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Tomorrow is crunch day for Donington Park. Planning permission is due to be decided upon and once again the Great British Killjoy must have his pound of flesh.

Now, Donington Park is in the middle of the countryside, and sits on the outer apron of East Midlands Airport. However, local “Villagers” (for villagers, read NIMBYists of the highest order) are voicing “fears”, “concerns” and other emotive terms to ensure that a race track cannot actually be used properly as a race track.

The surrounding villages to the track are quaint for sure but whilst we must balance the wants of the many against the needs of the few, why do the few always seem to win. To my mind, if you live next to an established race track you should reasonably expect to hear loud engines.

Not that this rationalisation could be offered forward as any kind of defence, the “Greens” and Health and Safety bully boys would be foaming at the mouth with rage. Instead, there will be a long list of conditions placed on the development, none of which will add anything to the race watching publics enjoyment and once again will be a smug victory to the ever growing list of busybody organisations hell bent on sucking any enjoyment out of everything. Crash.net reports some of the possible obstacles that have been dreamt up.

“South Derbyshire District Council’s environment and development committee has nevertheless given its backing to the plans, with calls for noise-monitoring equipment to be installed in villages near the track.

Following delays in planning permission for the project, North West Leicestershire District Council is set to finally give the green light tomorrow (Thursday). That means that at best Donington will have just 18 months to complete the re-development.

It is also believed that there will likely be a number of conditions attached to any ratification, including no more than 40 motor racing days to be held per year, temporary grandstands during the summer months only and on-site parking during F1 events to be restricted to disabled visitors, VIPs and campers.
”

My favourite “on-site parking during F1 events to be restricted to disabled visitors, VIPs and campers“. So I guess the rest of us will have to park miles away, get crammed onto the usual piss smelling buses and herded cattle like to the event and then herded cattle like back.

Perhaps Moto GP moving to Silverstone won’t be such a bad idea after all…..

Donington is dead - Long live Donington.

Although it will definitely be brisk there is planned a decent sized run with the lads from www.rainorshineriders.co.uk and the www.versys.co.uk forums.
A gentle bimble should stretch the legs a little and renew the long standing affair with the mistress of biking.

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It must be time for Bradley to break his duck this year, although with a fairly strong contingent he will have his work cut out for him.

5. ALEXIS MASBOU, LONCIN RACING
7. DOMINIQUE AEGERTER, AJO INTERWETTEN
8. LORENZO ZANETTI, WWC
11. SANDRO CORTESE, AJO INTERWETTEN
12. ESTEVE RABAT, BLUSENS APRILIA
16. CAMERON BEAUBIER, RED BULL KTM 125
17. STEFAN BRADL, KIEFER RACING
18. NICOLAS TEROL, JACK & JONES PONS WRB
24. SIMONE CORSI, JACK & JONES PONS WRB
27. STEFANO BIANCO, CBC CORSE
29. ANDREA IANNONE, WWC
30. PERE TUTUSAUS, MATTEONI RACING
32. LORENZO SAVADORI,FONTANA RACING
33. SERGIO GADEA, BANCAJA ASPAR TEAM 125cc
34. RANDY KRUMMENACHER, DEGRAAF GRAND PRIX
38. BRADLEY SMITH, BANCAJA ASPAR TEAM 125cc
44. POL ESPARGARO, BELSON DERBI
45. SCOTT REDDING, BLUSENS APRILIA
60. JULIAN SIMON, BANCAJA ASPAR TEAM 125cc
66. MATTHEW HOYLE, MAXTRA TEAM
71. TOMOYOSHI KOYAMA, LONCIN RACING
72. MARCO RAVAIOLI, CBC CORSE
73. TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI, WWC
81. JASPER IWEMA, KIEFER RACING
88. MICHAEL RANSEDER, MAXTRA TEAM
93. MARC MARQUEZ, RED BULL KTM 125
94. JONAS FOLGER, WWC
99. DANNY WEBB, DEGRAAF GRAND PRIX
TBC. xx, BELSON DERBI

It will be good to see Talmasci mixing it with the likes of Marco Simoncelli, Hector Barbara and Alvaro Bautista.

4. HIROSHI AOYAMA, SCOT RACING TEAM 250cc
7. AXEL PONS, PEPE WORLD PONS WRB
8. BASTIEN CHESAUX, RACING TEAM GERMANY
9. TONI WIRSING, RACING TEAM GERMANY
10. IMRE TOTH, TEAM TOTH APRILIA
12. THOMAS LUTHI, EMMI - CAFFE LATTE
14. RATTHAPARK WILAIROT, THAI HONDA PTT SAG
15. ROBERTO LOCATELLI, METIS GILERA
16. JULES CLUZEL, MATTEONI RACING
17. KAREL ABRAHAM, CARDION AB MOTORACING
19. ALVARO BAUTISTA, MAPFRE ASPAR TEAM
21. HECTOR BARBERA, PEPE WORLD PONS WRB
25. ALEX BALDOLINI, WTR SAN MARINO TEAM
28. GABOR TALMACSI, BALATON RACING TEAM 250cc
35. RAFFAELE DE ROSA, SCOT RACING TEAM 250cc
41. ALEIX ESPARGARO, CAMPETELLA RACING
48. SHOYA TOMIZAWA, TEAM CIP
51. STEVIE BONSEY, APRILIA MADRID
52. LUKAS PESEK, AUTO KELLY - CP
58. MARCO SIMONCELLI, METIS GILERA
63. MIKE DI MEGLIO, MAPFRE ASPAR TEAM 250cc
75. MATTIA PASINI, TEAM TOTH APRILIA

Hmm, is this the case of Kawasaki losing heart? Losing interest? or just losing the will to stop losing? Hopper and Melandri would appear to have next year free and with a rapidly shrinking field Moto GP may be sitting on the edge of fading to a more “niche” sport.

Although global economic forces will inevitably be blamed for this latest casualty I believe it is simply manufacturers ditching less than popular house projects. Honda leaving Formula 1 and Subaru leaving World rally is, in my view, just manufacturers saying why spend money showcasing when, due to global downturns, nobody will have the money to buy our products anyway.

It has to be said that to keep the crowds coming, all series must offer better value. Simply giving a seat is rapidly not enough, simply being given entry to tracks with limited viewing spots, ancient toilets, piss poor organisation and medieval and overpriced catering is simply not good enough. Reduce ticket prices, control food and drink prices and your crowds will swell. Reinvest some of the profits and improve the infrastucture, people will invest their hard earned coffers if they see that some things are improving year on year.

Back to Kawasaki, as usual, Aspar is claiming to be in talks with someone about something and may have a team somehow. It’s all rubbish.

Marco Melandri needs to be on a bike this year, forget his Ducati year it was a fluke, remember Stoner on the LCR Honda, there you go. Hopper, well, a more overrated rider you could not find. If he gets a ride in the AMA I would be surprised.

All in all any team leaving a race series is a bad thing, 17 bikes aroung a track will rapidly become fairly dull.

If you don’t use Google Earth, you should. It is an invaluable, completely free, tool to see the world. don’t read more, download it here first.

Now, Donington Park has won the rights to host the Formula 1 British Grand Prix from 2010 and as such has committed to a fairly wide reaching redevelopment. The plans for which are here.

To visualise the new layout download the file below ad open it with Google Earth, it overlays the new track layout, including Pits and new outbuildings for you to see.
Donington-Park

With the winter in full flow it is a scarce moment when you find something interesting to watch that involves my favourite subject, mainly things going around tracks fast. Fortunately Santa was kind to me and I got the excellent Moto GP season review DVD.

Always an excellent summary of the years season it’s well worth a couple of hours. You can check it out here.

Other things to do are catch up on your reading. The traditional method of handling a physical book have of course been modernised and with a selection of 1000’s of audiobooks Audible offer a huge selection to while away hours in the car, on a train or plane. At £7.99 a month for one book it is really good value, check it out and get your first audiobook free.

On the subject of reading, if you need to brush up on your English, the best way to do this may be an online dictionary, or, for the more “lively” amongst us, Hot For Words is a brilliant site, hosted by the stunning Marina Orlova, a qualified philoligist who discusses the etymology of words in fairly skimpy costumes which keeps me interested. This may not be safe for work so check it out here when you have a quiet moment.

Maybe in a couple of months it may rise a couple of degrees and we can get back out there and enjoy the roads again. Until then, if you have any interesting things to share please use our forum.

Moto GP Season Begins in 1 month, 27 days, 1 hour, 39 minutes

Start thinking of excuses now

The time has come where I have finally succumbed and am on my way to pick up a new car.

It’s not a flash car, nor a fast car but has a heater and a radio. For the last three winters I have ridden the mud covered, slippery and dark roads of Shropshire and it has bit by bit ground me down, so it’s time to return to the cage in the winter and leisure ride in the summer.

In fairness, I took the test to ride for leisure and pleasure but as the roads are getting worse the joy is slowly ebbing away.

Of course. I will be back on the road as soon as the dry returns. But until then it’s 20 degrees and Radio four for me.