Dave Abrahams

Killarney's pit lane looked like a corner of the Mugello paddock.

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• Killarney Italian Track Day gallery       

Killarney was swamped in red, white and green (mostly red, truth be told!) on Sunday as 22 Italian motorcycles and their riders turned out for the Italian GP Track Day, timed to coincide, of course, with the Italian MotoGP at Mugello.

And Killarney's pit lane looked like a corner of the Mugello paddock, with espresso machines, food stalls, dealer displays by Aprilia and Ducati - and gorgeous promo girls, of course.

But it was really all about the bikes and, as soon as the obligatory safety briefing was over, the circuit resounded with the flat drone of Ducatis and the sharper bark of 65-degree Aprilia V-twins - some of the most evocative sounds in motorcycling.

For nearly all the bikes were twins of one persuasion or another, from Killian Henrick's Aprilia SVX 450 supermotard to a gentleman who went round smoothly (and astonishingly rapidly) on a Ducati Multistrada in full touring trim!

But for many, the highlight of the day came just before the track was closed, when the promo girls hitched pillion rides for the two parade laps, with all the bikes and even the support vehicles out at the same time.

Then the riders settled down as the Miss Track Day, the lovely Julia, handed out the prizes. In a sea of red bikes, Marchant Bellingan and his matt-black Ducati 848 took the prize for the best-looking rider/bike combination while Aron Diamond, who turned it on a little too hard, too soon coming out of Turn 1 early in the day when the track was still damp in places, was the only candidate for the Crasher of the Day award.

Marchant Bellingan and his matt-black Ducati 848 took the prize for the best-looking rider/bike combination.

Dave Abrahams

Perhaps the only disappointment of the day was that the best Valentino Rossi and Ducati could manage at Mugello was sixth.

Check out IOL Motoring's gallery of the day - if you were there, you're probably in it.