specific track so we wanted to get the base setting for Danny as good as we could as two tracks.
“On the second day, as it was a little cold on the first, Danny did a lot of laps and then also finished the day with a race simulation on the SC1. Almost all of his laps were within four-tenths of his fastest so we were are really happy. It was also a good test of his fitness as you’re up at around 4000ft above sea-level.”
“We also had two engineers from a new braking company called TK come over from Italy. Danny ran their discs and really got on with them. They work with some Ducati teams in the Italian series, so that sort of support is nice to have. They are going to make a selection for him.”
Buchan makes Ducati switch with Moto Rapido for 2016 MCE BSB
Danny Buchan will return to the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in 2016, making a dynamic switch to Ducati with the Lloyds British Moto Rapido team after an impressive rookie campaign this year.
The 22-year-old from Essex, nicknamed ‘Boom’ Buchan, is one of the stand-out young British rising stars. A dominant 2014 National Superstock 1000 Championship title preceded promotion to the premier class in 2015, where he instantly impressed with his pace during pre-season testing and claimed two podium finishes at Oulton Park.
The Winchester-based Lloyds British Moto Rapido Ducati team celebrated their strongest campaign to date in MCE BSB this season, claiming their first podium finish at the Brands Hatch season finale and have already announced a support package with Ducati UK for their forthcoming campaign.
Buchan said: “This really is a great opportunity for me and I think the Ducati should really suit my style. It is a great feeling to have signed for the team at this stage of the year and I can’t wait to start working with them because they are a really close knit and hard working team so I feel that together we can achieve big things - we have seen how strong the Ducati can be towards the end of last season.
“I learnt so much during this year and my first full season in BSB. My approach to it did change slightly during the season where I was learning more and starting to set realistic goals and that is when the results started to come at the end of the year. I learnt a lot more race craft this season so I really think we can be stronger in 2016 because I can build on my previous experiences.
“We have a really good test programme already scheduled and we are all really behind this project - I feel the whole team is like a family. I have ridden a Panigale before when I was in Australia and I absolutely loved it, so I can’t wait to get on the Moto Rapido one for the first time. I want to thank Moto Rapido, Ducati UK and everyone else who has made this possible – I can’t wait to get started now!”
Team Owner Steve Moore commented: “2016 is set to be our best year yet, the continued backing and support from Lloyds British has allowed us to move forward and commit to next season early. We have had our eye on Danny for a while now because he really has taken some big steps forward in recent seasons and we are utterly convinced that he will really suit the Ducati. He knows all the circuits and now has Superbike class experience so the time was right to get his signature. We have a good base to start off with, so I think this is a really good match with a lot of promise. We truly believe that we have signed one of the biggest young talents in Britain right now and with our comprehensive winter testing programme, we will be ready for the start of the new season.”
Moto Rapido finish 2015 on a high
Lloyds British Moto Rapido Ducati enjoyed its best ever weekend at the 2015 MCE British Superbike Championship finale at Brands Hatch (16/18 October). With eighth, fourth and an incredible first podium for the Ducati Panigale, it has been a fantastic way to round off a remarkable season for the team.
It was, in fact, the first race of the triple-header in which Hopper made the breakthrough. Having secured six in a tricky qualifying that saw mixed conditions in the crucial top ten shoot-out, the #15 Ducati blasted off the line and into the mix right at the front. John found himself latched onto the back of the battling championship protagonists Shane Byrne and Josh Brookes, and as the two tussled to decide the 2015 BSB title, Hopkins ensured he didn’t affect the result and sat comfortably behind them. Hopper had to keep one eye on Iddon behind, but was able to manage his third place for the middle phase of the race.
Once Brookes made it through and into an unassailable lead Hopper pushed on again to close the gap to Byrne. Despite struggling with grip he moved to within 0.2s of the Kawasaki, but the chequered flag came out before he could mount a charge for second position.
It was still a sensational first podium for the Ducati Panigale, which has been a staple feature at the front of the BSB field since Hopkins joined the Lloyds British Moto Rapido squad at mid-season. True to form, Sunday’s final two encounters also featured the Ducati Panigale R superbike in the fight at the front.
The first of the day’s races appeared to be a repeat performance as Hopkins once again slotted into third behind Brookes and Byrne. This time around, however, Hopkins came under fire from a fierce chasing pack, and he was pipped by Michael Laverty with just a few laps to go. As he began to mount a last-lap charge to reclaim third, the red flags came out and put paid to any chances of a second piece of silverware.
It was an eye-catching start to the final race of the 2015 season for the team, as Hopper blasted from the second row of the grid into the lead around the outside at Paddock Hill bend. He held on to top spot for the first circulation of the Grand Prix circuit, but on lap two a tough battle developed and Hopper dropped back into the pack.
Crossing the line in eighth after a race-long scrap, both rider and team were delighted to finish off the 2015 season with their strongest trio of races to date.
John Hopkins said: “It’s been a very good weekend, we scored three solid results but of course I wanted to finish higher in the last two races! We did fight to the end and it was so nice to get that podium in race one. We started the weekend on the back foot – there were a couple of issues early on that kept us off-track, and the weather conditions didn’t help so we didn’t get that many timed laps before the racing began. That meant that in race one we just went into the unknown, put our heads down and got that podium. It was well deserved and so happy to get a podium for a team that has worked so hard all year long. I have loved my time on the bike and can’t thank Ducati UK and the Lloyds British Moto Rapido squad for giving me this opportunity, I have thoroughly enjoyed it and it has been one of the best bikes I have ridden in a long, long time.
Team Principal Steve Moore said: “It was a one hundred percent successful weekend, in fact it was the best weekend we could have expected to get. It is very easy to start getting giddy when you get a podium and you are running at the front, but there is a whole group of guys from first to tenth that are all as fast as each other with very good equipment and very good teams. We had a small tyre problem in the third race of the weekend and even with that we were running at the front. The lap times were consistent, the bike performed perfectly throughout, so we are very happy and the podium is just the cherry on the top.”
Best weekend yet for Moto Rapido at Assen
The weekend didn’t start out well for the Hampshire-based squad, with mechanical issues preventing any meaningful running in both free practice sessions on Friday. Despite such limited track time, Hopkins was right on the pace in the all-important three-part qualifying session on Saturday.
Banking strong laps in Q1 and Q2, Hopper set his fastest time of the weekend in the ten-minute final blast to clinch a spot on the outside of the front row for race one. As the chequered flag was flown John was just half a second shy of the ultimate pace set by Showdown contender Josh Brookes.
Race one built to an exciting crescendo after Hopper lost out off the start line to championship contender Shane Byrne. Settling into a strong rhythm, the #15 machine matched the reigning champion until mid-distance, when the pressure forced an error by Byrne into the final chicane.
This ignited a thrilling second half of the race, as soon the BMW of Michael Laverty joined the battle and the trio traded places time and again. Ultimately Hopkins had to settle for fifth, but it was still a best result for the team and rider combination to date.
Starting fourth for the second encounter, race two was a fraught affair with several aborted starts due to unpredictable rain showers plaguing the Assen TT circuit. With slick tyres and a damp track the start of the race didn't go to plan for Hopkins as he was pushed out wide into turn one. This put him right to the back, and with a shortened race distance of just 15 laps there wasn't much time to repair the damage.
Despite this, John fought admirably, and with conditions still changeable he managed to pull off a raft of overtakes to haul the 1199 Panigale superbike back into the points. The #15 rider was speeding towards an impressive resurgent top ten finish, however he didn't quite have enough laps and took the chequered flag in 11th.
John Hopkins said: "It's been a really positive weekend overall we had a solid race one, the bike worked great we were struggling a little bit in the first sector trying to get the bike turned. We made some changes for race two and the bike felt great and I was looking for a podium. Unfortunately at the start of the second race I got pushed wide which in these conditions you don’t want and I lost a lot of ground which I did my best to make up. The bike is working great now so I am looking forward to fighting for a podium at Silverstone.”
Steve Moore said:"I'm really happy with the weekend. The team has been amazing and John has proven once again what a professional he is. It was brilliant to see the Ducati up there battling with the showdown contenders, and to cross the like just 1.5 seconds away from a podium is really special for us. We should go well at Silverstone too, so bring it on!"