Late season race stuff...

[fastwin]

This is prettty cool!

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=34939

[AndreRA3]

Yeah, and he apparently lapped within 5 seconds of the front runners (that's a vague enough sentence, but I assume it means 5secs of the top 10 riders).  Pretty impressive.

[Kevin848]

Very cool! Wonder which way he prefers going fast... Italian F1 car or Italian SuperBike!

[AndreRA3]

don't forget to add Italian MotoGP bike to the mix...

[Kevin848]

don't forget to add Italian MotoGP bike to the mix...

I think that would be my preferred method 

[fastwin]

Yep, he's ridden them all and has done pretty well on GP and SBKs. I guess you can get groovy invites like that when you have seven F1 championships under your belt. One of the many nice perks. Heck, if he was still driving he'd still be racking up a championship or two. Nice to go out on top, like Bayliss. But I actually wonder how long Troy can stay away. He may pull a Brett Favre and come out of retirement after the season starts next year. I could see a regular factory rider getting hurt and him rushing to the pits helmet in hand! [moto]

[Ronr]

Catching up on my end of season race watching.  Found the final Portugal races on the World Superbike website.  My recorder didn't get it for some reason.

The recorder also had a problem getting the final GP race.  Anybody know of a website that has the GP races archived for watching??

[Giannis]

Yep, he's ridden them all and has done pretty well on GP and SBKs. I guess you can get groovy invites like that when you have seven F1 championships under your belt. One of the many nice perks. Heck, if he was still driving he'd still be racking up a championship or two. Nice to go out on top, like Bayliss. But I actually wonder how long Troy can stay away. He may pull a Brett Favre and come out of retirement after the season starts next year. I could see a regular factory rider getting hurt and him rushing to the pits helmet in hand! [moto]

When Australians say they quit they usally do it, Doohan, Gardner  and Beattie they all quit and never raced in world level again.. they do trackdays or race cars but they never did race WSBK or GP again...

Next year will be crazy in WSBK a mix of American, Japanese, Italian  and English Hotheads    I hope Ben wins the championship he is my Favorite!

[calscrazy]

i like your thinking.   i think it may be a little wishful so i put spies top 5 with 2010 as his breakout year.

[fastwin]

Glad Spies is finally going there. He was going nowhere in the states. He needs world stage experience. Just hope his overbearing Mom doesn't f#@k it up for him. Maybe he can leave her controlling ass at home and actually get a girlfriend!! Pick an umbrella girl please... anyone! Sounds like those near race record laps at their first test is a taste of more to come. Great Yammyhammer! Like Ben said, don't know why this bike didn't win in AMA/SBK? Gee, I guess that's because he wasn't riding it!! Looking forward to 2009 WSBK big time!! Bemmer and Aprilla in the mix... Sweet!

[Giannis]

i like your thinking.   i think it may be a little wishful so i put spies top 5 with 2010 as his breakout year.

top 5? that's understatment, his bike is better than Aprilia and BMW 100% Those two have to do some development they might win races but they are both new bikes dont exept much (Ducati even raced the 1098 a year before the enter the WSBK)

That leaves

Spies Yamaha  Beat Mladin stright up 3 times and desrtroy the competition he  also finsihed 6th at Indy ahead of both other factory suzuki riders
Shykes Yamaha (new rider but not at Ben's level)
Byrne Go 11 he is good but Ducati will not let a satellite team with the championship, if he does good this year i can see him on Ducati corse and with a title in the near future, he is Very Fast!!!!
Fabrizio good but not consistant.. (reminds me of Xaus a few years back...)
Haga good but not consistant neither.. This is his last change to win the title
Rea, good rider, a fighter but i cant see win the title
Checa Big threat.... he knows the tracks and his bike will have one year development under its belt ... he knows how to go fast on worn out tires
Kyonari Wasnt consitant last year and his bike didnt have much develoment, will see this year
Haslam.. Good but not a Title chaser...


i woundn't count out the Suzuki guys neither, they do have a new bike this year and Max knows the tracks now...
Kawasaki should go back to the drawing board something wrong with their bikes.... Tamada and Laconi are both GP/SBK winners  not backmarkers, Bikes is the problem.

[AndreRA3]

Well, Kawi has dumped PSG-1 as their factory support team, so there is a shake up in progress.  Hopefully Paul Bird Motorsports will be able to develop the bikes.

I agree that Ducati won't let a satelite team win the title.  A while ago there was an Alex Barros interview floating around, where he claimed that Ducati Corse told him never to clinch a podium from a factory bike again (in MotoGP).  Wouldn't surprise me if true.

I think Max Neukirchner will be more of a threat this year.  According to his Soup interview, last year he had an unreliable crew and an undeveloped bike.  Looks like he'll get the right stuff this year. ( http://superbikeplanet.com/2008/Nov/081107b.htm )

Also, I'd be willing to bet that Rea will outscore Kyonari this year...

[calscrazy]

i like haga, checa and neukirchner to be the top three not necessarily in that order. after that i think it's a toss up. yes spies is great and i to am a fan of his but he hasn't ridden these tracks with these guys. which tyre will he be runnin? that's new i am sure.  it will take a few races to get accustomed to everything. you can do all the testing you want but you know when the $$'s on the line they aren't gonna just pull over like testing.

[Giannis]

but he hasn't ridden these tracks with these guys.

Doesnt really matter neither Checa Rode with those guys before, new bike new tires and he won a lot of races. Ben raced a few MotoGP races to so he is not stranger to this kind of Racing.. All racers use Pirelli in WSBK.

Andrem they said that max used an 07 bike for the first half of the seasson he scored wins with it, so i can imagine with the new GSXR1000 he will be  one of the guys to watch. He will be the top Suzuki guy this year (Nieto left(?) and Kakagyama is just a developer anymore)

WSS would be good to Sofoglou, Pitt and West will go balls out all year long!!! 

[fastwin]

i like haga, checa and neukirchner to be the top three not necessarily in that order. after that i think it's a toss up. yes spies is great and i to am a fan of his but he hasn't ridden these tracks with these guys. which tyre will he be runnin? that's new i am sure.  it will take a few races to get accustomed to everything. you can do all the testing you want but you know when the $$'s on the line they aren't gonna just pull over like testing.

Hmmm, I think I remember them saying the same thing in 1978 about Kenny Roberts, Sr. He shut 'em up and put them all on the trailer. Not bad for a dirt traking kid from California.