Ducati racing this weekend

Lupino and Ducati are comfortably starting from pole tomorrow.

https://gatedrop.com/mx1-qualifying-results-italian-championship-rd1-lu…

Well! that's impressive

No Ben Watson but Ivo was there? 

Looks like it, though other Betas are there as well.

https://gatedrop.com/video-ducati-pole-man-lupino-in-action-in-italy/

Don't think Lupino is longing for his old ride.

If Ducati start real well in Italian championship they will definitely try for a wildcard or two in MXGP before the end of the year.

This Italian championship is only for Italian riders. International series was just 2-3 races before season. 

I'm not familiar at all with Italian championships, but Alvin Ostlund is Swedish, Jan Pancar is Slovenian and Cédric Soubeyras is French so there must be another reason 

Been watching it tonight.

MX2 race finished, and they are showing highlights, 450s on the line, starting soon.

Lupino with his Ducati / Polizia jersey on, waiting for the 'off'. They seem to be keeping them waiting for quite a while. 

I always find the Police / Military sponsorship in Italian / Euro racing fascinating. Shows how much more mainstream Racing is over there. 

Cripes, they really Do keep them on the line for a long time! - 14minutes until the start now, Lupino's on (one of?) the inside start gate(s), and there's a Swarm of press bib wearers in front of him.

* Playing a Ducati Press 'thing' just now, finishing off with Cairoli. 6 minutes until the off.

Well, Lupino got the 1st Moto.

My eyes went fuzzy at the start ( the joys of a Diabetic that ate Very badly today) and I think he Didn't holeshot from gate 1, but got through to the lead in a turn or two.

Didn't see much of him during the Moto - they concentrated on others battling, as they should do. Showed him during the last couple of laps, dealing well with lappers, and him, And the Bike, looking very, Very smooth. It really looked good, boys and girls.

Not sure if I'll stay up for the other Motos - not sure if they have separate MX2 and MX1 2nd motos, or a Superfinal combining both.

How cool is it that you can watch, live, for Free, The Italian Championships , in pretty high quality video? Not much lower quality than the SX earlier this morning, that cost around $275 AUD. Well, the Italian video quality was far more consistent.

And he went ahead and clinched the win in the first moto.  

There is a free livestream (you have to register, though). 

https://federmoto.tv/content/1506/

https://www.youtube.com/@fxactionTV/streams

You can see the stream live on this link.

Not related to Ducati, or Italy really but since you mentioned mainstream racing in Europe thought you'd find this interesting.

I'm in Spain at the moment and this city has a public Motocross track next to a park. As in there's just a track built at the edge of the city, as a public area, open 24/7 no restrictions just turn up and do your thing free of charge.

As a Brit it's crazy, the police would be on you in a flash in 90% of the country and the 10% the police wouldn't get to it would be a farmer shouting at you.

​

DUCATI DESMO450 MX | Italian motocross championship Mantova | Alessandro Lupino & Antonio Cairoli
https://youtu.be/0gpz_2evfiI?si=KpSlRDJxnu5nPdP_

Isak Gifting won moto 2, Lupino got 7 so overall Gifting 1st (6 - 1) and Lupino 2nd (1 - 7).

Not bad for a first race, let's see how they progress in the series.

Ducati press release can be found here:

https://gatedrop.com/alessandro-lupino-discusses-a-historic-day-for-duc…

The front fender has changed, it's thinner.

The 2nd Moto - you'll see a lot more of Lupino and the Ducati in this one:

https://youtu.be/KY85gDnH5vs?t=6176

To me looks like they are using Gasgas front fender and plate? 

Too bad video is blocked.

That's weird - I'm the most untech individual when it comes to video there is, and it works for me.

Maybe you have to have a YouTube subscription to FXAction Live , which is who I got it from?

This video contains content from SME, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds

I guess it will work other countries ok. 

My Dad lives in Spain and a couple of years ago a nearby town had a race in the town centre. There was a big open area surrounded by apartment blocks and they literally filled it with dirt and built a track for the weekend. People were casually watching leaning out of their windows or walking up the street.

I did an mtb race out there in January and the finish was through the streets of Xixona. They just taped off alleyways, streets, staircases etc and used it as part of the course. They definately have a very cool attitude towards racing.

Vi raccontiamo la prima gara della Ducati Desmo450 MX da cross (youtube.com)

Here is the timeline for Ducati MX project:

2024: Italian MX championship

2025: MXGP World Championship, bike should be available around June. Italian MX2 series.

2026: AMA Supercross 450SX, MX2 World Championship.

250 is coming and desmo power over a wide rpm range should be even more of an advantage there.

https://gatedrop.com/paolo-ciabatti-confirms-ducati-mx2-project-aims-fo…

Mate 100% with you, that's mint blowing 😂

Was talking to an old boy the other day, reckons when he was young he could ride to Wales, rode off road all day without even getting any moaning or sideways looks from the farmers and dog walkers he passed... Must of been nice!

On topic, impressive start for Ducati!

Be interesting to see how the MXGP round goes and if they will wait bother to wait for the Italian round of they keep building momentum in the Italian championship or jump into an earlier MXGP round.

Will you be doing some races in the MXGP world championship already this year? Is there a chance to see Antonio in the race too?

Maddii: Yes, probably yes, we’ll see along the way but the desire is there. The idea is that Antonio will also race, perhaps in the world championship, but we still don’t know exactly when and how. Everything is still to be decided.

But are you thinking of any GPs in Italy or even abroad?

Maddii: I don’t know yet, it could also happen abroad. It also depends on Antonio. He will decide where and when based also on the tracks he likes. I don’t know the answer to this question at the moment.

https://gatedrop.com/interview-marco-maddii-discusses-the-ducati-projec…

Mantova on board - DUCATI & YAMAHA
https://youtu.be/-l7-BGHpMZU

Riders
Alessandro Lupino - Ducati Desmo450 MX
Manuel Iacopi - Yamaha YZ250F

Round 2, Lupino got 4th (3-3), work in progress for the reds.

Watched Cingoli (Great Track!) it And the German ADAC races live last night, between some machining and welding.

Could have watched Foxhills and Glen Helen live on YouTube as well, but, I've only the 2 monitors / screens and 2 eyes in the workshop.

My goodness things have changed from waiting for say, the Carlsbad USGP to come out on the OZ Wide World of Sports, months after the fact.

Ducati are doing it right, I reckon.

I'm hoping my fellow Ducatisti, who's got a Lot more money than I, will be ordering a 450, or 2 (as I said he's got a Lot of money ) for when they become available sometime next year. I do love having mates that have $$$$ to spare, and are happy to buy 'extras' to share.........