MotoGP creates Top Speed award.

Austrian notebook manufacturer Gericom, who recently signed the rights to be the - wait for it - "Official Notebook of MotoGP for 2003 and 2004" (!) have given their backing to a new award within the MotoGP World Championship.

MotoGP creates Top Speed award.

Austrian notebook manufacturer Gericom, who recently signed the rights to be the - wait for it - "Official Notebook of MotoGP for 2003 and 2004" (!) have given their backing to a new award within the MotoGP World Championship.

The All Time MotoGP Speed Record presented by Gericom begins this weekend at the Gran Premio Cinzano d'Italia. From now on, whenever the top speed record is beaten during a Grand Prix the rider with the new record will be rewarded with a high performance laptop to commemorate his achievement.

In accordance with the essence of the competition, the prize will be Gericom's top model, the Blockbuster Radeon, which has a 3,06 GHz processor - it will be presented at the pre-event press conference for the following race.

The award adds an extra incentive to what is an already supercharged event this weekend at Mugello, traditionally one of the fastest circuits on the MotoGP calendar.

In fact, the current top speed in MotoGP was set at the Italian circuit last year, when Tohru Ukawa (pictured) clocked 324.519km/h on his Honda RC211V during the final qualifying session.

That record is likely to come under serious threat this weekend, however, especially with the Ducati Desmosedici of Loris Capirossi setting an unofficial 328km/h at the Catalunya test in March and a host of other prototype four-strokes joining the grid.

The current top 20 highest speeds ever recorded in MotoGP are listed below, and clearly demonstrate the superior pace of the four-strokes since their introduction at the start of the 2002 season.

Other circuits which have been beneficial to the new machines include Catalunya, which hosts the sixth round of the championship on June 15th, and Phillip Island - venue for the penultimate race of the season on October 19th.
Top 20 highest speeds in Motorcycle Grand Prix:
Season / Circuit / Rider / Machine / Speed (Km/h)

1. 2002Mugello (Ita) UKAWAHonda324.52
2. 2002Phillip Island (Aus) ROSSIHonda323.55
3. 1999Paul Ricard (Fra) BIAGGIYamaha318.58
4. 1999Mugello (Ita) BIAGGIYamaha318.58
5. 2000Mugello (Ita) McCOYYamaha317.83
6. 2002Catalunya (Cat) UKAWAHonda317.18
7. 1998Mugello (Ita) AOKI N.Suzuki317.09
8. 1994Hockenheim (Ger) DOOHANHonda316.60
9. 2003Suzuka (Jpn) CAPIROSSIDucati316.54
10. 2002Jacarepagua (Bra) ROSSIHonda315.63
11. 2002Suzuka (Jpn) ROSSIHonda315.26
12. 1999Phillip Island (Aus) LACONIYamaha314.87
13. 1996Mugello (Ita) BARROSHonda312.14
14. 1997Mugello (Ita) DOOHANHonda311.15
15. 1998Catalunya (Cat) BIAGGIHonda310.34
16. 1998Phillip Island (Aus) DOOHANHonda310.34
17. 1995Catalunya (Cat) ITOHHonda310.10
18. 2001Mugello (Ita) ROSSIHonda310.08
19. 1996Catalunya (Cat) BARROSHonda309.37
20. 1995Mugello (Ita) CAPIROSSIHonda309.2

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