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Grand Prix winners Bradley Smith and Scott Redding head the British charge to Valencia in Spain for the first official Moto2™ test session of the season on Wednesday. They will be joined in the ultra competitive Moto2™ class by Gino Rea.

It will be the first ride of the season for both Smith, who won the 2010 125 cc grand prix in Valencia and 19 year old Redding. It will also be the first official test session for the Moto3™ class which replaces the 125 cc World Championship. Both Danny Webb and Danny Kent will be there to test the new 250 cc four-stroke single cylinder machines.

Twenty-one year old Smith can’t wait to get started after taking three podium finishes and finishing seventh in his maiden Moto 2 season last year.

“I’ve been training in California and can’t wait to get back on the bike,” explained the Tech 3 rider.” That first grand prix in Qatar is just two months away and so we have a very busy testing schedule. I will probably start on the bike that I rode in the Jerez test at the end of last season because I will be a little bit rusty and need a day to get it out of the system. It’s not a race at the moment and it’s important not to try too hard and be a test rider for at the least the next three days.”

Redding is as equally excited about getting back on the track.

“We need to be on the pace for the first practice in Qatar and so these pre-season tests are vital,” said the Marc VDS rider. “The advantage we have this year is we know the Kalex frame is good. Now we need to focus on refining the set-up and confirming and re-confirming any changes we make. If we do that in testing I’m confident we can fight at the front from that very first race.”

The former 125 cc World Champion Marc Marquez who finished runner-up in last year’s Moto2 World Championship will miss the test. He is recovering from an operation to cure double vision problems sustained in his crash in Malaysia last October.

Kent- based Danny Webb returns to Valencia, on the Indian Mahindra Moto3 machine, where he took the last ever125 cc pole position last year. Teenager Danny Kent had a very impressive first full season of grand prix racing last year and returns on the Red Bull KTM AJO in the Moto3 class.

After the three day Valencia test the Moto2 and Moto 3 teams travel further south for a three test at Jerez which starts on February 16.

CRUTCHLOW HERALDS NEW MOTOGP™ ERA IN SEPANG
The new era of the MotoGP™ World Championship officially kicks off tomorrow (Tuesday) with the first test of the 2012 season at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. The capacity of the MotoGP machines has been raised from 800 to 1000cc while the introduction of CRT machines to reduce costs has already increased the size of the grid for the 18 round global Championship.
Isle of Man-based Midlander Cal Crutchlow starts his second season in the Championship after winning the Rookie of the Year award last season riding the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha. He returns from winter training in California for just his second ride on the 1000 cc Yamaha after a brief shakedown test at Valencia last November. He will be joined in the Championship by Cumbrian James Ellison who returns to MotoGP riding the Paul Bird CRT Aprilia ART machine. He will have his first ride on the machine at the MotoGP test at the end of February.
All the factory bikes will be in Sepang with enormous focus on the performance of the 2012 Ducati after such a disappointing season last year. Nine times World Champion Valentino Rossi and former MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden managed just two podium finishes last year and Ducati has made some radical changes to the new machine to take on the likes of Honda and Yamaha.
World Champion Casey Stoner, who waits the birth of his first child, enjoyed testing the 1000 cc Repsol Honda last year and together with 125/250 cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa will form a formidable duo. Despite a tremendous fight Jorge Lorenzo lost the Championship to Stoner last year but returns to the fray together with former World Superbike Champion Ben Spies on the 1000cc Yamaha. Also on a Yamaha is Italian Andrea Dovizioso who despite finishing third in the Championship last year was dropped by Repsol Honda. He joins Crutchlow at Tech 3 and hopes to be 100 per cent fit after breaking his collarbone in a motocross training accident – sounds familiar!
Moto2 World Champion German Stefan Bradl makes his official debut on the LCR Honda while the highly rated Alvaro Bautista is joined by Italian Michele Pirro in the San Carlo Gresini team. Karel Abraham and Hector Barbara will ride the 1000 cc satellite Ducatis. Many of the CRT teams will miss the first test but grand prix veteran Colin Edwards will be there on the Forward Racing Suter BMW.
SMITH AND THE BOYS HAVE ONE WEEK TO WAIT
The British youngsters in the highly competitive Moto2™ and new Moto3™ classes will start their official testing next week at Valencia in Spain. Twenty one year old Bradley Smith, who secured three podium finishes in his debut Moto2 season on the Tech 3 machine last year, returned after training with Crutchlow in California to start testing next Wednesday. He is joined by his great rival Scott Redding who rides for the Marc VDS team for the third year in succession. They are joined by Gino Rea who rides for the successful Gresini team after competing in the World Supersport Championship.
These are exciting times for Danny Webb and Danny Kent who compete in the new Moto3 Championship. The two-stroke 125 cc machines will be replaced by four stroke 250s. Webb continues riding for the Indian Mahindra team and 18 year old Kent for the Red Bull KTM AJO team.
The first grand prix of the season will be held under floodlights at the Losail International circuit in Qatar on Sunday April 8.
WINTER TESTS 2012

MotoGP™ WINTER TESTS
SEPANG 31/01-02/02/2012 Set Up: 29-30/01/2012 Time Zone: GMT + 8 hours
Tuesday, 31 January Wednesday, 1 February Thursday, 2 February
10:00-18:00 MotoGP™ 10:00-18:00 MotoGP™ 10:00-18:00 MotoGP™
SEPANG 28/02-01/03/2012 Set Up: 26-27/02/2012 Time Zone: GMT +8 hours
Tuesday, 28 February Wednesday, 29 February Thursday, 1 March
10:00-18:00 MotoGP™ 10:00-18:00 MotoGP™ 10:00-18:00 MotoGP™
JEREZ 23-25/03/2012 Set Up: 22/03/2012 Time Zone: GMT + 1 hour / +2 hours
Friday, 23 March Saturday, 24 March Sunday, 25 March
10:00-18:00 MotoGP™ 10:00-18:00 MotoGP™ 10:00-18:00 MotoGP™

Moto2™/ Moto3™ WINTER TESTS
VALENCIA 08-10/02/2012 Set Up: 07/02/2012 Time Zone: GMT + 1 hour
Wednesday, 8 February Thursday, 9 February Friday, 10 February
10:00-14:50 Moto2™/ Moto3™ 10:00-14:50 Moto2™/ Moto3™ 10:00-14:50 Moto2™/ Moto3™
15:00-15:50 Moto3™ 15:00-15:50 Moto2™ 15:00-15:50 Moto3™
16:00-17:00 Moto2™ 16:00-17:00 Moto3™ 16:00-17:00 Moto2™
JEREZ 16-18/02/2012 Set Up: 15/02/2012 Time Zone: GMT + 1 hour
Thursday, 16 February Friday, 17 February Saturday, 18 February
10:00-15:50 Moto2™/ Moto3™ 10:00-15:50 Moto2™/ Moto3™ 10:00-15:50 Moto2™/ Moto3™
16:00-16:50 Moto3™ 16:00-16:50 Moto2™ 16:00-16:50 Moto3™
17:00-18:00 Moto2™ 17:00-18:00 Moto3™ 17:00-18:00 Moto2™
JEREZ 19-21/03/2012 Set Up: 18/03/2012 Time Zone: GMT + 1 hour
Monday, 19 March Tuesday, 20 March Wednesday, 21 March
10:00-15:50 Moto2™/ Moto3™ 10:00-15:50 Moto2™/ Moto3™ 10:00-13:50 Moto2™/ Moto3™
16:00-16:50 Moto2™ 16:00-16:50 Moto3™ 14:00-15:00 Moto2™
17:00-18:00 Moto3™ 17:00-18:00 Moto2™ 15:10-16:00 Moto3™

Our Website is currently being updated to bring you all our exciting news for 2012. I’m sure you will enjoy reading all about our plans

Nick Harris 24/1/12

Over 100 guests attended the annual MotoGP Press Conference before the British Grand Prix once again organised by Nick Harris Media Communications.
This year’s venue at the British Library was packed with journalists and guests for the annual filming, photographic and interview sessions with the leading MotGP riders. MotoGP stars Jorge Lorenzo, former World Champion Nicky Hayden and James Toseland plus the all conquering British 125 cc teenagers Bradley Smith, Scott Redding and Danny Webb spent over three hours with the media before departing to Donington Park.
Once again NHMC provided the media with what they wanted and the result, especially on radio and television was unparallel coverage on the build-up to the British Grand Prix.

Prince Harry wishes Bradley Smith good luck on the grid before the start of the 125 cc race at the British Grand Prix at Donington Park on Sunday. Nick Harris Media Communications worked closely with Bradley in the build-up and during the British Grand Prix to ensure maximum media exposure while also ensuring he was able to concentrate on practice, qualifying and racing at Donington.
We achieved superb coverage right across the media spectrum including a full page feature in the Times, interviews on BBC Radio One and Radio Five and interviews on BBC One and BBC South television.

Nick Harris Media Communications has spearheaded the campaign to publicise the amazing success of Bradley Smith in this year’s 125 cc MotoGP World Championship.
The 18 year old Oxfordshire rider recently won his second grand prix of the season at Mugello in Italy and we have ensured his considerable achievements have received the media coverage he deserves.
Bradley has been a guest on the the award winning Chris Evans show on BBC Radio Two, appeared on BBC South television news, ITV 4, BBC Radio Oxford while his grand prix success has been reported on BBC Radio One, The Johnny Walker Show on BBC Radio Two, BBC News Channel plus all the national newspapers.
In addition NHMC has helped Bradley write and produce his column which appears in both the national and local press. Also despatching releases, images and audio interviews from all qualifying and races at this year’s MotoGP World Championship.

Two Oxfordshire companies with International reputations have become affiliated to broaden their expertise and appeal to a World-wide client base.

Both Nick Harris Media Communications and Indigo Dingo Ltd will use their knowledge and experience in their respective fields to build an association that will benefit both companies.

For the last 26 years Nick Harris Media Communications has been at the forefront of International Sports PR and Media Communications.

The owners of Indigo Dingo meanwhile, combine  a 20 year track record in feature film and television production with top level sports marketing experience in football, Formula 1, air racing and the Olympics.www.indigodingo.com

Nick Harris, Managing Director NHMC.

“We are delighted to be affiliated with Paul at Indigo Dingo. His reputation within the television and sports marketing sector speaks for itself. I’m certain that working together on certain projects will benefit the clients in every way. Our two companies are only based a mile apart but the only time I used to meet Paul was at airports.”

Paul Wightman, Managing Director Indigo Dingo Ltd.

“Nick is something of a legend in motor sport and football, so I was delighted to discover that he and his team approach projects with the same creative flair and attention to detail as us at Indigo Dingo.  NHMC is a sports PR company which truly understands television and Indigo Dingo is a production company with a background in sports marketing, so the affiliation makes perfect sense.”

Contacts

Nick Harris

Email: nick@nick-harris.co.uk

Telephone: +44 (0) 7785 224 596

Paul Wightman

Email: paul@indigodingo.com

Telephone + 44 (0) 7930 347 586

The Publishers Little Brown has confirmed that copies of the Barry book written by Nick Harris and Steve Parrish are still selling well.  Copies in both paperback and hardback sold well up to Christmas and the trend continued in January.  The book was published in hardback, paperback and trade paperback.  In addition it was published as a talking book and with a special cover into the vibrant Australian market. 

Barry was first published in August 2007.