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World Supersport Review 2009

Share the excitement of one of the most scintillating Supersport World Championship showdowns ever, as the Official Review brings you every vital highlight of the gripping 2009 title chase. This is the comprehensive and action-packed story of an historic season, loaded with the most thrilling moments from every race.

The Official Review features the very best elbow-to-elbow dices from all 14 races, plus all the vital passes and crashes which made 2009 such an enthralling season. The year started with plenty of promise as a field packed with talent – including former champions Andrew Pitt, Kenan Sofuoglu and Fabien Foret – gathered on the grid for the opening round at Phillip Island, Australia.

However, the battle for the 2009 FIM Supersport World Championship soon became a knife-edge two-way fight between British star Cal Crutchlow and Ireland’s Eugene Laverty. During their season-long rivalry, the pair would take victory nine times between them, sharing the podium on no fewer than six occasions, to set up a thrilling final round title showdown. It was edge-of-the-seat drama as Laverty went all out to overhaul Crutchlow’s championship lead. Portimao also saw the bitter battle for third between Sofuoglu and Joan Lascorz finally settled.

The Official Review of the 2009 FIM Supersport World Championship is packed with gripping action to bring you the full story of an historic year.

Transatlantic Challenge 1988 and 1991

The Transatlantic Challenge was the ultimate two-wheel showdown – the best racers from the United States travelling to Great Britain to do battle with a spectacular line-up of racing rivals.

Classic circuits, a variety of machines and riders from different disciplines – it had all the essential ingredients of a classic confrontation.

Now, for the first time on DVD, you can relive highlights from two incredible and very different years of this exceptional competition. The films are packed with incredible action footage, featuring every vital moment from some of the closest racing you’ve ever seen. With no championship title at stake, the racers were free to do battle in every race – and the elbow-to-elbow dices captured in this breathtaking footage shows they were holding nothing back.

The 1988 meeting, named the Eurolantic Challenge to reflect the fact the USA stars would face rivals from around Europe, was a two-day feast of thrills and spills as a six-race series unfolded at Brands Hatch and Donington.

The US team was filled with superbike experts, including Doug Polen and Bubba Shobert, while the Euro-squad boasted British greats Ron Haslam, Roger Burnett, Roger Marshall and Trevor Nation alongside European colleagues like Swede Anders Andersson.

The Americans were determined to dominate, but they would be made to work hard in all six races from the two-day grudge match.

After an absence of three years, the contest returned in 1991. Once again it was the Transatlantic Challenge, but now the greats of the United States would battle the Best of British.

The legendary Freddie Spencer would lead the talented American team as they battled through six races at Mallory Park and Brands Hatch against some of the biggest names in British racing. Haslam led the home squad, which featured John Reynolds, Carl Fogarty, James Whitham, Rob McElnea, Niall Mckenzie and Ray Stringer.

It was supposed to be about national pride, but the Brits were so dominant it soon became a fight for individual bragging rights – like the incredible dice between Haslam and McElnea in the very last race!

Awesome action footage, detailed commentary and interviews with the stars bring you comprehensive coverage from two years of one of the most spectacular motorcycle contests ever seen.

Supermoto World Championship Review 2009

The official review brings you all the best action and essential highlights from both the S1 and S2 championship trails, as we visit every single round of the 2009 season.

Combining the best high-jumping exploits of motocross with the sort of power-sliding you’d see at speedway, Supermoto delivers pulsating action all the way – and this DVD is packed with drama.

Stunning footage shows all the greats, including brothers Adrien and Thomas Chareyre, Gerald Delepine and Mauno Hermunen, in the chase for victory.

The Title Trail

Share the excitement and drama of the gripping battle for the 1974 Ulster 350 Road Racing Championship, as Abe Alexander and Ian McGregor go head-to-head on The Title Trail.

Thanks to renowned film-makers Alwyn and Colin James, we have action-packed archive footage capturing an important chapter in the history of the sport. The classic film, which featured in the celebrated TV series Charge of the Bike Brigade, is complemented on this DVD with newly-recorded introductions from race commentary giant Derek ‘Big D’ Mason and racing legend Ray McCullough, plus a very special bonus feature.

The Title Trail, narrated by Seamus McKee, takes us through the full, dramatic 1974 Ulster 350 season, visiting classic meetings like the Ulster Grand Prix, Mid-Antrim 150 and North West 200, and legendary circuits including Kirkistown, Tandragee, Cookstown and Maghaberry. We concentrate on the exploits of Alexander and McGregor, but the ‘support’ cast is packed with great names, such as Tony Rutter, Mick Grant, Tom Herron, the original Dromara Destroyer Ray McCullough and the early appearances of the Armoy Armada – Mervyn Robinson, Frank Kennedy and Joey Dunlop.

The racing is exceptional, particularly the last lap dice between Alexander and McGregor at Dundrod, which saw them split by less than half the length of a bike at the line, and awesome Abe’s incredible ride through the field to retain the King of Kirkistown title. Archive race footage and interviews chart all the ups and downs of the season, including how Alexander would overcome mechanical failures and bone-breaking injuries to secure his first pure road racing victory and the Ulster 350 championship.

Specially filmed for this DVD is a bonus feature offering an evocative look at the atmosphere at the inaugural Armoy Road Race. Bill Kennedy and Jim Dunlop are among those to reflect on the 2009 Race of Legends, described by Guy Martin as ‘extreme as road racing gets’, where Michael Dunlop and Ryan Farquhar were among the winners.

Raining Champions

Experience three wonderfully evocative films showing a golden age of road racing, when the Armoy Armada and Dromara Destroyers did battle on the circuits of Northern Ireland.

These archive gems, which featured in the celebrated TV series “Charge of the Bike Brigade”, bring you action from 11 gripping races, plus interviews with the stars and more. Newly-filmed introductions featuring TAS Racing team owner Hector Neill, road racing commentary giant Derek ‘Big D’ Mason and racing legend Tommy Robb bring a new appreciation to three classic confrontations, perfectly setting the scene before we are treated to truly historic showdowns.

Among the heroes seen in action are the original Dromara Destroyer Ray McCullough, Armoy Armada stars Joey Dunlop, Frank Kennedy and Mervyn Robinson, plus Mick Grant, Percy Tait, Tony Rutter, Charlie Williams, Stan Woods, Tom Herron, Abe Alexander and a young Steve Parrish.

Raining Champions charts the 1976 North West 200, bringing you highlights of four enthralling dices on the wet roads of County Antrim, including the amazing battle between the works entries from Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha and the heroics of the British Spartans. This was the first year of the Magic Roundabout, and we eavesdrop as Grant and Rutter discuss the course and the potential dangers of this new feature. The Embassy Final 1975 takes us to the Kirkistown circuit, and the exceptional colour footage treats us to some amazingly close racing – not least the showdown between McCullough and Dunlop. Finally, we travel to Dundrod for the 1975 Ulster Grand Prix and action from four races – including the first ever Superbike race at the Ulster. It is packed with history, including McCullough’s domination of the 350cc race, Tait’s emotional superbike win, the dramatic rain-hit 500cc contest and McCullough turning out for the 250cc on a Harley Davidson!

Filmed specially for this DVD are two fascinating features. In the first, Trevor Steele, an original member of the Dromara Destroyers, talks about the rivalry with the Armoy Armada. In the second, important racing figures past and present – including Isle of Man TT legend John McGuinness, World Superbike Champion James Toseland and multiple Duke Road Race Rankings champion Ryan Farquhar – reflect on the impact of road racing in the 1970s.

World Rally Review 2009

"Superb value for money" Autosport

The 2009 World Rally Championship was an absolute thriller - and now you can relive all the essential highlights from all 12 action-packed rounds in the Official DVD Review.

In fact, there was so much drama this year's review needs two discs to pack in the more than seven hours of highlights!

The best footage, plenty of in-car excitement, interviews and bonus features bring you the full story of the season, delivering a comprehensive look back at one of the tensest title battles for many years.

After five World Rally Championship victories in a row, Sebastien Loeb started the 2009 season as favourite once again. However, the Citroen star would have to fight right to the bitter end with Mikko Hirvonen, who used his Ford Focus to great effect during this turbulent year of rallying.

With just one round to go, the Finn led his French rival by a single point - it would all be settled in Britain on the season-closing Rally GB, and what a finale!

Who could have predicted the top pair would battle to the very last day, and that the 2009 World Rally Championship would be decided by a single point and just a handful of seconds?

The Official DVD Review brings you comprehensive coverage of this historic title fight, with detailed highlights from every round and all the most spectacular action - including some truly incredible smashes.

There's also loads of must-see bonus features on this 2-disc set, including a look at the return of Petter Solberg, Hirvonen's guide to snow banks, a look at fitness in the WRC and much, much more.

"Rally fans take note: you'll need to set aside seven hours to get through it all. The dramatic story of the 12-round series is recaptured, and there are numerous bonus features. Superb value for money" Autosport

Ages of Steam The Austerity Age

In Great Britain, the Victorians built the vast bulk of the country’s railway system and   constructed steam locomotives to work them - many different designs were created, with many different results. The final form of the steam locomotive was seen in the designs introduced in the early years of the 20th century, from there on development was in detail and power.

Using footage from the last quarter of a century, this programme looks at the way this final form was refined by some of the most famous engineers of their time, right up to the last steam locomotives built for main line service in the country.

This is The Austerity Age, examining the last private locomotives.

The Second World War virtually brought steam locomotive development to a halt in Great Britain - the watchword became "Austerity", as engineers tried to produce simpler and cheaper designs.

This was the case everywhere except on the Southern Railway, where the mercurial Oliver Bulleid produced some of the most complicated and expensive steam locomotives ever to work on Britain’s railways. Elsewhere, the GWR continued on its own course, while the LMS produced a series of efficient smaller types to work almost anywhere. Gresley’s sewing-machine engineering was swept aside by Thompson’s simple designs on the LNER and even the Government got in on the act by specifying special "Austerity" designs for the use of the WD, or War Department.

World Indoor Trials Review 2009

The Indoor World Championship delivered another amazing season, and this action-packed, official review brings you thrills and spills from every round. Amazing camerawork captures the extraordinary skills of the world’s leading trials riders as we relive the complete story of the 2009 championship chase. 

As well as a definitive round-by-round review, the DVD uses the most breathtaking footage – included plenty of close-ups – to demonstrate the sublime abilities of world-class riders like Toni Bou, Adam Raga, Albert Cabestany, Takahisa Fujinami, Jeroni Fajardo and Michael Brown.

Tags: FIM , Trials

Ages of Steam The Golden Age

In Great Britain, the Victorians built the vast bulk of the country’s railway system and   constructed steam locomotives to work them - many different designs were created, with many different results. The final form of the steam locomotive was seen in the designs introduced in the early years of the 20th century, from there on development was in detail and power. 

Using footage from the last quarter of a century, this programme looks at the way this final form was refined by some of the most famous engineers of their time, right up to the last steam locomotives built for main line service in the country.

This is The Golden Age, examining Victorian and Edwardian locomotives.

The Victorian engineers were artists as much as engineers, and their locomotives were as beautiful to look at as they were efficient at moving the goods and passengers around the country. However, even by the end of the 19th century, few large locomotives had been built.

The first decade of the 20th century would see what was known as the ‘Golden Age’ of the Railways, when locomotive size would double and the railways would reach their zenith. This DVD follows this development from the little 0-4-0 Victorian engines – passenger and goods as well as industrial designs – through to the large passenger and goods engines which set the scene for the way the railways helped underpin the War effort.

World Outdoor Trials Review 2009

The official review of the Outdoor World Championship brings you the definitive story of another thrilling season of trials action, featuring all the big names – including Toni Bou, Adam Raga, Albert Cabestany, Dougie Lampkin, Takahisa Fujinami and Jeroni Fajardo. Amazing footage delivers the round-by-round story of the season, with edge-of-the-seat moments captured in glorious close-up. With an amazing run of six victories in a row, it always looked like Bou had the title sewn up. However, the ultra-successful Spaniard had to work hard for his victory, as this dramatic season review records.