Purplezinger
XS650 Addict
Casey Stoner wins at Lugana Seca, Nicky finishes 6th, Rossi crashes out
-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
Moto GP
- Thread starter Purplezinger
- Start date
Purplezinger
XS650 Addict
My guess is that "get-off" might have finished it for Rossi with Ducati. Even with Audi being Ducati's new owner I don't see him staying. I believe the key was Nicky. They just announced Nicky's new contract, not Rossi. It seems to me if they though Rossi was going to stay, they would have announced him first. The past 2 years have been a disaster for Rossi.
jd750ace
Front Toward Enemy
News says Rossi to Yamaha on the 15th, plus, this: http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2012/Aug/120808b.htm
Personally, I like the prospect of Ben Spies and Dovi both going to World Superbike. WSB is the best show in racing right now, in my opinion. MotoGP has been marginalized by the crazy rule book and undeniable Euro favoritism, not to mention, what Colin Edwards, at Laguna referred to as "the bomber class"
Personally, I like the prospect of Ben Spies and Dovi both going to World Superbike. WSB is the best show in racing right now, in my opinion. MotoGP has been marginalized by the crazy rule book and undeniable Euro favoritism, not to mention, what Colin Edwards, at Laguna referred to as "the bomber class"
Purplezinger
XS650 Addict
Many believe the rule changes made in an attempt to reduce team costs are ruinous
to the sport. Limiting the tires to one brand and 3 compounds is pathetic. However, the addition of CRT bikes is the big joke. They might as well run all the classes (Moto 1, 2 and GP) at the same time. As far as Euro favoritism, if it exists it's our fault. Outside the world of motorcycles does anyone in this country even know who Ben Spies, Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden are? In European countries GP racers are heros. Hell, in 2006 Nicky won the world championship. He's from Owensboro Ky ( a local boy doing the impossible on the world stage) his accomplishment wasn't even mentioned in the Lexington news media.
Moto GP is supposed to be the all out, unlimited effort in pavement racing. The efforts by the rules committee to make it anything else is a disaster.
to the sport. Limiting the tires to one brand and 3 compounds is pathetic. However, the addition of CRT bikes is the big joke. They might as well run all the classes (Moto 1, 2 and GP) at the same time. As far as Euro favoritism, if it exists it's our fault. Outside the world of motorcycles does anyone in this country even know who Ben Spies, Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden are? In European countries GP racers are heros. Hell, in 2006 Nicky won the world championship. He's from Owensboro Ky ( a local boy doing the impossible on the world stage) his accomplishment wasn't even mentioned in the Lexington news media.
Moto GP is supposed to be the all out, unlimited effort in pavement racing. The efforts by the rules committee to make it anything else is a disaster.
jd750ace
Front Toward Enemy
I hear ya. There ain't no signs in Owensboro for the Haydens, Conroe Texas for Colin Edwards (2 time WSB champ) or in Longview Texas for Ben Spies (3 time AMA Superbike champ and WSB champ in his rookie season winning 12 races, 10 on tracks he'd never seen!)
We suck at supporting the sport as well. If we were not able to get 120 bucks a head out of the Laguna crowd, I doubt that the Laguna GP round would last. I'm dying to get our WSB round out of the middle of the high desert, or another one. I'd love to go, but so far, I only have made it to the last Pikes Peak AMA round before they tore down a 40 million dollar race track to build houses that people could not afford.
Sure liked MotoGP better in the first 3 years of the 990 bikes. Great racing at the time, and WSB was the Ducati show at that time, but WSB eventually became a horse race again. 5 brands on the box this year in WSB! There's not even 5 brands in GP!
We suck at supporting the sport as well. If we were not able to get 120 bucks a head out of the Laguna crowd, I doubt that the Laguna GP round would last. I'm dying to get our WSB round out of the middle of the high desert, or another one. I'd love to go, but so far, I only have made it to the last Pikes Peak AMA round before they tore down a 40 million dollar race track to build houses that people could not afford.
Sure liked MotoGP better in the first 3 years of the 990 bikes. Great racing at the time, and WSB was the Ducati show at that time, but WSB eventually became a horse race again. 5 brands on the box this year in WSB! There's not even 5 brands in GP!
Purplezinger
XS650 Addict
I'm fortunate in that I was at the Moto GP in Malaysia in 1995 and saw Schwantz, Biaggi, and Mick Doohan. Those 500cc 2 strokes were monsters. They were LOUD. MY son and I rode to the GP at Indianapolis in 2010. We rode through the tunnel into the infield and then they directed us to park on the track along with thousands of other bikes. That was a thrill. Jorge won, we saw Rossi, Hayden, Casey, all of them. Starting next year there may be 3 Moto GP races In the US. Laguna, Indy and the new track in Austin Texas.
jd750ace
Front Toward Enemy
The C.O.T.A. track still has not officially commited to GP, or Dorna to the track. Last I heard, Kevin Schwantz was promoting the event and trying to work through it with Dorna, but it's not on the tentative schedule yet. F1 is, so far. I think they are talking with WSB and to a lesser extent, the AMA abut bike races. Would be nice to be able to drive less than 10 hours to see something besides (I hate it!) NASCAR. I generally attend the cycle show in November and the (usually) March Supercross race. I really like dirt track, but the Dallas Mile and ameteur racing (which is awesome) at Devil's Bowl 1 year has been it for dirt track in Texas for a while. I wish more of Texas' 4 million licensed motorcyclists would get out there and support, but I guess they would rather watch spoiled brats drive around in rolling billboards and get paid 6 digits for finishing 30th! What the hell is that all about??!!
Purplezinger
XS650 Addict
Yamaha announced this morning they have signed Valinteno Rossi for the 2013 and 2014.
jd750ace
Front Toward Enemy
So who gets the Ducati seat? Crutchlow or Dovi? I say Crutchlow, which ain't even right, by results anyway, but I like "the honeybadger"! Dovi could probably win the WSB championship on the right bike (I'm thinking Aprillia). He's one of the most consistient riders over his GP career. He just happened to come along at a time of radical competition and rule changes that keeps everyone (except 3) on the steep part of the learning curve.
Purplezinger
XS650 Addict
If you stay within the present GP riders then Crutchlow seems obvious. However, there are several former GP riders in WSB that have the skills, so who knows.. Like they say it's the "Silly season". BTW there is a article in the new CycleWorld titled "World Superbike Grows Up" by Kevin Cameron. It explores a number of these issues, AMA, Dorma, a connection between Bridgeport Capital, WSB and Moto GP, filling the grid, the electronics, and the CRT bikes. Very complicated.
I've been following MotoGP since King Kenny was a teenager and obviously they don't listen to mere mortals. But here's my 2 cents, electronics are here to stay, live with it! Open up the tires to all tire manufactures (immediately). Dump the CRT bikes or run them in a separate race.
I've been following MotoGP since King Kenny was a teenager and obviously they don't listen to mere mortals. But here's my 2 cents, electronics are here to stay, live with it! Open up the tires to all tire manufactures (immediately). Dump the CRT bikes or run them in a separate race.
Purplezinger
XS650 Addict
If you stay within the present GP riders then Crutchlow seems obvious. However, there are several former GP riders in WSB that have the skills, so who knows.. Like they say it's the "Silly season". BTW there is a article in the new CycleWorld titled "World Superbike Grows Up" by Kevin Cameron. It explores a number of these issues, AMA, Dorna, a connection between Bridgeport Capital, WSB and Moto GP, filling the grid, the electronics, and the CRT bikes. Very complicated.
I've been following MotoGP since King Kenny was a teenager and obviously they don't listen to mere mortals. But here's my 2 cents, electronics are here to stay, live with it! Open up the tires to all tire manufactures (immediately). Dump the CRT bikes or run them in a separate race.
I've been following MotoGP since King Kenny was a teenager and obviously they don't listen to mere mortals. But here's my 2 cents, electronics are here to stay, live with it! Open up the tires to all tire manufactures (immediately). Dump the CRT bikes or run them in a separate race.
jd750ace
Front Toward Enemy
Then comes this news:
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2012/Aug/120810c.htm
I agree with dumping the CRT. It's up to Dorna to get the manufacturers in, not create an also-ran class. It is highly polarizing against the concept when you take the 3 best riders that day, and put them in the winner's circle, then add a guy who finished 10 places behind them, just because his bike is "less prototypical" Cheapens the box, to me. That's another reason I'm loving supebike more and more. Hell, there ain't even a full time American in Superbike or Supersport, but it's just the best damn racing on TV. I have to give DMG supersport and and Daytona Sportbike some props I guess. They are really showing up the superbike crew for a show over here, despite RLH giving it hell the last couple of races. I'm ready for Rodger Lee to notch one on the big bike.
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2012/Aug/120810c.htm
I agree with dumping the CRT. It's up to Dorna to get the manufacturers in, not create an also-ran class. It is highly polarizing against the concept when you take the 3 best riders that day, and put them in the winner's circle, then add a guy who finished 10 places behind them, just because his bike is "less prototypical" Cheapens the box, to me. That's another reason I'm loving supebike more and more. Hell, there ain't even a full time American in Superbike or Supersport, but it's just the best damn racing on TV. I have to give DMG supersport and and Daytona Sportbike some props I guess. They are really showing up the superbike crew for a show over here, despite RLH giving it hell the last couple of races. I'm ready for Rodger Lee to notch one on the big bike.
Purplezinger
XS650 Addict
The time trials today at Indy have been a disaster for nearly everyone. Casey high sided, has a torn ligament, could be out tomorrow. I think Spies went down. Nicky got thrown off and was knocked unconscious. Several others went down, Rossi's bike tried to throw him off but he recovered. It's all about traction and tires. How long will it take before they realize one tire brand does not fit all!
jd750ace
Front Toward Enemy
Man, Those get-offs were SOME kind of UGLY! Haven't seen moon shots like that since 500's, just like the commentary said. I hope evryone recovers. Hector Barbera has 3 compression fractures in his neck too. He just got back. Going to be an interesting race. I know Nicky is not racing. Hand probably looks like a bear paw this morning, plus the concussion (you don't get knocked out and NOT have one). He's probably going to have a hell of a headache. Ben Spies ins going to be on the Advil drip this morning again. I don't know if the corners are fast, or what, but it seemed like everyone looked like they were picked up and dropped. Makes me wonder if there is a transition of some sort in the track material or something, because they all caught it in the same place. Maybe they can learn something from the telemmetry that was common to all 3 crashes, but I sure hope the races today are not that ugly. Looks loke Dovi will get the Ducati ride.
Purplezinger
XS650 Addict
The engine on Spies Yamaha exploded going down the main straight, blew smoke everywhere, don't see that very often.
jd750ace
Front Toward Enemy
That was a total grenade job! Pouring out the exhaust and the fairing, usually holed pistons and busted cases. Sucks after leading a few and showing the stones to get out there and ride hurt.
jd750ace
Front Toward Enemy
Cool Pics. Man! I sure hope they get COTA up and running, although I'd be more stoked for WSB than GP right now.
