| Author | Message | ||
     Sd26 |
I thought it was competition that made racing exciting and something to talk about.  I have better memories of a lot of races than I do about contract negotiations or about managerial or tuning things. | ||
| Jaimec |
Superbike Planet just posted an in depth look at the Puig interview that seems to echo Matt and me: http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Oct/081010ajl. htm GO NICKY!! | ||
| Jaimec |
GO COLIN!! | ||
| Jaimec |
Looks like the fun is already starting regarding the 2009 Single Tire Supplier Rule in MotoGP. | ||
| Trojan |
The boss of Bridgestone has already admitted that there are likely to be more accidents next year because of the new tyres. So yet another ridiculously underprepared and badly considered decision taken by organisers who don't know one end of a motorcycle from another! Bridgestone now effectively run the MotoGP championship, and can make the races as slow or fast, safe or unsafe as they want to. Current proposals by Bridgestone will not make racing safer or corner speeds slower. Safety has been used as a convenient 'blanket' to get Michelin out of the game and please certain parties such as HRC, but in the end everyone loses. The reason that there have been more crashes recently is that the 'lower echelon' are having to try a lot harder just to keep up with the Valentino & Casey, who are both at the very top of their game. It has nothing to do with tyre suppliers or engine capacity, but the FIA/DORNA seem incapable of recognising that simply because they are obsessed with viewing figures rather than anything else. Corner speeds in MotoGP during 2008 are still slower than 250GP racing, but nobody is slowing them down (yet!) with stupid rules. Funnily enough the 250 class already has had a one make tyre effectively for years, as Dunlop equips all of the top teams (if not all of them). KTM has announced that it is withdrawing from 250 racing after this season in protest against the other new and ridiculous rule changes (to replace 250 with yet another 600 IL4 class), and I can't say I blame them. Where is the incentive for a small competitive company such as KTM to come in and invest millions of Dollars/Euros/Pounds when the rules can change on a whim and pull the rug from under them. Can you imagine that Honda would ever allow it to happen to them? WSB has retained generally the same rules over a number of seasons, and this brings stability and investment into the sport. Just look at how many factory teams and new bikes will be in WSB next year compared to the paltry 15 or 16 starters we'll get in MotoGP for 2009. If MotoGP doesn't get its act together before long I can see just one major world championship before long, and it will be production based. | ||
| Jaimec |
WSBK went through the same "pain" of a Single-Tyre rule that MotoGP is going through now. Who knows? It may work for "the show" but it now severely limits the amount of tire development that will take place. In a prototype-based series, I would think multiple tyre brands should be a "given." What's next? Everyone rides the exact same motorcycle? Is this MotoGP, or NASCAR?? | ||
| Jaimec |
GO NICKY!! | ||
| Jaimec |
Dennis Noyes on the Single Tire Rule for MotoGP and AMA Superbike: Part 1 of 2 Part 2 of 2 Good reading! | ||
| Jaimec |
Nice shot of Nicky Hayden onboard his new Italian weapon for 2009:  | ||
| Trojan |
Don'tcha just love post/pre-season testing paint jobs    Sete Gibernau and Toni Elias in mean 'n moody black | ||
| Jaimec |
Nicky on an unfamiliar motorcycle and unfamiliar tires already lapping faster than Marco Melandri. So far, so good! | ||
| Doerman |
Don't these MotoGP guys ever get a day off? | ||
| Bearracing |
who needs a day off when your riding a motorcycle like that.. id ride every day too! and the weather was nice! | ||
| Alessio66xb12r |
the best job of this planet | ||
| Trojan |
The more things change..the more they stay the same  Apparently the top guys had access to the 09 spec Bridgestone tyres that are supposed to slow riders down in the interests of 'safety'. yet it looks to me like the status quo remains unchanged so far. Times from the first day of testing are as quick as the 08 race times, and have certainly sprung no major surprises (although I am slightly surprised that Dovizioso isn't higher than 8th to be honest). 1. Casey Stoner, Ducati Marlboro Team - 1´32.464 2. Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda - 1´32.672 3. Valentino Rossi, Fiat Yamaha Team - 1´32.921 4. Chris Vermeulen, Rizla Suzuki MotoGP - 1´33.142 5. Loris Capirossi, Rizla Suzuki MotoGP - 1´33.325 6. Alex De Angelis, San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1´33.375 7. Jorge Lorenzo, Fiat Yamaha Team - 1´33.550 8. Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda - 1´33.676 9. John Hopkins, Kawasaki Racing Team - 1´33.760 10. Marco Melandri, Kawasaki Racing Team - 1´33.782 11. Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda MotoGP - 1´33.832 12. Nicky Hayden, Ducati Marlboro Team - 1´33.960 13. Toni Elias, San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1´34.129 14. Sete Gibernau, Onde 2000 Ducati - 1´34.451 15. Mika Kallio, Alice Team - 1´34.793 16. Olivier Jacque, Kawasaki Racing Team - 1´34.925 17. Niccolo Canepa, Alice Team - 1´34.995 18. Yuki Takahashi, JiR Team Scot Honda - 1´35.203 (Message edited by trojan on October 28, 2008) | ||
| Vagelis46 |
Rossi wants to keep the wall between his and Lorenzo's garage for the 09' season, even though they will be on the same tires.... But I guess even statements like this, are not enough to damage Rossi's image. On the other hand I could imagine what it would have been said for Pedrosa or Stoner, if they "dared" to make a similar demand. | ||
| Jaimec |
This was posted where? | ||
| Vagelis46 |
MCN, British magazine. | ||
| Trojan |
If Rossi feels that the 'wall' has been beneficial to his side of the garage why shouldn't he want to keep it? He is in direct compettion with Lorenzo and they don't share setup information anyway, so it won't be a big deal really. Rossi will do what he needs to do to win, he isn't there to win friends (although he never seems to have a problem doing that either). I predict the Pedrosa will already have his 'wall' built between him and Dovizioso even if it is only a mental one. Rossi is universally acknowledged as the greatest GP rider of all time, so suggesting that something as minor as this would in any way tarnish his reputation is a little desperate | ||
| Jaimec |
MCN didn't bother putting this story on their website, and I can't corroborate it with any of the other motorcycle news sites I check out. We DO know that Rossi wasn't keen on having Lorenzo as a team mate and that he would've preferred partnering Colin this year, but the decision was taken out of his hands. Yamaha wants to groom some new, young blood to step in after Vale decides to retire. Since Colin is already older than Vale, he wasn't a good candidate. | ||
| Jaimec |
The more things change, the more things stay the same: http://tinyurl.com/6q4ere | ||
| Jaimec |
Shocking new development! | ||
| Jaimec |
The story seems to be getting legs: http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Dec/081230a.ht m http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Dec/081230b.ht m http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/555/2058/Motorcycle- Article/Rumor-is-Kawasaki-Will-Quit-MotoGP.aspx http://www.motorcycle.com/news/kawasaki-to-quit-mo togp-87759.html http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/motogp-kawa saki-quit-motogp-whos-next/ Not good!! Not good at all! | ||
| Davegess |
No it is not. This economy is going to have a real impact on not only racing but all the big bucks sports stuff. Not an altogether bad thing. | ||
| Jaimec |
The article from Speed gives good insight into how we got where we are today. | ||
| Redbuelljunkie |
...and the other smaller factory teams like KTM and Aprilia, have all been driven out of the paddock by unchecked costs caused by allowing the one thing that Bernie Ecclestone always warned against…letting the manufacturers make the rules. A formula for disaster every time. Very well put- I couldn't agree more. Thanks for the link, Jaimec. | ||
| 46champ |
I seem to be missing the big picture. MotoGP may not be able to fill the minimum grid level because one of the largest companys in the world can't afford a prototype motorcycle series. But we are still going to have a 600cc prototype series and get rid of a class that never had a problem generating enough entries. Did I miss something? | ||
| Jaimec |
A slim ray of hope for Kawasaki, though I don't know what it'll mean for Hopper and Marco. | ||
| Jaimec |
Silly Season Part 2: Hopkins to Tech3 to replace Edwards? Melandri to LCR? I thought the silly season was over! | ||
| Hooligan620 |
Alice Ducati is gone too! http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/555/2092/Motorcycle- Article/MotoGP--Alice-Out--Canepa-to-Onde-2000.asp x |
