The Desmodue race series is restricted to two cylinder Ducati's in the region of 150kg and up to 70 bhp - in essence shifting the emphasis from power to rider skill and bike setup.

Organised by the Ducati Sporting Club and supported by Ducati Insurance the series is enthusiastically (dare one say fanatically!) supported and the championship standing can be seen below. For more information and race reviews see the Desmodue website

With races 6 and 7 of the Ducati Sporting Club Desmo Due championship supported by Ducati Insurance came to Donington Park at the weekend. This series is restricted to Ducati 2-valve, 600cc air-cooled engines and is intended to be a less costly introduction to racing for those interested in Ducati bikes. The bikes entered comprise Monsters, SSs and a couple of Multistradas, one of which, entered by DucatiUK, was piloted by guest rider Michael Neeves, the MCN journalist. MCN’s editor, Marc Potter, was also guesting, so there was an extra spirit of competitiveness in the air.

Unfortunately, there was also rain in the air, a first for this series, which runs on Pirelli Diablo control tyres. The rain started after the first few laps of qualifying, which was itself split into two groups, which meant a few unusual faces up at the sharp end and Marc Potter on pole.

Runaway championship leader, Geoff Spencer, did not have everything quite his own way this time, being third behind Clint de Tarnowsky and Marc Potter at the end of the first lap of race 1. Unfortunately Tarnowsky crashed out on lap 2 and normal service was resumed on lap 3 when Spencer passed Potter. Result: Geoff Spencer – 1st, Marc Potter – 2nd, Michael Neeves – 3rd, a good race for MCN.

The rain was still falling by race 2, though thankfully there were few fallers throughout the day. Again Potter got a good start but was gradually reeled in by Spencer, who got past after a brave overtake at the Old Hairpin on lap 4 (of 6). Result: Geoff Spencer – 1st, Marc Potter – 2nd, Clint de Tarnowsky – 3rd.

With four races left and the winner taking 35 points, Geoff Spencer is looking good for the championship on 235 points, with Clint de Tarnowsky and Mike Dawson tied in second place on 154 points.

The next races are at the New Era Honda Superclub final round at Brands Hatch on 11 September. Queries to Michael Winter on 01892 545975 or desmodue@ducatisportingclub.com.

Championship Standing

The Desmodue race series is organised by the Ducati Sporting Club and supported by Ducati Insurance, Ducati UK, Ducati Finance and Shell.