The start of World Ducati Week 2024, scheduled from Friday July 26 to Sunday July 28 at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, is quickly approaching, and for several months the people of Ducati have been working to offer thousands of enthusiasts a weekend extraordinary end of emotion, passion and pleasure, but how will Marc Marquez be received there, for the first time present at the big Red Festival?
The Bologna manufacturer has published the program for these three days of celebration dedicated to all motorcycle enthusiasts on the official website and on the WDW application (downloadable on Apple and Android devices). This is the most complete calendar of activities in the history of World Ducati Week with unique and original events that join other experiences scheduled over the three days of the event, such as the exhibition dedicated to The history of the Ducati 916 family and the presence of Truck – Team MX presenting Ducati's exciting new chapter in motocross. The objective is clear: to concentrate and transfer all the essence of Ducati to the participants, respecting the motto “All in One”.
The pace of WDW2024 will be very high from the opening day of Friday 26 July. In the morning the on-track spectacle will begin with the traditional Lap of Honor which will involve all the riders present at the event, including the legends who rode the red motorcycles of Borgo Panigale to victory on circuits around the world. Carl Fogarty, Troy Bayliss, Carlos Checa, Régis Laconi and Rubén Xaus will join today's drivers and will ride side by side on their racing motorcycles, celebrating the pride of being Ducatists.
The first attempts at the highly anticipated Lenovo Race of Champions are planned for Friday afternoon: a unique race in the world will see 15 Ducati Corse riders compete on Panigale V4s. Friday's free practice and qualifying sessions promise to provide a great spectacle for the public, who will have an extraordinary opportunity to see their heroes in action up close and get carried away by the adrenaline of world-class competition .
The end of Lenovo Race of Champions qualifiers will mark the start of alignment operations for the Parade, another of the WDW rituals loved by Ducatists. Starting from a lap of the Misano circuit, the colorful snake of motorcycles will cross the streets of the Riviera Romagna, to lead thousands of enthusiasts to the beach of Bagno Samsara in Riccione, location of the “Land of Joy at the Beach” party ". In this edition, Samsara Beach will also host the “Rustida” (traditional barbecue), which will be followed by an evening of music and fun to celebrate 10 years of the Ducati Scrambler.
Le Saturday 27 July, the World Ducati Week engine will rev up again. Another festive activity on the track is planned for the beginning of the afternoon, reserved for Ducati 916 owners, who will once again see Carl Fogarty et Troy bayliss as protagonists of a tribute to a family of motorcycles which has indelibly marked the history of the Italian manufacturer, and which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2024.
Shortly after, the spotlight will be on the starting grid of the Lenovo Race of Champions, the unmissable event of this great Ducati celebration. The list of drivers entered in this race is world class with over 20 world titles. Francis Bagnaia (Reigning MotoGP World Champion), Enea Bastianini, Alvaro Bautista (Reigning WorldSBK World Champion), Nicholas Bulega (Reigning WorldSSP World Champion), Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Andrea Iannone, Glenn Irwin, Alex Marquez, Marc Márquez, Jorge Martin, Franco Morbidelli, Danilo Petrucci, Michele Pirro and Michael Ruben Rinaldi are ready to fight to win the coveted trophy, designed for the occasion by Centro Stile Ducati. Until now, the number 93 has always been widely whistled in Italy; what will happen in Misano?
At the end of the Lenovo Race of Champions, the “Saturday Night Show” of World Ducati Week will begin, starting with an invasion of the track by the crowd of fans to celebrate the race podium and, after allowing everyone to eat on the circuit thanks to a series of food trucks installed in the paddock it will continue with an unforgettable party on the track, which will transform the Misano World Circuit into an open-air disco to the sound of DJ sets by Fargetta, Marco Melandri and Rudeejay.
The program for Saturday July 27 represents in every respect an event within the event, which Ducati has defined “The Notte dei Campioni” (“The Night of Champions”) and for which a dedicated post has been created. This special ticket allows access to the event from 15:00 p.m. until late at night. Exclusive tickets for “La Notte dei Campioni” are on sale on the VivaTicket and TicketOne platforms.
All the special events mentioned above are part of a program of activities that includes experiences to be enjoyed during the three days of the event, organized by Ducati between the track, the paddock and the area surrounding the Misano World Circuit. On the track there will also be space for slots reserved for track sessions on your own motorcycle*, for Stuntmen Shows with Emile Zamora et Viktor Chelenkov, for MotoEx2 on the Ducati V21L participating in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup and for the Lamborghini Hot Laps.
But it's not just the track where you can have extraordinary experiences riding Ducati motorcycles during World Ducati Week. In the area dedicated to off-road it will be possible to taste DRE Adventure, the DRE Academy driving experience designed for enthusiasts who want to learn all the secrets of off-road, while the Road Test Rides will start from the outdoor square of the Misano World Circuit with the possibility of taking a ride with models from the Ducati range, accompanied by qualified staff. Among the new features this year is the possibility of doing Road Test Drives behind the wheel of a Lamborghini.
Inside the paddock, a complete program of activities will be made up of Ducati Talks (meetings with exclusive speakers on topics related to the world of Ducati), various events inside the product areas (Adrenaline & Fun, Travel & Adventure, Lifestyle), Service and Shop & Outlet services, the pleasure of Assembly-Disassembly, Design Live Sketching coordinated by the Centro Stile Ducati designers and other activities to discover together with other enthusiasts. For future Ducatists, there will also be two children's areas with a fun program of dedicated activities.
Contributing to the show in the paddock, there will also be a reference in the field of entertainment like Monster Energy, which for the first time will participate in the WDW with two engaging activities: on the one hand the MTB Skills Challenge will bring the adrenaline of mountain bikes in the paddock by testing the skills of participants, on the other hand the Barber Shop will allow visitors to enjoy personalized haircuts and shaves.
The 2024 edition of World Ducati Week, as has become tradition, will also be enriched by an exclusive world premiere product. A space reserved for this purpose will be set up inside the paddock, which will allow enthusiasts to see and touch a new Ducati model up close, discovering its technical characteristics with the engineers who designed, developed and created it.
Tickets to participate in the twelfth edition of the WDW are on sale on the website Ducati. com. Different entry options are available for Bikers (with motorbike) and for Visitors (without motorbike or as passengers), for one day or for all three days. Both Passes give access to the public areas of the rally, with the possibility of participating in numerous free activities: from competitions to moments of in-depth learning with Ducati engineers, designers and experts, including autograph sessions with the riders.
Highlights of World Ducati Week 2024:
Friday July 26:
lap of honor
Lenovo Race of Champions – Free practice and qualifying
WDW2024 Fashion Show
“Land of Joy at the Beach” at Bagno Samsara in Riccione with “Rustida”.
Saturday July 27:
Celebration activity dedicated to the Ducati 916 family with T. Bayliss and C. Fogarty
Lenovo Race of Champions – Race start at 17:30 p.m.
Track invasion by WDW2024 crowd
“Saturday Night Show” in collaboration with Radio Deejay
Sunday July 28:
Ducati experiences between the track, the paddock and the surrounding area of the Misano World Circuit.
Tickets to participate in the event are available in the dedicated section of the site Ducati. com.
World Ducati Week 2024
Photo credit: Ducati