RACE STUFF THREAD

[fastwin]

More cool video stuff. Vito has the best job in the world and sideburns that only Bostrom could love!!

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=37250

[fastwin]

Damn! Somebody mark this day in red on the calender! When was the last time that Mladin wasn't the fastest or second fastest qualifier in AMA SBK?? Wow! Ninth place!! Jeez... good for Hayes though!

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2009/07/17/hayes-gets-first-superbike-pole
   

[Jester]

Mladin probably did that on purpose to give himself a challenge.

[fastwin]

Good point! AMA/DMG probably paid him to sand bag it to pump up TV ratings!

[Cher]

Well, well, well would you look at this;  it would appear that one Kentucky-fried Kid out-paced one V. Rossi in FP2 today at the Sachsenring.  Oh, and by the way, the #69 rider managed to break into the top 5 while he was at it

[Pinocchio]

Well, well, well would you look at this;  it would appear that one Kentucky-fried Kid out-paced one V. Rossi in FP2 today at the Sachsenring.  Oh, and by the way, the #69 rider managed to break into the top 5 while he was at it

And in the QP he managed the 4 spot, and might have surpassed Stoner, if he hadn't cannon-balled himself into Canepa in turn 8 while trying to flat track through a puddle. He's still looking for his own setup on the bike, knowing that Casey's data is just not right for his style of riding. According to his MotoGP.com interview Friday,  his team made some changes to the rear of the bike that made it necessary to "do something to the front", so they changed the bars.



No, this isn't the way the bike looks...
Yet.

[fastwin]

The grid.

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=37369

[Cher]

I love MotoGP... Now THAT's a grid I can live with 

[RED]

I just can't live with the results! I thought Stoner had it dialed in up until the tires gave out MIDWAY through the race. The wrist shouldn't be a problem this late into the season either. So WtF is going on with Ducati 2009? CF frame not up to snuff? Wha Wha Wha???

[Cher]

Stoner confirmed in the post race press conference he and the team guessed wrong on their choice of tires.

I was just glad to see Stoner racing like his "old" self; hopefully he's back to 100% by the next race.

[fastwin]

Yep, just picked tire A and not tire B. It was nice to see him up front and holding off Rossi/Lorenzo for so long. Hopefully they now have a handle on his illness and a proper direction for treatment. No one needs to be racing at the MotoGP level barfing into their helmet mid race trying to hang onto a podium spot. That's one tough kiddo.

[RED]

Ah, still dreaming     of the day when the 27 AND the 69 bike stand on the podium together 

[fastwin]

What an awesome and historical spectacle this would be!! I wasn't there but I remember that race and the close finish and the incredible attention it got in the bike press. Hell, people are still talking about it...even Rossi!! I'd give anything to be there and see this and get KR Sr's autograph... how cool.

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2009/07/20/roberts-and-the-tz-to-indy-mile

[Pinocchio]

Yep, just picked tire A and not tire B.

So, what we have here is a spec tire race? Seems like things were a lot more competitive when the teams decided on a tire manufacturer at the beginning of the season. The competition between the tire companies was part of the event. Now the choice is between Breedledee (Bridgestone tire A) and Breedledum (Bridgestone tire B)....
Personally, I would hate to see MotoGP devolve into  a spec race,  a la Moto2. At least the 1/4-liter marques have some individual personality.

[Cher]

Ah, still dreaming     of the day when the 27 AND the 69 bike stand on the podium together 

I wouldn't count that out this season but Hayden's "frank" assessment in interviews of his own lack of performance has got to be getting on his sponsors and Ducati's nerves.  It would have silenced a lot of critics (but probably not Svoloch    ) if he could have managed to finish the last race at least in the position he qualified  

Hayden can be great on the Duc but the clock is ticking.  I sincerely hope he does well in the last half of the season.