Moto GP - track test updates and more thoughts

[Freakshow]

Was getting feedback from some of the guys that went to the PI testing sessions with the Moto GP boys,  opionion is still Casey is looking the goods, but interesting things apparently on the cards for some teams as far as support.  lAck of kit was another sign they are hanging in there.


For what its worth if your interested thoughts included

Dovizioso, Toesland, De Angelis doing  well & so soon, These guys have no respect 4 the old timers, (expect to see a bit of fairing bashing) come the 1st round under lights.

Marco has admitted that his results this season will be poor "as no one can ride the Ducati apart from Casey, big mistake coming over from Honda".

Apart from the new talent & the tyre war there is not much to look forward in the new season , as once again the bikes need to be ridden inch perfect most of all on entry into corners. Slides onto a long straight effect top speed which will see you outbraked, therefore there is no room for creative riding where you rely on using brutal horsepower to pull you out of trouble. The fuel economy is a big issue & managing this & tyre wear has put even more emphasis on electronics. Maganeti Marelli who supply Ducati & Yamaha with the electronics are now supplying Kawasaki & the improvement has been substantial.

Looking @ Hoppers & West's times you may not think so but they have a major issue with the clutch and as it is not of electronic nature they are awaiting new hardware development parts for it, to be  supplied by FCC (you may remember them as leaders from the 2 stroke classes).

Michelin have been working very hard , there a a few new faces in the French tyre suppliers sheds & offices , a big effort 4 sure developing the new 16" tyres. This will be the only thing that may help Rossi (if it does).

All things being equal, Casey will dominate as he has during the tests where he was is making fools of them.
The  other guys didn't even want to play with him during the tests , most have given up.
He only did 2 laps @ a time when he was working on that ultra fast lap of 1:28.777  around noon on Friday,  almost a second faster then Nicky.  Stoner then did a race simulation & packed up by 3:40, leaving the rest to ride around 'till 6.

Some thing of note is that he used a 4" front rim to mount the 16.5" Bridgestones, how he manages to keep the thing agile & super sharp on the turn-in to a corner is a bit of a paradox .

Would like to see him ride that thing without traction & mono wheel control  & when those rules come through ( by '09 - '10 for sure), he will be the one  that will benefit the most.

He really impressed  with his commitment and concentration level to the way he rides the bike to lap so fast (not even a hint of a mistake - anywhere & bang there is the lap), reminds me of Maccy D as the extra effort that you can clearly see would seem to result in @ least 2 second advantage and most of the time it's only .5 of a second. This is the reason why the rest know that they are beating their heads against the wall.

Sad to see only 2 Honda bikes in the 250 class & most of all only a sole privateer in the 125 class representing the largest manufacturer, considering that the new Loncin (whatever that is )  in 125's has a 2 rider team.
HRC must be concentrating on the MotoGP , where they will get their ass kicked once again.

Will be surprised to see only one Honda rider dominating from the others, only hope is Pedrosa getting fit in time  (worst bone break on the right hand).

Maybe the focus this year will be on the MP8000, or the SBK series if you want to see close racing.  Any cose racing as always, but more so this season will be in the 125 classes , but alas we never get to see them televised, unless you in spain where thats all they watch as a national pastime 

Funny thing is folk here get ansy if your a winner in a field of 10, even at NAtionals, in the mp500s you beat 17 other guys and you can be world champ in some ways to me thats not a true reflection of who you beat in the world to be no 1, its just who didnt get a ride and who has the best ride.

the 250 class is a joke 5 brands mostly european, would seem kawasaki, suzuki, yamaha and even honda, dont think there is much scope in this class and have moved to other disciplines, ill be interested to see how the marketing changes on the showroom floor, maybe we in for a dirt bike revival ! heheh 

then again there is still time for things to come through before round 1, but i think its going to be a bit long shot.

   
    FIM Announcement - MotoGP Entry List 2008
   
   
    Friday February 8th
   
      
   Nº    Rider                  Nation   Team                                  Machine
   1   CASEY STONER   AUS   DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM        DUCATI
   2   DANI PEDROSA   SPA   REPSOL HONDA TEAM   HONDA
   4   ANDREA DOVIZIOSO    ITA   JiR SCOT TEAM                   HONDA
   5   COLIN EDWARDS   USA   YAMAHA TECH 3                   YAMAHA
   7   CHRIS VERMEULEN   AUS   RIZLA SUZUKI MotoGP   SUZUKI
   13   ANTHONY WEST   AUS   KAWASAKI RACING TEAM   KAWASAKI
   14   RANDY DE PUNIET   FRA   LCR HONDA MotoGP           HONDA
   15   ALEX DE ANGELIS   RSM   SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI   HONDA
   21   JOHN HOPKINS   USA   KAWASAKI RACING TEAM   KAWASAKI
   24   TONI ELIAS   SPA   ALICE TEAM                   DUCATI
   33   MARCO MELANDRI   ITA   DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM   DUCATI
   46   VALENTINO ROSSI   ITA   FIAT YAMAHA TEAM            YAMAHA
   48   JORGE LORENZO   SPA   FIAT YAMAHA TEAM             YAMAHA
   50   SYLVAIN GUINTOLI   FRA   ALICE TEAM                   DUCATI
   52   JAMES TOSELAND    GBR   YAMAHA TECH 3                  YAMAHA
   56   SHINYA NAKANO   JPN   SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI   HONDA
   65   LORIS CAPIROSSI   ITA   RIZLA SUZUKI MotoGP   SUZUKI
   69   NICKY HAYDEN   USA   REPSOL HONDA TEAM   HONDA
   

              
   Nº   Rider                   Nation      Team                      Machine
   4   HIROSHI AOYAMA       JPN   RED BULL  KTM 250       KTM
   5   HECTOR FAUBEL   SPA   MAPFRE ASPAR TEAM   APRILIA
   6   ALEX DEBON   SPA   LOTUS APRILIA   APRLIA
   7   RUSSEL GOMEZ   SPA   BLUSENS APRILIA   APRILIA
   10   IMRE TOTH   HUN   TEAM TOTH APRILIA   APRILIA
   12   THOMAS LUTHI   SUI   EMMI - CAFFE LATTE   APRILIA
   14   RATTHAPARK W   THA   THAI HONDA PTT SAG   HONDA
   15   ROBERTO LOCATELLI ITA   METIS GILERA   GILERA
   17   KAREL ABRAHAM   CZE   CARDION AB MOTORACING   APRILIA
   19   ALVARO BAUTISTA   SPA   MAPFRE ASPAR TEAM   APRILIA
   21   HECTOR BARBERA   SPA   TEAM TOTH APRILIA   APRILIA
   25   ALEX BALDOLINI   ITA   MATTEONI RACING   APRILIA
   32   FABRIZIO LAI   ITA   CAMPETELLA RACING   APRILIA   
                36   MIKA KALLIO   FIN   RED BULL KTM 250   KTM
   41   ALEIX ESPARGARO   SPA   LOTUS APRILIA    APRLIA
   45            DONI TATA PRADITA   INA   YAMAHA PERTAMINA INDONESIA YAMAHA
   50   EUGENE LAVERTY   IRL   BLUSENS APRILIA   APRILIA
   52            LUKAS PESEK   CZE   AUTO KELLY - CP   APRILIA
   54   MANUEL POGGIALI   RSM   CAMPETELLA RACING   APRILIA
   58         MARCO SIMONCELLI    ITA   METIS GILERA   GILERA
   60   JULIAN SIMON          SPA   REPSOL KTM 250cc   KTM
   72   YUKI TAKAHASHI   JPN   SCOT RACING TEAM 250cc   HONDA
   75   MATTIA PASINI   ITA   POLARIS WORLD        APRILIA
   

   
   
   Nº   Rider                  Nation   Team                   Machine
   5   ALEXIS MASBOU   FRA   LONCIN RACING   LONCIN
   6              JOAN OLIVE   SPA   BELSON DERBI   DERBI
   7   EFREN VAZQUEZ   SPA   BLUSENS APRILIA    APRILIA
   8   LORENZO ZANETTI   ITA   ISPA KTM ARAN        KTM
   11   SANDRO CORTESE   GER   EMMI - CAFFE LATTE   APRILIA
   12   ESTEVE RABAT   SPA          REPSOL KTM 125cc   KTM
   14   GABOR TALMACSI   HUN   BANCAJA ASPAR TEAM   APRILIA
   16   JULES CLUZEL   FRA   LONCIN RACING   LONCIN
   17   STEFAN BRADL   GER   GRIZZLY GAS KIEFER RACING   APRILIA
   18   NICOLAS TEROL   SPA   JACK & JONES WRB   APRILIA
   19   ROBERTO LACA   ITA   MATTEONI RACING   APRILIA
   21   ROBIN LASSER   GER   GRIZZLY GAS KIEFER RACING   APRILIA
   22   PABLO NIETO   SPA   ONDE 2000 KTM   KTM
   24   SIMONE CORSI   ITA   JACK & JONES WRB   APRILIA
   27   STEFANO BIANCO   ITA   WTR SAN MARINO TEAM   APRILIA
   29   ANDREA IANNONE   ITA   I.C. TEAM   APRILIA
   30            PERE TUTUSAUS   SPA   BANCAJA ASPAR TEAM   APRILIA
   33   SERGIO GADEA   SPA   BANCAJA ASPAR TEAM   APRILIA
   34   RANDY KRUMMENACHER   SUI   RED BULL KTM 125   KTM
   35   RAFFAELE DE ROSA   ITA   ONDE 2000 KTM   KTM
   38            BRADLEY SMITH   GBR   POLARIS WORLD   APRILIA
   44   POL ESPARGARO   SPA   BELSON DERBI   DERBI
   45   SCOTT REDDING   GBR   BLUSENS APRILIA JUNIOR   APRILIA
   51   STEVIE BONSEY   USA   DEGRAAF GRAND PRIX   APRILIA
   56   HUGO VAN DEN BE   NED   DEGRAAF GRAND PRIX   APRILIA
   60   MICHAEL RANSEDER   AUT   I.C. TEAM APRILIA
   63   MIKE DI MEGLIO   FRA   AJO MOTOSPORT   DERBI
   69   LOUIS ROSSI   FRA   FFM HONDA GP 125   HONDA
   71   TOMOYOSHI KOYAM JPN   ISPA KTM ARAN   KTM
   73   TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI   JPN   I.C. TEAM   APRILIA
   77   DOMINIQUE AEGERTER   SUI   AJO MOTOSPORT   DERBI
   93   MARC MARQUEZ   SPA   REPSOL KTM 125cc   KTM
   95   ROBERT MURESAN   ROM   GRIZZLY GAS KIEFER RACING   APRILIA
   99   DANNY WEBB   GBR   DEGRAAF GRAND PRIX   APRILIA
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
      
      
       
 
 

 
 

[Lozza]

After seeing some spy pics from inside the Aprillia race workshop no wonder H*onda gave up on the 250 class.After being spanked by Aprilia then KTM they were quick to realise it would need some continued developement to keep up with and/or beat the 120HP @ the wheel what a 250 has now.Even long time  Honda man Aberto Puig dumped them and went to KTM.
Casey will be hard to top again, he is psycologicaly tough as they come and won't be phased by much.Be keen to see him crush Rossi again.Night race will be a good spectacle too

[Freakshow]

i'll  give rossi a year, he is too proud and too rich to play in the pack for another season , i expect him to sign off, or sign out into another sport.   Hot Tip would be to another discipline for some Play time.

[GD66]

 Good riddance. Personally, I thought the petulant display at the end of last season where he blackmailed Bridgestone into giving him tyres, with overt assistance from the FIM, was just about the last straw. Then, when long-suffering crew chief Jeremy Burgess suggested that they all work together, the team, Yamaha, Michelin, Rossi, to sort out their problems and regain the ascendancy, Rossi went straight to the press and said "Jerry does not make-a thees decisions...". He's been out-thought and outridden by the awesome Stoner/Ducati/ Bridgestone combo, and is fast running out of answers and excuses. Do you imagine Michelin will be sitting on their hands ? They will be sweating bullets to make him rue the day he dumped on them. My only hope is that his little Michelin-shod garage buddy gets up and gives him a couple of whippings during the season, then he really will take his bat and ball and shoot through. Sure, he was good - great in fact. But all his mind games and bullshit, which so effectively kneecapped Biaggi and Gibernau, don't wash with Stoner, Pedrobot, and the new order, who are used to knuckling it out in the lower-capacity classes. Game Over, Monkey Boy....

[Lozza]

 
AMCN has a brilliant tech article on the Desmosedci GP7, I forgot his name but he's the bloke in the wheelchair,he decided that an 800cc wouldn't need the big bang engine.A simulation showed 90deg engine made more top end and used less fuel, that was brilliant.Apparently now all the big 4 have a screamer.

[Gerard De Ruyter (Twistandshout)]

just a quick side comment - i cannot believe just how exponentially the rampup in the complexity of the bike technology has been in racing in the last three/four years.  So many aspects of engine management, gearbox operation, fuel supply, oil supply, cooling, suspension, tyres etc now includes a host of digital and mechanical/hydraulic assists that add up to machines that well, need a raft of specialists working on to function.

Same in works motocross bikes.  Christ, you read tests of works US Nationals riders bikes, and there's bugger all left standard.

To me, it means we are coming up fast towards the upper limits of possible improvements to a bike's functioning, if every new tiny 'development' is the result of six months' hard work by a score of boffins in a lab somewhere and associated engineering work.  Or at least, the end of privateers doing top ten (twenty? thirty?).

Not disputing mind what Casey brings in terms of pure human talent and guts.  He's got both in spades.

[Lozza]

The issue has been noted by Micheal Scott a pit lane scribe of more than 20years,he has said that back in the good old 500cc days it was just a guru and a screwdriver and a box of jets, now it's a bus full of gurus with lap tops,BUT  4T engines lend themselves to electronics so it's hardly surprising.
There is NO privateers in MotoGP and you will need a long line of trucks full of $$$ before you see anything like a result, as opposed to the 500's when the private MUZ team used to pole regularly.
F1 it aint an the rider is still 80% of the equation.
It goes in circles sometime by a breakthrough or by rule changes, more HP,need a better tyre, more speed,need better brakes and suspension, then rider says we need more HP.....

[Freakshow]

My freind Paul Young ( 94 -95-96 ? 250 national proddy / 600 supersport) went to europe in 98 ? to ride and got a call up to The Paggents 500 cc team although he could say he got to ride in the 500 that year, the team was basically a privateer, tax loss, the team ran on an oily rag and with a 4 year old YZR500 with lock ups, carby problems and other small failures he would struggle every round to even get the track time on the bike, i think he got to run a few rounds and got noticed but shit bikes and team pennies ment it went no where. 

From memory Troy bayliss was still riding here in 96 cause i remeber he was in the same races behind pAUL, not to say he was better, but with the right oppertunities and rides YOU CAN GO PLACES.   William strugnell ? what ever happened to him, fastest 125 rider i havent senn, but again him and his dad was beg borrowing and stealing every round in 99 just to make the track, then i think they gave up banging there head against the wall.  but again as i said its about the ride now, you get sponsered and can get onto a good team you can win anything, talent can only take you so far, some of those teams havent got a hope, they dont have enough coin and resources to advance anything from the last round, hence most have dropped out now unless its a tax loss or advertising signboard.

I think you could say the glory days really where in the era of riders like sheen etc where someone who could tune a bike and ride it was a true world champion, from then on the tyre wars and the resouces cut a divide between the haves and the have not, id struggle to say anyone truly is a world champion nowa days - its a very grey area.

Even still on the national circuits you see riders in the same team get differant kits.  How can you expect to perform when your not even getting the same level of support in a team ? and doenst get access to the factory parts ?

Im a bit over technology, its just marketing now, id have to say its 70% backing and 30% rider skill, you could name a few folks over the years that if you stuck them on a "field bike" there 1 second a lap talent wouldnt have help a bit.

food for thought.

[grasshopper]

 

i see the tall poppy syndrome is alive and well

beats me why people .........and im not on your case freaky..............  can't just enjoy the "moment" for what it is.

Gardner,  Sheen,  Doohan, Bayliss, Stoner all great riders (what an understatement) that made and still make me smile.

Its that simple 

[Freakshow]

Grasshopper you have much too learn.........  ( sorry always wanted to say that )

i think all riders are great.  My point was you need to be more than just great to get the fast line off the track.  there are so many good riders that never got a break and never got the kit then fell by the wayside.   

Nothing makes me happier than seeing a good kid like casey shine, im just reflecting on the fact his competion is well behind him, and no matter how fast they ride , there team and $$$ is the only thing that will pull a rabbit out of a hat for those poor soldiers.  AKA the 250 class who's left and where are the factory teams gone ?