2008 MotoGP World Championship
Michelin preview, round 14
Indianapolis Grand Prix,
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
September 12/13/14

Misano Adriatico, 29 August 2008 - During an event held in Riccione yesterday evening to mark the San Marino Grand Prix, Lino Dainese, the founder and current president of Dainese S.p.a., appointed Valentino Rossi as Honorary President of AGV, the historic Italian crash helmet manufacturing firm that Dainese acquired in 2007.

In exactly 8 hours and 45 minutes, the nationally recognized Chopper Chick Crew of all-women designers and builders, led by Athena Ransom, transformed more than a hundred customized, modified and accessorized parts from a Harley-Davidson Sportster into a one-of-a-kind motorcycle at the House of Harley-Davidson Women's Day event in Milwaukee today.

I only had one day aboard Moto Morini's enduro-style Granpasso, but the constantly changing weather and Italian roadways provided plenty of challenge for this new machine. Whether racing along sunbaked hillsides or ducking behind the five-position-adjustable windscreen to dodge rain showers, the Granpasso displayed a blend of performance and versatility that could make it reborn Morini's most successful model yet.

Welcome aboard the flagship of Suzuki's Boulevard fleet, the C109R. It's Suzuki's largest cruiser, both in displacement and physical size. The 1783cc-a.k.a. 108.8 cubic inches, hence the cryptic designation-54-degree DOHC V-twin pushes a package that weighs in at more than 800 pounds complete with all necessary fluids. And at nearly 8.5 feet long, it's a real supertanker, capable of swamping smaller vehicles wandering into its wake.

In the current state of off-road motorcycles, there are few firsts. New models are mostly updated copies of copies with originals brought in every third or fourth revision. Thankfully, with the arrival of the BMW G450X, that sequence has been interrupted.

The bike ahead was halfway down Misano's long back straight, but it didn't stay that way for long. As I crouched behind the DB7's windscreen and tap-tapped through the gearbox, the booming V-twin punched forward in a 160-horsepower charge that brought the following bend rushing into view at a scary rate. By the time I'd held my breath, backed off a touch and flicked the DB7 through the 100-mph-plus kink, the gap to the bike ahead had halved. I barely gained through the next two turns, but on the start/finish straight I quickly caught and blasted past a Bimota that turned out to be-as I'd guessed from the speed differential-not an identical liquid-cooled DB7 but its air-cooled predecessor, the DB5.

ORLANDO, FL (May 28, 2008) - Combining the very finest in exotic transportation from the land, sea, and air in a completely new concept in luxury, Festivals of Speed proudly announces their Orlando event on October 11th -12th, 2008. Held at the gorgeous Four-Diamond rated Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes, Festivals of Speed is a rare chance for visiting guests to find what fuels their passions through an extremely special showcase of speed unlike any other. With a lavish jetport reception Saturday, October 11th followed by a breathtaking motorsports collection display out on the perfectly manicured, sweeping lawns of the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes Sunday, October 12th, the exciting weekend offers guests exclusive in-depth looks at some of most opulent transportation ever designed.

August 29, 2008 (Pebble Beach, CA) - Hardcard Holdings announces today that rising women's motocross star, 17-year-old Ashley Fiolek, has entered into a personal sponsorship and endorsement agreement with T-MobileSidekick. Ashley, who is currently leading the AMA/WMA Women's National Motocross Championship, has been a longtime user of the T-Mobile Sidekick.

Contact: PR@Hardcard.net

Cupertino, CA (Aug. 27, 2008) - Ducati North America announced today the grand opening celebration of its largest, most dynamic Ducati-exclusive showroom in North America will take place on Saturday, August 30 from 9am to 5pm. Southern California Ducati will also host a VIP preview of the new Ducati "destination dealership" showroom on Friday, August 29 from 8-11pm.

Amherst, OH - The newly revealed "Ready to Race" KTM 1190 RC8 will be available in limited quantities at select KTM dealers starting the first week of September.

FIA/FIM sanctioned event the first of its kind, top teams throwing down gauntlet

BURLINGAME, Cal. (August 18, 2008) -- TOP 1 Oil has teamed with the record-setting Land Speed Racing veterans at Cook Motorsports to form the TOP 1 Oil World Land Speed Shootout, the first single competition ever to decide the fastest of the fast wheel-driven cars and motorcycles on the planet.