Ducati Monster Forum

Qually 1

Ducs 4 out of the top 5, and 5 out of the top 10.  [moto]

1   7 Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'32.155
2  84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'32.162
3  91 Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'32.373
4  67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'32.635
5  41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'32.703
6   3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'32.850
7  65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.884
8  50 Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'32.902
9  96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'32.905
10  35 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'33.038
11   2 Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'33.296
12  77 Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'33.389
13  52 Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'33.422
14  57 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'33.454
15  66 Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'33.492
16  11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'33.512
17  88 Pitt A. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'33.940
18  76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1'33.960
19 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'33.984
20 123 Resch R. (AUT) BMW S1000 RR 1'34.065
21  31 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'34.417
22  25 Brookes J. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 1'34.663
23  15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'35.892
24  95 Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.113

http://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/latest-news/1530-phillip-island-superbike-qualifying-1st-session.html (http://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/latest-news/1530-phillip-island-superbike-qualifying-1st-session.html)

oh look, cal's ahead of jt.  =)

As much as I enjoy seeing the Ducati's at the top, do they have the same provisions this year where the FIM will be adding weight or restricting air intake to "even" them out?

I really hope Roger gets up to speed on the Kawi. 

Surprised to see Corser so far back in the pack.  Figured the BMW would be pretty hot with a year of racing knowledge in the books.

I recall at 1 point last year Troy talking about how the fairing dynamics were keeping him from getting some of the front end feel he wanted due to how it was supposedly lifting on the front end a bit and I wonder if that with the high speeds that are prevalent at Philip Island paired with the usually occuring crosswinds....if these are factors feeding into why the Beemers are where they are in the pack.

Aerodynamics? BMW should be able to get that shit sorted out real fast.

+11tyb. 

There's obviously some serious differences between those Althea Ducs and the satellite Ducs (e.g. Sterilgarda) from last year. 

Good to see Haslam up there.  I hope that GSXR is better sorted this year and isn't finicky about which tracks it works well at. 

well, there has been a full year for more works parts to trickle down from Corse....

And they've said that this year's 1198R is the same as last year so it makes sense that the performance would be closer.

i think the factory and rs (customer) superbikes were pretty even last year. what we're seeing so far this year is the teams and riders getting more out of them.

also the althea and factory bikes have fly-by-wire throttle; the rest of the ducs do not.

as for adding weight to them etc, remember that some tracks are just 'ducati tracks'.  PI is one of them.

what about xaus destroying 3 bikes over the course of 7 laps. 

woops.  settle down there, dude.

Maybe he was just afraid of hitting another big ass sea gull at top speed like he did a couple of years ago. ;D

He's just an excitable boy....

I thought that was Biaggi?

You may be right, old fart memory system does spark and crackle occasionally. I just seem to remember it was Corser. Too lazy to research it. [laugh]

EDIT: OK, I'm not too lazy. It was Corser last year.

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/racing/day-testing-phillip-island-ends-ducati-top/ (http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/racing/day-testing-phillip-island-ends-ducati-top/)

For those planning to watch on Speed, it is on @ 3pm & 4pm ET on Sunday.


mitt

Anyone else think Crutchlow might be the "Revelation" this season?

yes and no.  i actually expect him to do very well. 

..provided yamaha gets the chatter thing solved, or at least more solved.

SUPERPOLE

1 Leon Haslam          1'31.229
2 Michel Fabrizio       1'31.245
3 Cal Crutchlow        1'31.642
4 Carlos Checa          1'31.671
5 Sylvain Guintoli       1'31.696
6 Jakub Smrz            1'31.757
7 Jonathan Rea         1'31.912
8 James Toseland      1'32.019
9 Lorenzo Lanzi         1'32.205
10 Noriyuki Haga       1'32.229
11 Max Biaggi           1'32.293
12 Tom Sykes          1'32.398
13 Troy Corser         1'32.430
14 Chris Vermeulen    1'32.561
15 Ruben Xaus         1'32.842
16 Leon Camier         1'32.895
17 Max Neukirchner   1'32.782
18 Shane Byrne        1'32.823
19 Andrew Pitt         1'33.207
20 Roland Resch
21 Joshua Brookes     1'33.901
22 Vittorio Iannuzzo   1'34.248
23 Matteo Baiocco     1'35.297
24 Roger Lee Hayden  1'35.614

haslam  [thumbsup]
cal - told ya  ;)
guinty - nice!  just stay away from josh brookes!
haga - irrelevant; he'll be up front in 5 laps.
the mole - holdin' down 7th.. er, 14th.
rlh - got out of the :36s =)

...the wait is almost over.   :D

Neither Pedercini kwak broke a  1.35 , might be a long year for lil roger on that dog.

Two excellent races

Haslam in race 1

Checa in race 2.

Vermuelen crashed out twice.

Xaus took Haga out in the morning warm-up. Haga rode hurt to a podium in 1 Xaus didn't race.

Looks like a good season shaping up.

Edit...

Almost forgot.

Spideys' buddy on the podium twice.

WOW!!!! Finally, the racing season has begun and it looks like it's going to be good  [thumbsup]

Great races, 2nd was better IMO.

aaahhhhhhh got my fix. :)

Plus the WRC is on right now, love that. ;D

Boy, Checa earned that. Every bit of it.  [thumbsup]

Going to be an excellent year.  Althea Ducati? A privateer?

Missed the first race as my couch ate me up and knocked me out.

LA

First race 0.004 seconds between 1st and 2nd - that was incredible.  One more fire of Fab's pistons and he would have won - he was like a missile off the last turn.

And how fun would it be if Checa raced like this every round, and was in the mix for a championship?


mitt

Great races!!  [bow_down]

yes, but there isn't much difference between that bike and the factory bikes (so far).  just a handful of revs.

amazing ride by carlos.

haven't looked yet, hope the mole is ok.  that was an ugly meeting with a tire wall.

rea off track and still finishes 6th?!

xaus needs to cool it.  maybe BMW will start charging him for bikes destroyed.

1st race stupid close, out of the seat action. And Checa, I didn't think he could really pull it off with a few laps to go. Great ride, with his many many year of experience showing. Thank god the racing season has finally begun.

And to think that I was worried that without Spies in the mix, a bit of my WSBK enthusiasm might have waned.  Man, that was good stuff.  

Race 2 was just awesome.  When was the last time a satellite Duc won a race over the factory machines?  Also, I haven't been paying attention to Guintoli at all.  'til now.  I hope those Suzukis are legitimate threats at other tracks.  I can't wait to see Rea (nice comeback, Johnny!) and Haslam banging fairings this season.   [clap]

Race 1 was awesome b/c of the look on douchebrizio's face afterward.  Seriously, WTF is wrong with that guy?  He couldn't act like pretty much everyone else does -- be happy with a podium and at least pretend that he's not heartbroken that he didn't win?  It wasn't like he gave it up in the last minute.  He took a last minute shot which almost worked, but didn't.  Don't be all butt-hurt about it, you ass.  I dislike that guy the more I see him.  And learn to speak f'n English already.   >:(

I'm finding it heartbreaking to see good riders on second-hand machinery.  Vermulen on the Kawi and Corser on that BMW (to a lesser degree) just kill me.  The mole is gonna break himself into pieces this season if he tries to consistently run up front.  In it's current iteration, that bike just can't do it.  In all, not a good day for recent MotoGP boys.  At least Vermulen isn't too beat up.  That crash looked nasty.  

If I'm gonna root for Haslam this season, things have to change in the paddock.  I am bitterly disappointed that Haslam's girl was hiding her assets under a jacket, particularly considering that this is the first time she's gotten any camera time for a long while.  Let those babies breathe, Olli.   ;D    

JT's gotta be hurting right now.  And Crutchlow beat him.  Ouch.  

Haga was pretty quiet after taking a 150 mph detour in practice.  He got lucky Xaus didn't totally screw the the beginning of his season.  (seriously, Xaus crashed 4 times that weekend?  Yooooouuuccchhh!)

Hayden is gonna make me cry all season long.  He doesn't have the skill, the track familiarity, the team or the bike to be even remotely competitive.  That sucks.  

Anyone know what happened with Biaggi in Race 2?

you want to see heartbreaking seasons? go rewatch 2000 and 2001 with an eye on corser and the developing rsv1000.


jack and james were commenting that it's unfortunate that she's so "generously proportioned" that she couldn't fit into the brolly girl outfit they had for her and that everybody would be impatiently waiting to see her pop out of it.

Was that on the Eurosport feed?  I can't be havin' other doods are horning in on my boobies.  Harumph. 

He ran wide at Honda. One of many examples where the commentators are too busy masturbating to notice what's actually going on in the race. Apparently you were too busy masturbating too... :P ;)

I know a lot of people love the English commentator guy but he's an idiot as far as I'm concerned. He misses too many things in the race with all his melodramatic BS.

Rea is such a tool, he's fast but he runs off track all the time. I'd like to see the guy calm down a little and maybe he'd be winning races rather than scaring the shit out of the front runners and doing a bit of yard work on the side.

The make the beast with two backsing camera work drives me nuts too, switching to pictures of concerned looking people in the pit, who gives a make the beast with two backs? I watch to see racing not some dopey SO or relative sitting in the garage biting their damn nails.

Race two was so good. ;D

with 8 less hp last year and a heavier bike, supposedly a lot of the same chatter problems, does make what he did even more superhuman. 


dunno really, but before nearly killing himself last year laconi was certainly winding it up for that.   


guinty has always been fast but stuck behind circumstance.. he did ok in 250s, then came up to GP on the tech 3 team... on dunlops.  no worky.  then he got moved to pramac ducati in 2008, the year that everyone wanted to be on a duc.  also the year everyone learned they did NOT want to be on a duc.. he actually did ok a few times that year once he turned off all the electronics.  then he goes to BSB and josh brookes takes him out, breaks his leg.  so finally he's healthy and on a good package.


that's gonna keep happening, imo.


he really did destroy 3 bikes in 7 laps.  that must be some kind of record.


went wide.  the same thing he does in 25% of all corners.

camier starting to figure it out tho...





you're less of a tool if you can run off track and then catch up that much.  =)

He ran off track, he didn't just run wide, he went straight at Honda.

Maybe so but he's riding dangerously IMO, he's nearly taken people out plenty of times. Not the "oh, that was a good one" kind of taken out either, the t-bone "I hope they can both walk after this" version. He needs to pull his head out of his ass. Despite my comments, I actually like Rea and would like to see him doing well but he's riding like an idiot. A fast idiot but an idiot none the less.

I'm a bit torn on Rea's riding.  Sometimes (there was one particular stretch last season IIRC) where I thought he was just a menace.  Other times, I think he's just pushing hard and going fast.  Blowing turns happens.  Running off track happens (especially in practice).  All part of the sport.  Either way, I like watching him.

he's both a little out of control sometimes and over-riding the bike when necessary.  either way, i can't fault the guy.  he came in last year as a 22-yr old rookie and established himself the same way he did in WSS: WFO.  the kid ain't afraid.

His backin'-it-in passes on the brakes are a blast to watch.  Best backin-it-in in WSBK right now.  True, sometimes he can't make the turn, but it's still worth watching him shoots up the inside of the turn all sideways.

Lanzi won ahead of Troy at Valencia back in 2008...infamous Checa takes out Neukirchner in last corner.

Great racing yesterday, knock on wood for the rest of the season.

Should we talk about Xaus?

Talk about a menace. ;D

And what do they have in common?  They both just love running into Nori.  ;D

excitable boys....  ;)

wooohooo wsbk!  [moto]

i don't think i've ever seen a photo finish in moto gp  [thumbsup]

There was that Elias/rossi thing in 06 i think it was...wsbk seems to have more though

found video (skip to 5:00)
Toni Elias Estoril 2006 (Musical) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmldNgKnmvM#normal)

There have been some close ones, but lets remember the 250cc class for all its glory!  Remember the Sepang finish between Barbera and Simoncelli?  That was the coolest 2nd place battle I've ever seen.