Moto Rapido Racing continue Hel Performance Motorstar campaign in 2018
After a successful season for the Case Moto Rapido Moto3 team in 2017 with 16-year-old Thomas Strudwick, the team have confirmed that they will continue their Hel Performance British Motostar project this year.
Strudwick made his debut in the British Superbike Championship paddock in the Santander Consumer Finance KTM British Junior Cup, before progressing into the Motostar class. After claiming three race wins last year, the youngster from West Sussex finished the season in third place.
Alongside Strudwick's Moto Rapido Ducati commitments, he will also feature in the inaugural season of the British Talent Cup.
Strudwick said: "I feel I had an amazing experience with the Case Moto Rapido Moto3 team last season and I'm glad we have been able to continue into the 2018 season together! It is going to be a busy season for me, challenging in two British Championships but I'm confident the training and testing that we have been doing will allow me to be successful. I'm really excited to be working alongside Taylor Mackenzie this year; he is someone that has always impressed me on a motorbike so I'm confident we can have a good season together!
“I've been working hard on my fitness and also my attitude towards racing, which from my testing so far, seems to be proving successful! I felt I finished 2017 great, being the highest points scorer in the final quarter of the season, it's crucial we can replicate this throughout the full 2018 season! I'm excited for the season to start."
Team Owner Steve Moore commented: “We are very excited to have Thomas continue on board the Case Electrical standard Moto3 for the 2018 season. We feel the project with Thomas worked really well in 2017, helping him develop his skills as a professional rider and gain the experience needed to challenge for such things as the British Talent Cup.
"The results showed that Thomas can run at the front and challenge for the championship. Our team testing plan starts in March in Spain along with Taylor on the Superbike before Thomas starts his journey to the British Talent Cup official practice. We all learnt a lot last season and there is so much more to come from the ‘Nipper’."
Taylor Mackenzie joins Moto Rapido Racing
2016 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 champion Taylor Mackenzie will return to the 2018 British Superbike Championship this season, joining the Ducati dealership-based Moto Rapido Ducati team.
The team scored multiple podium finishes in last year’s championship with John Hopkins, who continues his recovery. The Winchester based team are now looking ahead to their opening pre-season test in Spain next month, determined to build on their previous campaign with further updates from Ducati Corse.
Mackenzie returned to the premier class in 2017 following a title-winning season in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship, where he lifted the title after winning six races and scoring a further two podium finishes.
Mackenzie said: “I had an up and down year last season; developing a new bike is always a difficult task, even more so in BSB when the racing is at such a high level. I managed to grab a fifth and a seventh place when I was fit. Unfortunately for me when the big improvements came with the bike I was forced to sit and watch so I didn’t get to reap the rewards of the development work that we’d done throughout the year.
“I’m really excited to be riding a Ducati, it’s my first time riding one and a different style of riding to what I’m used to but we’ve got plenty of testing to get stuck into before the season starts so I can get to grips with it. I rode with John at points last year and was always blown away by how fast it was so I’m very excited to get the chance to ride one.
“It doesn’t really feel that strange for us because we’re best friends off the track and we train and ride together almost every day. We’ve helped push each other to be better than we ever would have been on our own. When I won my championship two weeks before Taz there was no way on earth he wasn’t going to win his. People keep asking me if I’m worried about him being in the same class but it’s not me that should be worried because I know how fast he is!
“I’ve got a completely new challenge ahead of me with a new bike so I’d like to start with finishing inside the top ten and then keep chipping away all season. I’ve raced in BSB long enough to know how hard it is and there’s no guarantees with racing either so we’ll just keep our heads down as a team and work as hard as we can. Everything is in place for me to have my best year yet so I’ll be doing everything in my power to make sure it is.”
Team Owner Steve Moore commented: “We are very excited to have secured Taylor for the 2018 Superbike season. While the official Hopper news was recent, John had been keeping me updated of progress through winter and realistically we knew it would be asking too much to get back to racing so soon. Our plan was always Hopper for two seasons and while we kept the ride open as long as possible for him, I have to thank John for his honesty and making the tough decision not make the start of the season.
“So I had been speaking with other riders and Taylor had been on our radar since last year. I like the idea of a new generation of British riders bringing a new wave of talent into BSB so Taylor fits well with our plan. He clearly knows how to win a title as Superstock champion and his couple of BSB seasons are valuable experience.
“Now it’s time for him to be part of a team where the focus is entirely on him and his development. I’m sure we have the package of bike, team and technical ability to bring him to the next level and stand on the podium.
“We have a testing plan that starts in March in Spain which is when he’ll see the Ducati and meet the team for the first time. We have some more updates from Ducati Corse this season and I’m looking forward to the first test. We’ll be doing our best to continue our teams progress, score more points that last season and make Taylor a Superbike contender, which will probably mean I can’t afford him for 2019, but we’ll discuss that when it happens!”
Hopper update
We send our best wishes to John Hopkins on his continuing recovery… Words from the man himself:
“Hi all, hope everyone enjoyed the holidays & are having a great start to 2018 ! Just wanted to give an update on my long road to recovery.
“Although finally up and starting to weight bare, sadly run into complications with my right knee soft tissue damage & excess scar tissue in the joint.
Still may need more ops but regardless, sadly still have a long road to full recovery forcing me to miss the start of the 2018 season!
100% motivated & doing everything possible to ensure full recovery! Thank you to all friends, family, fans and sponsors for continued support!”
We are speaking to riders for the 2018 season. News soon…
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.”