In a slightly bizzare manner, Nicky Hayden is responsible for the latest bit of news and photo leak from the MotoGP paddock. Making a stop in Bologna to celebrate the holidays with the Ducati Corse crew, in route to India to help open a Ducati store, Hayden got a chance to see the new Ducati GP10 race bike up-close. Armed with a cell phone, and a little indiscretion, the American rider snapped a photo of the new bike, posted the photo to his personal website, and there you have it.


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The final round of the AMA Pro SunTrust MotoGT championship ends with a formidable 8-hour endurance race at Daytona International Speedway this weekend, and the Touring Sport Ducshop Ducati hopes to be an equally formidable force with three bikes, nine riders and a championship crown within their grasp.

The two-time national champions head to Daytona with a 14-point championship advantage with their #77 Ducati Paul Smart 1000LE and need only finish on the podium to claim their third consecutive crown. They will also run the team’s #38 PS1000LE as well as an 848 in the premier GT1 race.

Pete Friedland, Corey Rech and Brad Phillips will team up for the #77 bike whilst Brian Stokes, Dario Marchetti and Franks Shockley will run the #38 bike. In the premier GT1 class Ryan Elleby, Matt Lynn and Hawk Mazzotta will pilot the Ducati 848.


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Championship series leader Valentino Rossi set the early pace in the first practice session of the Australian MotoGP round at Phillip Island. Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner narrowly failed to overhaul the Italian finishing the session just 1/10th slower on the very last lap.

Stoner had struggled in the 3rd sector of the track but on his very last lap was fastest in the first two splits, set his personal fastest time in the 3rd sector but he finished the session with a best time of 1:31.167 to Rossi’s 1:31.032. Rossi set his fastest lap early but spent the most time on the bike of all the riders completing 31 laps.


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The Xerox Ducati team managed to fit in a quick test at Mugello ahead of this weekend’s Imola World Superbike showdown. Sharing the track with Ducati MotoGP team, Noriyuki Haga turned times within 0.5 seconds of the MotoGP machine.

Nitro Nori having just re-signed with the team for 2010 completed 69 laps on the factory 1198R for a best time of 1:52.3 seconds. This compares to 1:51.7 for official Ducati tester Vittoriano Guareschi on the Marlboro Ducati MotoGP bike and 1:51.9 for Mattia Pasini during his second test on the bike. Haga’s time was within 0.5 seconds of the far more potent MotoGP machines and 1 second faster than Max Biaggi on the Aprilia RSV4 who was testing at the same time.


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It is no secret that Nicky Hayden has had a year so far on the factory Marlboro Ducati that has met neither his nor the factory’s expectations. In his first comments since having his contract renewed for 2010 with the MotoGP team, he talks about his season so far and his highlight is not what you might expect.

Uncertainty over whether Ducati would exercise it’s option over Nicky Hayden persisted until the very last moment as the team was in turmoil with it’s star rider, and one time championship leader Casey Stoner, out for 3 races with a mystery illness. As a result the factory were trying to offer Nicky’s seat to almost anyone including Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Loris Capirossi.

Nicky Hayden:- “I always wondered what it would be like to be a Ducati rider and now I know very well. It’s everything I ever hoped it would be and more. This truly is a special brand with many special people. It has not always been the smoothest transition if I am truthful with everybody and the results haven’t been great, but this has allowed me to see both sides of the people and I can say that they have been right on point with their treatment of me, on the good days and the bad days.”

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Rossi Puts his Team-mate in his Place

Valentino Rossi reasserted himself at the top of the leader board by convincingly beating his younger team-mate, Jorge Lorenzo, by 2.4 seconds during the San Marino MotoGP at Misano after besting him in every practice and qualifying session. Lorenzo finished second to trail Rossi by 30 points in the championship whilst Dani Pedrosa took the final spot on the podium. It was a mixed day for Ducati fans with newly re-signed Nicky Hayden knocked off on the first corner of the first lap whilst Mika Kallio finished a creditable 7th.

At his home circuit the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) sported a ‘The Donkey’ helmet making fun of his rare mistake last weekend at Indianapolis. Pedrosa bolted from the start and took some passing but as soon as Rossi began to pull away at the front, Lorenzo was past too and the two of them quickly dropped the Repsol Honda man. Elias, racing like he needed a job, stayed up the front for the first few laps but went slowly backwards as first Andrea Dovizioso and then a fast riding Loris Capirossi on the Suzuki went by.


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Touring Sport Ducshop Ducati heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park this weekend for the penultimate round of the AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT championship with high hopes of securing their third consecutive championship title.


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Ducati has announced that they have exercised their option and extended Nicky Hayden’s contract for 2010. Nicky has finished in the top 8 for the last 6 rounds finally gracing the podium at last weekend’s Indianapolis MotoGP.

Nicky’s podium was instrumental in his achievement of a second season in the factory team despite the company actively campaigning for other tier one riders such as Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa.

«The confirmation of Nicky is the right reward to a rider who has shown to perfectly embody the frame of mind that characterises Ducati – Passion, Determination and Commitment.» said Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Motor Holding general manager. «We have always considered Nicky to be an important asset to the Ducati 2010 strategy and we are very happy that he will remain in the Ducati Marlboro Team.»

link: Crash.net

This weekend’s American Superbike, World Superbike and MotoGP racing should offer compelling viewing for every race fan. Mat Madin competes for the last time on a road racer in American Superbike racing whilst battle is resumed in two feuds featuring Noriyuki Haga and Ben Spies in the World Superbike Championship and Valentino Rossi and his young team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in MotoGP. Light the blue touch paper and stand well back!


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If Ducati had great confidence in Nicky Hayden for 2010 MotoGP season it would have announced it was executing it’s 1 year option last Friday at Indianapolis. Or at least by the expiration of the option which was September 1st right? After all he put the Ducati on the podium. What’s up?

It is no secret that Nicky has struggled to come to grips with the Ducati GP9 this season and his recent results which included a podium at Indy have only partially offset his general lack of pace compared to his team-mate Casey Stoner.

It isn’t for want of trying. Hayden impressed Ducati management with his focussed approach to getting up to speed on the bike but when it became clear that his race results were mirroring his fairly ordinary pre-season testing it was time for change.


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