Ducati Monster Forum

Schedule

(left coast times)

Friday, 14 August 2009
125 FP1   03:40 - 04:40
MotoGP FP1   04:55 - 05:55
250 FP1   06:10 - 07:10

Saturday, 15 August 2009
125 FP2   00:00 - 00:40
MotoGP FP2   00:55 - 01:55
250 FP2   02:10 - 03:10
125 QP   04:00 - 04:40
MotoGP QP   04:55 - 05:55
250 QP   06:10 - 06:55

Sunday, 16 August 2009
125 WUP   Sat-23:40 - Sun-00:00
250 WUP   00:10 - 00:30
MotoGP WUP   00:40 - 01:00
125 RAC   02:00
250 RAC   03:15
MotoGP RAC   05:00

This was an interesting sessions, with jorge .7 faster than rossi for most of it, rossi with a second over pedro, kallio ~2s back from jorge, and nicky another second back from kallio.

it obviously tightened up in the end with lorenzo .4 over rossi, rossi .6 over pedro, kallio 1.7 back from jorge and nicky gained to .5 back from kallio.

i can't wait for tomorrow...

1   Jorge Lorenzo   Fiat Yamaha   Yamaha   1:56.595
2   Valentino Rossi   Fiat Yamaha   Yamaha   1:56.994
3   Dani Pedrosa   Repsol Honda   Honda   1:57.584
4   Colin Edwards II   Tech 3 Yamaha   Yamaha   1:57.741
5   Andrea Dovizioso   Repsol Honda   Honda   1:58.172
6   Tony Elias   San Carlo Honda Gresini   Honda   1:58.295
7   Mika Kallio   Pramac Racing   Ducati   1:58.302
8   Alex De Angelis   San Carlo Honda Gresini   Honda   1:58.497
9   Loris Capirossi   Rizla Suzuki   Suzuki   1:58.582
10   Marco Melandri   Hayate Racing   Kawasaki   1:58.739
11   James Toseland   Tech 3 Yamaha   Yamaha   1:58.764
12   Nicky Hayden   Ducati Marlboro   Ducati   1:58.821
13   Chris Vermeulen   Rizla Suzuki   Suzuki   1:59.041
14   Randy De Puniet   LCR Honda   Honda   1:59.055
15   Niccolo Canepa   Pramac Racing   Ducati   1:59.531
16   Gabor Talmacsi   Scot Racing   Honda   1:59.979
17   Michel Fabrizio   Pramac Racing   Ducati   2:00.423

So I saw Kallio was sporting the Pramac livery.  Is he riding Casey's bike under there, or what is going on.

I think Kallio did get the call to step in for Stoner. Interesting that Fabrizio is getting a ride here during the WBSK break. Let's see how he does on the GP bike.

And this is where Nicky loses his ride . . .

(http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/710/PA634678.jpg)

Hopefully he doesn't, but it's possible.  You know that's creeping around his head.

Yeah nm, when I was watching the FP1 highlights on gp.com they very briefly showed Kallio but swapped to Fabrizio on the Pramac, while still commenting on Kallio.  I just saw it wrong.  +1 on Hayden possibly losing his ride this year.  I'd imagine Kallio will take his spot.  I think Hayden's second year is Ducati team option and not actually contracted right?

yup, it's an option.

I'm guessing Kallio would have to perform very well the next 3 races to take Nicky's seat...if maybe for no other reason than the US marketing aspect that Hayden brings.

It'll be interesting to see for sure.  I'd like to see Hayden keep his seat for next year and continue to show improvement this season, but if Kallio finishes top 5, or even lands a podium in the next 3 races...

I could possibly see a top five if he gets lucky, but barring crashes, a podium will be difficult.  That would be pretty cool if he did it though.  He's flirting with the top of the chart.  Hopefully he'll find some improvement tomorrow.  I'm waiting for the day we see someone else flash some Stoner skill on that thing.

he's not flrting... he's almost 2s back.

he's not even on the same second as the top 4 guys.

Well its sorta relative with anyone outside the Rossi/Lorenzo/Stoner/Pedro "A" group.  He could sneak a 5th.  Edwards fades many times during races and who knows which Dovi will show up.

Rossi is making a habit of pipping Lorenzo at the last second.  He was on another hot lap when he crashed out... and I'm surprised Lorenzo didn't give a go on fresh tires near the end.

Qualy results

1.   Valentino Rossi   ITA   Fiat Yamaha Team   1min   56.145   sec
2.   Jorge Lorenzo   SPA   Fiat Yamaha Team   1min   56.195   sec
3.   Dani Pedrosa   SPA   Repsol Honda Team   1min   56.528   sec
4.   Toni Elias SPA   San Carlo Honda Gresini   1min   56.817   sec
5.   Colin Edwards USA   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   1min   56.954   sec
6.   Andrea Dovizioso   ITA   Repsol Honda Team   1min   57.108   sec
7.   Alex de Angelis   RSM   San Carlo Honda Gresini   1min   57.775   sec
8.   Nicky Hayden USA   Ducati Marlboro Team   1min   57.803   sec
9.   Loris Capirossi   ITA   Rizla Suzuki MotoGP   1min   57.811   sec
10.   Mika Kallio FIN   Ducati Marlboro Team   1min   57.994   sec
11.   Chris Vermeulen AUS   Rizla Suzuki MotoGP   1min   58.087   sec
12.   Niccolo Canepa   ITA   Pramac Racing   1min   58.208   sec
13.   Randy de Puniet   FRA   LCR Honda MotoGP   1min   58.298   sec
14.   James Toseland   GBR   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   1min   58.331   sec
15.   Marco Melandri   ITA   Hayate Racing Team   1min   58.477   sec
16.   Michel Fabrizio   ITA   Pramac Racing   1min   58.680   sec
17.   Gabor Talmacsi   HUN   Scot Racing Team MotoGP   1min   58.749   sec

buh-bye JT

What is Mika's background?

mitt

125 and 250gp

champion or participant  ;D  I am too lazy to look it up and figure one of you knows...

short version:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mika_Kallio#MotoGP_career_statistics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mika_Kallio#MotoGP_career_statistics)

longer version: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mika_Kallio#125cc_.282001-2006.29 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mika_Kallio#125cc_.282001-2006.29)

Do not miss the cool down lap wheelie by Bautista in the 250's. [thumbsup]

 [laugh] [thumbsup] [laugh]

This is Bautista's 3rd place victory WHEELIE.

 [clap] [clap] [clap]
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/3825647185_6086e06659_o.png)   
Get's a ride cupcake back to the garage. Mechanics asking, "where's the bike?" [roll]

w00t!!! Nicky gets 6TH place  [clap]


(Stoner OUT
Jorge OUT
Mika OUT
Milandri OUT
Fabrizio OUT)
He would have gotten 8th prolly. Still, not horrible for Hayden these days.

1    V. ROSSI    ITA    Fiat Yamaha Team    43'08.991
2    D. PEDROSA    SPA    Repsol Honda Team    + 11.766
3    T. ELIAS    SPA    San Carlo Honda Gresini    + 20.756
4    A. DOVIZIOSO    ITA    Repsol Honda Team    + 21.418
5    L. CAPIROSSI    ITA    Rizla Suzuki MotoGP    + 21.538
6    N. HAYDEN    USA    Ducati Marlboro Team    + 25.544
7    C. EDWARDS    USA    Monster Yamaha Tech 3    + 25.676
8    A. DE ANGELIS    RSM    San Carlo Honda Gresini    + 34.109
9    J. TOSELAND    GBR    Monster Yamaha Tech 3    + 35.617
10    R. DE PUNIET    FRA    LCR Honda MotoGP    + 39.824
11    C. VERMEULEN    AUS    Rizla Suzuki MotoGP    + 40.776
12    N. CANEPA    ITA    Pramac Racing    + 50.661
13    G. TALMACSI    HUN    Scot Racing Team MotoGP    + 59.188
Not classified
   M. KALLIO    FIN    Ducati Marlboro Team    2 Lap
   M. MELANDRI    ITA    Hayate Racing Team    2 Lap
   J. LORENZO    SPA    Fiat Yamaha Team    5 Lap
   M. FABRIZIO    ITA    Pramac Racing    16 Lap

Weird day for Ducati.

Fabrizio bails out after only a few laps because of an injured arm. Um.
Why did they get him to take Mika's place then? wtf


Milandri takes out Mika Kallio.... or was it the other way around?

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2450/3826445826_87ab4b2c0e.jpg)

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3443/3826445714_6d7ff61e60.jpg)

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2634/3826445554_6f9333d62c.jpg)


Mika was pissed and shoves off Milandri's apology. It looked like a fair pass to me.
However it could be looked at as Milandri going up the inside and then couldn't hold the line, Mika landed on him in the lean at the apex.

Jorge finds his airbags 7 laps to go with Rossi on his arse.
Rossi seems to be perfecting his ability to destroy objects with his mind.

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3429/3825646745_510a25ba7e.jpg)

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3825646551_0bd3baa586.jpg)

Yeah i dont know what Kallio was looking at, but he plowed into Marco who had the line and was holding  [roll]

Yeah Kallio definately did the "taking out."  Melandri passed him up the inside and Kallio just maintained line and plowed right into him.

Too bad for Jorge.  Another growing moment for next year I guess.  I think we were in for a dogfight there at the end.

moto gp melandri-kallio crash brno (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YdH8Jd61-U#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)

Even if Milandri couldn't hold the line, Kallio should have just slowed a bit, gone up the inside and been done with it. Plowing right into him was a bit much.

Kallio did a nice imitation of a falcon taking out a pidgeon....

Lorenzo's unforced error?...is it possible he lost track of where, behind him, Rossi actually was and "panicked" or was surprised entering the turn?

I think Marco slowed to hold the line and caught Kallio by surprise.

Check out the closing speed.

That's kind of what it looked like to me also.

I don't remember - what place was Kallio running in when he went down?

What a bummer to see Lorenzo tuck the front. It was starting to look like we may get an epic finish.  :'(

he was in 10th for most of the race, but was in 8th when he crashed (he passed de angelis and jorge crashed).

Yup, Rossi broke yet another rider.  Jebus, he kills other racer's souls for sport.  I can't think of anyone--in any sport--who is quite as good at it as he is and who has been doing it that effectively for that long.  Jordan, maybe, but I can't think of anyone else.

I'm still not sure what Kallio is pissed about.  Ok, so you can pissed at the time you crash, but not later once you cool off.  Even if Melandri takes the apex and parks it, that's a legit pass.  Kallio had the entire track to correct and avoid Marco.  That crash looked nasty though.  Kallio is sooo lucky to walk away from that one. 

Elias is an idiot.  Talk about inconsistent.  Don't ride well only once you've lost your seat.  I was really wondering if Elias and Dovi were gonna go back n' forth enough that they'd both screw up and Capi would sneak by.  No such luck.  I was also pulling for Hayden to make up the gap to Capi.  That woulda been cool.    [thumbsup]

Nicky is still not on pace though.  But for Lorenzo crashing and Casey not being there, he woulda been 8th.  He's gotta crack the top 5 with more consistency.  I don't expect him to keep up with the main 4 (Stoner, Pedrosa, Rossi, Lorenzo), but he should be able to fight with and often beat CE, Dovi and however else is around (Suzukis?).

lorenzo isn't broken...

Interesting snip from Rossi:

I'm calling it.  Rossi broke him.  Don't get me wrong--he's fixable.  He can still win races and be fast, but Rossi broke him. 

Credit to Marco Milandri, He was in 11th, made his way to 8th going on 7th when they collided. He found the gas. Too bad.

Everyone else seemed to be pretty stuck where they were with little passing reported. (Who knows what was going on at the back like they'd ever show that.)
Without Stoner, it was  yaawner and a half until 7 laps to go. Then the action was a couple of crashes. woo-hoo.  :P

Mark Allen used to do it.  [evil]

I'm not convinced. Lorenzo is made of rubber. You know how many times he's hit the tarmac and then come back to podium the next race?
I guess you can have enough of that. His tires may have been toasted. I don't know. But I hope not. He used to bug, but now I'm glad to see him out there.

What do you wana watch Rossi and Pedrobot 20 sec's off the front every race? Fek, that'd suck.

i'm pretty sure they're arguing whether or not the man has been broken, a la gibernau, not whether or not he can take the physical beating.

rough decision being him now.  take the bike he's on, the best bike, but the one that apparently is 2nd to rossi.  or gamble on another.

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/151097/1/rossi_i_was_ready_and_waiting.html (http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/151097/1/rossi_i_was_ready_and_waiting.html)

"I was waiting for the battle with Jorge, but I still made it hard work for him to catch me.” "

"“When Jorge overtook me I thought 'now we will have another big battle' like so many times this year. I felt strong and I was ready. But unfortunately Jorge made a mistake; he lost the front and crashed,” said Rossi. “After that was relaxed, I rode around like a tourist - looking at everything!” "

Biaggi, Gibernau, Stoner, Lorenzo (fixable, but in a current state of brokeness).  I miss anyone?  Curiously, Rossi never broke Hayden.  Likely because Rossi was struggling so mightily with the bike that year and because Hayden was all about the podium as opposed to winning races, those two never really went head-to-head for the length of a season.  And after that, Hayden was broken by two 800s--a bike sized for a smurf and a shiny red, buckin bronco.

Earlier, Lorenzo was talking enough about $ and the business side of racing that if he can get a couple million more from Ducati, I bet he'd go for it.  And it's not like he has to worry about shortening his career by hurting himself more on the Duc than the Yamaha.  He doesn't seem to care what bike it is -- he's gonna jump off it in spectactular fashion every once in a while. 

P.S.  Four of us got drunk on Sat and watched the opener (2005?) where Rossi punts Gibs off the track.  What a race.

The Yamaha is the best bike right now.

If Yorgie's   ;D bike is second to Rossi's...

it's only because of Burgess' ability to decipher Rossis feedback.

I just think Lorenzo needs to mature as a racer...

he's already supremely talented as a rider.

Give him a year or so.

It's gonna get better.

"For sure Lorenzo was a bit too anxious to beat me," Rossi told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I mean a lot to the other riders, I've been at the top for a long time and beating me would mean taking the number one crown off my head.

"When I ride I have a clear vision of what's happening, that's always been one of my strengths. With my form, and Yamaha's form at the moment, it's difficult to be quicker than me. At best you can be as quick as me."


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77735 (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77735)

Rossi called and he wanted his butt back  ;D
(http://washford.scene7.com/is/image/Washford/400-154237?$prod$)

I think he only really broke Biaggi.  I think Gibernau is a natural make the beast with two backs up.  Stoner and Lorenzo it's too soon to tell.  So far they keep coming back, competing hard, and beating him in some rounds.  He hasn't broken them, he's just an amazing rider.

I agree Stoner and Lorenzo aren't broken.  Lorenzo has the raw talent of Rossi, but lacks the decision making skills.  That may or may not come.  He might always be on the edge and dump it 3-5 times a year, or maybe he'll analyze this season and win a handful of championships. 

IMO, Rossi is having to work pretty hard to keep Lorenzo at bay.
Rossi seems to be hitting the deck more frequently as of late (maybe that's just my impression).

Lorenzo is just a youngster, if he doesn't get hurt too much, he'll learn quite a lot from Rossi.
He doesn't have a fine feel for where the 'edge' is, so goes over it more often.

I think Stoner's hand is still not 100%, and with his virus/fatigue/overtraining, his docs advised he rest up and get better.
But with him out, Lorenzo's in worse shape.

While all this may be true, Rossi's getting a big head lately. And everyone seems to be following.
9/10 of the info posted about the other riders on this page is...
from Rossi?

Now there's an objective opinion.  [laugh]

Don't get me wrong, Rossi is mighty mighty. Dan Rather, he ain't.

...uh, you're aware of, like, everything he's done?

I think the best champions know how to be modest, they know their record speaks for itself.

Yeah...because Muhammed Ali was the most modest champion ever.  [roll]

in relation to what he's done, i think valentino is very modest.  seriously.

Didn't sound to me like he was gloating anyway. What he said is the truth.

precisely. 

I never said it makes a champion, just that modesty is a quality of the champs I admire most.


I agree for the most part I never get that impression, I guess that's why the last quote seemed maybe not gloating but somewhat out of his normal character.

Rossi is champ. For sure. My point is, he's not a particularly neutral source of opinio

it might not be neutral but it's accurate

 [thumbsup]

get back to me when his performance doesn't backup his, uh, "opinion..."

http://superbikeplanet.com/image/2009/motogp/brno/7/SE5K2371.htm (http://superbikeplanet.com/image/2009/motogp/brno/7/SE5K2371.htm)

 [laugh]

Those are some nice pics, but the comments are ghey.  ;)