MotoGP Laguna (there will be spoilers, so be smart before clicking)

[Jester]

If they never touched, how is it physical?  Maybe Casey should take up Old Maid or something a little more his speed.  That was standard fare just a few years back in GP and can be seen weekly in WSBK.

Very correct.  The guys in WSBK race like that, or worse, week in and week out.  I don't see where this is a problem.  As fans we should be cheering what happened this weekend.  We're finally getting some racing.

[darylbowden]

Great stuff.   Goes to show that racing isn't just about who's the fastest and that defensive riding can win races.

Rossi rode a great race but lets be honest he got lucky as well.  He could have gone down just as easily as Stoner when he ran through the gravel in the corkscrew. 

IMO Stoner was the faster of the two and was probing Rossi at 3 different corners setting him up for a pass.  If he hadn't hamfisted the braking on that last corner it was only a matter of time before he overtook him.

I loved it though.  I hope the rest of the year plays out like this. 

As far as you fanboys go with the other stuff:

If someone had pulled that move through the gravel on Rossi and forced Rossi wide in the corkscrew you'd have been all of over them.  The fact is Rossi is lucky that 1.  he didn't go down (as i said above) and 2. that he didn't take both of them down when he rejoined the track.  It was a reckless move and anyone who had to avoid it would have felt the same way, especially in the pits immediately after the race.  It was fun to watch though.

Hard to see anything worthy of a pregnant dog tag in the superbike article...

Watch the video right after the race in the winner's circle - that's where he was at his very pregnant dogiest.  I seriously thought he was gonna leave the circle to go beat his wife right afterwards as he was so flustered and pissed.  (it's the BBS video you need to watch to see it).

As for the corkscrew, yeah it was hairy, but that pass is made ALL the time (Spies and Yates both did it in AMA last year in fact) and yes, he's lucky he didn't go down when he went into the gravel for a split second, but here's the thing - he didn't take Stoner out, he didn't even touch him - so what is there to complain about?  A bunch of what ifs?

Stoner rode a great race for the most part, he had the better pace, he had the better package, but he wasn't gonna win that race regardless if he grabbed too much brake in 11.  If he was gonna find a way around Rossi, it would've happened before there were only 8 laps left.  He got frustrated cause he wasn't as strong on the brakes  and couldn't get by and eventually he pushed a little too hard and we saw what happened. 

[hydra]

i thought it was a nice battle. Rossi was in great form and made few mistakes.

i don't think anyone's worse than hector barbera when it comes to antics in a race.

[Grampa]

from the whiners bike cam.... it almost looked like Rossi brake checked him.

[Jester]

Stoner rode a great race for the most part, he had the better pace, he had the better package, but he wasn't gonna win that race regardless if he grabbed too much brake in 11.  If he was gonna find a way around Rossi, it would've happened before there were only 8 laps left.  He got frustrated cause he wasn't as strong on the brakes  and couldn't get by and eventually he pushed a little too hard and we saw what happened. 

+1

Rossi admitted that Stoner had more pace after the race.  If Stoner can't get by Rossi and make it stick after 24 laps, I highly doubt he would have made it stick during the 8 that were left.  Instead he ran wide on turn 1, then again on turn 11 which ended his race.  Both of those mistakes were unforced errors while trying to overtake the lead bike.  He cracked.  Stoner said Rossi was racing extremely precise race lines, and always closed off the home straight going into turn 1.  I don't really see where Stoner was planning on getting by him.

[darylbowden]

from the whiners bike cam.... it almost looked like Rossi brake checked him.

Are you serious?  Stoner was in there WAYYYY too hot.  Which is evidenced by the fact that he couldn't even slow it down in time to keep it out of the gravel.  So, yes Rossi braked before Stoner - at the last braking point and Stoner braked later, which is why he didn't make the turn and ended up picking the Duc out of the gravel.

[COWBOY]

Watch the video right after the race in the winner's circle - that's where he was at his very pregnant dogiest.  I seriously thought he was gonna leave the circle to go beat his wife right afterwards as he was so flustered and pissed.  (it's the BBS video you need to watch to see it).

As for the corkscrew, yeah it was hairy, but that pass is made ALL the time (Spies and Yates both did it in AMA last year in fact) and yes, he's lucky he didn't go down when he went into the gravel for a split second, but here's the thing - he didn't take Stoner out, he didn't even touch him - so what is there to complain about?  A bunch of what ifs?

I just rewatched that pass and slow mo'd it as well.  the only reason they don't touch is Stoner corrects his path.  If he holds line they are both out - no question.  It was reckless but it worked.  I'm not upset about it and thought it was fun to watch.  If I had been on the bike that had to avoid the knucklehead attempting the move yeah I'd be pissed.

I watched the video and just see 1 pissed guy.  That's pretty tepid though -- they get more worked up than that over practice sessions in most other professional circuits.

Stoner rode a great race for the most part, he had the better pace, he had the better package, but he wasn't gonna win that race regardless if he grabbed too much brake in 11.  If he was gonna find a way around Rossi, it would've happened before there were only 8 laps left.  He got frustrated cause he wasn't as strong on the brakes  and couldn't get by and eventually he pushed a little too hard and we saw what happened. 

Again rewatching the race there are easily 3 corners where he is setting it up and it's obvious that Stoner is the quicker of the two and being held up in multiple areas.   IMO he would have made his move in a lap or two and been gone.    We can agree to disagree on that though.

[Grampa]

Are you serious?  Stoner was in there WAYYYY too hot.  Which is evidenced by the fact that he couldn't even slow it down in time to keep it out of the gravel.  So, yes Rossi braked before Stoner - at the last braking point and Stoner braked later, which is why he didn't make the turn and ended up picking the Duc out of the gravel.

I'm just mess'n....all those guys ride waaaaaaaay better than I could ever hope to, and they all have my respect, and, I didnt see Stoner do'n anymore whining than any other rider, when things didnt go as planned. They have all had thier moments. If any of us had just ran a race like that, we would all have been a lil pissy in the paddock.

[mikeb]

Again rewatching the race there are easily 3 corners where he is setting it up and it's obvious that Stoner is the quicker of the two and being held up in multiple areas.   IMO he would have made his move in a lap or two and been gone.    We can agree to disagree on that though.

It's clear Stoner could run a faster pace than Rossi.  Which is why Rossi wanted to get out front, and if passed, regain the lead.  He knew if Stoner got out front he'd check out.  It was the perfect strategy.  Showed that it's not always the guy with the fastest lap times that wins the race.

As for the corkscrew pass.  I think that had more to do with the corkscrew than anything.  I've seen lots of passes there.....and lots of guys run wide trying to pass there.  It's a tricky corner.

Too bad Casey ran off in 11 though.  It was a barn-burner for sure.  I think if anything else he probably could have gotten Rossi on the run to the line.  

[gm2]

It's clear Stoner could run a faster pace than Rossi.  Which is why Rossi wanted to get out front, and if passed, regain the lead.  He knew if Stoner got out front he'd check out.  It was the perfect strategy.  Showed that it's not always the guy with the fastest lap times that wins the race.

As for the corkscrew pass.  I think that had more to do with the corkscrew than anything.  I've seen lots of passes there.....and lots of guys run wide trying to pass there.  It's a tricky corner.

Too bad Casey ran off in 11 though.  It was a barn-burner for sure.  I think if anything else probably could have gotten Rossin on the run to the line.  

except rossi kept beating him to the line by out-braking him in 11.

stoner had a bit more pace

rossi was better on the brakes in every corner and rode very defensively.

it's a really hard track to pass on.

every time stoner started to make up that tiny bit of room b/c of his pace, it was time to brake again.. and rossi would beat him there, every time.

sounds really damn frustrating to me. 

all it really did was prove once again that rossi is the master of racecraft.  get him close enough and he can win based on racing, not package + racing.  see: 2004.

plus, racecraft includes saying things to the media like 'only way to stop stoner is to shoot him' or 'yeah, i can win.. if you give me a 30 second head start'.  before that race even began he had casey convinced that all he had to do was go out there and do some laps.  then first lap, rossi is attacking, racing like a man possessed.  pressuring casey into a mistake was inevitable... i'm sure he was pissed off and totally out of sorts the entire race.

effing brilliant.

[mikeb]

except rossi kept beating him to the line by out-braking him in 11.

Exactly why Stoner ran off in 11.  He needed to make up time in that corner in order to have a shot on the straight. 

If he got a run on the straight he'd run wide in T2....which happened prior to his run off in 11. 

Hard to get around a guy running on the race line that is able to out brake you into the corner. 

The doctor at his finest.

[darylbowden]

Again rewatching the race there are easily 3 corners where he is setting it up and it's obvious that Stoner is the quicker of the two and being held up in multiple areas.   IMO he would have made his move in a lap or two and been gone.    We can agree to disagree on that though.

Yep, he's being held up the entire race, not just three corners.  However, he tried to make his move over and over again, and he couldn't.  Why? Because Rossi knew that if Stoner got clear track in front of him, he'd be gone.  So, Rossi braked later to every corner and didn't put a wheel wrong, meaning that Stoner would have to find another way around (which is why Stoner ended up in the gravel).  Stoner wasn't going anywhere.  

I watched the video and just see 1 pissed guy.  That's pretty tepid though -- they get more worked up than that over practice sessions in most other professional circuits.

Dude, I'm sorry, but every opportunity he's had to speak over the last 24 hours, he's complained about Rossi's passes, up to and including the official Ducati press release.  The tone of his comments were, "if Rossi hadn't made so many unfair passes on me, I would've won." He could've said his piece after the race and been done with it, but that's all he wanted to talk about.  

[Grampa]

if I only weighed 127 pounds.... I'd be pissy too

[COWBOY]

Yep, he's being held up the entire race, not just three corners.  However, he tried to make his move over and over again, and he couldn't.  Why? Because Rossi knew that if Stoner got clear track in front of him, he'd be gone.  So, Rossi braked later to every corner and didn't put a wheel wrong, meaning that Stoner would have to find another way around (which is why Stoner ended up in the gravel).  Stoner wasn't going anywhere.  

Dude, I'm sorry, but every opportunity he's had to speak over the last 24 hours, he's complained about Rossi's passes, up to and including the official Ducati press release.  The tone of his comments were, "if Rossi hadn't made so many unfair passes on me, I would've won." He could've said his piece after the race and been done with it, but that's all he wanted to talk about.  

I think he had 3 corners in particular he was choosing between and he would have eventually made his move.  My guess is before turn 11 because Rossi was effectively blocking him there and impeding his drive down the straight.  Rossi rode a good race but he wasn't unbeatable.  Stoner did pass him and was passed in only 1 area of the track repeatedly (corkscrew).  He had many opportunities to pass and as I said I believe he would have.

Point me to one article where he whines like that.  I've seen one post race video where he's obviously pissed.  All the articles and interviews are pretty bland and a repeated, I was faster but Rossi ran a great defensive strategy and won. 

You are reaching on the pregnant doginess let alone all the he's in his head, biaggi, etc nonsense talk.  Stoner knows he's faster and is confident in his team.  He's got 4 of his favorite tracks still ahead and an extremely fast track (supposedly) waiting for him in Indy.  To say he's afraid of Rossi is laughable.

My fear is his attempting to even the score with Rossi in some future race where he makes an equally as reckless move only this time taking them both out.  Then again the fireworks from that would be fun to watch- both on track and on the forum.  LOL.

[darylbowden]

if I only weighed 127 pounds.... I'd be pissy too

I'd be ecstatic.