Ducati ships
prestigious collection to celebrate Isle of Man TT motorcycle race
The Staff of Clutch and Chrome
May 15th 2008
Italy meets the
British Isle of Man with motorcycle events planned to mark
the 50th anniversary of Ducati’s TT debut, as well as
celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of Hailwood’s
glorious return to the TT.
Legends including Sammy Miller, Paul Smart, Trevor Nation
and four-times World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty will
join the line-up for a special parade.
The Isle of
Man TT (Tourist Trophy) Race is a motorcycle racing event
held on the Isle of Man since 1907. The race is run in a
time-trial format on public roads closed for racing by the
provisions of an Act of Tynwald (the parliament of the Isle
of Man). The first race was held on Tuesday 28 May 1907 and
was called the International Auto-Cycle Tourist Trophy[1].
The event was organised by the Auto-Cycle Club over 10 laps
of the St. John's Short Course of 15 miles 1,470 yards for
road-legal touring motor-cycles with exhaust silencers,
saddles, pedals and mud-guards
Ducati will also be supplying a fabulous collection of
machinery from its illustrious racing history. Among the
machines on show will be the very first Ducati to race in
the TT, the 125cc Desmo Ducati, Mike Hailwood’s 1978 machine
and the Ducati Desmosedici which carried Casey Stoner to the
2007 MotoGP World Championship.
The prestigious Ducati Museum in Bologna transporting some
of its most famous exhibits to the Island for a week-long
exhibition at the TT Grandstand in Douglas.
Fogarty’s 1994 World Superbike Championship-winning 916
Ducati and Neil Hodgson’s 2003 World Superbike
Championship-winning 999 Ducati will also be on show.
On June 6, ahead of the Dainese Senior TT Race, there will
be a Parade Lap in honor of Ducatim offering a chance to see
some really exotic machinery ridden by some of the greatest
Ducati riders.
Among those taking part will be:
Carl Fogarty – arguably the rider most synonymous with
Ducati, and one of the most successful competitors on Ducati
machinery. Foggy took a record 59 World Superbike wins and
four World Championships for the brand between 1992 and 2000
and remains the most successful World Superbike rider of all
time.
James
Whitham – now a popular racing commentator, he enjoyed two
seasons as a Ducati rider in the mid-1990s, finishing
seventh in the 1994 World Superbike Championship and taking
his only series win on the 916 Ducati in Indonesia.
Tony Rutter – had some of his finest career moments on 600cc
Ducatis, taking four TT wins and four world titles, all in
the Formula 2 category.
Sammy Miller - was in at the very beginning when he competed
in the 1958 factory team alongside Luigi Taveri, Romolo
Ferri and Dave Chadwick. Sammy, who was an accomplished road
racer, came in fourth on that day and went on to even
greater things as a truly outstanding trials rider.
Trevor Nation – competed on both 750cc and 600cc Ducati-Cagiva
machines during the 1980s in the World Formula One and Two
Championships, finishing third and fifth in the 1984 TT
races.
John Barton – finished second in the 1997 Singles TT, third
in 2000 and set the third fastest Singles lap of all time in
1999 at 112.21mph.
Iain Duffus – finished second in the 1995 Senior TT on the
916 Top Gun Ducati, setting his first ever 120mph laps and
firmly establishing himself as a Superbike contender.
Paul Smart – one of the forerunners in putting Ducati on the
international stage, Smart’s win at the 1972 Imola 200
remains one of the most prestigious victories for the
Bologna factory.
Ian Simpson – had some of his finest career moments on
Ducati machinery, winning the 1997 British Production
Championship and finishing second in that year’s
corresponding TT race. Also took wins and podiums in the
British Superbike Championship for Duckhams and Red
Bull-sponsored bikes.
Michael Rutter – rejuvenated in this year’s British
Superbike Championship on the North West 200 1098 Ducati, he
began his Superbike career on Ducatis as far back as 1992
and has taken numerous wins and podiums for the Italian
brand in the BSB.
Throughout race week Ducati will also be offering guided
demonstration rides, using machines from their latest range,
starting from the TT Grandstand.
Isle of Man Tourism and Leisure Minister Adrian Earnshaw
said, ‘Ducati have a fine pedigree at the TT and are also on
a high at present following their first MotoGP World
Championship success.’
‘We are
delighted to be welcoming them to TT 2008 and I am sure the
fans will enjoy visiting the Museum exhibition as well as
seeing some of the finest Ducati riders ever in the Parade
Lap.’ |
