Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/804174
IN THE WIND P42 SUZUKI THE ONLY AERO BREAKERS AT QATAR MOTOGP H idden-wing fairings were in abeyance at the MotoGP opener in Qatar, at the Losail Circuit, March 25-26, with only Suzuki running their version of bodywork with internal down-force ducting. All MotoGP entrants, except newcomers KTM, had tested various solutions to the 2017 ban on external winglets, with varia- tions on internal ducting, up at handlebar level for most part, but sandwiched in the fairing flanks for Yamaha. The most radical was Ducati's solution, with the fairing nose narrowed to intake width, and massive squared-off hoops on either side. Suzuki's is altogether more restrained, and team chief Davide Brivio, said, "It is almost the same, so we thought we would try and see if there is any advantage." Riders Andrea Iannone and Aleix Espargaro exercised both types—the newly homologated fairing with ducts, and the very similar 2016 wing-free version. With the high top speeds at Losail, this is one circuit where the payoff between drag and down-force is most pro- nounced. Fairings for 2017 had to be homologated before the start of this GP, although teams are also allowed to use a 2016 fairing, with winglets removed, until they exer- cise the right for the single update during the season. Ducati homologated a fairing similar to last year's, but tidied up compared with the version fitted with wings, and Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo used that all weekend. The Italian company's radical hooped affair, tested at Sepang, is unlikely to be seen again in that form, with team sources explaining that the drag was too high. A varia- tion is due to be tested at Jerez in the coming weeks. All teams have one chance to bring something different, but are likely to hold off until later in the season, rather than close off their options early. FIM technical boss Danny Aldridge confirmed that all are free to do what they like within the ducts, including Ducati, with their huge loops. "They are free to put wings or whatever they like inside." Wings were banned for two reasons—safety and cost—but the ducted loops have made non- sense of the latter, as designers go back to the wind tunnel again. Michael Scott Andrea Iannone ran the catfish-looking fairing at Qatar and showed impressive straight-line speed numbers. MOTOCROSS RACER CODY GRAGG KILLED IN AUTO ACCIDENT T wenty-three-year-old motocrosser from North Carolina Cody Gragg and his father, Chris (53), were killed in an automobile accident in South Carolina while traveling to a race in Georgia, Saturday, March 25. The two were traveling on I-77 in Chester County when the vehicle, an RV, they were driving blew a tire and ran down an embankment and caught fire. They were both pronounced dead at the scene. Cody was a top motocrosser at Loretta Lynn's, competing in the AMA Amateur MX Championships from 2003 through 2012. He went on to compete in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship in the 450MX class, his best finish was a 16th overall in 2015 when he rode a Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke against the four-strokes. Gragg also competed in the GNCC series. CN