I like to sh!t my pants when I saw Slick's power wheelie, holy mother of god I would have dumped that bike so hard. Brother, you got balls the size of Texas. That was ... purely incredible!!! Keep it up Danny!
You should encapsulate your torque vs. RPM lesson and send it to Sport Rider.
+1 on that power wheelie after passing Hacking. I thought he must be crossing the line! But it was more like a statement to Jamie after making a incredible move and knowing the race was in the bag. I don't care if you love or loath Buell, you just gotta love the way that kid rides a motorcyle!
Danny Eslick is a rare combination on a motorcycle.
Generally riders fall into two categories on opposite ends of a continuum.
On one end you have the guys with more guts than brains. They typically either win or crash.
On the other end you have the Mike Pattersons, Jon Bunnes, Tim Hortons, who are highly skilled and just amazingly skilled riders.
Danny Eslick, not unlike (cough, cough . . . Erik Buell) some others is one of those riders capable of famously representing both styles simultaneously.
He is a totally skilled rider in complete physical and emotional synch with his motorcycle that has tremendous situational awareness and a dash of pure old fashioned thirst for risk tossed in on top.
I'll go one step further and say that not only is he an amazing racer but (I've yet to meet him cause every time I get near he's mobbed) a very nice guy and an amazing representative for Buell, RMR, Geico and Rossmeyer.
He's cordial, approachable and friendly. He's everything I could hope for in the image Buell projects to the racing public.
I got some great shots of his Mom at Road America and it's easy to see where Danny gets his affable personality.
Court-everytime I hear the guy in an interiew or watch him ride I can't help but think the same thing. Gieco/RMR and Buell couldn't have found a better spokesperson. He seems to be out there because riding a bike is damn fun...
Last year at Mid-Ohio, it was quite different for Danny. Me and some buds were walking up to the exit of the pits to cross the entrance road and head over the bridge to the turn 7 viewing areas. Danny actually came out of his small pit area some 35 feet and asked us, "Hey, do you guys want an autographed picture?". I had seen him race and liked the fact that he loved to back it in to corners, and wore the number 69, so we said "Sure!".
He was trying to make a name for himself, and hawking his press photo was one way he thought could help. Somehow it just came off as kind of desperate.
What a difference a year makes...add a few major sponsors and success on the track, and he is one of the most popular, photographed and interviewed guy in the paddock. So is his girl friend, who not only takes care of the head umbrella girl, but seems to pretty much run their pits organizationally.
So the Buell had a much better power-to-weight ratio after all. I said it all along, so I'm not surprised. I bet some people on here feel a bit stupid though...
Bill,
You should encapsulate your torque vs. RPM lesson and send it to Sport Rider.
Sure, the difference in torque is pretty much irrelevant, but the difference in power is certainly not.
Elftrippo... Did I miss something? Do you have authoritative weights and horsepower for the relevant bikes in race trim? If so, thats a killer scoop! Up till now, as far as I know, there has only been rumor and speculation...
Let me guess, that 4th pic from the top is for those who think there's too many Geico RMR Buell ladies running around the paddock.. Personally, I think Bree and her ladies are a class act,they are friendly and respectful, and offer to pose even with an old codger like me.... (See my profile pic)
I just looked at your profile photo and am going to put Bree in for Combat Pay.
It's a fun year and everyone from Erik Buell, the Geico folks, Bree and the gals, the racers and Buell owners and fans have really gelled into a cohesive unit. We could all be making racing history together . . . super fun!