team news
Team Ducati Seattle / Anatra Corsa concludes its 2006 season: a great debut year
2006 was the debut year for the official Ducati Seattle race team, Anatra Corsa. Overall it was a very strong first year - with racing successes, top-tier sponsors and partners, and lots of community involvement.
Rick Rinaldo (#123) had a great first season on the brand-new Ducati Seattle 749R, finishing the year as the second-highest ranked Ducati rider in WMRRA. Rick secured third place overall in his main class, Formula Thunder, and a strong fifth place in Open GP Twins, racing against literbikes. His race placements were very consistent, with four podiums, and the 749R was very strong and reliable throughout the year. With a season of development behind it, the bike is very well-sorted to begin the 2007 season with.
Bill Broderick (#933) made an auspicious racing debut, winning his first-ever Novice race, and backing that up with another win and two Thirds on his Ducati Seattle 999S. Unfortunately, Bill suffered a nasty crash in the wet while leading at Pacific Raceways, and the subsequent surgery put him out of action for eight races. He made an unexpectedly early return to racing in the final event of the season, and came away with another podium despite not being able to put weight on his right foot! Bill will return as a newly-minted Expert racer (and fully recovered) in 2007 aboard the 999S... look out Open GP Twins.
Lindsay Gupton (#25) finished his sophomore season on the Ducati Seattle 748R with eight top-ten finishes and an overall eighth in the Formula Thunder class, despite a disappointing string of six DNFs- one crash and five mechanicals. Lindsay struggled with mechanical gremlins for most of the year until the four-year-old R engine finally gave up the ghost; a bottom-up rebuild has the old-school Desmo running fantastic again and ready for 2007. Lindsay also had the chance to compete in a four-hour Endurance race at Portland, finishing fourth in the Heavyweight (1000cc) class.
On top of racing, the team had the opportunity to make a number of public appearances during the year, with the Ducati Seattle / Anatra Corsa bikes on display at Ducati Northwest 2006, the Alki Bike Show, the SportClassic Debut party at Ducati Seattle, and the DesmoNorthwest Annual Picnic.
Thursday, December 28, 2006